They should be installed tomorrow, but we're happy to report for now that the wooden doors that will adorn the front and side entries of the house arrived yesterday without incident, and they look great!
The mahogany door (left), flanked by side lites, is the front door, and the narrow fir french door in the foreground is one of two that will allow coastal breezes in to what is likely to be named "The Parlor" going forward. We've been rethinking our dining needs, and are changing our original plan for two kitchen islands to a single island with a dining table, so what was initially a formal dining room is likely to be a social gathering spot for ladies night, or whatever it's called.
Progress this week was a little light, pending deliver of these doors, which once installed will permit the siding crew to continue in earnest.
Today, the fireplace boxes were installed for the family room and rear porch. We are still thinking through finish design considerations, but something a little more casual than formal seems to be winning out, with something of a rustic look in the mantel and maybe some brick, ship-lap or stucco used in some combination between the two areas. "Tabby" stucco is a traditional Charleston finish that uses crushed oyster shells for the aggregate. Seems like it might be difficult to keep clean, but sounds cool!
On the ground level, the staircase and surround walls for the stairwell and elevator shaft were framed. Tomorrow the crew will start on the front and rear staircases. All of the framing and plywood sheathing on the ground-level of the structure, including this interior stairwell, will be pressure-treated lumber, giving another level of protection against damage in the event of flooding.
On that note, our little island community was not submerged when Charleston had its 1,000-year flood last year, or during Hurricane Matthew this past fall, so hopefully these are good signs for the future!!
By early next week we hope to have settled on the majority of our interior lighting, plumbing, and tile selections. We're going to do some running around on Monday to revisit all of the choices that Bonnie and designer Sandy have been working on. Outdoor lighting, with the exception of the gas lamps we'll have at the front door, are yet to be contemplated. Here are a few of the lighting selections we've agreed on, we think...
We'll also be studying up on audio-visual technology over the next few days, and trying to determine what we'll need in the way of "low voltage" wiring throughout the house to supply television signals, audio, and anything we'll want to do with security or home automation. There is just so much to consider, and the technology is changing fast!!! It seems like "wireless" will soon rule in all of these areas, but it's not quite there for everything we'll need today.
We're looking forward to another week of progress ahead! Our builder is targeting ~mid-March at the latest to be starting drywall, so we have a couple of weeks to get all of the final rough-ins in place and be feeling good about it!
Enjoy!
Ron and Bonnie
The mahogany door (left), flanked by side lites, is the front door, and the narrow fir french door in the foreground is one of two that will allow coastal breezes in to what is likely to be named "The Parlor" going forward. We've been rethinking our dining needs, and are changing our original plan for two kitchen islands to a single island with a dining table, so what was initially a formal dining room is likely to be a social gathering spot for ladies night, or whatever it's called.
Progress this week was a little light, pending deliver of these doors, which once installed will permit the siding crew to continue in earnest.
Today, the fireplace boxes were installed for the family room and rear porch. We are still thinking through finish design considerations, but something a little more casual than formal seems to be winning out, with something of a rustic look in the mantel and maybe some brick, ship-lap or stucco used in some combination between the two areas. "Tabby" stucco is a traditional Charleston finish that uses crushed oyster shells for the aggregate. Seems like it might be difficult to keep clean, but sounds cool!
On the ground level, the staircase and surround walls for the stairwell and elevator shaft were framed. Tomorrow the crew will start on the front and rear staircases. All of the framing and plywood sheathing on the ground-level of the structure, including this interior stairwell, will be pressure-treated lumber, giving another level of protection against damage in the event of flooding.
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| The only framing work this week was the building of this interior stairwell from the freshly-poured garage floor to the main level |
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| Framing for the elevator shaft was completed as part of the stairwell enclosure. You can see the transition from pressure-treated lumber on the lower level and untreated on the level above |
On that note, our little island community was not submerged when Charleston had its 1,000-year flood last year, or during Hurricane Matthew this past fall, so hopefully these are good signs for the future!!
By early next week we hope to have settled on the majority of our interior lighting, plumbing, and tile selections. We're going to do some running around on Monday to revisit all of the choices that Bonnie and designer Sandy have been working on. Outdoor lighting, with the exception of the gas lamps we'll have at the front door, are yet to be contemplated. Here are a few of the lighting selections we've agreed on, we think...
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| A combination of bronze and antique brass seem to be tying together the main- level lighting design |
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| This "articulating arm" bookcase lamp will cast its light onto the built-ins in the family room |
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| Two of these gas lamps will welcome visitors at the front door |
We'll also be studying up on audio-visual technology over the next few days, and trying to determine what we'll need in the way of "low voltage" wiring throughout the house to supply television signals, audio, and anything we'll want to do with security or home automation. There is just so much to consider, and the technology is changing fast!!! It seems like "wireless" will soon rule in all of these areas, but it's not quite there for everything we'll need today.
We're looking forward to another week of progress ahead! Our builder is targeting ~mid-March at the latest to be starting drywall, so we have a couple of weeks to get all of the final rough-ins in place and be feeling good about it!
Enjoy!
Ron and Bonnie
Love the lighting fixtures!
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