Remodeling Our Hut: Part 1

My late father standing in front of our then new house 1979

In case you missed my last post, I made the announcement that we
are on the verge of a near whole-house remodel this year.  If you've been reading this drivel for any length of time over the last ten years, you were bound to hear me lamenting the current state of the hut; the orange vinyl flooring, the lack of space, and most of all the absence of the most coveted room of all (cue heavenly music) a Mudroom.  

How I long to have only one room in our house devoted to mud.

If I wanted to shame myself, I'd do a search of my memoirs and see how many times I mentioned the need to do something with our house, but I'm already ashamed enough, so suffice it to say, I have mudrooms on the brain every time I walk in this house and kick off my dirty Birkenstocks under the dining room table.  

I have close to a hundred different photos of mudroom configurations saved and sit and swoon over them from time to time. 

 Here are a few of my favorites:

Yes, if I had the space to add on a mudroom that is nearly the size of our current house, that would be epic, wouldn't it?  

We don't have that much space.   

Moving on.  

Many visitors over the years have been surprised to hear that we had this house built back in 1978, just before we were married.  I suppose they wonder why we built a 'starter house' and then never moved on up to a McMansion?  I did overhear more than one visitor sarcastically quip to another, 'The house sure doesn't match the landscaping.' 

(Refresh me, is that the same as 'the drapes don't match the carpet?)

Yes, our house is no-frills; 1000 sq. ft on the first floor and roughly 500 sq. ft on the second and now, being past forty years old, it needed updating about twenty years ago. Badly.  We'd done basic maintenance, a new roof, fixing what was broken, but not much else.

And let's not forget the Supertunia Bubblegum petunias!

 We'd poured our hearts and souls and what little money we could spare into the gardening and big rocks over the last four decades and the house was an afterthought.  The gardens were more important to me because I loved being outside with my hands in the dirt and we all know where that rock obsession led..........  

2009 Much, much younger idiots we were then

A Mudroom or a Quarry?  Ok, the Quarry won.

However, decades ago the old vinyl floor started to wear out in the high traffic areas, especially under the wheeled-dining room chairs we have here, and now the decay is spreading to the walkways, too.   

Wheeled chairs and orange vinyl eight years ago

Every time I scrub the floor, more pieces of vinyl are tearing loose, in some places, we are down to the sub-floor now. 


In another instance of how time flies, back in 2010 we did replace the then 32 yr-old living room carpeting oak hardwood flooring.

May 2010: Carl working with nephew Travis and Joel on the new hardwood

We have been very happy with the hardwood floor in the living room, but I couldn't imagine replacing my kitchen floors with wood due to the amount of dirt we track in from the garden unless we had a mudroom.  Without one, in no time flat, the hardwood would be a scratched and dented mess.


When we built this house, we were barely twenty years old and had no idea about architecture, but as we've aged, we've both become enamored of Arts & Crafts, Mission and/or Craftsman style homes and furniture.  There is just something about the coziness and lovely old oak woodwork that we love.  Would it be too much of a stretch to remodel our house in the Craftsman style?  Again, who knew, it was all a distant possibility for Some Day, the stuff dreams are made of.
 

A Craftsman style home which caught my eye.  Look at the happy people!  Just think,  I could relax on a lawn chair while watching the flowers grow.

The picture above is a reasonable facsimile of what we'd like to do with our current home.  How do we go about getting from where we are now to this?  

Stay tuned, the plot thickens.....