Those of you who have been in our house may recognize the stained glass sailboat window. it used to be over the bath tub in the downstairs bathroom.

We discussed doing things differently than we had originally planned this weekend, now that the space is opened up. But the planning is sound and we keep coming full circle to the design we have chosen. We've been planning this for about 4 years now.

I am considering entering this remodel in a local Seattle competition. more on that. I want to share and show that the world doesn't need big, new houses - that small can work, and better yet, small saved and reused. It's folly to think one cannot leave a carbon footprint but wise to walk softly on the earth.

More demolition

Having your house demolished, or at least the insides and the adjacent buildings, fence, etc, is a clensing experience. The house really doesn't look the same on the inside today. Lots of lath and plaster. Lots of 1 inch by 6 inch wood sheathing slats on the sides of the house. They didn't have plywood in 1906. In fact, I would guess most of the original lumber and materials used to build our house in 1906 were brought to the site by horse drawn cart.

Carpenters made about $2.00 per day in 1906. That was in New York. Who knows what they made in Kirkland, Wasington? Power tools? I don't think so. Fork lifts and Genie loaders/haulers? I don't think so. No, the guys (and it WAS only guys) showed up around sun-up with their wooden tool boxes, hand saws, planes, etc. They sawed the planks, planed the edges, nailed them in by hand. They even were able to build from drawings done by hand as well, AND without computer generated dimensions down to 15/16ths of an inch. These men were true builders. Of course, I say that and am yet reminded every time i walk by the 1888 brick house down the street with the crooked brick window header that "oh, well, got 'er good 'nuf" said at day's end echos to this very day.

Things have changed. For the better? Perhaps. Perhaps.

our house is a very very very fine house....

Well, here we go. Week no. 1 of 52 weeks until completion. the house was built in 1906 and we have chosen to refurbish and restore it rather than to tear it down. I'm an architect. The house belongs to my wife and me, although it is her money which will restore it. I basically am unemployed and have absolutely nothing to my name. I chose that I suppose, choosing architecture as a profession. I've been kicked in the teeth and had my guts ripped out on a daily basis for 30 some odd years. Thank god for my wife who loves me in spite of all that i am and am not.

Most folks don't understand what architects do. the other folks just don't care what they do and developers, well they despise what they do. You see, you need to have an architect "stamp' drawings for permits. developers hate that. what a waste of profit!

Anyway, we have decded to restore this house rather than tear it down and build a large, over designed stucco behemoth with windows and crenilations of monstrous propostion that currently grace Kirklands's architectural landscape.

But I digress. And, since no one is ever going to read this it really doesn't matter. someday someone will find this log of the construction of our house and say, 'WTF was THAT all about?'