Rooms with Views

In the morning the sun comes in through an east kitchen window streaming sunlight onto Pennethorne Manor.  It's a magical time of day . . .

I've been plodding away at the manor in what seems like endless trim work.  I finally got all the trim on the house and got the bay window sashes and trim painted and installed.  In real life, I'd rather be a builder than a carpenter.  Give me the big guns!

I had to install extra trim at the corners of the bays where the middle window meets the side windows because there was about a 1/4 of an inch dead space.  This is one of those serendipitous moments where a fuddle becomes a welcome detail.  Once the trim was glued on, I set about painting everything with cream paint.  I painted the inner part of the exterior trim with gold paint.  I painted the undersides of the top trim cream and will be painting the end and top with the garnet paint.  I'm thinking there's a little too much white, but when the siding goes on with the green I selected it shouldn't stand out quite so much.

I finally finished the main hall flooring and after two coats of super gloss Mod Podge, I set it in place.  It looks pretty nice!  I'll set it in permanently once the wiring is done.

I'm still trying to decide how to finish the foundation.  Brick or stone?  I'm thinking brick because that's how I want to finish the fire place.

Next order of business . . . painting more trim, completing the fireplace and installing the dining room windows.

Oh My Aching Muscles!

After a very long two days the breakfast room/conservatory and bath/dining room additions are finally put together and installed.  And not without some heavy handed maneuvering.  I had glued the breakfast room together only to discover that the overhang didn't allow for the two sections of window to come together at the right angles.  As I was extremely frustrated at this point, Brian took over taking the breakfast room apart and cutting the new piece.  He's such a team player!!

After more trimming adjustments, everything finally went together and I was able to glue it, clamp it using masking tape, and leave it set up.  I also installed the window panels that came with the kit so everything is finally complete on this side.  Well, except for siding, painting and the like.

The dining room side came together fairly well, except that I didn't allow for the one and a half inch extra space needed on the new panel I made.  Instead of tearing everything apart (of course I glued it together before I realized this!!) I opted to cut a piece to size and glue it in.  It will be covered with wallpaper and siding, so no one will be the wiser (except for you and me!  Ha!).

I'm well pleased with how the rooms have come together and how everything seems to be esthetically balanced.  I put together the bow windows on the breakfast room addition and at the front of the house.  The foundation pieces went together fine on the parlor window, but I had to do some finagling on the breakfast room window as I had added a half inch border around the outside of the room.  Rather than have the whole piece angled, I opted to cut it and place the two inside pieces parallel to the underside of the room.  It looks much better and I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Today I'll be adding the roof.  I've been dreading this part but the manor must have a roof and after what I went through to add the additions, it should be a piece of cake . . . she says rather optimistically.