In preparation for laying down plywood, Kyle spent this week ripping out the final layers of the kitchen and foyer floor (yes, we have been at this floor for a while now, and I too share in your shock that there are STILL more layers). Above are some samples of the flooring from the earlier owners of the home. The colours and patterns speak to the era in which they were installed. I cannot imagine having any in my kitchen, but I am sure that in a hundred years' time, when another brave/ naive young couple takes on the challenge of renovating the house again, they will laugh at our choices!
Speaking of the future, I have decided to make a time capsule to put in one of the walls before drywalling, but I am not quite sure what all to put in it. Thinking back over the last few months, the coolest things that we've discovered in the house's walls have been personal, everyday belongings, like the shoes and the postcard and newspapers. Our Modern idea of time capsules, where people store away objects with the intention of communicating with people of the future, began in the early 20th century. Politicians began stowing away letters to future leaders. Historians bundled crop seeds, old catalogues, and children's toys. During the Cold War Era, Americans created a time capsule with messages for a future Communist society. Andy Warhol spent years putting together his Time Capsules series, which were random collections of objects in cardboard boxes that were only found after his death. As one would expect, these objects were remnants of the pop culture Warhol so loved to represent in his art, and made for interesting capsules to open. Currently, there are four time capsules in Space. Today, we still hold this fascination with sending messages to the future. While I cannot speak for every individual or group who has ever created one, I feel strongly that the time capsule appeal has something to do with the need to just connect with other people and to be a part of a bigger story. Have you ever made a time capsule? If so, where did you put it and what all did you include in it?
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I am happy to report that after what has felt like a long hiatus, the house is back under hammer and crow bar. Kyle spent a couple of days this week removing the banister from the stairs and clearing out more wood and debris from the bathroom and bedrooms. Now, the upper storey feels very much like an airy loft. The upstairs floor has also been stripped down to its original boards. These are mismatched in length and thickness, making for a slightly sketchy looking floor. That said, we have decided that we will replace them, especially those that are to hold heavy fixtures, like the bath tub. I do not want to take a bubble bath and end up in the kitchen! While removing some copper piping from one of the kitchen walls, Kyle discovered that the whole wall was filled with saw dust. We have decided on two plausible reasons for this: either the people building the house were super lazy and dumped all of the debris into the wall to avoid lugging it out of the house. OR, it could have acted as makeshift insulation. Whatever the reason for the debris in the wall, we spent a good chunk of time shovelling, bagging, and removing all of it. After the saw dust was cleaned up, I swept out the ancient cobwebs draped through the roof rafters and removed a decomposing bee hive that was somehow created inside one of the library walls. One of the highlights of our work days at the house? Visits from our sweet, short-legged, partly blind neighbour cat, Gracie. Gracie was the first creature to welcome us to the street. On the night that we took ownership of the house, we left the front door open as we explored all of the rooms. Later, while having a pizza picnic in the front foyer, Gracie welcomed herself in, immediately making herself at home. She has been a constant at 212 ever since. Next up for 212? Laying plywood down in the foyer and kitchen and rebuilding the more precarious sections of the floor upstairs. Because it is a holiday weekend, this post is going to be ridiculously brief. As an extension of last week's post on 212 feeling more like "home" to me, I have decided to mention the most important ingredient of home, which is Kyle. Dorothy Gale once said so wisely, "There is no place like home." Black and white Kansas may not have been the beautiful technicolour paradise of Oz, but it was what Dorothy's heart yearned for, as a place filled with the people she loved most. Similarly, 212 is a dusty and cold eyesore at the moment, but it is a place belonging to Kyle and me. Kyle makes it my home. ...But enough cheesiness for one Valentine's Day! Hope that you take advantage of the long weekend and enjoy it with all of the people you love most! [SIDE NOTE: For those of you who are getting antsy about hearing more about the renovation progress, let me assure you that there will be some changes to report on in the next month-- lengthier, detailed posts are in the blog's near future!] With the strangely Spring-like weather that we've been experiencing lately, I have had the urge to be outside. This morning, I got up early and went for a long run. I took my route that goes past the house and made a point of stopping when it came into view and going into the backyard. Because of the time of day, it was very quiet and I got that sensation where it feels like you're the only person awake in the whole world.
The sun was poring over the roof top and through the tree branches, and I just stood there for a moment. I admired our big maple tree, which is ideal for climbing (true fact-- Kyle and I tried it out a couple of times, lol). I also admired the patio, despite the lingering snow and reno debris. I know that we will get a lot of use out of it, with barbecues in the summertime. The lawn itself is exciting too, because there is room for us to have a garden and a fire pit. In honour of the upcoming Valentine's Day, here are some of the ways I love my house: 1) I love that we live in a quiet neighbourhood and have good neighbours. 2) I love the red brick siding. 3) I love the mature trees in the backyard, especially the maple tree. 4) I love that we have a shed that is perfect for tool/ bike storage. My number five is the feeling I am starting to get when I walk into the house or even just around to the backyard. 212 is beginning to have that "home" feeling to it-- that relaxed- glasses on- make up off- sense of comfort that is only experienced in certain places. In what ways do you love your house? What gives it that "home" feeling? |
About MeKyle and I just became new homeowners. The house we purchased is not what one would classify as "move in ready"; in fact, it is quite the opposite. Built at the turn of the 20th century, our Victorian style house is both beautiful and terrifying in its ancient status and will be a project in renovation. This is a documentation of our triumphs and lessons learned, as we deconstruct and reconstruct this house. The end result? A space that we can proudly say we created. Archives
December 2016
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