Part 16: The New Fireplace Wall

Update:  The Montauk Black slate has been installed around the firebox and is looking pretty fantastic.  It still needs grout, but I'm loving this stone.  It has a "satin" finish, meaning the rock still has some clefts and variations in surface depth, but it's been sand-blasted to a satiny-smooth surface that makes you want to run your hand over it.  Really lovely.  The dark stone blends a bit with the black metal gas fireplace box, making it look a tad bit less modern-gas-insert-y and will be a lovely contrast to the white painted mantel and shelves with the dark wood floors.

Original post:
Hector's been installing bookshelves, a mantel and trim for the new fireplace in the great room, along with new trim for all of the new windows and new front door.  He has a good eye and great attention to detail and does beautiful work.  His nephew, Francisco, is quiet, likes to listen to Mexican dance music on his phone as he works and does an excellent job.  They've matched the new with the old and work so fast, it's blistering.

Here's the fireplace wall, mantel, bookshelves and new windows all trimmed,  It's just as I'd imagined when I first walked into the space.

Click here for Part 17: The Cherry Floors

Part 15: The front hall

Finally, the clumsy, tiny front hall closet is a thing of the past.  The structural support has been addressed (larger, longer beam above, sistered joists below), and the drywall is in.

Here's the hallway before;

And here's the hallway now;

Please ignore the old kitchen drawer boxes, which were on their way out the door.
The hall went from 3.5' where the closet use to jut into the space, to a comfortable 6' wide.
Salvador is an expert drywaller and did a fantastic job blending the new with the old.
I liked the glow of the color of gyp plaster so much, that I had it color matched and am planning on using this color for most of the main floor.
That ill-placed closet cost so much time and money to remove, but the space feels SO much better now.  Next is the new fireplace surround.

Part 14: The new front door

Big day at the house today:  Mike and Guy, my contractors, had Jose, Miguel and Jose of J&J Construction install the new front door, sidelites and transom.
As usual, they did a fantastic job and the results are lovely.  Big change from the original, crooked door.  This is the same team who built the new columns for the front porch, new windows at the kitchen nook and above the new fireplace.

From left to right:  Guy, Miguel, Jose and Jose.

They also did some work adjusting the height on windows, and trimmed the patio doors of the ADU. 

It was raining, but they were good sports.  Results are fantastic.  So nice to see finish work!  This means we're getting closer to the finishing the project....

Thanks, Guys!  Great job.

Click here for Part 15:  The new front hall

Part 13: The Marble

Marble acquired!

I found a great supplier/fabricator, Keystone Granite, in Salem.  They have great prices and customer service so I drove down to look at their warehouse.  I wasn't sure what I was going with for the kitchen, until I found this slab of marble.  Bam.  Choice made.  It's just too beautiful to keep looking anywhere else.  It's now paid for and sitting in their "Sold" stone yard with "O'neill" written in the corner.  They'll also be fabricating the white quartz counter top and shower threshold for the master bath.  They're so busy that it'll be about 6 weeks until they get to my install, so I'll probably have to make do with plywood counters for a bit, but I believe it's well worth the wait.

Here's the walnut butcher block counter that's already sitting in the garage waiting for installation onto the island cabinets.

So, that will be white painted cabinets in the kitchen, Carrara marble counter tops for the perimeter cabinets, walnut butcher block for the island, stainless appliances and nickel hardware all against the dark, stained wood floors.

Simple, classic materials that will fit into the early-20th C. architectural vibe of the house.

Oh!  And drywall is going onto the walls and ceiling this week!  Hurray!  Here's a shot of Salvador, the excellent drywaller, working in the front hallway.

Click here for Part 14:  The new front door

Part 12: The Master Bath

Work has been progressing in the master bath:  A last minute inspiration/crazy impulse to have the walls paneled was handled brilliantly by my project manager, Guy.  He hunted down wood paneling with 6" wide boards and had his finish guy, Hector install them just before the tiling was due to start.

The paneling primed and in-floor radiant heating's been installed.

The bath tub sits in the master bedroom, waiting to be installed, along with the faucet, toilets (one is for the guest bath) and window/door trim.  You can see the sample of soft yellow on the wall that I love in the space.

The best for last:  Here's the polished Cararra Hex tile flooring installed in the master bath.  The polished tile catches the sunlight through the Eastern and Southern windows and looks almost like shimmering water.  Sometimes, elements are even better than anticipated once in place.

Polished Cararra hex tile shimmers like water, even reflecting on the ceiling.

I like the way the polished marble hex plays with light so much that I've decided to install it on the laundry room floor, too.

Click here for Part 13: The Marble

Part 11: The Structural Work

It's been a busy and productive week at the house.

Lots of work going on!  Our crews and the hardworking neighbors were landscaping.

The closet is finally out of the front hallway.  Originally, there was an odd "jog" to the hallway, now it's more open with better lines of site, going from 3-1/2' to 6' wide.

Standing inside the front door, looking toward the back of the house.

Standing mid-way in the house, looking toward the front door.

It's tempting to also relocate the door to center it on the hallway, but the front entry space just inside the door is much wider than the hallway leading to the back of the house, and the door and sidelights are centered in that space.  Also, moving the front door would require reframing of the front porch steps and support columns - so we're leaving this alone.

Yesterday, Jose and his team installed the new windows at the back of the house, two in the kitchen nook and two over the new fireplace.

Hard working crew installing windows and replacing siding.

Two news windows in the kitchen nook letting the Eastern light pour through into the space.

Two new windows on the West side over the new fireplace.

I'm so delighted with the results of the new windows.  The original wall of windows on the North side of the house are lovely, but adding the new windows on the East and West walls lets the light pour into the space from different angles and at different times of the day, creating a multi-directional space.  This was the very first idea I had after walking into the space for the first time last September, and it feels so satisfying to see it finally take shape.

We also had painters hard at work in the cottage, and a buddy, Wayne, helping with painting cabinets in the laundry room, but more on that later.  All in all, a very good week!

Click here for Part 12: The Master Bath

Part 10: The permits; We have Lift-Off.

Hurray!  After numerous revisions and delays, we finally have the structural permits to add the windows to the back NE and NW corners of the house, and remove the clumsy closet from the entry hall.  Woo Hoo!

Now we can get this puppy wrapped up!

In the mean time, we passed plumbing and electrical permits for the master bath and the tilers have been busy at work.  I'll have some progress photos on the master bath to post soon.

Please say a little prayer of thanks to the structural engineering gods.

Click here for Part 11:  The Structural Work