by Lora Frost | Nov 10, 2019 | Historic Renovation, Outdoor Living
Here is the Before!
This is a typical Church Hill, Richmond,VA, Back Yard. Twenty Eight feet wide by 150 feet long, which includes the footprint of the home!!
Right after you walk out the back door, you couldn’t walk directly out the back door, you had to walk down two awkward steps then navigate over this awkward step that you had to step up and over EACH way. (image on left)
If you live in a Church Hill Property, you already know that if you don’t have attic or crawlspace storage (as is pretty common in these historic properties) then you have to get quite creative with ways to store your out of season or sports type
gear. The small shed was no longer cutting it.
The plants were quite overgrown for the space and there was no place to sit and enjoy the outdoors while also being sheltered from the elements.
The side pathway along the home was a soft pea gravel and it was difficult to get the garbage and recycling to the curb.
I know, I know, I know — you, like me, we work with what we have — BUT — All spaces can be improved to better suit your life!
I don’t believe in cookie cutter design. Each and every single space I come across carries its own needs and wants that is based on the character of the neighbourhood and most importantly the needs and wants of the people who inhabit the space
And here is the front of the property:
We started the project with some stump grinding, as TWO neighbours had very large trees removed in the previous year.
Next up, came the new fence installation, along with some grading where we found MASSIVE roots from the two neighbours trees!
As you can see from the images, these were plentiful, and in most cases they were also larger than the diameter of my thigh! So massive — uh, not my thigh, but the roots 😉 !!
This is a great time to mention that when you work on properties with limited access, meaning you can’t get machinery in the back yard, you need to rely on hardworking and creative contractors who can navigate the 27″ access points and who have the skills to think outside the box.
The design intent was to give the homeowners a space where they could relax under the shelter of a roof, with the option to enclose the space with mosquito netting. As Church Hill is a city neighbourhood, privacy is also a consideration in the design.
The clients 1889 Victorian has this STUNNING millwork on the front porch, and as a nod to the properties historic roots I brought a little of the history into the design of the pergola.
(Aside; if anyone knows of the original designer of the 1889 scrollwork, I’d love to know!)
We simplified the scrollwork a little, and the carpenter hand-cut (with tools) all of the pieces on the pergola!
Ok, back to the fence! The fence framing was completed concurrently with the pergola.
Next the custom sized shed got built while the roofed pergola received some interior details. This shed has 9′ walls allowing the clients to have ample storage in this postage stamp yard. I faced the door towards the side fence so that the beautiful cedar sides could be seen and admired from the home and rest of the outdoor space.
The homeowner decided on a copper standing seam room for both structures! They have a second story porch where they can enjoy the changing beauty of the copper!
All of the copper was formed and cut to size on site.
With the main portion of the two structures complete, we moved on to the next portion — prepping for the hardscape!
The large stack of bricks are stored here to use on the front walkway!
The homeowners had been having some drainage issues, so I definitely wanted to make sure that this got taken care of before the hardscapers arrived to build the walkways, patio, ramp and walls!
Here you can see why the drainage wasn’t working!
If you are doing your own drainage, please DO NOT use this floppy, flexible drain line! They get crushed, they get clogged and they fail 100% of the time, most of the time within 10 years!
This particular drainline didn’t have a properly created french drain around it. A french drain should ALWAYS have gravel surrounding the drainline, then also have fabric around the entire drain so that it doesn’t get clogged with dirt and sediment!
What you can’t see from the photo, is halfway through the drain, instead of being on a gentle slope to the exit, the drain sloped down, then UP, then down again! No wonder the drainage wasn’t working!!
We took care of the drainage and got ready for the next transformative stage!
Stay Tuned for PART TWO!
I’ll share what design we went with for the patio, walkways and plantings!!
In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you, tell me below in the comments what portion has surprised or delighted you so far!
by Lora Frost | Sep 19, 2019 | Interior Design, Outdoor Living
When we purchased our property I was deeply curious about the history behind the three cinderblock walls and concrete pad that had fallen into disrepair.
Here is the story as I know it. Many years ago, a woman named Jessie and her sister decided to start a chinchilla raising program to sell for their fur. Have you seen how adorable chinchillas are? As an animal welfare advocate, I have to say that I was pretty happy to hear that their business didn’t quite go to plan and they ended their operations!!
At some point there was a fire and I haven’t found out when the fire in the structure happened, but it must have taken the roof and maybe even the front wall?
Here it is before work commenced:
Overgrown with the swiftly growing privet, porcelain berry, and under maintained trees.
Sporting two broken windows, various missing chunks in the cinderblock walls, debris from the previous owner, our renovation complete with a nest of wasps living inside one of the walls.
As I love history, I decided to approach the design of this structure from a perspective of adaptive re-use. I would keep the floor and the walls, but add to as necessary to create a functional wood working shop with power, lights, AC and heat!
After using three cans of wasp spray, I tried smoking out the remaining wasps. They were persistent, but I eventually won. See the photo with all the cinderblocks installed!
Here are the pony walls starting to go up! The cinder block walls are 7′ tall, so the 3′ pony walls bring each side wall to a height of 10′
Next the Ridge beam was installed at a height of 13′ and we cut and built the roof rafters. Now it’s starting to look like a “real” structure!!
Next the sheathing layer (we used plywood) was added to the front, sides and roof. Once the roof was finished a layer of roofing paper was added to waterproof the roof while the metal was on order. As an aside, my Hitachi framing nailer has been one of my favourite purchases to date. I went through nearly two full boxes of nails (and countless screws) while building this building!
Next I added house wrap, sill plates for the windows and the windows and doors were installed.
Here I am pretty happy with the progress so far!
The fascia and soffit got cut to size and nailed in placed before being primed and painted. The fascia is the white trim you see, and the soffit is the underside of the overhang.
The metal roofing material arrived and we got that screwed in place.
This is what the electrical looked like before I ripped it all out and started fresh!
All wired in correctly!!
I opted for metal siding for the outside of the structure, as it’s easy to maintain and will last a really long time. I am so happy to not see the ugly cinderblocks anymore!!
Here is a look at all the debris I collected from the overhanging trees, debris from before the build started, along with construction debris — it sure adds up in a hurry!
I’ve been wanting to grade the area surrounding the shop ever since we bought the property, and so we finally brought some machines in and graded the land and cut down a few trees that were close to the structure.
Once the earth was graded, I raked out any large rocks and sticks and put down 12 lbs of clover seed as a better alternative to turf.
And here it is!! I’ve named it “The Chinchilla Shop” to honour its previous existence and it’s where I’ve set up my woodworking shop! I have heat, AC and power so far!
While I certainly put in some days with just me working, I had a great crew of two of us doing most of the build. What do you think, want one of your own?
As a reminder, here is what it looked like before.
In Part Two, I’ll share the inside of the new woodworking shop!!
A She Shed, can be any structure that supports you and your creativity or maybe you just need a space of your own to retreat to!
Want or need a She Shed?
Call or email me to set up a consultation, I love designing structures (and landscapes( that support your creative pursuits.
by Lora Frost | Jun 20, 2019 | Bathroom Design, Interior Design, Outdoor Living
We are done.
The job is complete.
It’s exactly what the contract stated we would do.
Who’s heard this before from a contractor?
Over the past 16 years, I’ve worked with hundreds of contractors, male and female on residential and commercial design/build outdoor and indoor construction projects.
As a petite 5’2” woman, who has worked in male dominated industries all her life, I’m very aware of the common assumption that women don’t have a clue when it comes to repair work.
I know my way around auto mechanics, I’ve purchased (and use) 98% of the tools in my household and I have a broad knowledge of construction from learning on the job, construction and repairs on my own home or taking classes.
I’ve been called demanding when asking for what a man would ask for:
A well constructed, properly finished final product, done on time and on budget.
Recently I asked other women what their biggest frustration with contractors and renovations have been:
“Having the carpenter working on our porch tell me that it wasn’t possible to do something with his new tools and technology that my great grandparents were able to do in 1893! Oh and then the same guy telling me it was normal for the pre-cut stringers (he was supposed to custom cut them) to miss meeting the sidewalk by 4 inches. Seriously! I’ve got a million of them!!” – Jeanne McNeil
In response to Jeanne’s comments, I’d say that trying to convince the client that you did it right when you clearly didn’t, is pure laziness and absolute BS!
“Not paying attention to the details that I asked them to pay attention to up front, when they were writing the quote. This seems to happen to me every time. Even when I don’t pick the lowest bid. –Nikki Lussier
Nikki isn’t the first woman I’ve heard this complaint from. I hear this complaint from 80% of the women I speak to about contractors.
Details that matter to my clients, matter to me.
“Contracts talking exclusively to my husband and/or being condescending because they think I don’t know what I’m talking about. Every damn time!” – Nancy Belvin – Trim Carpenter
This is another huge common theme that I hear from many women. In Nancy’s case she is a trim and finish carpenter and very clearly knows her way around construction and building.
“So many of these subcontractors don’t listen and think they always know best. They need to be held accountable and to fix what they wouldn’t have had to fix if they had paid attention to us women and did it right in the first place.” – Susan Cary
I’ve had this experience also. As Mike Holmes would say “Build it right, the first time.” I couldn’t agree more.
And here is one of my stories:
I bought a 100 year old cast iron clawfoot tub for my historic home. The plumbing lines run on the outside of the tub and need to be just so to be correct.
I let the plumber know that the riser pipes that bring hot and cold water to the faucet in the tub needed to be 3 1/2” on centre so that chrome riser pipes are plumb (straight up and down) from the floor to the faucet. I gave him the old faucet so he could use it as a really easy reference.
This is what I go the first time:
3” on centre, meaning that the riser pipes would need to be on an angle to go from the floor to the faucet. Nor was it square to the wall. Not correct. Not acceptable. Not what I asked for.
He also completely marred up the chrome and had to order a whole new set.
The last time he tried to fix it was with 6 of us standing around him and the carpenter had to assist him with measuring.
During the ordeal with the first plumber, I was told repeatedly that it couldn’t be done the way I wanted. When I had multiple plumbers come in and do an estimate for the remaining work, they said what I wanted (to move the drain over to position the clawfoot tub properly and to have the riser pipes perfectly plumb) couldn’t be done.
All of these plumbers also told me that it was impossible to have my toilet moved from a 10” rough in to a 12” rough in. Sometimes this isn’t possible because of the placement of the floor joists.
A 12” rough in is the standard. A typical toilet with a 12” rough in costs $165 at the big box stores. A 10” rough in is typically a special order item and costs nearly $500 plus.
Long story short, I finally found a new plumber. The chrome is in perfect shape, the riser pipes are plumb and the drain was able to be moved over so the actual clawfoot fits where it was always designed to. Plus that 10” rough in, was actually able to be a moved to 12” rough in!
Surprise, surprise, it could be done the way I had designed.
The fact that all of us women have a “Million of [these stories]” tells a story in itself.
If I didn’t have the construction knowledge to know the details I was asking for in my bathroom was possible, I would have done what many other homeowners do; give up and settle for work that doesn’t quite meet the standards of great!
I’ve made it part of my mission to advocate for my clients to make sure their voices are heard and the details that matter to them, happen.
I’m passionate about easing the renovation and construction process specifically for my female clients because the home renovation industry is well past due for a change!
If you are looking to renovate your historic home in Richmond, VA, I’d love to hear from you. Contact me here.
If you’ve gone through a renovation, what would have made the biggest difference in making your experience a less stressful and pleasant experience? Tell me below in the comments.
by Lora Frost | Apr 4, 2019 | Outdoor Living
As often happens, my clients renovate both inside and outside their homes. In this case the homeowners had just finished their extensive remodel and wanted old world touches added to their home to flow through to the outside as well.
Here is what the home looked like before the renovation:
Here is the home after the renovation and how it was when I came into the project. Isn’t that herringbone pattern on the chimney amazing?
We wanted to add guest access to the front door, without forcing them to walk in through the driveway. Adding the walkway will also draw your eye to the beautifully designed front entry.
And we were off, starting with the tear down of the front yard and driveway.
Front yard Demolition
The existing driveway was removed.
The homeowners worked with the builder and architect to design the lap pool, here is the back yard when I was brought into the project.
After the back retaining wall was complete and the overgrown plants were removed, I had soil blown into the back beds.
Next we had the beautiful Yew (Taxus HM Eddies) Hedging delivered and we placed them around the perimeter and got them planted.
Here they are before the pretty front plantings of lavender got planted. Neat and tidy like a row of toy soldiers.
On the kitchen garden side, the original bricks were saved in their original configuration and the new retaining wall was built to join the existing older brick retaining wall.
While the majority of the front, back and side yards were completely redone, we kept a few of the existing mature trees; Two Japanese maples, one on the side kitchen garden and one in the front yard, and one small brilliant green leafed maple in the front yard.
Here is the side kitchen garden before.
And After
In the back yard the irrigation lines were installed and we installed the planting beds and plants.
Next we graded the sod areas and installed the sod.
The driveway was graded and the pavers were laid for the driveway.
The front wall placement was decided and the incredible mason built the wall.
Once the wall was complete, we graded the front, built the garden beds, installed the plants and sod.
Here is a collage of the back – after completion!
And the front:
My role as a landscape designer is to design outdoor spaces that:
- Function for the people living in the home.
- Are beautiful to see from the inside of the home, as well as the outside.
- Connect the home to the land – A home isn’t a supposed to be a large box surrounded by grass. A properly designed landscape adds layers of textures by using height and proportion to make the home look and feel as though it has always been there.
- Consider the neighbourhood the home lives in; a well designed outdoor space compliments and elevates the neighbourhood.
Thanks for joining me on this journey of this project, here are some closeups of some of the plants we planted.
And last but not least, an accolade from my client.
Would you like me to design and build your front and back outdoor space? Email or call me, I’d be delighted to speak with you!
by Lora Frost | Mar 9, 2019 | Interior Design
I have gone on multiple consultations where (typically) the male partner has set up Alexa to control the lights and it often fails when a female voice asks Alexa to turn on the lights. Multiple asks and yet no lights turn on. Have you had this experience?
To preface, most of my clients are Gen X (as am I), and when I asked one person who was having issues with Alexa, she stated that she would prefer not to talk to the lights.
That comment got me thinking; unless I am driving, I hate audibly speaking to Siri on my phone and in my own home I prefer timers or smart tech I can control from my phone. My assistant who is on the older side of Millennial, says she can’t wait to get an Alexa for her home because with two small kids she often has her hands full!
While I don’t know if this preference is generational or personal preference, here is a quick guide to a few of my favourite smart home items that don’t require you to speak to them!
Any product by Nest!
My favourite is the outdoor camera, because it has this fabulous app
that I’ve installed on my phone that notifies me when it senses motion. I am able to check the video feed and see who is there! As a huge bonus, I can speak through the cameras and listen to a response which is really helpful if I’m home alone and not going to open the door! They also have a wireless doorbell that acts in a similar manner.
The other product that I love is their smoke and carbon monoxide detector. Have you ever been cooking and burnt something to a crisp, and then couldn’t get your smoke detector to stay off? With the nest detector, you can turn off the sound from an app on your phone, saving your ears, your dogs ears and your sanity!
I’ve always wanted their thermostat too; because you can set the temperature from your phone while you aren’t there. When we lived in Texas, we would come back from a weekend away in 105F weather and have to wait close to four hours for the AC in our rental to be close to cool! If we had a nest installed we could have set the AC to start 4 hours before we were expected to arrive.
In our Richmond, Virginia home, we put a ductless mini split system that has 8 individually controlled zones, and is truly the best heating and cooling system I’ve experienced. I wouldn’t classify ours as true smart tech as I can’t control them with my phone, but I can set timers, and each one has a remote. If we ever find ourselves in another home with only one or two heating zones, I wouldn’t hesitate to install the nest thermostats.
Sound
I have the very best speakers in the world — ok they probably aren’t but I’ve had several audiophile friends offer to buy them from me because they don’t make home speakers like they used to. They are in a wooden box surround, made in Britain and are quite heavy and large. I moved them to every home I’ve lived since I was 15! When I’m home alone I put the dogs in the other room and turn them up!! Nothing beats a dance party to alleviate stress. Through our reno, I missed the speakers more than a kitchen stove (we had a camp stove) but not more than the sink!
Right, so this post is about smart tech, not ancient technology, ha!
For the past many years I had a super long cable that would plug into my iphone audio jack and this enabled me to play music through my (also ancient) receiver. Last year my husband got me this great little device that allows me to Chrome Cast my music to my ancient technology without cords, cables or fuss! And now that phones don’t have headphone jacks this gadget is even more needed!
Check it out here, it’s super inexpensive too!
Water Leak Prevention
In our old home, we have a small 10×10, under grade (below ground) basement. At the moment our home doesn’t have any perimeter drainage, so when we get rain, the water seeps into our basement through the walls, drains into an small open concrete pit where the sump pump sends it back out and away from our house.
Even though our sump pump is fairly new, on the rare occasion it gets too much sediment in it and it shuts off, allowing water to accumulate in the basement. As we know this is a wet area, all items in the basement are elevated to minimize any potential water damage, but if we were away and this were to happen, we could possibly have damage to our two deep freezers. I found this alarm, that will alert us via an app, so that we could call a neighbour to check on the sump in case of this issue.
Even if you don’t have a sump, I would also find this useful for under the washing machine, or hot water tank to alert me to potential issues before floors and ceilings get damaged too much!
Check it out, here. It runs on batteries, so even in a power outage, you still should be notified, and it’s extremely well priced.
Tell me below: Do you like speaking to your smart home, or do you prefer to control them from your phone?
