Pony House Done: Master Bedroom

The Pony House bedroom that Hick chose to be the master was not very big. It had two windows, one facing the front street, one facing the side street. Hick decided to tear out a wall of this bedroom and move it back about six feet. That would make the master bathroom smaller, but enlarge the bedroom, making it "master-worthy."

 

 

This is the Master Bedroom, looking in from the door that leads to the living room. That wall on the right is the one that Hick tore out and moved back. The window looks across the side street.

 

This view was also taken from the door, and shows both windows, with Hick's SilverRedO parked in the front yard.

Hick had already moved in some furniture before I could goad him into taking a picture of the finished Master Bedroom.

 

This picture was taken while standing in the doorway of the Master Bathroom. That's one of the chairs Hick bought a pair of, for $60 from a fellow Storage Unit crony. There's the bed frame that belonged to my mom and dad. Genius used it, and the other furniture here, in his college house. No need to buy new and pay on time when you can get a used one for not even a dime! (To paraphrase one of my favorite Ozark Mountain Daredevils tunes: "Horse Trader.")  I think the bed should go against the living room wall, but Hick and The Pony disagree. Same as with the direction that the bedroom door opens...

 

The Pony decided to move the bed between the two windows. I think his reasoning concerned the location of the electrical outlets. The laminate flooring turned out well. As did the new windows Hick put in. You can see that this is when The Pony started moving in. He forgot to buy pillows! He got curtains for the living room, but I think he plans on just the shades for his bedroom. For now. The Pony is kind of a minimalist.

 

There's some more of Mom's old furniture. And the door to the Master Bathroom. This is the added part of the Master Bedroom where Hick enlarged it. He lowered the ceiling from 9 feet to 8 feet in the Master Bathroom, and did the same with this added section of bedroom. The rest of it is still 9 feet.

It's not a perfect room, but it's a safe and livable space for The Pony to snooze and play computer games on the new TV he bought and mounted on the wall. Maybe a picture of that later, after Hick finishes his wizardry to semi-disguise the dangling power cord...

Knock, Knock, Who'd Dare?

A bit of a controversy has arisen over the placement of the Master Bedroom door in Pony House. Okay. I'll admit that the controversy was created by Val. Hick sees nothing wrong with his workmanship. In fact, he's proud of it. So proud that he took a picture, which he sent to me, which started the controversy. 

 

I am hearing the faint sing-songy question posed by my second best old ex-teaching buddy Karen, who used to beat me in hand after hand of poker (for pretzel sticks!), and ask the room: "When will she EVER learn?" Yeah. Too bad Hick didn't have a best old ex-teaching buddy Karen. Or he might quit sending me controversial pictures.

Here. You be the judge. But don't forget that Val reserves the duties of jury and executioner for her ownself.

 

Here's the Pony House living room, in a picture taken from the front door. You can see the furnace room has been drywalled. And the hallway to the back door, with the half-bath on the left. And then there's the door of contention on the living room wall.

Who would DARE to hang a bedroom door that opens out into the living room, where it can hit any furniture placed behind it??? A door opening out into the living room wouldn't be so bad if it at least opened against the wall there by the half-bath. Nothing is going to be on that wall.

Hick says it's normal the way he has placed it. I disagree. I wouldn't spend $23,000 on a house with a wonky door!

"It will limit where you can put furniture in the living room! Why can't it open the other way?"

"Because then The Pony can't reach the light switch! It would be behind the door!"

"WHAT light switch?"

"In the bedroom."

"How does that door affect the bedroom light switch?"

"If I put the door the other way, it will."

"Well, that's just poor planning! But I mean to keep the door opening out into the living room, just the other way. Up against that wall."

"Val. Doors come in left-opening or right-opening. Because of the hinges."

"Can't you just flip it upside down?"

"I COULD. But I'd have to adjust the hinges."

"Is that really so hard?"

"No. Not really. But the door is fine how it is."

"Huh. Better ask The Pony. And everyone looking at it tomorrow when we show Genius and Niecy the house."

"I'm sure they'll agree with ME. It's common sense. Ain't nothin' wrong with how that door opens."

I beg to differ. 

 

The Pony looked at the picture, and said, "Actually, I'm fine with it. And MY opinion should be the only one that matters."

He'll be neighing a different tune, straight out of his Pony mouth, after the bazillionth time he opens that door and whacks a lamp off an end table.

Hick Hits the Wall(s)

Hick's latest Pony House project has been drywall. The Master Bath and the Master Bedroom are nearing wall completion. Hick has two helpers. His old man buddy, and a mechanical contraption called a drywall lift. He borrowed it from the Son of This Guy, the one who gave him the doors.

 

That's the drywall lift contraption. Makes hanging drywall on the ceiling MUCH easier than standing on a ladder, or those weird stilts. This is the Master Bathroom. There's the walk-in closet. Its innards will be wood walls, not drywall. All other walls are done except the window area over where the toilet will be. Some cutting-to-fit is needed there. This picture was taken standing in the door from the Master Bedroom. The shower will be where that stepladder is.

 

Here's the opposite view, standing by the closet, looking towards the door to the Master Bedroom. Yeah. It's hard to tell what we're admiring here, in such a CLOSE-UP for Hick. The shower goes where that yellow measuring thingy is, and the vanity and sink will be under that switch by the door. Yes, Hick now calls this bathroom drywall BLUEBOARD instead of greenboard! I think he was messing with me that one time. More on the blueboard later...

 

Here's that doorway again, standing in the Master Bedroom door to the living room, and looking at the Master Bathroom door. It's that area where Hick expanded the bedroom, and lowered the ceiling.

 

That's the Master Bedroom wall by the door to the living room. Hick needs to pull some wire, and get all the plumbing fittings done before he can completely finish up on that wall adjoining the Master Bathroom.

Since the weather has been sunny and temps in the 50s and 60s, Hick has used the opportunity to drive over to Bill-Paying Town to Lowe's and Menard's, and get his drywall so he can haul it back in SilverRedO without risk of getting it wet. 

 

He pays by credit card, then when the bill comes, I am responsible for transferring funds to pay it, out of the account we used for Pony House renovations. Hick throws the actual receipts on the kitchen counter for me when he remembers, so I can organize them for our records. Wednesday, I mentioned to Hick that I did not yet have the receipt for the drywall. 

"Oh. It's in my billfold. I'll put it in there. You know, Lowe's messed up when I bought my drywall. That blueboard is $17-something a sheet. And the drywall is $9-something. They charged me the drywall price for all of it!"

"So you got it cheaper?"

"Yeah. At least $80 cheaper. I didn't know until I unloaded it at the house, and checked my receipt to see if I had everything. I thought about going back to tell them. But I'd already brought it home. So I doubt I do. It's not my fault. If I'd noticed it right there, I'd a-told them. I guess they was only looking at the drywall on top, and not the blueboard about three sheets down."

What do we know about Hick? Somehow, he attracts the bargains...

Pony House: Master Bedroom, the Bones

Here are the raw materials Hick has to work with while renovating Pony House. Today I share the master bedroom, which is on the left side of the house as you look at the front. The master bedroom is accessed by a door from the living room.

 

As you look in from the living room, you can see SilverRedO parked out front in the yard. Hick plans to take out that window. I don't agree, but he says one window will be plenty, and to leave it would make the placement of a bed awkward. He does have a point. The Pony says he does not particularly want to look out front at the street from his bedroom.

 

Don't worry about The Pony's view! He can still see the side street from his bedroom. This wall on the right will be moved back at least three feet, maybe more, to make the master bedroom larger. A door will be here at the right side of the photo, to access the master bathroom. No closet in the master bedroom, since there will be a large closet in the master bathroom. That's how we have it in our house, and it's very handy for getting dressed right after the shower (or 2-hour soak in the big triangle tub).

 

The master bedroom will have laminate hardwood flooring, and new drywall. And of course a new(er) window. Hick talked to the guy who lives in the house behind Pony House, on the other side of the garage and alley. He does drywall for a living, and said he'd be available to do Pony House. Hick sure has a lot of connections. Somebody in every neighborhood, somebody in every trade!

Tomorrow we will take a look at the master bathroom.

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I am putting the floor plan at the bottom of each Pony House post: