Our next visit did not get off to a good start! We arrived to find the wood-burning stove installed but the flue was routed with a bend part-way across the living room ceiling – not a good look. Worse still be were horrified to find the chimney emerging right through the block-work seating on the roof terrace – literally emerging through one of the seats!
We didn’t calm down until we met the builders who were more relaxed than we were. They were clear that the chimney routing was necessary given the house internal structure, the living room chimney could be boxed in and it was a relatively minor job to re-design and replace the terrace seating area.
In fact, the opportunity to redesign the seating area ended up as a plus because we were able to make better use of the corner areas which were not practical for seating but made excellent raised surfaces for drinks etc. Funny how things work out for the best and within a week we have an enhanced seating area on the terrace, boxed-in flue and a very efficient and attractive wood-burner blazing away to take the chill off the house in the evenings.
Other refurbishments of note included replacing the dark old wardrobes in the back bedroom with IKEA’s best white and mirrored items which lightened the room considerably. Having a triple unit also meant we could lock one up for storage of our own clothes while guests were in the house.
Other refurbishments of note included replacing the dark old wardrobes in the back bedroom with IKEA’s best white and mirrored items which lightened the room considerably. Having a triple unit also meant we could lock one up for storage of our own clothes while guests were in the house.
The courtyard entrance and shelter above our front door were sorted too. The new gas boiler for hot water worked a treat and we had the downstairs windows measured up for replacement with more-traditional hard-wood but double-glazed units – all part of the plan to make things cosy. Jobs done now time to relax and enjoy!
Comments