Compared to the slow, steady progress of the past nine months, work on our beach house has suddenly accelerated. This update is a roundup of recent progress—think of it as a tasty smorgasbord of renovations. The foyer photo below captures the kind of “good” mess that comes with progress.
Any of that feels like progress compared to the truly chaotic condition we started with. We’ve made big structural fixes: a repaired stable foundation, a new watertight roof, replaced rotted siding, updated plumbing and electrical, a functioning HVAC system ready to be turned on, and fresh drywall free of mold and cracks. Those changes don’t always show in a photo, but they make all the difference.
The fastest way to see everything at once is the short video Sherry shot last week. If you’ve spent the recent weeks tiling with us, ten minutes will fly by.
One of the most noticeable changes is the addition of trim and doors. While the installation wasn’t fully finished when we were there tiling, it immediately made the house feel more finished and polished.
We salvaged as much original trim as possible, but a good portion was too rotten to reuse. To get the most visual impact, we prioritized original trim in the foyer, downstairs doorways, and around the stained glass windows by the stairs. The rest received a simple chunky trim that suits other restored homes in town.
Some asked why the trim wasn’t primed and painted before being hung. Our contractor preferred to hang first and then caulk and paint the pieces that actually fit. That avoided painting many reclaimed pieces only to discard them later. It also allowed us to see original colors on some trim—like a soft gray on the front stairs and a pale blue-gray by a doorway—that made us reconsider painting all trim white. We’re exploring matching those tones in select spots.
We saved and rehung original doors as well. Although reusing them cost more than buying pre-hung new doors—because our contractor built new jambs for each—it was worth it for the character they bring. Our favorite is the chippy blue door between the mudroom and kitchen/dining area. We’ll keep it mostly open and simply clean and clear coat it to preserve its worn charm.
Here’s that door in a “before” shot taken soon after we bought the house—funny enough, our HVAC tech is visible behind the glass in that photo. Upstairs, the original wood doors were rehung as well. In the front bedroom we uncovered an exposed brick chimney that we also left visible in the living room below.
We have mixed feelings about the upstairs doors: they’re darker and more scratched than we remembered. In a bright, windowless hallway they could feel heavy, so we’re weighing options: sanding and sealing them to match the heart-pine floors, or painting them a soft gray similar to the foyer trim. We haven’t decided yet and want to live with the space a bit more before choosing.
Aside from contractor work, we’ve been hands-on with tiling. Over two long days we tiled four floors (three bathrooms and a mudroom), and on a return trip we finished three shower pans. Three shower walls remain and then we’ll grout everything. Doing the tiling ourselves is a big savings—about $12K—but it’s a lot of labor.
The mudroom flows into the downstairs full bath. For floors we chose a durable slate-look 12 x 24″ porcelain tile, paired with a basketweave shower pan and long white subway-style tile on the shower walls. The style leans classic to suit the old house, with playful accents like the patterned blue tiles planned for the master bathroom.
The upstairs hall bath uses a warm gray 12 x 24″ porcelain tile that reads slightly like concrete. We’ll grout with a close-toned grout to reduce strong contrast lines. The shower pan gets white hex tile, and the shower wall will feature our patterned blue tile as an accent—something we’re excited to install next.
We used a contractor-recommended Schlüter system in place of cement board and tried the LASH leveling system to avoid lippage on large-format tiles. The LASH clips and wedges helped keep tiles flush, and once set they snap off cleanly below the tile line. Using the special pliers for the wedges is well worth the small cost for easier tightening.
The most time-consuming tiling was the master bath floor: retro black-and-white hex sheets with the black motif replaced by blue tiles. We prepped tiles by removing the black pieces and breaking the blue sheets into individual tiles for installation. Dry-fitting the layout helped us choose an offset pattern we preferred to a strict grid.
We worked late into the evening on some days—using battery work lights and phone flashlights when the house had no power—to finish tile placement. On our most recent trip we extended the floor pattern into the shower pan so everything lines up visually with the future glass shower wall.
Sherry also did an initial clean of the original clawfoot tub. With just water and a sponge she removed surface mineral deposits and dirt, and even some rust started to lift, revealing the white cast-iron beneath. We’re hopeful we can restore the basin without having it reglazed; if needed, the tub exterior can be primed and painted.
Outside, the HVAC contractor installed the A/C condensing units, so we’re days away from being able to cool the house. Also, we finally have running water: the town installed a water meter in front of the house after locating a very old line rather than digging up multiple roads. That solved a long-standing issue and means we’ll be hooked up soon.
All in all, it’s a good kind of mess—the kind that means the house is finally coming together.
For more beach house updates we’ve shared so far, check our previous posts on drywall, the vintage pink stove, exterior progress, floor plans, color choices, and the before tour.
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