The history of the retaining wall

This picture goes way back.  The Black Walnut tree is still standing next to the driveway... ah, but that's a story for another time.  This post is about the retaining wall.  It is functional but definately not pretty.

Once the porch and deck were built, the wall looked shabbier than ever.  Check the size of the Red Bud tree next to the deck.

                     Just had to throw in a couple pictures of the Red Bud tree in full splendor.  These pictures were obviously taken several years later as the tree has matured considerably.

Forsythia and barberry bushes helped to distract the eye from the tacky wall.  However, the wall started to rot and even though a few sections were replaced it was obvious that was not going to extend the life of the wall by much.

Finally it was just time to call it quits.  The wall was removed and the area was prepared for a stone wall.

A new wall opened up the possibilites for fresh landscaping.

                                      The landscaping took some time to plan and orchestrate.

An illusion of a fence defines the corner of the yard and keeps the lilac bush from branching over the sidewalk.

This area is about due for a makeover with the plantings.  Although there are tulips in the Spring and a butterfly bush with lovely purple blooms, I would like more vibrant color.  (No fair checking for weeds.  It's tough to stay on top of that job.)

This was taken before the gorgeous red bud tree died so things are a little different today.  The bench and hostas remain, the bench more worn and the hostas much larger.

About that other Fireplace

As I mentioned in an earlier post, there were four fireplaces that had been covered over before I took ownership.  There was some debate about how many to restore.  After discussing pros and cons with my brother, I settled on restoring two of them.

The second one was in the dining room.  The original mantel and tile had been removed.  The opening had been bricked shut as well.   I was able to find a mantel that fit the flue wall perfectly.  It just required some elbow grease to strip, sand, and stain it to match the trim work in the dining room.

The firebox was rebuilt and the hearth area was prepared for tile.

I found tile in a teal/blue that worked well with the wallpaper I had chosen. I was satisfied with this look...well let's say for awhile.

You guessed it.  It was time for a change!  Rather than remove the existing tile, I cut a mirror into small pieces and used tile adhesive to stick it to the existing tiles in a mosaic fashion.  Next came the grout and, Voila!  Anyone reading this knows it was not that easy or quick.  I lost a few ounces of blood in the process but I persevered.

The story of the foyer.

This is the room I saw when I entered this house for the first time.  Paneling in a faux stone pattern covered the walls.  It was hideous and one of the first things to go.  I thought nothing could look worse, but I was wrong.  Under the paneling I found red flocked wallpaper!  (I have removed a lot of wallpaper since that day and never have I come across anything harder to remove than that paper.) It came off in the tinest of pieces over a very long period of time.  Once some layers were removed it was apparent that a fireplace had been a part of this room. 

This is another example of reversing the decision of the previous owner.  The original mantel had been removed and the firebox covered over. 

Obviously I chose to restore the fireplace. You can see a couple rows of new tile laid out on the floor in anticipation.  The firebox had to be rebuilt and a base poured for the tile.

A mantel with a few coats of paint was purchased, stripped and returned to it's full glory.  The floor in this room sloped slightly and had to be leveled by jacking it up from below before everything could be put into place.