Descending Ashtray

Well, the clock is ticking away, but it feels like the attic work is finally moving forward again. The rough stage turned out to be a little trickier than I thought – there were a few things I didn’t know needed to be done (fireblocking the wall at the level of the tub surface), and a few things I thought I did right, but didn’t (used caulk to seal the shower pan membrane as a book recommended, but should’ve used the manufacturer’s supplied sealant).

But, we passed on electrical, plumbing, framing and that pesky shower pan. It even holds water without leaking!

As we await a new opening in our insulation contractor’s schedule (they’re blowing in expanding closed cell foam), I’ve started thinking harder about the finish surfaces, and it’s this I’ll share today.

Here’s a poorly-done aerial view of the bathroom, looking North toward the new window. I’m planning on wrapping the tub sides and the vanity cabinet in some reclaimed Douglas Fir floorboards that I ripped up in the demo phase. The main floor of the bedroom will also be Fir, and it should tie the two areas together nicely.

The vertical surfaces will be either painted a kind of blue-green color, or covered in 3×6″ subway tile. Horizontal tiled surfaces (including the shower basin and floor) will be in some cool Ann Saks penny round tiles that Sarah picked out. I’m hoping they are forgiving; I’ve never tiled anything before!

Here’s another view of the vanity I’m making. The top surface will be a black paperstone (looks like stone, made of recycled paper, and can be cut with woodworking tools), with an undermount rectangular sink. The cabinet beneath will have one large door, and three drawers on the right side. I’m still working out the mechanics of this, but I want it to have a really clean look with as many unbroken horizontal lines as possible.

The past couple of months I have been working on another movie set. It was a wild ride! Many long hours and short deadlines but I was amazed at what our construction crew was able to pull off. Probably the most interesting that we built was a multi level set in one of the giant barns at Living History Farms. I worked with the production designer and he described how he wanted the set to be built. Then he asked me to make a model out of cardboard and I said it would be just as easy for me to make it out of wood.

There was an important action sequence that took place on this set. Ray Liotta and Billy Burke are fighting and rolling around on the different levels. They bust through railings, fall into the grain bin and break through the floor. The model was helpful for the stunt coordinator and director to visualize how the scene would play out.

I will post pictures of the actual set once the movie comes out. Josh Carlson and the Garcia bros. cranked it out in a mere 3 days!