The Temporary House

Well, the past months have been very busy, not just the holidays and a visit from my new grandson, but many meetings with my contractor, Rick. I will fill you in on what’s been going on below, but first let me tell you why the remodel needs to be done. As I mentioned in the previous post, this house was built and, presumably, designed by its first owner, Clark Hull. I assume he took a basic floor plan and modified it, since I’ve been unable to find another plan like it in the plan books of the 1920s. Consequently, there are some quirks to the design of the nature— “why don’t we have a sheltered firewood pile next to the house with its own door from the living room” and “let’s have eight doorways in the main hall” or “we need a gigantic cistern.”

The house now has two basic problems that need fixing and one cosmetic problem. The more serious basic problem is that the structure/shape of the roof over the back of the house makes the house prone to ice dams and leaks. The second basic problem is that you enter the back of the house right into a small galley kitchen with no place to take off snowy boots. Maybe when the house was built, there was a small space near the door to put wet boots and hang jackets, but now and in the previous version of the kitchen there is a counter where that space might have been. Additionally,  access to the basement is screwy.

There are two doors opposite each other that open on to the small landing at the top of the basement stairs. It is impossible to maneuver large items through either door and down the stairs. The doorway on the hallway side is one of eight in the hallway on the first floor. The other basement doorway is from the dining room. Above is the current first floor plan (click on the image for larger view). I say current because I changed it once in about 1994 and it may have been changed by a previous owner. There is a small attic space above the kitchen and Bedrooms 2; there is nothing above Bedroom 3. Two bedrooms on the second floor, across the front of the house, were added in the mid-1930s.

We are now underway. The next post shows where we are headed.