Thursday, January 6, 2011

CMR Update Jan.1: Orientation and PanelX

It recently occurred to me that for those of you who have not really seen the floor plan for the new lower level - perhaps a little visual orientation might be helpful. Now that the rooms are starting to look like rooms - you can also see how the floor plan puts those rooms in perspective.

If you've been following along from the beginning, you know that the only thing that was in the basement before was the garage area, a little laundry area (with exposed beams and spider webs) and then a whole lotta rat slab in places where only a little guy in a green and red suit holding up a lawn lantern could stand erect. Then we got this great notion (and when I say "we" - I am referring to George the Elder) that wouldn't-it-be-fun to hoist the house up on steel beams and take control over the under world beneath the house. And so we did (and when I say "we" I am now referring to both George the Elder and I - who I believe practiced some voodoo magic to make me believe that this was going to be fun).


On the floor plan below you can determine the space that was there when we bought the CMR by the green "before" writing that I so professionally put on the floor plan using my excellent skills in Photoshop. Heh heh heh.


And, although it's really hard to see on this photo - - and frankly almost as hard to describe - the new basement is actually being built in 3 levels. The upstairs (the house that was existing when we bought it - is built in a kind of pseudo split level configuration) with half the house being about 4 feet higher than the other half. On the drawing you can see where the upper and lower levels split in the new basement. The reason that there's 3 levels in the basement is that we had to make the "pool room" even lower to accommodate the roof above it which is the floor of an exterior atrium that sits in the middle of the house upstairs. This atrium is being reconfigured to allow for the big sky lights that will be the main source of natural light for the basement. (I am sure that made oodles of sense?). Whatever. The pool room is lower and the skylights will run directly across the length of the room where the upper and lower levels converge.


So, now, after a gagillion weeks of digging, hoisting, shoring, lifting, cement pouring and wood cutting - the actual product is starting to look a lot more like the "dream." In fact, the photos taken New Year's day were so much fun to see. Cause, guess what? We got some walls!!


We got PANEL X walls. No chinese drywall for the Wisniewski's. Made in the good ole US of A. And know what? You can still use the insides for writing with chalk. Ask Henry - he was THRILLED!

Here's coming in the garage door. No more exposed beams with scary spiders. We've effectively trapped them all inside :)


Here is the entry way in to the house from the garage. The utility closet is to the right where all the mechanics of the house will be hidden away. The place where the big Knaack Tool Chest is sitting will be George the Elder's "work room" - who knows what he will be "working on" - but he's got a man-cave spot to do it now. I suspect it will be filled with boxes and bikes.



Here's the stairs leading up to the kitchen. They are starting to build the wall that will have the railing sitting on top of it. These are the same stair by which I will force my children to carry up many many heavy bags of groceries in the future.




Standing in the corner of the rumpus room looking down to the pool room. It is easier to see where the skylights will be in this photo. Note the very ceiling-like ceiling! There will be another steel railing that will separate the pool room from the rumpus room. It will stop children from falling in to the pit (and by children, I mean me).


Looking from just atop the entrance stairs down the hallway towards Henry's room and the bath.



Here's a view of the "Open Room" or the "Wii Room" as we call it. The ledge where the various tools are sitting will be the bottom of some cabinetry that will run from that ledge to the ceiling. It will house the wii and lots of other crap that I want to hide in closets.




Looking from the Wii Room in to the pool room.



The reverse view from before - from pool room up into the rumpus room where George the Elder stares lovingly at what will eventually be his wine closet replete with cool doors and ambient lighting.


George the Younger's room. I think they need to trim that dry wall a little? But it's fun to see where the windows will be. Rumor has it that they are going in today......



Lighting inside was provided by Henry - who discovered the roving spotlight....




The view from George the Younger's door up to Henry's door.




And here's the view standing against the far wall of the Wii Room looking towards the stairs and the door to the Pool Room.




And the last photo for today are the new walls in the library. The library is a combination of an old bedroom upstairs and a little wee tiny room that was called the "bindery" (I am not kidding) - we added them together and voila....big space with great views. You can even see the ocean!! Not from this angle...but you can really see it. Soon many, many bookshelves will line the walls. Soon. Very soon we hope!



And that's all the news that's fit to print about the progress this week. We are still on the revised schedule - but GC Paul wants to finish early and I am all. for. that. Yet, there will be no breath holding. Just a cautious optimism. Yes. Cautious.

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