NOS vintage NuTone model 870 kitchen wall fan for sale

I picked up this beauty at a local estate sale recently and am excited to offer it for sale, as I already have a range hood installed in my recently renovated kitchen.   The unit is new in the box and appears to be complete, although the box is missing it's top.  The box includes the exterior wall duct in addition to the fan and motor, wall sleeve and chrome interior grill.  The unit is a switch-operated ten inch diameter fan.

New pics of various things.......

This is a relatively recent pic of the living room.  I'm still moving things around and I just purchased a vintage sofa to replace the black banquette.  I still have not found the right storage option for my books yet.  I've been getting some inspiration for some wallpaper lately, too.  The living room wall with the windows would be awesome for a trompe l'oeil of a forest.  I like the birch tree wallpaper sold on Anthropologie but it would be cheaper to print dollar bills than buy the wallpaper at full retail.  YIKES!

pictures, please.......

These "afters" are from about two months ago.  I've been a bit busy lately.....so much more is finished and it looks absolutely beautiful. 

A lot of thought

went into the design of this house.  After living in it for almost a month, I am becoming more and more aware of the integration of the house to it's setting.  I find evenings and mornings are something to be experienced.  The cross-ventiliation throughout the house is a marvel of good planning.  The east-west orientation of the house is ingenious with the home being exposed to summer sun from dawn til dusk.  The sound of the nearby cataracts is absolutely intoxicating.....so soothing..... I find that I am getting better rest in this home than any other I can think of since I lived on Lewiston Road.

I have a temporary "working closet" to help me determine the amount of permanent storage space I'll need as far as the closet goes.  The laundry room is becoming more and more functional as is the kitchen.  The living room and dining room are a work in progress.....I'm still trying to make a good balance of furnishings, textiles and artwork. 

I've been too lazy to take photos lately........I'm getting tired of living in a construction site so I'm not too inclined to snap any portraits.

After two weeks of living in the house.....

I'm glad that I decided to wait on finishing up some of the final detail work.  Light fixtures, bath fixtures, closet fixtures, kitchen fixtures, paint.  Paint is my biggest struggle right now; the beautiful bright white with blue ceiling in the living room makes the room seem cold and cavernous.  All the plush carpets, throws, skins and pillows can't compete with the icy cavernous of that big room.  I'm thiking of painting one or two of the walls the same shade of light avocado that I had in the living room on Ferry Avenue.  I'm certain that once I have some artwork hanging and all the lighting in place that would make a difference, too. 

I'm not entirely happy with my choice of painter.  That's all I'm going to say.

The exercise room has taken on the role of "furniture clearinghouse" as far as furnishing the rest of the apartment.  There's a lot of stuff in there.....mainly tables and side chairs.  I'm torn about what to do with all of it.  Do I just store it downstairs or do I turn it into cash to feed my changing tastes?  decisions, decisions.

The tenant moved from the lower apartment so the space is vacant.  I can't believe that somebody can call a place home for 30 years and never spend a nickel on updating the space.  It's like walking back to 1975.  The place just reeks of age.  My first course of action is to get rid of all the rugs and carpet.

The kitchen is still a work in progress.....the counter has yet to be poured but I still haven't assembled the drawers or doors for the cabinets.  The lighting and ceiling are both in but still need to be completed.  The tech closet has taken on a life of it's own.........It has turned into a miniature communication/technology hub.  It's a neat concept and it keeps modern technology from overwhelming the otherwise period-correct residence. 

I'm becoming torn over the second bedroom.  I had originally envisioned an exercise room that I could use frequently without hesitation of any sort.  On one hand, I'd like to make it into a little den of sorts, maybe even a little home office.  I still would like to put the "office" on the sunporch....utilizing the same furniture that I had in the office on Ferry Avenue.  The whole office concept runs counter to the tech closet concept, though.  I'm hoping to make the office period correct with the collection of old office supplies on display. 

Now that I have the entire house to make a home, the possiblities go beyond what I anticipated when I started the purchase process more than fourteen months ago.

Time sure flies, dudn't it?

laundry room progress

The laundry room was a second bathroom with a stall shower, small vanity and toilet.  The wallpaper was original as was the black rubber tile floor.  The shower was porcelain tile set in concrete set in a steel mesh with a lead drainpan.  The new laundry room will reuse an old kitchen cabinet.  Floor is white porcelain tile....matching the bathroom floor.

kitchen progress......

kitchen progress

bathroom before and in-progress

A personal crusade

I've worked in government sales for a large "not for profit" HMO in New York State. I made the company MILLIONS of dollars in lucrative Medicare Advantage program sales. I was injured in an automobile accident while working almost a year and a half ago. I was denied the proper care for my injuries from the day I filed my workman's compensation claim. My employer was also my insurer, which continued to deny necessary medical procedures. I was terminated from my job for exhausting my short-term disability benefits. The cervical disc surgery that I've been fighting for was approved the next day. I can't collect unemployment due to my injuries. In the meantime, I cannot pay my mortgage, credit cards, car payment, etc. I am going on public assistance (I've also applied for permanent SSD benefits due to a non-related disability.) I have become a ward of the state and the so-called "not-for-profit" company I worked for is totally within the realm of the law.

If you think you have liberties in this so-called "great country" of ours, think again. I'm thankful for living close to the border with Canada to realize just how broken the so-called American "health care" system actually is. The current system is no better than genocide administered by the health insurance industry. Fortunately, if I am ever denied care due to lack of coverage, I can always cross the border and be given proper care by a society that takes care of it's citizens, unconditionally.

If we don't act now, our future will be one that we will look back upon one day and realize just how uncivilized the United States of America society actually is. HEALTH CARE IS A RIGHT......not a privilege.

How long will it take for the citizens of this country INSIST that we take back the country for WE THE PEOPLE?

Park Place historic district

I attended a meeting a couple nights ago regarding the Park Place historic district, which includes Fourth street.  Apparently, there is already a movement to get the area on the New York State and United States register of historic places. 

How does this affect the house?  One, being that the house is a "contributing factor" to the neighborhood (711 Fourth is the last home built to qualify for that distinction) will qualify for tax credits and/or rebates from New York State and from the IRS.  That's the great news!

The other news is that the house is under strict guidelines as to any exterior modifications that can be made.  Tom Yots asked me what I was planning on doing to the exterior of the house.  I told him that I plan to keep the cedar siding intact.  I have an interview on Tuesday with the director of Center City Development to see if I qualify for $25,000 in grants and/or low-interest loans to make repairs to the house.  I am hoping to be eligible for funds to replace the balance of the windows on the house (there are thirty-three of them.)  I am also looking to cover the soffits/ trim with white aluminum.  A new garage door is in order, as well as a new back door.  I am hoping to be able to restore the rotted wood section on the facade just below the row of four awning windows on the first floor.  If there is any money left over, I plan on having the chimney repaired as the mortar near the top is completely gone is some places. 

As far as landscaping, I'd like to do something a bit different than is already extant.  I plan on keeping all the trees on the property, but I'd like to utilize ornamental grasses to give the property a more casual atmosphere.  The tall bushes that front the sidewalk are history.  I'd also like to create a patio in the front of the house, in lieu of the front porch that most of the homes on the street have.  I have a pretty clear vision of what I'd like to do.  Keeping the house "preserved" as much as possible while making it visually appealing will be relatively easy.

I've been rather neglectful

It's been some time since I've been here to "document" the saga of this house.  I've been dealing with things on a more personal level lately so I've not had much time to dedicate to the progress on the house.

Let's see......the bathroom is tiled and is being grouted to this day.  The kitchen is ready for finishes.  The electrical has been mostly finished. 

Tonight I attended a meeting regarding the historic designation of the neighborhood.  I met Tom Yots, who heads up the preservation and historical designation efforts.  I met my neighbors, too.....but I don't remember their names.  I've been so absentminded lately.

The bathroom has turned out quite nice, thus far........my only concern is the finish on the edge of the tiles between the toilet and tub stalls.  I'm not sure if I'm going to like the end product.  Everything else looks great, though.....the mirror makes the tiny space seem so much larger, as does the grid pattern of the subway-style bathroom tiles. Even the "baseboard" of floor tiles has turned out beyond expectations.  I'm very happy with the progress and the results thus far have been rather extraordinary.

Now I can't wait for the kitchen to be done.

I can see the cheese!

It seems like this purchase/renovation has been going on forever.......actually, it has been about a year since I first looked at the house on Fourth.  So much has happened over the past year.......I was out of work due to an accident......I went back to work......was out of work again for accident-related injuries.......have fought with my employer to pay for surgery for my back.......only to have them terminate my employment effective 2/10/2010......three days short of my six-year work anniversary.  In the meantime, I bought a house that needed a hell of a lot of work to even make it partially habitable.

Well, I had originally planned to do a good chunk of the renovation work on my own but since I have become incapacitated I have had most of the work done for me by Sean Mort of Progressive contracting. 

Now I'm broke....my credit cards are maxed out and I am unemployed and unable to collect insurance because I am not "ready, willing and able" to work due to my injuries, which my former employer has been denying my services for the past year, saying that I had a pre-existing condition.  Ironically, I found out yesterday that workman's compensation is going to pay for my surgery after all.......perhaps it was my call to my case manager at work.  I still believe there was a conflict of interest in the way my case was handled, but I just want to get my life back to normal, albeit an unemployed normal.

I can say with all my heart that I have absolutely no respect for Excellus.....Lifetime Health Companies.....for the way that the company has ruined my life in the course of only one year.  Apparently, my former boss has cancer; I can only hope that the company treats her as poorly as she treated me when I was laid up due to a work-related back injury.

The kitchen ceiling

Larry and I had dinner at Billy Reed's tonight.......as we were drinking in the atmosphere of this old-style Palm Springs dinner house (think mid-seventies faux victorian......ferns and fake gaslights and lots of golden oak) I noticed the ceiling........knotty pine planks with an edge bevel mounted end-to-end.  It's the kitchen celing!  The wood at the restaurant had been varnished to a high gloss and a deep golden amber color.  It made for a very warm and cozy atmosphere, even though the combination of oak and pine made for a "wood overload."  I can see the wood in the kitchen making for a warmer, homey atmosphere.

I am soooooooo jealous!

Larry and I decided to get away for a mid-winter escape to Palm Springs.  I am sooooooo jealous as most of the homes and architecture in this rather sprawling place are mid-century or southwest influenced.  The city is very "calm" feeling, probably due to a very strict signage code that prevents any large roadside or building-mounted signs.  The cars are all neat and clean (and rust-free) and the mountains surrounding the city are absolutely gorgeous.  This is truly a laid-back, vacation-resort kind of place.

Would I ever consider buying a vacation home here?  Of course! :)

Ah.......the aroma of fresh-cut pine!

The knotty pine planks for the kitchen ceiling were picked up today; Sean pointed out that this wood was not intended to be used for flooring, since only the side edges are tongue-and-groove, not the ends.  Of course, this means that the boards will not interlock now when placed end-on-end.  How was I to know? 

The wood is very light and very aromatic and loaded with high-quality deep, dark knots.......just as I had hoped.  The wood surface itself is sanded but not overly smooth.  I plan on oiling the ceiling to give it a coat of protection from kitchen grease; I really would like it to darken a little over time but not too dark.  Seeing it and the concrete countertops acquire a patina over time will be great.  The natural surfaces of the counter and ceiling will be a nice counterpart to the shiny white ceramic tile of the floor and the blue, green and white glass mosaic of the walls.  The shiny chrome fixtures will be like jewels against the warmth of the wood, which will cover the entire ceiling and soffit.

Sean also made a suggestion that I will pursue once I have the wherewithal; insulate the underside of the sun porch and use the same pine planks for the ceiling outside, since they will be sheltered......the addition would be very inexpensive and will save a ton of money as far as heating fuel goes.......it will look great, to boot.

a photo is worth a thousand.......

Another view of the rear of the house; there is paved parking for five cars off a paved alley.  Trash pickup is back here too.  The big tree to the right side of the photo is a Chinese Elm that has since been cut down.  I remember looking at the house with the realtor and the neighbors next door, looking out their dining room window; pointing up to the tree and making a strange face. 

The light gray siding hides what was at one time one hell of a water leak.  The dressing room is just beyond the small square window upstairs......the baseboard in that room was rotted to powder.

The backyard is nice in that it has a smaller, secluded area in the L of the house.

The last photo was taken in the spring.

progress is a fine thing

The drywall and plaster work is in progress now...perhaps this signals the end of the demolition work and the beginning of finishing work.  The kitchen is the most changed room in the house, although the laundry room (replacing bath number 2) is the most drastic transformation, space-wise. 

The latest pix show the entry to the kitchen from the living room, which was moved about eight inches to the left and opened up to the ceiling.  The other pix include the newly drywalled kitchen, the repaired firebreast and the former shadowbox in the dining room wall.

The cutout section of wall in the third photo is the location of a "landing" area cubbyhole for keys, phone, ipod, bluetooth, etc......the space will include an electrical outlet to charge such devices.  The closet behind the cubby is going to be the "brains" of the house; it will contain the modem, wireless router and security system; nicely concealed out of sight.

the house.....it is a'changin'.

I stopped by the house today to check on the progress of the work.  My first thought was "how the hell could anyone endure a renovation in an occupied home?"  The place is a mess....sawdust and plaster dust everywhere.  The eight-foot-long icicles made the house as uninviting from the outside as it is from the very stark white inside.  I'm looking forward to moving in and warming things up a little.

I am marveling now at how the small detail changes are really going to make a HUGE difference in the house.  I thought of eliminating the door and trim from the entry to the dining room, but it would be too much work at this point.......the drywall is already up in the kitchen.  I was noticing the ceiling lines of the dining room and the newer, wider, relocated entry to the kitchen with a higher, matching ceiling line.  The pine plank ceiling should visually lengthen the already very long vista from the foyer through the kitchen.  The stove will be THE focal point of the living space to the right of the entry.  Low-key and elegant but stunning nonetheless.  I'm really looking forward to seeing the mosaic tile on the kitchen walls, too!

What else.....I'm still looking for progress on the utility area in the front of the house.  The laundry room is roughed-in but the bathroom is still rather forlorn...I suppose I'll be a bit more excited once the drywall is up and the tile is finally laid.  I haven't even enjoyed the new wall-to-wall in the bedroom area yet. 

I'm still on the fence regarding the living room floor.  I may have a little extra cash once tax-time rolls around, so I may end up installing a real cork floor after all.  With the thought going into the detail of the rest of the apartment, I'd be a fool to settle for anything less than what I really want.  The faux-cork vinyl I purchased is going to look a bit out of place next to the new marble thresholds to the kitchen.  Not to mention the collection of new rugs that I've compiled over the past eleven months or so.

I'm finally feeling like there is light at the end of this endless tunnel!

Thank you, Apartment Therapy!

Again, I've been inspired by the idea of being able to share my home with others who appreciate the same combination of textures, colors, collections, interests.  This is a chronicle of my purchase and restoration of a  multi-unit home in a historic section of the city of Niagara Falls, New York.  I love Western New York because we have all the amenities that the most cosmopolitan of world cities has within an hour and a half drive.  My weekend home is an hour to the north, the city of Toronto, Ontario.  For those of you who last journeyed to Toronto during your high-school field trips, I urge you......Go....Go to Toronto.  There's so much to do, so much to see......and it's right across the border.  Larry and I would love to meet you for lunch if you're ever in town!

the first floor apartment

I haven't mentioned the first floor office/apartment area too much in all the excitement surrounding the renovations of the house.  Let's just say that the first floor will need a gut rehab when I do finally decide to do some work on it.

As it is now, the apartment is rented as an "office" by a man who has lived there for thirty years.  He has a living room, a bedroom, a tiny little kitchen and a split bath; tub and sink in one room, sink and toilet in another.  There are also numerous closets and a big storage area.  The walls are covered primarily in knotty pine paneling and the ceilings are covered in acoustic tile.  The floor has the original carpeting over concrete.  It reeks of age.

When I have the wherewithal to do the renovation, I envision either an in-law apartment setup or a "quiet retreat" area.  The idea of storage also crossed my mind, but I'd rather use the space for living area.  The total area is about 600 square feet.

Details, details, details......

Love the details.  As work progresses on the Fourth Street renovation, Sean has been open to and has even suggested many custom touches.  For example, I mentioned the other day about doing a solid wood ceiling in the kitchen.  After discussing the way the boards will fit into the existing finish, he suggested a soffit covered in stainless steel.......what a GREAT IDEA!  To save on cost, rather than using stainless steel, we decided to cover the soffit with the same knotty pine wood as the kitchen ceiling.  I'm thinking that the warm pine of the ceiling will offset the hard surfaces of the rest of the kitchen.  The ceiling will also butt against the original wood sliding window that is being retained in the kitchen. 

New dilemma.....what color to paint the lone plaster wall in the kitchen?  Common sense is telling me white-ivory.  My expressive side is telling me bright-yellow, lime green or tangerine.  I'm planning on warming things up even more with kitchen accessories and potted plants by the window.

Perhaps "birch tree" wallpaper?  I'm thiking of doing the same thing in the vestibule on the first floor.  Urban outfitters has a wallpaper photo-mural that covers a large wall with an actual view of a birch forest.  I like the idea as it fits the "aerie" theme of the apartment.  The apartment will be a very bright and spacious nest.......elevated and secluded from prying eyes.

I was at Gui's lumber today to purchase the durashield panels for the shower walls in the bathroom.  Sean discussed the mounting of the sink and the mirror in the bathroom.  The towel hoops I ordered from Rejuvenation.com may need to be placed somewhere other than I had planned......perhaps a bit higher, mounted to the plaster rather than tile.

Speaking of tile, I am still undecided about the placement/pattern of the bathroom tile.  The tile is white railroad tile with a black trim and white mortar.  I'm thinking either vertical or horizontal grid-style instead of bricklayer-style.  I thought maybe herringbone or basketweave, but that may be too difficult to.  I have to check with Sean to see if its doable.

I'm still deciding on a final window-treatment for the house, although the pleated shades I bought from JCPenney will be used in the meantime.  I would like to go with something period correct, yet attractive and easy to use.

Inspiration.......

I find inspiration in beautiful rooms is a great way to decide what suits my taste the best.  I love this bedroom featured in Metropolitan Home several months ago for several reasons.......I find this room to be very serene and calming in the mix of muted colors and soft, luxurious fabrics.  The colors are masculine yet elegant.  The details are outstanding as well.......the spot of color in the light blue of the coverlet on the bed......the contrast in textures of the nubby-textured headboard and the lacquered bedside tables with sleek and shiny lamps is very pleasing to my eye.  I could spend many relaxing hours in a sanctuary such as this.  With the fabric panels on the wall, I imagine that this space is very quiet, too.....the use of luxurious materials to make an impact is simply inspiring. 

It's a work in progress

When I was fourteen years old, my parents purchased a landmark home in the DeVeaux area of Niagara Falls, New York.  The home was the Dr. and Mrs. Scott residence and office on the corner of Lewiston Road and Van Rensselaer Avenue.  At the time, the house needed quite a bit of work.  I remember my Mom saying "yes, it needs some work, but we can do it over a period of time."  That period of time was about three months prior to our moving in to the imposing twelve-room brick and slate home. 

Although I was only fourteen, I learned a lot from that renovation.........the carpenters, plasterers, glaziers, painters, plumbers and electricians were all true craftsmen who took extreme pride in their work.  A lot of care was taken to make sure that any renovations respected the original character of the circa 1927 home.

Ironically, I signed the contract on the Fourth Street residence on March 26......my birthday.  The contract was signed 28 years to the day that my parents bought the house on Lewiston Road.  The price I paid was also the same price that my parents paid back in 1981........Niagara Falls is well known for it's low cost of real estate.  The amount of work that I am putting into the Fourth Street home is a lot like the work that went into the house on Lewiston road.  When I purchased the home, I was very much aware that the house needed a LOT of work.  My real estate agent, Robin Radomski or Great Lakes Real Estate, said "this is only the second time I've told someone that they were crazy for buying a certain house."  I didn't care......the house met all my criteria; mid-century, open, one-level floor plan, mostly original finishes, and above all, affordable.  This renovation is a labor of love as much as a home renovation/restoration.  I am passionate about mid-century modern furnishings and design and this house allows me to express my passion to the nth degree.

Being that the home is in a designated historical area, I am proceeding forward with the intention of making very few changes to the exterior of the home, although  I do plan to re-create some elements of the home's design that were never executed to plan when the home was built in 1952.  I am also planning on upgrading the landscaping and setting of the home, as the years of benign neglect really show on the exterior of the home. 

The siding is a "combed" wood shingle siding that has weathered quite nicely to a silvery gray-brown over the years.  I am keeping the siding as-is.  The soffit and exterior trim at this point is a mix of kelly green painted wood trim and white aluminum and vinyl replacement pieces.  Since the green color will be difficult to replicate (the cost of custom wood replacement windows would probably exceed the cost of the home itself) I am anticipating making all the exterior trim white, as the replacement windows that were already in place are white vinyl. 

I would also like to note that the renovations/restoration was done to a cost.  In many cases, I could have purchased higher-price finishes for the home.  I maintained a critical eye toward quality but have been able to find, in many cases, low-cost alternatives to more expensive finishes such as cabinetry, flooring, plumbing fixtures, and so on.  My only regret to date is that I purchased a vinyl cork-look floating floor for the living area that I am going to return to Home Depot.  I am going to buy a cork plank floating floor like I had originally envisioned.  I also splurged on lighting fixtures from Rejuvenation.com.  The photo above is the "cove" fixture of which I purchased five in polished chrome for the kitchen. 

Collector = pack rat

I'll admit that I have an obsession with my collections, although it's more a compulsion.....I'm not the type oif collector who goes on a shopping trip looking for one thing in particular.  I have many collections......when someone asks if I am looking for anything in particular, my answer is always the same...."yes, I am.......I'll know what it is when I see it."

The accompanying photo is another one of my on-again-off-again collections; vintage health and beauty - pharmaceutical supplies and packaging.  These items can usually be found for a buck or two apiece.  My fascination with them is how primitive these remedies seem considering that many of today's treatments are so much more effective than what could essentially be labeled "snake oil remedies."  The other surprising element about these little time capsules is that so many of these vintage items are still produced.  Some things never change, I guess.

I bought a great cabinet from Ikea to display my entire collection.......I'm not quite sure yet where I am going to put it yet.  I just want to get these little gems out of storage and on display where they can be enjoyed and appreciated.