Posted in Just for fun on July 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »
http://www.loadedtrunk.com/category-s/35.htm
As followers of this blog will know I don’t, as a matter of habit, post links. Particularly shopping type links. But. For this. I make an exception. Textiles of the most amazing kind. The kind that fill up a room with their warmth. Shadow puppets and puppet heads from Burma. Water colours. Not many. But one I love. Teapots and such.
I love this place.
Posted in What comes down must go up on July 21, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Ya really can’t get away with much on the Little Street:)
We understand a gentleman strolled by yesterday and asked kindly about the status of the Little House. With just a titch of an undercurrent. As in when oh when are you going to finish? A question I ask myself …hmm..daily. At least.
So. While nothing much is happening on the outside. This is because we are concentrating on the inside. The electrical is almost done. The plumbing rough in is done and is awaiting inspection. The first stage of the HVAC is in. The stairs to the basement are coming this week and then… HVAC guys will be back. And framers will be back. And after that. Inspections in one form or another for electrical, plumbing and framing. Then we can finish the insulation and put up the drywall. We are going to continue focusing on the inside until we get to the drywall. At which point likely we will start the multi-tasking again and do some more on the outside shell. Cedar, brick etc.
It may not look like a lot is happening. But. In fact. The mechanicals, which are a huge part of the house, are almost done.
Construction of the landing for the stairs to the basement. The basement stairs are going back exactly as they were, except two feet deeper. But the landing needed to be replaced.
And you may recall from earlier pictures that since last fall there has been a HUGE industrial bin in the backyard. Gone. Gone. Gone. YAY!
Posted in What comes down must go up on July 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »
For those of you who have followed along for a while, you may remember the spec sheet we found in the walls for the original bathtub.
We kept the bathtub. It is now installed in the upstairs bathroom. Full of water. Hence the watering hole reference. Waiting for a plumbing inspection. Sometime. Soon. I hope. No doubt about the raccoons. As they have left their paw prints on the edge of the tub.
Posted in Just for fun on July 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Our little one made these. ALL BY HERSELF. FROM SCRATCH. The dough too. She has been asking me to buy yeast all week. I had reservations. I was wrong. They are GREAT!
Just to be clear. She did this all by herself – except for the oven part.
Pizza Buns.
Posted in Just for fun on July 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Opinions are sought. I find myself undecided. With about a week in which to make a decision.
The kitchen will be closer to 1930 than 2009. But with a couple of zigs. I am going to use two colours on the cabinets. A mossy green underneath the windows and cream/white over by the stove and fridge. I have one vintage light that will hang above the desk in the kitchen. And then I was going to buy some lighting from Hudson Valley Lighting to use in the centre of the kitchen over the table and in the stove prep area for more light.
Then we need light over by the sink and the length of counter under the windows. And first I thought I would hand three small pendant lights in this area. And now I am thinking something modern. Out of sync. And colour is the issue.
One of the blogs that I follow from time to time – Things that Inspire.
http://freshpalette.blogspot.com/
In June there was a post on this blog with a kitchen whose windows are very similar to ours. And I was quite taken with the lighting.
http://freshpalette.blogspot.com/2009/06/light-on-two-sides.html
This photo was posted on this blog, above, and it is there noted that this kitchen was designed by Atlanta kitchen designer Cynthia Ziegler.
Here is our kitchen. This pictures shows half the windows and just a peak of one of the two side windows.
Two things caught my eye. The dark colour on the trim??? And the lighting over the sink. You have to look closely. It is very modern.
Here is the problem.
I am going to use this vintage light over the desk
And then I was going to use lighting from Hudson Valley Lighting that looks like school house lighting with dark bases.
http://www.hudsonvalleylighting.com/productDetail.aspx?CollectionID=EDISON%20COLLECTION&ItemID=15
So I can’t find this lighting in dark bronze or black – not that I like anyway. So now I have to decide to give up the idea or take a leap and do it in a finish that is more like nickel.
Risky. Can’t picture it. It either works really really well. Or it is an expensive mistake.
Posted in Just for fun on July 13, 2009|
Posted in What comes down must go up on July 11, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Today 12 metres of concrete arrived and was dumped through the window into the basement. By the end of the day, hours of back breaking work later there is a freakin PERFECT basement floor. TADA.
Joe drinking coffee. The Angels objected to the fact that I seem to always capture them drinking coffee. A pure coincidence. But just to be clear. Really. It looks more like this.
Hard work and talent.
And wonderful Victor.
And amazing Walter.
And
Our Tim. 
A view shortly after the pour and the first rounds of levelling.
This all means of course that HVAC guys can come back and finish running the ducts. Framers can come back and finish framing up the basement and assorted all small jobs. All good.
The Girl came over to have a look ~ and put her hand print and initials in the concrete.
We’re working on stairs to the basement. It’s going to work better.
Posted in What comes down must go up on July 5, 2009| Leave a Comment »
On Saturday Plumbing Guys arrived. That would be Claudio with Gian Luca and Frank. And they worked all day, a very long day, to get in almost all, but not quite all, the plumbing rough in.
Copper pipe. After some debate, and Mike Holmes notwithstanding, we elected to give a pass to the plastic flex pipe. I could almost visualize the headlines – 20 years from now. As everyone starts riping the flex out of their houses. Copper we know. I could be wrong but if I am I still have copper pipe:)
Gian Luca installing upstairs I think..
Basement consultation – Tim with Claudio, Frank and Gian Luca.
Posted in Just for fun on July 1, 2009| 2 Comments »
Yesterday was a very long day for me. Meeting that went to 730pm. Lots of goings on. And then I had a conference call at 9pm. Just one of those horrible, no good days.
When I walked in the door the Amazing Ms. H had a surprise for me. Something I have been searching for over the last fourteen years. The cover of the New Yorker magazine dated May 15, 1995. Which was an auspicious day indeed.
The Amazing Ms. H found it. Printed it and gave it to me. Pure joy. Thank you Ms. H. You made my heart sing.
Posted in What comes down must go up on July 1, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Yesterday was a good day.
Fred came. Fred is totally awesome. I believe he can see through floors. Really. Between Fred and Tim and all the thinking and planning we managed to get rid of all but one bulkhead. This is down from what might have been 5 to 6 major bulkheads. We had to move a door – which didn’t make me particularly happy. But in the end those bulkheads are GONE GONE GONE.
And Fred totally did this. Patient. And creative. And he took the time. And I am truly profoundly grateful.
Here are the ducts.
Aren’t they beauTIful?
Fred brought Tony.
And Fred brought Rupert.
And together they cut the holes and ran all the duct work on the second and first floors in a day. Moved so fast half the pictures were blurred. Not really – but you get the picture.
They will be back in a while to finish all the hook ups and runs in the basement and to install the furnace and the air conditioner.
Thank you Fred and Rupert and Tony.
YAY!
