Welcome

Cowieswells is a derelict farm south of Stonehaven in NE Scotland. We were lucky enough to acquire the place in August 2010 when we were moving back to the UK from Norway and looking for something to match or even better our previous, fjord-side home. The farm house and steading (barns) command an impressive and exposed cliff top location with fantastic views across the North Sea. The buildings were constructed from sandstone in a traditional style and our goal in rebuilding it is to be sympathetic to the original design whilst creating a much larger house which is modern, efficient and maximizes the unique views.

Since we bought the place we have spent over a year working with architects, planners and generally doing stuff that doesn't make for interesting reading. This blog picks up the renovation process in late 2011 when work outside got started. Over the coming months it will be updated every week or so with pictures, movies and the odd bit of text. Like Grand Designs but without the suave sarcasm of Kevin McCloud.

Sunday 3 February 2013

Week 47 - On the home straight

Lots to report, partly because its been a while and partly because they have been very busy since the New Year started. We got all the windows in before Christmas so the place was finally wind and water tight which was good to know since there was no one about and we headed south over the holiday.

The guys were back at full speed with the New Year, and since the start of January the underflooring heating has been laid, the wooden floors upstairs, the stone tiles in the downstairs are going down, the utility room is in, the kitchen is half in, the skirting and down frames are done, some of the cupboards fitted out and the place has had a first coat of paint. On the outside the place has been rendered and the stonework pointed. In the bothy the floors are down, the kitchen is in, as is the spiral stair. Phew - I am tired just listing all that!

The fireplace for the bothy was too small, right Kw but it takes logs that are a maximum length of 10 cm. I like cutting wood, but not that much! So we sent it back and the very nice people at the fireplace company (Robertsons Stone Centre) agreed to change it for the next model up at no additional cost. Nice people!

Unlike Vicaima who supplied the interior doors, they took  10 weeks to arrive and when they came they were the wrong ones (our fault, well actually their crappy website but...). Anyway they refused to swap them, despite the fact they were off the shelf, miserable buggers! Fortunately our friendly builders offered to buy them off us, so all was not lost.

Current timeframe says we will be in by the end of February, so there is still lots to happen in the next 26 days - watch this space....

Outside, pretty much finished, including the pointing and the rendering of the extension

Big windows in - finally 

Windows from Nordan - Finally 

Kitchen half in...

There will be a stair case here...

The heat recovery unit, this is about the only place they have laid the wooden floor and then not covered it with protective material. So its the best chance to see how it looks

Main bedroom 

Making the most of the scaffold before it disappears 

Bothy kitchen in 

Spiral stair in bothy


1 comment:

  1. Love the stairs! I've been ignoring my kids to read all your blog: I'm almost there! I really love what you have done with this place, how you integrated modern designs with the old structures.

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