The renovation master plan

This post is the third chapter in our Bungalow journey - continuing on from "A Coat of Paint Does Wonders."

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In the last chapter we covered a huge 9 year span of time in just a few paragraphs - time flies when you're having fun!  We managed to update and refresh this old house without getting into the heavy stuff until the twins were off to college and we had downsized to this little bungalow of ours.
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Now, here in the summer of 2019, we are just beginning the actual renovation project that we've wished for and dreamt about for so many years.  It's hard to believe that we are finally on our way.  

But before we get all into the mud, concrete, and lumber ... I wanted to take a moment to share the "master plan" as it were. ​

Honestly, it's a little scary to share your plans in writing for everyone to see.  It's feels like we are making a commitment that is set in stone (pun intended). 

We all know, of course, that renovations of old homes never go exactly as planned.  Surprises pop up daily.  Challenges seem insurmountable weekly.  The weeks turn into more months than you ever imagined possible.  Somehow, there is just mud and dust everywhere!!!!  And it turns out all this is truly unavoidable, no matter how carefully you've planned.
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A goal without a plan is just a wish.

Antoine de Saint Exupery (1900-1944)

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​Big picture

We are coming up on the 100-year anniversary for this old bungalow, which was built in 1924.  It's so exciting to be endeavoring to bring it back to life and back to some of it's original glory in time to throw a big birthday party!
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The house is in fact on the National Register of Historic Places, which is a pretty big deal to us. 

​It's unfortunate that much of what's been done (or un-done) to the bungalow over the last 95 years or so wasn't always in the best interest of preserving the history and architecture. 

We've got to undo some of that, and do our best to get this home back to what feels like its most authentic version -- all without the benefit of any original plans, or photos, or other information.  

At the same time, we of course plan to make this a comfortable home full of modern conveniences, energy efficiency, and a touch of technology to top it off  -- without changing the aesthetics or style of the original building.  Make it a 21st century gem that looks like it's 100-years old.

​We aren't purists by any means.  There are some who renovate old homes and would never dream of touching the original plaster for example.  Or altering the colors from what would have been fashionable in the roaring 20's  (dark and moody in my book, just saying).  But in our case, it's been damaged enough and because we are lacking some basics like insulation, for example, we don't have the choice but to replace/update many materials.  
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​Architectural help

In order to put this whole plan together, we worked with a local architect over a period of about 18 months.  Maybe it was even longer - I lost track.

It takes a while when you are essentially putting together a 3-D puzzle on paper for a complicated and miniature structure that sits on a tight city sized lot surrounded by enormous alligator juniper trees.

We began with plan A which we ended up scrapping because it was way over our intended investment.  And, that did cause some grief and woe, I won't lie.  It was a way-cool plan.  It was hard to come to grips with the fact that we needed to essentially start over.

But in the end, we ended up with an even better solution that was more achievable and sustainable. 

To learn more about our Planning Process and some lessons learned, check out our post called "Finding a Contractor in the Wild West".
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Current inventory

​Currently, we have something like 1,100 square feet, with 2 small bedrooms, one bath, one proper closet, and one pantry-like cabinet.  We are also the proud owners of the most bizarre tilting narrow hallway that cuts the whole house in half and provides access to the bedrooms, bath, and what remains of the back door (it is more porous than solid at this point).
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​Windows and Plumbing
We have a few original windows but most are various nasty versions of aluminum of vinyl that someone chose to install along the way.  As mentioned, there is zero insulation, although the original plaster does provide a tad bit of weather proofing.  We still have the original knob-and-tube wiring in place, actually being used for the majority of the house.  The plumbing is mostly cruddy galvanized I-don't-know-what, although we happily discovered this week that the sewer lines were actually updated maybe 30 or 40 years ago. ​

​Front Porch
The original front porch, so quintessential to craftsman bungalows, was awkwardly enclosed at some point in time.  It isn't a space that's useful for anything other than the kitty litter and a very narrow uncomfortable bench to put shoes on. 

​The front door that exists in this enclosed porch is really just a patio door - and it breaks my heart to imagine what the actual original front door might have been.  It's long gone, and without photos, we'll never know.

Roof
What else?  The roof is very special!  We have about 4 layers of very old material, the oldest being wood shingles sitting right on top of the lath.  There is no plywood sheeting supporting the roofing material.  There are no longer gutters.  So at this stage of things we are jumping for joy that we've gotten this far without this roof leaking - knock on wood.  ​​

Fireplace
And maybe the coolest but least useful design element of this home has got to be the old fireplace.  It's deserving of it's own blog post one day down the line.  But for the moment I will only say that it's truly a gorgeous piece of art that needs, well, a good refresh at minimum.  And, as with the front porch this is one of the most basic elements of a true craftsman bungalow.  Lucky for us, we've got a gem!
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​the exciting changes

The fun stuff is what you really notice on the surface that most changes the aesthetics and flow of the home.  We are, oddly enough, going to shrink the size of the house - ending up with something like 975 square feet.  Huh?  Well, because we are opening up the front porch to a porch again, and that space is larger than the new kitchen addition, we loose a few square feet.  

But, we gain so much in the way of more useful and comfortable space which is really where it's at for us.  Use all the space we have efficiently and thoughtfully.  Bigger is not the goal.  Better is where we're headed.

​The fun changes:

• Small kitchen addition on the north side (we'll get a bonus crawl space underneath for much needed storage too)
• Add a half bath
• Reconfigure a few walls/rooms in the center to eliminate one bedroom and the hallway
• Add a small pantry and laundry space
• New roof with an extension over the existing back deck
• New windows & doors 
• Open up the original front porch.... Whiskey Porch 2.0

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​boring but important

This is the stuff you don't really see or interact with directly, but it's essential for using resources wisely and still being comfortable and happy in your home:

• Insulation
• New electrical service to the house and new wiring throughout
• New plumbing
• New water main
• New HVAC (the fact that this old system still works is truly remarkable)

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​not part of the dream but necessary

We didn't set out to change or replace these items, but there no other alternative given the other updates going in:
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• New drywall
• New trim and baseboards
• New ceiling materials (unless we can protect what's currently there)
• Re-finish and repair of the original floors

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​upcycling and recycling

It's very important to us to keep as much of the original house as possible - where practical and feasible. 

​I'm happy to say that we should be able to at least up-cycle or re-cycle a fair amount:

• Some of the original windows (for cabinet doors)
• Original floor boards
• Original fireplace
• Original bedroom will remain the exact same size, which is not large
• Original door hardware
• Original porch window will remain in the exact spot it first was installed
• All the temporary kitchen cabinets and fixtures we installed a few years ago

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So there you have it.  The plans have been laid bare now - no turning back!  Thanks for reading.

Next up - we'll talk a bit about finding a contractor and the ins and outs of that drama.  It was in fact a drama with several episodes strung out over several seasons.  Spoiler alert:  this bump in the road has a good ending too.  Stay tuned.
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See you on the porch,
~Miriam