eggmountain

I Heart Salvage.

 Remember these?  These adorable casement windows were recently removed from the bathroom of the main house, and because they were too nice to discard, we're going to incorporate them into the garage.  After we clean them up and frost the glass, they're going here:

I'm standing on the landing in the stairwell, looking into our very tiny, but hopefully super functional, future bathroom.  The casement windows will be reallocated to this space, which is directly over the toilet - which explains the frosted glass.  The goal is to increase the natural ventilation in the bathroom, and allow more natural light into this space - and just because it's AWESOME.

Because we like each other, we've promised not to stand in the stairwell while the other is, well, you know...

 

Her actual words were "HOLY SHITOLA!"

So I only got this far down the driveway before I stopped in my tracks to grab the camera from my purse.  Silently, my biggest fear has been this dormer and its relationship, proportionally, to the existing structure.  But ladies and gentlemen, this is why we have architects.  Because they are geniuses and know how to design beautiful dormers.  Well played, Ben Garlington.

 

This is the view up close.  There will be two sets of casement windows.  I was so excited when I realized how much natural light penetrated the second level that I almost peed my pants. 

 

See?!  Isn't it MAGNIFICENT?  It's been hours since I've taken this photo and I'm still totally in awe.

If my sister-in-law were here, all she'd be able to say is "HOLY SH*T."

So, "Brown Dog" has a proper name.  Meet "Knox."  He's the best, and last night he hung out with us while we scouted out the recent excavation work.  This is the spot of the future back patio.  There will be retaining walls, but other details (such as landscaping, pavers, soil erosion control) have yet to be finalized.  We'll be sure to invite you over for Pimm's and Lemonade later this summer when the work is complete.

 

All I could do last night was walk around the garage saying, "It's SOOO A-MA-ZING." 

 

Because it totally is.

We have a hole.

"we have a hole" - That's the message I just found in my inbox - with this picture attached!  After checking in with the progress yesterday, I'm dumbfounded with the changes.  The excavation has completely morphed the surrounding landscape, and now WE HAVE A HOLE!

My first three months in Knoxville were so miserable that even the sun decided to take a break for the winter.  Now that the seasons have changed, it's a completely different story, and it's as though clouds never existed.  There is a beautiful intensity to the landscape of East Tennessee, and after hearing about its glory from my husband for the last seven years, I'm glad I finally get to experience it for myself. 

Now that we've been pardoned from the despair of winter, things are really starting to move quickly at the farm (which is the moniker we've given to the family homestead).  The excavators have been making quick work of the mountain, and now we finally have a level little spot behind the garage for our secret garden.

The main entrance is shaping up - the privet is history!

 

And this is slightly embarrassing, and I'm sure more than a little annoying for the person behind the wheel, but I love watching the excavator at work.  I sat on the porch of the main house for over an hour watching Mr. Excavator dude remove piles of dirt and debris from the yard.

 

And things are happening upstairs, too!  The skeleton upstairs is taking shape, and at this moment the contractors are framing the window above the toilet.  In order to pull as much heat from the wood stove downstairs, we've elected to leave the flue exposed as it travels through the floor on its ascent through the roof.  Hence that void between the bathroom wall and the closet.

And to wrap up our tour today, here is the piece de resistance, a new closet!  Because the depth maxes out at 18", it will be the perfect repository for all things, as long as those things are not on hangers.  One of my first lessons in design school - closets must always be 2'-0"D.  Sometimes it's fun to break the rules. 

Behold. A Portfolio.

 

(click on the pic to see the full portfolio at carbonmade)

So it only took seven years, but I finally compiled some of my work into a portfolio.  And after a brief lunch with a local designer, I've already been instructed to make some changes.  Bubble diagrams, anyone?

Pulling together a portfolio and getting it to print with the proper margins has really eaten into my schedule.  But I do have more photos of garage progress!  Stay tuned - I'll be back shortly with some excavation love!

 

 

Phew!  It's over.  I'm home.  More later.

Style File 02

I've got a few minutes before my design meeting here in Athens, so thought I'd check in with some current design inspiration for the garage.  Originally, the concept for the garage included exposed metal conduit, left in its natural - metal - state, but after staying at the downtown loft in Nashville, we've changed directions.  Granted, the high ceilings and urban views probably affected our perception, but there was something really cool about the whitewashed conduit that traversed the ceiling above.

 

Right?!  Isn't that beautiful?  I know only a select few can geek out on conduit as much as we did, but there is something really striking about this maze of pipes, tamed by a coat of white paint.

Home is where your stuff is.

 

I'm on the last leg of the crazy seven day tour of the Southeast, and I'm very excited about sleeping in my own bed this evening.  One last design meeting stands in the way between me and my pillow.  At the moment, I'm in Athens, and everything is right with the world.  This morning I awoke in the beautiful Boulevard neighborhood and immediately headed down to one of my favorite little spots - Big City Bread.  After a delicious blackberry muffin and a much needed debriefing on everything I've been missing, things are looking up.  While I adore (almost) everything about this perfect little place called Athens, my heart (and down-filled bedding) is in Knoxville.  I'm ready to be home.

I'm just peeking in to say hello.  I'm in the middle of a seven day jaunt from hell, but getting through it splendidly.  Last week it was Nashville, this week it's Atlanta and Athens, GA, but in the middle of it all I was able to fit in some Wilco love in Knoxville.  So, things are crazy.  But good.  Very, very good.