Project #1: The Dining Room

Most of my time at the house over the last couple of weeks involved meetings with HVAC installers (3 new furnaces-one for each floor), roofers (stop leaks, replace large parts of roof and gutters), and floor guys (refinish) to collect bids on all of the mechanical work (i.e. lots of $, not a lot of fun). Similar meetings with the architect (convert 2nd floor apartment) and kitchen designer have been a little more exciting.
Meanwhile, we've been trying to come up with a plan of attack to get the house livable. The dining room is gorgeous, with beautiful old woodwork, beamed ceiling and unbelievable built-in sideboards. Unfortunately, all of that woodwork was covered in a thick layer of dirt, followed by a dusting of mold. (Main picture was taken when we first toured the house.) Eww! So with my trusty respirator and rubber gloves, I set to work cleaning all that gunk up. Finished it all up today and a coat (or two) of primer is next on the agenda. (I love this color on a box from Tiffany & Co, but in a dining room--not so much.)

Jumping In

Well, we did it. Last week, despite this crazy economy and the fact that we own a perfectly fine house in the 'burbs, Bob and I signed the dotted line on a new mortgage. We've looked for a house in this area of town for years; close to work and school and many of our friends, it provides lots more diversity and the more walkable lifestyle we just can't get in the suburbs. Cafes, ice cream shop, yoga studios, parks, library are all a short walk away.
Of course, it's also completely impractical. A whopping 6500 square feet, it will be a monster to heat and cool (we need new HVAC before we can even move in), needs significant work to the roof, and right now is absolutely filthy. We have several months of work before we can move in, many more of cosmetic changes once we are there, and then, of course, old houses need constant care and feeding.
Many friends and family have asked for pictures and our plans for the house, so I'm attempting a blog about our "little" project. Here goes nothing...