Posting from beneath an inch of dust...

We know the loyal followers of the Karp Mahal are clamoring for updated photos of how we are living in the space.  We promise to document and share, just give us some time as we get our bearings in the house and attempt to not photograph the absolute pig sty that it currently resembles.

The kids floor looks good and, but for no place to put our coats right now as well as not having any artwork up on the wall, the parlor floor looks pretty good too.  The master bedroom is a disaster - particularly Melinda's closet - but the master bathroom is fine.  The library is a repository for all things we can't get around to organizing and the attic is just too many flights of stairs to get to.

Decent progress in the rental as well.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and check back after the holiday for an update.  We at the Karp household have much to be thankful for.

Out with the old, in with the new

Hi, everyone. Melinda, here. I just wanted to give a quick update, since we are likely to be without internet for a while. The move is scheduled for tomorrow...despite a slight boiler issue that has left our engineer at the top of our "do we really have to pay this idiot?" list and a punchlist that is a little too long for our liking. Regardless, the truck is coming and by tomorrow night, we will be residents of the Karp Mahal.

Once our internet is running again, Matt will be back with more pictures than you can stomach, I'm sure. But I wanted to take the chance to give credit where credit is due:

Though my husband has used the term "we" on the blog, the lion's share of the work--from the design to the paint selection to the organzation to the yelling at the contractor to the trips to Home Depot--has been done by him. It's really been Matt's project and he has done an amazing job. It's been a real labor of love and he deserves all the credit. The kids and I couldn't be more excited to move into our new house...and to have Daddy around on the weekends again :)

Progress - Week of November 2

Getting down to true punchlist items...

Not a lot of pictures of the upper 3 floors as most of the space hasn't changed.  A lot of transformation on the parlor floor as well as the front door.

Starting on the 4th floor...Gabriella's room finshed...even the fireplace cast iron has been painted.

Plumbing fixtures installed and we're good to go in the kid's bathroom

Just need to connect the exhuast for the dryer and Melinda is in laundry nirvana.

Stairs on the upper floors are done.  We will install a runner once construction is completed.

Third floor hallway...

Onto the second floor...the parlor...interior wood doors and casings have been stained and sealed.  Just need a last coat of poly on the parlor floor as well as the kitchen/dining room floor.

The kitchen...

The walnut countertops are finally exposed...

Shot from the kitchen looking out to the dining room and the parlor beyond the pocket doors.

And Matt's nirvana...

The double exterior doors and the vestibule.  Hardware should be installed any hour...

The parlor level hallway from looking towards the front of the house.  Much appreciation to the expediter for botching my filing and providing restitution in the form of a new marble floor.

The hallway from the front looking back towards the powder room and up the stairs...

Exterior shot of the front door...looks much better in stain than in paint...

Our new (although it doesn't look very new) Bilco-style door to the cellar.  This sub-contractor gets the award for dipshit of the week since he hasn't finished the rear exterior staircase leading from the kitchen out to the garden in the back.

Check back next week as we document the move-in and show progress on the rental...

Progress - Week of October 26

Given a lack of noticeable progress over the past week, there are no photos chronicling the work which theoretically took place.

Be sure to check back next week to see either (A) the house nearing completion or (B) Matt's arraignment in criminal court following the homicide of the general contractor.