tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22 2008-03-18T16:08:38Z Movable Type Enterprise 1.53 tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.20135 2008-03-18T15:53:18Z 2008-03-18T16:08:38Z

Hmm..could it be that this is the final renovation update? Hard to believe. Have I missed anything you want to see? Of course, there is a lot more on my personal to-do list but putting the renovation part behind me...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ The sink that got resprayed and reinstalled in its original location And the tub that got moved downstairs, resprayed and painted silver for the parlor bath Despite its state of neglect, I really loved this bathroom. It helped me see the whole house in the way it looked back in its heyday. If it were possible, I would have loved to keep most everything in here as is and just clean it up. But that wasn't really an option as we had to replace all the plumbing and electrical. We did save as many of the wall tiles as we could and reused them in our kitchen backsplash. We were also able to keep the sink here and repurpose the clawfoot downstairs. I think we did the best we could in terms of re-using what we had in a practical way. This bathroom is the smallest and will likely be the most abused in terms of future guests and children. So as a trade off to some of the splurges we made in the other bathrooms, we went with a low-key (read: cheap) plan in here. The wall tiles are the same stock ceramic subway tiles & trim we used in our master bathroom. The floor tiles are an unglazed ceramic black & white hex that seemed vintage without being expensive. (I had originally wanted to do a pattern that included square and hex tiles in a custom pattern for the little floor but after seeing some of the early issues we had with our contractors, I decided to keep it simple and get the black and white hex.) The toilet is a Toto Promenade, the faucet are Kohler Pillar Taps and the tub is a Kohler run of the mill cast iron. As you might see from the photos below, we had to give up the window in here in exchange for a place for other ducts, vents, and piping. Sad to see it go but it was worth it to not have soffits in the kitchen and hallway. The one thing we did in here that I would call a splurge was adding a skylight. Its a small thing really but it makes this very small room seem a lot more spacious when there is some natural light filtering in from above. Some in progress photos And without further ado, the offcial "after" photo I don't think Ill add much more in here except for a little care package when we have the random overnight guest. Honestly, I still don't love the paint color but Im trying to make it work with the striped shower curtain from Target and keeping everything else pretty bare. That's all she wrote for the Limestones bathrooms. ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19929 2008-03-09T03:51:24Z 2008-03-09T03:52:16Z

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ And this (viewer discretion strongly advised). Lets just say that ain't just water! Mother#$&*$! Mr. L leaped into action to get it under control. He moved the boxes out of the way and manned the wet vac to keep the damage to a minimum while he got all necessary parties on the way to get it fixed. By the time I got home, he had done it all which is a very good thing because while I wouldn't consider myself the type to be overwhelmed by house problems I call uncle when those problems involve human feces. All the signs pointed to a sewage line collapse. Aside from the grossness factor, we were both pretty depressed at the thought of another huge bill as well as the major aggravation factor of ripping up sidewalks, getting more permits, etc.. I'm really happy to report that we were wrong! We had a sewage company come over with crew and camera. Evidently there was a blockage from rocks/bolts/other crap that must have come from the renovation debris. They snaked and sucked and water jetted the blockage until it was no more. We're a little lighter in the wallet ($900) but it was no where near as bad as it could have been ($10K+). ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19773 2008-03-02T22:51:24Z 2008-03-03T16:51:48Z

To those who have been following along this year, you may remember what I like to call THE.MOST.DISGUISTING.ROOM.EVER. I can't seem to find the other photos of the original bathroom but lets just say it didn't get any better from...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ I can't seem to find the other photos of the original bathroom but lets just say it didn't get any better from another angle. This bathroom was next to the rooms that became the kitchen/dining area. The original bathroom was pretty big so we took some of that space for the kitchen and made the bathroom area smaller. A good deal of thought went into deciding if we should make this a half bathroom or leave it as a full. We didn't really NEED a full bath on the main floor. Ultimately, we decided that the claw foot tub could live in here and we could leave it as a full. We figure the tub can come in handy for future dog/children baths. And even if we rarely use it for whats its intended for, at least we saved the original tub and its pretty too look at. Time will tell if its a practical decision or not. The layout of this bathroom is one of those things I'd count as a major mistake on my part. As you can see from the photo, the door swings open right into the tub. How did I miss that detail? It was in all of the plans and I never even thought of it. I justify it to myself as having too many details to worry about at the time but really, it isn't like me not to spot something so obvious. Oh well, I didn't notice and it was too late to fix once I did. I suppose I could have the door switched to swing the other way at some point but I'll live with it for now. I really am loathe to do another thing that requires power tools. This bathroom is really tough to photograph. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but all the photos seem to come out with a weird greenish cast and make the room look poorly lit. In reality, the marble has a blue/grey tone and the wall has the tiniest bit of green and its quite bright in there. I like the color combo and the feel of the whole room. Anyway, I think it looks nicer in person so you'll have to take my word for it. Here are the specs in case you're interested: -tiles are carrera marble - hex on the floor, subway on the wall (purchased from Classic Tile and I'd recommend them) -paint is Benjamin Moores "gray owl" (which actually looks a tiny bit green) -the toilet is a Kohler Memoir (purchased from Park Slope Plumbing Supply - not wow'd by the service or help there at all) -sink & faucet is Polished Nickel manufactered by Porcher (purchased online) -Mirror, lights & shelf also Polished Nickel (purchased from pottery barn) The walls look really bare in here so I definitely need something on the walls. For some reason, I think the marble tiles would look cool with some high contrast black and whites of the NYC subway or maybe grand central? I don't really want to use the same photos Ive seen on a thousand postcards so maybe I can snap some of my own and see how that looks. Until accessories are added, this is it. Another room done. Woo-hoo.]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19688 2008-02-28T01:54:52Z 2008-02-28T02:00:32Z

Doesn't the word "vestibule" make you think of men smoking pipes and women in corsets? I'm not even sure what I have can be called a vestibule but thats what I call it. Todays post is about the least touched...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ As you can see, the ceiling had the most damage. It was a total mess. After the plaster was repaired, a single light was added. Somehow this became a recessed can when I really wanted a small hanging fixture. But once it was there, I sort of liked the drama that the single arch of light added and how the empty space overhead added to the open feeling. Its not like I'm going to be reading Proust in there so the recessed light worked out well. Thankfully the detail on the walls wasn't in terrible shape. It had a few cracks/chips but it was entirely intact. Our contractors did a nice job of touching up the ornate plaster work while smoothing out the rest of the wall. The wood wainscoating got a few coats of bone white while the wall above got its due with the lovely Silver Fox. The light switches got push button switches and an aged brass plate. Our contractor suggested doing a gold leaf treatment on the detail. At first I wasn't too crazy about the idea but the concept has grown on me. Maybe I'll give it a try once I have some free time? Even though its not a space I spend much time in, the "frame" of the plaster feels like it needs something else. What have you brownstoners done in here? In other weird mix up, the contractors put down a coat of white grout on the floor. Not sure why as we never asked them to and would never want to put white grout in the vestibule. Hey, they meant well. The floor still needs a good scrub down but that will have to wait until the winter is over. This concludes the end of the vestibule tour. Hope you enjoyed the ride. :) ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19642 2008-02-26T18:30:40Z 2008-02-26T18:50:04Z

Traveling back to before we started renovating, the very top floor of the house was a separate apartment while the lower two floors was the owners' duplex. (I use these terms loosely as I have a hard time truly calling...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ Since our plan was to reconfigure the space and make the top floor our bedrooms, the "kitchen" had to go. Before the construction really started, Mr. Limestone did some of his own "demo" by carefully removing the leaded glass doors and removing the disgustng floor to determine if there was hardwood underneath. Then during the reno, this room became a sort of garage for extra parts. The clawfoot lived in here for a few months as did the marble top for our master bath vanity. This room doesn't have the same wow transformation as the kitchen or bathrooms but I think it came out pretty well. The things that were done in here: removed cabinets, wallpaper, old lino floors, new window, recessed lights, electrical outlets, crown molding, skim coat, floors sanded and poly, paint. This floor had the most damage and wonky repairs. There are patches where its laid in a different direction and there is one larger black blob from what I presume is water damage. I considered painting it (I love a painted floor) but it turned out better than I expected so I think I'll just leave it. It might get a rug if its lucky. I think we are pretty much done right now short of a few boring touch ups. I plan on doing another couple of posts about how the bathrooms turned out but I think thats pretty much it. If anyone has any specific requests for a post topic, let me know. Otherwise Im very close to being over and out! Woo-hoo. ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19501 2008-02-20T18:26:29Z 2008-02-20T18:42:20Z

Love is probably the wrong word here but its the one that immediately comes to mind. Maybe I should say adore. I adore it so much I haven't move my clothing out of their boxes (Ive been living out of...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ If you've been following along you may remember my angry rant about how these closets are a pain to put together. They absolutely are - no question about that. But now that its finished and all in working order, I've forgiven the Container Store. This closet is not big by most outside NYC standards (approx 6 feet by 3 feet) but its quite big compared to my prior closet. Most importantly, it maxmizes the space and is pretty to look at. I wish I could transport you into my closet so you could feel the serenity that comes over me when I walk into this little box. Until a blog to home transporter is invented, this frankenstein like photo merge of my closet will have to suffice. What you are seeing is the left, back and right wall arranged into a flat panorama. Have no fear, my walls are not bowed like this nor are you on a weird home renovation acid trip. I realize this isn't strictly a home renovation post so Im sort of breaking my own rules here but I felt I had to share how happy I am with how they turned out after I complained about the system. ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19450 2008-02-19T13:06:05Z 2008-02-19T16:04:04Z

It feels like a long, long time ago that we visited the house and found this bathroom staring back at us. From very early on, we knew we wanted to keep whatever was possible to save. The clawfoot and the...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ From very early on, we knew we wanted to keep whatever was possible to save. The clawfoot and the sink made it on the save list pretty early on. I could pretend its my concern for being green or even my appreciation for the history of the home that drove that desire. While those two factors definitely counted, I think the biggest reason for keeping these items was that I liked them - they had personality and they fit the imaginery picture in my head of what the house would look like post-renovation. We were originally going to keep it in the upstairs guest and/or potential limestoner offspring bathroom. After some thought, we realized a clawfoot tub isn't the most ideal place for drunken guests or children to bathe so the tub got moved to the downstairs parlor bathroom off the kitchen. It won't get used on a daily basis but will be handy for potential child/dog baths if the need should arise. The sink got reinstalled in the same place. One of the first renovation foul ups we had in the demo days was that the clawfoot got thrown away accidently. Luckily, Mr. Limestone was making his rounds at the house that afternoon and spotted the tub peeking out of the dumpster! The tub got hauled out of the trash but had some signficant collateral damage. And the sink was just a general mess from being abused for a 100 years. After many months of waiting for its star treatment, we had the sink and tub re-surfaced this weekend. Sort of randomly, I found the website of Custom Spraying and Mr. L made the appointment. It was a pretty quick and painless process. They showed up on time, prepared the rooms by covering everything with brown paper and tape, did their spraying and were done in a few hours. Ive never had this done before so I wasn't sure what to expect. The owner, Jimmy, was very honest about the process and what it would/would not do. It would make it look a thousand times better but its not perfect. It has to be treated slightly more delicately than you would treat something new. So no abrasive cleaners, no scraping the surface with metal, etc.. It seems pretty straightforward and easy to follow. He warned me that my sink had some pitting so I should be prepared for it. And while there is some tiny pits in the sink that I can feel with my fingers, I would never even have noticed if he didn't mention it. I didn't expect them to be like new, I just wanted them clean and useable and this did the trick. They did a great job, were professional and knowledgeable. I would recommend them if you are looking for someone to do something similar. ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19381 2008-02-15T14:39:55Z 2008-02-15T14:52:04Z

I can't believe I'm typing this but (with the exception of a lightbulb, glass shelves for the upper cabinets and a few other minor things) my kitchen is finished!! You read that right: appliances installed, countertops oiled, fixtures operating, lights...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ It is not perfect but it is lovely and as close to what I imagined as is possible in my imperfect life. They don't exactly jump out at you but the backsplash was done with the very same tiles that Mr. Limestone so painstakingly removed from the upstairs bathroom. The very same tiles we spent a good deal of time soaking and scrubbing and sorting. Hard to imagine but we barely had enough unscathed tiles to do even do this much backsplash after all that. (We had a lot of extras that have some minor damage) Its one of those things that no one but us will notice but Im happy we were able to use these. Despite telling the crew we didn't want them to oil the soapstone, they couldn't resist. I loved how it looked gray and I love how it looks black. And lastly the shiny bridge faucet. This is one of those very rare things that the Mr. and I both agreed on from fairly early on. Im especially happy with how it doesn't look out of place despite its central location. For comparison sake, lets travel back in time to what this room looked like before we touched it (photo1) and on the first day of demo (photo 2). I think I see the end of this renovation tunnel that has sapped all of our energy (and money!) for the last year. Could it be? ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19248 2008-02-10T15:00:29Z 2008-02-10T15:06:22Z

They have been mostly under wraps as the work continues around the kitchen but I had to pull back the brown paper and take a peak. Here is a section of the soapstone in its "virginal" unoiled state. Its really...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ Its really such a beautiful stone. I like to touch it. Yes, Im a stone pervert. ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19243 2008-02-10T00:14:44Z 2008-02-10T00:21:41Z

Im sure you were all at the edges of your seats to see how the great stair debate would turn out. I figured I'd let the collective universe breathe a sigh of relief that I went with the cream risers....

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ great stair debate would turn out. I figured I'd let the collective universe breathe a sigh of relief that I went with the cream risers. Even an unrelenting bitch like me gives in sometimes :)]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19231 2008-02-08T21:56:10Z 2008-02-08T22:00:14Z

Intellectually, I know the answer to that question is yes. But it doesn't feel that way right at this minute. Everything was supposed to be done by now. About a month ago, the job was 90% finished, so it was...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ And before anyone asks - yes, there is a toilet in here. Its right next to where Im standing so its missing from the photo. If the dust creation in this house would ever cease, I could add my lotions and potions, a potted orchid, fluffy towels and enjoy it! ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19073 2008-02-01T15:12:18Z 2008-02-01T15:13:00Z

A lot of work has happened in the house over the past few months. The team of tireless workers has made that happen so I don't want to sound ungrateful but sometimes its very frustrating when smaller projects drag on....

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ As part of the bid for the contractor, I drew this out sketch so the contractor could see exactly what I had in mind. Ok, so maybe its not the worlds most beautiful drawing but I think the general look is pretty clear. I made notes in the margins about how it was to be constructed as well as providing photos of other cabinets that looked similar. I had discussed exactly what I wanted with the contractor multiple times after the drawing was given to make sure it was on track. I was told it was being custom made at the woodworker and would be installed toward the end of the job. We'll, "it" was installed I'm not sure what drawing they were looking at but it was not what I had specified and it was definitely not custom made. Not entirely apparent from this photo but this is a bunch of crappy stock cabinetry screwed together. I was not a happy camper. I seriously considered having them remove the whole thing and scrap the project because after seeing this, I was so frustrated and I didn't want to deal with it. But then I remembered they had removed some of the inlay detail floors under this to repair the missing pieces in the living room. Arrghh. In the interest of maintaing good relations and my own sanity, I focused on the two main issues: the cabinet doors were tiny (to give you a sense of scale, they were about as wide as a shoebox) . I wanted 4 doors, not 8! I also pointed out that there was a lot of molding that needed to get added to make this look finished. I let go the other issues of it not being made of quality wood; the lower part not having the inset style as specified, it having a toe kick area despite specifiying a furniture like base, it not being custom fit for the space; it not going all the way to the ceiling; as well as a few other problems. He agreed to make the change and it looked a lot better. But it still wasn't right. For one, they had broken our glass doors while installing them. Did they think I was not going to notice that? Secondly, the doors and drawers didn't work properly. And lastly the molding was added but in a weird way - like the crown was not sitting at the edge but rather it was pushed back a few inches. And there were other issues too (I won't bother boring you with those). This built-in continues to be a source of annoyance. Every time something gets fixed, something else is either broken or done improperly. I have nightmares about this monstrosity. Hopefully it will get done "well enough" and I'll replace it with what I really want some years down the road when my memories of this renovation has faded. The other nagging project is our closet systems. This has nothing to do with the contractor. My annoyance is aimed directly at the Container Store. Dear Container Store: You lured me in with your pretty advertisements and promises of an organized wardrobe in easy to follow steps. You cruel vixen, you evil temptress, I trusted you and you have left me unfashionably bereft. We selected the Container Store's elfa closet system because it was a) easy to get b) could be configured to make the best use of the space c) cheaper than similar alternatives d) looked pretty cute in the store and e) promised it was easy to install. My closet all ready to receive its due. We went to the Container Store during their 30% off sale with measurements in hand. The salespeople were very helpful and designed our closets for us. They even delivered right to our door! It seemed pretty straightforward. We left with the plans and waited for the parts to get there. When the boxes did arrive our hopes for a straight forward assembly vanished! There were so many parts without much in the way of labeling. We had ordered systems for all of the clothing closets in the house so it took us a lot of carrying these heavy things all over the house to get them to the right room. The main rails that the system hangs on got installed but other things were going on so I decided I'd take a crack at putting it together myself. Just unpacking the boxes took forever b/c every part is wrapped within an inch of its life. And then to be extra annoying, every single piece (and there were many) had one of these sku # stickers on them. Is this really necessary? Its time consuming enough to put this together, peeling each of these off one by one only adds to the frustration level. The shelves have a locking mechanism to keep them in place. It took me about 20 minutes to figure out how to press down in the right place and the right amount of brute force (while precariously balanced on a ladder) before I picked up the technique. So far, so good. The drawers were a lot less cooperative. I spent at least an hour unpacking, unpeeling, setting up on the rails followed by trying to lock them into place, hearing the telltale "clicking into place" sound only to have the drawers fall to the ground if I put some minor pressure on them. I kept reading the directions, trying again and I'd still get a heap of drawers at my feet. Arrgggghhhh! In walks contractor who tells me he tried to install this all earlier and the drawers don't lock into place properly. File that under things I would have liked to know before. :) Anyone else have these drawers and like to share with me the secret to getting these things not to fall out into a heap of metal and wood veneer? Contractor's solution is to put a screw in the sides of the drawer rail to hold in place. Seems like a good idea. Of course, its not done yet and so my closet sits idlely mocking me while I continue to fish my clothing out of cardboard boxes. Ok, end of bitch session. Im hoping both of these projects will be done by next week and I'll be able to share the happy outcome. Anyone want to take the under/over? ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.19007 2008-01-30T13:12:22Z 2008-01-30T13:47:22Z

I usually post as things happen but this post will be more of a summation of what's happening in the rear. One of the drawbacks of this house is that yard is pretty small. That wasn't really a big drawback...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ (not a stock photo - this is how it looked last year) Our plan was simple. Get rid of the weeds, make a simple planting bed at the back and cover the rest with pavers. We briefly considered doing something a little more fun like a koi pond ( a personal dream of mine) but there were so many other things going on at the same time, we never had time to do the right research so we let it go. When the demolition started, some of the weeds were removed to allow some movement outside. Naturally, a layer of random junk and debris collected there as well. As the winter was drawing closer, the crew got started on backyard to beat the ground freezing. You can see here how the yard originally had planting beds at the back and both sides. It made the backyard feel really cramped to us so we had a larger planting bed created in the back only. That way we can add some nice trees for privacy and shade. Once that was done, the back cinderblock wall that was collapsing got rebuilt, the drain got cleaned of weeds and the cement by the back door got repaired I originally wanted real cobblestones for the backyard but our contractor balked at the prospect of so much more work of working with a more uneven stone. I think it would have looked a lot nicer because the herringbone pattern would have been more attractive with a rectangular stone and real cobblestones don't have that cement look but I gave in anyway. It just wasn't worth making a big deal about the backyard. And here it is in its semi-final state. Of course we still have to add plants and some decorative touches but it turned out nice enough. I won't lie - I want a koi pond. Maybe in my next life.]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.18966 2008-01-28T18:43:22Z 2008-01-28T18:53:40Z

While most "surprises" of renovation, are negative, this one has a positive spin. You may remember one of my earlier posts where I mentioned my adoration of this doorknob. Actually I really loved all the door hardware. I spent a...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ Actually I really loved all the door hardware. I spent a lot of time painstakingly removing them from the doors using putty knives and dremel followed by boiling the old paint off and cleaning each with toothbrush and toolpicks. I was quite happy with the cleaned up versions because they still had their patina without the dirt and paint. After many months of sitting in bins, I gave all of the old hardware to the contractor to re-install. Imagine my surprise when I saw them a few weeks later completely stripped of the patina and shiny? This isn't at all what I would have asked for but I can't imagine how much time and elbow grease must have spent getting these so clean. So while it isn't what I thought I wanted, I think these look pretty good. I even like the mismatch of silver knob and brass plate. In fact, I was planning on using those shades as accents in the decorating so I guess this gets filed under"happy accidents". In other progress, our washer/dryer have moved into its home on the second floor closet. Its inaugural wash is in the works. The island has been fully installed, sink installation in progress and the recessed lights that were in the wrong place have been moved. Lastly our appliances arrived! Here is the giant fridge. I went appliance shopping thinking I would end up with a counter depth refrigerator but ended up going with this one. It juts out quite a lot but when I saw that even the counter depth ones jutted out and I would have had to give up crushed ice in the door, this one came out on top. Its a Ge Profile. I've had Ge Profile appliances before and figured it was good to stick with what we're happy with. Went with the Ge Cafe stove, microwave and dishwasher. This is a new line but I really liked how the slide in range didn't have a big control panel on the back as well as its double oven feature. Since its new, there weren't a whole lot of reviews on this so keeping fingers crossed its not going to make me rue this decision. Countertops are scheduled to arrive this week. Fully functioning kitchen soon to follow. ]]> tag:www.brownstoner.com,2008:/windsor_terrace_reno//22.18850 2008-01-23T22:02:19Z 2008-01-24T00:58:25Z

As the kitchen gets fine tuned, no other major transformations have taken place this week. There have been a series of small tasks being crossed off that give me great joy. Sometimes the little things make a big difference. As...

Mrs. Limestone brownstoner.com/windsor_terrace_reno/ When we bought the house, one of the first things we noticed was that the bench in the parlor hallstand was broken and its other "leg" was no where to be found. We discussed this with our architect as well as the various contractors we interviewed and all manner of repair solutions were suggested. Despite a few very good ideas, I still really wanted a matching pair of phoenix in the house. So I was quite shocked when our contractor told us he could have a copy of the remaining leg made. We didn't hold out much hope and figured whatever came back would likely be a poor imitation of the original. But one day we noticed that the hallstand had been repaired during the days work! And not only was it repaired but the phoenix carving had a beautiful match. If I didn't look closely, I would be hard pressed to know which one was new! I was seriously impressed. I have no clue where our contractor found someone to do the carving (he later told us it wasn't easy) nor do I care too much. Im just happy it was done so well. Can't wait to see this baby painted. Back on to the "little" things list, our doorbell got installed. Doesn't it look purdy? I will say that Im a little annoyed that the button part doesn't light up. I assumed the plastic button was there because its illuminated. Evidently it was just a cheapo button on a the brass fixture. So annoying. The faucets in our master bathroom got installed. Can you sense a theme here? I like shiny things. :) The corbels were installed in the ceiling divide between dining room and kitchen. Its a small detail but I think it adds a nice texture and a whisper of interest to a really boxy room. And finally our dining room and living room light fixtures got installed. Two chandeliers and two sets of sconces now in place. Woo-hoo. ]]>