Colour

My home renovation - little noticeable progress

The cornice on one of the corner 

columns in the bedroom has been 

stripped of plaster to reveal the 

stonework and some layers of

paint chipped from the vaulted

ceiling have uncovered an interesting

base colour .

The shelves and lamp-ledge have been

built in the middle bathroom.

On the roof terrace a technical shelter

has been built, to house the bedroom 

air-con motor, and to create storage for 

terrace furniture during the short damp 

winters.

My idea is to cover this with plant pots 

to create a raised garden. This will also 

give my neighbours terrace more privacy,

and something pleasant to look at.

The Leccese stone slabs have been laid

on top of the roof terrace walls. These 

stop the rain from soaking the more porous 

tufo stone that the walls are built with.

The structure of the terrace kitchen has been 

constructed. This will also house the second 

air con motor. The chimney has been reopened

and built a little higher with old tufo bricks that 

we'd save from demolition downstairs.

All the plumbing pipes and central-heating pipes

have been laid. Today the electrician starts work

on the entire electrical circuiting.

My home renovation - lower bathroom, roof terraces and other jobs

The kitchen fireplace is closed and ready 

for cladding

The lower bathroom has been stripped

of all the old tiles and sanitary units. A 

wall below the window houses the flush

cistern and will serve as a shelf above

the w.c. and bidet

The tufo stone is bared and the fireplace

will be walled in on this side, as it now 

faces the kitchen.

The fireplace is now walled in and its 

base juts out into the bathroom to create 

a shower bench. 

The plumbing is ready to be plastered 

over with a resin cement. 

I spent a few hours chipping a hardened layer of

paint and varnished plaster off the tufo stone

which I will now protect and waterproof.

The triangular shaped piece I cut from a

discarded tufo stone so as to close the arch that was

open to the fireplace behind this wall.

The plumbing in the upper bathroom

is done now...but I still haven't found

ceramic tiles that I'm really happy with.

The built-in kitchen is taking shape.

This is the trough on my kitchen terrace below the

kitchen window. Here I'll keep plants and have

running water outside when I need it.

The builders have cut a hole in the bedroom wall

to house the A/C unit. So I'll need to make a screen

(to close it) that allows the air to flow freely.

The bed-loft window has been opened

to it's original size, letting lots more light

stream in.

The top terrace kitchen will be constructed against 

this wall and one of the A/C motors will be fitted here.

The old paving is being relayed on the new roof.

Two rows of tufo stones add height to

the perimeter walls of the top terraces.

That makes me feel a lot safer up there.

My home renovation - Kitchen opens up

The bed-loft's wall now separates it from

the kitchen below.

The space for the window and outside

section of the kitchen lets in a lot of light.

The base for the built-in kitchen gets laid.

Views of the openings for the door and window of 

the kitchen now make the terrace almost part of the

 room

Standing below the bed-loft

The external wall of the bed-loft with the fireplace 

and nicchia below

 The lower bathroom stripped of the old

tiles ready for its make-over

The wall that divides the lower bathroom

and the fireplace still needs to be erected

to create the shower area.

The window bench that we created was too high and 

I wanted to be able to use the space underneath it, 

so I've had the top ripped off to lower it which I

will replace with a hinged wooden top so that it

becomes more like a trunk in which I can store

quilts during the long summers.

The car that runs on air (and some petrol) on sale 2016

The Peugeot-Citroen car that runs on air and petrol 

at 117mpg. Hopefully on sale by 2016.

Read about it here:

Peugeot-Citroen air petrol hybrid

My home renovation - Bed-loft, walls going up

Up in the bed-loft. Just a couple more

rows of bricks to go.

The kitchen, with the bed-loft above

Bed loft wall, seen from below on the 

kitchen side

Bed-loft wall, seen on a level from the 

kitchen side

Under and next to the stairs, we're creating 

a utility cupboard to house the washing 

machine and the cleaning equipment.

The view from the bed-loft. This window 

will be opened up to almost four times 

the present size.

My home renovation - Bed and wardrobe loft

The structure of the staircase is now

complete. It's hard to believe that four

children would climb a ladder to go up

to sleep in this small space above above

what will be my Kitchen/living room.

This will be a spare bed area with a

wardrobe.

A thick concrete balcony base for the

bed and wardrobe loft.