New Lighting

Mr. Venture has started making some really nice pendant lights. The shade is made from glazed terra cotta, and it's very clean and modern. It looks classy hung over our table, and it could be equally as handsome over yours! (Because we're now selling them on etsy!) They come in 4 colors. Iron Ore is my favorite.

Drywall: The Devil's Work

 

Drywall dust is the bane of my existence. It gets everywhere. It invades every hidden nook and cranny of the house. It gets in your hair, on your clothes, in your mouth. Blerg! On a positive note, I think our final drywall installing days are over! We hired a pro in the new house to install it! Enjoy some views of our process.

If you're wondering what the process of installing drywall, let me give you a quick rundown. (This is by no means comprehensive. I just want to give a better picture of how this process works.)

Installing Drywall

1. Measure the space you want the drywall to go, and then cut the drywall to fit that space. If installing full sheets, the drywall goes in horizontally rather than vertically. 
2. Using a drill, put screws in the drywall making sure you hit studs. 
3. Cover all joints with tape (we prefer fiberglass) and mud over joints. Also fill in screw holes with mud. It's best to make all the mud as smooth and flush as possible, so that you have to sand less. 
4. After the mud dries (this takes a day or two), sand all mud smooth. Safety note: wear a mask or respirator for this. It's nasty! Mr. Venture likes to "sand" with a damp sponge when the mud is still wet but very firm, because it produces less dust. You have to make sure the sponge is not too wet.
5. Mud over joints and holes again, but less thickly. 
6. Let dry and sand again.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until your wall is smooth.
8. Pass out from exhaustion and promise to hire a professional next time.

Do you have any drywall experience? Do you hate it as much as I do? Leave a comment and tell me about it!

Demolition: The Final Chapter

If you're wondering what's more satisfying than taking out aggressions by tearing down walls and smashing up tile, then I have your answer: finishing demolition. When you're done breaking down, then you can start building up and putting together. Check out the final state of the house before we started making it pretty. (Please excuse the blurry photos. Our camera was having issues.)

Remember when I told you that I didn't have any "before" pictures of the bathroom. This is as close as we're going to get. If you see the lighter spots on the floor, that's where walls used to be. You can see how narrow the bathroom used to be. We decided that we wanted a bigger bathroom, so we decided we could sacrifice a little closet space in the adjacent bedroom/office.

Close Calls - Storm Damage

A crazy storm blew through the OKC metro on Tuesday. In our area we had 70 mph wind and golf-ball sized hail. There were roofs blown off, trees snapped in half, downed power lines, etc. We weren't home during the storm, but upon return we were greeted with a large limb that had fallen from the neighbor's tree, and a shattered screen door and storm window. Roof damage is yet to be determined. I thought this would be a good opportunity to give some tips on dealing with storm damage.

How to Deal with Storm Damage

• Take pictures of all damage, large or small.
• Immediately cover up damaged areas to protect from further damage. (Insurance companies will usually reimburse you for this expense.)
• If you're unsure of the extent of your damage, get an estimate from a couple of contractors before filing a claim. You don't want to file unnecessary claims with your insurance, because your rates will go up.
• For non-DIY repairs, get quotes from at least 3 reputable, local contractors. Never trust companies that are from out of town, and be leery of those traveling door-to-door after a storm.
• Be safe! Wait until the storm is over before attempting inspection/repair. Be careful of power lines, tree limbs, etc. that may poised to fall. 

Do you have any tips that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

Demolition

We wasted no time when it came to starting demolition. As soon as we had the keys in our hands, we promptly went on a Home Depot shopping spree for tools and then headed to our new home to destroy it.

There was a pesky wall separating the kitchen area from the living room. You can see the old gas line hanging down. (We hired a plumber to move that. We don't like explosions.) You can also see some electrical wire up top that I would later electrocute myself on while trying to measure something. I'm talented. We also decided to flip the location of the kitchen and dining room. It gave us more room for cabinets and made a more open feel.

We like to use the carport as storage for unwanted house junk because it makes our neighbors happy. (We were waiting for the dumpster to arrive.)

Today I Like: Brendan Ravenhill

Recently my eyes have been drawn to the more simple/industrial. I like objects that showcase the way they're put together. That's why I was happy to run across the work of Brendan Ravenhill. His light fixtures are beautiful and minimal. Stop by his site and see his other work!

all photos via brendanravenhill.com

Remodel Speed-bumps

There's very little that stops Mr. Venture in his tracks. I've seen him slice open his hands, drop heavy items on his head/foot/other painful areas, spend multiple hours in an attic that is close to 200 degrees, etc. He'll work through just about anything. But, every now and then, we hit a roadbump that takes him out. Meet our first remodeling speed-bump:

We were all set to move into our new house, when this friendly fella came to greet us. We woke up early to pick up the U-Haul, and Mr. Venture put on his shoes. Then there was screaming. Then there was shoe shaking. Then this guy crawled out. Then there was smashing and cussing. Then there was a visit to urgent care, because the Mr. felt like his foot was on fire. According to him, it was the WORST.PAIN.EVER. Then there was a Vicodin prescription, which barely took the edge off. Then our friends had to do most of the moving for us. 

The End