Apologies and progress

I did warn you in my very first post on this blog that I might not be a very committed blogger and so it has come to pass - sorry! I have also been pretty lazy when it comes to taking pics of the house as it has come on over the last couple of months - somehow every time we are on site (which is pretty often) I get so caught up in looking and trying to imagine what it's going to be like that I forget to get the camera out! We have lots of pics of the exterior but very few of the inside and I really need to change that situation soon so stay tuned for an exclusive glimpse of our future living quarters.

Since my last post Railway Cottage has come on in leaps and bounds and is now on the verge of reaching that 'wind and watertight' milestone that once seemed a long way off - we are just awaiting delivery of our front door. The roof was recently completed in beautiful, natural slate and even though it was expensive I am so glad we didn't cut that particular corner - the slates have such a lovely colour and texture and I know they will just get better with age. The windows also went just after the Christmas holidays and I am really pleased with our choice - oak effect PVC mock sliding sashes with brushed steel hardware. I especially love the French doors that open from the kitchen and sunroom out onto what will hopefully one day be the deck. This week the weather has been lovely - dry and sunny - and the house should be getting its first coat of render.

Inside we have a temporary staircase, the first fix plumbing and electrics are complete and upstairs the studwork is finished ready for plastering. My favourite thing up there is where the landing overlooks the hallway - the space is double height and I can't wait to see it finished with a nice big light fitting.

We have also finalised kitchen plans - cream high gloss units with a black walnut worktop (be still, my beating heart!) and are currently up to our eyes in bathroom quotes, tile ideas, staircase designs and skirting board samples! It's stressful worrying about whether we are making the right choices and ones we will still love in years to come but I am trying to stick with my personal love of things that are good quality, simple and not too 'fashionable' in the hope that the interior will be both contemporary and timeless. Anyway, enough of my yakking - here are some pics...

Oh it was lovely when the roof trusses started going on - suddenly it felt like a house and that smell of new wood...yum!

Roof almost finished, windows in...


Look at those gorgeous slates! The concrete coping you see on the porch was originally going to be on either end of the main roof too but I'm glad we decided not to have it, the roof is beautiful just as it is. The porch will soon be clad in natural stone and the rest of the building will have a rough cast white render finish, like a traditional Irish cottage. Interior pics will follow, I promise!