Building a Chicken Coop in an HOA

This spring has been busier than we expected, so while we originally planned to custom build a coop we ultimately decided to order one. Planning for chickens while living in an HOA has been a little tricky due to size restrictions, but I also know that we're lucky our HOA allows chickens at all!

We ended up ordering this coop from CCOnly.com:

By our calculations, our 3 girls should be fine in here, especially since we plan to get a portable run to use when we are outside with them. One of the things I like about this coop is that if we do end up deciding they need a larger run, we can add on an extension relatively easily.

Of course, since we back up to open space and we have seen coyotes, foxes, and hawks frequently, we will be predator-proofing. Our plan for that involves digging down and out about a foot, laying 1/4" hardware cloth (to prevent anything from digging up into the run, like rats, voles, etc), then building up a foundation of CMU blocks with hardware cloth along the sides. Then the coop base will sit on the CMUs, with the hardware cloth from the foundation coming up and connecting to the hardware cloth on the sides of the run. The trench will be filled back in, and I'm considering laying pavers along at least one side so that there's a solid place to stand in the winter when the yard can get muddy from snow melt. We also got solar powered predator deterrents that use little red lights to mimic eyes. I'll write more about those once we install them and I know if I like them or not!

The coop also must be painted to match the house (one of our HOA rules). The body of the coop will be the same gray-blue as our house, and the trim plus the framing around the run will be off-white.

So, that's the chicken coop plan right now. It's been a constantly evolving plan, since we originally planned to custom design, then the coop we originally planned to purchase from CCOnly went out of stock while we waited to get HOA approval, and now we're waiting for a weekend with no snow on the ground so that we can get the process started! I'm looking forward to learning from the whole process, and giving our little chickens a nice home in our backyard.

2016 Home To-Do List Update

I didn't do an update of our giant to-do list when we hit our one year house anniversary in October, but with the new year I thought it was a good time to go over the list again.

Exterior

• reseal driveway
• repaint exterior -- planning this for next spring

Yard & Back Deck

• remove old satellite dish to give access to electrical panel
• door mat by sliding door
• repair/replace back deck steps
• weed front yard
• planters on back deck
• get bird feeders
• plan & plant veggie garden -- we had a decent veggie garden last summer, though I have some improvements in mind for this year
• plant fruit trees
• install compost bin
• build chicken coop & run

Front Porch

• new welcome mat
• potted plants on either side of entry

Entryway

• paint
• update light fixture
• turn coat closet back into coat closet (it currently has wire shelves, but we would like to hang coats in there)
• figure out some shoe storage near door
• get runner
• get coat rack/hat stand for corner in stairs -- something that is functional, but also provides visual interest

Living Room

• fix drywall patches
• paint
• repair windows with broken sashes: living room left
• hang art
• get rug

Dining Room

• fix drywall patches
• patch trim
• install beadboard wallpaper below chair rail
• paint beadboard wallpaper to match trim
• paint upper part of walls
• update light fixture
• get rug
• new dining room chairs

Office

• remove wallpaper
• patch & paint trim
• paint walls
• hang shelves
• remove closet doors, turn closet into filing/bookshelf area?

Kitchen

• new fridge
• caulk around kitchen sink
• paint 
• update knobs
• update light fixtures
• update appliances to stainless steel when needed
• eventually replace countertops & sink; change out range for gas

Family Room

• paint 
• get rug
• new larger couch, larger coffee table

Downstairs Bath

• paint
• update fixtures

Downstairs Hallway

• paint
• hang art
• get runner
• update thermostat?

Laundry Room

• paint
• buy washer & dryer
• update cabinet hardware
• install folding shelf over washer & dryer
• get wall hanger for iron & ironing board
• figure out closet organization

Garage

• fix garage door opener
• build work bench
• add storage for bikes, shovels, tools etc.

Stairs & Upstairs Hallway

• paint
• remove carpet on stairs, put in hardwood with runner
• refinish banister

Master Bedroom

• patch holes in drywall
• paint

Master Bath & Closet

• replace lightbulb in closet
• get plumber in to install new wax ring on master toilet
• fix grout in master shower
• paint
• new towel bars/hooks
• fix linen closet doors -- they currently rub each other
• update mirror & light fixtures
• update shower

Guest Room & Bath

• touch up enamel in upstairs guest bathroom sink
• repair windows with broken sashes: guest bathroom
• patch trim, remove half finished framing below chair rail
• paint wall above chair rail
• paint bathroom
• get furniture for our holiday guests!
• replace ceiling fan blades
• new window treatments
• update mirror & window treatments
• update vanity
• replace bathroom window with safety glass

Future Kid Room 1 (Currently Sean's Office)

• patch trim
• install beadboard wallpaper below chair rail
• paint beadboard wallpaper to match trim
• paint wall above chair rail
• replace ceiling fan blades

Future Kid Room 2 (Currently Cat/Sewing Room)

• patch trim
• install beadboard wallpaper below chair rail
• paint beadboard wallpaper to match trim
• paint wall above chair rail
• replace ceiling fan blades

Jack and Jill Bath

• replace knobs
• paint
• update mirror & light fixtures

Basement

• determine & label ethernet cables in basement junction
• replace water diffuser in humidifier prior to turning on heat
• new window well for basement window
• finish out basement

Family Room Decor

When going through my Chanukah decor pictures yesterday, I realized that I never posted pictures when I finished painting the family room/breakfast nook/kitchen! I painted it months ago, I can't believe we never actually photographed it! So for today's house update, here are some pictures of the family room.

I showed you this one with the nutcrackers and "Hanukkah" garland on the mantle yesterday:

Real life with a gray cat and off-white couches: we keep a blanket over her favorite spot at all times to make fur removal easier. Yep, that's a TARDIS blanket for the Whovian cat. The couches are slipcovered, so they are fairly simple to wash, but tossing the blanket in the laundry is even simpler and minimizes wear and tear on that one cushion.

Here's a better, less glare-y shot of the art behind the TV. Those are two vintage travel posters for Siena, Italy. Above the center speaker are a couple record covers, for My Fair Lady and Camelot.

The built in bookshelves have books, movies, art and other cool things. Here's our "superhero" shelf, with our collection of Marvel movies and our little Captain America and Baby Groot.

On the other side of the fireplace, I also have sections of shelf dedicated to Tolkein (both books and movies), Tamora Pierce books and David Eddings books. And a section of Arthurian legend/British pre-history since after doing my MFA "thesis" on Camelot I have a lot of Arthurian books!

And that's the family room! I'll take updated pictures of the kitchen and breakfast nook next and share those soon.

Chanukah Decorating (2015 Edition)

I had plans to post my Chanukah decor before the start of the holiday. But we were so busy with celebrations that I'm not actually getting it up until today, the last day. Oh well, better late than never!

This year, since we just finished the dining room and we were hosting a large group of friends for latkes and brisket, we did a lot of holiday decorating in the dining room.

The frames above the sideboard now have photos in them, but the package hadn't yet arrived from Shutterfly when I took these pictures.

You can never have too many dreidels!

And here's the dining table all set for 10! It was so fun to get out all of our wine glasses for a fancy party, it's not something we ever had room for in our old place!

We hung the felt menorah in the living room.

And did a little mantle decorating with nutcrackers and a glittery "Hanukkah" garland in the family room.

We also put some dreidel garland up the staircase, but with the snowy weather over the weekend I haven't had good light to take a picture. Hopefully the sun will cooperate so I can share that before December is over, but we will see.

The Dining Room -- Nearly Done!

I'm almost done with the dining room! Yippee!

What started as a slow project simply because I was already in paint clothes turned into a massive day of painting Sunday. We had found a buffet and dining chairs we loved on super sconto (Italian for massive sale, it's a term I still use from my year abroad) at Restoration Hardware. We were told we would get a call around the 18th to schedule delivery. Well, they called on the 11th and wanted to deliver on the 17th! So my timeline got sped up a little bit, and we busted this room out. It helped a lot that Sean had the time to help paint, so he rolled the ceilings and walls while I did the trim and cut-ins.

Here it is, the nearly finished dining room!

What do I still need to do?

I need to finish the painting around the window -- you can't see it here because the blinds are closed but I have to do the window surround in sections as I carefully pull back the blinds. The way that valance above it attached to the wall, neither it nor the blinds can easily come down without destroying some drywall. But I can be careful enough that it's not a huge problem, just slow going.

I also need to finish getting up that collage wall over the buffet. And put pictures in the frames! That's a picture from our wedding as the large center one, and the plan is to put black and white family photos radiating outwards. I have more frames, but they don't all have hanging hardware yet, so that's why it looks lopsided. I spaced out the arrangement on the table, started hanging, and had somehow grouped the frames without hardware. What can I say, it looked good!

So that's where we are with the dining room right now! I'm so excited to have to looking good, and to have a place to store everything that had been under the china cabinet. It makes me want to host a holiday gathering in here!

Work on the Dining Room Begins

This past week I've been spending most of the day painting for a play. And since I'm already wearing paint clothes when I get home, I've started working on the dining room in bits and pieces:

I'm using beadboard wallpaper below the chair rail to simulate actual wainscoting. (A product that has a bit of a learning curve, but is fairly forgiving when it comes to fixing seams.) I'll then paint it in the same semi-gloss white that I've used for the trim throughout the house. Above the chair rail I'm planning on a deep navy like some of these inspiration images:

dining room inspiration from HGTV

dining room inspiration from 58 Water Street

The dining room still has a ways to go before I'll call it "finished" -- I still need to find the perfect chairs and buffet, and after the painting is done I have plans for a wall of black and white family photos that I still need to collect from the parents. But it's great to finally be making some progress in here, slow though it may be!

Design Finds of the Week #8

For the next few weeks, I'll be sharing different inspirational designs and projects that I came across during my trip to the Prague Quadrennial. They will be fairly diverse, as were all of the presenters at PQ, but they are all worth sharing!

Today I want to share an interesting new project called VIPA: The Viral Institute of Performance Architecture.

On their website you can see the transcript of the lecture they presented at the Prague Quadrennial here.

They describe performance architecture as "a continuum of performance and art." They have an active-body-centric view of architecture, rather than seeing the human user as a passive element.

"The Institute  puts forward the idea of the architect as not only the designer, the maker, the observer but also the performer: the ‘thinking’ body." 

As you can probably guess from my background, I love the confluence of architecture and performance. I'm very curious to see where this project will go in the future!

Design Finds of the Week #7

I couldn't believe that it had been over a year since I last compiled some of the great design I come across into one of these posts! I like doing these weekly posts of good design, whether it's related to the house, the garden, or theater, so I'm going to work on getting back into the habit!

For the next few weeks, I'll be sharing different inspirational designs that I came across during my trip to the Prague Quadrennial. They will be fairly diverse, as were all of the presenters at PQ, but they are all worth sharing!

The first website/project I want to share is ecoscenography.com

Tanja Beer is a designer and PhD student focusing on sustainability in theatrical design. I talked with her a bit the day after I heard her speak, and her excitement for her field is infectious! Sustainability and conservation are huge passions of mine, and while I was studying architecture it was one of the main conversation topics of the industry, but the American theatre industry really just pays lip-service to the green movement. While Tanja told me that she doesn't do much mainstream theatre anymore, I do think that a lot of the things she is bringing attention to can be translated back into a mainstream environment, albeit perhaps with a bit more push-back from producers, theatre managers, and even directors. But I do believe that if designers make sustainability a priority, we can make a difference!

So check out her blog and projects, especially "This is Not Rubbish," the piece she spoke on at the Quadrennial.

An HOA Compliant Compost Bin

You might remember that at our condo, I made a small vermicompost bucket for the balcony. While we didn't have enough space there to take care of all of our compostable waste, those worms definitely made a good dent in our garbage and they gave us a decent amount of great worm castings in return.

In our HOA, compost bins are required to be approved. The idea is that they can be unsightly or smelly, but if you're doing it right they really shouldn't be! But, because so much of our yard is visible from the road or open space (great views of the mountains for us, great views into our yard for everyone else) we decided to play by the book and submit a plan for a compost bin.

The location that seemed the best for us, and our neighbors, unfortunately was also the most visible from the road. My solution: hid the bin with fencing, and then plant some shade perennials in front. Since this area was just mulch and weeds before, I knew that they wouldn't say "no" to something that would actually make the area MORE attractive from the street.

And I was right! The Architectural Committee approved my plans, so then Sean and I just had to wait for a non-rainy weekend to actually get out there and install the bin, fencing and perennials. We did just that this past weekend.

I wanted some taller, flowering perennials as well as some lower green. This area is in shade all day during the winter, and most of the day during the summer, so the plants couldn't require more than a couple hours of direct sunlight. At our local nursery we found one climbing hydrangea, two Camelot foxgloves, and a couple varieties of hosta. I filled in the front with some periwinkle ground cover.

A view that only people on our property will ever see: the actual compost bin. That window well isn't actually big enough to be a proper egress, so we weren't worried about putting the bin a couple feet away from it.

Pretty foxgloves helping to hide the compost!

We're definitely looking forward to being able to use this compost bin to reduce our waste, and in future years we will reduce the amount of money we need to spend on amending the soil. It's a win-win!

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Linked up to:

Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

Street Market Finds

This last Saturday, Sean and I went to a street market held at one of the local shopping centers. It was a mix of antique fair, flea market and craft fair all rolled into one. We came away with some pretty cool pieces.

An antique mirror for the front entry. I love that the silver backing on the mirror is wearing away in a few places, so it has that great antique mirror feel while still giving a useful reflection.

A cool washboard. I've never seen one with both copper and aluminum before. The dealer also said it was a rare find. I've been wanting some interesting things for the laundry room, so this was a great score.

Hundred year old sheet music. What am I going to do with it? I don't know yet. But I couldn't resist $4 sheet music dated from the 1910s. (One of them has pencil markings from 1913!)

Old flight map of Panama. Very cool. This will probably get framed in the guest room, along with an antique map of France that I found on one of our trips to Golden.

It was a fun morning, and I'm looking forward to finding the perfect places in the house for each of these very cool finds!

To-Do List Update

It's been six months since we moved in, so I thought I would do an update on our to-do list. Here's where we are so far (remember that some of these items are more long term, 5-10 years down the road).

Exterior

• reseal driveway
• repaint exterior next spring -- the colors are fine, but there are some places that are chipping and our inspector recommended taking care of it within the year

Yard & Back Deck

• remove old satellite dish to give access to electrical panel
• door mat by sliding door
• repair/replace back deck steps
• weed front yard
• planters on back deck
• get bird feeders
• plan & plant veggie garden -- in progress, but it's still a bit early
• plant fruit trees
• install compost bin -- we have the HOA approval now!
• build chicken coop & run

Front Porch

• new welcome mat
• potted plants on either side of entry/near bay window

Entryway

• paint
• update light fixture
• turn coat closet back into coat closet (it currently has wire shelves, but we would like to hang coats in there)
• figure out some shoe storage near door
• get runner
• get coat rack/hat stand for corner in stairs -- something that is functional, but also provides visual interest

Living Room

• fix drywall patches
• paint
• repair windows with broken sashes: living room left
• hang art
• get rug

Dining Room

• fix drywall patches
• patch trim
• install beadboard wallpaper below chair rail
• paint beadboard wallpaper to match trim
• paint upper part of walls
• update light fixture
• get rug
• new dining room chairs

Office

• remove wallpaper
• patch & paint trim
• paint walls
• new window treatments
• hang shelves
• remove closet doors, turn closet into filing/bookshelf area

Kitchen

• new fridge
• caulk around kitchen sink
• paint - in progress
• update knobs
• update light fixtures
• update appliances to stainless steel when needed
• eventually replace countertops & sink; change out range for gas

Family Room

• get fireplace gas adjusted correctly (currently burns too orange)
• change out surround sound for something less visually obtrusive -- speakers mounted flush into the wall? white?
• paint - in progress
• get rug
• new larger couch, larger coffee table

Downstairs Bath

• paint
• update vanity & fixtures

Downstairs Hallway

• paint
• hang art
• get runner
• update thermostat?

Laundry Room

• paint
• buy washer & dryer
• update cabinet hardware
• install folding shelf over washer & dryer
• get wall hanger for iron & ironing board
• figure out closet organization

Garage

• fix garage door opener
• build work bench
• add storage for bikes, shovels, tools etc.

Stairs & Upstairs Hallway

• paint
• remove carpet on stairs, put in hardwood with runner
• refinish banister

Master Bedroom

• patch holes in drywall
• paint

Master Bath & Closet

• replace lightbulb in closet
• get plumber in to install new wax ring on master toilet
• fix grout in master shower
• paint
• new towel bars/hooks
• fix linen closet doors -- they currently rub each other
• update mirror & light fixtures
• update shower

Guest Room & Bath

• touch up enamel in upstairs guest bathroom sink
• repair windows with broken sashes: guest bathroom
• patch trim, remove half finished framing below chair rail
• paint wall above chair rail - currently primed, awaiting paint
• paint bathroom
• get furniture for our holiday guests!
• replace ceiling fan blades
• new window treatments
• update mirror & window treatments
• update vanity
• replace bathroom window with safety glass

Future Kid Room 1 (Currently Sean's Office)

• patch trim
• install beadboard wallpaper below chair rail
• paint beadboard wallpaper to match trim
• paint wall above chair rail
• replace ceiling fan blades

Future Kid Room 2 (Currently Cat/Sewing Room)

• patch trim
• install beadboard wallpaper below chair rail
• paint beadboard wallpaper to match trim
• paint wall above chair rail
• replace ceiling fan blades

Jack and Jill Bath

• replace knobs
• paint
• update mirror & light fixtures

Basement

• determine & label ethernet cables in basement junction
• replace water diffuser in humidifier prior to turning on heat
• new window well for basement window
• finish out basement