Project Diary... Last updated 6th June 2004

• For sale
      6th June 2004 - Time to move on, we're busy planning our next project, so this one is available for purchase.

• The video
      Sometime before completion.

• The shell
      9th May 2000 - yes, that's what it means by "shell condition". One large concrete space.

• The plan
      This is how it's going to be....

• Let's go outside
      This is what the building looks like from outside. It used to be a clothing factory.

• The lobby
      22nd June 2000 - the existing lobby has been taken down and the framework for the cupboards that will form the new lobby are put up...

• The walls
      27th June 2000 - the first walls go up, boarded on one side only so the services can be put in from the other side.

• More walls
      28th June 2000 - the tracks for the rest of the walls go up.

• Window detail
      7th July 2000 - the detail around the windows has been completed. Since the state of our particular concrete beams is the crap side of urban chic we decided to box them away and go for the clean lines look...

• Water and gas
      28th July 2000 - the water and gas mains now go to the service cupboard. This involved nibbling a little chase in the floor so that there was room for them under the sub floor...

• The rest of the rooms
      16th August 2000 - the rest of the two bathrooms and the hall have now taken shape. 

• Storage, storage, storage!
      16th August 2000 - if you're going for that clean lines, modern look then you cant have clutter... We decided to build a loft or two to give us somewhere to keep those suit cases...

• Finally finialised the kitchen plan
      20th August - the kitchen has always been roughly like this, but the devil is in the details. Things are pretty much decided now though.

• Heat, Power, Air-con...
      22nd September 2000 - the radiators have finally arrived, the power, lighting and network cables were going in and the first air-conditioner had been fitted...

• The first hole
      3rd October 2000 - we spent 3 months negotiating for the permission to drill some holes in the external walls. The first hole was drilled on 3rd October. This one is for the ventilation from the bathrooms. 

• Finishing the storage
      3rd October 2000 - the door frames and walls around the storage areas are completed. 

• Ceilings
      11th October 2000 - the remaining ceilings are going up.

• Floors
      11th October 2000 - almost half of the sub-floors are now down.

• Fixings the radiators
      17th October 2000 - the three radiators in the lounge area have were hung on the 19th October. Before this could be done the walls needed finishing off and blocks needed to be set up for the radiator bracket fixings.

• The second and third holes
      23rd October 2000 -These holes were drilled on the 18th and 23rd October. Only one more to drill.

• Kitchen extraction
      24th October 2000 -The vent for the kitchen extractor, and the external motor box have now been installed.

• Gas to the hob
      27th October 2000 -The gas hob is in the middle of the kitchen area. We needed to get a gas supply to it.

• Pipes
      2nd November 2000 - the pipe-work from the (currently non-existent) service cupboard goes in.

• Wires
      2nd November 2000 -  the wiring goes in to the kitchen walls, and then it's covered up and hidden...

• The service cupboard
      17th November 2000 - the framework is created for the cupboard that will house the boiler, hot water cylinder and all the air-conditioning stuff. 

• Beams
      20th November 2000 - our concrete beams were enlarged and used as ducts for the services.

• Change of plan
      24th November 2000 - as the kitchen units finally start to go in we realise that the kitchen plan could be tweaked a little.

• The kitchen goes in
      24th November 2000 - the kitchen units go in, so that they can come out, and then go in again, and then...

• The final hole
      6th December 2000 - our fourth hole in the wall is drilled. This one is for the boiler flue.

• Services in the cupboard
      8th December 2000 - the condenser units for the air-conditioning, the cylinder and the boiler are finally fitted in the service cupboard.

• Bathrooms
      17th January 2001 - The bathrooms start to be put together.

• Installation of Worktops
      18th January 2001 - The granite worktops are finally installed in the kitchen. Just the doors, panels and tiling to go...

• Power complete
      25th February 2001 - The electrical services are now complete.

• Fireproofing the lobby
      9th March 2001 - Any holes passing through the walls of the lobby need to be sealed with fireproof mastic... 

• The last ceiling
      9th March 2001 - Finally, the last ceiling goes up.

• Services completed
      14th March 2001 - The services are now complete. Central heating, hot water, water softener and air conditioning have all been commissioned and tested.

• Kitchen doors
      28th March 2001 - The kitchen doors are fitted. The stainless steel bar handles are still to be fitted.

• Fancy stuff
      13th April 2001 - The "hot spring" radiator has now been fitted and the glass brick walls between the bedroom and the bathrooms have been built.

• Preparing Bathroom 2
      27th April 2001 - The walls in the bathroom are prepared for tiling.    

• Tiling Bathroom 2
      24th May 2001 - The tiling in bathroom 2 is now complete.

• Preparing Bathroom 1
      3rd June 2001 - The walls in the main bathroom are prepared for tiling.  

• Tiling Bathroom 1
      16th June 2001 - Tiling in bathroom 1 is 60% complete.

• Finishing Bathroom 1
      9th July 2001 - Tiles are grouted, floor's down and the shower enclosure is fitted.

• Lights
      15th July 2001 - Lights are put up and then some are taken down again so that we can paint.

• Bathroom 2 floor
      15th July 2001 - The remaining area of floor for bathroom 2 is cut to size, it wont actually be laid until the wood floor has been put down.

• All white
      22nd July 2001 - Painting begins.

• Almost white
      11th August 2001 - A repaint with a more subtle white.

• Extraction
      11th August 2001 - The extractor in the kitchen goes up, comes down and then goes up for good.

• Island Steel
      26th August 2001 - The island unit in the kitchen is clad with stainless steel.

• Paint shop
      26th August 2001 - We've set aside one of the rooms to spray the doors.

• Doors
      23rd September 2001 - Who would have thought that doors could take so long to paint...

• Time passes...
      6th October 2001 - After the doors were painted we had to spray the skirting boards and architraves but that's just too boring to show. Whilst this stuff was being done some finishing touches were being applied to other rooms.

• A study in white
      6th October 2001 - The paint shop is taken apart, the study walls prepared for painting and the first coat of obliterating white is applied.

• Yellow peril
      23rd October 2001 - This is not the yellow you're looking for, move along now.

• Bedroom complete
      27th October 2001 - The bedroom is complete!

• Study complete
      27th October 2001 - The study is complete!

• The last lights
      27th October 2001 - All the lights are now up.

• Handles
      31st October 2001 - Handles are fitted to the wardrobes and cupboards.

• Underlay
      2nd November 2001 - The sound-proofing underlay is laid in the lounge..

• Oak Floor
      4th November 2001 - The oak floor starts to go down.

• Some more floor
      7th November 2001 - After a day off to let our knees recover, the floor continues.

• A few blinds
      7th November 2001 - We ordered the blinds months ago, and then wouldn't let them fit them because we weren't ready...    

• Lounge floor complete
      12th November 2001 - The lounge floor is now complete, floor laying moves out into the hall...

• Kitchen floor set-out
      17th November 2001 - The tiles for the kitchen floor are laid out so that the tiles that need cutting can be cut. 

• Grouting limestone
      21st November 2001 - Grouting of the limestone in the en-suite bathroom finally begins.

• Hall floor
      24th November 2001 - The hall floor is completed and all the doors are re-hung.

• Bedroom floor
      27th November 2001 - The bedroom floor is completed and the skirting boards begin to be fitted. 

• Kitchen handles
      30th November 2001 - The kitchen handles are fitted. We decided against bar handles and went for something a little more interesting.

We worked like mad to get in before Christmas and moved in on the 13th of December.

• A Leak...
      15th December 2001 - On the evening of the 14th the central heating system depressurised and shut down due. The system then refused to stay at its working pressure. We had a leak. The probable location of the failure was determined and we cut up the floor to fix it... Nightmare...

• Architraves and skirting boards
      18th January 2002 - The architraves and skirting boards were sprayed at the same time as the doors. They've now been cut to length and fitted. 

• All done?
      18th January 2002 - Things are pretty much complete now...

• 25 Beautiful Homes (March 2003 edition)
      10th May 2003 - Photos of the flat appear in the magazine 25 Beautiful Homes.

• Art
      18th August 2003 - We commission Catherine Purves to produce some art for us.

• For sale
      6th June 2004 - Time to move on, we're busy planning our next project, so this one is available for purchase.

Copyright (c) 2000 - 2004 - L. F. Holgate