STARTING OVER

Big John and I finally got back into construction mode this past week. He had a couple of extra days off, so we knew we'd have enough time to really get some things done. This is where the building stood when we last worked on it, with 1/4 inch OSB attached as underlayment for the 1x10 planks I'd planned to put up as wall finishings:

with holes painstakingly cut for all the doors, windows, a/c units, light switches and outlets.

Turns out that saving money on the thinner, cheaper 1/4 inch OSB didn't really pay off. It was so thin that it couldn't even cover the insulation wthout warping. There was really no other choice than to rip it all down and start over. One step forward, ten steps back.

This was not a particularly happy time on the farm - as evidenced by the look of frustration on Big John's face. Note to self: cheaper is not always better. Lesson learned!

Once we got back down to the studs, we started putting up the paneling.



Due to "budgetary constraints," the 1x10 planks changed to beadboard paneling ...

for less than half the price! Kudos to Big John for figuring out this price-saving alternative! We spent the past 3 days putting up the wall panels (including a second round of painstaking cutouts for all the doors, windows, a/c units, light switches and outlets) and much thicker OSB ceiling underlayment - with cutouts for all the pot lights. Cutouts are a big pain.

Both the kitchen and studio are fully paneled, except where the electricity and gas lines need to be run. We're only about 3 sheets away from finished. This week, I'd like to start getting some paint on the paneling. I'm planning on an antiqued paint technique - something like this:

with a dark banwood trim and barn red or turquoise (or both!) accents. There is a lot of work ahead, and with spring planting time upon us, I really need to get a move on. It will be much easier to make those pickles in my new commercial kitchen. The clock is ticking!