Smart Homes are really pushing forward to that next stage payment. They can taste it. It’s close, I wouldn’t be surprised if they send us an invoice next week. They’ve sealed the place up, put locks on and I can’t get in to take any more pictures. Basically, they are entitled to issue an invoice if the place can be locked up. And it is.
In usual style (see last post), our toothless governing body also informs us that at this stage “rendering of the external walls may be complete“, which doesn’t say anything, really. It may not, after all. Internally, pipes and wires are run out but not functional, and wall plastering and ceilings have been installed. If you are sleepy right now, you can find the full ‘specification’ here. This is the document that won the 2024 civil servant’s ambiguity award.
Other doors are coming along as well. First up, we have our shoppers’ door, which allows us to park up and close the garage door before unloading the boot of the car – just in case there’s a highwayman on the street ready to steal our vegetables. There has been one floating about in Bushmead, the locals have labelled him the notorious Dick Turnip.
Next up, the master bedroom ensuite door. We’re getting a sliding door, hidden inside a wall. You can see the frame being built on the left-hand side of the picture below. After we move in, I’m going to get it motorised, and have a sensor just in front of it. I also want a small speaker attached that plays the door sound on the Starship Enterprise. It plays when the door opens automatically. Then, when I get up for a leak in the night, I can be Captain James T Kirk. If I do fancy a number two, I’ll make sure to complete my Captain’s Log.
The ceilings are coming along too. Below is a picture taken from the (locked) rear patio door, of the living area ceiling and the passageway leading to the front of the house. This is one of four troughs, which will contain hidden LED strips to the back of each trough, and LED downlights in the middle. Obviously, all linked to my phone because I am a control freak, apparently. We are at odds over the small space to the right of the passageway – she wants a table; I want a floor-to ceiling wine rack with a library sliding ladder. I wonder who will win?
We’re also quite pleased with how the outside patio area is coming along. It’s quite big. The ceiling trough will have slow fans circulating the air, and I can imagine them being like the ones in the long bar of the Raffles Hotel, Singapore.
This is where the new bar with my old Curly Marri bar top will be installed. I’m currently conflicted on the orientation of the bar in relation to the walls and pillars. The bar is ‘L-shaped’, and so can be oriented in four main configurations. I do a mini Tetris game in my head every time I think of it, and I’m quite happy with that as it is helping me drift off to sleep each night.
Update for fans of Star Trek – this is the door sound from the Starship Enterprise:
I was excited , two posts so close together , then what ? It’s two doors, and an invoice is that what you are saying?
The plans sound great, everyone should wish for a sliding part
@Ross: yeah but the doors lock now. Massive leap in progress…
For the slider, I’ve been trying to refine the exact sound I want. I was thinking something like ‘sshhhhhhhhkkk’
I have a vague memory that the startrek door sound was a sliding peice of paper,
You could go with the hitchhiker’s doors for special visitors as otherwise that would become tedious
@Ross: For your amusement, I have uploaded the door sound from the star trek Starship Enterprise, as an update at the bottom of this post!
So perhaps, this is the end, beautiful friend?
@Chrisso: Great track. Almost like Jim was writing it to mark the end of the construction phase for his own house, rather than breaking up with an ex girlfriend!
Wine rack sounds great . Table wasted space sorry mum .