eggmountain

Could we trade our two mutts in for him?

This is our new friend out at the farm.  He's a native to South Knoxville (SoKno, if you will), as indicated by the safety orange collar.  He's taken a real liking to Ethiel, and spent the afternoon supervising him Sunday as he continued to excavate the dirt floor.  The dog waited patiently for Ethiel to fill a wheelbarrow with dirt, and then escorted him out the garage and down the hill as he added to the growing mud mound at the bottom.  We don't know where he lives, nor his name, so for now we're calling him "Brown Dog."  Original, eh?

Let's begin with what we know.

This just in from a furniture design friend - a peek into his inspiration - the furniture gurus of BDDW.  These guys from New York have a way with wood, and also seem like they're having fun following their passion - fine casegoods.  I found this image while perusing their site - and I'm loving the modern rusticity of the interior above.  Specifically, I'm digging the white painted columns, concrete floor, and exposed pipes.  The finished drawer blanks aren't half-bad either.

While we're still sourcing ideas and fixtures for the garage, we have determined the basic elements of the space.  The new garage doors are going to be industrial chic and will feature lots of glass and a clear anodized aluminumum finish.  By opening these doors on nice days, we'll be able to expand our living quarters to an outdoor patio.  Inside these doors on the first level will be a polished concrete floor (finish still undetermined), painted cinder block walls, a mixture of sheet rock and exposed ceiling planes, and exposed conduit + duct work for electrical and HVAC needs.  Years ago, Ethiel and I spent several days salvaging an old schoolhouse in Athens, GA, and walked away with heaps of silver faceplates.  Three years and 300 miles later, we'll finally be able to use them.

Upstairs we're blessed with an existing wood floor that we'll sand and refinish.  The existing casement windows need some love, but they lend so much character to the space that we're hoping they can be retained.  On the bathroom floor and into the shower, we'll use leftover slate from another project and skim the walls of the shower with concrete.  The shed dormer that we're adding (it's happening now!) will have a 10'-0" long expanse of new casement windows, which will really open up the space and bring in more natural light.

So these are the "knowns."  We're still working on that pesky lighting, and I continue to change my mind on paint schemes, door and drawer hardware, and kitchen cabinetry.  But we're moving forward, and in a few short months I will vow that I never want to embark on a project like this again - until the next one.

I'm starting to realize this is actually happening.

 

Old bottles and Marvel Mystery Oil - these are some of the last remaining relics left in the garage.

 

This is the northwest elevation of the garage.  The void to the left will one day be the main entrance - I promise.  Picture it - board and batten siding with a lovely blue door.  I've already begun unleashing my rage on the privet in the foreground. 

 

While cleaning out the garage, we came across this old door.  It would be PERFECT for the main entrance, but I'm not sure it will fit.  And the existing hardware is on the wrong side, but surely that's an easy fix, right?  Nothing a little Abatron couldn't remedy.

 

And here is the northeast corner of the garage, complete with half of a salvaged "Jewelry" sign.  I'm not sure the "elry" portion of the sign still exists, or I'd insist we complete the spelling.  Ethiel and his dad, Ben, hung this portion of the sign a decade ago, and it proved to be such a nuisance that they never finished.

 

And the southeast corner - with the recently reclaimed second bay. Centered on each of the bays and spanning approximately 11'-0" will be a shed dormer.  In the very near future this elevation is going to look completely different. 

 

New stairs!  We're still tweaking the details, but in the corner beneath the stairs we'll place a washer and dryer.  The low ceiling height of the the space will make getting in and out the washer a bit of an adventure...

This is that tricky ceiling change - but I'm loving the bracing between the ceiling joists.  We're going to leave the lower section exposed and sheet rock that higher portion to the right.  We're also still trying to devise a clever lighting plan that minimizes the visual interruptions in the small space.  Ideas?

 

And here is the second level of the space, which will serve as the bedroom + bath.  That space to the right of the window is the future shower - it will measure approximately 4'-0" x 3'-0".  The idea of the casement window has now been substituted for a sky light, in order to minimize the odd fenestrations on the exterior.

 

And see that little gem of a wall-mount sink leaning against the building?  The one with the pretty scalloped edge?  I think we NEED it for the bathroom, but only if we can figure out a way to retrofit the separate hot and cold faucets.  I love historic fixtures, but hate having to run my hands beneath each of the hot and cold taps intermittently in order to produce warm water.  Been there, done that.

 

Finally, to round out the salvaged components, a pair of casement windows from another project we're hoping to repurpose for the garage.  Because the upstairs bath is going to feel like a dark little tomb, we're trying to open it up as much as possible.  We're going to frost the glass in these windows and use them above the water closet in the bathroom.  When they're open, they'll project into the stairwell, for additional architectural interest + increased natural light + increased ventilation. 

Hope everyone is having a terrific Easter weekend.  Back in touch soon with additional updates.

Good Day Sunshine

I'm smitten with this printed linen from Schumacher right now, although it's been out for a couple of years, I think.  I'm always a sucker for blue tones, and I came across this while selecting the color palette for the interior finishes of the garage.  Gorgeous, no?  And onto the inspiration wall you go, lovely blue and white botanic.  Actually, this print would also be a nice counterpoint to the warmth of the oak walls in the reception area at the botanical garden.  You've just gotta love the two for one - color inspiration for one project and an upholstery selection for another. 

Tonight we camp on the second level of the garage, sorta.  There will be pillows and electricity and a wireless connection so we can catch up on the latest episode of LOST.  But there will also be a tent and no running water, so it balances out.  Tomorrow we'll be busy excavating the dirt floor and getting it ready for the upcoming concrete pour.  I'll be back soon with photos of the madness. 

Small Space Defined

 

   

Our (soon-to-be) house is smaller than your house.  I'm also willing to bet my feet could beat your feet in a small feet contest - which is probably a good thing, considering there isn't much room in the closets for big shoes.  While the plans aren't yet complete (these are just preliminary drawings), we're getting close!

I should have started from the beginning.

For those of you who don't know the whole story, my husband and I lost our heads last July (on my 30th birthday, to be exact) when we began discussing a life out of our beloved little Athens, Georgia.  Well, actually, I lost my head and he was just the good sport that allowed me to wax poetic about moving to another city and embarking on a new life.  In this little fairy tale, we were each going to get jobs we were passionate about in our respective fields, start a little cottage industry, and pursue the nuances of small space living.  Oh, and a canoe would be involved.  And obviously much naivete.

Less than a week after I proclaimed to the universe that I wanted a new life, it answered with a friend sending Eth a job posting for a job that was too good to be true, in his very hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee.  And after several months of waiting, and then getting the phone call, and then living in separate cities for three months, and three months of transitional hell (for me, not necessarily him), here we are, where blood runs this really hideous shade of orange.  And despite the fact that I've intermittently thanked the universe and cursed it, I'm still hopeful that what they say about a rising tide raising all ships is true.

At the moment I'm embracing everything Knoxville has to offer - like today's lunchtime lecture about Braungart's and McDonough's Cradle to Cradle - it was awesome.  My plate is full.  Freelance income from my previous gig is helping me maintain my sanity and sense of "worth." The garage conversion is the creative outlet that I've been craving, and volunteer gigs with the local botanical garden and a LEED for Homes project have allowed me to meet some wonderful people in and out of the A&D community.  While I want nothing more than to work with an architecture/design firm specializing in historic preservation and sustainable design, I'm also grateful to have some time to pursue tangential projects. 

As I recently proclaimed to Eth - sadly, not in the nicest tone - "Thanks for making all of our dreams come true."

Design Dilemma

  Although I'm still (constantly) attempting to navigate the lighting plan for the tiny garage, I came across this ceiling treatment in another favorite design book, Harmonious Home, by the ever-talented Judith Wilson.  I think this combination of drywall and exposed beams will help solve one of our design dilemmas on the main floor.  Because the ceiling height on this first level tops out at 7'-2", we've decided to whitewash the exposed ceiling joists to gain an illusion of verticality.  On top of the super low clearance, we're also dealing with a ceiling height change near the garage doors.  I could attempt to divulge all the nasty details here, but instead I'll just redirect you to the drywall portion of the above ceiling with a "Voila!"  Perhaps in a few short months I can show an after picture at which time this will all make sense.  Hopefully.  In the meantime, we can marvel at the beautiful simplicity of the space above and sigh.  It's my version of heaven - cue the angels.

Style File 01

 

At the moment, I'm sourcing ideas for our next little adventure - an 800 sq. ft. garage redux in rural Knox County, Tennessee.  The small footprint, low ceilings, and unforgiving cinder block walls are proving to be a larger challenge than I originally anticipated, but I'm loving the journey.  While flipping through the pages of Nest for Two, a favorite of mine by Allison Serrell, I found this cozy little nook.  Elements of this design could be easily incorporated beneath the shed dormer we're building, and the adjacent closets/built-in bookcases would provide much needed vertical storage.

 

 

Also from Nest for Two - this perfect little shower.  We've been back and forth about how to incorporate a shower beneath the eaves, and this would be the perfect solution.  I'm LOVING the casement window.  Yes, please.  I'll take two.