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...
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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?
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
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| "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.
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| 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!
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| Cement scratch-coat was applied early in the week to provide a good surface for the final finish |
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| 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 |
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| 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.
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| 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 |
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| 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.
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| 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. |
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| 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...
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?
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| 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
Love the table and the fireplace!
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