Its time

After a long winter we're dying for some change around here. We're both itching to pull out the legions of overgrown yews circling the house, but really we need some improvement inside. Contractor One came a couple weekends ago, but he seems to have flaked and we're not calling him back. I emailed a couple of questions to Contractor Two and received a prompt reply from the company president and an invitation to call and talk. We've since reconsidered hiring a remodeling company for this first task, but when we get to the middle of the house (where theres a ceiling vault planned) or the master bath addition, Lyon Construction will be my first contact. (Locals, if you have any experience with them I'd love to hear about it.)

Tomorrow night Bill is coming by. The husband of a woman I used to work with, he's been invaluable at past houses. Carpentry, drywall, tile, he can handle them all, and he's good.

We're starting in the bedroom at the end of the hall, and I've asked him to bid the following: Tear down drywall and insulate the walls. He's passed on rewiring so I've got to get an electrician in for the electrical. Then back to Bill for new drywall, all new trim and all new doors. Depending on where the price lands, three windows will need to be replaced and theres a spot perfect for a window bench.

Why all new? Mostly because of the electrical and insulation issues (good God it was a cold winter), but also because most of the architectural choices are just plain wimpy. Mouldings are too small, doors are plain and flat. Coupled with old paint and general wear and tear, everything just looks tired. And not the kind of tired that new paint can fix.

I think good moulding can make a room, but I hate the overwrought detailing you find in garden variety new construction. Rooms tend to be smaller, then they go crazy with the trim and the resulting effect is just overwhelming.

We've got bigger rooms, and we need proportional moulding. Here's a crown profile that I think I love. Six inches feels like the right size, but the profile isn't overdone. Also it's symmetrical, which I like.

I'm looking for a four inch casing for windows and doors that works with this. I've got a couple contenders, but so far nothing has yelled out "it's me!"

I've had a bit of a revelation on doors as well. I originally had a very contemporary flat panel in mind, in this configuration.

I've since come to realize that it's likely too modern for the house, even in the more traditional raised panel. We're trying to inject some freshness into this place, but I think a lot of that will come from clearing out the clutter, strengthening the proportions, and using more up-to-date colors.

Staying with the three panels, but changing them up a bit, is this:

Feels crisp and classic, doesn't it, especially thinking of it in fresh white paint. White paint of course is a whole post unto itself, but if you've got a favorite feel free to let me know. I've got plenty of room for test patches.

Cross your fingers for me tomorrow night. With a little luck I'll have reason for a before shot here in the next week. Bill appears to be available and hungry, so hopefully he'll give me some good numbers and we can give him the green light.