Above and below– La Casa in the rainy season (July)
July 2016-Below- The pool after delays is being filled with water.
Next the pool surround gets a concrete pad.
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Nov 30th. 2015
Yesterday we had a ribbon cutting ceremony as part of an “open house” here at Rancho La Salud to aquaint people with what we are doing here. Here we are with Jaime the developer and his wife Sara.
The house has never looks so good so I took some photos before everyone arrived.
Below– The back (west) side of house with the garden beginning to take shape.
Below– Hibiscus is blooming
Below-and the front with Pampas grass and Lavender.
Below– Recamera principal.
Below– The guest bath off entrada.
Below- Looking the length of the studio space.
Above-My space at the back with the northern light.
Above-Her space at front with the southern light.
Below- The Frida Kahlo Suite is ready for guests.
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October 26th
10-10-2015= 10
It was the 10th of October two weeks ago that we actually moved into the House of Ten Cups.
The auspiciousness of the day passed us by and had to be pointed out by Sara, Jaime’s wife.
A TEN TEN TEN day which all adds up to a ONE day all of which means a new beginning, a start.
Almost a year in the making a dream now is something solid and real. There is no hard date line though as work continues with details and some larger projects such as putting up the solar hot water on the roof. Next the solar electrical panels go up on the roof. Inside too we are slowly opening boxes and finding homes for what is inside.
Above -The entrada with the antique floor tiles.
Below the main room with Sushi the cat who has adopted us and chooses to live with us.
Below-The entrance to the Studio and guest room (The Frida Kahlo Suite).
Below– The studio windows facing south.
Below– the studios which are still in chaos but daily becoming more ordered.
Below– The main bedroom or recamera principal with our Oaxacan bedspread in tangerine and a 1920’s bedroom set we found in a bazar here.
Below– Mornings on the east side of the house.
Below– The landscaping is almost finished. A cactus and succulent garden at front along with a flower garden.
At back we planted Bourganvilla-(or Bugambila as they call it here) over the perimeter walls along with Hibiscus, Oleander, Jade and small palms plus many previously unknown plants. All small now but in not much time it will be lush and verdant. Antonio happened along to help with all this. He is an organic gardener and Feng Shui expert who placed the colours of the garden according to these principals. Red along the west wall turning to pink to white along the north wall.
Below– Our young Avocado tree. We also have a very young Papaya tree too.
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October 4th.
La Casa is in the “almost….almost” stage. Everything is working and all systems are go and the house is legally inhabitable. Still many details are to be finished though. Plants and landscaping are beginning to be placed.
The front of the house still awaits a loggia and roof over the door.
Above-Looking into the kitchen from the utility room.
Above- The copper hood over the stove is not yet installed.
Below– The cabinetry is mostly in place.
Below– The main bathroom still needs cabinets but everything else is in place.
Below- the main bedroom with doors to the terrace at back of house.
Below– the old style mosaicos for the entry hall being laid out. many old house and haciendas have these and they are now custom made in he old original designs by only a few companies.
Below-the tile by the door of the house of the Ten of Cups….however the official name of the house with the La Salud Village is Casa Lavanda or house of Lavender in keeping with the profuse use of it in the garden and the fact that each house will have it’s own plant name.
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September 6th.
Above-Looking down the length of the main room from kitchen window. In foreground the breakfast counter is being made of concrete that will be tiled.
Below-the guest bathroom on main floor (or Invitation bathroom) is now tiled. Walls will be painted a green.
Below– The Bano Principal being tiled.
Below– the upper guest suite bano being tiled.
August 31st. Lighting now being put up. Above-the entrance area.
Above-The stairs to upper floor with tiles.
Below-the cabinets in kitchen going up.
August 28th.
The tiles after a long wait have arrived and are being put up along with installing the plumbing fixtures. Here below the main bathroom and guest bathroom are being tiled.
…and the upper guest bathroom.
Above-The kitchen backsplash tiles along with the “murale” which is from an old painting I saw in a Hacienda. Below- the fireplace tiled and ready to be painted.
Below-The swimming pool also is moving along with re-bar going in for the concrete pour.
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AUGUST 15th
The big event was getting the two large fresh water tanks in the ground. Many a large rock had to be chiseled out of the way to make room for them.
Here they are before going in. Thirsty?
Right now (August) it is the rainy season and gallons of free clean water pour out of the sky daily. This is all collected and stored in these drums. They should provide at least a half a years water. Augmented by water from the well.
Below-The sliding doors that separate the inner and outer living room are being hung
Below– The main bedroom door to outside is now in place. All the windows and some of the doors are made of metal and are made to fit.
The fireplace -all made of concrete ready for painting and tiling.
Below the front facade. Under the patio is the gray water tank.
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JULY 4th
Running a bit behind schedule due to a delay in arrival of tiles and therefore all the plumbing.
Above-The fireplace is going in and the “boveda” ceiling is complete.
Below-Moving “stuff” in. It is being held in the “studio” which is finished.
Below-the hole for the fresh water tanks which will collect rain water.
Below– The “black water “tank which decomposes by means of microbes. “Gray water” is a by product and waters the garden.
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June 2015 and the house is within a month of being finished. Now many details are coming together fast and daily trips to the site are necessary. The exterior colour has been chosen and painted as well as the interior colours and tiles. The metal railings are currently in basic black but will be painted in a sage green colour.
Below the “boveda” ceiling in the living room is being installed. Theoreticaly it all meets together in the centre into one brick !
Below-the “canon” ceiling in the entrance hall.
Below– Laying the tile floor.
Below- The Studio with one unpainted window in place.
Below-Also the swimming pool and jacuzzi is moving along.
