Friday, August 28, 2015

Cottage Dormers: Behind The Scenes

A Dormer Series - part 3


I'm just going to sum up briefly part 2 just in case you're not a regular reader here or just in case you've got really bad memory.

Laissez-moi vous résumer brièvement l'épisode 2 de cette série, peut-être n'êtes-vous pas un lecteur régulier ou avez-vous la mémoire très courte...

I had decided what the dormers I wanted to create on Cottage should look like, according to the age of Cottage that I wanted to respect,  the budget I had and the city construction rules. Everything was for the best... until I asked a painter for a quote to paint the dormers and that was way out of budget...

Après des années de réflexion, j'avais décidé du plan pour ajouter deux lucarnes ou chiens assis sur mon Cottage. J'avais pensé à tout : le style, le budget, les règles de construction de la ville... mais j'avais oublié de prendre en considération le peintre qui m'a fait un devis exorbitant...

Dormer frames in my "atelier".

For a few hours, I just didn't know what to do. Then I grabbed the phone and called the carpenter, just in case he had an idea.

Je suis d'abord restée un peu hébétée, puis j'ai décidé d'appeler le menuisier, juste pour le cas où il ait une idée.


Carpenter: You painted the downstairs windows, didn't you?

Menuisier : Vous avez bien peint les fenêtres du rez-de-chaussée, non?

Me: Well, yes, because it didn't require me to climb on my roof!

Moi : Oui, mais je n'avais pas besoin de grimper sur le toit !

 
Carpenter: Well, we'll get the window frames ready a week in advance and we'll deliver them to you so you can paint them before they are on the roof.

Menuisier : On va créer les structures des lucarnes avec une semaine d'avance, on vous les livrera et vous les peindrez avant qu'on ne les installe sur le toit.


Did I mention I kind of like my carpenter?

Il est bien mon menuisier, hein ?

 
Anyway, for a week, right after school, I would jump in my painting clothes and apply a coat of my favourite All White by Farrow & Ball on one of the frames of the future dormers.

Du coup, pendant une semaine, dès l'école finie, je sautais dans mes vêtements de peinture et je badigeonnais de mon blanc préféré All White de Farrow & Ball mes futures lucarnes.

Shadow was a little worried as I guess he could sense something was going to happen at Cottage.

Shadow était  un peu stressé par tout ce remue-ménage et il m'observait beaucoup.



Then my job was done and the men got into action.

Ma partie du boulot étant achevée, les hommes se sont mis au travail.

 
To keep within Cottage's style, I chose a very simple gable dormers and had slates added on each side as is traditionnal in Brittany. The height of the dormers was calculated so we would not touch the stone walls of Cottage and therefore not affect its stability.


Pour que les lucarnes s'intègrent sans problème à la façade de Cottage, je les ai choisies assez simples, avec un pignon en bois et une couverture en ardoise sur le côté, comme c'est traditionnel en Bretagne. La hauteur des lucarnes avait été calculée de façon à ne pas toucher du tout les murs en pierre du bâtiment.


The carpenters and the roofers worked very fast and as I was still at school at that time, it was hard to take pictures as often as I'd have liked.


Les menuisiers et les couvreurs ont travaillé très vite et comme j'avais encore "école", il m'a été difficile de prendre des photos à chaque étape.

 
I couldn't be happier with the way the "new" dormers look. A few people that came to Cottage recently didn't even noticed the dormers and I had to remind them they were not there before. Cottage is so proud of them that he himself think they were always there!


Je suis ravie du résultat. Plusieurs personnes venues récemment au Cottage n'ont même pas remarqué les nouvelles lucarnes et j'ai dû leur rappeler qu'elles n'étaient pas là avant. Cottage lui-même pense qu'elles lui ont toujours appartenu!


What do you think?


Qu'en pensez-vous?


See you soon,

A bientôt,


PS1: I'm back at work next Monday, but I'll try and keep posting when I can!

PS1 : Je reprends le chemin de l'école lundi, mais j'essaierai quand même de vous tenir au courant de ce qui se passe au Cottage quand je le peux.

PS2: I'm linking with...

 http://www.remodelaholic.com/2015/09/5-smart-howtos/        http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.fr/2015/09/show-and-share-no278.html               . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                                                                         





84 comments:

  1. Oh they are perfect ! Cottage can be excused for thinking the dormers were always there because they look like they were. This is getting more exciting. I am eager to see your finished cottage. Well , the finished outside. One is really never done working on a home they love.

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  2. They're beautiful! Have you ever considered removing the awning over the front door? I think cottage would look so much prittier without it.
    S
    xo

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    1. I'm keeping the little front porch because in a climate like ours in Brittany it's very convenient. Thus said, I know it's in dreadful shape and I plan on redoing it completely someday, I just don't have the budget for now!

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  3. They look lovely, congrats for insisting to have them!AriadnefromGreece!

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  4. Hoooo comme il est joli cottage ainsi mis en valeur, je trouve que ces nouvelles ouvertures lui confèrent beaucoup de charme et lui donne beaucoup de cachet
    Tu assures niveau créativité, chapeau

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    1. Merci! En plus, des nouvelles fenêtres, je vois mon jardin et cela me donne envie de m'en occuper... Il est très négligé avec tous ces travaux!

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  5. What a difference! Love the new look!

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  6. WOW! Magali, this is GOOD! I can't believe how easy that actually is to do...they look WONDERFUL and you have yourself a true Brittany cottage. I love following you!

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  7. They really do look like they've been there forever. Your carpenters know what they're doing! You're going to love all the light pouring in from the new windows.

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  8. Hi...i think they are Fabulous..nice job..an i thought the supervisor thought maybe you weren't moving fast enough..he did have a..not so happy look on his face..i imagine once it's all done an he can lay in those windows he'll been thinking it was a genius idea to add those to cottage..i can see him surveying the neighborhood already..hope you have a nice weekend..it's a Beautiful morning here...

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  9. Cottage must be preening!! They look lovely Magali!

    -andi

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  10. They look perfect, Magali! Best wishes for the start of the school year. Now your electrician can continue with wiring. xo Patty

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    1. Thanks, Patty! Somehow you've become a no-reply comment blogger?

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  11. Realmente me encantan Magali fantastica tu idea y Cottage debe estar muy orgulloso :) nelly

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  12. The dormers with the natural light pouring in with the beautiful view is essential as you get ready to start your day. Adding the bathroom, insulation, electrical, and pretty up, your bedroom will be your haven. Kathleen in Az

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    1. I can't stop looking by my new windows! It's amazing the number of things I missed before!

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  13. I think your dormers look wonderful, and really blend in with Cottage. The view out to the garden is beautiful.

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    1. I can barely remember how Cottage looked before, if not for the pictures!

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  14. Quel courage pour peindre tout ça ! Mais le résultat est superbe !

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  15. So very pretty - and so insightful of you to know that these were just what Cottage needed! Your home is lovely and I have enjoyed following your adventure from the beginning. Looking forward as to what you next!

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  16. What do I think? I think you are a very smart (and lucky) cookie to have carpenters who can carry out your dreams of such delightful dormers!

    Poppy

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  17. Cottage is such a warm and friendly place to live. You are doing an excellent job of the changes and thank God for a good a carpenter.Hope your school year is good this year.

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    1. The carpenter is a great guy and I could see that from the beginning he was excited about this project. There are a couple problems with the dormers, but I know he'll come back to fix them.

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  18. Magali, you are a genius! But I am curious....the photos show a dormer window to the right of a fence....is that ANOTHER COTTAGE attatched to yours? If so, your new dormers match very well. Good luck with your new job....and thank you for sharing your adventures with us!

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    1. Yes, Cottage is a semi-detached cottage. From what I got of the story of those houses, they were built at the beginning of the previous century by a man who built an attached cottage for his widowed sister-in-law. The owner of the other cottage added their dormer years ago, before I met Cottage, but they chose to have it a lot lower, meaning they tore a part of the stone wall... I didn't dare!

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  19. I think it looks wonderful Magali! Cottage must be so proud he's getting a makeover! He sure looks it ;).

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  20. This is awesome. Cottage now has eyes to see the world. You gave him sight and I love this. Now Cottage has a face and has real eyes to the world. The dormers look so great and your carpenter rocks! Beautiful Magali.
    Kris

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  21. They look absolutely beautiful!! The fact that someone did not notice them only tells you they were meant to be. Your carpenter did a great job, as you did with the painting of them.
    blessings,
    Penny

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    1. Truly, I have that feeling that the dormers were always there and we just couldn't see them!

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  22. I love the new look! They look as if they could have been there from the beginning.

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  23. What a beautiful job -- both the carpenter and the paintress. I know you'll love LOVE the new views and breezes. All of our new windows are trimmed in white Azek which never has to be painted, ever. The pediments above the doors, the porch columns, and the bottom of kitchen bump-out are also all Azek. Americans rarely use wood anymore it seems. The photos are here: https://charlieandjo.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/the-outside/ Jo @ Let's Face the Music

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    Replies
    1. French very rarely choose wood for their windows anymore either, but it was my choice as Cottage is about a century old, I though it made sense.

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  24. Wow, what a difference they make! Lovely!!

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  25. wow ! qu'il est beau ton toit Cottage ! la proportion parfaite des lucarnes et leur sobriété apportent charme et tradition - bravo Magali pour ce projet joliment mené avec vos artisans ! les photos de la structure de la lucarne sont hyper intéressantes, c'est une vrai chance d'avoir suivi le montage - bonne fin de vacances et bonne rentrée ! monique59

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    1. Je dois avouer que même en travaillant et en ne vivant plus au Cottage, j'y étais tous les matins, les midis et les soirs pour suivre l'évolution du projet... Voir prendre forme quelque chose qui vous trotte dans la tête depuis cinq ans, c'est grisant... En plus, je suis ce qu'on appelle en anglais une "control freak", je dois tout contrôler dans les moindres détails!

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  26. C'est une vraie réussite, ton toit est parfait et les chiens assis semblent en effet être là depuis toujours.
    Quelle satisfaction ce doit être pour toi.
    Mais pour le devant de la maison, pourquoi le choix d'une fenêtre de toit? Par rapport aux obligations de la région, un chien assis n'aurait-il pas été plus typique?
    En tout cas il est vrai que le suivi de cette étape a été très intéressant.
    Bravo. Est-ce que ton problème d'antenne est résolu?
    Caresses aux chatons. Passe un bon weekend. Bises. Babette

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  27. Magali, I can see why you like your carpenter. Is he single? lol! The dormers are adorable and the paint is perfect as is the view looking out them!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  28. Bravo pour le résultat, les chiens assis sont parfaitement intégrés à la toiture, cela fait très joli. Cottage a maintenant un très beau chapeau !
    Profite bien de ce dernier week-end avant la rentrée !
    Nathalie

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  29. Cottage is adorable with his new dormers. Simply charming! That carpenter is a keeper. I'm glad you didn't have to climb on the roof. I did it a couple of years ago to paint our dormers. It was scary and now they are already peeling again!

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  30. I just love your new dormers Magali - that view - OMG - that view !
    xox

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  31. I love the dormers Magali and they look like they were always with cottage. You are very fortunate to have such a good carpenter and he sounds like he's easy to approach. When you are having work done that is such a blessing. So happy to see everything coming together for you.

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  32. Looks fabulous and I'm sure you will enjoy the extra light and the view.

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  33. Magali you have excelled yet again::). The dormers and the view are spectacular. Your blog is just beautiful :)

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  34. In my imaginary world, dormers are the eyes for a home's soul. Cottage has beautiful ones. They look like they have always been there. I know Cottage is very happy.

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  35. C'est une réussite Magali, vraiment et tu as eu la chance de tomber sur un menuisier sympa. Je passe te remercier pour tes visites et te dire qu'effectivement je suis contente de mes dentelles et rubans anciens, je n'en trouve pas souvent. Bises.

    Caroline de

    http://bleunordique.canalblog.com/

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  36. Wow, that was a big project. I absolutely love dormers, I mean what is there not to love. Looks fabulous!!!

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  37. love, love, love it. Enjoy returning back to work.

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  38. They are PERFECT!! As if they were always there. Can you believe your drawings have come to life? BTW I wanna see closeup pics of your carpenter! haha

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  39. What new dormers? I thought they were always there! Beautiful and what great views you must have now with all that sunlight!

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  40. Hello Magali. It has been quite a while since I have had anytime to stop by and catch up on what is going on with Cottage. As of tonight I am all caught up. Love the new dormers. Great idea to paint things while they were still on the ground.
    Traci

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  41. As if the roof has always looked like that, very very nice !! Grtzz, Marie

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  42. Well, cottage looks more fine than ever! The dormers make a huge difference, yet the greatest compliment is that they don't look new, but rather that they've always been there!

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  43. Whaou... incroyable... quel talent... je parle du menuisier sur le toit bien sur :)
    Non franchement bravo quelle belle idée ces chiens-assis, tu as fait du beau travail Magali ! Ca doit beaucoup changer la maison quand même, il va falloir qu'on vienne voir ca !
    La rentrée s'est bien passée ?
    Bises

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  44. I think I see design in your future - or one of those flip it house programs! Great job again!

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    1. Thanks a lot, Bernideen! And I would love that... though I know it's not happening!

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  45. Who can resist a resourceful carpenter. And the work you are putting in! You well deserve this fantastic home.
    Amalia
    xo

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  46. That view! Oh my! And from the outside those dormers do indeed look like they've always been there, I'm not surprised cottage doesn't remember a time when they weren't! Your carpenter's a keeper, isn't he? So excited to see the interior finished pics, though I imagine you're a bit tired at this point? (joke). Anyway, they couldn't be better, and I'm thinking you'll particularly enjoy them this winter, with the added light and the view. Don't forget to post us a few pics of the changing seasons from up there? I'd love that. Best always, Sarah Turkey Plate

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  47. Don't laugh, but I'm crying! They look so beautiful and what a wonderful view to now enjoy more comfortably rather than the flat look at the sky. How wonderful that the carpenter is ultra reliable. Right, I'll get the tissues now. So happy for you and hubby xx

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  48. Love, love, love them! IIf I had never seen cottage before, I would have guessed they were original to him. You made a perfect choice :)

    xo,
    rue

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  49. Those are nice Magali. I'm sure cottage loves them.

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  50. My friend you have totally added just loads of charm. I adore the dormers!

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  51. Superb! A good carpenter is worth his/her weight in gold. I love how he arranged for you to paint the dormers before installation. This is a man who really cares. I'm impressed.

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  52. picture perfect. of course i also like them b/c it's now very similar to my little cape. enjoy!
    b

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    1. You're right, it does remind me of the traditional lines of your cottage, now!

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  53. Dearest Magali, little cottage looks absolutely delightful! You and your carpenter make a great team :) Thanks for sharing with Roses of Inspiration. Hugs!

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  54. Oh Magali,
    The dormers are amazing letting attic light in and a view of the beauty that surrounds you.
    My last home had such dormers and this home is nothing short of a boring view, nothing peaceful to look at and how I miss my tall ceilings and the dormer views.

    Your home is right out of a fishermans cottage movie, almost reminding me of the feeling I get when I watch the movie "Ondine"

    So need to visit you more often, I am in hopes to move to the beach here in Southern California, letting the salt of the air feed my soul as you have here.

    See you soon and your amazing cottage.

    Xx
    Dore

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  55. Cottage is looking rather charming, isn't he? I think having to paint them yourself makes them all the more treasured. I am so happy for you that Cottage is finally turning out the way you had envisioned. It takes years to make a house our home but so much love goes into it. We have been in our Sea Cottage for 9 yrs now. We still do not have the wood floors we want and our white kitchen became pacific grey, which we like better. But everything else has become the seaside sanctuary we envisioned. Our gardens have been the hardest work that reap the greatest reward for the soul.

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  56. What an amazing difference that makes!! I hope it's everything you wanted. I think they look great! I am actually doing a little remodeling myself. Just painted my front door bright yellow...and ripped out all the trees in the front yard as they were dying/too close to the house and causing damage. Now this week we get to buy new trees and shrubs and hopefully some landscaping improves how I feel about my front yard.

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  57. Love the new dormer windows! They do look as if they've been there forever! Great job!

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  58. Such a smart carpenter. LOL
    Dormers look great

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  59. ça change vraiment tout ces fenêtres ! c'est génial ! Bravo à ce menuisier ! et quel beau métier soit dit en passant !! Bisous. Mathilde

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