MyORC--THE ART LOFT & ATRIUM

When we were making decisions on connecting the garage apartment to the old part of the house,

it became apparent that we didn't want just a "hallway" and since it was going to be such small space

we decided to go UP for some drama!

We knew Mr. PV should have his office...but what besides that?

Several years ago we owned a building on Main Street that we bought at an estate auction

...we just used a limited amount of renovation money and turned it into an art gallery...

who doesn't want to have an art gallery?

and this is where, over the course of several years, I taught art lessons for elementary kids on Tuesday and Thursday after school

one day Mr.PV was wearing his bank hat, called me and told me we had been offered a good price to sell it,

and so we did

you can see the floor joists that will allow us to add a third story here someday

this made a perfect space for me to begin art classes again...just smaller ones

we will eventually add more of these wonderful windows as time goes on

but just a few here and there make a huge statement at 822

also, in our part of the country we really have to consider hail damage

I say we live in the New Roof Capital of the USA

hail-high winds-insurance- make this world go round!

we created an outside entrance for the art kids to enter

I've had several people tell me they heard this was a shower

man...I wish I'd thought of that!

nope...it's just an interesting detail that stretched the minds and souls of the frame crew

it's not a very good time of year to capture the view to the yard from the loft/atrium

but these are the windows...more like a ski lodge...but we just weren't sure what else to do?

except what we always do...and that's put in some glass!

this is the lovely view in the summer

the inside of the turret changes, I dare to say daily...but it changes a lot!

Are you ready for today?

~Inspiration~

art. art. art.

~We~

• just went with the flow as the ideas came as we were building.   It's hard to imagine for some there was no architect and most of the things we did in this area just happened as ideas hit us...this is where I am so grateful to the wonderful artsy blogs I read! So much creativity there
• painted it a sunny yellow
• purchased 4 diamond beveled windows...the others are just our regular double glass
• used colorful 4x4 Moroccan tile for the stairs purchased on eBay
• cute carpenter guy gathered and cut sucker rod from local water wells to build the custom stair rail...he can just about do anything...make that... he can do anything!
• put a varathane coat on the concrete floor

~Biggest Challenge~

putting the old copper weather vane my sister gave me on the turret....when that happened,

I shouted..out loud...YAY!!!!

~Favorite Thing~

This is hard to say....there's so much to love...the color, the light, the view... so if I were to have to sum it up I would just say that this space up here is full of

PURA VIDA

we light it all up each Christmas season

and no matter how many lights there are...the loveliness can never match

what the Master gifts us in nature

the colors of the night time sky filled with stars

are just breathtaking

MyORC--THE LIBRARY

After we had made the final decision to use the garage apartment for our master, 

there came the dilemma of how to get from there to the coffee pot in the kitchen...

and don't think it didn't cross our minds to keep it separated from the house...

this 1200ish square foot space was about to become a nightmare or at least a bad dream!

our current zoning requirements did not allow new construction within 15 feet of the curb and gutter

luckily, the old grandfathered concrete driveway saved us here, 

---after several city council meetings

we were finally given the ok to

connect the structures--

the red tape just about drove me crazy

this pier and beam shows the garage apartment being connected to the house

it is going to be a contemporary style that did create a bit of an issue to add to an old stone home

It's amazing to me that during a long...long reno

the parts you have completed can look so pretty against the parts that are yet to be

aka...that gorgeous grass! Please don't trample my grass mister!!

here you see the atrium, library, art loft and yes...the 3rd floor... (to be completed later--

like in 2020!)  This part of the reno was just a whirl because it was all happening very quickly with crews coming in to do their part and moving on

due to the fact that the turret would be too far into the space where it wasn't allowed,

we elected to build a tower just on the 2nd story in the art loft, rather than do away with the tower plans all together...I still wish so badly that we'd just asked the city council for a variance so the library below could have this cool space too...I have to say I'm proud of the mister...he serves on the city council and didn't want the public to ever say he got special treatment

this was one grouchy crew until I started feeding them my famous sticky buns

they told me two times "they'd never done something like this before"

Tangled was a very popular movie at this time and we played in this space often

I played Romeo and Juliet...Betty played Repunzel!

 during this time we were also putting in the pool

so a bit of turf war was taking place

the pool crew liked ice cold watermelon

and I was at their command too!

this man was my absolute favorite..not much English, but talented beyond belief along with the most incredible work ethic...he should have been the foreman but his language barrier won't allow that---he's thinking about how to make this addition look like it's always been here!  Unless he's thinking about 5 PM...yabba dabba do!

(we also moved all 4 heat/air units to another place...heat and air and electric crew could not be wooed although I did try)

a real challenge was to match the luder stone

it is a pretty close match but will obviously look better after it has endured our harsh elements for a few years...to "weather" in

 I am not kidding when I say I have man arms...just to be 

"doing something"...I moved these piles of rocks at least 3 times

the old peony cages came in handy!

We have used every single stone..much of the left-over is in our herb garden

I also appreciated how everyone worked around the trees...the grass will come later in the summer

here we buried the electrical lines because the pool contractor

 refused to put in a pool under a live line

I'm so glad he stood firm on this

Mr. PV and his dad spent the summer building his shelves

here we are shellacking the shelves

and I must say...I simply cannot tell the difference between this and regular paint

the process was lengthy and expensive and I would not do it again

but then again...I didn't do it the first time...but I had sympathy for those who did

Are you ready for today?

with the dark shelves, dark carpet and no windows

please excuse the photos...

as a matter of fact...all of my photos could use some excusing

the doors on the bottom sections are not quite built yet

and we will coffer the ceiling after the holidays

Mr. PV loves estate auctions and trade days

he has more collections that anyone I know

but his space is incredible and so interesting...every single thing has a story

I have been on the lookout for a vintage bar cart for months and months but was unable to find one less than $300 PLUS shipping

UNTIL...I went garage sale hopping in Lubbock with my bo peep and found this one for

$25....it pays to be patient!  Now I'm on the lookout for some very cool vintage highball glasses

the bourbon never quite makes it from the den/bar to here..but Christmas is just around the corner!

and we are still waiting for the perfect vintage desk chair to pop into our lives

one from our old highschool or abstract office would work nicely

when he was in Africa, he traded his toiletries to the village kids 

for that giraffe and other carved animals

Spearman Beer...an old brewery in Florida

we found his library table on 6th Street in Amarillo

Mr. PV is a Libra...so we have lots of scales

prime American deodrant=prime carved animals

when putting in the sprinkler system we uncovered this rusty old toy tractor

~Inspiration~

I guess I would have to say it would be to create a masculine space to store all those collections

~We~

• totally added this space in new construction
• built custom shelves
• shellacked Noir
• other walls are Memoir
• struggled over who gets to put what stuff where in the shelves...he wins...hard for me not to tweak!

~Biggest Challenge~

shellac shellac shellac

~Favorite Thing~

Father Son Shelves

ps...Mr. Cleaners?  We get that Mr. PV has a professional side,

but he's uptight enough without all that starch!