Interregnum

Today, Ted went to Nantucket for three weeks.  While we are not done with the exterior of the house, it no longer looks like a construction site--just a house getting a new porch and walk way.  The painting is complete, and we have some foundation planting.


When the kitchen was added ( sometime long, long ago) it was build on cement block.  The cement block was never painted, so it was quite the contrast to the old brick foundation.  Last week, I took a piece of brick to the nice paint store man, and we matched it with a self priming paint. Seth then brushed that sucker on.

Wow. It changed everything.

That's the funny thing about finishing touches.  Each one seems to add a dimension to the project.  When Seth finished painting the body of the house,  it just shone.

See, nice and shiney!

The porch is coming along.  I bugged Ted to get some help to finish it before he had to go to the island.  He snorted, and said, '" I am making it up as I go along.  No one else can do it."  I think he may be right.

We decided ( actually I decided) that the steps should be wide.  I want to be able to put flower pots on them.  More importantly, I want to be able to stoop sit in the early evening.   The walkway, which will go in this week, will be Goshen Stone--our local stuff.  The stones will be 4' wide, just slightly narrower than the steps, which need to line  up with the posts.  The unfinished posts that you see in this picture, will be wrapped.  They will be about 1" more all around, giving the porch the proportion it needs.  As soon as Ted has done that, he will order the screens and winter panels.  The interior walls will be clapboard, like the house.  ( We have a bunch of clapboard left--think of it as free.) Each of the panels you see in this picture will be painted dark green.  Then each will get a rectangle of light green (the color of the door) inset.  I haven't quite decided what color the wainscoting base will be.  Maybe yellow since I am a little worried that dark green will be too heavy.  I'll decide once we have painted the rest of the porch.

The backyard is shaping up also.

I ordered up the deck trellis last week.  It will be English lattice and will run all around the deck at 6'. We'll put it up unpainted and then in the fall, after it has dried out, we will paint it green I think.  I also ordered an awning for the deck.  It will span the entire deck and will be yellow and white striped.  How very tasteful.

Peace and quiet reigns.  No banging boys and dirt and dust.  I am going to Nantucket on Friday for the weekend because I can't stand it.....

So, You Thought We Were Done?

The second floor is together now.

Master Bedroom

Landing Looking into the Guest Bedroom

A mysterious visitor enjoys the stairway.

Guest Room

We had a little tiny problem with the HVAC.  The equipment in the third floor leaked into the second floor bathroom.  Oh dear, we need a repair to the ceiling....  Ted doesn't like me to talk about it.

So calm reigns, not. We are now launched on the outside of the house.  Last week Ted decided to build a deck--in 4 days.

And, he did.  That's the stairs on the ground.  The deck will  have an English trellis surrounding it. The trellis will provide us with privacy while outdoors but also when we eat at the dining room table.  Fitzgerald Fences, which made the border fence (see next pictures) will build and install the trellis (soon, I hope.)

But, you can't just have a deck and trellis and fence.  You need greenery.

Kyle and his rototiller

The Stewartia and Serviceberry ready to be planted

Rhodies and Hydrangeas

Planted

And, in case that wasn't enough, Kyle dug up the front walk.

 

And, Ted framed the front porch.  He says he will finish building it this week.  Seth will finish painting ( don't hold your breath) the house,  and we will have mulched beds and maybe a few flowers (that's me by the way.)

On May 30th, Ted will head off to Nantucket for about 3 weeks.  He has another house there, you know.  He has to get it ready for rental season.  When we comes back, the garage uplift starts.  Oh, a little peace and quiet--such a pleasant thought.

While he is gone, I will need to figure out how we manage our dirt pile of a lawn for the summer. Ideally, I'd like to wait until September and then grow grass.  It may not be possible to wait given the dust bowl out there.   A little sod, maybe?

We Live Here

Some early morning shots of our almost complete first floor:

Living Room

View of Dining Room from Front Hall

Fireplace in Dining Room

Living Room

Kitchen Range Hood is being re-done!

Finishing Touches

Five days until our furniture comes out of storage.  We are so close.

First Floor

Our painting came last Friday

Shutters were installed last Wednesday

 

 

Dining Room View

Second Floor 

Ted installs the mirrors

 Third Floor

Third floor bath

Third Floor Finished Space

Ted the Builder Man

The Master contemplates:

Hmm... What tool do I use next?

I Just Have to Stop This

I have lost my mind.

This is a sample of our first floor switchplates:

GoodNightIrene

Weekend Pixies

I went to the house today and found all these little additions left by the house pixies:

Wall Sconces

Toilet, Faucet  and Overhead Lights in Guest Bath

Lights and Faucets in Master Bath

Kitchen Faucet

Exterior Lights

I turned around and caught some of those sneaky little fellows at work:

Kitchen Island Light

This week, the living room shutters go in (Wednesday) and the Grillo painting comes (Friday).

Ted is whaling away.  Last week he installed all the shower stalls.  Here's Ted working on the third floor:

Now you see him

Now you don't

The punch list is shrinking. Ted has Seth to help him in Jeremy's absence.  Jeff, our electrician, says he should be pretty much done by Wednesday.  Chet , the plumber, slips in and out without anyone seeing him.  Toilets and faucets just keep appearing.

They will be pretty much done inside by Friday, I think. My brother is calm. I am trying hard to be like him. But, I am imperfect.