A Puzzle and an Art Gallery

The porch has come a loooong way.

It’s much more substantial looking with impressive molding.

Here’s a better look at what’s been done from below. The support structures are in place on the roof, sheathed to keep out the weather for construction. You can also see here the final disposition of the architectural elements – the porch roof both wrapping closely around the 2nd floor bow window and resting right on top of the flush 1st floor window. It all makes so much more sense!

This is the side support beam for the base of the porch. This porch isn’t going anywhere.

It’s a bit like a 3D jigsaw puzzle; the intricacies of all the elements and forces working together to create a stable and beautiful structure.

And now for something completely different:  a residential construction site still life.

Even this far into the process, I’m still noticing details on unfinished parts of the house. Here’s an interesting discoloration and crack on one of the back corner pilasters. Was it originally two colors? Is this evidence of two different pieces of wood, showing their natural coloration? Some sort of burn damage? Although I don’t think I’m seeing any of the textures that would go with that last. Hmmm.

The painting is coming on as well. The back of the house shows the contrast between the old paint scheme and the new, without the scaffolding. Very different. The windows are giving us an art show too, courtesy of the beautiful prairie skies. You can see on the right window that the screens and storms haven’t been put back yet after having been removed for painting.

A detail of the finished paint job; silver, black, white, and gray. Dignified, crisp, and clean.