If it were 1940 and I was buying from the Sears & Roebuck Catalog.  When I was a kid, I remember hearing my dad commenting that a neighbor of ours lived in a home bought from the Sears & Roebuck Catalog.  Isn’t that something?  I could never quite fathom ordering your house just like you’d order a winter coat or a new pair of shoes, lol. 

Sears recently put some of it’s catalog archives online and they’re really fun to browse through.  The house above, the “Normandy” model (link for full catalog page), is one of the models offered between 1933 and 1940.  The price range was between $1598.00 to $1867.00 depending on which materials you chose. Today, that price sounds so cheap, but considering that was during the Great Depression, it was most likely an astronomical price and out of reach for most people.

By the way, it’s an early split-level.  Did you notice that?  See the lower windows?  Here’s how Sears described it:

“The newest and one of the most popular ideas being used for both city and suburban homes is the “step-up” floor plan.”

So, remember that folks…It’s a “step-up floorplan”.  (yeah, that’s it, lol)

photo credit: Todd Baker << technowannabe

I spent the weekend painting all of my newly installed 6-panel, solid core, molded, interior doors.  What a job!  I followed the following instructions from Masonite (the manufacturer of my doors) and got really good results with almost no drips.  I’m going to post them here for reference.

How to paint a molded pre-primed interior door

1) MATERIALS REQUIRED: 
Paint - A high quality semi-gloss enamel. Always follow the paint manufacturer’s instructions for the paint preparation and application.
• 3”-4” Black China or Synthetic Bristle Brush
• 1” Black China or Synthetic Bristle Brush
Use a black china bristle brush for oil-based paint and a synthetic bristle brush for latex paint. 

2) Remove all hardware and fill any nail holes and blemishes with wood filler. 

3) Sanding of pre-primed doors prior to painting is not recommended.  Primer is not necessary on pre-primed doors.

4) Wipe down with a tack cloth to ensure a dust free finish.

5) Paint door in the following order:  start with the door panels (1), then the center stile (2), then paint the horizontal rails (3), then the vertical door stiles (4).

Remove any excess paint from the corners of the panels or lite grilles by feathering with a dry 1” brush.

6) When painting stiles and rails, use long strokes to prevent paint from pooling where the horizontal rails and the vertical stiles meet. Paint the four
edges last (top, bottom, left and right).

7) Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before applying a second coat.
Consult the paint manufacturer’s directions for drying times.

8 ) Paint (all 6 sides) to completely seal and to restrict moisture absorption.

9) After finishing is completed, reinstall all hardware.

(Source -  Summarized from Masonite’s “Painting Interior Doors Guide“)

This week’s entry is a fabulous whole house split foyer remodel found at Authentic Construction in Saint Paul, Minnesota.   This project focused not on adding space but redesigning and upgrading existing space to make it more usable.  Adding on is not always the answer, obviously.  Be sure to look at the interior pics of this remodel at their website.

Before - Authentic Construction

After - Authentic Construction

I love the natural look of the shake used on the exterior of this home.  So much of an improvement over the old blue siding.

photo credit: roarofthefour

 A man builds a fine house; and now he has a master, and a task for life; he is to furnish, watch, show it, and keep it in repair, the rest of his days.  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don’t we all know it?  Pretty little Craftsman, isn’t it? 

Housing starts fell 6.3% last month and building permits fell 8.3% (source).   The media reports this as if it were breaking news.  Are we supposed to be surprised?  Oh geez, I didn’t see that coming {she scratches head dumbfounded}!

 As if credit availability, bank failures, stock markets tumbling, and media reports enough to scare anyone aren’t enough, just wait until the market fully realizes the impact of foreclosed homes for sale by conventional banks and our new banker, Uncle Sam.   Imagine you’re a builder trying to compete with that.  October’s figures should be even worse.

Oh well…my rant for today.

 photo credit: orange_tictac

photo credit: Frédérique in NZ

photo credit: martinhoward

This is the season to plant bulbs for a beautiful spring garden.  You’ll be so happy you did when you see those first crocuses popping through the melting snow.

Visit BloomingBulb.com for #1 quality Holland flower bulbs… at wholesale prices!

Normally, I consider myself up-to-date on the latest and greatest building products on the market, but in my quest to find the perfect upgrade for my own house I found out how out of the loop I’ve been.  Holy cow, take a look at some of the unusual ones I’ve found…

 The Faux French Door Style

French Porte Garage Doors

At first glance, I wasn’t sure what to think knowing what a messy disaster my own garage is.  Yikes!  I don’t want to put it all on display in full view for the entire neighborhood.  A quick perusal of the literature assured me that the panes are frosted (good), plastic (ok), polycarbonate (huh?) - otherwise known as bullet proof glass!  Whoa!  These are actually quite attractive on the right house.  Don’t you think they really add to the cottage feel in this example?  Benefits: light can stream through but your nosey neighbors can’t see a thing.  Whew!

 The Copper Door - Yes, I said COPPER, as in REAL COPPER            

  Martin Door

No doubt about it, this is definitely a beautiful door. Would you have to live in gated community with an armed guard to own this door?  In my area, copper is a hot commodity - literally!  Don’t get me wrong, I live in a typical, low-crime part of suburbia, but even so, copper theft at construction sites is fairly common. I’d hate to come home one day and find my garage doors had gone missing, lol!  I’m determined to own these one day, though!  I’m in love {{{swoons}}}.  Benefits:  pure, unadulterated beauty.  Other finishes such as patina and weathered are available.

The Ultra Contemporary

Clopay

Another stunner!  Very, very contemporary, and to my eye, it resembles a Japanese paper divider.  This door is perfectly suited for Asian influenced, Contemporary, and even Prairie style homes.  The Avante Collection features both single pane and insulated, tempered glass in clear, obscure, and tints.  Benefits:  full and partial glass configurations with aluminum panels are available for a truly contemporary look.  The frames are also aluminum.

The transformation that took place in this whole house split-entry remodel by PGA Design Build is awesome.  Many homeowners avoid hiring an architect because they believe it’s cost prohibitive; however, an architect is trained to think outside the box, can see possibilities where the average person can’t, and may actually save you money in the long run, especially, when the project is as extensive as this one but even in small renovations.

Lack of space and an entry closet is one of the biggest complaints most split-entry owners have, and what a difference a foyer addition can make to remedy that.  Brothers Additions and Decks  did a nice job creating a spacious entry point while at the same time removing a badly placed gable roof that once adorned the main entrance to this home.  The new foyer addition has a pleasing roof line that blends well with the existing roof and showcases the fantastic new front door and transom.

Before - Old Entrance with misplaced gable roof. Is it just me, or does it look like you could hit your head on that roof? That entrance screams, "duck!" to visitors, doesn't it? I can see why they wanted to change it!