Almost Done.... renovations are a pain in the.....

OOPS - we're in the middle of renovations and the crew left the doors and windows wide open when they went to lunch. What you see here is my beloved's chair. Obviously, we had visitors. Everywhere. This was just a tad more irksome than when the guys left the lid off the sugar canister on the kitchen counter top, after making themselves coffee. Smaller visitors then, but lots more.




So here we are, one month after we start our "10 day" renovation plan. Not done yet but REALLY almost done. Most of the work left is mine, since we decided to try and save money by having me do all the painting. And cleaning. Although the crew did try to work clean, the plastic tarps didn't really do the job and we are left with a layer of dust that you can almost cross-country ski on. In spite of sounding irritable (yes, I know what I sound like) I smile every time I see the progress. It is SO EXCITING!

To try and show some of that progress, here are some before and after photos....

the new bathroom door (this was a solid wall, before.... )
Installing spotlights around the room to provide strong light when working....

And just so you don't think it's all fun and games, here is some of what I get to clean up!

Next set of photos should show my new studio FINISHED!! Watch this space for inspiration :-)

Renovations - We're on our way!!

On Tuesday I had a 6x10 ft balcony as my only studio space and BANG! from 9am on Wednesday, things really started happening here!

1. This used to be a narrow guest bathroom (toilet on the far end). We (and I use the term "we" loosely, because I'm hiding upstairs in my office while a bunch of young guys do all the work with some really macho, loud tools) cut out the back wall of the bathroom, removed all the plumbing fixtures and tiles and bathroom door and back window. You can see that it leads right into my balcony studio. Right behind the head of our "shiputznik" (which is Hebrew for a person, usually a guy person, who knows how to fix things) you can see another entry. That was a wall, before. Now it will be a door to another guest toilet. You've got it right - this house had too many bathrooms.



2. This used to be the extra-narrow entrance to a dark, unused bedroom. The door, which we ripped out along with a lot of the wall, used to face the door to the guest bathroom that we demolished. Inside this room is yet another door which leads to the new guest bathroom. The old door will be turned into a display niche. (I realize this might be getting confusing.) This bedroom was never slept in - we stored all our junk in it. You've guessed it - this house had too many bedrooms, too. How lucky that I need more studio space!




3. This is a hole in the wall. A new hole in the wall, that will become a stained glass window that will bring beautiful light into my new teaching studio. Because the light outside is so bright, it makes the room appear still dark and dank but believe me, it is now light-filled and cheerful and will be a great working space.



Eventually all these areas will become one space - an enclosed balcony where I do lampwork, a corridor leading from the balcony, with a guest bathroom and some display space, to a stained glass studio with special lighting, special display, and an amazing storage rack for all my glass and beads. Check back periodically to see more photos. The shiputznik (see #1) says that it will be done in 2 weeks. In Israel? Hard to believe, but I live in hope!