The Cross House

As y’all know, in August I discovered that I had lead poisoning. I learned that 3.5 is normal. Anything above 5 is considered a concern. And mine? 13.4. I abruptly stopped scraping off old lead paint from the Carriage House. A month later I had another test. The number had dropped to 11.6. In December…

Rather, I have Influenza B, and have been knocked out since Saturday. Because the gods have, it seems clear, a cruel sense of humor, I have sold a number of lights since Saturday. Ny normal reaction? SQUEE!!!!! My reaction of late? Fuck! How will I get the energy to pack? A few nights ago I…

      Some readers were doubtful of one ever turning up. This though ignores the well-known magic of the Cross House.      

      We all pondered this. And pondered. And came up with various solutions from complicated and iffy to maybe-not-so-bad (like installing several large vents in the new sheetrock ceiling, to allow heated air to rise into the voids). Then I had funny suggestion:”Why not heat the whole space with the mats used to…

So, y’all know that the 1894 Cross House had gas/electric combination lighting originally. I spent years looking for such a fixture for the kitchen. It prove kinda sorta easy to find fancy gas/electric fixtures for the parlor and bedrooms, but the 1894 kitchen fixture would have been very simple. And that proved a difficult hunt….

  The raison d’etre of the two side walls? They are shear walls to prevent the outer wall from being knocked down by the wind. They will have metal on both sides. The diagonal 2x4s are added strengthening. The outer edge of the pergola will be supported by two concrete block columns…      

      The turret bath is part of the new master suite: Entry foyer. Spa bathroom off the foyer. large walk-in closet with window off foyer. Bedroom, also off foyer. The new walk-in closet was the circa-1921 bathroom but its weight caused the very long living room joists to sag 5-inches. It seemed prudent…

  Also ongoing are layers of joint compound in the Carriage House foyer. Paint this week!  

    I purchased the materials in 2019. Thank goodness. The metal has been stored outside and developed a weird white coating: “White rust is a white, chalky substance that can form on the surface of zinc materials, like galvanized steel. White rust can form when zinc is exposed to hydrogen and oxygen. This combination…

    And….drum roll, please…guess what is next? THE CAT FENCE!!!!!!!! THE CAT FENCE!!!!!!!! THE CAT FENCE!!!!!!!!    

On my very long list of Vital Things To Do was to install the last two downspouts. The problem is that I had no 3-inch round spouts. The other day though the man who installed the new gutters on the Carriage House texted me: “Can you use these?” Attached was an image of 3-inch downspouts….

      Earlier, I had a 6-arm gas/electric chandelier in the entry but learned that it was parlor fixture rather than entry hall. Oh, the horror. In time I learned what entry hall fixtures of the period looked like and my purchase is a perfect match. The fixture is exactly what might have been…