It took two weeks from start to finish, but we are ready to show the big reveal of our wallpaper project!
First, I have to give a very big thanks to Terry Ashby of The Cutting Edge wallpaper service. Thanks to him, the process was easy and efficient, and we are so pleased with the results!
One of our worries upon starting this project was how the old wallpaper would come down. I’ve done quite a bit of wallpaper removal myself, and you just never know how the process will go. I was fairly confident that most of what was on plaster walls would come down just fine. We knew there were several drywall additions, though, and I was suspicious that at least one area had multiple layers of paper to get through.
In just two days, though, all the walls were ready for priming. Jonathan and I tackled that chore. Once that was done, we also painted the bottom half of the walls with the new color we had already selected. We knew it was important to get all of out painting done ahead of the paper installation. That way, there was no need to worry about painting near, or splattering on, the new wall covering.
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Putting on the prime coat – Yes, that’s a scary corner to paint!
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Still a little bit of chaos – prime coat and bottom color on while new wall paper install begins!
Terry and crew were able to install like the wind after that. In just two and a half days, they transformed the space. Finally, my in-house carpenter (AKA, Jonathan) was able to install the chair railing, and just like that, our lovely lady now looks stunning in her new dress!
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Here’s the big reveal – Welcome to our new front hallway!
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The second floor hallway – Waypoint House B+B
More updates to come
In other news, there continues to be great progress on the new roof. We’ve only lost a couple of days of work due to poor weather, and the crew is currently working on the south side of the house which will be the easiest section as there are no angles or valleys to contend with. I’m still very eager for the copper accent roof on the bay window to go on, but I know my patience will be rewarded, and I’m looking forward to sharing that update with everyone soon.
Spring finally seems to be arriving and we’ve been working on some spring rejuvenations. The days are warmer and we get an extra bit of time each evening before the sun goes down to complete our outside chores (of which there are many this time of year). As you may know, we have a tendency to be involved in some sort of home improvement project on a nearly ongoing basis. Whether it’s outside or inside, we’re almost constantly working on something. We can’t help it. We’re compulsive. We just want to continually make things better. Early on, Jonathan and I had this instilled in us. For me, perhaps, my 4-H days are partially to blame. Any former 4-H kids out there remember the 4-H motto? *Raises hand with enthusiasm as only a nerd at heart would do.* “To make the best better.” Yep, that’s us.
Recently, it’s been outdoor updates keeping us busy. It is spring, after all. The lawn has needed some thatching and reseeding, and we’ve annexed a bit more garden space for our herbs and vegetables this year. I really enjoy being able to bring fresh things from our yard right to the breakfast table and I keep looking for new ways to be able to do that. I just have to figure out where to put those blueberry bushes I want…
Spring Rejuvenations: Our garden annex for 2017
The most exciting news, however, is that we have two very big projects planned for this summer. Big in scope and big presence. These changes will be zingers.
We’re going to need a little time off to accomplish it all though. We are planning to keep the work mostly to weekdays in the month of June, so if you are considering a weekend visit this summer, we still have you covered. Plan ahead though, folks. With three rooms, we tend to fill fast.
There will be lots of photos and updates through the blog, Facebook and Instagram. If you don’t follow us on either social media platform, now would be a good time to start. Links to our social media pages are in the sidebar of this page. Go have a gander.
“But what are these projects?” you are saying to yourself right now. “Aren’t you at least going to give us a hint?” Okay – one hint:
Getting ready for some changes at Waypoint House Bed and Breakfast
So, here’s the truth guys: I’m terrible at blogging because one little technical glitch and I become a complete idiot with regards to all things computer. Yes, I was having technical issues with the posts and so that’s one of the main reasons for the long delay between updates. That and we had a tremendously busy summer and fall so far! Which, of course, we are extremely grateful for. So here’s the fall update for 2014.
We did finally get our summer Deck Beautification Project completed. I think I mentioned in my last post we were getting ready to tackle that, but we were waiting on the dove family to hatch a set of eggs. You see, a pair of doves decided that the eaves of the back porch was a perfect place for their nest. Well, they hatched not one, not two, but three sets of chicks this summer! They have moved on for the season, so we proceeded with our update project.
The first order of business was to finish off the ceiling. Once that was done (leaving the opening for the dove family, of course) we added a ceiling fan and festive lighting. We also painted the back wall to match the house color. Finally, we replaced a few boards in the deck and then put on a new coat of paint on. We’re very happy with the upgrades as it makes an already relaxing spot even more enjoyable now.
While we were at it we added a fresh coat of paint to the front deck as well. A nice fresh coat of paint can make a big difference and we also used a paint with an anti-slip additive as an upgrade. Safety first, guys!
Have a great week everyone and I hope you can come visit us soon!
-Rachael
We made it! We worked up until the very last day, but were ready for our re-opening on December 30, and graciously welcomed our guests! What a delight to finally make our renovation reveal! We had a terrific New Year’s Eve and served a delicious breakfast the next morning to a boisterous crowd around the breakfast table. We are so grateful and would like to wish everyone a very happy 2014! Come visit us this year!
I’ll have more photos to post in the days to come, and of course the room pages on the website will be updated, but I know Jonathan is going to want to obsess over just the right angle and just the right lighting for a while! For now, here is a photo of the updated Shore Room, which is the one I have been dying to show you all.
Renovation reveal -The newly updated Shore Room
Remember what it looked like before?
Shore Room
Six weeks seemed like a lot of time in the beginning, but in the end it went by very quickly. The list of things we got accomplished is long. Shall we do an accounting? Here we go:
- Removed two old oil tanks; Replaced with one large, new tank
- Removed old boiler; Added new, energy efficient boiler
- Created a dual zone heating system to heat the guest section of the house separately from the owners’ quarters
- Replaced valves to all radiators so all of them now function!
- Repaired/re-pointed foundation of house
- Repaired Front Porch, including replacing several rotting beams
- Removed old metal roof on porch and replaced with new, custom metal roof
- Re-routed and replaced guttering on front of house to direct water away from the porch
- Removed old floor in back entry; Added new joists and insulation and re-floored
- Insulated and added new dry wall to basement entry room
- Removed and replaced basement stairs
- Removed florescent lighting fixture in back entry/laundry room and replaced with new LED down lights
- Relocated washer and dryer from old closet to the back entry room; added new plumbing to accommodate this relocation
- Created a new pantry area from the old washer closet
- Removed all aging smoke detectors and replaced with new smoke/carbon monoxide detectors – six in total
- Removed window casings from Shore Room; Removed old window counterweights, and insulated weight well
- Removed all paint layers from window casings, repainted and put back in place
- Removed and replaced toe kick in Shore Room
- Stripped and repainted baseboard molding in Shore Room
- Removed old flimsy closet shelves in Shore Room and replaced with a custom built system
- Re-secured bead board to walls in Shore Room where needed
- Repaired plaster cracks in Shore Room
- Removed wall paper from headboard wall in Shore Room
- Repainted Shore Room, top to bottom.
- Re-positioned ceiling fan junction box to center of room in Shore Room, removed old ceiling fan and replaced with a new ceiling fan.
- Refinished floors in Shore Room
- Built a new, custom headboard for Shore Room
- Removed wallpaper from accent wall in Traveler’s Retreat
- Repainted Traveler’s retreat, top to bottom
- Removed wallpaper in Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
- Repainted Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
- Added a polyurethane coat to wood bath surround and vanity cabinet in Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
- Added a new tile step-out area in front of the shower in Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
- Added new, LED down lights above shower and tub areas in Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
- Repaired plaster cracks, second floor hallway
- Removed and replaced toe kick, second floor hallway
Quite a list when you look at it that way! We are looking forward to a great birthday year for the house. We think we gave her a good start and we look forward to having everyone come visit us soon so you can see all of this for yourselves.
I’ll keep posting in the weeks to come. We have a few more details to finish out (remember those new lighting fixtures for the Traveler’s Retreat bathroom I mentioned?) so stick around. It’s going to be a great year!
-R
