As the barn building nears completion, Ed, Brad and I are experiencing greater and greater anticipation. Each day we are slightly more anxious to see the "finished" barn. Daily, we spend an increasing number of minutes standing in one location and then another imagining the completed project.
Our family's quest right now is to determine the barn's stage of completion. Ed's guessing 60%; I'm saying 70% and Brad is promising an estimate later today.
Once the roof, exterior siding, and plumbing are completed, Brad will be pretty much off the barn building and onto the main house and guesthouse. Ed and I will finish up the barn's interior, plus some exterior staining and waterproofing. All of the fixtures have been ordered -- bathtub, toilet, sink, on demand hot water heater, light fixtures -- and we're simply waiting for their arrival, plus a roof to keep out the rain, before their installation. The roofing material is due to arrive this week. We toyed with recycled roofing or corrugated roofing on this building but settled on the three buildings having matching roofs. The roofing material we selected is galvanized snaplock.
Then, once the construction mess is gone from the edges of the barn, I can begin to move in with plantings. This might be one of the few building projects with the gardens lapping so closely at the carpenters' heels.
It occurred to me just yesterday, that our design is all about living on our property as opposed to a home design that is all about living in a house. Moving from one building to another throughout the day, and sometimes during the night, in any weather, will break down the barriers between inside and out. And, having a covered porch on each building will also push the seasons for our outdoor living. We're planning to build a fireplace off the large covered porch near the kitchen for outdoor cooking and entertaining year round. When you come to visit, and the snow's on the ground, be prepared for warm blankets and hot drinks around the outdoor fire!
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