the outhouse

The loft bathroom is finished except for some door trim. The toilet paper holder is an old animal research cage where it looks like the rat busted out thru the metal mesh door. The tub was stored in the old barn and I put it up on some timbers, as it had no legs. It's dated 1936 on the bottom and in excellent shape. I salvaged the sink from an old neighbors house which my parents bought and tore down. I had always coveted it growing up and stored it for years waiting for the right spot to use it. The toilet is the cheapest one I could find at Home Depot (about 50 or 60 bucks). It also happened to be my favorite. I didn't want an elongated bowl due to the small size of the bathroom, and I am not a fan of the newer "comfort height" higher ones. This one went the best with the other fixtures, is a low volume flush and works great. However, it could use a better looking flush lever, I've been hunting one down. With the tub and sink faucets and fittings, the whole bathroom cost under $200.00.

winter position

In the winter months, I slide the bed up next to the back of the masonry heater which pops through the wall into my bedroom. It's my dutch wife. It's a bit minimalist, but the monochromatic color scheme and lack of window treatments forces the view to be the main (and only) focus. And at night, there is not even that distraction from falling fast asleep. For those who don't get up with the sun, I may one day put up those deep green pull down school blinds. I'm just not quite ready to add that splash of color yet.

backtrack

I've been at a standstill in construction this last month so I thought I'd post some previous shots of progress from this summer. The exterior is done and the kitchen and living space are just about there. I've left the house a few times this winter for 2 to 3 days at a time. With no wood fires and no other source of heat, the house has maintained a temperature of 55 degrees minimum. Even with the outdoor temps dipping into the single digits! One fire brings it back into the 60s when I return. It's a small miracle. OK, I'm almost done touting the virtues of the masonry heater...almost.