Hey folks! I hope all is well with all our cyber friends. I cannot begin to tell you how astonished I am by your interest in our journey. It seems everywhere I go I run into someone who tells me how much they enjoy reading the blog. As a matter of fact, let me quickly share one story.

In the last blog, Colour My World, I made comparison of Sutherly’s exterior colors to accessories such as the roof was her hat and the door color her lipstick. Fast forward to the following Saturday at the Charleston Farmers Market. In a conversation with a lady about the blog, I mentioned a comment from a reader who wrote, “I can’t wait to see Sutherly dressed in her new hat, jewels and lipstick!” You are not going to believe what happened next. This very nice lady’s eyes lit up as she said, ” Oh my, that was me!” What are the odds?

Okay, now on to the latest at 10 Sutherland Avenue.

I guess you can tell from the title that windows are the main subject of conversation as the renovation goes forward. We have already talked about how the windows that could be salvaged and refurbished have already been hung. The new windows are of course the same style, 2 over 2 (2 panes on the top, 2 panes on the bottom). We decided to go with Anderson Windows in the balsa color which is a creamy white.

Only one window had to be sealed off. That is the window in the upstairs hall bathroom where the tub will go. Charleston has a somewhat unusual way of handling such matters. On the exterior wall they like for you to put up a sort of “fake window” so to speak. It not only gives balance to the facade, it also helps to tell the story of the original house. I have included a photo for your viewing pleasure.

Now that the windows are in, they can begin putting back the siding on the south side of the house. Then the exterior painting can be completed. Remember how horrible that side looked?

Doors are also a hot topic of conversation. I mentioned last time that Marc had offered us the beautiful mirrored door. Another unusual specimen is the door that was used in the storage room of the original house. We will be using it in the third bedroom as a closet door.It is standing alongside the door that will be used for the bedroom both waiting to be hung.

The crew has placed all the doors in the rooms where they belong in preparation for them to be hung. Below is the master bedroom.

The only door that has been left untouched in the whole house is the door to the hall bathroom.

The picture below is a “2 for one.” Take a look at the laundry room door as pointed out by our lovely model, Vanna White.  The door was the original exterior back door. You also get to see the framing for the drywall as they prepare to close off the kitchen stairs.

Also on the exterior, a crew has been diligently caulking and sealing every inch. It is a slow, tedious process that is necessary for premium results. We are so fortunate to have this particular crew. Working 7 days a week, they settle for nothing but top quality workmanship. I am purposely choosing to not show any full photos of the front until the painting is complete for full effect. 🙂

Something else I have been meaning to share with you. As the demolition of the house unfolded the crew begin to notice some oddities. It seems the house was constructed from a lot of repurposed materials. I guess Sutherly was a little ahead of her time, repurposing and all!

We were told that the house was constructed of reclaimed old-growth heart pine beams from a much older structure – probably from the antebellum era. It was said that they have held up well with no sagging, rotting or attack by termites. I guess the old saying, “they don’t make ’em like they used to” certainly applies.

The picture below of underneath the front stairs is an example. As you can see, the beam in the center was once used in a different way. Maybe you can help me to identify the type of construction this would be used for (notching in the center with the remains of a peg). Also notice that the wood was once painted white proving that it had once been used for a different purpose. Interesting, don’t ya think? 🙂

During the time that leads up to me sitting down to write this blog, I always think I don’t have much to say. Each time I surprise myself by not knowing when to stop. For those of you who know me personally, that will not surprise you, I am certain. 🙂 But for now, I guess I will close.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have. David & I both love the fact that others are interested in this major task that we have taken on. Although it may not be easy, it is proving to be a project with many rewards.

Until next time folks, y’all take care!