Wednesday, July 27, 2005

 

The Road to the Plastic Chairs


yard08
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

Using some left over "pennsylvania rock" from another job, the team from Kinney landscaping made this nice little walkway that leads to the plastic chairs. I plan to get a little chiminea for the official "Browne's Backyard Halfway Soiree" this weekend.


 

Yard: Leveled


yard07
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

When I moved in, the back yard had a large indentation from the kiddie pool from the previous owners. We used the dirt that we removed from the turnaround out front to level the yard... wait, I said "we." What I really meant was "Bryan and Traci" leveled the yard.

Together, they leveled the yard, built the wall you see on the other side of the picnic table and cleaned up the place. Way to go guys!


 

Baked Terra Cotta


kitchen25
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

I had decided on this grey color for the kitchen, thinking it would be nice mix between the white marble floor and the black slate countertops. And then my friend Lauren came over and made me realize it would just be too drab and boring. Skepticism aside, I dove headfirst into the color called "baked terra cotta."

I was nervous at first, but after the first coat it started making sense. And now that the color's decided, the cabinetry can be installed. Tonight!


Monday, July 11, 2005

 

Sawzall Time!


kitchen24
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

Ah yes.. the wonderful Sawzall. A few minutes of fun, and a few hours of finishing work ahead of me...


 

There's a Hole in My Life


kitchen23
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

Something wasn't doing it for me. I couldn't stand to do all this finishing work and still have the same old kitchen. And after hearing another person's complaints of a remodel down in Lawrenceville—"they didn't even change the layout!"—I realized I had to do something more. So....


 

Final Sweep


driveway08
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

Well, It's not really the final sweep, because we still needed to brush and seal it, but this pass really brought out the smoothness.


 

Smoothing it Out


driveway11
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

I forget the name of what Bryan's doing in this picture, but he did it well. Too bad that at this point, the neighbor's cleaning lady had walked through the patch in the drive.


 

Close to the Edge


driveway09
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

Traci has some stellar edging techniques, so while she edged both pads, I raked out the concrete. Together, Bryan and I screeted the stuff.


 

The Truck Arrives


driveway10
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

The truck arrived a little early, and Bryan and Traci had already poured the 'crete into the patch that was previously dug out to access the sewer line. So next, on to the turnaround pads.


 

The Truck Arrives


driveway10
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

The truck arrived a little early, and Bryan and Traci had already poured the 'crete into the patch that was previously dug out to access the sewer line. So next, on to the turnaround pads.


Tuesday, July 05, 2005

 

Taking Down the Trim


kitchen19
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

Here's Dad, scrape, scrape, scraping away at the trim. He spent the better portion of an afternoon removing this stuff. Surprising how much this stuff wants to stick on the wall! Good thing he came around. I probably would have just drywalled over top of it!


 

From Schoolhouse to Countertop


kitchen20
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

I went over to Construction Junction and met up with Janice from Artemis, an environmental building materials retail store. She helped me find some old slate chalkboards that I plan to modify into my countertops. Dad and I rented a truck and moved about 1200 pounds of this stuff. When we got home, we realized we had the original transportation certificates still attached to the back of the boards. Cool!


 

One Brick at a Time


yard04
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

The bricks you see here were bulging out the fence from my neighbor's side. Ali told me it was OK to take them, so I pitched them to my dad on the other side of the fence, and Mom took the good ones and made a nice side yard feature. We have a euonymous, a day lily and a speedwell as my belated birthday present.


 

Backyard Lack of Serenity


yard06
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

Here's mom taking care of the excessive weeds that filled the backyard while I neglected it.

Her work is very much appreciated.


 

Backyard Serenity


yard05
Originally uploaded by Michael Browne.

Mom and Dad came to town for the 4th of July. I cracked the whip and denied them food, water and rest. The following photos showcase their work. Thanks guys!


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