Pavement and Fountain for the Garden

Angelo and Tonino are working out the pavement for the garden. We have some large black stones that used to be in the piazza of Pizzo years ago. But not enough... The fountain (in the back on the right) was positioned after some email discussion around the world between Angelo in Pizzo, CC in London and me in Bangkok. Since the electricians marked widely their territory along the right side of the wall to the church, we did not have many options left. But it seems the garden area works out nicely. I am looking forward to see everythingin real on Wednesday!!!

Progress in June

After many birthday parties and many visitors for many days in our home base in Bangkok and election days in Italy, I can finally report some further progress in our summer home.

The interior renovation work is almost completed!

While you did not see anything on this blog...

... the main kitchen was deliverd and installed

The inox hood is coming soon and will be mounted in the niche. This is the only kitchen picture I have. I am a bit scared to see all, I am afraid that the overhead cabinets (on the right) are too bulky and the island (in front)too small...

... the entrance room was coloured and illuminated

... the original walls in the basement were restored and doors delivered and mounted

The colourful glas for the doors is still missing and the parquet will be installed soon. This is the last floor where interior work needs still to be done.

... the pavement of the garden is in progress 

... and the new little harbour is coming along

For those families who will spent their holidays with us this summer I have good news: Angelo has ordered matresses and they will be delivered on time! Although I do not know yet the beds that were delivered from Northern Italy, I am happy that our guests will be able to stay with us (and not have to sleep in the new boutique hotel next door) ;-)

sun shade sail

Beautiful sun shade sail by Stacks & Stacks (via remodelista)

It fits nicely into this lovely little back yard with banana trees and bamboo.

Wishing you a sunny weekend !

*

Looking for wrought iron doors

Actual task: we need two wrought iron (ferro battuto) doors for the garden level.

Maybe you remember this 'before and after' photo of the newly restored wall of the garden level and its two - not really yet - doors :



This is a close-up of the two doors to be:


Actually, this is a question for the supervisor and the architetto, there should be newer pictures available as doors have been installed, right?!


Update: oh, look how fast we communicate with Italy ! Here is the actual situation of the new doors:



To protect these garden entrances, we decided to install additional wrought iron doors.

In Italy wrought iron work is very popular and used in many ways: To protect doors and windows, but also to embellish the top of the doors. Italian balconies are almost always having railings made of wrought iron. So do most garden fences and inside the house staircase railings. Not to forget the romantic wrought iron furniture used in mediterraenian areas.

Today, I am posting the different wrought iron or steel works (ferro battutto e acciaio) we have in our Italian house*. There are so many different styles that the new doors do not have to match anything, but maybe could repeat a design that is already in place:

First, my favorite wrought iron door railing (above). I really like the elaboration. It is the original one (not sure how many years original), but it is very rusty and will be restored or at least repainted. It is protecting the other 'door' of the garden level, which is facing the sea and if you would fall of this tiny (shoe size 10 or 40) balcony, you would probably fall 54 meters deep. So it is quiet an important railing!


This is the new garden railing from the pre-owner. I actually see just now, that it is quiet matching the first railing (above). This is all on the same level and the iron doors would be just inbetween these two railings. So they could be in a similar style.


Maybe like this? This is what I can do with my photo editor. And I like it! I think my mission is completed before the post started... why not! What do you think?


Or another version, closed at the low end.


Wouldn't it look good in this stony door frame? Two wings opening to the side?
(update: okay, this is a very old picture now. I can perfectly see my proposal in this unfinished rustic whole. But is it still okay with the new situation?)


BTW, the same pattern is also used for the iron (or steel) balcony railing one floor up.

Since I think, I found a solution, I am going to stop here to let my family think about it.

* And I am going to post more wrought iron work in the next days.

Update from the Project

Hello again.
Me too, I have been waiting for a new post.
But I was not in the mood.
The last 10 days were about payments and money transfers and increasing workmen prices that need to be discussed. The financial things really bring me down, back to reality. The project is so romantic and fascinating - until it comes to the payday. Yes, we run out of money - and in order to continue and to pay open invoices, I needed to transfer some of my 'pension fund' (what reminded me of my blogger friend's situation last year in Marrakesh). Of course, nobody gets a free renovation. Even if you do it yourself, you need to buy material and equipment.
I am not going to lament any further. But I wanted to mention it because some people apparently tend to think that we are a cash cow or crazy rich people.
We are not.

Now, it is time to post some nice impressions from the project.
This morning I got another beautiful picture via email from Angelo. It is 'our' wild fig bush growing near the fence over the abyss. We will have some figs to harvest this year.



This is our garden (above) with the growing lemon tree on the right. We got some new plants. Not in the garden but on the 3 square meters behind the fence. It is still our property but too close and too dangerously hanging over the abyss to be part of the garden.

There is the long awaited Bougainvillea plant with beautiful fuchsia blossoms. There are one or two Bird of Paradise plants. One jasmine plant. Several types of agave and cacti. Also some herbs, thyme and rosemary are planted near the fence to be reached easily when needed for cooking. So far I have not figured out all the new plants.

And now, please guess who was planting all these plants behind the fence over the abyss - it was raining before, and it goes down 54 meters - guess who ??!!

My mother-in-law!

I want to state here that I did not knew about her plan before and that I kind of disapproved it afterwards. What if she would have slip? Although sitting here in China, I would have felt responsible. Thank god she is doing fine. Look at her, our stylish gardener: jacket, jewellery, lipstick...