Yes, we do like that Tuscan look: the high-tech industrial trend is not for us. (Our vanity will be an old pine children's desk we found in a secondhand shop. More about that later.)
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Bathroom floor
The upstairs bathroom moved closer to completion with Gillian of Small Renovations, laying our floor tile.
Yes, we do like that Tuscan look: the high-tech industrial trend is not for us. (Our vanity will be an old pine children's desk we found in a secondhand shop. More about that later.)
Yes, we do like that Tuscan look: the high-tech industrial trend is not for us. (Our vanity will be an old pine children's desk we found in a secondhand shop. More about that later.)
Bathroom floor
The upstairs bathroom moved closer to completion with Gillian of Small Renovations, laying our floor tile.
Yes, we do like that Tuscan look: the high-tech industrial trend is not for us. (Our vanity will be an old pine children's desk we found in a secondhand shop. More about that later.)
Yes, we do like that Tuscan look: the high-tech industrial trend is not for us. (Our vanity will be an old pine children's desk we found in a secondhand shop. More about that later.)
Moving in
Monday, June 7 was the day our container of furniture arrived. Of course, it was raining!
I had gone downtown the previous week to clear the shipment through Customs. Although I had to wait an hour, once I approached the counter the process was smooth and swift. This was at least partly due to the efficiency of Janet, our contact at AMJ Campbell, the moving company. Janet gave us excellent advice about what documents and ID we would need. The Customs officials were apologetic about the wait, quick and friendly with the paperwork. "Welcome home", they said as I headed for the door.
And so, right on time, the container arrived outside our door. Well, nearly outside. Although we knocked on every neighbouring door, we couldn't find the owner of the car parked right in front. I don't think the guys minded that nearly as much as they minded our stairs and the many cases of books they had to carry up them.
It took a set of bolt cutters to remove the seal from the container doors.
As the morning wore on the pile of bubble wrap in the front yard mounted ever higher.
Inside the house, the boxes also piled up.
And as we unpacked, every surface was gradually covered with our possessions. How did we still end up with so much stuff, in spite of stringent paring down?
By the end of the day, we had at least one room arranged in some semblance of comfort.
I had gone downtown the previous week to clear the shipment through Customs. Although I had to wait an hour, once I approached the counter the process was smooth and swift. This was at least partly due to the efficiency of Janet, our contact at AMJ Campbell, the moving company. Janet gave us excellent advice about what documents and ID we would need. The Customs officials were apologetic about the wait, quick and friendly with the paperwork. "Welcome home", they said as I headed for the door.
And so, right on time, the container arrived outside our door. Well, nearly outside. Although we knocked on every neighbouring door, we couldn't find the owner of the car parked right in front. I don't think the guys minded that nearly as much as they minded our stairs and the many cases of books they had to carry up them.
It took a set of bolt cutters to remove the seal from the container doors.
As the morning wore on the pile of bubble wrap in the front yard mounted ever higher.
Inside the house, the boxes also piled up.
By the end of the day, we had at least one room arranged in some semblance of comfort.
Moving in
Monday, June 7 was the day our container of furniture arrived. Of course, it was raining!
I had gone downtown the previous week to clear the shipment through Customs. Although I had to wait an hour, once I approached the counter the process was smooth and swift. This was at least partly due to the efficiency of Janet, our contact at AMJ Campbell, the moving company. Janet gave us excellent advice about what documents and ID we would need. The Customs officials were apologetic about the wait, quick and friendly with the paperwork. "Welcome home", they said as I headed for the door.
And so, right on time, the container arrived outside our door. Well, nearly outside. Although we knocked on every neighbouring door, we couldn't find the owner of the car parked right in front. I don't think the guys minded that nearly as much as they minded our stairs and the many cases of books they had to carry up them.
It took a set of bolt cutters to remove the seal from the container doors.
As the morning wore on the pile of bubble wrap in the front yard mounted ever higher.
Inside the house, the boxes also piled up.
And as we unpacked, every surface was gradually covered with our possessions. How did we still end up with so much stuff, in spite of stringent paring down?
By the end of the day, we had at least one room arranged in some semblance of comfort.
I had gone downtown the previous week to clear the shipment through Customs. Although I had to wait an hour, once I approached the counter the process was smooth and swift. This was at least partly due to the efficiency of Janet, our contact at AMJ Campbell, the moving company. Janet gave us excellent advice about what documents and ID we would need. The Customs officials were apologetic about the wait, quick and friendly with the paperwork. "Welcome home", they said as I headed for the door.
And so, right on time, the container arrived outside our door. Well, nearly outside. Although we knocked on every neighbouring door, we couldn't find the owner of the car parked right in front. I don't think the guys minded that nearly as much as they minded our stairs and the many cases of books they had to carry up them.
It took a set of bolt cutters to remove the seal from the container doors.
As the morning wore on the pile of bubble wrap in the front yard mounted ever higher.
Inside the house, the boxes also piled up.
By the end of the day, we had at least one room arranged in some semblance of comfort.
Exterior almost complete
Of course, it needs a coat of paint, but the carpentry on the exterior is now done and all the detritus cleared away. With a new roof, new windows in the original openings, and cedar siding replaced where necessary, "Grand Cottage" is standing proud.
That is merely a primer coat on the dormer, not the final colour.
That is merely a primer coat on the dormer, not the final colour.
Exterior almost complete
Of course, it needs a coat of paint, but the carpentry on the exterior is now done and all the detritus cleared away. With a new roof, new windows in the original openings, and cedar siding replaced where necessary, "Grand Cottage" is standing proud.
That is merely a primer coat on the dormer, not the final colour.
That is merely a primer coat on the dormer, not the final colour.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
More Progress
I've mentioned the new ensuite bathroom. Here's the shower, just installed.
We chose this model because it fitted most neatly into the available space. We were also worried about getting it up the narrow stairs, but hoped that, as the base came separately from the walls, it stood a reasonable chance of success. As it happened, the wall section only made it up the stairs with one of the walls angled over the wrong side of the banister, and just squeezed through the landing after the casing around our bedroom door was removed. This was great good fortune, because we had no Plan B.
Downstairs we still had no furniture, but we did have a phone and a wifi connection.
Here's Kaan looking quite at home with my laptop and the floor.
Another purchase was a flat-screen HD TV. (Well, if you have to get one, you may as well invest in the latest technology. Besides, we have a habit of keeping our TVs for about 15 years, by which time this one will a) have paid itself off, and b) be a dinosaur.
It is of relatively modest size compared with most on the market. We felt very modern with a TV our only furniture.
The living room has also had a coat of paint, a warm caramel colour called Sisal, which is going to look great with our deep red carpet and our cane furniture.
We chose this model because it fitted most neatly into the available space. We were also worried about getting it up the narrow stairs, but hoped that, as the base came separately from the walls, it stood a reasonable chance of success. As it happened, the wall section only made it up the stairs with one of the walls angled over the wrong side of the banister, and just squeezed through the landing after the casing around our bedroom door was removed. This was great good fortune, because we had no Plan B.
Downstairs we still had no furniture, but we did have a phone and a wifi connection.
Here's Kaan looking quite at home with my laptop and the floor.
Another purchase was a flat-screen HD TV. (Well, if you have to get one, you may as well invest in the latest technology. Besides, we have a habit of keeping our TVs for about 15 years, by which time this one will a) have paid itself off, and b) be a dinosaur.
It is of relatively modest size compared with most on the market. We felt very modern with a TV our only furniture.
The living room has also had a coat of paint, a warm caramel colour called Sisal, which is going to look great with our deep red carpet and our cane furniture.
More Progress
I've mentioned the new ensuite bathroom. Here's the shower, just installed.
We chose this model because it fitted most neatly into the available space. We were also worried about getting it up the narrow stairs, but hoped that, as the base came separately from the walls, it stood a reasonable chance of success. As it happened, the wall section only made it up the stairs with one of the walls angled over the wrong side of the banister, and just squeezed through the landing after the casing around our bedroom door was removed. This was great good fortune, because we had no Plan B.
Downstairs we still had no furniture, but we did have a phone and a wifi connection.
Here's Kaan looking quite at home with my laptop and the floor.
Another purchase was a flat-screen HD TV. (Well, if you have to get one, you may as well invest in the latest technology. Besides, we have a habit of keeping our TVs for about 15 years, by which time this one will a) have paid itself off, and b) be a dinosaur.
It is of relatively modest size compared with most on the market. We felt very modern with a TV our only furniture.
The living room has also had a coat of paint, a warm caramel colour called Sisal, which is going to look great with our deep red carpet and our cane furniture.
We chose this model because it fitted most neatly into the available space. We were also worried about getting it up the narrow stairs, but hoped that, as the base came separately from the walls, it stood a reasonable chance of success. As it happened, the wall section only made it up the stairs with one of the walls angled over the wrong side of the banister, and just squeezed through the landing after the casing around our bedroom door was removed. This was great good fortune, because we had no Plan B.
Downstairs we still had no furniture, but we did have a phone and a wifi connection.
Here's Kaan looking quite at home with my laptop and the floor.
Another purchase was a flat-screen HD TV. (Well, if you have to get one, you may as well invest in the latest technology. Besides, we have a habit of keeping our TVs for about 15 years, by which time this one will a) have paid itself off, and b) be a dinosaur.
It is of relatively modest size compared with most on the market. We felt very modern with a TV our only furniture.
The living room has also had a coat of paint, a warm caramel colour called Sisal, which is going to look great with our deep red carpet and our cane furniture.
Inside job -painting, that is.
We needed to get the upstairs rooms painted in a hurry before the carpet installers arrived. I originally chose blue for our bedroom, but decided it was too gloomy and repainted in my favourite sunny colour, Benjamin Moore's Hepplewhite Ivory, which is more of a rich cream than an ivory.
The boxes on the floor contain the tiles for our new ensuite bathroom, converted from a tiny toilet room and a large adjoining closet.
At least I chose right the first time for the other upstairs room which will become my workspace. The sage green is another Benjamin Moore colour, Wind Chimes.
There was progress downstairs, too, with the living room completed in a warm caramel colour, Sisal, that complements the honey-gold of the newly polished floorboards.
The boxes on the floor contain the tiles for our new ensuite bathroom, converted from a tiny toilet room and a large adjoining closet.
At least I chose right the first time for the other upstairs room which will become my workspace. The sage green is another Benjamin Moore colour, Wind Chimes.
There was progress downstairs, too, with the living room completed in a warm caramel colour, Sisal, that complements the honey-gold of the newly polished floorboards.
Inside job -painting, that is.
We needed to get the upstairs rooms painted in a hurry before the carpet installers arrived. I originally chose blue for our bedroom, but decided it was too gloomy and repainted in my favourite sunny colour, Benjamin Moore's Hepplewhite Ivory, which is more of a rich cream than an ivory.
The boxes on the floor contain the tiles for our new ensuite bathroom, converted from a tiny toilet room and a large adjoining closet.
At least I chose right the first time for the other upstairs room which will become my workspace. The sage green is another Benjamin Moore colour, Wind Chimes.
There was progress downstairs, too, with the living room completed in a warm caramel colour, Sisal, that complements the honey-gold of the newly polished floorboards.
The boxes on the floor contain the tiles for our new ensuite bathroom, converted from a tiny toilet room and a large adjoining closet.
At least I chose right the first time for the other upstairs room which will become my workspace. The sage green is another Benjamin Moore colour, Wind Chimes.
There was progress downstairs, too, with the living room completed in a warm caramel colour, Sisal, that complements the honey-gold of the newly polished floorboards.
New windows
The next exciting day saw the installation of our new windows, replacing ugly aluminum ones. As much as possible we restored the original openings in the walls and copied the old, double-hung style.
In preparation for painting, Michael has power-washed the siding, which is why it looks so naked.
The tarps are because it was raining. in fact it rained all week. Oh joy!
Inside the downstairs bathroom you can see the dark grey plastic tiles, which will also have to go at some stage.
In preparation for painting, Michael has power-washed the siding, which is why it looks so naked.
The tarps are because it was raining. in fact it rained all week. Oh joy!
Inside the downstairs bathroom you can see the dark grey plastic tiles, which will also have to go at some stage.
New windows
The next exciting day saw the installation of our new windows, replacing ugly aluminum ones. As much as possible we restored the original openings in the walls and copied the old, double-hung style.
In preparation for painting, Michael has power-washed the siding, which is why it looks so naked.
The tarps are because it was raining. in fact it rained all week. Oh joy!
Inside the downstairs bathroom you can see the dark grey plastic tiles, which will also have to go at some stage.
In preparation for painting, Michael has power-washed the siding, which is why it looks so naked.
The tarps are because it was raining. in fact it rained all week. Oh joy!
Inside the downstairs bathroom you can see the dark grey plastic tiles, which will also have to go at some stage.
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