Room with a View

Room with A View

One of the first things I noticed about this petite dwelling was the lack of character in the back elevation.  Our “twin” looked perfect with its freshly painted coat and vintage shutters.  Our only windows were located on the first level – and their brilliance was dulled by the peeling paint and crumbling bricks!  Upon a closer look, one could see the ghost outline of a window that used to be … intriguing!  We all came to the same conclusion – it must be restored.  I’m really curious why it was closed in and when.  So many questions, and so few answers! 

Enter Wally – a good natured soul – spending half of his year lovingly restoring brick, and the other half somewhere in France … I’m green with envy!  (not about the brick)  First, as mentioned in another post, he removed the plaster from the interior brick surrounding the mysterious window.  He painstakingly cleaned the soft brick – scraping away the old mortar and collecting it in a bucket for later use.  I loved that part!  These artisans really know what they’re doing, and love their craft.   When the new wood window arrives, he will return to replenish the mortar and give the wall a fresh life.  In the interim, he’ll work on the exterior.  Which leads me to …

First day cleaning the “cancer” from the exterior masonry, the bricks started to fall in the chimney cavity – YIKES!  Strangely, there was only one layer of them … leaving holes for small critters.  Needless to say my mother freaked.  Dad remained calm, as usual … eventually plugging them with anything he could find in the house.   The experts made a decision not to do anything about it at present.  The scaffolding will stay until the weather warms up – and hopefully, the gaps will be fixed soon. 

Back to the inside … you have to be flexible with these home renovations.  My Dad and I are pretty good about it … Mom is another story.  I won’t even go there at this time … maybe later.  Anyway, Wally removed the concrete block yesterday, and today revealed the glorious view below.  I’m so glad we decided to transform this closet into a bathroom – restoring the window, and exposing the brick.  I love the old nails and wood … it gives so much more character!  Can’t wait to see the finished product!!!!!!