Author Archives: cstults

No, we didn’t really build a she-shed. It’s a package shed! To spare the UPS man a mile-long drive up to our building, we built a shed to receive packages by the main road. It has a roof to protect boxes from the elements. No one likes to pick up soggy cardboard. We started constructingContinue reading “He Said, She Shed”

We finally got around to building the main staircase which goes from the ground floor to the office. If you recall, we built the upper set of stairs last year, leading from the second story (office) up to the attic. Since then, we have been using a scissor lift (and the cats a ladder) toContinue reading “Stair Masters”

We accomplished another big milestone in the shop. We set up the woodworking tools and dust collection system! The shop will be divided into several zones for woodworking, metalworking, brewing, etc. Having the woodworking tools confined to a space makes it more efficient to move a wood board from machine to machine. It also makesContinue reading “Left in the Dust”

Fun challenge! – Count the number of references to The Doors songs in this post. (Title does not count.) I thought ordering doors would be easy. Boy, was I wrong. It all started nearly two years ago when I couldn’t find exterior doors to match our French doors and windows. Apparently the design selection ofContinue reading “Doors”

Our friends Mikko and Malee visited for a weekend and helped us with some decorative projects. Sam and I managed to turn hanging lights into an ordeal (of course), so the pendant lights I had ordered were still in their boxes. The pendant lights didn’t come with long enough wire for our 19 foot highContinue reading “Sprucing Things Up”

Sam and I designed most of the audio system last year when we were running wires in the walls. Since neither of us are audiophiles (yet), this project involved some intense internet research over a short period of time. We designed the apartment’s sound system for two main situations- (1) watching movies and (2) listeningContinue reading “Speaker of the House and Shop”

We were on a roll with cabinets after the big kitchen installation, so I ordered some shelves for our closet. There’s a big world of closet systems that I wasn’t aware of. I settled on a fairly inexpensive line from ClosetMaid. They shipped Ikea-style in flat heavy boxes. Unlike my previous experiences with Ikea furniture, theseContinue reading “Out of the Closet”

Our kitchen cabinets arrived! Selecting a brand was just as lengthy of a process as designing the kitchen layout. We went with a brand called DeWils, made here in WA. They only took 4 months to arrive (faster than some!). We picked them up in The Dalles and fit all 15 boxes onto the trailer.Continue reading “Everything but the Kitchen Sink”

The groundhog may not have predicted it, but that’s what we got. The insulation in the shop was finally completed. We were at our wits’ end with the spray foam contractors by the time they finished the shop walls, so we looked for someone else to do the ceiling. We hired a local company toContinue reading “Six More Weeks of Drywall”

Since the summer of 2021, Sam and I have gone to the bathroom more times outside than we have inside a restroom. Not anymore! 2023 is officially the year of the toilet! This may not seem exciting to some of you, but for a female who does not enjoy exposing her bum to rain and snow,Continue reading “The Year of the Toilet”