A Glimpse At The Overall Plan – More Sidewalks, Window Flower Boxes, A Water Feature, More Steps, And A Removable Ramp

Yesterday, as I used to be engaged on the aspect steps for the studio, I remembered that a couple of years again, I did a mockup of what I envisioned the completed studio exterior trying like. So I went again into my archives and located it. Right here’s what I created again in 2018.

What’s humorous is that on the time, that is what our home truly appeared like…

In different phrases, just about nothing had been accomplished to the outside of our home aside from the brand new siding and paint coloration, which was an unlimited enchancment over the unique…

…however there was nonetheless a protracted option to go.

Since that mockup I did again in 2018, I fully redid the entrance porch, constructing a floating wooden porch over the unique concrete. I constructed new wooden entrance steps to match the entrance porch. We had the outdated entrance sidewalk changed with a brand new, wider sidewalk. We now have an precise driveway. The home windows have precise shutters much like those I did in that mockup (though I nonetheless have one fallen shutter that also must be rehung). And I’m near having precise steps on the aspect studio door instead of the cinder block steps which were there for years. I could also be transferring at a snail’s tempo, however at the least there’s progress!

However for the following month, I’m all in regards to the exterior. And I’ve been dreaming and planning about future tasks. I gained’t be capable to get this accomplished now (or in all probability this yr in any respect), however one of many largest and most costly factor I nonetheless need within the entrance is extra sidewalks. I’d like to attach the entrance sidewalk to the driveway. I did a very dangerous mockup to see what that will seem like…

Our panorama plan has a way more correct view of how that ties in with the sidewalk and driveway, and you’ll see that it’ll proceed on the opposite aspect of the entrance sidewalk as nicely and wrap across the bed room aspect of the home (which is labeled “fitness center” on our panorama plan).

In fact, I’d love for that to be all concrete, however for price range functions, I need to have a look at different choices as nicely. I’m questioning what the fee distinction could be between a concrete walkway and one thing like a crushed granite walkway. I believe a crushed granite walkway could be very charming whereas additionally offering a fabric that Matt may nonetheless use in his energy wheelchair, simply so long as I can get that walkway even with the sidewalk and driveway the place they meet.

I’ve additionally been taking a look at water options for the realm in entrance of the breakfast room home windows. I’ve dreamed of getting a water characteristic there for years now, however I by no means may work out precisely what I wished. I began out pondering I wished one thing out of pure stone, like somewhat stone waterfall sort of characteristic. After which I thought-about a tiered fountain. However now that I’ve had a number of years to consider it, I actually need one thing extra structured than a stone waterfall sort of characteristic, however not fairly so grand as a tiered fountain. Now I envision one thing extra like this straightforward bubbler, however I would like it to be large. This one is the Girona Water Fountain from Outdoor Fountain Pros, nevertheless it solely measures 30″ in diameter and 15″ excessive.

I believe I would like that fashion, however I’d prefer it to be somewhat wider, however positively taller. I would like it to be seen from the road.

After which, in fact, I need to add window packing containers to the home windows. I like the attraction of window packing containers, and as you possibly can see from the studio mockup I did a number of years in the past, including window packing containers was at all times the plan. I’ve to giggle at the truth that I’ve wished window packing containers on our home for therefore lengthy now, and but, my workshop was the primary to truly get window packing containers.

However as a result of I like continuity, I need to construct these actual window packing containers for our home as nicely, beginning with the studio window. I copied and pasted these workshop window packing containers onto this image so I may see the way it appears to be like. And yep. I nonetheless need them.

Anyway, that’s just a bit little bit of enjoyable dreaming about future tasks, however for now, my solely focus is to get the studio aspect steps completed. After which, for the remainder of this subsequent month of out of doors tasks, I need to get the skirting on the entrance porch completed. After that, if there’s sufficient time, I’d actually prefer to get the steps to the brand new bed room door completed as nicely. Now that I’ve a plan and have labored out the entire bugs within the constructing course of with the studio steps, I can confidently construct these bedrooms steps.

And to reply the query I get requested probably the most typically, the steps to the bed room will NOT have a everlasting ramp included into them. The plan is to have a big touchdown as the highest step proper outdoors the bed room door that I can wheel Matt onto in case of emergency, after which I’ll have a movable ramp saved simply across the nook that I can pull out and placed on the steps to get him down into the yard. I’ve been taking a look at light-weight aluminum ramps, and I discovered one which weighs 26 kilos. I believe that can work completely for our functions. We don’t have sufficient room by that door for a porch, so the aim was by no means to construct one thing the place we’d spend time sitting and having fun with the outside. We have already got a entrance porch for that. The one function of that door is to have a degree of egress in case of an emergency. So long as I can get him outdoors to that enormous, high touchdown, after which have a ramp in place inside a few minutes to get him to the entrance yard, I be ok with that. However I don’t suppose he wants a everlasting ramp on each door in the home.

I do plan to construct a ramp out of the again door (i.e., the grasp toilet door) to the again yard, although. So that can give us choices. I’ll have two instructions that I can take him in case of emergency. However that ramp gained’t be one thing I’ll spend lots of time on. I imply, will probably be secure, nevertheless it in all probability gained’t look fairly. I’m nonetheless holding onto hope that we will construct our addition at some point, and in that case, I don’t need to spend some huge cash on a everlasting ramp that can simply should be torn down sooner or later. However relaxation assured, Matt’s security is at all times my primary precedence.

So with all of that mentioned, I’m excited to spend the following month (till my birthday) working outdoors. These out of doors tasks are an amazing diversion for me, and it’s virtually like a birthday current I’m giving to myself. 😀 If I can get the studio aspect steps and the entrance porch completed, that can be adequate for me. However will probably be an added bonus if there’s any means I may match within the bed room steps throughout that point as nicely. We’ll see!