Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Construction saga: The eve of destruction

This little structure, built in 1950, is about to be taken completely down to the studs, but in a month or so, it will morph into something more beautiful than the original owner of the house ever imagined.

I meant to get out earlier today and take a picture of the workshop/storage building/carport that is about to be magically transformed into my little modernist nest, to quote fellow blogger Brismod.

It was almost dark when I remembered to take the photo, and perhaps that is fitting. Bright and early tomorrow morning, the crew will be here to start demolition on the interior and start jackhammering concrete in the carport so plumbing lines can be laid and new concrete poured.

The well-worn doors will be replaced by French doors, and the carport will be my kitchen and laundry room. The sidewalk and grassy area in front will be paved with stone to create a small seating area, the teak bench will be sanded back to its original glory, and I'm planning a great modern overhang which I'll post about later.





This will be my little flat-roofed modernist home in just a few weeks, and I'm incredibly excited. I found a great sale on appliances and ordered my refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and over-the-range microwave last night. The fun will begin when they're all delivered and we have them sitting in the living room.

We are in the last stages of cleaning out all the things that were stored inside the building and in the carport. (We're down to one last box and my SIL's weights.) I posted an ad for a ton of free things on craigslist, and the first person who showed up took every single item.

I'm ready to get this started!

12 comments:

  1. So exciting, Dana! Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

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    1. Keira, I've loved following your progress and have been so impressed with everything you've done! I'm so happy that you're finally moved in...but so sorry about your brush with the walnut sawdust!

      This is going to be such a small job compared with what you undertook, but making everything comfortable and functional in such a small space will be a challenge of its own.

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  2. This is going to be fun!! You know how long I've been waiting to start our home build....too long. I will live vicariously through you and your build. I'll try not to get too bossy. When do we get to see the appliances?

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    1. They'll probably sit in the middle of the living room in boxes till it's time to install them...but, trust me, you'll see pictures of every single thing (probably till you're sick of seeing every tiny detail). :)

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  3. i will be a willing bystander!...im a frustrated wannabe renovator...i will just have to get my fix thru you!
    Allison x

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    1. I'll try to be entertaining, even if things don't go smoothly (and I hear they don't always). :)

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  4. So exciting!! Can't wait to see more :) And happy to hear you are taking some time for yourself and your family, even though we'll all miss the daily posts. I will now look forward to each one MORE.

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  5. Oh i'm jealous with envy! Cannot wait to see what you do with it! Ar eyou still planning ot go with a gray scheme on the inside?

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    1. I've been watching the progress on Pontipee Hall with excitement, amazed at how quickly you were getting it done. I'm hoping my project goes as quickly. I'm going with a slate floor in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room and red oak hardwoods in the living room and bedroom. The walls will probably be a very, very pale gray with a hint of brown, since my sofa is black with flecks of brown.

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  6. I have construction envy. This is going to be really cool. I particularly like the idea of a small, efficient well decorated space. This is going to be really fun.

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    1. I loved watching your bathroom project and your recent landscaping project. I think it's so much fun seeing what other people do to their homes. Not only can you get some great ideas, but you also get inspired to get moving on projects of your own. I'm really excited about getting this one started and sharing it on the blog.

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