Tall House Updates

In this week’s updates, we talk about what’s happening in the laundry room, and the latest progress in the bathrooms.

I’m trying not to get ahead of myself, but I think we might see another big push next week. Grant, who handles the plaster and painting, will be back on Tuesday (he’s been away for his wedding and honeymoon!). His first project is going to be painting the bathrooms — we’re using Schoolhouse White (Farrow & Ball) on the walls, and I’m choosing the trim color today.

After the painting, the fixtures can be installed. That includes bathtubs, showers, toilets, vanity cabinets, sinks, faucets, lighting, and outlets + switches. Which would be so exciting!!

I laugh thinking about the bathroom progress, because even when all the fixtures are installed, there are still some things we’ll need to wait on. I won’t make final decisions on things like towel rods/hooks, toilet paper holders, mirrors, and accessories, until everything else is in place. I want to sit in the room at that point and take some time to really think through storage and function before I make those last purchases.

Other progress coming up: we are delivering the radiators to the sandblaster (this week I think).

On somedays, I visit the house and it’s feels like it’s getting close! But on other days, it seems like the work will never end. This week has felt never-ending renovation-wise, so I hope next week will feel like progress.

How about you? Any projects you’re excited about this week?

P.S. — More Tall House updates.

13 thoughts on “Tall House Updates”

  1. How I feel you! We’ve been renovating for the past 8 years (and counting!). And when I say “we”, I really mean “my husband on his own”. Thankfully he knows a lot of things in this area, but it does feel endless, especially since we live in the house! Sometimes I’m glad we recklessly chose to have a baby in this mess 7 years ago, because baby number 2 is definitively on hold at the moment!!

  2. So exciting!! I love how it’s all coming together. Originally you had said you all were going to live in France for a year, but it seems like you might be staying longer to be able to actually live in the house? It will be so lovely, I hope you get time in it!

  3. Hang in there – you are near the end and thank goodness you didn’t have to live in it – and this isn’t your first rodeo so you are calm, cool and collected. All the things you have uncovered and honored in this space are really remarkable. I’ve been following along as my friend @debililly redoes an old home in Nantucket and got so many of the same Gabby vibes from her project. Have loved watching you enjoy the process so much because it ain’t your first rodeo, my dear……I have been following you since you guys lived in NYC! What a series of transformations over the years of your living places and spaces…..so inspiring. This year, we we have reworked a lot of our current interior spaces in our Chicago townhome since we had plenty of time during quarantine in Chicago to think about what we love/hate about our space. As we enter winter and the actual new stay at home order issued today, I’m thrilled we had our entire interior repainted; got all new kitchen appliances, spices and pots and pans, re-wallpapered a bathroom; got our kids new mattresses; installed an amazing interior garden space; finally got a new garage door opener that syncs with our cars (huge in cold weather Chi-town), hired a holistic home organizer (wow, just wow!), and…..got a puppy. Oh, and we cleared out East coast house my in-laws lived in for 40 years and moved my father in law to a retirement community a mile from us in Chicago. Doing all of that stuff safely without anyone getting COVID has been a testament to the great testing available in our state (for people with health insurance at least). It’s been a crazy year to say the least, and I find it incredibly grounding to be more still and focus on my home surroundings. Thank you Gabby for the continual inspiration to stay the course!

    1. Interior garden space sounds amazing!

      I feel like it’s definitely a time when any improvements you make or have made on your home feel very worth it!

  4. It took more than 20years for my parents to renovate their house (from a barn/farm to a house), and before the age of 25 I had never lived in a finished house! Now that their house is more than finished, I still see the house in progress underneath the nice painting and the wallpapers. I even have a great nostalgia for it! As for me, the house (flat) I own is the most contemporary you could imagine! No work had to be done, what a relief! (it is such a french thing to do, renovate or build your house). Bravo for the good work! It is so nice to watch, thanks for sharing.

  5. It looks beautiful and as a long time reader, I have always enjoyed looking at what you have done with your many homes. Any possibility of seeing the rental your family is currently living in?

  6. I just bought my grandparents’ house and am currently taking down wallpaper in the main bedroom….it’s taking a VERY long time! I do think I’ve decided on what I want to do with the walls and floors after I finish, so that’s progress! And it got me a bit more motivated to finish taking down the rest of the wallpaper this weekend and then getting started on the patching that needs to be done afterwards!

  7. You might have answered this somewhere, but I curious about the order in which you’ve chosen to do repairs. It seems like the attic and laundry room would be lower priorities Than the kitchen and bedrooms, but you’re working on those first. I’m sure there is a logic to it, but I’m curious what it is.

    1. Good question, Cherri. A lot of it comes down to which tradespeople were available and when. And lots of things happen simultaneously — like the kitchen was designed and ordered months ago, but until it arrives and gets installed, there’s not a ton to talk about, you know?

  8. If you have a moment could you tell me name of the gray trim color you ultimately used in the bathroom? I saw a story recently and I loved the gray and meant to make a note…now I can’t find that anywhere, maybe I missed it. Thanks so much! Longtime follower of your blog and I have your book. I love your taste, and your writing! Thank you for the inspirational content!

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