You all are so wonderful! Thank you for all the encouragement! I'm really a nervous wreck between moving someplace so tiny, and getting the work done that it needs. It means a lot to me that you see the charm in it and I wasn't completely crazy to buy it.

The floors are oak, I'm going to have them sanded and redone -- and I think they will turn out fairly light to medium in color.

And I think I will paint that paneling in the living room now that I've seen how nice it might look painted. That paneling is just cheap stuff anyway, and would not go with the floors. Perhaps it will make the room look bigger?

I am also thinking of painting the kitchen cabinets white -- what do you think?

I'm not sure about colors to paint the walls. I tend to like dark colors with white trim, but that's probably not a good idea in small rooms.

I'm going to take some room measurements tonight and I will post them.

Kiki

Kiki, it IS an adorable house! I forgot to tell you that I LOVE the pic of the glass door knob... I have slowly replaced most of my door knobs to glass ones just like yours. I think they are a wonderful detail!

As far as the paint colors go, what ever you decide, try to have fun and enjoy it... it's such a special house, about to be home! YAY!

Greetings Kikki. You have a lovely jewel of a house. Great dtails, like the glass dorr knobs. I hope you become a regular here. We are a minority and need all the members we can attract.

Scott

"There's nothing upstairs, it's just an attic, "

ok i have to ask because attics get mentioned a lot at these forums and I'm curious about them. I always thought an attic was a room or storage area but now Im wondering if it's just a word to describe what we call here the roofspace? how would you define an attic?

They're just unheard of here but I've come to the conclusion it's probably because our roofs don't have a very steep pitch so there's not enough room to stand up in the roof and no one goes up there unless they have to do maintenance. Also our electrical wiring runs through the roof along the joists, is it the same in the US? How do you access your electrical wires if it needs replacing or you need to install more wires etc when you have a floor or room up there?

sorry for all questions, it's just such a foreign concept to me and I can't figure it out LOL

Thank you!! I really liked the glass doorknobs!

Here are the room measurements:

Living room (smallest, next to the bathroom): it's 11 feet, 8 inches by 12 feet. But because there are four doorways the usuable space is reduced to 11 feet by 8 feet. Doesn't sound so bad on paper, but 8 feet is not really big enough for anything but doll furniture. It's more like an entry way (or a large hallway) than a living room.

2nd bedroom which was previously converted to a sitting room (opened a wall, took out the closet): 10 feet by 11 feet. These rooms can't be combined because they don't line up.

Bathroom: 8 feet by 5 feet

Master Bedroom: Definitely the biggest space: 16-1/2 feet by 11-1/2 feet.

Kitchen: 12 feet by 10 feet. But this includes the washer and dryer space. Seemed odd to me that the washer and dryer are in the kitchen, but I do prefer that to them being in the detached garage.

Dining (behind the kitchen): 12 feet by 9-1/2 feet.

One small hallway; 1 tiny linen closet, 1 long master closet.

I'm thinking of making the sitting room, the actual living room.

Do these rooms sound as small as they look? (Except for the master?

When I first saw the house I was so put off by the living room, but I love the neighborhood and the lot. I started thinking I could make it work. Then I bought it and completely went into panic mode. I'm one of those people that have always wanted a BIG house. My whole life I have dreams where I live in a big house and keep finding hallways and rooms that I didn't know existed. Weird huh? Yet I've gone from a 2,000 square foot, to 1,500 square foot to 874 square foot house. I'm going in the wrong direction! *nervous laugh*

Well, I can stand in my attic which is unusual in Southern Califoria. But there is not staircase leading to it. Just a hole in the ceiling where you put a ladder and climb up.

To use it as storage space, I would need to put a floor in (so my boxes and I don't fall through the beams, and put in a drop down ladder/stair case. It drops down half way then unfolds into the hallway. When you are done, it folds up and goes back into the ceiling. There is not room to build a permanent staircase.

Kiki, what's on the other side of the peninsula in the kitchen? Is that the 12x9 dining room? It's such a great looking space there off the kitchen... If you don't use or need a dining room often, maybe make that space the living room...? And if you want a dining room, would the second bedroom work for that or is too out of the way? hard to tell without seeing the layout of the rooms... But the kitchen with that room off of it might work as a kitchen open to the living area...?

If that option above works... could you put the closet back into the 2nd bedroom and add maybe put a stackable washer/dryer in it, behind closed doors in what can be the dining room? Extra room in the closet could provide more storage, too. That could be a project down the road to give you more space in the kitchen...

Kiki, First off, painted paneling is BEAUTIFUL!!! We're thinking of having our whole upstairs redone in wood paneling just so we can paint it, and if yours isn't high quality to begin with I bet it would be stunning painted! Your room dimensions actually sound a lot like mine, our bedrooms are 12X12 and 8X10 with the only bathroom ten square feet smaller than yours! I also understand about the windows and doors, when these places were built they clearly weren't thinking about furniture placement! Our solution has been to really evaluate what we want in here, we only keep pieces of furniture that we absolutely have to have for practicality's sake or pieces that we love. This way there may be fewer pieces in here, but they are beautiful and we really enjoy them. Also in spaces like this you can't be too afraid of the "rules" of furniture placement :) I feel like we've broken them all here! Bed is right in front of the window, floating furniture off the wall...you will find what works for you best in how the rooms are used. Instead of thinking of it as a "living room" maybe think of it as a little sitting parlor :) We have our small living room (that is really most for talking when people come over) but 99% of my time at home is spent in one of our tiny bedrooms that I have made into a den. Besides you have that awesome backyard in an area with good weather so you'll probably be out there as much as possible anyway!

I have a soft spot for this thread, I often question whether we did the right thing to buy this place because my mother thinks it is way too small and tells me often, but in reality I love it here, I love the challenge of it and the coziness of it and we are able to live so much more economically and comfortably at home (she barely uses her heat or AC at all because it costs a fortune to service her whole house, we keep it 100% comfortable all the time for under $100/month!). Besides what your new place may lack in square footage it certainly makes up for in charm!!! I think I could overlook a lot of issues to live in a place as adorable as yours!

Your house is adorable. So much character. I would go for painting the paneling and wood too. With all the yard space you have unlimited use for "outdoor" spaces to create. Congratulations and post pictures of your progress.

Enigma, I like the way you made the case for living large in a small space! Your mom probably does not hear her own voice when she says you need a larger house, and then in her own large home cannot afford (or chooses not) to spend money on the increased cost of utilities. What's the point in having it if you cannot enjoy it? I think your house is adorable too.

Trancegemini, you've touched on a difference in our home construction. In my home, there is of course a lot of wiring coming through the attic. The attic is the space under the roofing and above the ceilings of all the rooms. From there it goes down inside the walls to come out at the plugs. Sometimes, the power is under the house, but I am not one to speak of what is acceptable these days, since so many changes since they adopted the International Residential Building Code of 2006. At least, in Mobile that is the Code now, because of the heavy losses from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Lots of new regs for windows, trying to make them withstand the high winds and debris.

Kiki, your house is truly a jewel. I will try to find the pictures of other Calafornia bungalows that I sighed over, since they were not really large and made use of outdoor rooms too. I bet you could build a pergola and drape it with canvas curtains for privacy, because you have such a good climate. Anyway, that is my fantasy of your house.

Hi Kiki...I WANT YOUR HOUSE!!!!! It's so great. I can't stop looking at the pics. I am drooling over the ceiling in the kitchen pic.

Your room dimensions don't sound so small to me. I understand the fear and concern of moving to something smaller than you are used to. Just remember it's because you have some unknowns right now because you aren't living there yet.

Just give yourself some time to settle in and get things where you want them, get your routines going, etc. You will be soooo happy!

I also had dark brown paneling in one of my rooms & I painted it...almost identical to minette99's color...white trim as well. Actually, my whole house is that color except for the bathroom. I LOVE painted paneling. Looks beachy with the striping in it. I sometimes wish more rooms would have had the paneling to get the same look and vibe elsewhere.

I have white curtains throughout on rods that look that oil-rubbed bronze color. I originally put up dk brown/coffee colored curtains, but they just didn't go over well. Changing to white make them cohesive to the rest of the house & the white trim throughout. They are not intrusive...they just blend.

Great house! Can't wait for updates!
Gayle

I have so many threads to catch up on, but I really wanted to post here.

KiKi, echoing others, O my Goodness, your home is adorable!! There are so many things to love about it! From the front, I particularly love the built in facade - how it 'feels' like an entrance to the garden, and the garage. (Sorry I don't know what else to call it other than a facade - I think there must be a better word.) From the pictures, it almost looks like a walled in 'secret garden' kind of world. :o) Welcome (belatedly) to this very friendly 'smallish' forum!

I also wanted to say enigmaquandry, I love your attitude towards your smaller home.

I think I read in your other thread somewhere that you just decided to change your attitude and embrace it as it is. Kudos to you!! It's fantastic, isn't it - that though the circumstances around us don't necessarily change, if we change our attitude towards them, the whole comfort level of our lives can change. It's a 'life lesson' I've been trying to pass on to my sons for years. Attitude truly is 'everything'.

*disclaimer - please forgive me if I've mixed you up with someone else. If I find the post in question I will try to comment there too.

~ Missy

I absolutely love your home, inside and out. What a little jewel you have there.

FlowerLady

You are all so incredibly wonderful! I can't thank you enough for your support. It helps to know that there are people who live in small houses, because they love their houses. I'm still scared, but feeling better about it. I'm definitely going to paint the paneling in the living room. I'm undecided about the dining area, because that paneling is nicer.

I'm still waiting for the estimates to come in. It's unbelievable how long it takes. But it does give me time to adjust to the idea and think of how I'm going to furnish and live in a small space.

Somewhere in my loan documents is a drawing of the house perimeter. I'm trying to find it so I can draw the house plan for you-- because you all have such wonderful ideas.

Thank you so much for your support!!!

That's it, I'm moving in. I ADORE your house and keep coming back to look at the pictures. I love every little bit of it. The room sizes are most impressive! You have so many options! I can't wait to see what you do with it once you formulate your lifestyle plan. And that backyard, oh my!!! What a gorgeous living space THAT is. I can see the twinkle lights in the trees and the party goers already. WELCOME!

Thank you! You are so kind! I love the idea of twinkle lights in the trees -- that made me smile. :)

Call this the "jealous" thread. Love the adorable house and so many possibilites. You are going to have fun for years making this home. For some reason I'm envisioning you as an artist of some medium. The house looks like an artist's retreat with bounding creativity possible.

When I moved into my small home, one of the things I had to do is change couch and chair. They had rolled arms and this seemed to take up a huge amount of visual space. There are many options for smaller furniture which fit and are quite comfortable. Actually Pennys has sale on such with great prices...I love the tailored slipcovers which come with them.

Little house with no thought to furniture arrangement was probably due to not having a lot of furniture as we do now. Small sitting couches, etc.

I find it interesting that I like the pull down shades on the windows. Think I would stay with roman shades or something similar. Gads, I want to come and help. Nothing like having a bunch of pushy smaller homes people to crave this wonderful cottage.

emagineer, you made me laugh out loud :) When I read Kiki was still waiting for contractors etc. I was thinking, shoot I wish we lived closer and I would come do it!

I think your ideas about furniture is key, oversized furniture always looks out of place in these smaller rooms. My preference is to reupholster vintage/antique furniture with its petite sizes and beautiful curvy shapes!

Kiki, I hope you're breathing easier! I think you have the absolute best of all worlds...the neighborhood, the beautiful lot, the low utilities and low cost of living with all the charm in the world and everything you really need! It's also so nice to have a place where you don't HAVE to do things to it but you CAN if you want and you can take your time. Also since you're covering so little square footage you can use pretty much whatever finishes you want (we're planning on marble mosaic ($$$) for our bathroom floor because it's only 30 sqft ($)! We have a similar situation to your small bedroom turned into a sitting room/den. This is where I spend most of my time so we are hoping to get a daybed with a trundle so that it can be a guest room when we need it to be but doesn't have to be a "wasted" bedroom.

I would give up square footage for your beautiful details and lot! Whew!

emagineer, you made me laugh out loud :) When I read Kiki was still waiting for contractors etc. I was thinking, shoot I wish we lived closer and I would come do it!

I think your ideas about furniture is key, oversized furniture always looks out of place in these smaller rooms. My preference is to reupholster vintage/antique furniture with its petite sizes and beautiful curvy shapes!

Kiki, I hope you're breathing easier! I think you have the absolute best of all worlds...the neighborhood, the beautiful lot, the low utilities and low cost of living with all the charm in the world and everything you really need! It's also so nice to have a place where you don't HAVE to do things to it but you CAN if you want and you can take your time. Also since you're covering so little square footage you can use pretty much whatever finishes you want (we're planning on marble mosaic ($$$) for our bathroom floor because it's only 30 sqft ($)! We have a similar situation to your small bedroom turned into a sitting room/den. This is where I spend most of my time so we are hoping to get a daybed with a trundle so that it can be a guest room when we need it to be but doesn't have to be a "wasted" bedroom.

I would give up square footage for your beautiful details and lot! Whew!

enigmaquandry and emagineer -- thanks for your support! I definitely think small furniture is the way to go. I'm hoping to find some sort of sofa bed for the sitting room so I could have an occasional overnight guest. Although I'm really not sure one would fit. lol.

Well, I just gotta echo everyone here and say what a fantastic cute charming little dollhouse you have there! If I were single I would want a house just like that! I knew that house had to be either in California or Florida, we live in Florida in a 1950's rancher, bigger than yours but still small by most folks standards. You are going to have a ball dolling that one up. The fact that you have a stand-up attic is a real bonus! Yup, I am envious, too. You post pictures as you make your changes, I am sure we will all want to see!

Thank you gypsyrose, that's very kind! I appreciate the positive comments so much, they really do bring me some peace about this big change.

Kiki Like others I had the thought to come help you paint too. I just can not wait for you to start putting yourself into your darling house. I too have house AND yard envy.

Chris

Thanks Chris. I wish you lived closer too. I wish I had help deciding who to use and getting the estimates in faster. The one contractor I didn't like was the first to get his bid in. And he's clearly on crack. Built into his estimate is $6,000 in "overhead" plus $5,000 in profit. Excuse me, but this is one guy, so isn't his "overhead" also profit? He really thinks I'm going to pay him an additional $11,000 to supervise subcontractors? Especially when his bid defines supervision as a "daily conversation with subcontractor?"

Sigh. Is this the kind of stuff you all have had to deal with?

Hi Kiki,
I have been immersed in my own project and just had time to read your thread today. I also think your house is full of character and will be fun for you to settle into. Such a large bedroom for a small house! You are fortunate for that. The way they made the second bedroom into another "public" room might be used to your advantage. You could use one of the two spaces as a TV room, for casual flopping, and the second could be decorated differently and have seating that faces each other, instead. A TV room and a "reading and conversing" room. Or a media room and a crafting room. You have lots of choices that will allow you to have both a comfortable and more cluttered space and a more formal and serene space. You have gotten lots of other suggestions here, too, and I can't wait to see what you decide to do with it. What all was that contractor going to do for his $11,000? Sand and refinish the floors, but what else?

My last house had a LR/DR combo room that was 19 X 12, and that included the front entranceway, the door to the garage, and a piece of the kitchen, so your LR does not have to feel so small. My largest bedroom was the size of the (former) second bedroom in your house, And we had a King bed and two dressers in that room. The secret to living well in a small space is to reduce clutter and have lots of storage.

I could see painting your kitchen cupboards, since they are oak and do not match the real pine paneling. But I might choose a creamy color, instead of white. Maybe a french vanilla color. That might go well with the pine.

Welcome to our smaller world!

Gads, what is that guy going to do for $11,000? Do you have friends that can recommend someone. If all he is going to do is supervise, it appears the others are getting their "overhead" too. What is overhead? Price of materials and the other guys pay? Are you picking out materials? When I upgraded my little house, I found an electrician, plumber, handyman on my own. Good ones don't take a lot of supervision.

You have a Speak Easy in your door. I love these and have a door in the garage with one...waiting to be put in. They are valuable and bet there are other things hiding around like this too.

Would love to have a new thread to follow your transition. Maybe we can all promise not to interfere too much. We all seem to have gotten a little crazy over your cottage. I would also like to see more photos, the little details.

The concrete path going down the length of backyard. I find this interesting as I have one too. It goes nowhere. Wonder if this was a norm or for getting to flower plantings, perhaps a clothesline, another gate to the neighbors? Not a great mystery but things like this intrigue me.

Are there built ins in your master closet?

Hope you are having as much fun as we are.

SAndy in CO

Kiki, I'm not sure if you saw the post about sheds, but it made me think of you. With such a large, beautiful backyard you could have a lovely little shed (or big, it's amazing the size of some of them out there!) when you want to "get away" a bit :) If your area is more lax on building restrictions and the weather is nice maybe you could make it a little guest room for when people visit! It's just a thought since you have all that lovely outdoor space...

I hope quotes are coming faster and much smaller!

Yikes Kiki, that is just outrageous! I wish I could advise you, but we are do-it-yourself-ers except the odd job we just can't do ourselves like replacing the a/c. Can you be the contractor and just hire subs yourself? One at a time will take longer but you can oversee the job and make sure it's done the way you want that way.

Hi, kiki, I found an interesting site, while searching for something else, and thought of your kitchen. Scroll down for lots of pics.

Here is a link that might be useful: Knotty-pine kitchens due for a comeback.

Nancy,

Thank you for the nice compliments! I like the french vanilla idea for the cabinets. I'll look for that specifically when I'm looking at paint colors.

Nancy and Sandy -- The contractor was bidding on air conditioning, floors, ceilings, dry-walling the garage, kitchen counters, attic floor and drop down ladder. He also threw in custom built kitchen cabinets which I didn't ask for. But still, I think it's a ridiculous bid. He was using subcontractors so that $11,000 is supposed to be his "overhead". Oh brother. More and more I'm running into contractors who just assume I am a stupid woman because I am single.

Marti, I'm probably going to wind up just hiring separate people myself and cutting out the contractor. It's what I meant to do, but then contractors come in and claim they can do everything, when really they are just hiring out as well.

There's no built-ins in the master closet. It's one long rod going all the way across, and one shelf above that. It's reinforced nicely so I can load the shelf up with stuff, and it's a long, if not deep, closet.

Enigma, love the shed idea. I'm definitely going to think about that!

P.S., my house used to be the middle of 3 houses/lots owned by the same family. I bought it from the original owners' son, who still lives next door. The families used the large section of my backyard as the "community" yard. So the walkway in the middle connected the two houses on both sides. There is still a gate going to my neighbor's house. The other lot was sold a long time ago and the fence redone to remove the gate.

I so appreciate all of you! You are helping to make me feel better about everything. It's a little less scary. At this point I am just surprised at how long it is taking me just to get estimates. It's clearly not going to be a fast process.

Mama Goose, loved the link to the knotty pine kitchens! Thanks!!

I just remembered I posted a blog entry when I painted old brown paneling about 2 years ago.

Link is below.

I'm currently transforming that room into a library right now, so it doesn't even look the same today.

However, that painted paneling is just fine after 2 years. I didn't wash or prime. It took 3 coats of paint to cover the brown, but it was your basic latex flat paint.

Gayle

Here is a link that might be useful: old blog entry - painting the paneling

Thanks Gayle. Your room looked so much better with the paneling painted. I'm sold on painting the paneling in the living room. I think it will help the room look bigger.

Kiki, a couple of things occur to me.

1. In the first picture you uploaded for us, it shows the front street view of your whole property. What I'm going to suggest is that you TRIM UP the limbs on the huge evergreen tree on the right-hand side of your driveway. Do it high enough that it will expose what I think is an entire roof of lovely tiles spanning the entire width of your property, from the gate on the far LEFT of your house, all the way across the arch covering the driveway and extending to the spot on the far right of your lot.

If you are thinking your house reads "small" from the street, this opening up visually will increase the perceived size of your house quite a bit.

2. I know your garage is detached as you said earlier. But with a small covered walkway or a narrow pergola extending from your back door down the side of your driveway to end at the garage, that space could become a very nice place for your barbeque grill or a swing or a couple of Adirondack chairs, and relate nicely as if your drive was a patio. Put big flower pots around the arbor/pergola posts, filled with stuff like bougainvillea or passionflower vines, or even grapes, and let them grow. I'm not that familiar with California gardening conditions, but I'm sure it is subtropical and perhaps bougainvillea would live year round outdoors? I have to bring mine indoors for the winter.

2. Kiki sez: There is not room to build a permanent staircase.

Ok, well, I'm wondering if you will have the space for a SPIRAL WROUGHT IRON STAIRCASE? If you plan on making your current entry room into a sort of foyer, there would be space for the spiral stair in that room and therefore fairly out of the way. Wrought iron is a material long associated with the California styles and would be great and very romantic looking. Consider it before you spring for installing a totally utilitarian and non decorative and unimaginative attic dropdown stair. If you have the headroom in the attic, I think this would maybe give you an area you could enclose up there as a very private study with storage stuck back into the unenclosed space under the eaves.

3. I would think about moving the living room seating area into the former second bedroom. CAN YOU GIVE US A BASIC DRAWING OF YOUR FLOOR PLAN? If you can draw it with magic markers onto a sheet of paper and take a picture of it to upload, that would be good enough. Be sure to put where your street side is, and which way is NORTH. Very important.

4. Refer back to #2, I didn't finish. If you have a chance to see Idie2live's front porch redo, you'll understand just how important even a small space is to the enjoyment of your home. Loretta (Idie2live) now has a chair and a console table and a lamp and a ceiling fan and COMFORT in a former screened in porch which is now part of her inside living space. It serves as a beautiful introduction to her home, quite a separate entry instead of visitors directly popping into her real living space.

I don't think her square footage is much larger than yours either.

5. Back to your exterior and the updating of your curb appeal. I think I'd leave the front steps as they are.
That support post in the middle divides the space evenly.
On the right hand side, which is close to your doorway, those plants in the flower bed are not very attractive.
Can you think about this:
Have someone weld together a grid of heavy rebar which would be painted flat black like wrought iron. Have HUGE
squares between the evenly spaced rebars. Put the rebar ends into the ground and anchor it there just off the edge
of your porch. Have the tops of the vertical rebars attached to your house with pipe hangers mounted on a wooden ledger painted same color as your house. Then, at the base, in the flower bed, put in some star jasmine which will grow and flower with a very sweet aroma, and in your climate it would be evergreen.

Or, you may choose to keep a scant vine growing up this wrought iron trellis, so your front entry is not obscured at all. You will have to assess how safety might be a factor with your plantings. Something that would not form a dense growth could be like an allemanda, very pretty, very tropical, very open.

6. Your roof is such a lovely feature of the house, it should be made very visible. And your Spanish mission architecture is so breathtaking! A few very very large pots, perhaps ONE in front of your garage planted with the jasmine to grow across the front over your garage doorway, oh boy, that would be a framed vignette of beauty leading the eye from the front walkway all the way to this separate structure....and it would visually tie the garage to the house.

Where are you, Kiki, come back soon. Cannot wait to see how you play in your California Dreaming Cottage.

Kiki, below is the link to the thread about small entry spaces. You might find it interesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Idie2live's front porch enclosed as entry

Thank you for all the good ideas. I am going to cut down the two trees in the front of the house. I think they are supposed to be bushes, but they are just too old and big for that location. I have to look into trimming the tree on the right. It's a protected tree in my city and they have rules about how much you can trim them.

Love Idie's porch. It's a beautiful little space. I think I'll be able to do something with the living room. I am planning on putting the piano on one wall, and maybe a couple of chairs and small table. It will be both an entry way and a small sitting area. The former 2nd bedroom will be the "living room."

I don't know what I would do without this great forum!

'Somewhere in my loan documents is a drawing of the house perimeter. I'm trying to find it so I can draw the house plan for you-'

Good! cause I need to see it laid out. not good at visualizing by numbers.

what'd ya'll do go nutso posting here? gee, I'm so far behind reading posts...sigh...

lol!

I don't think this forum has ever fell in love with a house like they have yours. We just can't keep our mouths shut about it.

One of the reasons I started the other thread about the kitchen was this thread getting so long. Also, you might want to start a new thread when you do get some drawings. Of course that doesnt' mean we will keep our mouths shut.

emagineer, I agree! I propose a nationwide gathering at kikki's house to paint and floor and otherwise revel in the charmingness of her new place!

Kikki, I hope you don't get tired of us, we're having WAY too much fun!

Emagineer sez:"There are many options for smaller furniture which fit and are quite comfortable. Actually Pennys has sale on such with great prices...I love the tailored slipcovers which come with them. "

I agree that small scale furniture is the way to go. However, I have a caution for those dealing with JCPenney's mail order. I ordered three separate times from them, and it was total mayhem.

First order was for two small swivel upholstered rocking chairs and an ottoman. It took 3 months to arrive, after many false shipping dates.

Second order was for down south, I wanted a single upholstered swivel rocker...only place I could find such a small scale chair and DH wanted one like his reading chair up north. So I ordered it. All kinds of delays, another 3 months, and I knew who the manufacturer was, so I even called them direct...would you believe OUT OF FABRIC?

Third order was for a fabric 10x10 gazebo that was half price, supposed to be IN STOCK LOCALLY. Well, that only took a month, with the local store claiming they'd sent it back due to defects, etc, and I finally got it after many calls and much irritation.

Upshot is, I will never order anything from JCP. They do NOT have their act together. If you could get it from Overstock.com, now they ship quickly as promised, and they only charge something like $3 for shipping. Cannot beat it.

Also, I agree with Emagineer, that everyone is in love with Kiki's California Dreaming cottage.

And Kiki, the authorities probably will not mind raising up the lower limbs somewhat. Like maybe another 5 feet of clearance? If you see the street crews from the city in the neighborhood, be sure to strike up a conversation about your tree. They might agree to do the job for you, since they'd have the limb chipper and the truck and the proper saws to do it right. Sometimes in Mobile, they will pick up extra trash if you write a check to the city on the spot. No cash, no credit card, just a check made out to the city.

Also, Kiki, are your power lines and other utilities underground? If they are, be sure to make a permanent note of the location to avoid interrupting your service.

How's everything going with your house? Have you moved in?

I own a 1920's bungalow too. I have lived here 15 years and just finally did a kitchen renovation.

My home was a Sear's and Roebuck bungalow. Back in 1920, the builders poured foundations, and owners ordered their homes from the Sear's and Roebuck catelog. The houses came in sectons on the train from Boston. There are many here in Southeast Mass.

Love my home and it's history, and I am wondering how you are doing with yours.....the summer has flown by!!!

tm

Traceee, I would like you to create a separate thread for your sweet little house. I tried to send you an email but no address listed. I do hope you visit this thread again and read this.

There is a lady who frequents the GWeb forums who is an authority on Sears homes, has written several books about them. She would be most interested in the documentation for your house, and for your neighborhood. I read one of her books recently, and she gives some advice on how to get owners of the Sears houses organized and recognized and up the value of your property by doing so.

Also, we'd love to see which model of Sears home you have, and pictures of it inside and out if you are willing.

What a blast! Another bungalow falling from the tree!
Traceee, hope you hang with us. Proud to have you.

(Rosemary Thornton is the lady's name, BTW.)

Hi Tracee! You are so thoughtful to ask! I haven't moved yet. I've had the electrical panel upgraded from 100 amps to 200 amps. (Learned a lesson about hiring professionals.) Friday the guys come to scrape and skin coat the ceilings. Then I will have the floors done. My friend's boyfriend is going to do my floors -- sand and finish the original oak floor. Then paint. Unfortunately for me, I am not a DIY. I have asthma, so I can't be around fumes and dust. I've been trying to figure out what to do with my kitchen -- do I redo now before I move in, or move in and do it later?

I'd love to hear more about your house and see photos if you have them! How many square feet is it?

Kiki

Kiki!!!!
So glad to see you have appeared on the scene.
Upgrading to 200 amp service is a great idea. And having a pro do it is the ONLY way to go.

Be sure the paint job is done with lots of drop cloths to protect your lovely newly finished floors. We are doing the floors last, after the major portion of painting is done.
But you do what you gotta do.

If you have an option to have the kitchen done before you move in, ....that is, you have the time AND the money, decide what you need done and get it done before moving in. All of that work requires tearing into stuff, and lots of dust and cleaning chemicals and new flooring. You might even find that underneath the old flooring is good oak wood which can be refinished with the rest of your house. Lots of folks are going that route these days.

If you decide to move in and do it later, a good contractor could get it done in a couple of weeks. That would be a good time to take a vacation. BUT, the dust would get all over everything in your house even if they are careful. it is easier to have workmen tromping around and through an EMPTY house than it is one you have treasured items in.

Just the way I look at it.
But very pleased to see you back with us. All of us here are passionate about your house. We love to hear what is happening.

I can't wait to see pictures of the finals products!

Kiki, when you take out the large tree beside the driveway, please give another photo to us showing the front of your property.

If it is what I think, that will be an entire sweep of Spanish fencing or rancho with an arch far to the left, your entryway, and the archway over the drive. It will be mucho fantastico!!!

I can see a huge pot, like a tall urn, sitting in the middle of a circular water pond, to the right of your driveway. If not that, then a niche in the wall with water spurting from the mouth of a spigot into a basin and recirculating. What a refreshing spot it would be, counteracting the sounds of the street.

Your little house is truly CALIFORNIA DREAMING!!!

FANTABULOUS example of why and how overall architectural features are way more important than raw square footage.

I have breezeway/portal envy. ;') Love the front porch and side yard gated portal too. One of the many "devices" which make things "seem" spacious, i.e. more-than-adequate.

What is on the other side of that drive-thru portal... is that an outdoor kitchen/BBQ area? Amusing how all the pre-airconditioning era common sense adaptations for comfortable living are now coming full-circle as "new" ideas for "green" living/LEEDS... lol.

PS: what L.A. neighborhood/zippety-zip-code is this chic cottage in? i.e. are there many "survivors" of similar size and age in your area, or are you "under attack" by McMansions? Is there a lot of historic pride in your 'hood? I've been reading Christopher Alexander, and he's raised my awareness of neighborhood "ecosystems"... "don't know what you've got 'til it's GONE..." =:O

Thanks frixzin! On the other side of the drive-thru is just more driveway leading to the garage. There are several houses in my neighborhood of the same age and not expanded, and there are several more that have been added onto -- most of them done tastefully. There are only a few McMansions and fortunately I don't live near any of them. There is now a neighborhood council and there is a lot of pride in the people who live in this area. I don't know whether they have discussed asking the neighborhood to be designated an official "historical district", but after I'm settled I plan on going to one of the meetings and asking.

Hey kiki, thanks for the reply, and sorry I wasn't clear; i.e. not what's on the "other side" in the direction of the driveway, but rather, perpendicular to the driveway... i.e. if you stopped your car in the portal, on the left is your house (and probably your kitchen side door), but on the right, completing the arch, is some kind of alcove... from low-res photo "2FrontWest.jpg" it looks like your garbage container is there, toward the front. Then I saw what looks like shiny stainless steel, and thought it might a very fancy built-in BBQ, perhaps replete with a chimney/flue through the roof??

Matters little what you do or store there, it's just a great "atmospheric" feature, and adds to the whole 1920s motif. That kind of portal "proudly claims" a lot of street frontage for your small bungalow (adds "big shoulders"), yet doesn't obnoxiously crowd the neighbors, since it's not very deep, front-to-back. I dunno, there's just something classy about them. Just a great home, well-designed in all regards.

:) I wish that fancy BBQ was there. It's just hiding my trash cans from the street view, and there are some nice bushes there, just giving a little privacy between neighbors.