Now that the rough-in work is complete, the project is moving along rapidly. Enormous changes are happening every day - almost too much to keep up with. The exterior painting is finished except for the porch decking, since we want to wait until the end of the project for that.

In the meantime, Richard and his crew built the garage, painted it and installed the door. Even the exterior light fixtures have been installed. And finally, the leaded glass on all our windows have been repaired including replacing the odd color glass that existed in some of the window corners with blue glass.

Interior sheetrock, sanding and priming are done and top coats of paint are being applied. The trim is well on its way, too. Nick, was able to restore some of the old paneled doors for use as pocket doors as well as repair the original pocket doors that separate the living room and dining room.

The tile in the bathrooms is installed and exceeds all our expectations. It was quite a job considering we tiled floors (and most of the walls) in 7.5 bathrooms, the kitchen (and backsplash) and utility room. Dario and Ned are craftsmen and did an incredible job in a remarkably short period of time, especially in light of the challenges they faced - uneven old floors, assorted pipe cut-outs and curbless showers.

Jeff Miller of Shen Valley Floor Sanding & Refinishing, an expert in wood flooring, has restored the original heart pine floors and stairs to their former glory. In some cases, he had to replace damaged boards, but we were fortunate in that in the conversion of a small room to a bathroom, we were able to re-use the flooring so that the patches are a perfect match. The floors are covered now to protect them, but we’ll post photos as soon as they’re uncovered. We can’t wait to bring in the oriental carpets.

Bringing new electric into an old house is always a challenge and filled with surprises, especially when you’re working around original plaster walls. But the electrician and his team never gave up and continually found creative ways around problems. The house is now well-lit, electrical outlets abound and we’re confident that the wiring is safe and dependable.

The piece de resistance is the kitchen. The cherry cabinets and granite countertop are installed around the perimeter. While the maple island is already in place, we’re waiting for the stainless steel countertop, which should be delivered and installed next week. Lisa can’t wait to try out the baking center.

The house has been a beehive of activity and we’re expecting to see it all come together over the next few weeks. Watch for the new website where you’ll be able to request reservations and call us to reserve your room in 2007.

Christine Butler of Elegant Interiors in Melfa, Virginia tops the list of experts and supporters. We anticipated having to search for reupholsterers, tile suppliers and installers, window treatment designers and fabricators, color coordinators and interior design experts. And then we found Christine. It was our lucky day when someone mentioned that if we were looking for window shades, we should contact Elegant Interiors. It turned out that Christine did it all. She has provided guidance, suggestions, craftspeople, problem-solving, service par excellence and endless support in this project while working with our tastes and within our budget. We can’t thank her enough.

One year ago, when we began purchasing furniture, Dragonfly Design Decor caught our attention in advertisements in several home design magazines.

It turned out that Dragonfly was located nearby and we stopped in for a visit. I spoke at length with Kim Hessler, the owner, about our plans to open a b&b with unique guest rooms inspired by our favorite places around the world. One of those favorite places is the Far East, Kim’s specialty. Despite the fact that it took us a full year to actually purchase furniture for the “Asian Room,” Kim kept us in mind and prepared for “selection day” by researching our website and hand-picking various pieces that she thought would work in the room. We spent several hours reviewing the floor plan, moving furniture and changing our minds before settling on just the right items. I’ve attached photos of some of the furniture to give you a preview of the room.

We have searched antique shops and markets over 6 states during the past year looking for just the right pieces to create the style and atmosphere we were looking for. Finding some of the right furnishings was more difficult at times especially when considering room sizes and shapes. In particular, the Maine Room with its sloped ceilings created a challenge when looking for an armoire. The sloped ceiling on the designated wall begins at 50″ and as hard as we tried we couldn’t find a cabinet (old or new) to serve as an armoire that would fit the space. While looking through the Eastern Shore News one day, we noticed an advertisement for a furniture maker called
White Barn Cabinetmakers, specializing in New England style furniture.

Doug and Kathy Kutz were new to the area having just moved from Massachusetts - our own roots. We made an appointment to visit the Maine Room and discuss the options. We fully expected that handmade furniture would be completely beyond our budget, but thought we should meet with them anyway since we were at a loss for the right piece. We were immediately impressed. Doug is the woodworker and Kathy is the finisher and together they offer 25 years of experience, custom service and their personal guarantee. They not only designed the armoire to all our specifications, but offered samples of finishes to select from - they even visited our storage area to determine the right finish to match antique pieces already purchased for the room. It turned out that they were able to design and build the perfect cabinet for less than we could buy new, IF we’d even been able to find it. We were so delighted with the end result that we asked them to build two bathroom vanities and modify the Asian armoire to meet the functionality we wanted. We’ll post those photos once the pieces are complete.

Our thanks to all of them for their expertise, patience and support. We couldn’t have done it without them.

Check out the Photo Album for a glimpse at the interior and exterior work that was done. By the end of June both floors of the addition were framed and the doors and windows installed. Once the roof was completed on the addition, Richard and his crew removed the old roof down to the original cedar shingles and installed a new roof tying the old and new parts of the house together. Clapboard was selected to match the original, primed and attached to the addition.

Meanwhile, changes have taken place inside the house, also. Structural cracks have been repaired by Pete’s Painting crew - they did an amazing job. Doors and windows have been closed up as appropriate and others were opened. An arch was created in the upstairs hall (a brilliant idea by Richard) connecting the addition to the old house echoing an existing arch in the same hall. Finally, the bathroom for the third-floor bedroom is in the midst of being created. The floor was leveled and walls were built.

In addition to the construction, we’ve been busy preparing for the b&b. Stay tuned for more details and photos.

While the foundation work was being done outside, the heating and air conditioning system was being installed inside. All the old ducts were removed and new ducts were put in place starting in the crawl space under the house. The ducts were then placed on the 2nd floor and attic where the air handling units were also installed. The heating/air crew will return to install the system in the new part of the house once the framer has completed the addition. Hopefully, that will be easier.

And there’s more. While all this was going on, the house was getting power washed by the crew of Pete’s Painting and Remodeling. After 2 power washes, they’ll patch the holes where insulation was blown in, sand, prime and paint the exterior. That will be a dramatic change for the old girl.

It’s common for foundations to be built with block, but Richard opted for a poured concrete foundation. Before beginning to dig, Richard surveyed the area and erected a grid to set the placement of the foundation. Meanwhile, Nick, Richard’s right-hand guy and worker extraordinaire, built the forms for the foundation, walls and garage. Next, the foundation was dug, the forms were placed and the concrete was poured. Easy for us to say. It was grueling work and the crew didn’t stop. It was especially impressive when they went back out at 10 pm to smooth the concrete pad for the garage. Now that’s dedication! Thank goodness it was Friday night and just in time for a well-earned rest on the weekend.

Once the concrete set, the forms were removed and allowed to cure for several days. It all had to be done again for the wall base. The final step was to pour a pad for the heat pumps. We are now the proud owners of a completed foundation.

Click on any of these photos to see the whole series.

We were fortunate to connect with a contractor, Richard Anthony Construction Co, who has just moved to Onancock from New York and was available to take on our project. Friends and neighbors introduced us and it was indeed our lucky day. Richard has extensive experience with renovations and new construction, which fits perfectly with our needs.

We celebrated our one-year anniversary of owning the home on March 21. Who would have believed it would take this long to get started? But no complaints now. It’s full steam ahead.

Check out the photos to see the work that’s already been done. The windows are out, trim and other pieces that we want to save have been removed and stored safely for the construction. A few friends have even gotten into the action removing pieces they want for their own projects. Recycle, recycle.

Stay tuned for the big event - collapse of the back of the house.

The process involved careful scraping of the walls with a razor blade wallpaper scraper. The next step was to mist the walls with a solution of vinegar and water and scrape off the remaining wallpaper with a wide blade putty knife. Finally the walls were washed to remove the paste in preparation for painting. Each room took about a week to 10 days depending on the number of layers. Amazingly, the walls are in good condition and need only minor patching.

When they were done, the house took on a whole new look inside and out. The inside was now flooded with light that had been blocked out by the trees. From the outside, the architecture was now visible to its best advantage. Neighbors stopped by the next day, while I raked up the mulch, to introduce themselves and comment on the new look of the house. Everyone seems as happy with it as we are.

Stay tuned for the next step — construction.

We’re aiming for a contract with a contractor by the end of September, or more likely, the beginning of October. The window is narrowing to get the addition started and closed up before winter sets in. The opening date for The Inn hinges on the construction so, of course, we’re anxious to get things started.

We are continually surprised and delighted with the town. After dinner last night at one of Onancock’s fabulous restaurants, Armando’s, we took a walk with Sam (our dog) and enjoyed the balmy night, refreshing breeze and brilliant stars. This little town quietly draws you in more every day. I know we’re going to love it here.