projects

You will find links to the following projects in the panel to your right.

indoor projects

April 2003
Bathtub makeover

December 2003
Window replacement

August 2004
Bay Window

February 2005
Florida Room makeover

March 2006
Front Hall

February 2008
Fireplace

outdoor projects

October 2004
Patio & front entry

June 2005
Landscape replacement

August 2005
Driveway replacement

June 2008
Sunsetter Awning

July 2008
Deck refurbishing

Molly's Den

welcome to queen's castle

This site chronicles our the remodeling of our humble abode, starting in the year 2003. Many significant improvements were done prior to that date, but it was in the days before digital photography. I can no longer document any of it. Queen's Castle is still a work in progress, the house and the website.

the early days

We took ownership in August 1979. It was a hectic one-day move. Close on the old house in the morning, run back & fill up the UHaul and close on the new house right after. What a long day. We moved in with 2 babies and our dog Ralph. The place looked like a palace to us.

After a bit, reality set in. The shag carpeting in the bathrooms was a recipe for disaster. Shag carpeting and potty training just don't go together. The kitchen was a dreadful combination of dark cabinets and turquoise appliances and the lovely redwood pool in the yard was showing some signs of failing.

major projects

I wish I had digital pictures of these, but I don't. I'm sure I took pictures but they have been stashed away in a box somewhere and I will never find them again.

• Backyard Deck – I think we added the deck onto the back of the house in 1985. My husband built it himself and he's very proud of it. It's taken on the typical weathered look but it's still structurally sound and we use it all the time.
• Inground Swimming Pool – The big redwood pool started falling apart. The wood was rotting out and we don't know what was holding it together. We decided to go with an inground pool. We got an end of the season deal and had it installed in September of 1989. As soon as we got it filled with water, we got the remnants of Hurricane Hugo and it rained for a week. The pool construction totally trashed our back yard. There wasn't even a blade of grass left. We were left with a giant mudhole. It was a major project that involved the pool, landscaping and new fencing. Nineteen years later, the pool is still there and we're enjoying it more than ever. It was a great investment for us.
• New Kitchen – By 1991 the turquoise appliances were finally starting to die and it was time for a total makeover. We had a company come in and gut the whole thing. Yay, everything was new. It's still looking good in 2008. It will probably be time to replace the appliances again soon but the cabinets and floor still look good.

boring stuff

I have no pictures and you wouldn't want to see them if I did. Here are a couple of other home improvements we added over the years.

• Water softener
• Invisible Fence (February 2007)

the "no improvement" gap

If you look at the chronological list on the left you will notice a large gap from March 2006 to February 2008. We became the proud owners of a golden retriever puppy December 21, 2006. Molly was on a path of destruction in her early days so we put any major improvements on hold while she was growing up. Molly doesn't qualify as a home improvement but she's added a lot to our lives. You can read about her on her own site, Molly's Den