Progress photos of Victoria's Cottage &
Builder's Cottage combination project

Victoria's cottage w/ kitchen nook pop-out

Victoria's 16' wide cottage is being built as the "big" house and the 14'x24' Builder's cottage is the guest house behind (on the right here). They are connected by a covered breezeway (the ladder is leaning on the connecting roof). The front door is on the left (the front porch has not been built yet) and the eating nook and kitchen are in the pop-out section in the middle of the photo.

This owner (Victoria) is from the Dominican Republic and is bringing a touch of island color to the project. These are simple vinyl windows wrapped in 1x4 yellow painted trim, green painted plywood siding with black battens from 1x6s ripped in half. Your color scheme may vary. The builder is going to shingle the gable ends as you can see getting started on the builder's cottage.

Victoria's cottage and builder's cottage

This is the 14'x 24' Builder's cottage used as the guest house. It has a small kitchen and a sleeping loft above with the gable end window you see here. Click here to view the plans for  the Builder's cottage house.

Here you see the big view window in the Builder's cottage and looking further down to the kitchen corner of Victoria's cottage. The owner originally planned this house for slab on grade construction with heat coils running in the slab. After costing out the options, she decided to go with a wood floor over a crawlspace and gas fired wall heaters. This is relatively mild climate, the buildings get good sun (these are the sunny side windows) and it was a more economical solution to the heating issue.

Victoria's cottage from the rear of the bedroom wing

This is the view of the back of the bedroom wing of Victoria's cottage.  The high ceilings in this space and the windows on three sides give a very open feel.

 

Here are two interior photos of Victoria's cottage. The one on the left is the upper floor loft looking out over the soon to be built porch. Notice how the ridge beam is supported by a large header and strapped down to the framing (this is in an earthquake zone). The white insulation is "blown-in batt" or BIBS insulation. It is a highly efficient insulation, well worth its additional cost where available. It is installed by a specialty contractor trained by Arkseal.

The photo on the right is of the spiral stair that the contractor is building to access the large loft above (they actually expanded the loft into two rooms as it almost completely covers the lower floor).

I'll post more photos as the house progresses.

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