Weathering corten Steel!

Ciaran was out on site twice today.  The corten steel (weathering steel) is going up on the building and the fixings needed to be detailed. Ciaran had hoped to do hidden fixings but due to the properties of the steel this could not be done at a reasonable cost so he had to come up with an alternative fixing detail.  All going well the steel cladding will take a couple of days to be fitted.

Door out from the kitchen to the teeny-weeny yard.

Studio with the doors open - Builder is preparing the external wall for the cor-ten steel fixings.

                         

Oak Paneling

The services (electrical mains, alarm panels, sound system hub) will be positioned under the stairs. They will be covered by beautiful oak panelling which will then run in to the downstairs W.C. and kitchen.

        The picture shows the panelling being sized up and fitted.

Moving along.....

A lot happened on site today!  The timber floor was laid in the hallway.  A hatch was then cut out to make storage under the floor.  I have been banned from referring to it as a trapdoor by Ciaran(!) but I like to think I have a trapdoor in my house!!!  It's sounds like the start of a story........... "Entry to the other realm is by the trapdoor in the hallway......."  Sorry I am digressing! Back on track now >>>  The floor is made of oak and will be stained a dark colour and then sealed.


Off-site the corten steel has finally been cut and will be delivered to the house tomorrow.  It will be hung on stainless steel brackets tomorrow to form a seal on the outside of the house.  Once we get the building water tight the finish line is only a couple of weeks away!!!


The shutter boxes for the downstairs windows were started and should be completed shortly.  The finishing touches to the concrete floor will be done next week - the brass expansion joints will be polished up and then the hardener will go on to the floor.  Three layers of hardener will be needed to give the polished look to the concrete floor.


We are hopeful that the painter/decorator will be in next week.  He is scheduled to come on Monday to do the white undercoat throughout the house.  Ciaran met with the colour specialist from Dulux paints today to discuss paint.  She took samples of the chosen wallpaper to make paint matches for the ceilings.


Things are certainly moving so fingers crossed it will all go smoothly!

About the kitchen.....

Kitchen designer Dean Cooper has informed us that the kitchen has arrived from Germany.  He sent us two photos for a look-see!

Apart from some teeny weeny samples of counter top and the oak panels this was the first time I have got to see the kitchen as the kitchen is all the work of Ciaran and Dean and I was not involved in the kitchen design process.

The pictures below are of one of the floor drawer units.  Note that the grain of the oak panels run through from drawer to drawer and that the whole carcass and insets have been powder coated black as per Ciaran & Dean's specifications.

The kitchen will be fitted in about 2 weeks time.

For more Dean Cooper Kitchens please go to the website

Glass stairs!

The glass stairs are in!  

The glass stairs lead up to the third floor room.

Look what I just bought!

The bedrooms are going to be kept quite traditional and classic. Features like the window shutter boxes, coving and ceiling roses give the rooms this feel.  Ciaran also decided that we would wallpaper these rooms!


Wallpaper!  I know!  
I think it must be 20 years since I have lived somewhere that has wallpaper. 

Ciaran reckons he will bring it back in to vogue!

Here is the box of wallpaper from Laura Ashley in the back of my Smart Car!

Batten down the hatches!!!!

There is some serious rain expected over Ireland for the next few days.  The builders spent most of yesterday getting the house ready - removing debris and boarding up the whole place to make it water tight.  Currently we have heavy wind, hailstones and some thunder thrown in too!  It is expected to get worse and there will be high water levels in Dublin and the West.  How and ever, there is progress on site.

The plasterwork for the arch has arrived.  This is the last piece of plasterwork and it will be fitted tomorrow.  The piece of glass in the photo is for the fanlight above the front door.

The studwork is being completed in preparation for the arrival of the kitchen on the 7th of May.  The studwork in the photo forms the downstairs bathroom.  There will be a hidden wall hung WC and a small vanity unit and sink with subway tiling in the bathroom.

The first piece of Cor-ten steel arrived on site yesterday.  It is for the back of the pocket door in the main bathroom. Today the plumber was doing his second fix in this room.  The bath was being installed along with the WC.  This room will also be tiled in Subway tiles and will have a colour hardened concrete floor with brass expansion joints.

Click on to ODKM Architects Facebook page for more great projects.

On another note, on Saturday night, I tasted the best Banoffee Pie EVER in Di Bella Restaurant in Lucan.  Well worth dropping in and sampling a slice if you are passing by!