The Best Mattress
How we finally found the best mattress, after years of sore backs.
Category: Interior
Do not be alarmed.
An alarm system the police won’t respond to is useless out here, so we pulled it all out and invested in cameras.
The Bowels of Purgatory, Part 3: Thermostat Enlightenment
The thermostat for Furnace A was in the great room, of all places, so we moved it.
The Bowels of Purgatory, Part 2: Furnace Stink
Getting the diesel smell of our furnaces under control.
The Bowels of Purgatory, Part 1: Furnace Story
Tracking down the man who serviced our furnaces for 20-plus years, and getting them tuned up.
Spiders and earwigs and termites, oh my!
A termite funnel above the washer and dryer leads to an inspection, and treatment, under the entire house.
In the bedroom
New bedroom furniture to match our bed from Gingko Furniture, and some art to cover the holes.
Our lack of a Chesterfield Sofa
The great room is still mostly empty, and we’re in no hurry to fill it.
The Cave of Stega
Panoramas of my office, where I spend about 75% of my time.
Expanding Borrowed Time
New access points and one well-placed wire make our wireless network much better.
Historic House Images
Old listing photos on Zillow reveal what our house looked like before the previous owners’ renovations.
Water, Water Everywhere, Part 3: And Some to Drink
Our softened water tastes a bit salty, so the reverse-osmosis system handles our drinking water.
Revisiting First Impressions, Addendum
The original bathroom layout off the linen hallway, designed so none of the Doc’s kids could monopolize a bathroom.
Revisiting First Impressions, Part 6: North Wing
Then and now: the north wing, including the deep purple room and TV #9.
Revisiting First Impressions, Part 5: Foyer and Master Bedroom
Then and now: the foyer and the master bedroom.
Revisiting First Impressions, Part 4: Kitchen and Great Room
Then and now: the kitchen and the great room, including TV #5.
Revisiting First Impressions, Part 3: South Wing Interior
Then and now: Agent Smith’s office, the studio, the guest suite and the wine room, plus a running count of the previous owners’ TVs and mirrors.
Closet of Doom
Rebuilding the water-damaged closet off the great room that no one told us about, down to the studs and through the teak floor.
A better lock
Replacing the kitchen door’s double-cylinder deadbolt, so we don’t need a key to get out of our own house.
Final Blue Room Pics
Before, mockup and after shots of the blue room, with the couch we wanted in blue and grey.
Furnace Fun
Our two furnaces date from 1966 and burn heating oil, and finding someone who can service them is a project in itself.
Painting Update: The trim is now done
The trim is painted, the tape is off and the blue room is done, our first full-room remodel.
New Hot Water
The hissing 80-gallon water heater turned out to be failing in many ways, so it’s replaced.
More on the painting
The purple room is now blue! Next up, the trim.
Sink Update
The replacement faucet arrived, the exact same model and not defective this time, and the kitchen sink is finally sorted.
A bit of decor
Two little benches from the craft store give the front foyer a spot to sit down and take off shoes.
The end of the purple
Learning to paint textured interior walls, starting with spackle and primer, as the purple room nears its end.
Purple Update
Prepping the purple bedroom for paint: lots of spackle, two useless phone jacks plugged and a growth chart about to disappear.
Updated Floorplan
Building a better floorplan of the house with a laser tape measure, after trying a few apps that didn’t quite work.
How California Politicians Screwed Up My Kitchen Sink
Our new kitchen faucet arrived defective, and by the time I tried to replace it, buying one had become illegal in California. A giant rant.
Purple…
A rainy-day project: repainting the horrible purple bedroom, with help from the Sherwin Williams paint app.
Changes in the Pantry
New pantry shelving that doesn’t seesaw and will keep things safe in an earthquake.