Beginning the built-ins

With the interior stud walls all framed-up we got a local dry-wall guy round to measure up and check that everything was adequately framed. After a walk around he opined that there were a few places needing some extra corner backing to adequately support the corners of drywall panels and that otherwise we are good to go. Sadly it will be November 8th or so before he can start but that’s life. The good news is that the quote was a bit less than anticipated!

I managed to frame up the toe-kick frames for the kitchen cabinets and the kitchen/living-room wall which gave the electricians an excuse to do the last of the rough wiring. The kitchen/LR divider will be double sided bookcases with the double side fireplace in the middle, warming both areas without actually excluding either. This should help keep the main living spaces sociable as well as warm.

Kitchen/LR divider frame; fireplace in the centre, bookcases to each side, power at each end plus to the fire for ignition.

We’ve had the stairwell covered over with planks and sheets of OSB ever since finishing the subfloor but after framing up the foyer/stairwell divider - sort of a cabinet, sort of a wall - it was time to remove them and let the light in. We were amazed at how much light that lets into the back of the lower floor, which is good. The divider provides a display place for one of my small cabinets and some artwork that should help draw people into the house and guide them into the living space. We decided to sheath it in more of the beadboard after seeing how nicely it worked for the pantry. Of course, that means I will need to pick up some more to replace the panels used!

From the foyer side - the niche will house a small cabinet and some art/flowers

From the living room - a small set of box shelves break up the large wall but leave room for some more artwork

The plumbers completed the rough plumbing work and installed the gas piping so I had to make an end wall for the guest bedroom tub/shower and a surround for the master bathroom tub. I think we’ll probably need some small panels of the same solid-surface material that the shower and bathroom vanities are made of to use as gap fillers around the tub.

A biiiiig tub. Room for two, at least. A frame & beadboard panel will cover the plumbing details.
Next job is to build the bookcase boxes and frame up the fireplace surround, and hopefully the plumbers will be around to connect up the fire once the direct vent (DV) chimney pipe actually arrives.