Welcome to Bainbridge Island
Our forests
Our beach playgrounds
Nearby Port Madison
Our biggest trees
Sept 2016, meeting our land
Feb 2017: The driveway goes in
Our namesake, a large silver rock unearthed
Looking north from the south end of the property
Silver rock
A path to the cedar circle
building site pre-clearing
Sun in the forest
Salal blossoms
The teeny tiniest mushroom
Chanterelle?
April 2017: Salmon Berry blossoms
Vanilla Leaf
Fungi!
Oregon Grape Blossoms
Snags, home for lots of critters
old and new
Trails around the property
Invasive English ivy
Septic siting
Looking north into the adjacent meadow
Looking down the driveway
"Construction men"
June 2017: The clearing begins
Big machine small child
Play structure
Looking north from the meadow
Our future floors and walls
June 2017: off to the mill
Done for now!
July 2017: The design evolves
View south from the kitchen into the meadow
July 2017: logs being milled
Boys taking great interest
Here comes another
Here are our floors, 8 logs worth
More logs to go!
August 2017: picking salmon berries
Lunch
Running on the trails
Surveying the scene
September 2017: Wood delivery before the rain comes
The truck couldn't get it into the garage
Friends come to help...
We got the wood inside! Thank you friends!
Dec 2017: Winter light through the forest
More impressive machines appear
Future kitchen cabinets, tree comes down to make room for the well digging rigs
Ready for gravel
Here is the gravel, we are ready for well drilling
Jan 2018: Well drilling equipment is here
Let's drill this well
success...220 feet down
Spring is here
Fire Proofing, removing dead limbs and windfall from the woods
Meanwhile, our garage has turned into a Kiln
Fan runs 24/7, gradually removing moisture from the wood
Moisture meter: slow drying avoids extra costs
Salvage Find! 12 solid wood knotty alder doors from a salvage yard
Beautiful Salvaged Marble Slab
Enough marble for our bathrooms
Salvage Quartz, for the mudrom
April 2018
May 2018: Remember me? The Alder and Cedar cut down a couple months back
future siding and cabinetry, drying out in the sun
Hazard Trees Come Down, Done With Clearing
June 2018: Boy Seeks Best View
Excavating for the Foundation
Our on-site office
We salvaged solar panels that were heading to the landfill
more panels
disassembly
moving panels off roof
They work!
Salvaged exterior doors.
Frames go in for foundation footings
Child inspects the work
The 50 foot long wood shed is taking shape
A composting toilet on site
wood shavings instead of toxic blue liquid
Brant Explains the system
Jason Lear comes to inspect the work
The Kitchen and Main Living Area Take Shape
One Thumb Up
Rearranging the wood shed
view from SE corner
Dirt!
View from the NW corner
Boys in Awe
West Side footings
Foundation for the Hall of Life
East Side of the House
August: Stem Wall Forms Go Up
West Half of House
East Half of House
Garage Foundation
Drainage Pipe
SIREWALL Base
Pouring the Base
Sending Love into the House
The form goes up
South side of the SIREWALL
Ingredients: Cement, Rock, Sand
Brant shows J how to Ram Earth
J helping build the wall
Jason Lear and J inspect the work
Jason Lear taking it in...
A Great Team!
Floors!
SIREWALL waits out the rain
October 15th 2018 SIREWALL unveiled
Taking off forms
Having some fun
North facade
Entrance to Hall
Framing continues on south side
Reclaimed beams go up over porch
View from the East
Main Living area
Master Suite
View down the Hall of Life
South Facade
rafters go up
framing in the main living area
The Main living room letting in sun
The Hall of Life
master bedroom wing
January 2019: Done with framing...next up: roof
Gutex insulation arrives
Layering exterior insulation to prevent air gaps
J and Brant
east end of house
west end of house
February 2019: first layer of house wrap goes on
SNOW
snow is heavy...there goes the wood shed/tent
not much construction going on
At the end of the Hall of Life
natures beauty on display
South face of Living room
living room windows
east side of house
master bedroom wing
looking across the courtyard
view from the future window seat
From inside the master
Shou Sugi Ban siding against windows
March 2019: Cedar siding goes up
March 2019: South face
First day of spring
Wood heading to the mill
Thanks wood...we love you too
site milled alder cabinet door prototype
garage preparing for roofing installation
Shou Sugi Ban Goes up on bedroom wing
Metal Roofing is up
East side Shou Sugi Ban
site work
south siding
view from meadow
kitchen and main living area
April 2019
Siding on the Garage
Roof nearing completion
bedroom wing siding
interior plumbing rough-in
Master Bath Tub nook
insulating the great room
Insulation goes in
leach field
continued...
continued...
Operation restoration: Sala and Mahonia
Mahonia Nervosa
planting around path
continued...
Floor protection goes down
Drywall goes up in entry hall
Office
Main living area
Salvaged Old Growth Fir Front Door
painting the hall
countertops
cleaning concrete
final painting
almost done
built-ins
the tub!
closets