New Goat Climber

While we were waiting for the kitchen renovation to get started, Mike decided to do a little project for the goats... a larger climbing structure for them!

All of the materials were things we had out in the workshop from previous projects! 

The goats are loving it- lounging up top to soak in the rays, or underneath when they want shade.

Roof Details & Back Porch

The framing guys have done more work on the outside, adding some detail...

The top roof will be getting a fabricated slate (the same as is on the front porch).  It will be a dark gray color to match the real slate roof on the main house.  The materials were supposed to arrive from New Hampshire last week, but are delayed (something about the truck breaking down...)  It should be here early next week.  Fingers crossed!

The areas of roof on the sides & porch will be standing seam metal, also in dark gray.

Those window holes aren't the real size, that's just what they've been using to get in & out of the rooms.  I'm looking forward to them getting the full size windows in!

Here's a look at the architect's drawings again...

They have also now started on the back porch...

Under the Old Kitchen Cabinets

The flooring was interesting too...

But first I should explain that when we got our puppy, he ripped up a large portion of the tan linoleum (which is why you can see the plywood in the shot above!)

We weren't about to replace the flooring with the kitchen renovation approaching, but it's been one of those things we've been stepping over & cringing every day since!

Well, underneath the cabinets, we now see that they installed plywood around the cabinets and on top of another layer of linoleum!  If I would have known that, I'd have ripped up the ugly tan floor & the plywood months ago!!!

Not that the older linoleum was much better- a funky blue, yellow & gold sparkle... but at least it would have been in one piece!

I think it's a little ironic that I'm planning on the new kitchen's colors being gray, blue & yellow!

We also found some "plaid" stamps under the cabinets... I'll have to research around what years these were issued.

Attached to one of the cabinets we found a sticker that must have been from when the cabinets were re-finished.  It gives the name of a previous owner that bought the house in 1997, so we know the last kitchen renovation must have been sometime after that.

Old Kitchen Demo

We're keeping the old kitchen functioning as long as possible through the construction, but have started to demo some of the cabinets.

After emptying them all out (and piling everything in the dining room!), we decided that there are a few cabinets we'd like to keep and reuse...

The big wall cabinet will be great for in the new laundry room, so we carefully removed those.
They were HEAVY!!!

The peninsula bottom cabinet we separated and are having the workers put out in the garage... we'll use that for storage or something out there (I have a few ideas flipping around in my head!)

The other portion of bottom cabinets wasn't any good for future use, so our oldest was delighted to try his hand at demo!

Behind where the shelves were hanging, you can see several layers paint on top of wallpaper.

So the bigger cabinets are now all out of there!  We're still able to use the stove, fridge, sink & dishwasher, for the time being.  I've moved the microwave & coffee maker into the dining room- so it's a little annoying going back & forth while I make the kids' breakfasts & lunches each morning, but at least we have access to everything!  I remember washing dishes in the upstairs bathtub when we did the kitchen at our old house, and thankfully we aren't having to do that (yet!)

I'm also happy that the original base moulding was hidden behind the cabinets.  My fingers are crossed that it continues all the way around the room!  This will be the dining room when everything is complete.

Stone Walls- all the way!

When were were doing the foundation, we found out that beneath the clapboards, the walls of the house are stone.
Now that the clapboards have been removed, we're getting a look at it!

Here's the first floor...

I've asked them to try to leave a strip of rock exposed.  It will be next to the new back door and I think the transition to new sheet rock can be covered with a little moulding.  The builder said that as long as it's structurally sound that would be fine.

Below, you can see a little window or chute of some sort was framed... not sure what this was from- it's too high from the ground to be a coal chute, and too low for a window...  mystery!

And here's where the majority of those rocks are now, since they're preparing to break through the walls and connect the new construction with the main house...

The second floor looks super cool too- especially with the diagonal beams!!!

This is the back wall of the Master Bathroom.  There will be a doorway broken through the right portion of stone.  There will also be a doorway located at the place where there's the little window on the right.

This is inside the new laundry room.