A Flurry of Work

We have been fortunate that the onset of winter was late this year. It allowed us the time we needed to get work on the outside completed before snow began to fall. The driveway needed to be poured and the roof still needed to be shingled.

Pouring the Driveway

Estate Grey Shingles

 
The garage door arrived and was hung and a shallow roof was added above the dining area’s French doors to provide some protection from the elements. There will be an elevated Brazilian redwood deck on this side of the house and the little roof really dresses up the entrance to the kitchen.

West Deck Roof

 
Flagstone needed to be extended into the window wells to tie the old foundation to the new. Gutters were installed, the south side of Jessica’s garage was faced with vertical plank siding, and salvaged flagstone was turned into a new front walkway. The newly constructed fence is a huge improvement over what previously existed – a mismatch of wire fencing and plywood scraps. Once painted, it will add a great deal of charm to the corner.

Facing with Flagstone



Flagstone Window Well



New Siding on the Old Garage

Laying Out the Sidewalk

Adding Flagstone to the Front Steps

West Fence

Tribute to the Wall Flower

During the design process, we were under the impression that we had to retain all the street facing windows that were original to the house. Once we had our final meeting with the Landmark Board, we realized that two additional windows on the west side of the original house also needed to be kept. Even though these windows are not street-facing and open to a narrow side yard, they are a part of the historic structure and needed to be preserved. We had already designed the interior spaces and cabinetry was to be installed along this wall. We needed a solution for the exterior.

There were several suggestions. “Why not paint the inside of the windows black?” “What about using reflective automotive film?” "How about sandwiching curtains or blinds between glass?” None of these were appealing options. We didn’t have time to commission stained glass. With the clock ticking, I decided to undertake this project myself.

I drove to Superior, Colorado to meet with Linda Ehlers of Great Glass Galore. Linda makes the most fabulous stained glass panels and offers classes as well. She agreed to give me a 10-minute primer on how to cut glass and equipped me with all the tools and supplies I would need to tackle my project. I picked out orange, yellow, pinks, greens, an iridescent neutral and blue glass – all colors that appealed to me that day and went back to Boulder to see what I could do.

I love peonies. Although they won’t grow in Arizona, I remember them from my childhood and they are commonly found in Boulder and a beautiful part of Jessica’s garden. Working in Jessica’s back yard during the day and in her garage at night, I created four panels of “wall flowers” to “sit” behind the glass of the original windows.

Laying it out on Plywood



Small Window Panel



Small West Window Installation



Large West Window Installation