building of THE loft- week 1

this weekend the human backhoe started the first big interior project on our log home since we moved in a year ago.




we knew from the moment we looked at our sweetwater bend log home that we wanted to open up this upstairs hallway. the hallway is actually 20 feet long and very narrow, altho in the pic it appears shorter than that. the room to the right was a 6x16 storage closet. we wanted to make a loft area for our boys to hang out in and we wanted the loft to overlook the staircase leading up from the greatroom. the two other rooms in the pic are the boys rooms. there is one more guest bedroom and bathroom on this level also.




the interior of the storage room was a dark and dreary space. i thought about maybe a craft room for this area.....but i couldn't fathom the idea of sitting in this dark space and being the least bit creative.

and i truly did not need another stuff collecting area in the home.




the new roughed-in loft space. note that it took about a day to build the new 16ft header and get this sucker installed. it was made of triple 2x12 douglas fir. and this not even a load bearing wall......hehehe. human backhoe, 17 yo son, and i lifted this thing into place.......a couple people in this group were muscular, i suppose.





looking from inside the storage closet towards where the loft overlook will be.




hey where did that wall go?......it IS gone!!!!!! yeah!!!! i CAN see the staircase. i can see the boys performing romeo and juliet already.......teehee.


here's the plan....not inorder of completion:

1. install heartpine wide plank floors
2. knock down the texture ceiling
3. build in an entertainment/storage system under the eave so as not to take up floor space.
4. install loft balcony railing that overlooks the staircase that leads to the main floor. this will probably be wrought iron. altho we haven't completely ruled out a pine railing of some sort.
5. of course.......paint.......no more 1980's green or stark white walls in this area.
6. oh and.....remove carpet on the stairs and refinish the existing wood stair treads that were previously covered.

my plan is to have this done before spring.........ummmm hb's plan is to not have any imposed deadline's by me......:0)