Savannah is getting back to normal. There are lots of tourists although the numbers are way down from what they were before the virus. That's actually kind of nice for those of us who live here. But I know our economy has a huge reliance on tourism so we hope tourism can keep growing safely. People are feeling their way through the new reality we have in our daily lives just like I'm sure you all are. SCAD students will still be working virtually. Many restaurants are open but some look like they won't return. That's very sad. The tour buses are all active and there are lots of walking tours again. And yes, the ghost tours are back. We're not too excited about that.
We only live a block away from the project and enjoy siting in Calhoun Square for a visit with neighbors. In the evenings, the ghost tours are very active and their stories continue to morph. Now they are telling people we're on our third builder because we can't get any to stay on the job. And the chain-link construction fence is there to protect people from accidentally touching the house so they won't become possessed or something like that. Don't forget the black goo that oozes from the floors. Needless to say, when we hear these, we can only roll our eyes. Most tour guides are quiet and respectful. It's the groups that are still arriving after 10 p.m. and sometimes at midnight with loud groups that want to get close as possible to check for "paranormal activity" that concern us. We can't wait to move in and enjoy the home. And we hope people will respect the property as the private residence it is.
Carriage House Update
Little things are still being completed. The bathrooms just need a few finishing touches and the knobs need placed on the cabinets. Counter tops, tile back splash, plumbing fixtures, appliances, final paint and floor touch-up are completed. And landscaping is in the works. HVAC and plumbing are all working! It's nice and cool in there. We've put paper on the floors to protect them until we are completely finished. This will be a great little two-bedroom rental for us.
Main House - Garden Level
The garden level is our focus to complete for right now. While work continues on the rest of the house, we are really plowing ahead here. We'd like to be able to use it as a place to store furnishings while we prepare to make the move into this home as our primary residence.
Justin and his finish carpentry team have done some of the work on closets and wall cabinets plus installed all the trim on doors and around the floors. There is a lot of original interior brick on this level. Add to that the wood ceilings and the rooms can be a bit dark. To brighten it up, Roberto’s team painted the few walls that are sheet rock, some of the trim, and the doors different shades of dusty green. Exterior doors are installed and boarded up to keep them safe. The steps, railing, and pickets to the stairs going to the parlor level, plus the stone tile floor are getting installed soon. The kitchen and bathroom cabinetry is installed and the electricians are installing the electrical fixtures. That leaves counter tops, appliances, and plumbing fixtures.
So much work has been done on little things like making the windows work properly. All original windows have to remain in place. We are not able to update them to modern double panes for historic reasons. But they’ve all been refinished, broken pains replaced, and re-glazed. There were iron security bars on all the first-floor windows and those have been sandblasted and repainted ready to be re-installed.
Jimmy, our brick mason, built fireplace hearths to match the brick in the room. They are perfect for the space and look like they might have looked back in the day. Joey’s electrical team did their best to hide as much of the electrical conduit behind baseboards and the ones that show were painted by Vincent to a coppery bronze. Now they blend in with the rustic look and feel of the space. Love that we were able to keep the door and window header and the ceiling beams exposed.
We still have some finish carpentry to be done in what we are calling the “art” room. This room will be a real work horse for many endeavors though including my sewing and probably some exercise equipment.
Lastly, we've had the HVAC guys in building the ducting. Did you know they have flat sheets of tin and custom build those ducts to fit each specific site? That is a lot of work and pretty darn creative! Here's an example of one that will go in a closet.
Main House – Top Floor
There are several things in the works. In the study, we’ll have some paneling and book shelves built in. Jim of Moon Harbor Craftsman, where all our cabinetry is from, is building these and a cabinet for linen storage. The original wood trim and doors have been primed for paint and all the new trim is on site and installation is starting. This includes the bedroom closets where new wood floor was installed. And the master bedroom bath tile floor has been installed. Next time I'll show the door, window, and floor trim plus final closet build-outs.
Main House – Parlor Level
Plaster, plaster, plaster. It’s been fun watching the recreation of the crown sections and ceiling medallions. It’s quite an art form. And the walls are like satin when they are finished. All plaster walls will be painted except the parlor/dining room. Those walls will have a last coat done using a Venetian plaster technique with the color mixed into the plaster. We’re also working on some techniques to bring the plaster crown back to a look that makes it look aged. Lots of trial and error in the process. These pictures are of David of Corbel Plastering finishing the medallion in the family room that was refurbished (it was literally crumbling), and Alvin working on restoring the missing plaster crown.
Outside
The main courtyard has been staked out and footers poured so the planter walls can be started. Jimmy, the brick mason will be building these. We’ll have an iron spiral staircase from the second level down to the courtyard. This is ready but we’ll wait until the courtyard bricking is almost complete before we install it. The exterior shutters are in and installation has started. Those will make a huge difference to the exterior look of the house. And we installed solar panels on the roof and had a special electric plug installed for the possibility of an electric or hybrid car in the future. Blending the old with the new!
We still are on schedule to be in by the end of October!
Comments