after getting our approval on the parlor floor powder room footprint the week before, the crew got right to work. this week they put up wall studs, added the bathroom ceiling and drywall on its east and south walls, and removed all of the floor inside the bathroom area.
on the garden level, the crew worked quickly in the extension. first, they removed what was left of the bathroom walls and then pulled down all of the pipes. upon closer inspection, they discovered two rotten floor beams in the area where the new tub would be located that would have to be repaired by sistering new beams to them. demo on the wood floor began in the southeast corner of the extension and......(sigh)......the washer and dryer were totally disconnected.
the kitchen was next and we caught a couple glimpses of history as demolition began on the north wall. as the drywall, tiles and plumbing were removed, we discovered old wallpaper layered on top of white subway tiles. it was kind of interesting to see the very different styles that used to inhabit the space and imagine what those people and their lives were like. after they finished with the north wall, the kitchen ceiling came out next -- we want more lighting and plan to incorporate hanging pendant lights from the wood beams that we'll leave partially exposed over the island. it was an amazing display of debris temporarily -- and the crew made it all disappear the following day.
in the cellar, the walls surrounding the furnace and the last remaining door and walls were removed from the center arch near the staircase. with all of the non-structural walls knocked out, it was hard to remember what it looked like when we first moved in. the ceiling demolition also revealed an area between the furnace and the meters where some of the beams had been previously damaged by a fire that must have spread from the dining room fireplace, located directly above. mike thought it could be repaired by installing 2 steel columns to take the load off of the burned beams, but he would take a closer look to confirm the best approach.
anastasia sent us the first version of her interior studies for the powder room. after meeting with the plumber, they realized that the plumbing for the wall hung toilet would not be able to be recessed into the brick wall as originally contemplated, so it will be enclosed in the wall with a recess of a shelf and mirror above it instead. since the vent pipe has to extend beyond the powder room ceiling, she suggested it could be placed in the southeast corner to minimize its visibility in the rear parlor itself. also, in order to make sure the powder room feels integrated in the overall space, we agreed with anastasia's recommendation to replicate the room's wainscoting on the exterior bathroom walls too. inside the powder room, we would probably also mirror that design by using a dark tile or wallpaper on the lower half of the walls. finally, we would either go with a new custom bathroom door built to match the existing double pocket doors or reuse one that had been removed during the garden level demolition.
mike told us that we needed to make a decision on the in-wall bathroom fixtures and the bathtub quickly so that progress could continue on the rough plumbing. anastasia made some preliminary recommendations based on brands she had used previously and the style she liked for each bathroom. i reviewed them and provided quick feedback to her over the weekend. i made plans to go window shopping with her at a showroom early the following week so i could see different styles and examine the various shower control options in person.
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