Mona Lisa Comes Home !!

            Some elements of a house give it special character; for example,  a front entry, a fireplace, etc.   For Folly, a very special feature is the island in the kitchen/family room.  Architecturally, the kitchen is a most unusual, and pleasing, space.  As one walks into the kitchen, the wall on which the stove/oven/ hood are placed curves away from you.   The cabinet doors are curved as is the range hood.  (Incidental intelligence for planning a budget:  a curved wood door costs six times as much as a flat door!). 

In front of this stands an island which holds the sink/dishwasher/trash.   

 Beyond that, the space opens into a cozy family room.  Since this room will be the central gathering place, the social heart of the house, so some extra attention to the various parts seems appropriate.  My hope  was the eye-catching stone top of the island would be a conversation piece, a magnet for friends and family.  

           Readers may remember my search for the countertop.  Wandering up and down aisles and aisles of granite, marble, and quartzite reminds one of the unbelievable richness of Mother Nature.  Who knew that stone came in so many patterns and colors?  There are literally hundreds of choices!   After searching several stone yards  up and down I-95, I finally settled on an exceptional piece of quartzite – something quite out of the ordinary and absolutely fascinating in the movement of the pattern.  How appropriate that it was called “Mona Lisa”!   Folly deserved no less than this magnificent stone!   

           All these months Mona Lisa has been quietly waiting at the fabricator, Elgin Marble.  Mona Lisa is big – the finished size is four feet wide by almost ten feet long and three centimeters thick.  Weight:  over 600 pounds.  How does one move such an item?  Carefully. Methodically. Slowly. Interestingly, after the truck brought her to the site, there were no other machines used.  The team established a route which consisted of small steps. 

From the truck to the ground. To the door.  To the midpoint of the room.  To  the front of the island.

            Up onto the island.

     The procedure took about an hour, but the finished product was worth the wait!!

Transitions

Truthfully, Folly has been less engaging since the wallboard has gone up.  All the clever, thoughtful innovations that make the house airtight and solid are now hidden.  One cannot see the old wood reused as studs, the spaces carefully filled with insulation, the sealed air ducts, the wiring in conduit, etc.  Although no longer visible these elements create the calm, cool spaces which allow Folly to be so livable.

Thus far, the kitchen cabinets are either in place or awaiting the arrival of Mona Lisa.  Perhaps she’ll arrive on Tuesday (shall we have a toast?) 

Walls and woodwork have a first coat of paint, and the stone floor has been laid.  

These items are not inconsequential.  Getting them right has been very important.   Folly’s painter, Billy, has been diligent in seeking low/no VOC paint that actually covers the wall with out streaks.  At this point he has direct experience with the products of 3-4 paint companies.   As you can imagine, all this experimentation has been labor intensive as well as costly. The paints vary widely in cost – sometimes by as much as 2-3 times - which definitely impacts our budget.

The entire first floor is covered in shellstone. That means, every room, hallway, and closet. Such a large installation requires master craftsman.  The prep work itself takes some time.  Cleaning and leveling the floor and putting down crack suppressant sets up the condition for the real work to begin.  Establishing the pattern for each room and hallway (as well as the transitions between rooms) requires an easy familiarity with fractions as well as will a wet saw! As each small section of floor is set in place it is checked with a level to be certain that it is true - no dips or hills!

It’s accurate to say that the project is nearing completion, but there are still a number of systems to come on line.   There will be more updates in these final days.