Prestonia

The Garage Mahal

2011-10-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

The development of the 100 year barn into a shiny new 3 car garage with custom acid stained floor.

Staircase

2011-02-17T12:34:00.001-08:00

It only took two years but finally we have a staircase worth going up and down. The skylight now gracefully illumines an expensive carpet (paid by professionals); it paid for itself when I saw how much toxic dust and sharp pointy things were underneath that I didn't have to deal with.

Fairy Lights Beneath the Snow

2011-01-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

Preston's snowy lantern and pixie highway as seen under the full moon on a chilly night taken with Philip's new camera

Solar Tube-licious

2010-12-31T18:16:00.000-08:00

Preston's mum was persuaded to accede to Preston's demands to Santa, that a solar tube be installed in the otherwise dark stairwell; one of the last two uglinesses left in the house interior – more on the other soon). SO, Philip then painted the newly-illumined walls a corn tassel yellow, a dainty wavy effect on the ceiling, and a Lady Gaga/icicle-inspired ripped paper lantern that makes a snowy Narnia effect as you descend the stairs. Next we have to spring for an interesting carpet that isn't ripped 1950s ashtray themed.

Take a 3D tour of the Toilet Garden in fine weather

2010-01-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

The Japanese Mushroom

2009-12-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

The original 1900 living room had seen better days; cherry floor, stone walls, and south facing windows gave way to rot, mildew, warped floors and uneven walls. Between the spores and the CO from the nearby furnace it was a place to chill out but not in a good way.

Now, however, it is an elegant Japanesey zendo-flavored guest bedroom-cum-meditation spot fit for a blissful hermit. Shoji screens filter outdoor light to the interior (and boast hidden LED lights too for the evening, along with hidden loudspeakers), grey roundel floor tiles, willow paint, Korean door across the closet (thanks, Sylvia), my rice merchant's ledger from the Kyoto flea market, Zuiko-san's sumi-e, a cohune palm brush from Belize carved by Roy, two closet doors that are wall decorations but fold down to become work surfaces, assorted bamboo things, manila rope, futon, flower vase with zinc silicate designs, and a Buddha ("I don't like this. He's not my god," says Flo).

We made the paper

2009-12-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

New York Times, October 1, 2009

The Cupola

2009-09-26T20:52:00.001-07:00

HGTV Armchair Designer Audition

2009-09-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Preston thought it would be a good idea to have Philip submit this video to get his own show on HGTV. No results yet but here's a glimpse of the reality that they are missing.

360s

2009-08-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

In searching for views of what this place used to look like a year ago we came across Preston's 360 surround photos from Day One (August 2008). See if you can spot any differences.
KITCHEN
DECK
YARD
STUDIO

There are also some pics from before the closing when we had to fix the deck and kitchen cabinets before the bank would agree to let the deal go through (even though the kitchen was to be gutted hours later).

You can see the arrival of the IKEA kitchen in the back of my Range Rover, coming to save the day. Every cabinet on the old kitchen was of a different size, never mind the mold, so could not be fixed.

The Last Bathroom

2009-08-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

Out with the rot, beige tile, urine-soaked "drywall", all things white, and the dumpy loo. In with the purple walls, copper vessel sink and faucet, hot Italian porcelain tiles, Moroccan mirror, designer flushing toilet, Singer sewing machine base and marble surface (thanks, Craigslist and Reuse Center!). The skylight is unchanged and illuminates the space splendidly. It sure is elegant and Percy can turn on the water at any time. Phew, no more bathrooms to do.

Drew's room (formerly the shrubbery)

2009-04-22T12:26:00.001-07:00

While the sun set rather dramatically I managed to finish the downstairs main room which had a nasty concrete floor, building debris and trees huddled from the winter. The knotty pine walls seem less cabineque now the cayenne paint is in place, the Johnsonite rubber floor tiles cut and artwork and blinds hung. There's plenty of room to swing a cat.

Washstands all the way down

2009-03-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

So this was a dark gloomy space under the stairs where a teen kitchen might have been planned once. The yellow sparkly glass vessel sink (courtesy of Craigslist) with waterfall faucet was intended to grace the upstairs washroom but turned out to be too big. The downstairs room had no studs to attach the frame to, so I resurrected the existing pipes in this area.

With the addition of parallel Mylar reflective surfaces you can observe yourself washing your hands forever. Behind one of the walls I attached a loudspeaker; by pumping music through it the whole wall should vibrate and quiver the reflections. As yet untested.

Bathroom 2 of 3.5

2009-03-22T08:52:00.001-07:00

This is the main bathroom. It was not a pretty sight, unless you were a microbe

Now it features a handsome solar tube to bring ghostly light in from the roof, copper plate decorations and towel rail, marble fireplace-turned-washstand, Po-Mo sink with pistol shaped faucet (impossible to attach hose lines to so had to get an ex-marine at the hardware store to struggle with it for hours).

There's tumbled glass on the floor and throne suitable for a regal dump.

The Bathroom Reclaimed

2009-03-12T20:30:00.001-07:00

There are no Before pics of this, the smallest of the 3.5 bathrooms. It had no electricity, rotting vanity, yucky muck and broken glass in it, as well as a shower with a loose door. We wanted to leave it until last to deal with. In the course of having the electrician over he needed to get behind the wall to diagnose the power problems. That's when we discovered a portion of the original wattle and daub wall.

So now we have a vitrine (the old shower door) exposing the illuminated view of said wall, decorated Maya style, with broken pottery (relics from the Museum Company) and local fossil beds, framed by Brazilian Koa wood left over from the floor. The bathroom floor has grey roundels like you find in a gym (or on Craiglist where we got enough to do the whole basement acreage). The rest of the ensemble is choice IKEA, Lowes and Menards.

Interesting Scenes from Prestonia

2009-02-23T07:38:00.001-08:00

Don't zoom in too close or you will notice imcompletenesses everywhere, but you get the picture.

After a last minute clean up for Fred and Tom (Fred had seen Prestonia in its white and flooded stage last August so was able to notice some differences).

Getting There and What a Difference a Floor Makes

2009-01-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

The kitchen is beginning to look like a real kitchen with granite tile countertops and actual cabinets. Turns out we even have underfloor heating beneath the tiles to keep our toes toasty.

Also the dining room, which has been workshop and toolshed since August, now has new flooring over the 100 year old oak and the texture paint is taking shape. Talk about drama.

Who else has such a fine cork wall, seen here at sunset?

Out with the old water heater and in with the new (thanks, Dad).

Now for the million details like reliable electricity, doors that hang, and painted baseboard trims...

Progress by the end of 2008

2008-12-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

Hours to go of 2008 and here is a record of the latest state of play. Still no reliable electricity (it flickers) or hot water (boiler is caput), and bathrooms await future attention and money, but the hardwood floors are all in except for the dining room and a couple of rooms are kinda done.

Autumn arrives

2008-11-02T07:57:00.001-08:00

Before

2008-11-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

The Highwood Hills/S. Paul fixer-upper known as Prestonia (it's about the size of a small Balkan country) will be chronicled here. Expect some photos from months of back-breaking, finger-numbing, lung-coating labors to make it habitable. If we can keep the wolf from the door it may all be worth it some day.