Studio News: A Room With Windows (and a view!)

 A room with windows feels like a real room - not a shell with vacant holes. The bay window in front matches those on the rest of the house, but is 2 feet wider.

Marvelous north light glows from the triangular windows high on the wall. The interior has solid walls now - no studs or insulation in sight!

The siding took three long days to install and it's all ready for paint.

The view out of the back window. We are so fortunate to have such a lovely view of W.E. Johnson Park. The unseenYakima River is out just below the horizon. The apple orchard in the distance is on the opposite side.

Studio News: It's Taking Shape

Delivering the trusses

Delivering the roof trusses is a big step. With the framing in place, you begin to see the outlines of the room.



Solid walls!



In the short time it takes to nail the sheathing over the framing, the bones of the room are transformed into a solid 3-dimensional space.



Close-up of the bay window



Delivering the roofing

You wouldn't know it from this shot with the intense blue sky, but the Tri-Cities area has had a rainy spring so there is no delay to install the roofing, which only takes one day.

Studio News: Moving Along



Upon deciding to build a major new addition to your home, preparing yourself for the demolition (utter destruction) of a perfectly good part of your (fairly new) house is a must. Knowing that jobs like these always look worse before they look better can ease the anxiety.

 

Garage roof must come down. Funny how, at this stage,
the DEstruction looks surprisingly like CONstruction.



  



Holes are dug at the middle of the side walls of the garage.
New 36"x36"x18" footings will be poured under the existing wall footing.
These will support the new upright beams in the walls...













...that support the huge crossbeam. The whole works
bears the load of the 2nd story.

Studio News: More Space!

My snug 10' x 11' art studio has served me well for five years - a little cozy at times, but a haven for creativity nonetheless. It has become challenging to keep my artwork and all the accompanying paraphernalia in bounds. Many of my faithful supporters have inquired about art lessons, but I felt reluctant with no space for students. So, where to go from here? Go UP with a new studio over the garage!

I'm a homebody at heart and dearly love my home studio. To have a large, versatile, light-filled space for my passion is a dream come true. The project began in late April so I'm playing some blogging catch-up. If you want to follow the studio building adventure with me, enter your email address in the sign-up box on the right to receive notice of new blog posts via email. Our contractor, Dave Laube of All Phase Dave, has been great to work with. Despite cranky building inspectors, unexpected downpours, and a detail-oriented (i.e. "picky") homeowner, he keeps his cool and keeps the job moving forward. Thanks Dave!





Garage before the demolition

 





Dumptruck for the debris

Stripping the garage interior