Welcome to the 865th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? I hope it was awesome! It’s been so nice here during the day, the kind of weather that makes you want to get outside for a walk. I managed to get a walk in with family, but mostly I was inside all day Saturday and part of Sunday since I had a handyman here making 7 different repairs. Some of the repairs were small things like adding a small piece of trim in a spot where it was missing, or tightening down two of the wooden steps outside the exterior door to the sunroom. One of the repairs that was made had to do with the laundry chutes in this 1938 home.
You may remember from my previous posts that this home has two laundry chutes, one in the master bath and one in the small guest bath on the main floor.
When you drop towels or clothes into the laundry chute, they come out here in this small storage room in the basement. When I first moved into the Dollhouse, I noticed part of the beadboard behind the chute was missing. This storage room backs up to bathroom on this basement level, so I’m guessing that section of beadboard was removed at some point to access plumbing or something like that. By the way, that bathroom wasn’t added later; it’s visible in the original blueprints for this home. My son’s home, built in the 1920s, also has a basement bathroom, so I guess that was a popular thing to have back when these homes were first built.
Anyway, that gaping hole has always bothered me. I worried that clothes coming down the chute would fall into it. At one point, I had a workman shine a light inside, and we found a small pair of children’s pants and a few socks. Fears confirmed! To prevent that from happening until I could get the hole covered, I crammed a large piece of ceiling tile (apparently left from when the basement was renovated) in front of the hole, and purchased this extra-tall, rolling laundry basket. (Laundry hamper is available here: Tall, Rolling Laundry Hamper.) That worked, and I never lost anything to the hole. lol
Unfortunately, the beadboard that’s available in stores today doesn’t match the old-style beadboard in this room. I think this beadboard may be original to the home. So my handyman installed a piece of plywood to cover the hole for now. I’d love to find more of this original beadboard one day, but since this is just a small storage room located under the staircase, it’s probably not that important. Once the plywood is painted, it will look a lot better. I’d love to someday add epoxy flooring to all three of the storage rooms in the basement, like the type that I had installed in my garage and basement storage area back in Georgia, but that’s a project for another day.
Another one of the tasks on my handyman to-do list was to reinstall the door that previously covered the doorway on the right in the downstairs back hallway. It really bugged me seeing those cutouts in the door molding where the hinges once were. Also, I knew I would love the symmetry it would bring back to this space—having both doors in place. I found the missing door in the basement several months back, but since these doors are solid wood and very thick, there was no way I could bring it up from the basement and hang it by myself.
That door is now back where it belongs. In talking with the lovely homeowner who lived here (before the couple from whom I purchased this home), I learned that she didn’t remove the door. So it must have been removed and stored in the basement by the last people who lived here.
Not sure why they removed it. Maybe they used this narrow closet located behind the door a lot. There are pegs on both sides of the closet, so maybe their children hung their coats or school book bags inside. Not sure. I store a broom and a few items in that closet that I rarely use, so it’s no big deal for me to close the door to access the closet when needed.
I love the symmetry I now see when coming down the stairs. I think it looks so much better, having that door back where it belongs!
Not related to the handyman stuff I had done this weekend, I thought I’d share my new way of storing bird seed in case you find it helpful. I was storing birdseed in a small, metal can here in the corner of the backdoor entry/mini-mudroom. Now that I have a bench in this corner, I needed a new place to store the seed. I didn’t want to store it down in the basement since the birds empty the feeders every single day. I have a lot of birds coming to the feeders! So the basement isn’t very convenient for storing birdseed.
I didn’t trust placing the small metal can that I store the birdseed in out in the garage since squirrels and raccoons have a keen sense of smell. I was afraid they would smell the food and try to get into the garage. Or, what if I accidentally left the garage door up one night? I never do that, but hey, it could happen. So, I purchased a large metal trash can (with lid, of course) from Home Depot, and it was delivered right to my door the following day for a shipping fee of just $2.99. Love that! I placed the small birdseed can down inside, so now there’s a double layer of protection. (Large metal trash can is available here: 31 Gallon Galvanized Steel Trash Can.)
I really like this storage idea because if I accidentally spill some seed when adding a large bag of birdseed to the small storage can, it just spills into the large can instead of onto the garage floor. Same for when I’m filling up the large pitcher I use to fill the feeders.
Since I keep all my metal trash cans inside the garage until trash day, I purchased this cute magnet for the lid so I’d know which can is the birdseed can. Also, I didn’t want anyone to forget that this is the birdseed can and drop trash inside. So far, this system is working great, and I much prefer seeing a cute corner bench in the mudroom than a metal birdseed can. (Cute Squirrel Magnet is available here: Squirrel Magnet.)
My next goal for the Dollhouse is to finish this bath renovation. So far, I’ve updated the lighting and replaced its 1950s badly broken, half-shutters with new shutters.
This weekend, I had baseboard molding installed behind the pedestal sink. Not sure why, but when this bathroom was originally updated and a pedestal sink was installed, baseboard trim was never installed behind the sink. I’ve been told that originally, there was some type of small cabinet in this bathroom. When it was removed, it left a large gap in the baseboard molding where the baseboard just ended on either side.
Fortunately, I found an original piece of baseboard in the garage.
I think that old baseboard molding is from when a storage room/closet on this level was renovated into a Butler’s Pantry. There is a place here that I’ve been told can make baseboard/molding for older homes, but it’s an expensive process since they have to create a template for your home’s molding. But once they do that, you have it for any future renovations. I was going to have that done until I discovered the leftover molding in the garage. That was a happy day when I found that molding!
So it’s time, it’s time to finish up this bath! I just need to make myself go to the paint store and choose white paint that will match the existing trim and shutters, and choose the blue paint I want for the ceiling, color-matching to the blue in the wallpaper. Picking out paint is one of my least favorite things in the world, but I’m going to try and force myself to do that this week. Ugh.
So, that’s what’s been shaking around here this past week! What have you been up to in your home? I would love to hear! Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters linked for this week’s Met Monday! Like to know when a new blog post is up? Subscribe for email updates (it’s free) and your email will never be shared. Subscribe for free email post updates here: Subscribe.
Metamorphosis Monday: Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. Please link up your Before and After projects like DIY projects, room makeovers, craft projects even recipes. Please do not link up Table Settings; save those for our Tablescape Thursday party on Thursday. If you are participating in Met Monday, link your post to the party using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on the name of your post, then copy and paste the address (that shows in the address bar at the top of your blog) into the “url” box for InLinkz when prompted.
Susan,
Lots of great improvements…I do love how those doors look…great architectural elements on them too.
Thanks so much for hosting!! I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into it along with visiting all the links!! I hope you are enjoying your week and you are doing well…
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Thanks, Deb! Hope you’re having a great week so far!
Wow – Susan, your “To Do” list is getting shorter all the time?
Do you remember where you found the white (Queen Anne style?) chair that is in front of your kitchen desk, near the window? I’d love to find one like that!
Liz, is the chair you’re talking visible in this post? You may be talking about the chair in the Butler’s Panty in front of the desk. That photo is from when the home was listed for sale a few years back, so I’m not sure where it’s from. I just used in this post since it was taken with a wide angle lens and shows the whole room. I need to find a chair to go in front of that desk.
Is that a Queen Anne chair ? It reminds me of my grandmother’s Ducan Phyfe chairs. I keep thinking if we had only known as kids the value of our everyday items and how they would go away someday.
Isn’t it nice to get those little things taken care of? We’re in the process of doing that too – along with some big things! – and it’s so rewarding. Thanks for sharing your birdseed holder strategy too, and of course for hosting. Hope you have a lovely week!
So true! I’m looking forward to getting to the bigger ones in the future. Hope you’re projects go smoothly, Barbara!
Cute baskets on the shelf above your new corner bench would be great storage and hide everything:)
I did buy three cute baskets that are stored on the inside of the longer section of the bench, so that shelf is clear now except for the gardening hat. 🙂
Susan, I love how you make everything fun. Like the magnet for your bird seed. Btw, the doors look great. I agree about the symmetry. And as far as the paint goes, since you’re trying to match the blue, one of the paint experts should be able to help you match it and take some of the pressure off you. That is, if you go to an actual paint store. But I think even if you go to Home Depot they can slide the wallpaper into their machine and get an exact match for you. Even though paint shopping isn’t fun the result is going to be so great. Love what you’ve done and are doing to that little bathroom. It’s going to be just beautiful and so unique. I know you’ll love the results. Have a great week!
Thanks, Pam! Yup, I’ve done that in Home Depot before. I think I’ll start by visiting the paint store that was recommended to me by the wallpaper hanger I talked to a while back. I need to figure out how to match the existing trim. There are a lot of paint cans in the basement, but not the one for the trim paint.
Susan, there is never a slow day in your life. Always busy. I miss those days and muscles. I recently discovered Home Depot delivery at $2.99, plus they are more reliable than Walmart delivery for yard and garden.
I do a similar thing with cat food. Anything that falls out of the bag goes inside the mini trashcan. We have those tiny ants. What a challenge, even with Teror. I thought of you yesterday when I saw the some beautiful wallpaper on the Wayfair site. White with blue and birds.
Glad you are having cooler days. We actually made it below 90° with the rain.
You’re making so much progress, Susan! Those little changes make BIG impact, especially for peace of mind.
I am currently playing with the idea of switching up DR furniture! After going to my favorite consignment shop over the weekend and talking with the owner, I may buy an Ethan Allen dining table and chairs she has and have the mover take mine back where the owner agreed she’d consign for me!
Per usual you have been a busy gal! You store your birdseed as we do. We have 7 feeders- 3 seed kind and them several blocks for the larger song birds – the other feeders are mainly for my finches. You know, Finch Rest and all. LOVE you put that door back. Good going. And so awesome to have “found” the basement floorboards are same. Whew. Hey don’t forget that my retired carpenter friend who hails from your area may be able to help with trying to match up that original beadboard. Not sure he’s taking new work, but just in case let me know.
You definitely have no off button I vote yes to working on the cheetah bathroom next. An actual paint store should be so helpful with colors and maybe you can buy sample sizes first. And rehanging that door really does make a nice difference; I couldn’t imagine how much it would add. So good thing that you live there (and not me)
Enjoyed your post! Opinion: if the pedestal sink was previously installed, the previous owners should have gotten the baseboards replaced. Folks don;t realize when we see such things when looking for a home, we wonder what else is wrong that we don’t see. As far as paint goes, I know you’ll pick well. A color often used as “haint” blue is Benjamin Moore’s Azure Blue. It would be interesting to see if that matches or is close. Normally, the base color of your bathroom isn’t something I particularly like but I think it is super with the wall paper you chose. Okay, many opinions here. About bird seed containers. I just use a large trash can because I buy Black Oil sunflower seed in bulk. I have had no issues whatsoever with critters – and we have squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks and possums.
Thanks, Karen! I’m not a fan of this color red, so the wall below will be painted white. I’m hoping to find someone to do some molding below, not beadboard, but something to give the white a little interest so it’s not just a white wall.
When I first moved in and noticed the missing baseboard, I couldn’t figure out why it was that way. Later, I realized there must have originally been a cabinet there. That was later confirmed by a previous homeowner who lived here for 20 years. I’m not sure why the baseboard was never installed back when the bath was renovated. Maybe they hadn’t yet renovated the large closet/cloak room into a Butler’s pantry, so maybe they didn’t have spare matching baseboard at that point. It was one of those things that had bugged me since I moved in. Can’t wait to get everything wallpapered, caulked, and painted!
You’ve accomplished so much in a short time, and it all looks so nice! The powder room wallpaper is pretty & fun. Your doors are really lovely and I like that they are not the typical hollow ones most have in their homes. I wonder if it’s an Ohio thing because I had the same doors when I rented a home in northeast Ohio. We are also enjoying the cooler temps after a particularly hot summer. I love the eyebrow window you will have installed in your bedroom, especially w/ your beautiful poster bed. I wanted to add the same in our family room that has a cathedral ceiling but never did when we decided to move. Hugs!
The wood in the bathroom looks similar to what I had in my 1940 kitchen. It was called Carr siding. You might check that out. It’s still available as we had to add some during a renovation. I love seeing all your improvements to the darling dollhouse.