Treehouse

Today was a beautiful day: Penn State sky, low 70's, just the barest breeze.  I realized that I hadn't sat in the window seat to read or contemplate, ever, perhaps because we've decided that the dogs don't need to be upstairs, ever.  Since they were in the Carriage House I took my chance, built a foam, pillow and comforter throne and read for an hour or so.  I told myself this was practice for how I want the real throne to be constructed.  As I looked up from my Kindle I could just see the treetops with their accompanying birds and clouds.

Details

John worked on installing a box to isolate the vent pipes and HVAC ducts that are in the knee wall storage compartments. He also added the safety hinge that will lock the tops of the window seat in the up position. These hinges have a knob on them to pull when you want to release the hinge and lower the window seat top.

Reading American Rust*** Philipp Meyer Teen boys cover a murder; no one wins.

Details are coming together

Tiler Scott took measurements and notes for potential tile pattern designs. We will meet him at Clinefelters on Tuesday to select the color of grout and caulk for the various rooms and confirm and order all the tiles.
Bill Butler has a concept for the stair railings.  The posts will be 4x4 hemlock about 4 feet apart, the individual balusters will be walnut, the box that encloses the balusters ¾ x 1½  would probably be hemlock, and the cap rail (1½  x 6) will be either maple or hemlock.  The curved elements will be soft copper tubing ½ inch in diameter, threaded through holes in the balusters.  The actual curvature would have to be determined as to what would look good but the concept would be to make the curve continuous from one section to the next.  Stairs would have a railing as opposed to a cap rail on top. Perfect!

The stair landing is looking fabulous.  We had some concern that it wouldn't land in the middle of the windows, but Bill and Jonas made it happen. The timberframe elements add a beautiful architectural tie to the bents. The floating design, not hugging the wall, and the light hemlock wood balance the mass.  Design and execution couldn't have been more elegant.  The joints reminiscent of dovetails, as tight as possible, and the faux pegs which will cover the bolts show the quality workmanship we admire.  

 

The bathrooms are shaping up well too. Doug and John have the closet door built to be hidden in the knee wall of the guest bath.  We are considering a skylight instead of a light tube so we can open it; the ceiling is low enough to remind us of our German skylights.We are impressed with the tightness of the plumbing; no ghosts knocking pipes for this house.  The basement bathroom has the acrylic on fiberglass tub surround installed.

Doug suggested the door to the powder room be a 24" door to allow a privacy wall alongside the toilet.  He worked on installing that today.

The loft window seat looks ready for a pillow and a book. We'll have plenty of bedding storage under the seat.  Doug and John finished the front of the lift-up doors with a lip on top to hold the cushion and a lip on the bottom to help lifting the doors.  We'll have a safety latch that holds it open so little (or big) fingers (and heads) don't get smashed.

Window Seat

 

Loft Window Seat

Robinson came up to clean out the tank for the first time.  We didn't really know where it was buried and of course it was snowing.  Now we know. The daffodils under the bird feeder will need renovating next fall.

Loft window seat

When we sit at this window we'll be surrounded by wood.  The dormer makes the room look much larger but the wood surrounding us makes it still feel cabin-y and cozy. The seat will be almost 7 feet long and wide enough to be a bed.  We'll have a shelf on the left.  Storage for bedding will be under the pad in 2 lift-up cubbies.

 

The back door now has been protected and only needs shingles. 

 
 

The east door on the greatroom bumpout is installed.