My New ARTHaven–Materials Arriving and Work Beginning

This is the second of two posts today, the first being a more general update on progress on our new house, and this one is on the more specific subject of my new ARTHaven.

I am very excited that work on my new ARTHaven has already begun! My hubby has been taking a few boxes of stuff over each time he’s gone, and although there are still loads to go, there’s now an appreciable space in my existing room to show what a difference his hard work is making! I have to dissuade him from taking too many boxes over at once as it is very exhausting, especially as he keeps complaining I’ve over-filled them and some of them are too heavy!

Here are the boxes he’s taken over so far, stacked up in the spare bedroom.

We’ve chosen this room to store them in because no work will be taking place in here, and also it is more or less opposite my ARTHaven so I won’t have so far to carry things. I am getting a new trolley to use upstairs in the new house, and I shall order this soon so that I can use it to move the stuff across as I unpack it.

When we arrived at the house today, it was thrilling to see the building materials already arriving! After our trip to B&Q last week when Andy and I chose what we needed, it was great to see the laminate floor for my ARTHaven stacked up in the hall ready to be installed. Nothing can be done in there until the floor is down.

As you can see, it is a light wood effect laminate, with three narrow planks per strip. Andy will lay it so that it looks like a continuous planked floor. This is what I originally wanted for the kitchen as well, but have thought better of it, partly because this particular B&Q one was unsuitable for kitchens, and also because I decided I needed something that provided more contrast with the kitchen units.

When I went upstairs, I found that Chris had taken the carpet up from my ARTHaven. This is what it looks like now.

At first glance, you may ask why on earth I want to cover up such a beautiful floor? I agree, it does look lovely, with the original floorboards, but anything more than a superficial glance indicates that it really isn’t suitable for a studio. I need a sealed floor, and with no gaps that things can be lost between. It will be much more practical, and lighter, with the laminate floor. At least I’ve got a photographic record of the original, and that will have to be enough! My hubby’s study also has the original floorboards exposed, so at least we’ll have one room – those ones have been stripped and varnished, and look really beautiful. Today we were trying to decide which rug he would have in there – decisions, decisions!

Also in the spare room opposite, Chris has now assembled the units that Andy and I bought at B&Q last week.

I had hoped they would be plain white all over, but inside, there is a faint pattern printed on the surface. However, once there’s stuff on the shelves, I’m sure it won’t really show, and who knows, it might even improve them! It’s very exciting to see the units made up and ready to install. Once Andy is able to come over again in between final bits and pieces on his current job, I am sure he will get the floor down and the units installed in fairly short order!