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Jeph’s got his desk and music studio set up facing the windows so he gets a nice view and some afternoon light. IKEA cabinets and a long wooden counter top along the eastern wall serve as a workshop area for him.

It would really open up this narrow space, and allow for good air/energy flow to take the wall separating it from the kitchen about 1 foot or so; it would be a pain in the butt, though so it’s just an idea for now. A glass door (steel framed) would let in lots of light, let visitors catch a glimpse before entering, and let us see who/what’s out there; I’m really voting for this one, but I know doors are expensive so we’ll have to save up. The closet will get a built in bench with cushion and storage cubbies underneath for shoes, etc. Above that will be shelves/cubbies for storage (a precious commodity around here.)

Jeph gave the boxes new homes (some unpacked, others piled in the studio or bedroom 2) so we have a nice open space to enjoy now. He also relocated the sawhorse table to the studio so the view is unobstructed (!) and he can make work/project messes in his space. We can both do yoga and other workouts here now and it’s fun to run around kickboxing. The dining table by the back door will feel almost like eating outside once we get a screen on the door.

We need to hang cement board (hoping we have some leftover from bathroom rebuild) and attach a back splash to it. We could buy the DCS back splash that corresponds with our range, work with a sheet metal place to create one (thinking this would be cheaper) or tile one ourselves. The tile idea is sounding pretty good because too much metal is “cold” (and hard to keep clean!) plus I’ve been wanting to start playing around with tile mosaics. Next step: source tile material. Also need to research and purchase vent hood and may need James the electrician to help install it.

It is insanely expensive to keep the place warm. Zone 2 is both bedrooms plus bathroom 1. The thermostat is on the bedroom 1 wall right by the window, heated by sun and the boiler (on the other side of that wall) all day; it does not kick in unless it’s set at ~80 or above and there is no middle ground with it. Bathroom 1 is always cold. It gets no sun and very little light, the slate tiles absorb/generate the cold from the slab, and the new “dummy” cover/cap we got for the heater still needs to be installed. Zone 1 is everything else. The studio and laundry room stay toasty because they have generous heating elements for the square footage. Bathroom 2 has no heater but the pipe passes behind the tub; it’s neither toasty nor freezing. The main space only has heaters along the back side (also where the floor-to-ceiling, single-pane, leaky windows are) so the kitchen never warms up; the back side can be heated comfortably but requires a ton of energy to do so (and doesn’t retain it.) As soon as we can afford it, we’ll replace the boiler with a new, highly efficient gas model and the H20 tank with a tankless version. This involves: shopping around for the products; digging the trench from the gas meter around the west side and ½ way around the back to the boiler room; disconnecting the boiler from the oil tank and pipes and removing the tank and boiler (not exactly sure of all the steps yet , or who does what); then having Rich lay the pipe and install the equipment.

Everything is humming along fine, but we will need more outlets. Some of the existing are not “live” so making them so will help; Jeph also needs more for the studio, our highest plug zone. In addition to more “live” outlets, bathroom 2 should really go on it’s own circuit; we’ve blown that circuit already and discovered that whole section of the house is on one. Better lighting over the dining table would be pleasant and helpful. There’s a capped off area in the ceiling there, but it needs a switch and wiring.

Cork looks great and is comfortable/cushy to walk on. Bathroom 2 tile is very pretty and the thickness cuts down on cold conduction. Bathroom 1 slate is nice but cold and wish we had chosen a contrasting grout for interest. Floating plank floors need space at the edge to allow for movement, so we’ll eventually want to finish the edges somehow. Installer used red marker (slipped that one by my eagle eyes) to mark planks so we’ve found red marks at many edges. Told Mike about it and he sent a can of some cleaner up with Rich the plumber. He claims it will remove any stain; we’re hesitant to use it because it looks toxic; need to try it or come up with another concoction which will remove the marks. Bathroom 2 t-molding did not stay glued down. Mike told us to remove old glue, add new liquid nails and weight down until secure. We bought another t-molding for bathroom 1 (because the leftover reducer we had them use there is too narrow and doesn’t look right) and it, too, needs to be glued down. It would be nice looking (I think…) to put bamboo baseboard along all the floor edges; not pressing, though.