Merry Christmas

All in the family will be here for Christmas and I have had time to decorate our tree with Leif's help and old family ornaments. Our Christmas cards included a wedding and baby on the way.

Selling A Wood Stove

Facing the coldest Christmas here since 1958, we quickly listed and sold Leif's cavernous Jotul F600 Model 12 Wood Stove, which has been discontinued. Although it had a catalytic converter, it's ensuing model without, was considered the largest cast iron wood burning stove in the world. Ours went to a large home to heat a vaulted family room and sold for the cost of a newer Jotul F500 replacement. The sale was nearly immediate and move took four men, a truck, trailer and dolly. The F500 is side/front loading, and heats equally with a cleaner burn than the F600 M12, which is top/front loading while needing the catalyst replaced every 3 yrs. Both beautiful wood stoves!

Anders Favorite Toy

We suspect this is Ander's favorite toy because it looks like him. They have been fireside this cold week like most of us.

Repairing & Replacing Woodstoves

A priority before winter at Leif's, was to repair or replace two Jotul woodstoves in order to work on house systems. This weekend we drove to PA to purchase a 2 season used Jotul F500 ($1000 & sells for $4,500 new) to install upstairs, while we continue replacing parts on the same model downstairs. The repairs may cost the equivalent, however having nonelectric heat in the house has been key. 

Both F500's will heat Leif's house until he decides on mini-splits and solar panels (or a fireplace insert upstairs) for this house in future. For now, his dead Ash Trees will be cut, split  and burned.

Christian's equally critical Jotul F400 was also $1,000, used twice, purchased in ME and leveraged into a Volvo 740 wagon by Bill & Alex! It was installed before the floors were in, but it was freezing with much work before the new boiler could be used. 

Two old beams were notched into place to lay a true 1 1/4" plywood subfloor, after fortifying the stove foundation and hand digging out the basement. The bricks in the new hearth came from our house and fallen chimney stack.

Finally, most sheetrock in Leif's kitchen has been replaced after installing new electrical wiring and Roxul insulation on the exterior wall.  The chimney wall of sheetrock was replaced now that both flues are newly lined and operational; drying out the wall from an earlier roof leak and disintegrated sheetrock.

The TT Gallery

Bill's studio is now shared by select students of Toshiko Takaezu who is a legendary potter known world-wide and former professor at Princeton University. During the holiday open house it was lovely to see some of her collected pieces on display in the new gallery here.

Holiday Open House

This coming Sunday, Dec 4, from 1-6pm will be Bill's Christmas studio ceramics open house at 1177 Croton Rd., Quakertown NJ. He will have garden seats, bowls and mugs for sale along with colleague's work.

His most recent sculptures, tiles for a table, stool, garden seat, egg and mugs etc....

Adding White

The master and second bedroom upstairs here are being furnished with lots of white and a Queen Italian Campaign Canopy Iron Bed. This bed costs $1,300.00 from Anthropologie and was found for $150.00 locally (missing some nuts & bolts I sourced). With wooden vaulted ceilings upstairs, a lot of white opens space and has added interest with a canopy.

The family room on the first floor is getting comfortable white furniture with washable slipcovers. For now, the futon serves as a bed near the main source of heat while we upgrade systems. Bill's garden seats (top & bottom below) add sculptural art as well as a seat near the wood stove, foot rest or small table.

Helping Hands

 

Leif is lucky to have us all nearby now to help with his modern house and getting ready for winter. We will rewire, insulate, patch sheetrock in the kitchen and try to install cabinets before the new year. Alex introduced him to "Cabinets.com" the best; who offer free design work, and quality customized cabinets Leif ordered during a 25% off sale. All came early in perfect condition. Hopefully we will buy all appliances on Black Friday. Left: Christian (always on-hand 6 houses away) in the stream and the five trunk Sycamore.

Below: First floor stove in action while we add a second electrical box for new heating etc. and thick felt padded rugs going down as tools move out.

  Christian's barn loft he lived in while getting heat and water running in his house.

Retro Modern

We have been furnishing more of this Mid Century Modern house with things I remember so well from the seventies. Shag or antique oriental rugs, light modern furniture to contrast real wood, and cool chairs. Some gold, silver & glass bling is new, with tile tables and something rattan.

"Retro Modern" table tiles by Bill.