Paint, electrical, and soffits

A busy few weeks and some good progress. Including the new septic tank and cedar shingles for the tower siding which we picked up a week ago,

We’re using vinyl siding on most of the house (except the tower) and vinyl soffit; a compromise because of cost.

Perforated soffit has always seemed industrial, so I was happy to find unperforated soffit at one supplier. Unperforated for the front and back porches, perforated everywhere else,

Porch with soffit, fan, and newly clad columns,

At first I was planning on several wall lights on the back porch, but I didn’t want glare at night, especially for anyone seated at the table facing the wall. This is a problem I remember from my parents’ house, and we solved it here by opting for recessed pot/can lights.

The electricians stopped in for a few days and installed some lights; my first thoughts upon seeing the front door lights were, Why did I buy the medium size instead of large fixtures? And those back plates can’t stay white. A can of glossy black spray paint took care of the back plates, and I’m reserving judgment on size for now. I remember reading that older houses often had smaller fixtures.

Painting is almost all done, except for the basement ceilings (which are going to be drop/suspended ceiling tiles to make it easy to get at the wiring for any repairs or changes, and they aren’t installed yet), doors, and trim (doors, windows, walls). The suite was painted last week, all the walls/rooms are the same colour (Benjamin Moore Natural Wicker OC-1) so it went quickly.

Natural Wicker in the suite,

In the living room. When I opened the box on arrival, I thought the fixture seemed enormous (it takes five bulbs), but it fits the space well.

One of my favorite fixtures in the house, from Currey & Company,

Kitchen lights,

Industrial pendants in the pantry; the cords are slowly unkinking,

Chandelier in the front hall; missing both bulbs and sleeves, because I’m investigating replacing the ugly dun-colored metal sleeves with resin ones,

The black spray paint was also handy for some of the exterior lights, which came in an oil rubbed bronze finish,

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter in one of the boy’s rooms,

L’s room in Windham Cream,

Our bedroom in Copacabana,

Our bathroom in Windham Cream,

The basement in Copacabana (lousy pictures — looks more tan here than yellow),

Fascia and columns all finished, with special provisions for a swallow nest (see that wooden box in front of the column?); next year, the wooden box gets attached to the inside of that column,

This week’s project: putting the cedar shingle siding on the tower,

After that, installing the septic tank. And this week or next, flooring!

We’ve had lots of rain this spring, which has meant lots of blooms and lots of fruit, including cherries on the Evans cherry trees,