Fresh Start Studio

Week 6 flies by -- still busy here at the lake!

Today marks the end of Week 6 here at the house project. The new roof was finished last weekend and windows and doors were installed -- they were two weeks late! I've also watched them demo the doorway and ceiling in the stairwell as well as the laundry room. Only a plastic zipper door separates the downstairs from the chaos now. A team of electricians descended and left lots of saw dust downstairs, lovely.

The pace will slow a bit next week as we start waiting on materials to arrive. I have several more things to order -- the cabinets and appliances order will be finalized next week. Plumbers are here Saturday and we still have beams and skylights to go in. Whew -- I won't mind a bit of a slow down :)

remodel week 5 off to a great start

Our site was very popular Monday. Within a 2-hour time frame I had electricians, painters (for back bedrooms), the architect, and a new sub who came to figure out the best way and timing to cut into the roof to frame up the new porch. Here are some photos from today showing all the new siding prep work that's just been completed. The electricians cleaned up a tangled nest of wiring into neat little rows, and they are notching out the new beams for the grill patio arbor. I also decided to create a nook in the entry from some dead space (thank you Clayton!). I can hardly keep up!

Here, the old dining room window is covered, awaiting a new one in the little office space.

 

New soffits will be part of the roof installation (starting Saturday!).

So glad that fake stucco is gone! They'll put Tyvek house wrap on top of this.

 

This is one of the new beams for an arbor, you can see the two posts for this patio off to the left in the photo above.

This space-creating new nook is along a wall in the entry, the front door is to the right. I plan to place an entry table there, or something more creative! Ideas?

Look how neatly the electricians bundled the crazy mess of wires in the vaulted area above the front door. I love knowing how organized my wiring is now. Good karma!

Check back soon. I will have a giant tarp over the house on Thursday evening, hoping for no storms and a crew large enough to close it all in by Friday evening.

p.s. In case you noticed the "week 3" reference in the previous post, I guess I lost my mind temporarily -- as well as week 4 -- we really are into week 5 now.

busy as bees -- and they sing too!

Friday marked the end of Week 3 on our renovation journey. The front of the house was ripped off and then neatly covered back up. This is the kitchen area. In the middle of this wall will be a new 7 1/2 foot long divided window that gives us a great view of the front yard and will let in an amazing amount of light. Here the guys are installing a new header for the window. Oh, and the guy on the left in the last photo, Zack, he is our resident country music singer -- and, wow -- he's good! Any talent scouts out there? I've requested Nessun Dorma and have my fingers crossed. Thanks for the suggestion Mike C.

Looking ahead to Week 4, the agenda includes ripping off the back of the house, installing new windows and exterior doors, 8x8 posts will be installed under the back porch decking, and they will cut into the roof to start framing the back porch where it connects the existing roof line. And lots of loud noises. Stay tuned!

stained glass brings continuity to our space

 
July's banner for Fresh Start Studio features the stained glass from the front door of our lake house. It was lovingly created by the original owner I'm told. It is quite the Frank Lloyd Wright style. We need a new front door, so I will remove this glass and create something special. I feel it deserves an honorable spot in the new digs. There are also two side-lights. I'm sure I can find a way to use them. I want to keep all the good vibes and beautiful light and color they create.

Making a vaulted room feel cozy

This is a common delimma, isn't it? Homeowners love vaulted ceilings, but when they live in them, there are mixed responses. Some want all that sunlight to come in and would never cover a high row of windows at second-floor level. Some want a cozy feeling to the room -- more fabric! And some just feel lost in there, and don't know why. I think the problem is the high ceilings don't match human scale. One solution is to bring the visual height of the room down so the space feels less overwhelming. Decorative beams installed at first-floor ceiling level accomplish this. Also, a drapery that fools the eye by creating a visual line at normal height (two contrasting panels form the line). Lastly, contrasting molding around the perimeter of the room can bring the height down. Here are examples. Do you have another solution? I'd love to hear it. My sister is debating this for herself right now. Good luck Cath!