Cornicing/Coving for the Reception & Dining Rooms

Our last and final major work left in the main part of our house (basement apartment excluded) is the cornicing and coving. Today, our coving artisan, Gary, began putting up the cornicing in our reception room. It should be a 2 day job, but he and his sons have been ill so currently he is working solo. Due to this, he predicts the job will probably take him 4 days in total. I'm not bothered by this small delay because in the grand scheme of things it is a drop in the bucket.

Once Gary has completed the cornicing he will come back for two more days to put up our ceiling roses. There is a slight delay with this because I've not found the precise one for our rooms. We'll need five in total and it's a big decision and one that must be made with great care. We've begun picking out our lighting recently. We discovered a fabulous glassmaker in Italy (right outside of Venezia) that does amazing work, but very particular pieces too, so picking out ceiling roses that don't compete isn't easy. Once those are chosen and installed that's it for Gary's work.

Our decorators will begin prepping and painting the walls, cornicing and skirting the third week of January. We're expecting that to take them a good two to three weeks, depending upon how fast they are. This all means that essentially by February 15th we should be completed 100% (except the extension which will commence in May). Wow! It will take the whole renovation project to 8 and a half months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will post a few more photos by this weekend, but these will be among the last that I post until each room is painted and completed so that I can post the before, middle and after photos together for comparison.

Here are a few photos to see Gary's progress.

(captions below photos)

(a) reception room ceiling with bay window

(b) note that there is no architrave on this window yet and we're

hoping it will fit at the top without needing to trim it down.

(c) only one length on this wall complete (reception)

(d) beautiful corners

Just for something a bit different...

Basement apartment progress

(captions below)

(e) Kitchen Area: --> new lighting & will be tiled with black porcelain next week

(f) more kitchen (without the kitchen really :))

(f) preparation of water/damp proof subfloor for the wood floor

(g) living area -> more preparation for wood floor to be laid tomorrow (31/12/2009)

(h) kitchen area --> creating a division line for the tiles and wood floor to meet.

December 2009 accomplishments ...

We are getting closer and closer to the decorating side of this renovation project and we feel almost close to relief, yet the changes are slightly slow for our taste (now that we're entering our 8th month into the renovation).

We've had to make some really important decorative decisions and purchases that will put the house back to its original (if not better) status. We're hoping we've chosen and continue to choose the right details to do this house justice.

(All captions are above the photos)

Last major carpentry work (check!)

*Our previous builder (who was a complete cowboy!) forgot to put in a door, so FINALLY we got to see a door frame put up and a door to go with it!

Wood doors hung (check!)

Plastered Hallway (check!) Photos: before & after

(below: going up to mezzanine level or down to the "dirt pit" (aka where-the-extension-will-be-in-May) - all beautifully plastered also here!)

Sanded & stained wood floors on first floor (check!)

Master bedroom

Plastered basement apartment (check!)

(a) kitchen space (left) & utility room (right)

(b) kitchen space (left); utility room

(c) utility room (left); living space (center); doorway to bedroom (right)

(d) bedroom doorway (left) & living space (center)

(e) bedroom looking towards entrance to living area

(f) bedroom - facing bathroom doorway

Cornicing/Coving installed on First floor (check!)

Second largest bedroom

Master bedroom cornicing/coving

Cornicing/Coving installed throughout hallways & landings (check!)

Wood architraves purchased, delivered and installed around windows & doors (almost complete - check!)

Wood doors painted (almost complete - check!)

Electricity mains to house separated from basement apartment (nope!)