03.01.07
Home Renovations: A Simple Idea Magnifies Itself
In the dead of winter, my husband looked at the downstairs bathroom and said, “I should do something about this!” Funny, how things creep up on a person. First, he was annoyed that he’d used plywood to replace the rotted wood under the commode, instead of trying to find some Southern Pine wood pieces to match the existing floor.
Then, he realized that the pre-made, wood-surround for the sink, that he’d replaced not that long ago, had deteriorated because it was pressed sawdust or something. Don’t ask me. I’m not the builder!
We had been inspired when a friend told us how she had gone to an antique store and purchased a small wooden piece into which her husband had been able to insert a sink. It looks antique-y and she likes it…she even showed us a picture.
We trekked off to antique stores. Some tables were too high, some too low, some too wide, and some too ugly, or just not suitable. So, we did the next best thing, and went to Lowe’s and Home Depot. The wooden units that would serve a similar purpose were far too wide for the space available.
It is then that Jim went to the cellar to think, ponder, and see what he could “find.” Like a true Yankee, he saves everything! To his own amazement, I think, he found an old door that could serve as a cabinet door, and it still had the old hardware attached, dated 1871. So, he set to stripping off the old layers of paint with that pretty nifty citrus oil paint stripper that is less toxic than other methods of paint removal.
That “find” made him decide to build his own cabinet. Today, he is “off” to purchase lumber. He is nothing, if not innovative and adaptable.
Yesterday, we took a trip, across the state, to Granite State Pottery in Munsonville, New Hampshire, a lovely shop! There, we found just the perfect sink to suit our artistic tastes. It is painted pottery that features painted chickadees, sitting on pine boughs. I could almost hear them singing! We purchased a matching clock, soap holder, and liquid soap dispenser in the same design, and felt that we’d scored, as they were on sale. Of course, we still need to buy faucets, etc.
We’ve also decided to retro-fit the old, clawfoot bathtub with a new faucet that has a spray unit (to simulate a shower). With a little bit of hard work, and more expense than we’d initially anticipated, by spring we will feel like we are living in a different house!
Call us dull. It’s the most simple things in life that please us. However, I know that I will smile, every time I view the chickadees, and that, my friend, is worth a lot!
Patricia
