CountryPlans Forum

So one year ago I posted an update of our project from the inception to that point.  For reference, here is the thread: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=4186.0

Thanks for all your kind comments in the interim.   Now I want to post some updated shots from this last year:

This was a few weeks ago--still much siding to do...
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/DSC09660.jpg)

From the roadway looking down to the porch entry:
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_2223.jpg)

We used old bunkbeds as scaffolding:
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_2269.jpg)

Cedar shingles were salvaged from a historic house, scrubbed, dried, flipped over, and stained:
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_2283.jpg)

Now for some interior shots.
This is from the loft looking down into the great room:
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_2276.jpg)

And from the kitchen area looking to the great room:
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_2273.jpg)

The benches and much of the future trim were salvaged from a Reed College remodel:
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_2101.jpg)
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_2102.jpg)

Now the kitchen.  The cabinets were purchased from Portland's Rebuilding Center and are placed for layout purposes (I cannot visualize stuff too well on paper).

This is taken from the center of the house looking back into the kitchen. The entry to the house is to the left:
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_5141.jpg)

These are with my back to the bathroom and looking out and back towards the dining area.  The layout is not traditional--too little space.  So the cabinets with the sink and DW run along one wall.  Then to the right and the left are two smaller cabinets that face perpendicular to it but are separated by a few feet.  The fridge is located in the space between the kitchen and bathroom--like in John's original plans and the house done by Dennis Kuhn in the Gallery.

(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_5142.jpg)

(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_5138.jpg)

Since the house has a full basement below and space is at a premium, I am creating a stacked spiral staircase--(plans courtesy of Jim Self and his website).  I tested out the first level this weekend-  you can see a few pictures, one from the basement to the main level and another looking down from the main level

(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_5189.jpg)
(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_5163.jpg)

Still lots of work to do, but now we can stay there for long weekends with reasonable comfort--port-a-potty is outside.  We use a camping shower. 

Next: finish the rough plumbing and start the rough electrical now that we know the layout.

Hopefully my next update will not take a year!  I am so grateful for all the help I have received from the participants and moderators at Countryplans!

Great looking house!

That spiral staircase is awesome.  [cool]
Were the plans from Jim Self pretty good?

Looking good Mike!!

With respect to the spiral stairs, I purchased the plans from Jim Self, through his website:
http://jself.com/stair/Stair.htm

He has been terrific with emailing me suggestions and answering questions.

Still more work to do, but I am pleased with the progress to date.

m

MikeT:

Thanks for the link to Jim Self's spiral stair plans. I have added it to the web resource page (http://www.countryplans.com/links.html)

For those who have missed Mike's earlier thread on this project: Click HERE (http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=4186)

Thanks, John. I have a question relating to the spiral stairs and managing sound and temperature:

My thinking right now is that I will enclose the staircase down to the basement but have it airy and open up to the loft.  My reasoning is that by creating a solid wall that supports the staircase down to the basement, you create some sound baffling from noise in the basement and if you create a door to the staircase, you create a way to eliminate some natural drafts that would come up from a cooler basement.

Thoughts?

mt

If I need to post on another thread, I will.

Nice work Mike and family, looking great!
Al

Beautiful place, Mike


with a bazillion dollar view too


I love the pacific NW   just too far away from family/work

I remember wading in the Pacific off oregon  -- man that water is cold  -- found a sea dollar -- still have it somewhere

saw a gray whale with calf off Tillamook trail (IIRC -- it was 35 years ago -- that is a scarey thought)


beautiful place Mike

 

LOL Reed's benches!  Man, I remember my undergrad days...

See stair post in Plan Support forum: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=6570.0

The progress looks good, Mike.

Looking really good. Thanks for sharing with us.

Hey Mike,

Wow, your place looks spectacular! I hope you'll keep posting your progress.

And I love the Oregon coast (our home town is just outside Vancouver, BC)! I missed your locale - are you near Haystack Rock? Before moving to Maine (temporarily) we took one last visit to Cannon Beach. Such a majestic coast.

In any case, I think you're doing superb work. Your foundation work makes our hillside one look like utter cakewalk - whew!

Continued success,

Shawn

Thanks for the kind words, Shawn and others prior.  That actually makes a difference when you realize the long slog that these weekend warrior projects are.

As for locale, I am in Neskowin, right at mile post 100.   I have a good view of Pacific City's Haystack Rock, but the one north in Cannon Beach is the more famous one.

I love the BC area too... from the Skagit flats, up Chuckanut Drive through Bellingham and into Vancouver. 

Best,
mt

Mike:

I literally dream about the Skagit Valley...we used to work all week in Seattle then drive north on our weekends to work on the little house we bought in Point Roberts before the housing boom. Maine is wonderful but it's not "home" as they say.

Jamie and I are considering building something similar to the VC with a raised second floor. We've not purchased plans (yet) although I have a good enough idea of what's happening structurally to imagine some alterations.

I'm wondering if you might have some time to comment on a few of the changes you made to the VC plan; and talk about any changes you might recommend having now built.

I know at the end of our building project here in Maine we've learned a great deal and would do some things differently (build much smaller - and shorter - for starts).

Thanks for the postings.

S.

Shawn,

I moved from Portland, OR to Boston in 1987.  I love to visit Boston (was there two weeks ago in fact) and be in the general region--my old friend lives in Durham, NH, so close to the ME coast.  But I realized after a bit that I was a Northwest kid at heart.   My Boston friends (the guys from East Boston and southie) would call me "Huckleberry"  and say things like:  Yous is from that place where they brew Olympia bee-a.  Dat's the on brew with the excuse right on the can--"it's the wata."

Anyway, I really didn't do too many modifications to John's plans.  My basic layout mirrors his plans.  I did do a deck inside the L that the house makes.  That seemed like a natural place for it.  And because of the deck running off two walls, one a bedroom and the other the living room, I  opted for a sliding glass door from the  bedroom and a regular door off the living room.  I decided to go with a spiral staircase to create more space and to create a visual point of interest.  I did decide on a slightly larger bathroom, 8xu8,  but the common wall between the bathroom and the kitchen has an small 2'x2' built in  (into the bathroom area) that houses the 24" 3/4 size fridge.  And in the bedroom, I didn't go with a window bumpout--a basic wall with a window works for me.

If I need to sketch out my floor plan to help with visualization, I am happy to do so...

Best,
mt

Hey Mike,

If you were in Boston recently you likely just missed the snow! Ours is finally abating just this week. The past two winters have been big for snow. We just managed to get into our VERY rough house a week before snow-fly in 2007. At the end of December we had a record-breaking 4' plus of snow on the ground. It was insane! It came late this year but come it did and lots of it.

I wonder if you have any photographs posted of the second floor? The ballooned walls are 12' - is that right? I've thought about going 14' to add some head room on the second floor but I'm curious to see what it's like in your place. Maybe it's not necessary.

Enjoy that bee-a out they-a! Not as many micro-brews around here. Good blueberry raking and maple syrup shacks in the neighborhood though!

Thanks,

S.

Shawn (and others who are interested):

Here is a picture of a corner of our loft.  You will note the 4 ft high sidewall (12 foot studs) before the 12:12 pitch roof starts.  I think this adds plenty of room in the loft without going higher on the sidewalls.  Remember that the width of the structure is only 16 feet, so 12 foot high before the roof feels right.

(https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/teskeym/IMG_2275.jpg)

Looks really good. I love the stairs. Thanks for sharing.

Mike,

I really appreciate your posting the second floor photos of your cottage. Not intending to be redundant...but it has helped me sketch out some workable and pleasing ideas.

Looking for to seeing more of your progress.

Best,

S.

Love it - good for you!

Mike,

It has been fun watching your progress and you gave us some great ideas for our modified V that we are building in Victor MT.  We have been planning and working on it for over 3 years now and it is almost done.  We set a high standard and benchmark LEED platinum and we are close.  The energy conservation is for sure.  If you check this thread heer is a link to the blog.

http://victormontana.wordpress.com/

Pat Abbe

I will try and post some new pictures, but the update shots are not very interesting.  This past year I have mostly been doing the work that gets covered up: plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and insulation.  I have also been preparing to install a fire suppression sprinkler system.  I should get that done by July 4 weekend.

Then it will be wallboard and then work like hell to get the stuff done for a certificate of occupancy by Labor Day.  That is the revised goal at least. 

I will post pictures of my rough electrical, plumbing and mechanical work and the sprinkler system over the next few weeks.

mt

Hi Mike,
Three years and way too much time and money spent but it is done. Of course we can't afford furniture till next year.  :( We spent the summer there and even with the temps outside around 95º it never got above 78º  inside with no AC.  Looking forward to winter.  Labor day weekend the temperature was between 34º and 64º for 2 days and it never went below 71º with no wood stove or heat.  I think it is a keeper.  If you want to see the our finished Victoria's cottage go to
http://victormontana.wordpress.com/

Thanks to you and everyone with their stories and photos that have kept this project alive for the past 4 years

Pat Abbe