Again this week, work continues at Pardy House. Details are starting to come together. Almost all the drywall has been installed so plaster and paint aren’t far behind (we hope)-- but there are still so many things to be done.
The ceiling of our sun room is one detail we are still working on. Originally the 1800‘s sun room simply had a flat, 8 foot ceiling covered in bead-board but as most of you now know, our original sun room was demolished due to heavy rot and uneven floor. During reconstruction I got a little “creative”. The exterior dimensions of the new room were a mirror of the original but the interior didn’t have to be and I took advantage of that fact. The newly constructed sun room in now going to be two rooms, a formal front porch or vestibule, and the second room an inclosed sun room for my horticultural tendencies and a cozy chair or two for Leann and I to read in.
Besides altering the floor plan of our beloved sun room, the ceiling configuration was also changeable in our new design. Before, over two feet of headroom was lost in an inaccessible attic space above the sun room. In our new design the ceiling is vaulted and open, to a height of almost 10 feet, creating a greater feeling of space in this small room, as well as providing height for hanging light fixtures.
Another idea was to leave exposed, the beams supporting the sun room and vestibule roof and what a great idea this was. These beams, though not yet cased in by decorative moldings, already create great interest for the room’s ceilings. Once painted an airy white, this feature will be create a great welcome space into Pardy House.
Other details are also being put into place around the house through March, including a bead-board ceiling for one of the bedrooms. The ceilings of tentest and bare wood simply couldn’t stay in certain sections of our home. Some ceilings had been damaged over the years through leaks, foundation settling and shifting.
Pine bead-board is a traditional material and once again, like the beams in our sun room, it adds interest and texture to what could simply be yet another flat, drywall ceiling. Our bead-board bedroom ceiling will be painted a creamy colour to finish off our vision of a French cottage home.
Next time I will hopefully be writing an entry on our three newly installed solid wood french doors. Let the light shine through! Talk to you all soon.
