tekobo Posted June 6, 2020 Report Share Posted June 6, 2020 We bought a four storey solicitor's office ten years ago and had a lot of work done to turn it into a home again. Part of those works involved demolishing a 900 square foot extension, that was built in the 1930s, to reclaim some space for the garden. We had the compartment in the picture above built to encompass the remains of what was an internal fireplace so that it could house our Argentinian BBQ and take fumes up the chimney flue via the hole in the top right hand corner of the picture. When we came to replace the Argentinian BBQ with KKs our choice of KKs was defined by these two walls. We could either fit two 23s or a 23 and a 21 or a 32 and a 16. I went for the 23 and 21 and am very happy with that choice. On reflection I realise that we did not have to be bounded by these two walls. We had lived through a major demolition and rebuild but couldn't imagine our way to thinking about moving these two walls. A lesson for others. Our excuse would have been that we had no idea how much we would love our KKs. That is not an excuse if you read this forum. You WILL love your KK. You WILL likely want more than one and you should let your imagination run wild. Even if you don't buy them all at once assume you will be hooked and plan for that eventuality. We are coming to the end of our ODK remodelling here. Nothing major but it has been fun. More pics soon. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted June 6, 2020 Report Share Posted June 6, 2020 Looking forward to those photos tekoboSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted June 6, 2020 Report Share Posted June 6, 2020 Four story's high Tekebo, all the possibilities of working with 1930's architecture to make it your own musta been fun. So show me more, you limit the imagination with just one pic. Thirty five years ago I bought an 1880's post and beam barn, that took me two and half years to make it my own..........a home that large had to be a long, but welcoming project. Always interested to see what your cookin up...waiting patiently. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted June 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2020 4 hours ago, Tyrus said: Four story's high Tekebo, all the possibilities of working with 1930's architecture to make it your own musta been fun. So show me more, you limit the imagination with just one pic. Thirty five years ago I bought an 1880's post and beam barn, that took me two and half years to make it my own..........a home that large had to be a long, but welcoming project. Always interested to see what your cookin up...waiting patiently. Photos to follow soon. Some fun work happening next week if all goes to plan. Renovating old houses is fun. The main house was built in 1850. We would have been having a party in a week or two to celebrate ten years since we moved in. Instead I have spent the afternoon looking at pictures from the renovation. I don't know how we lived through all that mess! It would be good to see some pics of the work on your barn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted June 6, 2020 Report Share Posted June 6, 2020 I have some 3x5 pics of the 2nd floor main and third floor bedroom loft unfortunately digital cameras were not around. Most house reno's at first turn out to be a monster hiding under the stairs however, you're in the traveling lane now and nothing ahead but, blue skies. Good luck 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted June 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 11 hours ago, Tyrus said: Most house reno's at first turn out to be a monster hiding under the stairs however, you're in the traveling lane now and nothing ahead but, blue skies. Good luck Speaking of blue... The Husband and I were watching a food programme in France. I think it was one of Rick Stein's. We saw some lovely French tiling and decided that would be great for our BBQ area. We asked our tiler what he thought. He is in his seventies and has spent the last fifty years visiting France regularly. He showed us this pretty panel. And then he hauled out his treasure trove of reclaimed tiles. We fell in love with these ones. Everything has been measured up and the wall has been prepared so we are looking forward to a rhapsody in blue, coming to a chimney near us very soon. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 Tekobo these floor pavers are French limestone. And although they are close to white, they do not absorb stains- tested with bat poop, our worst night stainer. Hardwood shavings leach a stain that lasts about 1 week then it fades away.Archie( son) and Billie (dog) will hang around much longer.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 (edited) @Basher, love that pix. Edited June 7, 2020 by MacKenzie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 @tekobo, amazing tiles, both are stunning. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted June 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2020 That's the nice thing about fixing up one's outdoor space @Basher. There is a lot more scope for hanging around. 🤗 Here great progress was made today with tiling. It was a blank wall this morning and is now practically complete. This is where we were at lunchtime. Finishing and grouting tomorrow. As the man said - nothing happens for a long time with tiling and then, it's done. Luckily we know our tiler well and don't worry when he appears to be spending a whole day communing with the space. He says he has to know where he will be putting the last tile before he lays the first tile. His work is all the more beautiful for his attention to detail. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted June 8, 2020 Report Share Posted June 8, 2020 He starts with a blank canvas and...voila. Could you ask him to move a little to the left, I can't see. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted June 8, 2020 Report Share Posted June 8, 2020 Your wall is going to be gorgeous, tekobo. Something interesting to admire while grilling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted June 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2020 (edited) Our ten year anniversary of moving into the house will be in a week's time. I have just spent an enjoyable half hour looking at photos that show the evolution of the garden over the years. We built it up, enjoyed its vigour and then tore it down. If the weather brightens up tomorrow I will take pictures of what it all looks like now. We start with the demolition of the 1930s extension, show you what life was like indoors while chaos reigned outside and the beauty of our mad garden before we decided we needed a little more ease. Edited June 10, 2020 by tekobo 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted June 10, 2020 Report Share Posted June 10, 2020 Wow, that garden exploded.I laughed at the swimming pool sized hole with 3 shovels and a grubber leaning in it. Who dug that out?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted June 10, 2020 Report Share Posted June 10, 2020 OMG, now THAT'S a remodeling project! No wonder it's taken 10 years! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted June 11, 2020 Report Share Posted June 11, 2020 That is a project and a half, nice bird bath. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted June 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2020 8 hours ago, Basher said: Wow, that garden exploded. I laughed at the swimming pool sized hole with 3 shovels and a grubber leaning in it. Who dug that out? Yes the garden did explode! We loved having a mad, overflowing garden. The only trouble was that you ended up pushing through wet vegetation in your nice work suit and fighting to get to the car. Dan the Man (who also helped uncrate and place our KKs when they arrived) did all the digging with his trusty side kick, Rusty. He laid out the original garden ten years ago and came back to do the re-model. 6 hours ago, tony b said: OMG, now THAT'S a remodeling project! No wonder it's taken 10 years! I never intended to go that far back with this post but it does illustrate the point that we let ourselves be limited by two little walls when so much else had happened to make the garden space in the first place. 5 hours ago, MacKenzie said: That is a project and a half, nice bird bath. Ha. With four cats prowling, birds know not to visit our garden. We have an area out front that the cats can't get to and have set up a bird feeder and bird bath there since lockdown started. Great bird TV channel for us and our frustrated hunter cats. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted June 11, 2020 Report Share Posted June 11, 2020 Wow! A veritable jungle Tekebo. You could play hide and seek and always win. The neighbors have the pleasure of looking out their window and seeing a beautiful park....and that tile floor, very Romanesque. Your like Felix the Cat, always having something in your bag of tricks...might be showing a bit of age on that one. You only live once..shoot for the stars 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted June 11, 2020 Report Share Posted June 11, 2020 6 hours ago, Tyrus said: like Felix the Cat, always having something in your bag of tricks...might be showing a bit of age on that one. Indeed. It was so long ago, it was in Black & White. 😄 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted June 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2020 I have been waiting for the perfect weather to photograph our new set up. I was too busy enjoying myself to take photos when the weather was good so here is the slightly wet version of our world. These two walls now have an electric shutter between them. They will also get a coat of paint later this summer. Roy's tiling makes us smile everytime we look into our little chimney space. The KKs looking good in their new outdoor setting. I've been meaning to show this to you for ages. The table top between our two KKs is a collaboration between an old shop fitter and his boat fitter mate. Boat fitter made this bridge to go between the KKs. The rest of the garden has grown too. And, the garden configuration is still evolving. We moved the KKs to this new position a week or so ago. It is great. I can walk down the stairs from the kitchen and straight up to the KKs now. It is amazing what a difference that simple change has made to the ease of cooking on the KKs. The journey continues. The KKs are now looking so prominent and so pretty that they have attracted friendly buyers and one or both of them will be going to a new home in the coming months. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
