Thursday, 11 October 2012


Sometimes, just nice to step back and remember !!

The day we started on site



And how things are looking now !!


The  most amazing thing is how the house talks to us as it presents elements that we work through. I think we have had a bit of a slump in progress, but with working on some of the finishes internally, and particularly with the roof going, on the  whole thing  is starting to take on its own personality, or that of its owners !! This is such a unique project.  We've never tackled one this way and so far, I'm happy that it's working. Keith














Wednesday, 3 October 2012

Meet the Team:

Simon Smith:

Gentleman of the British Isles, Tea Tippler and acknowledged specialist in large erections of all things wooden.

Simon has been working in wood for his whole career, trained in U.K. -

The Post and Beam Project just up his street !!

Married to Zoe, and resident in the country town of Grabouw

Roofing 

Pierre Dreyer's team from Plett Roofing are on site - no sheet -

Colorbond Ultra in "Amazing White" over Thermocoustic Insulation.

full Spec job this - but being 100 metres from the high tide mark does generate good reason to go for a durable - 15 year guarantee -

Rowan Knight on Site :)



  • Wonder how long it will be before roof changes colour (by Helen's Hand) - Can already see  the gleam in the eye !
October 2nd 2012

So a few days of good weather, have seen us preparing and building in Nick and Helen's wooden doors and windows to replace the domestic aluminium elements in the ground floor.

Beautifully built by "Kiwi Craig" of Kia Ora Joinery in Plettenberg bay, crafted out of Iroko - they are stunning


Double doors into Studio


New Studio


Cosy Bedroom
 So this all done by the "energetic" and busy "brikkies" - the smooth, but enigmatic "RastaMan" and his merry bunch


We've got a big push now to close up and weatherproof so we can start finishes - cladding, painting, flooring and such like.

Sunday, 23 September 2012

Meanwhile, back in the Office





Here's a picture of Keith in his Office.
It is immaculately and very impressively tidy and well-ventilated, but perhaps just a little cramped.

Friday, 14 September 2012

Birthday Sunshine, and a song to go with it


Ruben is a man after my own heart - he loves a hat.  And if he aint got one to hand, he'll just figure out a way of "making do".  Here's an old tune, which you may or may not be familiar with - It starts off with the Muppets, but moves on to Roger Miller, that old charmer ! Enjoy.....


Tuesday, 11 September 2012

13 Weeks Into The Build


Working conditions are not that bad up here in the bundu.  Although there isn't exactly a roof on Keith's office, it surely must be able to boast one of the best views in the world (taken the day before his computer crashed - I think it's trying to tell him it doesn't like being outside).


OK, although you cant quite see in this picture, Eric is strapped to the ridge beam above, balancing on a ladder, and hammering the board onto the frame outside our bathroom.  The plumbing pipes were put in today for bath, basin and loo.


Here you can see our bedroom, which is a mirror image of our bathroom on the opposite walkway. I've measured that I shall have to walk about 30 footsteps to get to the loo in the middle of the night. Note the beautiful double door, made of Oregon pine, with a fanlight above it; we were lucky enough to find two to match, so they stand directly opposite each other.  Then at the bottom you can just see the corners of three very large sliding doors.  Can't wait to see them in position.


Reuben is painting the exterior woodwork.


Toriq's hair has turned bright bottle orange for some uncanny reason.



Two small sash windows are going on either side of our bed.  One is old, salvaged from an old Cape homestead, and the other is being made to match it, by Kiwi Craig.


Special insulation paper is going up on the outside.  Waterproofing membranes, I'm told.  Over the top of them will go the corrugated iron sheeting. Yes, that's what I said.




Mmm... maybe we should leave it like this for a truly original decor trend


I clambered through the bathroom window, tra-la

(and almost did myself an injury climbing back in)


This shot is supposed to show the plumbing pipes for the bath.


Aha, here they are.  Situated so that we can wallow in the bath during the day, and check the seals on Robberg Peninsula (seen in far distance).  The hook for the binoculars will be right there.


And now for Frootie's trick.  He's designing and building an open fireplace, taking Count Rumford's advice.  He & his team have knocked a hole into the S-W downstairs bedroom, and are trying to work out where the chimney should go.  It's going to be a bit of an Inglenook design, with a lovely old railway sleeper mantlepiece (courtesy Zambian Railways), for all our party invitations and Christmas cards! 
(not that we get too fussed about Christmas, and seldom get invites either, ha-ha)



and here's the fireplace opening taken from inside the S-E downstairs bedroom.  Mmm this is going to be interesting. 

That's all for now folks!  Night-night !