Gather 'round, for The Legend of Belmont - part one: the backstory

Before the legend itself, a little backstory.

When we remodeled the kitchen at 48th Place, it was with brand new, slightly-better-than-big-box veneer-and-laminate cabinetry.  It was, on the surface, very pretty - but obviously not authentic for the house's age, and lacking in the character or charm of what we had removed.
Yes, we removed the job-site-built plywood cabinets.  Yes, we know better now.  Yes, we're very sorry; but also not-sorry, because there wasn't room for a dishwasher.
Then again, we knew that house was going to be sold, and ensured all our updates would be sufficiently neutral to assist with a quick sale.

Skyline is pending for a kitchen remodel - as the cabinets here are big-box replacements anyway, and arranged in a layout not conducive to workflow or our lifestyle (seriously, who needs a eat-in area in a galley kitchen?) - but we're working really hard to ensure everything we do to this house is going to make us happy, since resale is a non-issue (we are never ever moving again).
And so it was that D decreed the Skyline kitchen project will use vintage metal cabinets...

There was much searching of the internet, and driving all over creation to view disappointing cabinet contenders, and everyone's favorite "but they're listed for twice this on eBay!" non-negotiable priced listings.
We even got so far as agreeing to buy a set of yellow and walnut St. Charles which were still installed, but the sellers' contractors botched the un-install, and threw them in the dumpster before we had a chance to evaluate whether we still wanted them.

The search continued.  We bought a few odd pieces, but nothing as a set, and all of it pretty junky condition.
We decided that whatever set we bought first would be our brand and style, whether Youngstown, Geneva, or Hotpoint; just pick a pony, and stick with it, so we didn't end up living in a steel cabinet museum.

Thus, on a balmy day in April 2014, we ended up looking at a kitchen full of installed St. Charles "DURALON" finish cabinets.  This set included two "false fronts" - like a sink base - which had been attached to a bay window seat, so everything would be matchy-matchy.  The sellers accepted our offer (over a couple competing bids) and we picked them up, after they were removed, a couple days later.
The stamp on the back says these were White from the factory, but exterior surfaces were subsequently painted a creamy eggshell color.  They're otherwise in pretty decent condition.

Unfortunately, this set is insufficient to complete our planned kitchen, and is missing a key piece - the tall wall-oven cabinet unit.

The search continued for another 8 weeks, when S found a listing for a St. Charles kitchen just outside Chicago.  We were visiting the city for Memorial Day weekend, and promptly made arrangements to bail on our friends for a day, rent a car, and drive to the house on Belmont Avenue to see these cabinets.

To be continued!

Out and About

 The house has brick facing on the east side, and maintenance-free siding on the other three sides.

The roof is unique and durable aluminum shingle.

Along the driveway fence is a french drain.

 The landscaping in the front includes five yew bushes, and two smoke bushes, surrounded by river rock.  There is thyme around the stepping stones.

The side landscaping is Japanese maple, and two blueberry bushes, with more river rock.

 The fully-fenced back yard is shaded by a slippery elm, with two raised garden beds.  Both the beds are filled with a rich mixture of peat, topsoil, and sand for drainage, over a layer of pea gravel.

The southern bed gets the most sun, and contains everbearing strawberries.










There is a brick paver path along the southern bed, and also the north edge of the deck.

The western bed has posts for training vines, annual vegetables, and perennials, including day lily, variegated iris, and lavender.



 The rain barrel on the deck collects runoff from the roof, and has a spigot on the outside of the decorative cover box.

Sitting on the deck in the summer, watching the "back 40" is one of the greatest joys ever.














The garage is a very generous two-car size, with electric door opener (three remotes), and lots of storage, including a workbench.

Formally Open Floor-Plan

One of the most unique and wonderful features of the house is the combination of a formal living room, and an open floor-plan for the kitchen and dining area.

Hosting guests in the living room gives the chef privacy in the kitchen, but it's also great to have family sitting at the table or lounging, while keeping out from underfoot while cooking.

The curtains on the left conceal the patio doors to the deck.

There is also a wonderful built-in with five large shelves, and a large cabinet below.

Perpendicular is the closet with access to the attic.

Family Quarters

The main floor private area is where the three bedrooms and full bath are located, all off the hallway adjacent the public area of the house.  These are red oak hardwood floors, like the rest of the main floor.

 The bedroom in the northeast is green, with dark green roman shade.
The large window overlooks the front yard.
There is a switched ceiling fan with light, and two electrical outlets.
There is a phone jack on the west wall.
The internet LAN cable comes up through the northeast corner.
The double-sliding door closet has two shelves.

The southeast bedroom is blue, with beige and-cream Jacquard roman shades.
The east window overlooks the front yard, the south window overlooks the side yard.
There is a switched ceiling fan with light, and three electrical outlets.
There is a phone jack on the west wall.
The double-sliding door closet has two shelves.










The southwest bedroom is beige, with burgundy satin blackout tie drapes.
The south window overlooks the side yard, and the west window overlooks the deck and back yard.
There is a switched overhead light, and two electrical outlets.
The hinged door closet has one shelf.








The upstairs bathroom is currently in renovations.
We've started removing the tile from the wall, and have primed the walls.
We're replacing the wall tile with white rectangular tiles, edged with black bullnose.
The counter top and sink will be a one-piece cultured marble vanity top.
The shower doors are also being replaced.
The floor, bathtub, and tile shower surround will remain intact.

Updated Basement

Since we acknowledge not everyone is as interested in a Spartan Green (Pantone 567) basement, we've spent some time updating the basement to be more university-neutral.

What's that lovely built-in DVD/bookcase, you ask? Why, a secret door, of course!  Pull the correct movie forward, and the door opens!

We use the room inside as an office.  It has a large cedar closet, and another secret bookcase door to the storage area under the stairs.













Looking toward the other end of the basement, we have the other closet on the finished side, and the three-quarter bath.

On the utility (unfinished) side of the basement are such interesting things as the laundry machines (2009), and the furnace.

Furnace (and central air) installed by previous owners (2006).





Also, is our wonderful tankless water heater (installed 2010).  This little guy supplies (nearly) unlimited hot water to showers (yes, both of them), dishwasher, and washing machine... simultaneously.  No kidding, there is no such thing as a cold shower in this house, unless you want one.

Windows and Doors

We really like the classic, original wood-and-aluminum windows that are throughout most of the house.  However, the two large picture windows in the dining area were not the same style (as the rest of the house or each other), and were not nearly as energy-efficient, which is really saying something.  During our first winter, slabs of ice would form on the inside of the window panes, which would then melt and drip into the wooden windowsill.

The left window was fixed; only the right window could open

With all the incentives for "green" upgrades, we were able to replace these two windows with Marvin Infinity fiberglass EverWood gliders, installed by Nu-Vu Builders, who worked very quickly to install the windows, and replace the damaged wood frames and sills.  Another great experience!
With my parents' help, we stained the frames to match the woodwork in the rest of the house - Sherwin Williams was able to match the 50+ year-old color perfectly.

One of the first things we ever did with the house was to replace the driveway side door with a fiberglass model.  Locks and handles on all three 'people doors' (front, side, and garage) were installed by Strauss Security Solutions, the only Medeco retailer in the area, who provided exemplary service.

 

One of my favorite changes has been replacing the sliding glass door to the deck.  The old door, which we also have kept, was incredibly heavy, and the screen frequently came off the track.

The replacement, Pella hinged patio doors, are easy to use, beautiful, and very easily facilitate the moving of large furniture into or out of the house.  Plus, I totally have the princess "fling open the doors and let the birds sing" moment every time I open them.  The interior was stained the same as the windows.

Last but not least - Basement ceiling: Part 4

Installing a drop ceiling seems like it ought to be an easy project.  I can assure you with a great degree of confidence that it is not.  Or, maybe it is, but only if you're less obsessive-compulsive than I am.

We selected a tile based on a few clearance boxes available at a big box store.  We then special-ordered the rest of it (still saved a bundle, since they gave us the special order at the clearance price!) and embarked on a long, long project.

Hearing about the tedium that is installing tiles is, well, probably as tedious as doing it, so let's fast forward:

In progress - the grid is attached, now just add tile.

Added light fixtures half-way through to help with the dimness.

Getting the tiles to line up just so, even when the ceiling height varied, was a challenge.

The three-day basement bathroom: Part 3

The rest of the bathroom was finished in about three working days.

From framing and drywall: 

 To shower installation and tile:

Mudding the new drywall and painting the block walls:

Floor tile and fixtures for the bathroom:

And oh-by-the-way we were simultaneously installing the laminate:

After appointing the closet, adding the baseboard trim, and some inspired painting - we were done!
(with everything except the ceiling... sigh)

Untold horror (or, There's a hole in the basement floor): Part 2

One expects changes when finishing a basement; that's the point, after all.  However, returning to your beloved home after a long day at work to find an enormous, water-filled hole spanning half your basement...

 That was a bit of a shock to the system.  Fun fact: the hole actually featured prominently in a 48-hour Film Project submission as the place where a character buries another character (it was a comedy horror flick)

However, the hole was soon filled with plumbing and gravel, and my nerves were soothed.

When the cement was poured, I couldn't have been happier: