We've got stairs! (the evolution of our hall)

Our hall has literally and metaphorically been central to our house remodel. It's the first thing I saw when we viewed the old bungalow 5 years ago and it was the first place that work started in March. It's also the place that's seen the biggest change.

So after a week of exciting work, I thought it would be good to have a recap on the story so far...

This is what the hall looked like in 2009 when we bought it. Very tired carpets, artex ceiling, peeling wallpaper and electric radiators.

This is the hall at the halfway point. We had given the house a facelift so it could be rented while we were overseas, but we had yet to start the building work to add the first floor. 

These photos were taken to show off our new kitchen door (an addition when we moved in last year) and frustratingly I don't have a view of the hall from the kitchen with the door open! It's amazing how you think you photograph everything but you still have holes in your records.

Then in March the roof came off...

A new retaining wall built which widened the existing hall, new floor joists added for the first floor, the ceiling was reinstated and the new hall started to take shape...

This is the new wider hall. The dark line to the left of the kitchen door is where the old hall wall was. They've also redone the hall floor with new boards to replace the old floorboards and suddenly the whole space looks bigger.

Our oak stairs went in on Wednesday. The glass panels for the banisters will follow and the stairs will need to be varnished too. We'll be putting down wood floors in the hall. Jim got some practice on doing the laminate floors in the cabin a few months ago, but I think it's going to be a tricky job.

We are now looking at mid-June for completion of the build which is earlier than we dared hope. There's lots still to do, but the light is now visible at the end of the tunnel and I can see the new house emerging...