Fox Hollow Workshop – Progress Update Two

As many of you already know, we have outgrown our old workshop and need to build a new one. This will allow us to have MUCH more space to complete bigger and better projects, and room to store all our lumber, tools and supplies. However, it also means we have had a lot of planning to do! We needed to design the buildings footprint and layout, get a permit, and start construction. It’s been a lot of work and we have put so many hours into completing the basic structure. 

So why am I telling you all this? The building is COMPLETE. Yes, I’m yelling with excitement!! As it often goes, these “construction” things can take forever. Or at least feel like it! I skipped sharing so much drama with you over the course of our project. I figured who really wants to hear all that anyway, right? But through it all, we really tried to keep our cool. And we did, mostly. And we didn’t take our frustrations out on each other, mostly. We definitely had our eye on the horizon and our goal, so we tried to keep focused on that! Even with the continual timeline changes.

If you would like to catch-up on our workshop project, start by clicking here.

You can find Project Update One [by clicking here]

THIS is we are today… all the building stages are complete.

We have a roof, walls, windows & doors.

Jim & I both really, reeeally… wanted to do just about anything other than gravel… but anything else, even pavers (because of labor) were a total budget-buster. It’s a big space, and throwing 20 grand at the ground, on top of site-prep and the retaining wall, just wasn’t feasible.

For the actual building, I almost selected colors to match our home, but then, at the last minute I went with white. I know, shocker? Me & white. hahaha. But hear me out… we’ll paint (soon), and when we do, I’m going to pick a different color. And then, they wouldn’t match. I actually thought ahead for a change! I think I’m set on grey for the main body, I think it’ll look great with the shingles on the front of our home. So I thought about going grey, but in another few years, we’ll need to paint again, and maybe I won’t want grey?

So WHITE it is!

Did you like that peek in my crazy head? The gears are always turning!!

Okay now, come on in and and I’ll show you around. We’ll walk in the man-sized door today. I don’t even know how to open the rolling door yet. Not that I’ve tried, I’m sure I could figure it out… but anyhoo… man door it is.

We gave ourselves a few ways to go when coming in this door. We can go up the stairs into the loft, right into the main shop area, or left. We’ll go left now, into the area under the loft. This is going to be my part of the shop! I’ll have a work area, all my tools and goodies will be stored over here, and I’ll be able to paint. Out of the weather!!

Ignore that hoard-stash of vintage windows. I’ll show you those another time.

Promise.

Right now, let’s step back, and go upstairs.

If you go straight-up the stairs you’ll enter the loft. We built the loft to store our projects that need attention before they go down to our booth at Vintage 101. Sometimes, we get really lucky and find more good stuff than we have time to work on, or space to store it until we do. Now, we won’t have to pass great stuff up for lack of space! We placed the stairs right inside the door so we can unload and get things upstairs, without having to navigate them through the workshop.

The loft, at the top of the stairs and the rest of the space. We added a window up here for light, and to vent the heat in the summertime. We tried not to add too many windows, because each one is another potential space for water to get in. And that is always an issues here in Oregon.

Looking down on the main shop space from the loft.

One of the reasons we decided on a roll-up door, instead of really cute wood carriage doors (which of course were my pick) was the weather-proof factor, and the metal door being low maintenance. As well as the feature that the tracks and door are completely out-of-the-way when the door is rolled up.

We just didn’t have the exterior clearance for a set of swinging doors. As much as I’d like to have our workshop “look cute”… practicality and budget won out.

Again.

Sometimes living in reality and within your means is like, soooo boring.

You can see in the photo above, the track is parallel to the railing. Jim thought of the placement on everything for maximum efficiency. And it rolls up so high, that the door itself is not in the way either.

I hate it when he is smart.

The main shop area, if walking in and turning right.

The boys are in the thick of installing all the wiring. We are doing all the electrical work ourselves and that saves a bundle! They hope to finish this weekend and schedule the inspection. Then we can have electricity hooked up for the outlets and lights.

Next we’ll (meaning the boys) put in insulation, and the sheathing. Instead of drywall, Jim opted for full sheets of plywood. So those are our walls sitting in the middle of the shop.

I’m going to plug a few numbers in here, before I forget.

The shop is 36 feet wide by 25 feet deep and it’s about 22 feet tall. We added on the extra height when we thought we may as well throw a loft in too, and take advantage of all the space we could, while we could. We were already spending the money, so rather than regret it later and wish we’d went bigger. We went for it!

That corner to the right, under the loft will be my painting area. When everything is done, there will be walls separating the main shop area from my side of the shop. I love it open, but sawdust and wet-paint don’t mix!

The pretty wood will all be covered up.

So that is where we are today.

You are super caught-up on our workshop project.

And for those of you paying extra close attention… yes, someone (resident teenager… cough-cough) backed into the corner of the new shop within a few short days. Luckily, it’s an relatively easy piece to replace, for under 30 bucks.

As we get closer to completing the shop, we get closer to emptying The Little Cottage of it’s contents. Which means, I get closer to getting to dig-in, and remake that space!! I’m beyond excited to sink my teeth into a full before & after transformation. I’ve got a few things bought and saved. But I’ve decided on so little. I’m still gathering ideas. Seriously. I am so bad. I like so, so many things and styles. Maybe it’ll be a mixed bag, like our house? Who knows? I sure don’t! But I’m eager for the process.

I’m saving lots of thoughts on my Little Cottage Pinterest Board.

You can join me on The Little Cottage adventure [CLICK HERE].

It’s almost surreal, that we are finally at this stage!

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