30 June 2008

Wall-O-Wood

BEFORE

I would venture to say that this wall, combined with the sloping ceiling, is the main feature element of our house's interior. So one of the first things on our list was to remove the rustic wood paneling and put drywall in its place. But this was not the thin, laun paneling you're most familiar with. This was solid, heavy plywood-type sheets. We spent the better part of two weeks working to remove it. A pleasant surprise occurred when I removed the first piece of corner trim and discovered that the original drywall was still in place and that the previous owner had used 1"x2" furring strips in order to attach the paneling. Thus, my job went from demo and complete drywalling to demo and patching. Definitely a good thing. We did end up hanging some new drywall on the stairwell to build out the depth of those walls.


Even though we tried to be careful, we made a mess of the wall removing the heavy panels. And the furring strips didn't exactly come off with ease either. In a sense, I became one with the two ladders and my drywall mud as I went up and down patching nail holes all over the 13' x 10' wall.

AFTER (one coat of Kilz)

Even with just a double coat of Kilz primer, it's looking a lot better. Can't wait to get the finish paint on there!

28 June 2008

Real Estate Services


Real Estate Agent
Sherry Enterline with RE/MAX in Harrisburg (PA) – If you happen to be local and looking to buy or sell, we couldn’t recommend Sherry more highly!

Home Inspection
John Rogers at Pillar To Post — John provided a through and adept inspection of our house prior to us making a final decision on the home. He was professional, friendly and patient in explaining everything he was doing. He provides a paper copy and .pdf of his lengthy report and a binder full of maintenance tips for all parts of your new home.

Mortgage Company
Nancy Patt at First Horizon (now with MetLife) — Again, if you’re local and looking for a mortgage loan or to refinance an existing mortgage loan, contact Nancy. She’s good with all your tough questions about a very tough subject — picking the right mortgage for you.


Disclaimer: We haven't been paid to say any of this, just in case you were wondering. We just had great experiences with all of these professionals and wanted to put the word out there.

20 June 2008

For Starters...

Kingswood is the street where we live.

Redux (from the Latin, meaning brought back) is what we're doing to our 1958 split-level house. In a sense, it's our new interpretation of the design elements in both the interior and exterior of the house in a style that we call modest modern. Modern in the sense of strong, sophisticated, clean and simple lines that draw inspiration from mid-century modern design, but yet appreciating where we've come in the 50 years since. Modest in the sense that we both believe our money is not our own and thus, we consciously choose to make economically-sound and practical decisions concerning the use of those resources.

Kingswood Redux is the blog where we share that process with you. It is our intention to share pics (before and after), stories, links, resources, methods, what we learned, frustrations, etc., when we're not otherwise working on the house, at our jobs, serving others, or enjoying time with family and friends! And just for the record, this blog is not about keeping up with the Jones' or even other remodeling bloggers who we draw inspiration from. It's simply an expression of the creative passions that have been seeded deep within us by our Creator.

We are Troy & Angie. And we are blessed to have you along for the journey!