Chipping away to get to the character

One of the first things I wanted to do when we moved into Isthmus House was see some brick. It's not like it was hard to figure out where it was and, when we first moved in, I was still considering keeping it as two units for a while longer and brick adds interesting character to old homes. 

When we'd lived there just a few weeks, I got to work one afternoon when The Roommate wasn't home. As always, if you're working with nice floors (I wasn't) protect them from dents and scratches. You should be wearing protective clothing, gloves and safety glasses at a minimum. Earplugs and a mask for dust never hurt either!

It wasn't exactly the prettiest thing when I got started. Using a chisel, pry bar and hammer, I gradually started pulling the plaster off the brick. Chip. Chip, chip. Chip, chip, chip... Plaster doesn't like coming off of brick but it did - just at a glacial pace!

After a while, I'd gotten the middle chunk pretty clean. 

After a few more days, I got started again and got a little further!

So now we have some beautiful character in the upstairs hallway! Would have been exposed originally? Absolutely not, but I think it's lovely and gives a nice point of interest in a formerly boring area!