Exterior Shots of Windowseat, and a Winner...

{painted T-111 ("Texture One Eleven") grooved plywood siding, James Hardie Fiber Cement trim and wood sills}

Finally, some outside shots of the windowseat...

One thing I am SO HAPPY about was to enlarge the overhang on the windowseat, and also thrilled to add the expansion of the roof overhang over the existing deck in a change from the original construction plans.

Do you see in the photo above to the far left what a skimpy overhang the roof on the house has? Yes, only a mere nine inches.

{painted Georgia Pacific Plytanium Ply-bead plywood sheet paneling on the soffit}

Not only did the new windowseat roof get a more substantial overhang then we have on our existing house,  I expanded the overhang over the deck from 9" to  2'-6"! It's now the only place in my house where I can walk outside and not get wet when it rains!

The overhang protects the doorway and makes it so easy to shovel the deck when it snows. No longer does snow build up in front of the door.

I have to thank the talented and insightful Kim and Jack Alvarez of Landmark Consulting in Albany, New York for their advice on handling the overhangs for this project. Kim and Jack's specialty is historic and landmark buildings and interiors, but their knowledge of material and proportion helped guide me on this "young" 1978 house!

See Landmark Consulting's website here: www.landmarkconsulting.net

Loretta

p.s. Congrats to the winner of my jewelry and chocolate Valentine's giveaway, Grace Fecher! Thanks to all who entered!

Matching Aluminium Cladding For An Exterior Paint Color

{best match}

Did you ever notice how the white aluminum cladding on windows (here's my Pella Architect Series windows for my new windowseat) has a blue-green cast?

I decided not to fight it but embrace it - hence my new exterior paint color "Angel Touch"

I can't stand the name, but the color of the whole exterior should look uniform - and I DO like the color! It's white with a hint of aqua to it!

...photos of the finished exterior coming soon!

Loretta

Paint Colors and A Gorgeous Ceiling Fan...

{my drawing}

Finally, I'm at the fun stage of picking some paints for the windowseat addition.

 Here's what I've picked - Benjamin Moore "Yarmouth Blue HC-150" for the walls, "Atrium White" for the trim and "Wrought Iron 2124-10" for the windows. (I'll use a 50% strength Atrium White for the ceiling... don't want the ceilings to appear chalky... thanks Maria!)

...and in the living room a new ceiling fan "Elle" by Craftmade in polished nickel w/ 60" walnut blades and seeded white cotton shades. Six fan speeds, and five lights in the uplight and three in the downlight. Isn't she beautiful?

Loretta

Goodbye

More Paper Model - and Demo Is Done!

{done!}

Here's my paper model completed with it's roof on! This shows the new windowseat and the larger roof overhang and a 18" roof extension over the deck. (The construction drawings done a year ago had shallower overhangs.) This past Spring a friend told me I needed heftier overhangs if I really wanted to change the style of my 70's "modern" house to something more traditional, and I have to agree. See the shallower roof overhand here.

Another project is on this paper model, too. Wouldn't this new french door and circular window look great to replace the existing ho-hum sliding patio door? I think so, and maybe it can be done in a year or two. Always dreaming! My budget calls for renovating in stages.

  

The demolition of the old fireplace chase is done and work building the windowseat should start this week, weather permitting. Here you can see the old steep staircase removed and the ladder up the chase...

{an octopus revealed!}

Always surprises during demo. I never knew the old fireplace had all these vents attached to it! We have four vents in the house that I though were HVAC, but were really a forced air complex heating system with this old fireplace we never used! Weird, and looks like an octopus!

 

Fianlly, all torn down and ready for the new construction. I am SO excited!

Loretta

Making A Paper Model of the Windowseat

{working it out}

Today I made a paper model of the windowseat addition we're building so I could take a better look at how the rooflines will work.  (I'm thinking I want a larger overhang then what's shown on the construction drawings.)

If you can remember from this post back in October 2010, this project was suppose to be completed almost one year ago! It should start this week. Everyone I know tells me contractors are always delayed.

Have you had a contractor complete a project on schedule?

Loretta

p.s. Thanks all for voting on their favorite of my three master plans. The winner (and my favorite, too!) - plan #1!

A Letter to Vern Yip

 

Dear Vern,

It's been a year since we met. Thanks for your gracious advice on my house. 

It was super fun to have won the contest at the Albany Home Show and get to spend some time with you. You were gracious, charming and a little sleep deprived as your son was just born. I see he has a new little sister, now. Two kids under two. Wow!

I've been drawing plans and elevations - lots of them. Construction starts tomorrow! That "wall of windows" you envisioned has morphed into a windowseat. I think you'll like it! It's not as modern as the existing house, but it will be the tail that wags the dog. I'm more of a "modern cottage" girl at heart.

The wall-o-wood is still there. I'm still wishing I could paint over it, but I know in my heart your advice that the slanted installation makes it dated is right. I'll make it all firewood by the end of the year, promise!

You're probably asking why a boring stock photo above and not a photo of you and I? Heaven knows Stacey took a gazillion of them. (She though you were adorable, by the way...) She misplaced the camera's memory stick. It's in a box, in a drawer, somewhere in her house. Perhaps the readers of this blog will think we never met without that proof, but Vern, you and I know the truth... 

Send some construction prayers my way. You know you started this whole thing rolling...

Yours Truly,

Loretta

p.s. I know how much you travel. Enter to win my giveaway - Ryan's Travelite Luggage Scale! I'm drawing the winner May 23.