Renovation update: The roof is finished!

So, phase one of our build is complete. Or at least it would be if we were professional enough to have split it into phases. What I’m trying to say is that the roof is finished. And it looks amazing, both inside and out. I feel genuinely proud of it. I know I didn’t actually build it (you really wouldn’t want to spend any time under a roof built by me…) but it still feels like we ‘created’ it, and that’s good enough for me.

The roof looked like this when we started

Before and after. I’m really hoping you can tell which is which…

We’ve done away with the two different levels and the strange sticky-out bit, opting to raise the whole roof to level of the higher original section. We’ve also got rid of all the asbestos, replacing it with reclaimed tiles, and added a few skylights and a couple of Sun Tunnels. These look a bit more futuristic than I expected, but I think that works, putting the new and the old together. We’re renovating now after all, in 2014. We want to preserve, and even highlight, the old, but that doesn’t mean we can’t add a few modern touches that make living in the building that bit more pleasant.

Inside, the wood will remain on show. Some of the beams are basically just huge tree trunks. It looks incredible, if I say so myself.

As for us, we’re back in Novello again, hopefully for a bit longer this time. We’ve been spending our days mapping out all the dividing walls with bricks and, in the process, destroying all our architect’s well thought-out plans.

Also, I have very good news for anyone who likes Nutella (which is basically everyone)… there may be talk of a hazelnut shortage, but having spent two days crawling around under our nut trees, I’m happy to confirm there is no shortage here in the Langhe. If anyone from Ferrero would like to buy some hazelnuts for a massively overinflated price, please contact me.