• 
  • Carpentry
  • Plumbing & Wiring
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Kitchen & Bath
  • Building Codes
  • Interior Finish
  • Foundations & Masonry
  • Building Plans
  • DVDs
  • Magazine Archives
• 
  • Digital Issues
  • Member Home
• 
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Gift Subscription
  • Current Issue
  • Magazine Extras
  • Magazine Index
  • Advertiser Marketplace

Hurry Up and Wait!

Brian Pontolilo, editor

5 users recommend

From the street you can see that Paul's house was built as a single-story brick ranch.

courtesy of Paul DeGroot

The backyard elevation reveals a second-story studio addition.

courtesy of Paul DeGroot

The studio, where Paul works, also shelters a car port below.

courtesy of Paul DeGroot

Paul recently remodeled his powder room and had some fun with the vanity door design.

Brian Pontolilo

The limestone tile Paul used for the floor is soft enough to shape with sandpaper for a smooth, rounded transition to the cork flooring in the adjacent laundry room. 

Brian Pontolilo

From the street you can see that Paul's house was built as a single-story brick ranch.

Photo: courtesy of Paul DeGroot

Add Comment
Print

If there’s one thing that Fine Homebuilding authors and editors, but mostly authors, do a lot of, it’s “hurry up and wait.” That’s because making a magazine like FHB means working far in advance. Ideally, we’re working on issues that are still a year or more from being published. Here’s an example:

Last September, just before our annual “Kitchens & Baths” issue was due at the printer, we invited our publisher and creative director to come see the issue pinned up on the conference room wall. We do this, with mixed emotions, for every issue. On the one hand, we’re proud to show off what we’ve been working on for the last year. On the other hand, these folks are pretty sharp and have a lot of collective experience which means they’re sure to point out some problems and we’ll likely be working late that night. One of the stories we looked at in this wall walk was architect Paul DeGroot’s “Kitchen Remodeling for Any Budget.” Our publisher liked it enough to comment, “You guys should do this for bathrooms next year.”

“Say no more, boss, I’ll get Paul on the horn,” which is exactly what I did as soon as I got back to my desk. I asked Paul to “hurry up” and get me an outline for “Bathroom Remodeling on Any Budget.” Being the professional that he is, Paul did just that. Then I asked him to “wait” to write the story until I had a chance to look at the outline. In the mean time, another photo opportunity arose in Austin, so I called Paul and asked him if I could shoot some of his bathrooms while I was in town. Again, ever professional (even though I still owed him feedback on his outline), Paul obliged. In late March, as you may know if you read my last blog, I spent a week in Austin. I photographed about ten of Paul's bathroom remodels and I photographed Dan Vos making wood counters.

If you did read my last blog, I’m afraid that you too have become a victim of “hurry up and wait.” I offered you the chance to ask Dan Vos your questions about wood countertops and I took the questions with me to Austin. But when I returned from my trip, my boss resigned (the subject of a future blog), and my work life got turned upside down. I wouldn’t say things are right-side up-yet, but they’re getting closer. So, I promise to answer some of your questions and share some of what I learned from Dan in the coming week. But for now, I’ll leave you with a few shots from Paul’s house, including his own powder room. He’s not only an excellent designer, but he’s an ardent do-it-yourselfer. And since he’s still “waiting” for me to get back to him about the story, maybe he has the time to tell you a little about his house, himself. Paul…

Add Comment Print

"Dumb as we wanna be" about energy?

Has the cordless tool market become overpopulated?

Comments (4)

JFink writes: That's unfortunate, Paul. There is enough resistance to change in the building industry already, but nothing kills momentum more quickly than when the healthier (or more efficient, or more eco-friendly, et al) products don't work as advertised.
Posted: 2:52 pm on May 14th

architectpaul writes: Yup, I'm just as worried about the cork floor (12 x 12 tiles) as I am the wood floor in my kitchen! So I installed the heavy-duty expensive washer hoses and check them from time to time.

Interesting story on the cork tile installation: trying to be as green as possible, I made my installer use the manufacturer's recommended water-based contact cement for the glue-down onto my concrete slab. It took me a while to find a flooring guy who would use this newfangled stuff - - they all wanted to use the tried-and-true, smelly, petroleum-based flooring glue (like Bostik's Best). But I persisted and found someone to use the no-VOC contact cement. And that's where things went awry.

Turns out that the product is extremely "fussy" and all conditions have to be just right for the glue to hold fast. Long story told short, I had many tiles delaminating from the concrete about 6 months later. I ended up pulling them up very carefully and regluing them myself with Bostik's Best. Wish I had gone that route in the first place.

Posted: 1:47 pm on May 14th

JFink writes: Hi Paul,
Are you worried at all about the cork in the laundry room? I decided to use some cork tiles I had leftover from a project to do my kitchen floor. One dishwasher over-bubbling later and I've got some buckled tiles that need replacing. I can't tell, but it looks like your cork floor is one big sheet maybe?
Posted: 9:31 am on May 14th

architectpaul writes: Like many of you out there (and Brian,I suspect), I inherited my DIY sickness. Passed down from my Dad, my compulsion to always have a project to work on is mixed into my blood. Many times I heard his mantra "if you want something done right you've got to do it yourself". And what better project is there to eternally keep one busy than remodeling your house??

Built in 1966, our "ranchburger" home featured a silly wet bar about 10 feet from the kitchen, Nutone intercoms in every room (including the bathrooms!), and an entry foyer sporting mirrored wall tiles and a one-step-up raised floor that tripped unknowing guests. Other "amenities" included a formal living room but no dining room, 12" x 12" VAT (vinyl asbestos tile) everywhere, and....drum roll please.....ALUMINUM WIRING!

Well all those things are gone now. Oh, the memories. It's been 10 years since we moved in and there's not a single surface that I've not replaced, repaired, retextured or repainted. I've had some big help along the way, especially with my 2005 addition for our new kitchen and my upstairs studio. Lots of coffee, wine and great meals by my wife have kept me fueled and continue to fortify me as I tackle my current project - - new landscaping, pool decking and patio space in the back yard.


Posted: 10:34 am on May 13th

You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.