Whilst in Beijing Ian & I sourced a Chinese Cabinet for the Powder Room sink chest. The cabinet is being made to size and will (in theory!) be shipped to the USA and arrive here (Baltimore port) by the end of August. I will let you know when (if?!!) it arrives The rooms feel quite different inside with the french doors now fitted.
Since my return from China late on Sunday evening I have spent at least 4 1/2 hours taking photos; meeting with Lisa, the landcape architect that we have hired to help us with the garden master plan; working with Rick on the plumbing, and this morning to look at other framing and siding issues,plus review the pile of stone that has arrived from the quarry. The stonemasons, Amish craftsmen, started to apply the stone to the house today. I will be up there tomorrow morning to see how that is progressing, and to take some photos.
Photo Descriptions (top to bottom)
The Dining Room
The Living Room
Jane with the shop owner and her assistant outside the shop in Gaobeidan Furniture Street, Gaeobeidan Village , Chaoyang District, Beijing, after (hopefully!!) successfully ordering the cabinet.
The cabinet that we have ordered for the Powder Room/ Cloakroom sink chest is like this one but bigger.
Apologies for the long silence on the blog. I have been travelling (with Ian, on business to Beijing..which was amazing!) so have not been here to take photos and give daily updates.
Infact the last 2 weeks have probably been the quietest in terms of activity since ground breaking, especially since the big storm of last week which caused so many power outages in the area. Merlin Road had no power from Thursday until Sunday..but the house is still standing, and remained water tight!! Ian & I definitely want to review our generator plans having heard from our neighbours of the slow resumption of power in our neighbourhood. Since we will be on well water if we have no power then we equally will have no water.
To summarise, the progress during my 10 day absence - the English antique chimney pots were installed (& look fab!); copper roofs have gone on the back bays, some window trim fitted, French doors installed across across the front porch, pantry framing adjusted and basement bathroom and bar area drains installed.
See Page 2 for more photos......
Photo Descriptions:
English Antique Chimney Pots crown the reclaimed brick clad chimney
The copper bay roofs on the rear of the house
Front elevation showing French doors installed
Basement showing bathroom (to right) and bar (left hand side) drains
Sorry to disappoint you, but here I am again..just when you thought I had given up!!
The reason for my silence, the last few days, is that in fact there has not been much activity on the lot. We have had some rain ovenight these last couple of days. This rain has resulted in Rick delaying delivery of the remaining windows and doors, as the delivery truck will just churn up the driveway., and postponement of the start of the excavation of the drainage pits.
However the Build Team here in the USA have not been idle at all. All sorts of things being researched/ ordered/ papers signed/ bills paid/ meetings held etc. Nothing that I can exactly take a photo of though!
The one photo above is of one of the 2 English antique chimney pots that I took delivery of yesterday. They will be installed on the chimney of the house in the next few days. Ian & I will, therefore, have something English on our house.....and when we look up and see the pots it will remind us of England , and our family and friends "back home"
Posting on the blog will be a bit sporadic for a little while as I am joining Ian on a business trip to Beijing. Very excited about that..visting the land of my forefathers!!!! I will catch up with the blog upon my return and give you all details of recent progress then.
William and I went to the house this evening,after his soccer team end of season party. It was our first time seeing the windows ourselves. I really love the colour and, it sounds silly to say it, but it is amazing how different the house looks with windows installed and how different it feels inside! Obviously not all the windows are fitted, but the majority of them are..even if still some trim etc to go on.
Other than that I spent a good couple of hours playing with redesigns for the en suite bathroom to the master bedrrom. We did not like how it looks framed up..too fragmented ( I was going to say "bitty" but kind of feel that that word has taken on a different significance since it's use in Little Britain!!)
I also reviewed yesterdays' meeting with the plumbing supplies vendor with Ian, over Skype, early this a.m.. We were able to confirm other decisions we need to make this weekend on house related business.The house workload seems relentless!!
Photo Descriptions (top to bottom)
One of the windows
The back of the house
The basement ( at the time of day when the least amount of natural light is entering the basement)
Windows delivered today ..and, as you can see, a fair number of them are already installed.
Whilst a lot of this was happening this afternoon, I had an appointment with the plumbing supplies vendor , where I spent 2 1/2 hours finalising plumbing supplies. Almost there on those..just a few thing to finalise/ decide upon with Ian over the weekend. . My head is spinning!!
Photo descriptions (bottom to top!):
View of the rear of the house showing windows installed today, and copper roof over guest suite bay window
The rain that was forecasted yesterday did eventually arrive at lunchtime..and continued for the rest of the day. I went to the house yesterday, in the morning, to take some photos, but not today as again there was no work beng done Until the drive way is stabilised it is just to muddy (sub soil seems to have clay in it as it certainly is very sticky when wet, yet dries really quite quickly.) when it rains heavily The driveway will be stabilised after Ian's next visit home (in July) as we need to decide on the grading..somthing he canot really do without being here.
Today it has been 85 degrees and sunny so all should be fine tomorrow for the delivery and commencement of installation of the windows.
However, just because no actual physical work is happening on the site, it does not mean work was not happening here on the house project. I have been workng on landscape architect proposals, reviewing final appliance lists, chasing delivery of the antique English chimney pots, gathering paint and stain colour swatches for the front door. Rick also took me to another house he has built to look at the locations and treatment of the electricity transformer (something we will also have in our front garden unfortunately), back up generator and the stonework. Rick too has been busy..liaising with appliance and window suppliers, chasing the local electricity company etc etc
Sorry..... I did go to the house yesterday (Monday 7th) but did not take any significant photos, so decided that I would offer you a BOGO (except it is a ROGT - Read One Get Two!!) and bring you up to speed today when I knew that significant developments were taking place.
Monday 7th (2 months since the build was started in earnest) . I went up to the house to meet Rick and the stone mason (Jacob) so that Jacob could play with a sample of the stone work for Ian (via internet) & I. he needs us to advise him what we want in terms of stone mix and grouting. in advamnce of him starting the stonework in earnest in 2 weeks time.
Other than that, all sorts of finishing off of things going on at house on the framing,.but nothing new.
Rick realised that due to an error in the concept or architect drawing we will not have space for the wood trim detail that Ian & had hoped to have below the roof line. A shame , but not the end of the world..we will run the stone right the way up to the roof line instead.
Tuesday 8th... Roofing materials delivered and a crew of at least 8 guys were there starting to lay the shingles on the roof and edge the roofs, that will be copper, with copper trim, as well as fix copper in the valleys. Roofers seemed to be making excellent progress ..I thought that the roof would be done by the end of the week. However Rick advised Ian & I this afternoon (during our weekly Skype meeting......which lasted 4 hours today!! Poor Ian must have been exhausted as it was 11.30p.m. Geneva time by the time we concluded business) that he expects a fair proportion of the house to be under shingle roof by the end of today (storm passing through tomorrow!) and that all being well, totally finished by tomorrow (weather permitting.). Amazing!!
Due to the impending storm (the driveway becomes a quagmire when it rains ,which makes it tricky for heavily laden delivery trucks to get up to offload deliveries. You may recall the account of the cement mixers having to be towed by the excavator earlier in the build?) the window delivery has been postponed until Friday. Exterior doors, excluding front door, will arrive a week today. It is very exciting to see it all coming together so rapidly. Although Ian gets to read the blog I think he will be amazed when he comes home in 4 1/2 weeks at the difference.
Less exciting.but vital, drainage pits and more grading to take place next week.
Description of photos (top to bottom)
Stone sample..possibly grout needs to be a fraction more recessed. Colour needs to be more sand colour..slightly too grey as it is now.
Back of house - roofing in progress..and not a hard hat in sight! William in foreground..kind of in school uniform..tie gone and shirt hanging out!! Called in to see the house on our way from school (noon dismissal..last exam! Alleluiah!) and on our way to get him a hair cut!
Roof in progress above guest suite. Copper valley and edge trim clearly visible on this photo.
View of the house at 12.20p.m. today from near the bottom of the driveway.
Quick blog , just to show the photos of the chimney top, which has been constructed today. I am REALLY pleased with how it looks and am now thinking where else we might want to use these reclaimed bricks?? Top of retaining walls, hearth of the fireplace???
Yes, it is the weekend, but the father & son team (Barry & Ian) are working on the house trying to get the chimney finished, as they are scheduled to start another job next week.
I went over just before 1p.m. as Barry needed to see the reclaimed brick samples I had selected from the brick yard yesterday. He was off to buy them this aftenoon and will build the brick top to the chimney tomorrow (potential thunderstorms permitting). Unfortunately we do not have the chimney pots yet, so he will have to come back to install those later. Of course the chimney will not look truly finished until the stucco goes on later in the summer, but I am really looking forward to seeing the brick detail that Ian & I have selected up there "for real", ( a phrase Timo (William's friend) used to say. Happy memories of funny "for real" stories being told in the back of the car on the way home to Virginia Park from Bishopsgate School!!)
I did my usual tour of the house...more weather proof planking gone up, and more deep sills installed. Another batch of photos taken ......!!
Photo descriptions (top to bottom):
The chimney has had a growth spurt!
The fireplace in the living room
The back of the house..under roof base (shingling to start this coming week)
William & I went to the house after I had collected him from school at lunchtime (noon dismissal during exams for Middle School - 3 exams down - 2 to go!)
No mason there to day but the Amish team were busy ( & I mean busy..they work so hard!) doing all sorts of work..putting waterproof strip where the trim will go...framing the window apertures to give us deep interior sills etc etc.
Today was very hot & steamy I did not envy the workers at the house..although the house remains cool (no walls yet!) and the basement is really cool..no a/c needed down there!
Here is a selection of photos of today's progress..not very exciting / interesting for anyone other than Ian & I, I know ...sorry!
I visited the house early this morning (forgot the water for the willow tree!! I will take some tomorrow..although we just had a thunderstorm so it got a bit of rain this evening.). It was yet again a hive of activity at the house with the framers still busy doing remaining roof base, putting up trim, bolting joists etc..and the masonswere working on the chimney. It was really hot up there..can't say I envied the guys working there all day today,
The chimney soon became one of the themes of the day, as I was shocked to learn that the chimney would be built by the end of the weekend. Why shocked? Because we had not yet chosen the brick for the top detail!!! Since we are hoping to use antique English chimney pots (another story!) I had suggested we use reclaimed brick on the chimney. Guess where I am off to tomorrow morning..to a brick yard about 45 minutes drive from here to souce 500 reclaimed bricks .Finding chimney pots of the correct diameter for the flue of the chimney has not been as straight forward as one would imagine., and the safety implications of them not matching can apparently be quite dangerous. Anyway rather than bore you with all the detail let's' just say that we have made progress and hopefully the situation will be resolved in full tomorow a.m.!!
Having thought that I had finalised appliances yesterday I realised that we were still too much above budget, so today went back to the appliance supplier to see what we could change. I think that now, thanks to their really helpful and talented sales co-ordinator we have it sorted. Phew!
Porch posts and balustrades were the themes of Ian & my Skype call today ( Not very romantic! I suppose it could have been had we been looking at these posts wth a view to suitability for pole dancing ( not quite the thing in Chester County!!) but neither of us were on that wave length ..at lesat not at the time!)
Posting some photos from today in 2 blogs (max 4 per blog it seems)
Photo descriptions (top to bottom)
Front elevaion of 3086 Merlin Rd at 08.45 on June 3rd 2010 - dormers now all have a roof and front porch has roof base.
I went to the house early today to meet Rick ( our builder). I did not take photos as I had only taken some the evening before. I will go early tomorrow and rceord progess of today on the camera.
I must also take the willow tree some water. I checked on the tree yesterday ,..seemed happy enough ..new leaves etc..I just think that it has been so gorgeously warm for the last goodness knows how many days that a drink may well be welcome. It will probably rain if I take water!!
Rick and I had a productive 1 1/2 hour meeting looking at various things..reconfiguring the master bath and closet area, and relocation of the electricity transformer to name but 2. From the lot, I went directly to the appliance supplier to finalise appliances (so that cabinetry can be made!). Almost there on that!
Ian & spent an hour or more going through house "stuff" on Skype, including trying to agree porch columns and railing spindles, discussing appliances etc.Appointment booked to finalise plumbing next week. Chimney pots need to be ordered, example sf stone work style to be sourced for stone mason , bills to be paid etc etc ..just some of the tasks to be done tomorrow.
Thought some of you might enjoy this "cool" photo of the lot before building started... especially after such a warm day here! I can wait a very long time for such weather again..give me sunshine any day no matter how warm!
The house is still progressing fast , with weather, fate in terms of craftsmen being available when we need them, and punctual, or even early, building supply deliveries all working in our favour (I have probably jinxed it now!! Hope not!)
The roof is now framed for both porches, all base roof material fixed on all roof areas to be shingled and front dormers , chimney ascending and fireplace looking, to the untrained eye, almost constructed.
Photo descriptions (top to bottom)
Front of the house, this afternoon
Rear of the house, this afternoon
View across the front porch from outside the study
