If we were in the movie production business, I would say that principal shooting wrapped today on the Mountain House. The last pieces of furniture were delivered, paint touch up has been done and the house is stocked and clean. The cabinets and pantry are all organized. There was one glitch on the backsplash for the kitchen but more on that later.
I wanted to look back a moment and post some before and after shots so that the transformation is all the more clear. I have been watching Downton Abbey Season Four trailers so hopefully my English won't be unintelligible.
The custom night stands for the Master Bedroom arrived today. However simple, I love one of a kind pieces that are designed and made for a specific location and use. In order to take advantage of the fireplace and views, the bed needs to be placed on a wall that is just the tiniest bit narrow. But by making the night stands (or bedside tables in design speak) to the shape of the wall, we are able to offer plenty of space for the many beside items we have now. A single Big Ben wind-up alarm clock is a thing of the past. The tables are as open as possible but still offer a panel to hide cords and are made of Alder in a slab thickness of 1 3/4" solid stock. While I wouldn't recommend it, the furniture maker insists that they are sturdy enough to dance upon.
The Guest Bedroom and Children's Bedrooms are below. They are both a bit too grown up to qualify as children, but Bedroom 3 and Bedroom 4 have a "Thing One, Thing Two" sound about them.
Here's a shot of the Dining Room just because I like it.
The backsplash for the Kitchen is mostly installed. A leather finish quartz material that echoes the snowy landscape was selected. Of course, it isn't stocked within a thousand miles. While loading the slabs for delivery to the house, the large panel that is to be placed behind the range was dropped and shattered in to countless pieces. A new slab has to be ordered and won't arrive until January with an estimated installation date in mid-january. So I will have the opportunity to return to Durango for the installation. We also fabricated legs so that we could retain the antique doors which make up the top of the dining table but did not install them since we were not able to find a local resource to do a new painted finish on the table frame. But the craftsman has been found and will do the work when I return to oversee the remaining backsplash installation.
The Durango Mountain House project has been such a pleasure with materials and contractors from Dallas to LA. I have the best job in the world. I get to do what I love for people that genuinely appreciate the work and when I leave, the project affects the way they live in a positive way every day. There could be nothing better.
Merry Christmas to all and the very best wishes for a wonderful 2014!
Alex