Monthly Archives: March 2014

  • tile dilemma

    We plan to run gray VCT (like this) throughout our home. No problem in the carpeted bedrooms, where the concrete slab is easily exposed. Also straightforward in the living area, where we can remove or lay over existing beige VCT (pictured). Only real problem is the office. This is carpeted, but beneath is some old, …

    More  →
  • door restore

    Our internal doors appear to be original, but they’ve been painted white. We had planned to buy replacement luan doors, as they’re cheap (about $40 each) and would look just like the originals did…originally. But our doors are already here. And they fit. So we tried sanding one. It took a while, but the familiar …

    More  →
  • master hallway

    Our closet doors were painted long ago, obscuring the original grasscloth. I’d love to reinstate this, but Karen wants a cleaner look. We repainted our guest room closet, but those door panels had already been re-covered, so provided a smooth surface. Different story in our master, where the painted grasscloth is rough and brittle. We …

    More  →
  • getting greener

    Coming from England, it feels like summer has arrived. But this is spring, and it will get a lot hotter –even hotter than the 105 (or so) degrees we got on our arrival, late last August. Anyhow, our brief winter is firmly in the rear-view, and the landscape is changing. Our cherry tree is filling …

    More  →
  • globe back

    We inherited lots of original globe lights, as I mentioned. Having toured several neighbors’ homes, I’m thinking all the globes survived, apart from one, by our side patio. In its place, this lattice-clad monstrosity, which is more expensive than it looks. That’s not difficult. Obviously this had to go. Luckily, we also inherited a spare …

    More  →
  • miami carey

    Our home retains much of its original 1955 character, but some changes are inevitable in 60 years. Case in point, our master bath. Here’s how it looked when we’d just moved in. The countertop, faucet, lighting and cabinet are all updates, made over the years. The vanity is original, but it’s been sprayed with white …

    More  →
  • 6489 s land park dr

    We bought the last Eichler for sale here, but soon we’ll no longer be the neighborhood newbies. 6489 South Land Park Drive is about to hit the market. We already had a sneak preview, at the garage sale I mentioned –an immaculate 2-car garage, by the way. The house is listed as a 5-bed/2 bath …

    More  →
  • last day ray

    Way before moving to Sacramento, we saw The California Museum had a Ray Eames exhibit going on. It ran for a year, six months of which we lived right here. We kept planning to go, but stuff (mostly house stuff) got in the way. Eventually we made it, on the very last day. Ray, a …

    More  →
  • lost and found

    A house up the street hits the market soon (post on the way) and the owners just held a garage sale. It was a 7:30 am start, on a Sunday –crazy-early for us. Predictably, we arrived ten minutes late, missing out on a vintage bullet planter for $35. Oh well. Technically, it was Karen’s fault. …

    More  →