This week we put some walls in.
Well, not strictly this week. I’m actually writing the newsletter a week ahead. But ignore the man behind the curtain, and the presence of artifice in almost all narratives: this week we put some walls in.
It’s hard to capture the difference this has made to the caravan, as one of the key changes was that it’s harder to take photos of the whole place. So take it from me that it’s completely transformed the space. We now have a very clearly defined bedroom and bathroom.
When you put the plans down on paper you still don’t really know what things will actually feel like. When you stand in them it’s a great relief to find them everything you intended. The bedroom does not feel poky. The kitchen does not look like it will be too narrow.
Hooray!
There are many aspects to building that seem perfectly sensible once I know about them yet I know that left to my own devices I would never have thought of. This is a strip of wood on the hallway corner of the bathroom.
We will be constantly travelling around this corner, and will often not be too bothered about whether we actually clear the corner or not. If the corner was straight ply it would not last a week. This is Jarrah hardwood and will repeatedly come out better off than our shoulders and elbows.
All these walls are for more than privacy. With the caravan being as long as it is the internal walls will provide important structural integrity and rigidity. As with many things in life, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
Though one of the most technically challenging parts of the project the walls came up fast and we have been able to move on. Next week’s newsletter will be titled Painting.
The grace of God be with you all,
mā te wā, Giles.