followed my gaze. “The most important thing before I move in is to get the roof fixed and update the kitchen as much as the Planning Commission will allow.”
“I don’t think they’ll care too much what we do to the kitchen,” I said. “As I mentioned before, they’re mostly concerned that we stay true to the original exterior look and also be mindful of the interior walls. In a lot of Victorians, the rooms are compartmentalized, and the first thing new owners want to do is open them up. But the interior walls are often load-bearing, so it can present a problem.”
His lips twisted into a frown. “I was hoping we could open up the wall between the master bedroom and that second bedroom to make room for a sitting area. Doesn’t have to be big, but I’d like to have a couch and a chair, at least, for sitting around upstairs. And I’d like a walk-in closet. Not that I’m a clotheshorse, but the closets are way too small. I like having the extra space.”
“Let’s see what it looks like.” I walked into the kitchen and spread the stack of blueprints out on the counter. I rifled through them until I found the second-floor plan and spread it out. After a minute of studying the line drawing, I said, “Here’s the master bedroom, and, yeah, this is a load-bearing wall. But look. Instead of tearing out this entire wall, we could build a wide doorway here and another regular doorway here.” I used my pencil to point out the spots. “This area would be your sitting room, and this here would be the closet. You could add French doors or just leave it all open. We’ll add a four-inch molding around the doors and crown molding at the top to make it look really elegant.”
He stared at the drawing, then nodded. “So it’ll be more like a suite of rooms. I could live with that.”
“We can run upstairs and take a closer look if you want to.”
“Okay, but first I want to look at the electrical plan. My biggest concern is that the wiring is updated. I need super-high-speed Internet along with every cable channel known to man.” He grinned wryly. “Gotta keep my finger on the pulse of popular culture.”
“Right.” I found the electrical plan and spread it out, bending the ends back and forth to flatten it enough to keep it from rolling. “We’re required by law to rewire the whole house because it’s still got the original knob-and-tube wiring throughout.”
“I wouldn’t even know what that was if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” he said, referring to the old-fashioned ceramic tubes and knobs that held electrical wires in place. “It’s a miracle the house hasn’t burned to the ground by now.”
I tapped my pencil on the drawing. “It looks like most of the upstairs rooms only have one outlet each, so we’ll add one or two more to each wall. And same goes for the light sockets. We can revamp the lighting to make it whatever you want it to be.”
“Good.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “You want to go upstairs and look around?”
“Sure.” I made a few quick notes on the electrical blueprint, then rolled it back up with the rest of the stack. Glancing around the kitchen, I spied a cabinet on the far wall. “And before we leave, I want to check out the dumbwaiter.”
“Is that what that is? Cool.”
I turned and took one step—and screamed.
A tiny white rat skittered across the floor, ran right between my feet, and escaped into the living room. It might have been sort of cute—if I weren’t so horribly freaked out by rats. Even a tiny one that looked like a family pet.
It was lowering to admit it, but I scrambled out of the room and ran straight out the front door. Mac followed right behind me. I didn’t stop moving until I reached his SUV, where I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered uncontrollably.
“Sorry,” I muttered, when I could speak again. “Rats creep me out, no matter what size they are.”
“They creep me out, too.” He pulled me close and
“I don’t think they’ll care too much what we do to the kitchen,” I said. “As I mentioned before, they’re mostly concerned that we stay true to the original exterior look and also be mindful of the interior walls. In a lot of Victorians, the rooms are compartmentalized, and the first thing new owners want to do is open them up. But the interior walls are often load-bearing, so it can present a problem.”
His lips twisted into a frown. “I was hoping we could open up the wall between the master bedroom and that second bedroom to make room for a sitting area. Doesn’t have to be big, but I’d like to have a couch and a chair, at least, for sitting around upstairs. And I’d like a walk-in closet. Not that I’m a clotheshorse, but the closets are way too small. I like having the extra space.”
“Let’s see what it looks like.” I walked into the kitchen and spread the stack of blueprints out on the counter. I rifled through them until I found the second-floor plan and spread it out. After a minute of studying the line drawing, I said, “Here’s the master bedroom, and, yeah, this is a load-bearing wall. But look. Instead of tearing out this entire wall, we could build a wide doorway here and another regular doorway here.” I used my pencil to point out the spots. “This area would be your sitting room, and this here would be the closet. You could add French doors or just leave it all open. We’ll add a four-inch molding around the doors and crown molding at the top to make it look really elegant.”
He stared at the drawing, then nodded. “So it’ll be more like a suite of rooms. I could live with that.”
“We can run upstairs and take a closer look if you want to.”
“Okay, but first I want to look at the electrical plan. My biggest concern is that the wiring is updated. I need super-high-speed Internet along with every cable channel known to man.” He grinned wryly. “Gotta keep my finger on the pulse of popular culture.”
“Right.” I found the electrical plan and spread it out, bending the ends back and forth to flatten it enough to keep it from rolling. “We’re required by law to rewire the whole house because it’s still got the original knob-and-tube wiring throughout.”
“I wouldn’t even know what that was if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” he said, referring to the old-fashioned ceramic tubes and knobs that held electrical wires in place. “It’s a miracle the house hasn’t burned to the ground by now.”
I tapped my pencil on the drawing. “It looks like most of the upstairs rooms only have one outlet each, so we’ll add one or two more to each wall. And same goes for the light sockets. We can revamp the lighting to make it whatever you want it to be.”
“Good.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “You want to go upstairs and look around?”
“Sure.” I made a few quick notes on the electrical blueprint, then rolled it back up with the rest of the stack. Glancing around the kitchen, I spied a cabinet on the far wall. “And before we leave, I want to check out the dumbwaiter.”
“Is that what that is? Cool.”
I turned and took one step—and screamed.
A tiny white rat skittered across the floor, ran right between my feet, and escaped into the living room. It might have been sort of cute—if I weren’t so horribly freaked out by rats. Even a tiny one that looked like a family pet.
It was lowering to admit it, but I scrambled out of the room and ran straight out the front door. Mac followed right behind me. I didn’t stop moving until I reached his SUV, where I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered uncontrollably.
“Sorry,” I muttered, when I could speak again. “Rats creep me out, no matter what size they are.”
“They creep me out, too.” He pulled me close and
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