Having spent most of the week with my extended family in Knoxville, it is now time to get back to work and also make some decisions regarding the house. It has been a long while since I took time off that didn't have a scouting or house-design agenda.
The electrician made great progress while I was gone - installing the boxes for the contractor-supplied fixtures and pulling a great deal of wire. The HVAC contractor has the downstairs unit running in-lieu of the propane heater and installed much of the ductwork that will circle the perimeter of the second floor ceiling. Running the downstairs unit will test it and also make the conditions warmer inside where so many people are working.
The bathtub is now out of the box and installed - ready for drywall. I think that the plumbing rough-in is finished and an inspection from the City took place.
Yesterday afternoon, I had a meeting with Diana Ades from Lighting Virginia who has been helping me with lighting design for the house. She is a former Baskervill employee who has remained very helpful to us in her new position. My background in non-corporate lighting has been limited so I very much wanted her help.
Todd set up a sawhorse table for us to work from where we reviewed the electrical plan and the fixtures that I had selected. This house has some tall and inter-connected spaces so one must understand how each fixture will throw light, the wattage of the lamp, how the light is to be switched, and on low-voltage fixtures - where to put any transformer. In a tall house, one must also be able to change the lamp when it goes out without special equipment.
When we finished, there were a few location changes and a couple fixture substitutions. Diana will sketch out the new fixture and tranformer locations and give it to Michael Shearman. After that, we can make the order from Lighting VA. The only electrical task that remains is for Carrie and I to select a few "utility" lights.
While at the job-site yesterday, the masons were cutting and installing the granite veneer over the old chimney. This is being done now to preceed the metal roof that is around it. We want to avoid the roof damage that would inevitably occur from all the mason's work. Also on the outside, more cedar and PVC trim went up. It is really looking warm like I had hoped. If we can have a few more days of dry weather, they should get most of it in place.
There is starting to be a long list of things for Carrie and me to do: order the kitchen appliances from Miele, select tile for the baths and kitchen backsplash, confirm kitchen cabinet color, and select stone for the countertops. For me, there are a couple design-oriented items that I still have my finger in - primarily the railing system and bookshelves. After those items are done, I can put my drawing board away and call it done.
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