This is where it all began. I often miss this little gem. Over the last 20 plus years I have done a lot to this little house but the core remains the same and I love it.
I have never done anything to this little house that wasn’t based on improving my experience of living here and not about what anybody else thinks.
sanding the beams before cutting to size
“Parallam” is an engineered structural beam material. Its designed to be very strong and very straight and consistent. I’m using it for my stair treds. I like the look and the fact that its a sustainable material. I like the balance of the machismo of the steel stair structure in combination with the softness of the wood. This wood material reminds me of a bundle of sticks or grass. I think it relates well to my bamboo floor and my bamboo shade that is the “door” to my stacking washer/dryer room.
rough placement of the treds pre-install
Here you can see the rough placement of the treds before final trimming to size. I have to admit I was a bit concerned about the scale of these hunks of wood in the small space but, happily, my estimates seem to be okay. There will need to be a railing of course but I do like the way that it looks without any railing. I’m working on sanding and final finish before I get them in place.
tolomeo wall light
I need to get all of the outlets and light fixture electrical boxes in place. Since I want as clean an installation as possible it seems necessary to determine the type of fixture before I can decide on the exact location of the electrical box.
At this point I am imagining an adjustable light fixture on each side of my new bed. I would like the fixture to mount to the wall without any cord, therefore I need to know what kind of light fixture as well as how wide the bed is going to be and how the fixture attaches to the wall.
Of course there are many options here just like all the other types of fixtures. So more research to do here too. I do want something that has some softness to it and doesn’t seem overly technical. Some of these get very technical very fast. It would be nice if there was some warmth to the light too like this one with a fabric shade. As always cost is a major deciding factor and some of these are too expensive.
ledino wall light
philips swing arm
ledino wall light
Available in many different sizes but the price goes up accordingly
In an earlier post I was deep in a search for the perfect pendant light fixture. I called this my “fanciful pursuit.” I seem to labor over these fanciful decisions even more than the labor that I put into the fundamental infrastructure of the new abode.
The search never stopped and I have looked at many different sizes and configurations, none of which seemed to be just right. After creating the big entry space in my mind and now a reality, I guess I put a lot of pressure on myself to make it something special.
Lately I’ve been watching the sunset like a movie projected onto my upper story.
the sunset projects onto the new wall
The new sliding glass door creates a nicely framed image of the sunset. I find myself watching this image as it moves and changes color. It draws me upstairs to see it in person. I realize now that a pendant light fixture would block this view and I’m not sure if I want to let that happen. I was already thinking that the new fixture should somehow represent the sun or natural light so that, even on foggy days, there is a reminder that the sun is up there somewhere.
Now I’m looking at ceiling mounted fixtures and I’ve found some interesting images that intrigue me. I’m even thinking of putting recessed lighting in the ceiling and then hanging my own custom shade that hangs slightly below the ceiling hiding the fixtures and providing a glow as though there is a skylight in the ceiling. In all my research there is an obvious correlation between size and price. I know that is a “no brainer” but prices jump dramatically as soon as the diffuser gets bigger than 20 inches. I can make my own diffuser as big as I want for much less.
found on ylighting website
This fixture is the “Quadra Ice Flat Ceiling Light” by Proli Diffusion Studio. Made in Spain by Vibia.
Its just shy of 24″ Square and I like the quality of the light shown in this image.
I’m not sure how this would work on a slanted ceiling. I think I want the diffuser to be level and I might be able to do that by adjusting the attachment point.
also found on ylighting
This is the fixture that inspired me with the idea of a large skylight. I like the quality of light in this image but I think it will take some experimentation in the actual space see what is possible.
This fixture is called “Big Ceiling Light” appropriately enough. The design is by Lievore, Altherr and Molina. Made in Spain by Vibia. It’s available in two sizes: 39.5″ and 47.25″ Diameter. I would guess this is the bigger one in the image.
There is a lot of finesse that goes into the design of these consumer items and I’m sure that is what makes them worth so much.
Here is a detail of the fixture above. You can see that its a high quality light that is probably worth it’s price of over $3,000.
I’m wondering, however, if I can create my own diffuser that I just hang from the ceiling underneath a few recessed fixtures. Well, that is the latest exploration that I intend to do. It may take some experimentation to achieve the quality of light that I am seeing in these photographs.
This is all the lumber needed for the lower level reinforcement
Went shopping today for the lumber needed for the lower level reinforcement. Doesn’t look like much and cost about $100. Rather heavy though and definitely tested the strength of my rack. Let’s just say the rack was sagging.
just enough room for driving
8' lumber fit in my Geo....amazing
easy loading and easy access
I had a smaller car and no roof rack. It just goes to show you that you do not need a huge truck to get lumber home to your project.
I think even the lumber I just bought might have fit in my Geo but I’m not sure it would have handled very well on the way home……
verb2 