F2F Nip and Tuck

Probably the worst "temporary fix" that still exists is the repair of the front entrance glass. For those who don't know a few months after moving in, I unintentionally tested the structural integrity of the vintage reeded glass at the front entrance. 

The smirk gives away my guilt

After several calls pricing replacement glass, I was left with the belief many of the vendors were confused about what we were asking for since all the estimates were pretty extravagant. We went to Community Forklift (our favorite architectural salvage store) and found half of a sliding glass patio door with roughly the right measurements. It wasn't an exact fit, but we made it work (unfortunately this is still a theme in the F2F house, someday I'll recount the tedious labors of refinishing the kitchen cabinets).  

In the fall we decided to try to beautify the front entry. We had already ousted one holly tree and the other resembles bonsai at the moment (it has received an indefinite reprieve since a Robin has built a nest with 4 beautiful blue eggs).

The initial goal was to fill the various holes in the aluminum siding near the entry, remove the old caulking and apply new caulk to all the seams, and to refinish the front door. The project expanded when we decided to paint the siding around the entry. Kari lights up anytime a project requires the spray gun.

First we cleaned the siding with a brush and acetone, then we spray primed the area. Kari purchased a small air-feed spray gun on Amazon last year to see if it would work. I was skeptical, but was quickly swayed after seeing her previous projects. The color we decided on is Behr's smokey blue. After refining the blend of paint and water, and adjusting the pressure and diameter on the spray nozzle her inner Picasso emerged. 

Almost a perfect fit

Almost ready for paint

These are the work-in-progress pics, I'll post the end results once I take some decent pics, all of pics I tried to send from my phone to Google+ were corrupted. We also refinished the front door and bought an antique bronze door shoe and threshold. 

Not a fan of the multiple depths around the glass, but love the color

Kari LOVES the spray gun!

I wish she would have had a chance to spend time with me at my friend Ralph's custom shop (Garcia's Mild to Wild) back in Kansas City. I can see her learning to apply candies, flakes, and pearls on a tricked out lowrider, maybe even painting a mural like this one...