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Beacon Hill: a Garden District Mansion


KathieB

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I don't know about Lloyd, but I'm rather pleased. :D 

I figured out how I'm going to do the removable staircase. It involves cove mouldings and strip wood. So guess who went back to HBS and placed an order for cove mouldings and Victoria skirting boards for the whole house plus some right-sized strip wood. I toyed with the idea of fancy carved mouldings for the living room/parlor but the ceilings are so low that I think just plain 3/8" cove moulding will do. I was glad to have the $16 in bonus dollars from the previous order to use for this order.

I got all of the balusters cut away from the ground floor staircase. Waiting for railings to arrive, probably Friday if the USPS schedule is accurate. Meanwhile, there's a lot of other stuff to do. I really need to work on the outside of the house.

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Two orders from HBS (miniatures.com) arrived today. Lots of staining took place and some construction. Right now I'm waiting for the glue to dry. :) The Houseworks parquet flooring will be elegant in the foyer. The first photo in the blog entry showed me a couple of potential problems I hadn't foreseen, but I think I've figured out how to handle them. Alternate suggestions welcomed!! :D 

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I've not yet reached the blue word stage, Holly. Just plugging along. The solutions seem to appear when I need them. :)

While waiting for glue to dry, I took aim on the tower roof, the copper-clad tower roof that got aged within an inch of its life. I wasn't happy with the way it turned out, so I modified it a bit. See the results here. I'm happier now.

When I realized the door trim would get in the way of the sliding staircase, it became apparent that the door trim needed to be added, or at least taped in place, in order to adjust the staircase properly. And it occured to me that in this elegant foyer (and all the ground floor public rooms), I'm going to want trims a bit more upscale than the plain trim that comes with the kit. I see another HBS order looming large! 

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11 minutes ago, sparklepuppies said:

But I am laughing at your "another order".

I don't think it would bother me as much if HBS were farther away ... it seems ludicrous to be spending $8-$10 in postage per order when they are so close! But if you consider the cost of gas and having to brave Atlanta traffic, the price seems like a bargain. :D 

I've edited the most recent blog to add photos of the top floor railings and middle floor staircase in place; scroll down. I think that in the long run, the makeover will be worth the effort. :) 

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Woo hoo! The ground floor staircase unit challenges have been resolved! Of course there are more tweaks to be made, but the concept is working. See it here.

I had a near heart attack when the top heavy ground floor unit, the most complicated part, dived off the desk and landed with a resounding "crack!" Luckily the only damage was one baluster and a bit of handrail knocked off and easily reglued. Phew!

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Great solutions Kathie!! Too much thinking for me though!

When I did mine, I lobbed off all the tabs, and kept it removable until I got the foyer decorated, sliding it in and out many times during the process. Once it was all done, I finished the front part. The tight was so fit, there was no need to glue. So I guess technically mine could still be removable, except for all the same obstacles you've had to overcome.

I just don't have as much patience as you do!

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On 6/17/2018, 2:06:22, sparklepuppies said:

I just don't have as much patience as you do!

Patience or sheer blockheadedness? lol

An update: I'm caught in a labyrinth of got-to-do-that-before-I-can-do-this situation. Can't finish the last bit of the staircase (the middle floor railings and the handrails and banisters that will drop down to rest on the ground floor unit) until I know exactly how the ground floor unit will fit in place. That means the foyer needs to be finished with baseboard, cove mouldings, door trims, flooring, etc. Can't do that until I figure out the path and install the tape wire runs. I did stage the lighting I had on hand and ordered more lights from HBS, so they are here when I'm ready for them. Can't do that until I finish the ground floor walls (the kitchen bay and front and left bays). Don't want to do that until I get the ceilings painted (need to get paint!). 

So, what am I doing? Keifer's Squirrel of Judgement can attest that I really have been hard at work, sanding, sanding, sanding, all the bits that will go into the kitchen (which will actually be the dining room) and the bays. The interior bits have been stained. The rest of the bits are waiting for me to get over to Michael's for some gesso, which I like to use as a filler/primer and then stop at Home Depot for a nice satin finish white paint that will be used on the ceilings and all of the outside window trim.  All of the prepped bits are in baggies, well labeled and ready for installation.

Today I put the outside wall of the kitchen/dining room bay in dry fit and staged the dining room furniture to decide whether to install the shelf. I think I may install it and built a faux cabinet below, all nicely stained. I'm leaning toward a lot of medium dark woodwork in this house (Minwax Provincial). 

Still haven't decided which exterior parts may be clad in stone (base of bays? porch foundation?) and what will be clapboard. I'm happy enough working inside for now.

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55 minutes ago, KathieB said:

Patience or sheer blockheadedness? lol

An update: I'm caught in a labyrinth of got-to-do-that-before-I-can-do-this situation. Can't finish the last bit of the staircase (the middle floor railings and the handrails and banisters that will drop down to rest on the ground floor unit) until I know exactly how the ground floor unit will fit in place. That means the foyer needs to be finished with baseboard, cove mouldings, door trims, flooring, etc. Can't do that until I figure out the path and install the tape wire runs. I did stage the lighting I had on hand and ordered more lights from HBS, so they are here when I'm ready for them. Can't do that until I finish the ground floor walls (the kitchen bay and front and left bays). Don't want to do that until I get the ceilings painted (need to get paint!). 

So, what am I doing? Keifer's Squirrel of Judgement can attest that I really have been hard at work, sanding, sanding, sanding, all the bits that will go into the kitchen (which will actually be the dining room) and the bays. The interior bits have been stained. The rest of the bits are waiting for me to get over to Michael's for some gesso, which I like to use as a filler/primer and then stop at Home Depot for a nice satin finish white paint that will be used on the ceilings and all of the outside window trim.  All of the prepped bits are in baggies, well labeled and ready for installation.

Today I put the outside wall of the kitchen/dining room bay in dry fit and staged the dining room furniture to decide whether to install the shelf. I think I may install it and built a faux cabinet below, all nicely stained. I'm leaning toward a lot of medium dark woodwork in this house (Minwax Provincial). 

Still haven't decided which exterior parts may be clad in stone (base of bays? porch foundation?) and what will be clapboard. I'm happy enough working inside for now.

It's the loop I've been there too. every move I make the house counter moves I can't do this until that is done and boy is the loop really big when the house is really big. I take your approach and move onto something I can get done even if to save it for later . SometimeI make a piece of furniture . The lighting on the pierce keep me baffled for a long time it just keep asking for more lighting . 

SO glad you found something to keep it going .:cheer:  

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Kathie, did Garden District homes have kitchens?  I thought that wealthier families dispensed with their kitchens and had their food delivered from the neighborhood food shops.  Or had their kitchens out back, connected by a covered breezeway.

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Kitchens out back to prevent a kitchen fire from burning down the house were prevalent, and that's the case with this house. The cook would have been a valued member of the household. Food shops carried ingredients, not meals. I've not heard of residents getting frequent carry-out from restaurants. The exception might possibly be a catered meal for a special event, but even for special events, a householder might call on friends for a loan of their cook to help out rather than go to a commercial establishment. 

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27 minutes ago, Sable said:

One of my favorite Robin Carey houses has a separate summer kitchen:

http://robincarey.blogspot.com/2011/02/?m=1

Sable, did you ever find out if she is still doing houses? I yearn to see some of here newer projects.

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1 hour ago, Sable said:

One of my favorite Robin Carey houses has a separate summer kitchen:

http://robincarey.blogspot.com/2011/02/?m=1

Love it! If I were to get really ambitious, I might consider a separate kitchen with a loft above for the cook's quarters.

I'm still sanding, sanding, sanding ... have discovered that sanding rubs away ambition as well as splinters. so this is unlikely to happen. :D 

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The ceilings are painted, hurrah, hurrah!! I'm glad I didn't rush into installing the bays. I think I'll leave them off until the wiring is finished. See the Beacon Hill on its head here. I'm so glad somebody mentioned flipping the house to do the ceilings. It makes it soooo much easier to brush on a nice even coat of paint.

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Back before all the bells and whistles of galleries and blog options, when this was just a discussion board, Linda Cullen discussed flipping houses to paper/ paint ceilings.  This is why I reinforce the sides with the steel staples.

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Well, can't find the container with the electrical stuff, dag nabbit! Used HBS's 25% off coupon to order tape wire. Meanwhile, sanding, sanding, sanding.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Now I can't find the ceiling medallions for parlor and dining room. Can't start tape wire/electrical installation until they are found, drilled, and installed. Something in the universe is telling me to keep on sanding bits and pieces. Yesterday I bought a new pot of Spackle to fill in some of the bigger chinks where bits of inner layers of ply have popped out. So, prep work continues.  

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