While I am taking care a couple items for another client in Durango, the painters are continuing on with the work at Spicewood.
The coved ceiling in the Living Room has been repaired and repainted. The color (in reality) is very much like the color of the lake. Once the drought is over, we will have Still Water Blue above and below. The cove is lit from within and is pretty spectacular at night.
The stained wood ceilings in the Gallery and Entry were a bit dried out. The humidity here is fairly low most the year. They have been cleaned and resealed. They look darker in the photos than they actually are. They are much richer looking than they have been in a long time. You can also see that the trim around the windows in the tower above the Entry are now the same deep bronze that has been used in many parts of the house. Really handsome.
There is a long curved hall with great windows that leads from the Library past the Office and to the Garage. On the plans, it is referred to as the Mud Room. But it isn't like any Mud Room I have ever seen. You can't tell from this photo but there is a very tall curved stone wall to the right. The custom door to the Garage is handsome enough to be on the front of most houses complete with its antiqued cooper mounts. The Bluestone slate is still being protected by construction paper.
The same low humidity had also dried out the wood under the clear lacquer on the cabinetry in the Office. The cabinets are now refreshed. The walls in the Office have not yet been painted.
I had mentioned in earlier posts that the photos do make the rooms seem very dark, but now that the paper has been removed from the floors you can get a better idea of what the end result with be. The floors are going to be cleaned, screened and resealed. The floors in the Living Room will be sanded bare, stained and sealed.
You can't quite see on the fireplace photo above but the stone was actually applied to the fireplace after the beams (which we have removed) were installed. The stone will be stripped from the area above the mantel and relayed with additional stones added. The little niche which is centered on the firebox but not on the mantel has made arranging anything attractive up there a chore. We will remove it. There is also a single stone which is not the right color. It will also be replaced.
Last but but by no means least, the front door to the house is a one of kind piece of art with rondel glass, copper mountings and custom hardware. The air had also dried it out. It has been renewed. You can see that the trim has been masked off as we prepare to paint it the Bronze color while maintaining the aged stucco on the wall.
The windows have been delivered for the conversion of the screen porch into a Meditation Space and that work will begin very soon.
Have an amazing day!
ALD