You've got some FRONT

After much deliberation we decided on getting bespoke hardwood windows made for the front. One of the main reasons was that none of the windows were the same size and we wanted to harmonise the look of the front .
Our carpenter Mick, who has been involved in three of the major “WOW factor” works in the house so far measured them up and used his mates workshop in the UK to fabricate them in the traditional style 


Front of the house started like this when we bought it 



and then after the roof was done with the dipped dormas looked like this 



and then with the stonework complete and joined up looked like this 



MrsB had always loved the kitchen door and wanted a new one made in exact replica. I always said that if we had a new door made wouldn’t it be better to have one without all the gaps and rotten wood. I wanted there to be a bit more glass in it because the kitchen is a tad dark (as these old places so often are), however MrsB was adamant and we commissioned Mick to make the door, which to be fair he had said he would really like to do on several occasions through the build. 
When you have a gifted, artistic carpenter who understands your vision it does make life easier. He first produced tis doorway as the new portal between the kitchen and lounge after aphone call with MrsB when I was at sea and he said he had an idea that we would probably like. She ssiad go for it and this was what he produced.



Then when we were discussing the stairs he said that to use some of the old beams we had taken out of the kitchen would make a stunning set of stairs and given the go ahead and with me as his eager assistant he hand crafted these beauties




So as you can imagine we were expecting something pretty good and both of us just happened to be hovering about up near the front when his van arrived loaded with the windows and door.

Here we are unloading 



Here is the kitchen window and one of the dipped dorma windows 



Here is the new door being fitted with me doing a special yoga pose 



And here it is in situ form various angles









And from the inside





And some detail work
It is double rebated with draught exclusion fitted. The outside will be painted and the inside oiled once all the pegs are in place. 
The windows are hardwood they will first receive a double coat of “aluminum hardwood primer”, then two coats of exterior undercoat (each one sanded after drying) and finally two top coats of exterior gloss. You will have to wait for the finished colour shots as that wont happen until May 





So next in went the kitchen window and the studio window. 







There was then a little bit of jiggery pokery to get the dipped dormas in place



And then there they were





So now it was a case of fitting the balconies we had a local blacksmith/artist make to measure a couple of years ago 













And then we had to work on the peddys above the dormas to neaten them up and weather proof it. This is all done in 30mm thick oak feathered by hand and fitted bespoke to each peddy.





And the finished result is this









As I type MrsB has completed the stonework under the little window to blend it is. The green door is going to have a bigger higher window opening cut into it with a double fan light above to match the one above the kitchen door. I will obviously pop up a photo when that is done 
It has taken a little time and I still have the galvanise down pipes to do and sort out the land in front of the house and do the painting but as you can imagine MrsB and myself are as chuffed as nuts because we have come from this 



And with plenty of mutual imagination, agreement, disagreement, hard work, positive energy, love and the inspiration help of a gifted carpenter it now looks like this

 

Stand by for the next episode