You can talk about whatever is on your mind – quality of life issues, a beautiful tree you spotted, scuttlebutt, or any random questions/thoughts you may have. I’ll open this thread every Monday and Friday. So anything good happen to you this weekend?
Author: Prince Of Petworth
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Please send your renovation/transformation photos to [email protected] A reader writes:
“The first is a traditional bathroom redo. I hired a handyman to do the work and bought all the fixtures myself – a lot online on Overstock.com (including the vanity which was shipped to me for $1). The bathroom used to include separate shower and a tub. If one person was at the sink, no one could pass by them. This made for difficulty getting ready in the morning. We took out the shower and added a double sink where it used to be. We put the shower back into the tub which was challenging due to the large window in the tub area. All-in-all it is a much more peaceful space and leads to much more peaceful mornings as my husband and I endeavor to get to work on time.
The second update may be interesting to readers given the times. I would not characterize this as a renovation, but rather a way to deal with bad choices that someone else made in your home when you have run out of renovation money. For the cost of 4 gallons of paint, hardware and a light fixture, I transformed my kitchen. I painted the cabinets, added new hardware and replaced the ugly ceiling fan (that was dangerous because it was above my gas stove) with a light fixture from home depot. Yawn – right. But what I did next is something I think that few people consider and it made a huge difference – I painted the countertops.
The countertops were light blue. Not only were they the same color as the walls – which I wanted to keep because there is a nice mural of dogwood branches – but they were a nightmare to keep clean. Everything stained the light color, every watermark, glass ring, etc. showed. I though about tiling them and then read something about painting them for a fraction of the cost. So, I sanded them lightly using an orbital sander, wiped them down with a liquid sander and painted them. I used a heavy duty primer and two coats of Ralph Lauren River Rock paint – lightly sanding in between coats and leaving plenty of drying time. I then coated with three coats of water-based polyurethane (again lightly sanding between coats). The result is countertops that look like a warm concrete or stone. They have been done for about 6 months now and are holding up very well – no dings, no chips, no problems.”
Before pictures after the jump. (more…)
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This is one of the many reasons why I enjoy having no destination on my weekend walkabouts. I literally stumbled on this super cool organization building a new community garden. It has restored some of my faith in society after hearing about all the recent crime lately.
It is located on the grounds of the Gage Eckington Elementary school at 2025 3rd Street, NW.
As you can see from the title of the post, this organization is moving from 7th Street where they currently have a garden. I was able to speak with their director, Liz, who told me that they just signed the lease for this new plot a week ago. They are moving from 7th Street because Bread for the City will be expanding their building. There is a lot of good info on their Web site:
“The 7th Street Garden directly promotes food security, human and environmental health and strong communities by:
– The Green Tomorrows Program: A horticulture job training for low-income D.C. residents that can be applied to gardening, fresh food entrepreneurship, and urban sustainability fields.
– Garden Education Program: Teaching hands-on classes in urban food production, gardening, nutrition, pollination and food origin to adults and children.
– Marketing affordable produce through farmer’s markets.
– Nourishing disadvantaged D.C. residents through provision of shares of fresh produce.
– Collaborating with community organizations and hunger advocates addressing District residents’ needs.
– Holding events and activities in the garden for Shaw community members.”
Naturally, they’ll be getting a new name to represent their new location. If you’d like to volunteer be sure to check out their Web site. Lots more photos after the jump. (more…)
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I found this photo on flickr from Calgary and, well, if they’re in Calgary I guess they should be in Columbia Heights as well. Do you think the Guardian Angels can have an impact on reducing crime?
From an email:
Guardian Angels Neighborhood Patrol in Columbia Heights
When: Tuesday, November 11th, 7-9 PM
Where: Let’s meet at 14th & Otis, in front of the Black Lion Market
Areas to be patrolled include 14th Street , 16th Street , Center Street , Hertford Place , Meridian Place, Oak Street , Ogden Street, Otis Place , Parkwood Place , Perry Place , Spring Place, and Spring Road.
We will be accompanied by members of the Guardian Angels. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight.
Invited guests include Councilman Graham and Inspector Delgado.
If you have any questions, please contact Donna at [email protected].
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Not only is the mural itself super cool but it’s awesome how it’s on the side of a rowhouse. Nicely done.
Thanks to a reader for sending the link (you have to register but it is free). Here’s a taste:
This mostly residential area in the north-west quadrant of the city is enjoying a boom as buyers flock to its tree-lined streets, still affordable stock of sturdy single-family houses and old-neighbourhood feel. Porches are part of life here, many gardens are well-tended and residents know what’s happening on their block. It’s an easy commute to downtown, several area hospitals and Silver Spring, Maryland, just to the north. There’s also a growing array of modern-day must-haves, such as coffee shops, a yoga studio, funky restaurants and, soon, an organic grocery store.
Read the full story here.
I’m looking forward to Petworth getting featured in Le Monde…
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“Hair Care with a Flair”, phenomenal. I’ve decided to make it one of missions to capture as many of these sweet old signs before they are lost forever. If you know of some that I haven’t posted shoot me an email.
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I like the ones that show a bit of life.
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