The Interior (part 1)

 The house was built square....26 ft. by 26 ft. on the outer walls, which makes it quite interesting in terms of interior layout.  All the windows consist of varying styles and shapes, which makes for a very eclectic blend, to say the least, but we want to preserve some of that, as it actually adds to the charm of the place.  The only thing is....a lot of the 'windows' are not actually windows...they're doors, and interior ones, at that.

This translates into single panes... not good against the wind and cold.  So at some point in the future, we will need to address that.  

The single biggest challenge we face, though, is not the windows....it's the stairs.  In a space as small as this one already is, there was never any thought as to the stair design.  Meaning that there was never any place to put stairs....kinda important in terms of reaching the loft.

And since my bed's gonna be up there....not like we can just chuck it and make do.  When we first came on the scene, the stairs were only partially built.  They had never actually been completed, and were of very poor construction, so Keith just tore them down and built a sturdier version temporarily.  A lot of things were done temporarily, just to get the house to qualify for financing, but we have intentions of tearing most of it out as we go.  The stairs were definitely in that category. 

 Considering that space is at a premium, we have waffled constantly about the stair treatment, and even thought for a while about going with a very compact spiral staircase in the corner.  Although that would be awesome in terms of visual appeal, it would be very hard for me to navigate, especially as we age.   It's been a huge challenge to come up with a design and layout that would meet all our needs....functional AND visual...without eating up all our floor space in the process.
 I do think though, that we have finally managed to come up with a plan, thanks to a four-part brainstorming session held with Irb and Jessica, but more on that later, as the time comes to actually work on it.

One of the things we have also decided on is to keep the existing walls intact in this room, instead of bumping the large wall out for the fireplace.  We will be placing the fireplace in this corner, instead, which will also serve to maximize our space, while at the same time, making the space look cozy and intimate.  It will keep our view from being blocked, as well as channeling the heat toward the upstairs.  And placing it there will also give us a better view from upstairs of the fireplace itself, without sacrificing the window view. And believe me when I tell you that it is spectacular. From upstairs, looking out three walls worth of windows, the entire Holston mountain range is viewable.
 Well...during the colder seasons, at least.  In the warmer ones, all we will see is a wall of cool, refreshing green....delicious!

Below the existing stairs is a tiny area between the bathroom door and the bedroom door.  It's an area that used to contain a small wood stove, until poor design almost burnt the entire house down and it was removed.  (It now holds a place of honor underneath the house, but plans are to resurrect it and reinstall it upstairs in the loft. Not sure if it will stay there, that is to be determined...but it's a lovely little stove that deserves a chance, and since the pipe's already in the ceiling, we might as well give it a shot before we close that off.)  Right now, that funky little space is being taken up by stair supports and a propane wall heater, but that will also change with the new stairs, and the addition of a monitor heater until the fireplace can be built, which will be our main source of heat.

 Since these pics were taken, Irb has been a busy bee, tearing the stairs and the railing out, so none of this even exists anymore.  I'm so glad I got the chance to take these pics for comparison...this journey's gonna be awesome!