Old projection at the back has been knocked!!!!

We started building work on the 6th of September.  By the end of the first day the structurally unsound projection to the rear of the house was knocked.

The above photos shows the ground floor raft foundation preparatory work and service pipes, moments prior to the concrete pour.

Et voila! We have the foundation for our new extension.

Initial design sketch of the interior layout

Look what is only a short walk away!

Michie Sushi - the best sushi in Dublin!

We found the tiniest little Japanese Restaurant down a small lane close to the house.  It is called Michie Sushi and it is a restaurant in a garage in a back lane. We both love Japanese food so we were in Sushi heaven when we found this place!  It was a really rainy day when we visited - we parked the car in a space close to the restaurant and ran in trying not to get too wet.   I ordered Tuna and Salmon Sashimi as well as Tuna Maki.  Ciaran got a mixed plate of sushi and also some miso soup.   The food all came out together and we shared all of the food between us.

We loved the food!  It was so tasty and fresh and we both agreed that we thought it was the best Sushi in Dublin!  I reckon we could be regulars in this spot once we move into the house!

The current state of the house

The current state of the house......

The blueprints!

Plans! Plans! Plans!

On to discussions about the good stuff - what we are going to do with the house!

We intend to completely renovate the main two-storey element of the building.  This involves completely removing any architectural features and repairing them.  We also have to demolish the two-storey projection at the back and we are rebuilding a three-storey  and single-storey structure in its place. Because garden space is so limited we are going to have two little courtyards.  The larger courtyard will be enclosed by bi-folding doors.  When open they will make the garden become part of the house.  Hopefully we will get some sunny days to enjoy this space!!!

And oh yes, there will be glass!!!  Lots of glass and light!!!

Ciaran tells me that he is building in a bench seat in an area of the kitchen/dining room that will have angled glass looking up to the 5 metre stone rear boundary wall.  He describes it as being very "Lautner-esque" and says it is the one part of the design that he is doing what he refers to as "fancy show-boating"!

We made a decision to go high-spec with under floor heating, combi boilers, sound systems, etc.    You'll get to read more about this as we continue to blog about the building process.

                                   Front entrance hallway

Back Room - Wow! Look at the size of this window!!!

Current state of the dwelling

The house is Victorian c.1840 but you will notice from the above pic that the window is Georgian which indicates that the it is a cheap build in which the builders used a mix of materials - basically anything that they could get their hands on.

It is currently laid out as a 2 bed terraced dwelling with a 2 story projection to the rear (falling down!).  The existing accommodation comprises of a reception room to the front, a room to the back and a scullery with a small back garden which has a 5 metre high rear boundary wall.  The rooms and garden are at a lower level to the entry hall way.  Up a half landing there is teeny tiny makeshift room which I can only assume is the bathroom.  Up another flight of stairs are the 2 bedrooms.  The master bedroom spans the entire front of the house and has 2 nice windows with shutters on them.