Sears Kit House Restoration Reveal
Daena
3 years ago
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antiquesilver
3 years agoLori East
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Pictures of my favorite Sears Homes (many pics)
Comments (25)Thanks, Rose. To achieve this resuscitation, we had to: * have new cypress clapboards specially milled to match the original so that the patches would not be obvious; * inside, take down the damaged original plasterboard and insulate the exterior walls before putting new drywall on; * restore the opening between the LR and the DR to its original width (at some point, the house had been used as a church); * replace all the windows with woodframe double-paned replicas of the originals; * heavy up the electricity; * install SpacePak flexible duct AC; * jack up the porch roof (it is clear from a heavy beam running front to back in the basement that the entire house had had to be jacked up a bit at one time, which is why there are no level horizontal surfaces in the house); and * replicate some of the roof corbels and other bits of trim that had gone missing over the past nine decades. I finally found on craigslist a door that is close to the original. Of course, by the time it was installed, the paint on the porch was already needing attention again. The bottom line is that we spent too much money (for the neighborhood, not for the house) to give this old sweetie another 90 years with no vinyl siding. [On this street so close to where box cars would have delivered the kits, there are two other Americus examples; they look ok from a distance, but the siding is not cypress.] It was a harrowing project that could not have been undertaken without a GC who has an affinity for old houses. I made some not great decisions along the way (i.e., the tile in the master bath looks closer to avocado than stone green). It is the most gratifying project I have ever completed. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I had the money. And you need to keep up your good work so that other people will become as besotted as I am. Thanks again. hbk...See MoreKitchen Reveal - Traditional Quiet White Kitchen
Comments (64)@erinf8 - The crown molding detail in our house is very odd. It is actually 1-3/4" picture molding mounted approximately 1/2" from the ceiling. Since the house is so old and the ceilings far from plumb, the 1/2" space can vary in dimension in any given room. The kitchen ceiling was terribly out of level as well. We feathered down the plaster as best as we could so the variances wouldn't be obvious. The final crown detail was actually a big disappointment of mine in this room. I could not get the cabinets guys or my carpenter to come up with a solution where we could get that 1/2" reveal at the top of the cabinets. We would have had to create extremely long scribes and had we not been running out of time, they might have figured it out. So at the cabinets the shadow line you see at the top is because the molding doesn't touch the ceiling there. It is a big compromise but when I look at the whole room, I try not to dwell on it. Sometimes working in an old house can be really challenging. I am glad I stuck to my guns and kept that little molding when I got a lot of unsolicted advice to use something larger. It just would have looked SO out of place next to the other rooms in our house. The space between counters and uppers is 18". The light colors make it all appear more airy, I think. Don't you love that salt box? I just got it two weeks ago at Crate and Barrel (Homestead Salt Cellar $9.95). It is the perfect size and it has a lid....See MoreWhite Kitchen Reveal and More
Comments (78)This is GORGEOUS!! I know this is an old thread but I just stumbled on it and have to comment. :) we too live in an old house and are mid-Kitchen Reno. It’s not fun but Oxford Cabinetry just installed my beautiful white cabinets and I am thrilled. I have such a random question for you - there are lingering fumes from the paint finish and I wonder if you recall how you dealt with them. For now we’ve been told to put out coffee grounds to absorb it. Any thoughts?...See MoreReveal: Long & Narrower White, Grey & Green EIK
Comments (98)Bump!!!!!!! I was beginning my remodel at this time last year and i must have missed this.......it's so beautiful it deserves a second go round at the top of the forum for all the people who missed it. There aren't NEARLY enough comments on this kitchen. people must'vebeen outside enjoying the summer and not in the kitchen forums. Total eye candy....See MoreGargamel
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DaenaOriginal Author