Front Entry Progress

Posted on | October 20, 2011 | 14 Comments

Greg has been working on stripping the paint off the molding in the entryway and removing hundreds of layers of wallpaper. On Saturday he mentioned he found a little piece that had a “Japanese man in a kimono” but I couldn’t found it in the scraps. The wallpaper I could identify was acid green and 1970′s looking.

Almost the entire entryway at the base of the stairs has wood molding. Maybe parts were removed when the drunk driver hit the house and the whole corner was replaced in the 1970′s?

The door in the photo leads down to our dirt floor creepy basement. To the left of the door, the stairs lead up to the second floor. We are still stripping the wallpaper and wood but this is how it was left from last weekend. I would like to remove the paint from the stairs next summer when we hopefully do all the floors on the second floor.

Currently, the entryway is not heated. Before we can finish the room we need to get a new furnace and duct the for heat. I can then remove the door at the top of the stairs which was added when the house became a two-family—we’re converting it back to one. Then the fun stuff like hanging wallpaper and lighting.

I’ve had my eye on “Pineapple” in gray & ochre on cream from Timorous Beasties since I bought the house. I have a tiny sample pinned above my desk. In real life the wallpaper has a lot more texture and depth which doesn’t come across so well online.

Below snapshots of our progress.

The door goes down to the basement

A beam in the entryway next to the front door leading out to the street.

A beam going across the ceiling in the entryway and leading into our first floor someday family room.

Looking up the stairway.

Looking down the stairs from a small landing.

Looking up the stairs at the landing, through a doorway (not original and will be removed) to the den.

Pineapple wallpaper from Timorous Beasties.

Category: entry, house renovation

Comments

14 Responses to “Front Entry Progress”

Hege
October 20th, 2011 @ 5:56 pm
so exciting! Wish you good luck with your work, can not wait to see:)
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Steve
October 20th, 2011 @ 6:09 pm
Very cool to see the exposed beams. Remind me what you’re using to strip the paint. Is it a heat gun?

How could you not love wallpaper from a company called Timorous Beasties?
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Katy Elliott
October 20th, 2011 @ 6:14 pm
Hi Steve!

We need to do a how-to video! But usually when Greg is working on this icky stuff I leave the house – I went apple picking on Sunday!

He uses the Silent Paint Remover and little heat gun in the tiny corners.

See here: http://www.silentpaintremover.com/
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Karena
October 20th, 2011 @ 7:42 pm
Katy it is going to look so great. Love the beams!

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Steve
October 20th, 2011 @ 8:23 pm
Ouch! Pricey. But it seems like it works really well so it’s probably worth it.

Would love to see a how-to video!
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Emily
October 21st, 2011 @ 9:02 am
I have the iguana wallpaper from Timorous Beasties (I bought it at Libertys in London!). While expensive, it is the best money I think I’ve ever spent on my home. It is beautiful wallpaper, and I get so many comments. You will not regret it!
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Katy Elliott
October 21st, 2011 @ 12:12 pm
Thanks Emily for sharing!
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Brooke
October 22nd, 2011 @ 10:12 am
Just wanted to pipe in and say how lucky that house, your community, and history are to have you and your husband. I’ve loved watching you restore this home which, being from the south, is so foreign to me.

Thanks for sharing, and hang in there this winter! :)
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mopar
October 22nd, 2011 @ 10:40 pm
Wow, you two have been so busy. You are really fast with the paint stripping. I love that pineapple wallpaper too and think the colors will look so nice in your entry.
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Polly
October 23rd, 2011 @ 9:10 am
Katie,
That wallpaper, just beautiful, can’t wait to see it up !
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Susan
October 23rd, 2011 @ 12:37 pm
Those beams are amazing.
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kbd
October 24th, 2011 @ 12:33 pm
so funny! I wanted to comment that my friend Emily has the reptile wallpaper from Timorous Beasties, and that it looks fantastic – but she beat me too it! I’m sure you won’t regret putting their wallpaper up :)
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Jeanne
October 29th, 2011 @ 3:48 am
Katie, Thank you for posting about your renovation. It’s endlessly fascinating to me as we don’t have really old homes in California.

I have a question about your creepy, dirt floor basements (sorry, we don’t have basements in So Cal either!). Does it ever get wet down there during the spring melt or during rainy weather? Do you plan on keeping the original dirt floor or is that something residents eventually cover with some type of flooring?

Thanks!!
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Katy Elliott
October 30th, 2011 @ 8:11 pm
Maybe my dirt floor basement needs a post! I actually have a lot to say on the subject that I’ve only talked about it bit and pieces.

Look for a post next week Jeanne.
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