finish details

Many finish details and framing decisions were furthered on site this week. The most exciting, in my opinion, were the wood floor stains that we got to look at yesterday afternoon.

We are trying to achieve the dark color of the small board on the upper right side of the photo. After adding some ink to the satin finish of the sample in the foreground we should be just about there.

We also got to see more framed soffits and skim coated walls.

Duct work living in a new soffit can be seen here.

Two framing options for the new stair to the new top floor. The option in the foreground was chosen by the client.

The in-floor radiators are also getting installed.


Windows at the north side of the new top floor have also been installed. The room feels really wonderful with the huge terrace outside.

Our refurbished cornice has also been completely installed.

We actually had to hop out the new top floor windows and onto the framing system that attaches the cornice to the house to get out onto the scaffolding!

windows and exteriors

Yes, windows are still being installed at the north, garden side of the house!

Here you can see that they've installed the four windows on the third, kids' floor of the house. The garden floor windows won't be in for another 3-4 weeks so unfortunately we'll be looking at that tarp for a little longer.

Here are the two, north kid's bedroom windows from the inside.

and the finished parlor floor north windows from the inside.

Over the next few days the subcontractor will install french doors and windows at the new top floor. You can see they're still waiting for a sunny, dry day to complete the stucco here as well.

Our refurbished cornice is also getting installed this week.

Here's a shot of the cornice from above

and another looking at the installation of the cornice from the scaffolding on the house.

This image shows how they install the cornice. If you look to the right side you can see our neighbor's cornice beyond. Ours will be black too once it's painted in place.

stairs and windows part 2

This past week the installation of new windows and stairs continued.

The parlor floor windows look amazing both from the inside and outside. It's shocking how precise the installation needs to be. The exterior trim pieces do not even allow for a 1/16 of an inch off!

I could look at this exterior photo all day. It's so satisfying to see our rear elevation come to life.

Once the parlor floor windows are all installed they'll start on the double windows at the north bedrooms. You can see the windows are patiently waiting to be installed.


Here you can see the stair that connects the master bedroom floor to the children's floor. Our second run of stair that is just about complete.

The landing and tread details are beautiful.

Next week, along with more windows and stairs going in, we are hoping to have more soffit framing complete as well as the stain selection for the wood floors throughout the house.

new stairs and windows

Earlier this week another shipment of new windows arrived. You can see that they're preparing the rough opening at the parlor floor for installation:


They just finished installing the windows at the master bedroom...

...which look amazing from the outside.

The first run our new stair was also delivered to the house this week. It's the piece from the third floor to the new top floor.

The landings haven't been installed yet but we made our way to the top floor just fine.

It was a really big week for deliveries as we also have both the new wood floor and all of our custom door hardware on site!

exterior work

The townhouse is slowly getting stuccoed from the top down. Here you can see the new top floor and attic that rise above the neighboring houses.


The uneven color is due to the fact that the surfaces are still drying. Once the stucco over the cmu joints has dried the lines will no longer be visible.

What you can't see here is that our front cornice isn't installed- that's because about a third of it is sitting in the parlor floor.


It's hard to believe that this is the same holey, painted coated cornice that was sitting on the house about a year ago.

Here's a quick shot of the new exterior decorative tiles in context. They did such a great job setting them into the chimney as well.


And last but not least here is a depressing shot of what our rear garden looks like at the moment (yes, that's an old refrigerator!).

Soon, however, it will be paved and planted and have a floating ipe deck...

In the next few weeks we are expecting the majority of the remaining windows as well as a few runs of new stair.

decorative tile

More and more finish details are slowly finding their way onto the site. Here are two that I managed to capture quickly during our Monday meeting.

One of many decorative tiles at the top floor terrace. They are set into the walls and chimney face and add so much color.


Another tiled chimney box at the garden floor fireplace. We chose a running bond pattern here for a cleaner, more relaxed feel as opposed to the herringbone pattern at the floor above.

sheet rock

It was so great to walk into our site meeting yesterday and see nice, clean, white walls. Bathroom and plumbing walls are still open to the studs for their plumbing inspections and many ceilings remain un-sheetrocked but what is up really makes a world of difference.

The gym/ guestroom with it's curved dormer

looking down the elevator shaft

the plywood and temporary joists are where the new top floor skylight will go

the new top floor bar niche

temporary stairs beside a new white ceiling

the third floor south bedroom looking towards a bathroom and closet

the master bedroom with windows looking north

the master bedroom sitting room with windows facing south

The areaway is also really coming along. You can see that they've added plywood to the stairs- that's to protect the amazing nosing and treads that they've prepared for brownstone. Unfortunately you can also see our gas pipes running right over the stairs on the left. They need to be repaired and moved which will hopefully be happening soon.

Next week we'll have our plumbing inspection. Once we are approved and paperwork is passed through the Department of Buildings we will be able to pour the rest of our garden floor slab.