CountryPlans Forum

General => Owner-Builder Projects => Topic started by: jraabe on December 22, 2005, 07:59:51 PM

Title: 16' wide Victoria Cottage project
Post by: jraabe on December 22, 2005, 07:59:51 PM
I got an email today from Brady Quinn with these photos and project description.

"I bought your plans for Victoria's cottage about three years ago and broke ground in the spring of 2004.  The foundation, heating, plumbing, and electrical work I had done by contractors.  The rest of the work I have done with the help of friends and family.  In October, I got the c.o. and moved in with just some finishing work left to be done.  So I would say it is now time to invite all who helped for a party to thank everyone for their help!

Some modification were made to your original plans but all in all, it follows your design.  I love my home and find it wonderful to live in."

(http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn-1s.jpg)

(Click here for larger image: http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn-1.jpg)

Here is a link to the plans Brady started with: http://www.countryplans.com/victoria.html

Notice that the porch was dropped, the extension wing moved forward and the main entry shifted to the enlarged Dining pop-out area.

I'm sure the interior layout has been modified from the initial plan.

(http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn-2s.jpg)

(Click here for larger image: http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn-2.jpg)

Brady reports that the house is in upstate New York about an hour north of the city.  

"The foundation/main floor is a concrete slab that I had colorized a Terra Cotta and finished with poly. It is a radiant slab using propane as the fuel source.  So far, we have had some very cold weather but it seems to be very efficient.  When winter is over, I will see just how much fuel I've used. And I love walking around barefoot in the dead of winter!"

(http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn-3s.jpg)

(Click here for larger image: http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn-3.jpg)

Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: dan614 on December 22, 2005, 10:21:17 PM
Great house. Where did you get the old time out door light?
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: peg_688 on December 23, 2005, 12:07:31 AM
Nice job I really like  that you hit all your major window sizes with both courses , upper/ lower , spot on  :)  Lots of planning on layout , well you did lay it out or you'd have been willy nilly with those details . Outlets appear the same etc  :)

[highlight]  Very color full ,[/highlight] roof looks to be either purple or Red , well that's all camera work .   But for a   Vic colors are what you like , [highlight]just joking really [/highlight]nice job on exterior details , I like it  :)  I don't think I'd be so bold with color but that really is just a your choice / my choice .  Wish I could be so bold sometimes  :-[

 Theres a lot of skylights  :o Natural light must be nice inside :)  PHOTOS? ??  :P

 Great job  ;D

 PEG
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: glenn-k on December 23, 2005, 02:56:54 AM
Very nice job.
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: achildofthesky on December 23, 2005, 10:57:06 AM
John:

  Hi, I am wondering if it is possible to view pages with pictures so I don't have to scroll down then up then over a bit then repeat or feft to right then down a bit then repeat? It is frustrating to not be able to read the text and view the pix this way. Since the change in the forum pages I have not been able to just scroll down to read all the text and view pix full width. Please excuse me as if this is a painfully simple fix but I am a wanna be geek and do not have great experience in all things computer...

Patty
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: glenn-k on December 23, 2005, 12:20:32 PM
Generally I've seen this problem when pictures were too big for the resolution of the screen so they went bigger than the browser page or possibly you may be getting the big print page from the Main Countryplans template -still should display ok it seems.  Pix have all been ok on my screen lately.

Check in your profile for countryplans -click modify - put in password - click options - template -select default template - makes print smaller - if that works - resave your bookmark so you will sign on with the new settings.

or

Do you know what the resolution of your monitor is set at? Go to a blank place on your desktop -right click in a blank space - select properties - select settings tab - check screen resolution - see if you can set it to higher - that will make more fit on your page but it will be smaller.

Maybe someone else knows something else that may cause it.
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Daddymem on December 23, 2005, 12:44:10 PM
Yeah it is either link lengths or picture size that causes the annoying scroll bar within the post.  The old site put the scroll bar on the entire page which was worse in some situations.  The fix is on the poster's side, shorten links with tinyurl or other, and shrink images to fit the posting width.  An alternative way for dial up users would be to turn off image loading.  You can then load the images when you want to.
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: ketdryn on December 23, 2005, 04:43:57 PM
I love how you modified the orginal plan.  And your choice of color is fantastic.  Given how much of the year parts of Canada are covered in snow, I like the idea of brightly colored houses.  They look so much warmy and cozier surrounded by all that white stuff.  I bought the Victoria Cottage plans earlier this year and am curious about how your modifications impacted your allocation of space on the inside.  Anyway, the house looks beautiful!  
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: spinnm on December 23, 2005, 07:58:13 PM
Looks great!  Sweet proportions.


As to the lights....you can get them at Lowes.  Imagine the web would yield a greater selection.  Come in black, galvanized and "rust".  Differing sizes.  That style has a name...can't remember.  Maybe someone else will.
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Brady on December 23, 2005, 08:39:50 PM
Gee, thanks everyone for your compliments!  Glad you like it.  I will get some photos of the inside for you and post them.  Still unfinished, but working on painting, trim, countertops, etc. and so on.  I think it will end at some time.  Maybe.  I hope.

Shelly was right, Lowe's is where I got the outside lights.  My guess is that she has spent more time there than I have!  I am down to just three days a week.  And you Shelly, how often do you find yourself there and do you suffer withdrawal if you don't go daily?  In fact, I unknowingly painted the loft Lowe's blue, guess it's time to go to Home Depot and paint some orange.

Nice to hear the positive review of the colors.  Winter came too soon, so I didn't have time to finish the painting.  Still have a second coat to paint on most of the hovel and the trim to paint olive green.  The colors are not for everyone, but for me, I have had enough of beige, taupe, and off-white to last a lifetime!  As to the question of the roof color, it is a barn red and is from Lowe's (those bastards should be paying me for hawking their products!).

To sum up, I love my home and find it wonderful to live in.  Thanks to John for the wonderful design.

Brady
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: spinnm on December 23, 2005, 08:46:44 PM
Actually Brady I'm having serious withdrawal.  100 mi round trip to visit either one.  Can no longer just bop down to either for a whatchamacallit.  The local lumber yard is lame beyond belief.
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: jraabe on December 25, 2005, 04:24:47 PM
Patty and other folks who were having problems with the images...

See if this is better. The images were probably too large for your screen resolution and thus forced the strange scroll bars. I run at 1280 x 1024 so the large images worked fine.

I've edited the post for 800x600 screens and shrunk images down to 480 pixels width. I added links to the larger images for viewing better detail.

I will try to remember to keep these images smaller in the future and others might keep this in mind as well when sizing photos for posting. Check to see if folks running 800 x 600 screens can still get a good view. (You can run your browser in a window and size it to 800 pixels wide.)

Let me know if there are still problems.

John
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: glenn-k on December 25, 2005, 04:33:32 PM
 I noticed that Firefox has an option to shrink images to fit the page - probably turned on by default so I was not seeing the problem. :-/
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: FrankInWI on December 25, 2005, 09:59:03 PM
 :P  Sometimes I am ASTONSIHED!  at the determination of many of the people hanging out here in actually getting to the task and getting it done!  Amazing....building a house isn't a small venture.  
This place looks GREAT....what a awesome job you did.  I hope you enjoy for many years.
Frank
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Amanda_931 on December 26, 2005, 09:39:45 AM
Apparently there are places in the country where--I don't know what they're called--high reflectance maybe? roofs are manated.  

I.E., white.  

This pains me because I tend to think that the only realistic color for roofs is

[size=18]Red  [/size]      [size=14] Red      [/size]  [size=14]Red[/size]

Especially barn roofs.

Although I think I could get used to purple on a house roof--maybe more gingerbread to handle the purple--consider pictures of the Painted Ladies in San Francisco.

Looks good!  

And, sigh, it's finished!
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: jraabe on December 26, 2005, 06:31:12 PM
A white roof in a cooling dominated climate will save you money every year. The solar energy office in Florida built two test houses next to each other and the one modification that was the most cost-effective energy upgrade was going to a white roof.

In cold climates where you don't use the AC much, a darker roof will usually make more sense and, I agree, look better. Red is a great color for metal roofs but I also like dark green and charcoal.
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: jonseyhay on December 26, 2005, 09:13:28 PM
Mine's silver, and I'm darn glad it is. We had 44dgr C here yesterday and it's looking like it could make 47 by the end of the week. (That's 111-116 in American) ;)
jonesy.

Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: achildofthesky on December 26, 2005, 09:22:14 PM
John:

  Thanks so much for the tweak to the pix format. It is a pleasure to be able to just run down the page. Again thank you and by the way, a happy, safe and prosperous New Year to all...

Patty Smith
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: glenn-k on December 26, 2005, 09:41:33 PM
That's way too hot Jonesy- I'll bet you'll be dusting off the old Bikini if it stays like that too long. [smiley=laugh.gif]
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Amanda_931 on December 26, 2005, 10:11:30 PM
I know that a white or at least very light roof is good for this climate.  I occasionally had to go up into the attic in my Nashville house in the summer--aaaakkkkk!!!--finally put an attic fan up there--that helped but it took electricity to run it.

But.....

I think I read about some sort of roofing material that did reflact more than one would think, given the color, can't find it right now--this is what the official Energy Star site says about reflective roofing:

What is an ENERGY STAR qualified roof product?
It is a reflective roof product that lowers roof surface temperature by up to 100°F, thereby decreasing the amount of heat transferred into a building's interior. ENERGY STAR qualified roof products save money and energy by reducing the amount of air conditioning needed to keep a building comfortable.

Here's that site--if I find the other I'll post it:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roof_prods.pr_roof_faqs

Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: rampage on December 27, 2005, 02:15:08 AM
its funny that most new construction here in Fl has dark roofs. I have 2 houses that both have black roofs. Stupid, I know, but looks great with the coquino siding. Someone mentioned the attic getting hot. I remember going into my rental to run wire for some outside lighting in June and the heat literally fried my brain. I think I lost more braincells that day than the 2 years I spent in the 12th grade. :-?
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Brady on December 27, 2005, 03:28:15 PM
OK, now that I read ALL the directions on how to put a photo on this.....

A photo of the stairs that I got from Mylen Stairs out of Peekskill, NY.  I wanted the stainless steel version but thought that $35 grand would be a budget breaker!  It was nice though.  The view is from the living area looking towards the kitchen.

(http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn4s.jpg).

Click here for full sized image: http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn4.jpg

This is looking from the kitchen into the living area with the door on the right going into the bedroom/workroom on the first floor.
(http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn5s.jpg)

Click here for full sized image: http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn5.jpg

And a photo of the loft area.  I left it open with just half walls, making it seem much bigger and airy.  This is the room that I plan to use as my bedroom.  

(http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn6s.jpg)

Click here for full sized image: http://www.countryplans.com/images/quinn6.jpg

Brady

(PS, I resized these images a bit, John)
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: glenn-k on December 27, 2005, 03:49:25 PM
Nice job Brady.

Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: dan614 on December 27, 2005, 05:25:28 PM
Glad to see your colors. They work and I know from my main house are great conversation starters. Could you post a few more of your loft? How long is your place? How much WERE the stairs
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Amanda_931 on December 27, 2005, 08:25:09 PM
I do love colors.

Even Lowe's Blue and Home Depot Orange.

Especially since it seems like they're going to work in the house.

The deal on dark roofs in Florida is that they'd be fine if they were something called "infrared reflecting"--I came across a (not particularly relevant to the discussion) press release from some plastics company who was bragging on their nice black that absorbed a lot of the visible light, not very much of all of the infrared--heat-producing--light.  I still think I saw something about roofs the other day.

And if you want the contrarian view--

Why the bleep don't they outlaw coating your now nicely to medium gray asphalt parking lot with stinky shiny black stuff!  My guess that in the suburbs, shopping centers that would do more to prevent heat islands than roofs.  Nyah!
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: dan614 on December 28, 2005, 04:14:33 AM
Could you take a picture of those cieling lights in the orange room?e
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: rampage on December 28, 2005, 12:08:55 PM
Brady, the pics of what you have done are very inspiring!
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: jraabe on December 28, 2005, 12:34:06 PM
Dan: I expect the lights in the orange room are the same outdoor lights (from Lowe's) that are in the earlier pictures. They look nice centered between the beams and used as a wall wash.

I have done similar things with outdoor lights. There is an inexpensive outdoor fixture available at many home centers - it looks somewhat industrial or if it might be from a ship. There is a heavy oval frosted glass cover for the light that is held down with a wire basket. It usually mounts horizontally.

These can be easily spray painted any color you want, can fit a CFL bulb and look good as hall and wall lights almost anywhere.

They are also indestructible.
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Boatz on December 28, 2005, 01:22:39 PM
Wow! The house looks great! Please! More interior shots - such nice light inside! Where are you planning to have your eating area? I'm guessing in the "living room", but maybe there is something I can't see...
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: jraabe on December 28, 2005, 04:59:14 PM
It is interesting to me that several of the people who have built the Victoria Cottage plan have used strong colors.

(http://www.countryplans.com/images/vc-6-kit.jpg)

Link to the pictures of the earlier house: http://www.countryplans.com/vc.html

Victoria, who got to name the house, is from the Dominican Republic. She loves those Caribbean colors!

It is also an unending delight to see how people will take a stock plan and make it into a personal home.
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Brady on December 28, 2005, 08:53:01 PM
Will post some photos of the lights for you this weekend when I have a chance to take some photos of them.  They are actually from a local lighting store.  I put one in each space between the beams and on dimmer switches.  Got the same design but as a hanging light for the first floor room off the living area.  

If you go to dan614's posting on lofts, you can see some more photos of the loft.  

As far as my "eating area", I am going to put a counter on the half wall by the kitchen and use some bar stools.  I won't really have a formal dining area and will come up with some sort of table for when guests come over.  I am sacrificing having a formal area for eating, but being realistic, I prefer eating with a plate on my lap while watching the tv.  

After reading "The Not So Big House" by Susanka, decided to opt for a realstic view of how I would use the spaces in my home and go with what works for me and forget the typical definitions of what makes a house.  I recommend her book to all and personally found it very good to help form a realistic view of how I would really use a house.

Brady
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Boatz on December 29, 2005, 01:17:58 AM
The counter with the bar stools sounds right... I'm with you, I'd rather plop down and be entertained, but there are those occassions when other come over (I usually have some cushy toss pillows that go around a  big coffee table - but then we are very casual around here).

You did such a nice job with the lights... I just want to know how you guys get so smart about such things!
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Brady on December 31, 2005, 02:13:42 PM
Some photos of the lighting in the hovel.

The lights in the living area:
(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/jhc9cn.jpg)
(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/jhcxtu.jpg)

And the same style but as a hanging light in the work area:
(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/jhcy3d.jpg)

Wall lights that I have on the half walls of the loft area:
(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/jhcysh.jpg)

And in the kitchen:
(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/jhcz2v.jpg)

Please forgive the dust.  

Perhaps John can resize these to make it easier to see.  If anyone knows how to resize photos and could explain it to me in idiot terms so that I understand, please do!

Brady
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: glenn-k on December 31, 2005, 03:02:08 PM
Hi Brady - Go to photobucket instead of tinypic -- per Daddymem, you can edit/resize and it keeps them in albums under your account so you can find them again.  I went to 50% on these.  I prefer not "idiot terms", but "terms understandable to the uninformed." :)

Photobucket (http://photobucket.com/)
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Daddymem on December 31, 2005, 03:20:36 PM
Nice lights!  
Title: Re: New Pictures of Victoria Cottage project
Post by: ailsaek on January 03, 2006, 12:25:59 AM
QuoteNice lights!  

What he said!  I especially like the blue ones in the kitchen.
Title: Re: 16' wide Victoria Cottage project
Post by: Jessica(Guest) on January 30, 2006, 04:08:33 PM
Hi,

I'm planning on building a rather modified Victoria's Cottage in MT and was wondering how the radiant floor heating was for you?  Is the upstairs comfortable enough without having another heating source?  It can get pretty darn cold here (-30 degrees w/o the windchill sometimes) so I'm thinking of doing the radiant heating on the second floor as well when it gets totally freezing.

Thanks!!!!
Title: Re: 16' wide Victoria Cottage project
Post by: jraabe on January 30, 2006, 04:21:01 PM
In cold climates you might want to add a couple of hydronic baseboard heaters in upstairs rooms. I have done that in our milder climate and they are rarely turned on as the radiant floor heats the whole house 99% of the time. At -30º these might see more action, I expect  ;). This is a less expensive option to doing a radiant floor on the upper level as well.
Title: Re: 16' wide Victoria Cottage project
Post by: sevans on April 15, 2006, 01:39:11 PM
 Hello

I just wanted to say what a beautiful house you have. I just got my plans for this cottage in the mail yesterday and was feeling very inspired by your pictures. We still have a lot of paper work to do, but hope to break ground by early June. I can't wait to have my own pictures to share. :)
Title: Re: 16' wide Victoria Cottage project
Post by: cecilia on April 15, 2006, 05:36:39 PM
Hi Brady

Your choice of lights is very similar to ours at the Duckpond. In fact the photo of the one on the long string with the ceiling fan in the same shot could almost have been taken at our place!

Which makes me think you may be able to solve a small problem for us.........

The ceiling fan is only needed in winter, to send the rising warm air from the gas log fire back down and prevent it all disappearing upstairs. The trouble is that the hot air from the fire and the fan somehow make the light swing around in circles, (makes you a bit sea sick if you're trying to watch TV). It only does it when the heater fan is on the medium setting, not on high or low. Trouble is the fan is a bit noisy on high and you're not supposed to run the fan on low unless the heat is also set to low.
(//)

Has anyone else had similar problems?

I can now see the logic of the light attached to the underneath of the fan, but I just don't like the look of them.

cecilia
www.duckpond-design.com.au/theduckpond
Title: Re: 16' wide Victoria Cottage project
Post by: glenn-k on April 16, 2006, 01:38:22 AM
Sounds like a little resonant frequency problem like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.  It finally self destructed.

You might check the twist on the fan blades - sometimes they are not the same if one gets bent - also check the balance - maybe tape a washer on top a blede that seems light or just experiment a little bit with a washer or weight taped on in different places.  I had the problem with the twist on the arms once.
Title: Re: 16' wide Victoria Cottage project
Post by: CREATIVE1 on May 04, 2006, 04:02:24 PM
Trying to interpret the pictures.  Is the front loft a full sized (11.5 foot deep) room?  Really like what you've done.  
Title: Re: 16' wide Victoria Cottage project
Post by: MarissaKelly on January 04, 2007, 07:14:33 PM
Brady,
I love you && your house :]]