Gingerhawk Construction Update – November 2019
Hey friends, welcome back! In September, we shared that earlier this year we purchased a 25-acre property in Washington State that we dream of transforming into a mountain retreat called Gingerhawk. (Check out this post in case you missed it.) In October, we shared an update on construction progress. We're midway through November now, and it's time for another update! Let's see how things are coming along...
At the beginning of the month, we made a trip up to Washington to see how things are coming along. This whole project is incredibly exciting, and we can't wait until construction is complete and we can welcome our first guests at Gingerhawk. Here's what's been going on in the past month. The main ridge beam has been installed (that's the big beam in the center that holds up the whole roof!), and the framing is basically complete. We can't believe how gorgeous and epic this house will be. The high ceilings, and mountain views are absolutely stunning. There's a huge covered balcony on the back of the house, and we can already tell that this space will feel so cozy and special. Below is a view of the central great room which will have the kitchen, living room, and dining area with a loft above.
There's a really cute mini-roof over the front entry of the house, and it feels so warm and inviting.
The garage is just to the right of the house, and connected to the main house with a little indoor breezeway/mudroom.
The view looking out the back porch.
Below is the view looking into the kitchen. The entry door is that opening on the right. There will be a lofted space above the kitchen that can be used as an additional bedroom.
Below is another view of the loft showing the entry door and the stairs leading up to the loft. I love the high ceilings and how spacious and open it feels.
On this wall over here we'll have a big, beautiful fireplace.
Below - a peak into the master bedroom and bathroom.
Below are the two guest bedrooms. They are basically the same size and shape - just mirror images of each other. We're thinking one will have a queen bed, and we'll do bunk beds in the other room. We want the space to be flexible to hold varying groups of people - families with kids, couples, groups of friends, etc. What do you think would be the ideal room combination?
We've got a utility room below the house under the back deck. There's a 1000 gallon cistern that stores water. The water from the well is pumped at a relatively slow rate, so it's important to have plenty of water on hand so we don't run out. The entry door is made out of knotty alder with a dentil shelf. What color do you think we should paint the entry door - black? grey? red? stained wood?
This is a view of the house from the road. I like how the silhouette of roof peaks feels like a mountain range. I think the house really sits well in it's environment.
Now let's move on to the bath house. Look how cute it is! This will have sinks, toilets and a shower to serve the three little freestanding cabins near the main house.
And most exciting of all...the bath house will have a sauna! This is one of the features of the property I'm most excited about. I love saunas. Not only are they super fun and cozy in the cold mountain winters, but they also have great health benefits. The skin is the largest organ of the body, and sweating is one of the best ways for your body to detox. Working up a good sweat will flush toxins from the body, and leave your skin feeling clean and healthy. Follow with a rinse in the shower, and you'll feel toasty and rejuvenated. Unfortunately, the costs of building this sauna are currently coming in over budget! It's a pretty large room with a huge window looking into the forest, and it will need a big heating unit to keep it toasty. We'll see how things shape up in the next few months, and keep you posted.
So that's it for now. What do you think? For us, Gingerhawk is a dream come true, and we're excited about how it's coming along. Hopefully we can get a few more weeks of solid construction work done before we have to shut down for winter. The roads can get really snowy, and it can be dangerous to drive big trucks up the steep hills. So construction work will probably take a break during the winter months, and finish up in the spring - fingers crossed that it's not delayed too long. Stay tuned for more updates soon!
Be sure to check out all the posts about Gingerhawk so far: