Progress in Museville -- an Update

*The slideshow on the sidebar has been updated if you want to see the whole gorey process of this renovation from the very beginning until the current state of things here in Museville*

Well, I promised some update photos, and I want to keep my promise, but please bear in mind that things are FAR from finished around here, and these photos certainly do not represent a finished project. Nowhere near. Today the tree trimmers are here -- the ficus trees around the backyard perimeter, the oleanders at the street and behind the guest house , and yucca and pepper tree are all getting major work done. It's a lot of chaos and noise around here right now. So much to do, so much to do...

First up -- I just wanted to show you the crazy explosion of one of my grapevines! All these beautiful, new, bright green leaves! It's hard to believe it was completely bare a week ago!

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

New grape leaves that will grow along the lower perimeter of the dining pergola, with a Paul's Musk Rose growing above and over the top.

Moving on to the progress --

This is where I last left you with the Guest House -

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The west wall of the Guest House had been primed after sanding it all the way down to the wood, and doing massive repairs and caulking.

We planted a Pepper Tree and put a temporary cover on the hot water heater and painted (see below)...

Remember this hot mess?!

Before priming/during sanding

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That lattice HAS to go.

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Progress since then:

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TADA!

Now
Much better, yes?

2 coats of paint later ... that jasmine will go into the ground next to where it is and climb the fence and go up and over the little porch above the door. (The door is being replaced, so that little area will be sanded and painted when that happens) White roses have been planted and are beginning to bloom - they will grow up and out to cover those ugly exposed pipes. The concrete will be restained, and eventually taken out and replaced with something else. The little sliding windows haven't been trimmed out yet, and they will eventually be replaced with cute windows that open out into the courtyard.

Moving on...

This is where I last left you with the Main House -
except I think we had painted that wall with the big picture window...




Progress since then:
We've painted around the corner, the entire west wall of the Main house, and the back wall below the pergola. The trim still needs to be done. We primed and painted the little shed on the right -- some of that white is getting repainted green - it's too busy! It's going to either end up an office or a potting shed, or just storage. Right now it's loaded with the leftover boxes and that annoying last stuff that needs to be gone through from the move.

Landscaping hasn't been done yet -- that whole front bed is going to get changed and creeping fig will grow over that concrete wall, lending the illusion of a large hedge. An archway is going over the gate, and a climbing rose will be trained to climb it. The vegetable garden will be planted in the area between the concrete fence and the shed beyond.


The shed viewed from the backyard --

The water heater is being replaced and moved into that housing behind it (that juts out) and the deck is to the right. There will be a pathway between the two that leads to the vegetable garden that will be planted behind the shed.


A Cecile Bruner rambling rose will completely cover the roof of the shed.


The deck and pergola off my bedroom


has been painted and is laden with blooming wisteria -- I am putting together a gorgeous day bed for this spot -- I can't wait to show you when I finish. What a perfect place to lounge and read a book or take a nap. To the left is the west, and the sea breeze comes from that direction - it's just lovely.


Visitors

As promised, the bees have arrived with the beginning blooms of my pride of madeira (not shown). They also love the lavender I just planted along the fence.

So that's what I have to show for now. Very soon there will be much, much more to share - the pergolas, the grape vines, the roses, the gorgeous day bed - and the completely painted house.
For now, I have to go and let the plumber in. The kitchen in the main house is still without water. Thankfully, the Guest house has a full working kitchen!
See you later!