Lights! Plumbing! Inspection!

I try to get back to the house every few days—partly out of curiosity, partly to pick up the mail, and partly to empty the dehumidifier. I have the window AC going in the basement/garden level, but it’s been so unseasonably cold, I don’t think it can do much. I also take a peek at the garden to see how it’s doing under conditions of total neglect. Not well, but the rose bush is carrying on without any encouragement.

Lots of changes today—especially plumbing and electrical, and I believe the building inspector will sign off on the rough plumbing tomorrow. Also lots of mess. The demolition phase, paradoxically, was the cleanest so far. Now there is lots of “stuff” to deal with.

Here are the sink and toilet hook-ups for the guest bath, and the basement, spared until now, has been opened up to connect the new toilets to the south-side waste pipe.

On the way up the stairs this odd arrangement caught my eye—I’m guessing that all the dust was probably setting off the fire alarm—hence a sort of improvised fire alarm condom?

Big changes in the kitchen. Here’s the soffit for the area where the pantry, desk and wine storage will be:

And the soffit that more or less corresponds to the outline of the cabinets and counters. Couple of exciting things—lighting! I think it’s safe to say that never in nearly 160 years will this kitchen have been so well lit. And finally—ah, joy—ventilation to the outside of the building. No more second thoughts about that extra clove of garlic!

Here's the start of the counter-level seating:

The current controversies relate to the detailed design of library ladder and who should fabricate it. Also the heating system that will go in the kitchen. Because the rest of that floor (and the whole apartment) is the old tube and fin style of baseboard heat, we’ve had to set aside the idea of using a more updated style (Runtal) in the kitchen if it is to connect successfully to what is already there.

However, I’m having difficulty putting something so ugly in my pretty new kitchen. I have dreamed of re-doing the entire floor with modern radiators, and eventually the rest of the apartment.

So, will she be sucked into the vortex and go way over budget, or will reason prevail? Stay tuned for the next episode...

Back at Trish’s, her nieces (great-nieces?) Zebedee and Amaia have joined the household for the week—all the way from California. Even Mr. Bo is charmed!