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Renovating our house in France
October 2008
Replacing the old door
The Summer of 2008 didn't see us doing too much on the house. Structurally, we replaced the old door to the annex, next to the kitchen. It was old, drafty and too low. This will become the sluice gate to the mud room/annex (where we leave all our garden clothes and boots and will eventually dry off wet dogs, etc) so we decided to put a stable door in. This will keep dogs and any other creatures in or out. We have seen a couple of snakes near the annex, so don't want them slipping in to cool off/warm up.
Replacing the old tiles and joists on the barn roof
The framework to the door will be finished when the mason comes to chip off all the cement on the outside of the house. He is due some time before the end of the year, along with the roofer, Alain. The barn roof will be cleared of tiles, the wood realigned and replaced where required, then the old tiles put back on again. But this time with a waterproof lining underneath. We'll provide a detailed reportage once they get started.
No more banging your head on the old, low door
Not that Perry ever had that problem. Short arse!
Perry's studio is now fully lit, furnished and in use.
The mezzanine is also furnished and in use. The door to the right leads to the bedroom. The studio is below.
The view from the bedroom door towards the mezzanine, the skylights
and the extra bed. Where we sleep will eventually become the guest bedroom
and this the guest lounge, leading to the bathroom to the left.
The outside wall to the studio now has lighting. We decided on halogen spots, since they can be used to exhibit paintings and drawings. Perry is investigating a hanging system so that we can hang approximately eight pieces along this one wall.
More storage space in the barn for garden furniture
After a few years of dust and builders around the house every day, it was great to have a few months of the place to ourselves. The small barn was cleared for Perry's birthday do and is now capable of containing much more in the way of garden furniture and logs during the winter.
Building a chicken house and run next to the barn
We have a plan to build a chicken house inside the small barn, with a door carved out of the east wall. Part of the pig sty will be remodelled to create a fruit store. This will be cool and dark and have lots of shelves around the walls to keep apples, pears, onions, potatoes and conserves. But first to clear the stalls of all the rubbish we have been tipping into them, so a few visits to the décheterie are in order.
Chipping the cement off the walls and applying chalk
Not a lot to tell this time round, but next visit should hopefully see us with a new chalk exterior to the house which will let the walls breath and release the humidity in the walls. Then we can begin with the salon and turn it into a library and finally get all our books in from the barn. But that'll probably be after we have converted the guest bedroom into a larger space which will become our own bedroom. Can't wait to wake up to a view of the mountains each morning.
A bientôt.
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