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January/February 2008  


A dusting of snow .....
We are using a temporary construction-heater to
keep it warm enough to continue work inside
Our son, Matthew lends a hand

Mike employs a process to make the paint on the wood
paneling look very "old"		   
Even the new tongue&groove siding in the dog-trot
area looks "old" now.  
    Below you can see the detail

And the touch of color lends a welcome
contrast to the browns of the logs
 

The lower ceiling in the main cabin's downstairs area (which is the underside of the upstairs floorboards, was finished to look like old faded white-washed, smoke-stained wood
All the rest of the ceilings were stained
     
The original American Chestnut Roof Rafters were reinstalled with the original wooden pegs.
 
Tile expert, Harry Aponte has done a beautiful job tiling the little shower. We used slate stone with a natural gray grout for the walls and flat Natural Quartz Pebbles for the floor. Our thoughts were to keep the space as natural and rustic as possible. The quartz pebbles are similar to those we find on the property.

Daltile (California Gold)
Natural Pebble Tile (Quartz Flat)
   
         Harry built in a nice alcove to hold soap and shampoo. Now we need to have a local glass cutter fit a trackless shower door. Finding rustic door hardware will be a challenge.

We now have a rail in the loft.
Looking down, over the banister, you can see the hearth.
More snow this week (Feb 27th),
but Spring is on the way!
   
Late March 2008  

Spring is finally coming once again to the mountains and we are getting anxious to finish the cabin in time to use it this summer.

The 3 photos below were taken by our good friend, Bob who was visiting from CA. We are looking forward to entertaining all our guests in real "pioneer spirit" fashion very soon.
The carpenters have finished laying the hardwood floors. The next task will be to give them a finish to make this new wood look as "old" as the logs.
 
Meanwhile back in town .....

Mike is building the furniture pieces that will be the kitchen work space. Ending up a bit more elaborate than I had planned, I am delighted with them!

Two Shaker-style cabinets, on the left is a piece made from old wood paneling from the original cabin, complete with worm holes. It has drawers on one side and the other side pulls down to reveal a fully integrated dishwasher. On the right is a "dry sink" style cabinet, with a copper farm sink dropped into it. The drawers are all joined with hand-cut dove-tails and cherry knobs. They are both finished with a product called Old Fashioned Milk Paint, and the tops are unstained cherry that is only hand-rubbed with mineral oil and beeswax, giving them a food-safe surface on which to work.

see detals below:
       
April, 2008  

Staining and finishing the floors proves to be quite a challenge. We decided to forgo the premium price of antique wood for the flooring and attempt to make new pine look old. Hand planing, sanding and the first coat of stain has taken the most part of a week.

   

Look at the beautiful Wild-Magnolia tree that
Mike discovered on the property this week.
   
         
Cut nails were driven to simulate an antique look, then a dark brown stain applied around them in the indented area to look as though the nails had aged and colored the wood around them.
 
May, 2008  

And now with more distressing and another coat of glaze, a rich, warm look of "old wood" has been achieved

      
bathroom (left), upstairs half-bath (right)

The plumber and electrician will be around any day
now to hook up the kitchen and bath.


Perhaps an 1800"s pioneer would not have used so much green trim paint in a cabin, but then again, perhaps he would have if he loved, like we do, the way color brightens a dark room and brings definition to its elements.

June, 2008  

We now have steps to the Back Porch ....
.... and to the Dogtrot Porch, but we are waiting
for final grading before placing the rock steps
to the front porch ......

.... and we have a fireplace surround in the bedroom.
We owe a special thanks to Tim, the master craftsman trim carpenter who did the ceilings, panelings, flooring, railing, steps, and more.
July, 2008  

Final grading ......
..... and grass seed planted
(praying for some rain now)


Mike found a wonderfully huge flat granite
rock on the property to use as a front step.
The Elmira Stove arrived and it fits perfectly.
   

July 15th		 The final building inspection was done this week and
we now have a certificate of occupacy. It's time to move in

and Make The Cabin "A Home"
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