Mid-year, already!!

Yes, mid-year! This week seemed to fly by, and with lots of activity, but it didn't translate to a lot of visible progress this week, so of course it's feeling like crunch time for our construction project!

Most of the on-site work this week was indoors, and a lot of that was continuing or finishing things that were already in progress.

One of the more labor-intensive (and messy) tasks was the planing of cherry wood slabs to serve as shelving. The resulting pile of wood shavings and sawdust is quite impressive, but the near-finished boards that came out the other end of the process look great!

Cherry board shelves being test-fitted and evaluated for placement

We had to buy additional slabs of cherry for the fireplace mantle and shelves in the butler pantry... too bad we can't glue sawdust back together to cover the additional need!

Countertop fabrication was the other more visible area of progress, at least for the master bathroom. The crew was on-site Thursday cutting and installing the white Carrara marble, well into the early evening. 

Fabricator is on site, here getting ready to drill holes for the faucet in the "his" countertop...

... and here's the installed piece mounted on the "his" side of the master bath

Meanwhile, we visited the granite shop to verify selection of stone for the kitchen, and thankfully discovered (now rather than later) discrepancies in plans for the cuts, stemming from assumptions about the sink and rangetop, size of stone slab, and other factors. Needless to say, someone will be back out to the site to re-measure everything!

We spent a lot of time this week working to finalize plans or confirm decisions we've made previously in preparation for the next wave of materials and finishing details. Granite slab.. check.. fireplace brick.. check.. kitchen tile layout.. check.. landscape bid.. check.. door hardware.. we're not there yet!

Some imagination required... here's the official design for the backsplash behind the rangetop. A centerpiece of subway tile laid in a herringbone pattern, with the remainder installed in a running bond (aka "brick") pattern. A large stainless exhaust hood will be installed above

A minor revision to plumbing in this bathroom was needed to accommodate the open-style vanity cabinet we selected... no problem!

Next week? We're looking for continued good progress! We may see beams in the kitchen if the cypress lumber we need is delivered as planned, and additional grading of the property to prepare for landscaping, and delivery of the sand-shell material for the lower drive. These being among the dozen other things that are already in flight!! 

We're also taking a few days this coming week to relax and check out neighboring Savannah, Georgia (100 miles south), and enjoy some fishing from the beach on one or more of Charleston's barrier islands.

Sure enough, Puerto Rico is a straight
shot from either Folly Beach or Kiawah!

In support of this plan, two Penn surf-fishing rigs joined the arsenal this week (after much deliberation on size and features, of course!) 

The salesman at the local shop cautioned that we not use the 10' rod to "cast the bait to Puerto Rico" because the fish generally stay close to the shoreline in this area, and we don't want to be casting right over the target!


That's it for this week's update. Have a happy and safe Independence Day holiday weekend!

Ron & Bonnie

It's summertime in Charleston, for sure!

The hot, humid weather that begins about now and continues through August brings with it a regular threat of rain and thunderstorms here in Charleston, even if scattered and short-lived.

This week the crew was able to navigate around a few spotty days and continued making good progress both inside and out. On Monday they were able to get the paved section of the driveway poured, with dark storm clouds hovering nearby throughout the process.

Exposed aggregate (oyster shell) in driveway requires good timing to get the finish just right

Inside, finish work continued with most effort focused on custom built-ins and other trim work for the master bedroom, family room, and study, with installation of the hickory stair treads in process as well. 

Our carpenters are doing a terrific job with the built-from-scratch details, and show great patience when asking seemingly simple questions like "how would you like to space these shelves?"

Built-ins flanking entry inside bedroom are complete and being readied for primer and painting

The make-shift woodworking shop has now extended to the porch, where a carpenter is routing the stiles and rails needed to build our family room cabinet doors

Fireplace wall is coming together nicely! Doors for the lower cabinets were built on-site this week but not installed, awaiting some hinges. Slight adjustment will be needed for the wiring in the soffits to accommodate the articulating-arm lighting that will illuminate the finished bookshelves 

Having been the source of some planning challenges and general grief in construction, the study's coffered ceiling was built-out this week... it turned out great! The corner edge on the surrounding soffit will be finished in drywall before a small strip of cove moulding is installed to provide the finishing touch.

Coffered ceiling proved to be more challenging than anticipated due to the soffit around the perimeter. So, next time we'll know better!!

This built-in nook will serve as coffee station for guests, with space for small refrigerator below

Bathroom vanity units and countertops for our guest suites were delivered this week (between a couple of afternoon downpours!)

Once unpacked it quickly became apparent there was a communication failure... the rough-in was placed at a height that assumed fully-enclosed cabinets. Some minor rework should solve this problem, but will need to be addressed before passing go!

Vanity units for the guest baths will be topped with white carrara marble 

On the planning front, we're still waiting on the quote for door hardware that we expected to receive earlier this week. Disappointing, but not holding up our immediate plans.

We know our builder wants to get the air conditioning installed -- the sooner, the better! Not just for the crew's comfort, though. Climate control will allow materials to acclimatize in preparation for the wood floor installation in the coming weeks, preventing potential issues (like buckling and warping of the floor boards!)

While all of the rest of this is going on, we continue to work on furniture and decorating decisions. At this pace we'll be moving into a less-than-finished home, but we ARE making progress!


That's it for this week! Hope you enjoyed our update!

Ron & Bonnie

Week 35... Full speed ahead!

Following a week of poor weather that dampened plans outdoors, things shifted into high gear this week as the crews made up lost ground and closed out the week with some really great progress. The chaos level is probably best summed up with this photo...

"Housekeeping!!"

We started our week with a day trip to the quaint little town of Camden, where we visited a furniture maker's shop at the suggestion of our designer. It was well worth the trip... the owner clearly takes pride in his work, and he spent considerable time to describe his construction techniques (like hand-cut dovetails joints) and other details. This afternoon we let him know we want to have him build our dining table, and have a couple of other pieces in mind that we're thinking about.

We're going to have a slightly longer version of this table built from ash. Still need to determine stain color, but we should have several weeks to decide

As an aside, Camden is the site of the worst American defeat of the Revolutionary War, but it later became a major trading town with direct ties to Charleston, with goods from North Carolina and the west transported from Camden to Charleston on flat-bottom riverboats for export to the rest of the world.

Activity on the outside of our property was in full swing this week, with excavation for the driveway and rough grading of the property being most evident. The fireplace on our rear porch received its tabby stucco finish, too, which turned out great!

Cement scratch-coat was applied early in the week to provide a good surface for the final finish

Here the stucco mason (on ladder) applies the finish coat, which involved throwing crushed oyster shell into the wet top coat of cement and tamping into place  

And here's the finished product, after curing for a day. Very Charleston!

Forming for the driveway began on Thursday and was still being finalized on Friday afternoon. We have a side yard set-back restriction and other criteria that required some adjustment, but everything seems in good order and we are scheduled for a pour of concrete on Monday, weather permitting. The paved upper section of the drive will be top-coated with crushed oyster shell, which should blend nicely with the loose shell and sand material that will fill the lower section.

Turnaround section at back of driveway is formed, but a double-check of the property line identified the need to shift this area over toward the house by about 18 inches

Front of the house is looking pretty spiffy after rough grading and some clean-up of the yard

Inside, finish work continued as the crew began construction of bookcases and cabinets for our family room fireplace wall, and bedroom entertainment and shelving units. We like what we see, and today decided to add a small coffee station to the carpenters' to-do list.  

Television nook and bookcase in our bedroom is taking shape. A similar set of shelves will be constructed on the left-hand side of the opening, as well.

The bases for the bookcases that flank the fireplace were roughed-in, and ship-lap was being installed as the backdrop for the upper section of the wall

On the planning front... ughh... We stopped by a showroom this afternoon to look at door hardware...

Have you seen that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry is having cabinets made for his kitchen?Would you like this hinge, or this one? We can use two shelves, or three. Do you want the trim cut this way, or that? We can do whatever you want...

Actually, things went pretty smoothly, and we picked a couple of traditional looking (pancake style?) door knobs to price out in oil-rubbed bronze, which should be fitting with the shaker style of the interior doors. Exterior French doors will have levers rather than knobs, in the same dark finish. We're supposed to have a proposal next week and hope to finalize our decision by the end of the week. 

"Um, we need some door knobs, please..."

Next in the list of ridiculously difficult things to choose... glass shower walls and hardware? How difficult can that be? The web site for the company Bonnie meets with next week, on this very topic, references an on-line catalog with -- 150 pages of shower door hardware!!

Who knew?

Rear elevation is looking nearly finished. Sometime before we're done the majority of the lower porch will be screened, with the left-most portion remaining open to facilitate evacuation of smoke from the barbecue grill we plan to keep right outside the kitchen door!

That's it for this update. Next week should be just as action-packed as this one. We're still eyeing August 1, fingers crossed!!

Have a great weekend, and Happy Father's Day...

Ron & Bonnie

A washout week!

Well, our six-month streak of favorable construction weather came to an end, with a solid 3+ days of rain dampening our progress this week.

Our plan for excavation and marking of the driveway was postponed, twice, and will now be a focal point for next week, provided the weather cooperates! Work on the outdoor fireplace resumed just this afternoon with application of the base metal mesh, and potentially a first coat of cement that the mason was planning to apply by end of day.

Wire mesh that serves as a base for stucco finish was just applied to this fireplace today

Inside, tile and grout work in the bathrooms was completed as planned, and we're very please with the results!

Master shower was completed with the exception of the curb-top, which will be finished in the same marble stone that will be used for the countertops. Here Bonnie double-checks the measurements and approves of the plan...

The tile rug feature in our bathroom, a source of much planning and angst, turned out terrific!

We still need to finalize our plans for the kitchen backsplash, but we're leaning toward use of the simple tumbled subway tile that we have planned for the pantry, with a little artistic twist in the form of some feature tiles or different installation pattern behind the rangetop. Maybe a rectangular section laid in a herringbone design, surrounded by a more common "brick" pattern for the balance?

Carpentry work continued at a good pace this week with completion of our closet and pantry shelving, installation of pocket doors, and some initial work to prepare our reclaimed lumber and cherry slabs that will serve as shelving and kitchen ceiling beams. 

We made a last-minute decision (today) to add perimeter beams along the length of two walls in the kitchen, to tie into the beams we've already planned. So, we'll need to source some more cypress material before getting started with installation, but that should still be in plan for this coming week, and we're excited to see how this takes shape!

Shelving was constructed in a U-shape around the interior of the walk-in food pantry. The carpenter demonstrated the integrity of his work by doing pull-ups on the support structure!!

Cherry slabs receive their first-pass cuts, being ripped down to shelf-sized widths, destined for installation in the custom bookcase units that will flank the fireplace in coming weeks

Hickory stair treads were delivered and may be installed as early as next week... cool!

Next week we should see a proposal for our landscape installation, and make up the lost ground on the driveway prep work, while we continue tackling items on our decision-making and to-do lists.

Bubbling up to the top of our list are hardware selections for doors and cabinets, closing in on decisions on furnishing for our dining room and study, and a half-dozen other details that are all top priority!

Google updated satellite photos of our neighborhood recently, so you can now see our project from space!

That's our update this week!

Ron & Bonnie

The race (to the finish) is on...

So, it looks like 60 days to the finish line, more or less. Our builder updated the construction schedule this week to account for a few adjustments and we arrived at August 1 as a target date for calling this chapter of our project "done".

Of course, there's still an incredible amount of work to do and plenty of opportunity for things to go wrong, so we're going to play it safe and assume a couple of weeks beyond this for sake of our move plans. Still, the finish line is in sight, and we're pretty thrilled about that!

Work this week centered around the tile work, which is nearing completion in the bathrooms but will extend into next. The kitchen and pantry tile jobs will wait until our countertops are in, maybe a month out from this point. What's finished, though, looks absolutely great, and the attention to some of the finer details is apparent.

This classic rosette-patterned tile is installed in one of our guest suites. Tiles on shower curb are aligned with tiles on the wall; rosettes on the shower floor are aligned with those on the floor, including on the angle (as if the curb was not there). That's attention to detail!

This is the tile "rug" in our master bath, now installed with its border. Everything appears to have worked out just right so that whole tiles in the main floor sections will abut this both at the front and back of the rug

Our second guest suite gets another traditional treatment of basketweave and subway tile, with a contemporary twist provided by gray accent stripes on the shower walls 

Otherwise, more of the same is going on in and around the house, with continued focus on trim work, closet builds, touch-ups, and a couple of re-do projects. Interior doors were hung, with the exception of pocket slider doors, and the primer coat of paint has been applied to all of the woodwork installed to date.

Construction of the custom shelving in the master bedroom closets is just about compete. This is looking in at one end of the "hers" closet

We'll call this a partial do-over. We were struggling with how best to finish the coffered ceiling, with its internal beams finished at the same level as the surrounding soffit. So, we're raising the inner section a few inches to allow the finish trim to end into the sides of the soffit area. If that doesn't make sense, we'll include so before/after photos when finished!

We've had a challenge with porch railings. Some due to warping of the pressure-treated lumber as it's dried more completely in the intense sun, and some as the result of not accounting properly for the slope of the porch floors. Some minor fixes have been required, but in this case it was recognized that starting over is sometimes the best course of action!

Our trip to Charlotte last weekend was productive, giving us too many ideas to think about for the study and dining room! We were also able to see in person the bed/headboard we were considering for our bedroom, and yesterday ordered that along with two comfortable chairs to fill the seating area in our future retreat.

On Sunday we spent time downtown at an art exhibition on Marion Square that featured work of quite a few local artists. We'd like to incorporate an artistic element related to the lowcountry in our "keeping room" area (the area between the kitchen and the family room that we didn't know what else to call!), and this gave us the opportunity to get a sense of the local art scene and some ideas to consider.

We've also continued the ongoing process of vetting furniture and design options with the help of our designer, who provides not only ideas but some gentle nudging here and there when needed, making sure we are being thoughtful while continuing to make timely progress.

On the left is a fabric for an ottoman in the study that will accompany a yet-to-be-selected pair of club chairs. On the right, our great room sofas (leather), and fabrics for two pair of chairs that we've now placed on order. It's a start!

On the planning front, we met with a landscape firm to review our plans and expect to see a proposal in the coming week.

Looking ahead, our outdoor fireplace should receive its "tabby" stucco finish (cement/shell mix) next week, and we're excited about seeing that come to life. Bonnie is already anticipating Saturdays of college football on the porch, seated next to this fireplace as it takes the chill out of those chilly autumn afternoons! In Charleston!!

Outdoor fireplace chase is wrapped in felt paper and readied for stucco

Another way to measure progress on the interior trim work!

Finally, we met with our builder this afternoon to review the layout for our driveway (on paper), and expect this will be staked out for our review early next week, with at least a chance that by week's end we'll see some new concrete and stone!

As an aside, the driveway is one area of many that received special attention by our Architecture Review Board, thanks to the Grand Oak tree in front of the home. One of the accommodations we agreed on was the use of a permeable surface in the area of the tree's root system. This is to ensure there's enough water seepage into the soil to sustain the tree, and to prevent excessive runoff into the surrounding landscape and ponds.

As a consequence, we'll use a mix of crushed stone, sand and oyster shell in the lower portion of the driveway, and pave the upper section (area near the house) with a concrete and oyster shell mix that should complement the look of the loose material.

Nothing is simple with this project!!

"Is that a spider?"

That's our update for this week! Hope you enjoyed it!

Ron and Bonnie