Under Construction

An Introduction

In May of 2001, after Marcella received the job offer from Virginia Tech, she and I flew back to Blacksburg to, as she put it, find out if I could ever live there.

The very day we landed we happened upon this little place almost by accident; I decided right then and there I would move in a hot second. I'm not entirely sure Marcella believed me.

As we walked around the "Chalet", as the Realtor called it, we made mental notes of the things we'd change if we could somehow manage to buy it. Once home, I made a balsa wood model based on my notes and photographs (shown here).

The design sessions for the remodel arose out of so many "what-ifs" late at night, staring at the model, and doodling on graph paper.

Once we arrived in Virginia we only partially moved in so as to make the impending remodel that much easier to start. We realized that many of our ideas wouldn't work given the reality of the Chalet and the lay of the land.

My balsa wood model failed to incorporate most of the subtleties surrounding our new home. We set about drawing up new plans, usually over breakfast and dinner that first Fall, while the early mornings and late dusks still permitted.

At times during this process I thought the Chalet as it was provided house enough for the two of us. The rest of the time I thought we'd go crazy living in a cabin for the rest of our lives, with a broom-closet sized bathroom, no kitchen at all, and our bed up in a loft with a low vaulted ceiling and a narrow strip of headroom just under the ridge.

Now well into the project, I almost can't quite believe I ever thought I could live in the Chalet unmodified.

This tour provides a glimpse at the process. I've wisely left out the struggles, bullying strategies, and hurt feelings involved. Instead, here follows the fulfilment of our dreams...in wood.