Phase 7: Redefining Space

The past two weeks have seen a lot of transformation. The insulation filled the joists and the walls. 

They used the spray insulation in the ceiling and exterior walls. It goes in like foam, then sticks and hardens. Even though it doesn't fill the entire space from the roof to the ceiling joists, it is all we need. Powerful stuff.

For the interior walls, the insulation is the more typical batting type. This is put into nearly every crevice. What we noticed when we first saw the insulation is that the building felt different. Our voices didn't carry in the space as it did before. Noise was absorbed. Then, of course, as we walked through, we experienced the rooms differently. The insulation constructed actual walls for us; rooms were defined. Closets became concrete. Bathrooms enclosed.  

After the insulation, up went the drywall, which only further defined the rooms. And made them smaller. 

We can see our home taking shape, showcasing our design. It's amazing to see all the little nuances and choices we've made put into place. The above photo is of the dining room and the lighting fixture.

Even though the main living space is open, the white walls make it feel more compact.

I love seeing all the closets. We have so few closets now that I daydream about putting things away and having specific places for stuff.

Another improvement was in our courtyard: the exterior stairs are going up. Despite the heat, these guys are working hard.

The entire frame for the stairs was supposed to be up within two weeks. That deadline has quickly come and gone. I think we will be lucky if it is finished by the end of the month. Delays like this unfortunately postpone our project's completion. As we've learned, there are many hiccups with renovation, but we're rolling with the punches. 

Phase 7: Too many updates to encapsulate in a concise blog post title

First, my apologies for not posting recently. It has been a busy couple of weeks. But here I am, back to blogging: updating you on all the changes to our future home.

Gerry, our electrician, has done a fantastic job! Between ceiling lights throughout to sconce locations in bathrooms and the stairwell to low voltage wiring to radiant heating in the master bath... he had a daunting task. At the end of the day, he ensured all our electrical needs have been met.

Our kitchen is taking shape. You can see where the median is for the cabinetry. My dream kitchen in transition... I can't wait!

Our round porthole windows have been installed. The neighbors are likely thrilled to not have those dust holes anymore. 

We had a bit of a snafu with the dining room ceiling. While the plans read one way, the carpenters saw it another. They inverted our design. They lowered the perimeter rather than lowering the center. Between this issue and a few others, we had an entire day of carpentry for naught.

Thankfully, they set it right and lowered the center portion of the ceiling. From here, a chandelier will hang.

Our party wall was sandblasted. We are so happy with the way it turned out. Isn't it gorgeous?

More sandblasted walls...

And yet another brick wall. 

Lastly, they started to remove the back stairwell. This moment has been long in the making; Brett & I have been awaiting this day since the project began a year ago.

What a disaster. 

Look Ma - no more stairs! 

And the patio completely cleared. It is much larger than we had anticipated, but with the new stairwell, I am sure some of this space will evaporate. There is still much to do to make it habitable. Another project on the horizon.

Phase 6: Heating, Air Conditioning and Disaster

It is official. We will have heat and air conditioning. Yahoo! Check out all the duct work that has gone in. 

The cylinders above are going to be hidden in the ceiling. Vents will pop out to heat each room.

Truth be told, this will be the first time I have central A/C since living in my parents' house. And they only got it once I was in college, so I really didn't get to enjoy it to its full potential.

Now, the bad news... this is my garden. Or once was my garden. Do you remember my garden? Check Facebook - I posted a lot of pictures when I first moved into the building. It was a barren wasteland, kinda like it is now. But then I resurrected it to a floral mecca. Hydrangeas, Narcissus, Hyacinth. It was lovely. Sadly, my garden met its demise today. Pablo took a chainsaw to it and my garden is no more. I will endure.

*Update: Long story short, Pablo works for our contractor and he was instructed to water the plants. Instead, he decided they were not worth keeping and took it upon himself to remove them. The plants were thriving on Sunday.

Phase 5: Plumbing Time

With the framing complete, the plumbers started their work.

In order for the plumbers to get to work, they had a massive delivery of piping. I still find it hard to imagine that all the parts that arrive at our place are all going to be used. Somehow these bits and pieces miraculously make it from the boxes into the walls and floors, creating the foundation of our home.

On the first floor, Levi marvels at his surroundings. The white pipes just beyond our pup are for the kitchen sink and dishwasher.

Here the piping lines the north wall of the first floor in order to enter the second floor laundry room and powder room.

On the second floor, the Jack-N-Jill bathroom is taking form. The bathtub has been placed so the plumbing can be created around it. You can also see the plumbing for the double vanity. The copper pipes carry the hot and cold water to the faucets and the PVC removes the waste.

On the third floor, the front bathroom is also coming along. The claw foot tub has been put in as have the PVC & copper pipes.

A window has been removed in the adjacent bedroom. We find it rather odd and disconcerting. When looking from the street, my eye wants to fill in the hole and fix it.

There is also plumbing in the master bath. The above piping is for the double vanity.

Copper pipes have also been installed in the master shower. 

We had a friendly visitor on our back deck. Time sure is flying by; summer is around the corner. Three months into our project, the rehab is on schedule. Fingers are crossed that things continue on this course. 

Phase 4: The woodwork continues

My apologies for not blogging recently. Today, I am playing catch up.  

We had an unfortunate discovery at our house last week. Our feathered friend was a little worse for wear. Thankfully, nothing terrible happened at the building. Perhaps her arrival wasn't so ominous after all.

Inside, things have evolved quite substantially; they have created the stairwell opening on the third floor. I love the pic Brett took of the temporary stairs. 

Additionally, the framing has begun. The floor plan is finally taking shape. The first floor has a fairly open floor plan, but you can see the closets and the powder room in the back left corner.

After framing the first floor, the fellas moved onto the second. It's amazing to see this empty space take form. We've noticed things we couldn't comprehend before. Like the laundry room, it feels significantly larger than we had anticipated.

Walking through the rooms for the first time, seeing our design, our home... it's exhilarating. Our future is here.

As for Levi, he'd rather wait to explore the house. He doesn't want to ruin the surprise. 

Phase 4: Here come the carpenters

Some big changes occurred this past week. The carpenters cut a giant hole in our second floor to make room for our staircase. It is massive - way bigger than I had imagined. 

The dark markings on the wall show where the former stairwell once was. To remove those spots, the brick will need to be sandblasted.

This is the view from the second floor, looking down into the hole. 

The guys also removed the walls that enclosed the air shaft. I always wondered what the inside of this silo looked like. It seemed so mysterious: why would there be this air shaft in the middle of the building? My plan was to use it to store supplies in case of Armageddon. Now that it's been removed, perhaps I can create a bunker in the basement.