Category: Phase 1

Chronicling my adventures restoring and updating a quirky old Philadelphia rowhouse

One of the big selling points for my house

was that so much of the original woodwork was intact. Here’s the last time you’ll get to see it:

Another milestone in the Crooked House’s Progress

Really huge news! Today I hauled out the last 4 bags of trash! Remember what it looked like this summer: And I only spent $190.00 to do it!

Skylight! And let’s review all my aesthetic choices in one post.

So I’m due for a progress update, but lately it’s been kind of boring – just chipping away at things. Now a few of these things have finished up enough that we can see what they’re actually going to look like. The back bedroom is now completely framed out – except that I want to…
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The Paradox of Choice

I imagine that after this project is finished I’ll be out on a date, and I’ll say “I know we barely know each other, but can you order for me?” Maybe dinner isn’t such a big deal, but a lot of the decisions I’ve made this year have been really exhausting!

A Ceiling? Well, almost!

Well, first of all, I have a better picture of those windows that I’m still so very excited about. Had to take it after dark to have them show up decently.

Change of pace – things are actually going in!

But things are still coming out, too. If you’ll recall from this spring, the back bedroom in my house had only one long, narrow window. And since you don’t recall it, here it is, back when the room still had walls. The ceiling is on the floor, in case you were wondering.

It’s never too early to make aesthetic choices

Actually I’m making decisions now because I have to. And by that I mean reclaimed lumber is on sale at Philadelphia Salvage for this week so if I decide things now I’ll save a lot of money. Here’s the a sketch looking into the kitchen from the living room. I don’t know if you could…
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How I learned to stop worrying and love my ever expanding scope of work.

I’m defining “stop worrying” loosely. Here’s the deal. We decided that a good thing to do next was frame out supports for the new ceiling in the back bedroom (which I gutted bare). Then we realized that this framing will need to be attached to the back wall, where I’ll be pulling out one crappy…
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Chad’s Level House?

Maybe it’s a sacrilege, but yes, I’ve undone the worst of my house’s eponymous crookedness. I’ll only be doing this to one room, mind you. The back bedroom, which had been uncomfortably crooked, is now within 1/8″ of level. And it was built strangely with strips of wood 2 feet apart supporting the floors, and…
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Now that’s a minimalist bedroom

I reached a real milestone this week. All the bagged plaster is gone! That doesn’t mean I won’t find bits of it here and there, but I’m officially done hauling it out. And to celebrate, I vacuumed my car. I’ve also finished taking out the flooring in the back bedroom. All of it. Those boards…
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