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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Renovation Continues....Part 3


On Tuesday, the 21st of February, the project enters its 8th week. We are totally rehabbing 4 rooms, an upstairs bath and the work has crept into another bedroom and bath now as well. I am bolting all the doors to the other rooms so we can stop any further expansion and see an end to this project. >>> See more pictures here

Stepping into the kitchen, bared down to its studs brought us back 20 years to what the space looked like when we bought the derelict Tuck Inn. It had been foreclosed and vacant when we found it. We gave the kitchen new life then and it is getting another rebirth now. We feel like caretakers of this historic property and now it will be ready for the 21st century.

The 4 rooms downstairs are now plastered and they await the paint crew this week. More new windows will go in, including a roof window above the new tub in the Cathedral/Honeymoon Suite so you can gaze at the stars as you laze in the tub. We finally found someone to give the GARLAND stove a go-over. It will go to Nashua, N.H. on Tuesday for a complete rehab. Getting the 500-600 lb. stove out the door and up onto a truck will be a challenge. We feel the stove is the soul of Tuck Inn's kitchen. You can't imagine how many repair shops and workmen told us to chuck it and get a new one. Can you imagine replacing this 50+ year old work horse. We want it to be around for the next 50 years baking delicious breakfast goodies as well.

The carpentry should all be completed this week including the remaining doors in the laundry, new kitchen banquette, trim and finish work. As we await the cabinets and the new appliances which are due around the second week of March now, we hope to conentrate on the new check-out area in the guest kitchen. We have yet to decide the layout for this area. This is the space beside the wall map with all the pins noting homes of guests. In that space will be our phone, reservation book, computer, printer, answering machine and all the things that need to be secured nightly as new laws require us to protect guest information.

This past week Laura and Scott chose countertop and backsplash materials. It will be appropriate for a kitchen in Rockport, Massachusetts. We can't wait for all our returning guests to see what we have been creating all winter. Stay tuned for more on the continuing saga....

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Renovation Project Continues at Tuck Inn


The project is now entering it's fourth week, and we are moving away from the wanton destruction with wanton abandon phase and into the (HOW MUCH?) reconstruction phase. Ka-Ching, Ka-Ching!

See more pictures here

Mike D'Annolfo and his erstwhile crew are making the most of this cooperative weather and are outside working on the last window today while buttoning up and siding all of the outside work as well (he thinks that is, as he doesn't know yet that we're replacing the back door too). The plumber and the electricians are all roughed in waiting for the end game (of course excepting the daily changes we seem to be making much to their exasperation although adding to their coffers as well). Within another few weeks Mike expects all the carpentry (excepting the trim) will be done and he can sheet-rock/plaster everything that needs it, (and believe me folks that is pretty much everything).

The project (with one major exception) all seems to be falling into place. We expect to finalize the cabinets this week with the counter tops following soon thereafter. And talk about sticker shock, on these we keep shaking our heads and asking each other: (HOW MUCH)?

The one sticking point that we've run into is our stove. This Garland stove was installed in the 50's by the Tucks, and like the energizer bunny - it just keeps on tickin! However, it does need some TLC, some welding and some parts replacement. If you haven't seen the stove, it is a commercial range and it is a monster, with 6 burners, 2 ovens, a griddle and a broiler and it has always been the focal point of out kitchen and we want to make it more so. From the numerous calls we made, we had only two responses and they both told us to junk the stove and buy a refurbished one second hand on the web - which we've adamantly refused to do. We did get one quote however and if ever we needed a wake up call, this was it - Ka-Ching Ka-Ching once again. But as Liz always tells me, it will all fall into place. Meanwhile, my nails are bitten down to the quick (both uppers and lowers) - but rest assured it will all be taken care of before the project is done.

If you didn't know it, our project has somehow become a bit bloated too and I'm praying it won't expand beyond its' current 4 rooms! OUCH!!

Beyond the costs though, with Laura's expertise, when you return for a visit or come for your first time, you're going to discover a kitchen that is not only highly functional (YUM!) but aesthecally beautiful and it is a designer's dream.This project is our daughter 's pride and joy (second only to her kids & our grandkids that is). Laura has such a sharp eye and has added so many decorative details that you'll be amazed. While you can get a feeling for the changes and some of the new features by looking at the attached photos, the only way you can really appreciate our remodel though is up close and personal. Towards that end, we will be having an open house to show it off - so keep your eyes peeled here for more info. Of course, if you can 't make the Open House you can always take this opportunity to book your reservation with us here now instead ...........

Thank you - Hope to see you soon,
Liz and Scott