I need a job as a property manager - I will need an office and a place to stay in addition to salary - we will figure this out after the papers are signed - much obliged.

I will let you all pick the photos and comments. Other than the shots from the air, the pics in the ideabooks for the house are fair game. The first comment in this thread was great though.

Thanks Mr Evil, who is not evil!

I have returned from Sonoma County California. I suggest a wine cellar somewhere in the house.

You have a card, link up above.

https://www.houzz.com.au/discussions/pop-up-g-rated-gordon-ramsay-tribute-dsvw-vd~3381505

Evilfij, congratulations on bringing our attention back to seriousness and professionalism, by giving us targeted rooms on which to concentrate. Are there an adequate number of bathrooms, preferably en suite, for each bedroom? Closets, storage space? Dividing excess bedrooms up into two bathrooms and closet space may address some of the issues.

It is 7 and two half baths with every bedroom having an en suite or Jack and Jill and every bedroom except the servants has a large (for the time) walk in closet so no need for more baths or closets.

What are you working on now?

Evilfij, can you put the link to your kitchen thread please?

Any news?

Entryway is done. Floor for kitchen should be here in a couple more weeks. Scored a free restoration hardware bed from my boss so I am now fully set for beds. Debating whether to modify it to a queen or spring for a California king mattress. Tree stump "problem child" is done.

Alumni party went very well in spite of the weather but the previous owner is not so well so he could not make it.

Focused on the kitchen now. Sand sand sand. Hope to prime next weekend. Some updates in the ideabook. Painted the fridge panels the Georgian Green from Ben Moore I am using for the walls. It is not quite exactly the same as the original but it is very very close. OCD is tough to overcome so it takes forever.

Still looking for the right sink. Havingfun found the same places I did, and one had the sink I liked but it ended up being sold between when I emailed and when they updated the website.

Heater still works. Not looking forward to the huge bills this winter, but I have it adjusted so the master is warmer than the rest of the house so the 50 degrees won't be as painfully cold for me as last year.

Bedrooms are largely just that. Rooms with a bed and a sitting room adjacent. Once all the downstairs is finished I will paint them one by one. Figure that will take a year or so all in (OCD). Found a couple of colors to match the original. Still looking for the right light gold color.

One very minor roof leak appeared during the torrential downpour or was rather not fixed with the new flat roof. It is a tiny tiny drip in the window that is in chimney so now I need to get the roofer out to look at it (he thought it would be fixed by the flat roof recoat). Once I am sure that it fixed, then I can replaster that hole.

Chipping away. There is no rush for me. I don't even miss having the kitchen.

Window in the chimney?

Why not get a roommate, someone who's rent will help out with the heating bill? Might be a lot of people who'd want to live in a big ole castle.

Please all vote on this yearbook art poll

https://www.houzz.com.au/discussions/yearbook-art-poll-dsvw-vd~3418292?n=2

Go for the king.

There are two meanings for "roof leak": 1) water that enters a structure where there should be no water, 2) visual evidence of water that entered a structure where there should be no water. A lot of times the later is less severe than the former. Be sure to have the leak checked out thoroughly.

Have you tried Turning Oakleaf by Pittsburgh Paints for your gold?

https://www.pinterest.com/spectrumpaintco/ppg-2014-color-of-the-year-turning-oakleaf/

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/88/c1/52/88c152c90fd89791f87b471680b1fec7.jpg

Mark, there is a very small bit of water coming in. Yes, the chimney has a window in it. Can't see it from the outside because of the magnolia tree, but some pics are in an ideabook. Roofer who is great is coming to do the flashing.

Looks like a house in Montclair NJ. a beautiful town. I wonder how many 'tiny houses' {there is currently a tiny house trend although I am not a fan..} would fit inside that one lol?! Like fitting people into a VW Bug : }

About 21 in the living area, five on the third floor, and seven in the basement. Oh, and two in the garage. (Assuming a tiny house is 400 sq/ft). BTW I love watching tiny house shows on my TV in this house.

Actually you may be able to get a couple in to act as caretakers/housekeepers/handy persons for free rent. Given some strict guidelines for duties and guests and expectations it could be a quite amicable situation. There were 3 of us when I went to college that lived in a guest cottage on an estate. Rent was free and our duties were minimal - about 15 hours a week. I think the main reason we were there was just to have other people around when the wife was alone or they went out of town. We were tasked with jobs like watering the plants, helping with parties and tending the pets.

I would be open to that. Finding the right people is the hard part. I don't currently have any friends looking for a place to live (my one helper found a job in LA).

Sergei's guys don't have as much work in the late fall and winter, so he will lend them to me for tasks soon at a reasonable rate which seems to be a great solution for now. They seem to like me because when both of them met me they thought I was a new Sergei employee because I showed up and worked. At the end of the day, one of them asked "do you know who lives here?" I was like "me" and they thought I was joking. Sergei had to tell them I was not joking.

On the roof, the uncle from the roofing family (leak expert) came by today (text back in 5 minutes from the son, shows up in 36 hours when I said no rush and there were torrential rains is great service) and figured out the issue he thinks. I am an idiot because I thought the flat roof went all the way to the chimney. It does not. I should have known from the aerial photos (I have never been up there as I dislike heights). The valley on the chimney especially the flashing is suspect. All will be fixed. Confidence fully inspired. That is my standard for hiring people. That and whether they accept, nay admire, my insanity.

Decreat all of the rooms but one for a guest room

As you know there is the admirable insanity and the other kind. Personally, I tend to teeter between the two. Perhaps it's belonging to the church of Jon Stewart.

Or it could be playing Voltaire at a very high volume.

Evil, you like apples? since we are going past the apple store, we will be stopping. pretty sure you could use some? Want me to string some popcorn for the tree, i have loads of free time!

Click

I don't think you're insane, Evilfij, if so all those who restore and conserve must be insane. That is clearly not the case.

Evilfij you're not insane. You're on a mission. Without people like you old stuff gets discarded and history is lost. Keep at it!

I pretty much think he's crazy and should share more of his house with us!

Nah, not crazy. The sharing is up to him. A Mrs Evilfij might appear.

I meant pictures for goodness sake. Jeez.

Oh, Tez, I thought you wanted to move in. A couple of folks offered to, lol!

Well I am a great cook, persnickety house keeper, and winner of the local local all around talent show. :-)

It's a small small town.

You could be just the person Evilfij needs for housekeeper!

Please vote and comment on this latest poll

https://www.houzz.com.au/discussions/high-school-image-poll-for-yearbook-dsvw-vd~3435868

Fij - You failed to end your 'about me' with "know quality".

How about a library, a music room, and Billiards room?

Bed & Breakfast :)

I think many people have given great answers. I have the same issue but I love having the spaces to arrange and rearrange, lol. I dream of my daughter coming home with some grandkids 1 day. Maybe... But, I enjoy having my own spaces. Reading room, writing room, fireplace seating room, art painting spaces, hippy room (the BEST room) with psychedelic posters and lava lamps, lol... a pet room, laundry room, game room, dance studio, workout room, formal room, tea room, and the list can go on for days.

A home library is always nice. You could also convert one into a workout room, a craft room, or a game room.

A bowling alley would be a perfect fit.

Cat staff. Surely by now you know that dogs have owners, cats have staff.

Home theater?

Yours is my favorite site. Watching you lovingly restore this beauty is fun. How satisfying.

How's the house coming, Evilfij? Haven't seen a post from you lately. Hope all is well.

Would love to see your progress. Understand satisfying total strangers curiosity is low on your priority list (#4,233)but with houses I’m a voyeur and yours is a favorite.. thanks for the fun.. hope you are still enjoying it. And Don

Game room, gym/exercise room, one guest room

I just spent a long while catching up on this thread — do you have a projected end date for this Restoration? I hope you post an album of it when it’s completed!

Find some homeless to help out