Cardinal House : Brick by Brick

Things are taking shape at Cardinal House, brick by brick.

New front entrance at Cardinal House.

Everything about the front entrance of the house is new, with the exception of the angel stone. The angel stone from the living room fireplace and the exterior wall around the old entrance was preserved. The masonry team reworked the stone to blend with the existing front exterior of the house, they added 4 inch stone ledges at the entrance and under all the windows.

 original entrance

The angel stone wall to the right of the old front door was carefully taken down. The new entrance was expanded out and built beyond the old porch area. We chose a black wood grain vinyl door with black sidelights {by Accurate Aluminum Works} - the interior colour is satin black as well.

Inspiration for the new door and side panels.

Chameleon Masonry carefully blended the stone to create a seamless look. Once the mortar was dry you would think that the window and door openings had always been there.

masonry being worked around the new windows and entrance

Part of the design plan is to tint the brick and stone in the spring when the temperatures heat up. It may be hard to believe that we are changing the colour, because on it's own the stone looks pretty. But every house on the block is brown and beige ......  not our choice of colour.
The masonry will be perma-tinted a soft grey colour. The roof is black and with the eaves in a soft satin black it will give the appearance that the roof line is extended. The soffits will be the same colour as the windows, which is cashmere.
Painting the brick would not allow the house to breath properly {Ok, I'm sure there is a more technical term, but that is the jest of it}, so that is why we are tinting both the brick and stone.

Do you believe this..........

wall outside the master suite

used to be this ..........

old wall at the master suite

The team from Chameleon Masonry have been busy at work under a heated tent that encases the back of the house. Once the trusses and roof were up, the back wall of the house {in the black and white picture above} came down. The new master suite was extended with the long windows and glass doors over looking the lanai.

We love the brick and stone details.

brick work on the new back wall of the house

The outdoor wood burning fireplace has been started. The cyder block fireplace base {yesh, is that what it is called?! } is in place and will be completed in the spring when the warmer weather allows for special finishes to be added.

the start of our outdoor fireplace - it now extends up to the roof of the lanai

The short brick walls will be capped on the top and provide the perfect spot for wood logs underneath and maybe a floral pot sitting above. The fireplace treatment will be over-grouted stone to create the look of old world stone.

inspiration for the lanai

Inspiration from Patina Farm - over-grouted stonework.

Brick and stonework outside of the new piano room.

Part of the new addition includes a piano room. There are long windows on two sides of the room and it is completely open to family room on the other side. The windows are full length and have been finished with 4 inch stone ledges outside. My garden plan is to fill the flower bed outside of the window with blue Nicky Hydrangea.

Before : the outdoor deck area where the new piano room has been built.

entrance from the lanai to the family room

The entrance to the family room has since been completed with brickwork. The floor of the lanai was poured with a slight angle to allow any water to run off the edge, it made the application of the bricks more of a challenge. Chameleon Masonry did a great job in the finishes and applications.

Each time Richard and I go out on the lanai area, we stand there and say, 'this is the place where we will be the most'. The completion of the over-grouted stone work on the fireplace in the spring and the brick tinting will bring the look we have been dreaming about.

On the blog  For the Love of a House, I read about the idea of a House Blessing Cross for the blessing of a new house. I bought one of the crosses made by artist Jan Barboglio and gave it to Richard for Christmas last year. The cross has been tucked away, waiting for the completion of Cardinal House and the day we have the house blessed.

Jan Barboglio House Blessing Cross

When one of the tree's on the property had to be taken down and I saved a small log for the cross to be nailed to. It's easy to envision the log and cross sitting up on the new mantel of the outdoor fireplace. It's these warm thoughts of what is to come and the little touches that help us get through the long construction phase.

The house is bricks and mortar - but our HOME is so much more.