Home Basics

After 15 years in the Bay Area, I'm realizing how spoiled I was by the climate, so here's an overview of staying comfortable in an apartment in the Memphis summer, (as well as a few of our spoils from the Antique malls (see previous post)).

Note- I'll be getting a little geeky here as buildings are my vocation (and sometimes avocation).

First, here's our place, it's the left side of a single story duplex, probably built in the '30s.  Single wythe of brick veneer over wood studwalls (with about a 1" air gap). It's a raised floor building over a crawlspace (not many basements in town), with an enormous attic. (There's a gigantic fan up there, in the middle of the building, that used to suck giant quantities of air through an enormous hallway ceiling grate, into the attic space, and out through the vents you see in the front (partially hidden by the trees). Seems it would depressurize the living spaces and pressurize the attic, anyone know why this would be a good thing?

Now the hardware: 1) Original single pane windows with storm windows in place, blinds, and ceiling fans in each room (window AC units not shown)

2) Dehumidifier: This puppy cranks out 5 gallons of water a day. Is this stuff pure? should I use it instead of my filtered drinking water?

3) Air purifiers- Black monster under table (entry table from antique mall: American made. Circa 1960's?)

Why air purifiers? Besides general mustiness: there must be hidden mold and mildew....and Marina's alergies to cockroaches...there's obviously some serious rot below the floors as evidenced by this creepy settlement of the floor (foundations are fine):

Moving on- kitchen window sealed shut (don't ask), no ventilation. We're basically eating raw food until we buy a house (or a grill for the back patio):

That's it for the nuts and bolts. But here's a few of the goodies we've picked up. Below: amazing '60s(?) dresser, (label says made in Memphis). Puts the giant IKEA thing we lugged cross country to shame (aesthetically at least):

A few mid-century cheapies for the dining room (still unpacking as you see):

This hand-painted box is super cool (will have to get more pictures of this kind of thing, but hand painting furniture and objects seems to be something of a regional tradition and a form of folk art I believe):

Oh, and here's a really awesome table (made from old doors) we picked up at the anual 'Adopt a door' auction last weekend, a fundraiser for the Memphis Heritage Society (note our cat (left) feeling at home):

Finally, here's a picture of the used Acura we just bought- 100k miles, but amazing car: should serve well for the long roadtrips to explore the region and visit family and friends north and east:oh yes

oh yes

Oh yes, and here's my home office- incubator of the future O___ Engineering of Memphis. (and blog central for now....)