Vanity Shots!

    
    

Mornin'! So, getting back into the swing of things here after returning from Japan. While I don't have any new updates, I have a few shots that I took while documenting the stairs that were just for self-gratification - to kinda get an overview of how the place is developing. I thought this would be a practical way to bridge the next official entry...Official, whatever! Along with these I've included a close-up of the lamp that I built to illuminate the kitchen bar/dinning table - I absolutely love this thing - and a second work in progress that will be a ceiling assembly comprised of a trio of industrial fixtures that will illuminate the studio area...Um, I guess that makes this an official entry.

And he's building....the Stairway...

    

Ahhh! The joy of calculating and cutting stair stringers...Here we have shots of the finished corridor, the cut stringers and the 1"x8" planks that would become the runs, or steps, and finally the job (almost) done. There are a few finishing touches that I was not able to finish before leaving - as I write this I'm 39,000 feet in the air en route to Tokyo for 10 days of shows in Japan. I still need to put a clear coat and run a string of rope lights throught the middle of the two stringers. I had a vision of underlit stairs from the moment I visualized the stairs to the boudoir. My inspiration was very linear steel framed stairs with wood planks. With custom steel stringers out of my budget, I was commited to creating the same aesthetic with wood - the end result is basically two 2"x10"x10' planks separated with a 2"x4"x10' and bolted together. The runs were made with the three planks of 2"x8"x10' you see in the rough photo.

Lofty

    

    

The loft is in! The pictures above were taken this past Sunday. Shortly thereafter, various comforts were put in their rightful place. I've even started to pull some books out of storage and begin filling the glass bookshelves that I designed in the loft 'nook' - truly the first real move toward comfort since signing the lease on this bloody space last July. Gratifying to say the least.

With each new completed task I become more fulfilled as my designs take shape. I'm really happy with the outcome of the translucent paneled walls framed with steel studs and internally lit with rope light snaking through the bottom track. I ended up using three types of material for the translucent walls: I began the design with corrugated fiberglas for both inside and outside, but quickly decided to seek an alternative for the inside that was flat - mainly for a flush surface on which to mount shelving. I started this with standard acrylic florescent light panels - very difficult to work with - and finished with what are actually polyurethane plastic floor mats (i.e. typically found under a wheeled chair at a computer desk). I doubt that I would have considered this material, had it not been for a visit to the Ikea damaged/seconds area and literally stepped on a stack of them. Got eleven of 'em for $3 a sheet and thought they would at least make good work mats. Alas, they served a much higher purpose, being relatively easy to cut and offering a really desirable diffused light. Like in the kitchen, I've balanced the translucence and steel with the warmth of sanded fir panels on the back wall and shelving nook.

The Showroom...

    

    

I'm back...finally...As I mentioned in my last post, it's really getting harder to pull away to make posts and after giving my ol Nikon point and shoot to my pops for Christmas, I've been shooting less. I'm in the market for a digital SLR and haven't decided on one yet. For the record, the photos in this post are from mid January. After having some work out of town since then, I've been making insane progress on the loft and storage area above the kitchen and bathroom, respectively (the areas are best viewed in the top two shots on this post). I intend to show the progress in a new post by early next week - that's a promise.

I recently befriended and old Hungarian wholesaler who, after conducting business out of this building for more than 28 years, is finally calling it quits. A. Lebovitz is his name, coolest cat; wears a three piece tweed suit and hat daily - his trusty pipe hanging from his mouth. He needed some help moving a few things when I learned he was leaving and offered me to browse his decades worth of accumulation. Wow, what a pack rat's dream - boxes, carts and bolts of fabric - unopened mail postmarked from '72. Crazy! I found a few useful item: wheeled carts i'll use for side tables, misc. light fixtures. But the coolest thing was an old cast iron knitting machine that Lebovitz allowed me to grab. I'll be using the iron stand/legs as the base for a bar height dining table that out of the kitchen area. Cool beans!

Outer Shell

    

So...I have the basic shell of the kitchen and bath to show in this post. Honestly, I've had such a productive past week that I'd like to post the progress to date. However, in keeping with even a remote concept of a step by step blog, I'm posting these shots from a week and a half ago. I've found in this stage in the project, it's getting harder to pull myself away to take photos when I'm in a hyper-productive flow, particularly when finally having the opportunity to realize my vision for the bath and kitchen.

In the kitchen, I've decided to go with sanded Douglas Fir panels. I saw this used for the walls in a cafe and really thought it would bring a bit more warmth in combination with the galvanized steel back wall. In the bath, rather than using corrugated steel panels, I have instead used a solid color floor and deck stain in a cobalt blue color. I've covered the stained OSB with translucent fiberglas panels (which you'll see in the next post) and am very, very happy with how it's turned out.

Framed!!!

   

            

The basics for pretty much all the amenities are now framed in and ready to be built upon - this includes all plumbing (with a brilliantly designed tankless water heater) and in-wall electrical. I'm really proud of how compact I was able to keep the network of water, gas, drain and vent lines - all tucked neatly into the back corner of the bathroom with an access door that will likely be covered by a mirror. I've now begun to install the shower pan and Wonderboard concrete panels; I intend to simply put translucent corrugated fiberglas panels over the concrete panels for the shower walls. All walls framed with steel stud will also be sheathed with corrugated fiberglas panels. This wall covering is great in a situation like this as it allows light in and out while offering privacy. The halogen and rope light in the kitchen has gone up recently - the string of rope light will be tucked into the rafter to illuminate over the sink/stove area. Rope light will also be snaked through the rafters of the bathroom (including over the shower area) and also be covered in fiberglas panels, illuminating the entire ceiling.

Hiatus

It's been a long time since I Rock-n-Rolled...Well, sort-of. Actually, it's 'Le Rock' that has kept me away from my loft, and consequently this blog, since shortly after my last post in late August. I was invited to go on tour in early Sept. and landed in late Nov. After settling back in and acclimating from post-tour stress disorder over the Thanksgiving weekend, I've been hard at work and will have a number of additions to exhibit on my next post. Until then, hold tight!

Build that...um, those walls.

    

O.K., so it's been a bit since my last post. This is due in no small part to the fact that I finally moved out of my former flat. The move took a bit longer than normal because, as it turns out, my previous landlord allowed me to salvage nearly every amenity and fixture in the entire apartment. This includes the Kohler bathroom fixtures, the fridge and stove and kitchen cabinetry, among other items. Big help, indeed! The sizing of all these appliances works perfectly in my design that, as you can witness by the photos, is beginning to take shape. The framed areas will be the kitchen (left), the bathroom (right) and the loft area (above kitchen). In the walls exists all of the finish plumbing, gas lines and drain pipes that I completed this past week. It's really beginning to take shape, but working alone can be taxing at times, so today I took a break and accepted an invitation to lay low with a friend at the pool of the Hotel Figueroa in Downtown L.A. Tomorrow? ... exactly, back to work.