Work underway

Well, today was the day!  At 8.15 this morning, the fireplace guys arrived and work began on building the new hearth in what is to be my new living room.  Did I say I am swapping over the living room and bedroom?  Now that I have my beautiful new French doors onto the balcony the room behind the balcony is to become the living room.  The old living room will then become my bedroom. It has to have a few things done to it too, but they’ll get done “as and when”! 

I’m really excited about the work getting done just now, as it’s been in my mind since I was in New Zealand almost two years ago.  I was staying for a couple of nights in a fabulous hostel on the west coast of South Island, that had once been a family home.  The lounge room had a corner fireplace next to a wide doorway through to another room. It gave a small room the impression of being much bigger.  My inspiration!

Plans  for the windows and the fire ( a flue has to go up through the ceiling, through the attic and out of the roof) were accepted by the local planning department way back in June last year, and though the windows were done earlier, I had hoped to get the fire done before Christmas.  Quotes for the work actually horrified me, but in the end I decided on Stuart, who had initially been recommended to me.  The big problem last year was getting the hearth, a Scottish slate one, which we found out we could not get till this month!  No idea why!

So, I have been moving stuff around – still finding it hard to get rid of my clutter – clearing space for the guys to work in, and this morning they have been working hard, building a raised plinth to put the hearth on, fitting the hearth and cutting off the gas pipe, etc.  - all the things needed to be done in that room and in the attic.  The fire, a coal effect gas stove, was moved through from its original spot and set on top of the new hearth.

Then I went out for lunch (I’m a lady who lunches!) and when I came back, lo and behold, the pipe through the ceiling was done and connected to the stove!  All done for today! Tomorrow there are the outside bits to do, and the stove will finally be connected to the gas supply!  Stuart gave the top of the stove a coat of black paint, just to smarten it up – and wow!   I’m chuffed!

Of course there are the finishing off bits that I’ll have to do when they are finished, like facing the front of the hearth, painting the walls, and getting the carpet laid, but I’ll get there!     

Talk again soon.