Kit will tell you that I am relentlessly dogged in my determination to get minute details right whether it be for our house, my job, or graphic design. If I set my mind to something, or become interested in a particular type of building material, I will completely dive down the rabbit hole learning everything I can and digging up any old documentation possible. This has manifested itself in many ways when it comes to our perfect little money pit.
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History Part 2.2 – Fred P Tosch and The Master Model Home Continued
Following on the success of the first year, the Homeowner’s Service Institute and the Democrat and Chronicle selected Fred Tosch to build the 1928 Master Model Home. The 1928 home was built just half a block down from the 1927 home, and was to be accompanied by the simultaneous construction of nine other additional homes on Wimbledon Road. This spectacle of home building activity from the breaking ground of the Master Model Home on June 7, 1928 to the conclusion of the four-week exhibition of the completed and decorative house on October 7, 1928 reportedly drew over 20,000 visitors. Continue reading
Winter Weather Work
This past February while warm and balmy elsewhere in the country, was the coldest on record for Rochester. In addition to this we were denied our typical mid-season thaw, so I did not see my grass from early January until only a week ago. However, being relegated to inside did not keep us from working on the house (there are always things to do).
The ongoing saga of stripping the kitchen cabinetry continues with one pair of upper cabinet doors left to be done. We finally settled on restoring the cabinetry to a painted finish with a stained oak counter, however the original paint color of “canary yellow” will not be used. We have also been having an ongoing debate Continue reading
The Year in Recap
Now that the Holidays have subsided I have had some time to sit, reflect, and compose some words to update you all on what has been happening and to review how far we’ve come.
It has been one year since I first saw my special little house in person…January 12, 2014 to be exact. It actually took Rome and I a few weeks to get the showing arranged, as the seller had delisted the house after it struggled to sell, but after several phone calls and rescheduled meetings, we got in. Looking back at some records, I had actually begun researching the house’s history right around New Years, so I guess I have known her for little over a year now.
After months of various set backs on both the seller’s and my side, I closed with keys in hand on May 9, 2014. The summer and fall were a blur of activity with painting walls and ceilings in the majority of the rooms (still have the master bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen left), landscaping, freaking out over and then repairing water damage, refinishing the hardwood floors, dumpster diving (picking up off the curb) for furniture, rewiring and cleaning light fixtures, and then moving in. Throughout all this activity I started to get to know my neighbors much better Continue reading
My Perfect Little Money Pit 