If I’m honest…
I love mountains, so when I got a call from a kibbutz that’s nestled away in the Carmel mountains, I was excited to go and get some soul food!
The clients were absolutely delightful, over the moon to be able to work with such easy going, lovely people… but boy was this project going to be a challenge.
The project was 2 bathrooms, and the primary bedroom.
The bathrooms were essentially, caves.
There were no windows, no ventilation, extremely low ceilings, and mould (unsurprisingly!) everywhere.
The challenge was to extend the bathroom into the bedroom, create a window, and remove the ‘boidem’ (a lowered concrete ceiling, with storage above it) to create move ceiling clearance.
We were also completely renovating the guest bathroom.
Family bathroom, once we removed the primary bedroom wall, in order to extend it.
The Guest bathroom was in a very sad state!
I set to work creating designs, and was really excited about the possibilities for both the spaces.
This was the first time I agreed to work a project where the work was not being done by my own contractor. The clients chose their own contractor, based on the recommendations of their friends who had worked with him successfully. My biggest stipulations were that he was able to read building plans, and that he’d worked with designers before - I was assured both were confirmed!
I also wasn’t project managing, which also means I’m further removed from the project than I could be.
So, off I went, putting in the hours, pulling together the design boards:
Not only that…
The technical drawings are what take the time.
The sanitary plans.
Making the exact drawings which show the contractor the placement of pipes, water outlets, shower heads, taps, toilets etc, followed by the layout drawings - the placement of the tile, where they start, and to what height, and size they are.
It’s very detailed, painstaking work, which should mean that the room can be built without someone babysitting.
SHOULD.
It SHOULD mean that….
What ended up happening was a series of just sad, unfortunate events.
It turned out that the contractor, lovely as he was, could not read building plans. And the process which would have taken my guy two weeks, took more than seven. SO many mistakes were made, some fixable, some not. Time and money were wasted because of silly mistakes which could have been avoided if the plans were followed.
Lesson learned.
I won’t work with anyone else!
Not just for my own sanity, but for the sake of the client’s wallet, peace of mind, and end result!
Without going into the details, we made it in the end, we created the mountain retreat, we made a spa out of a cave!
The clients are relieved, happy, and very very much enjoying the mountain sanctuary, and already saving up for another renovation!
As the designer, I learned through this process that the value of knowing that your contractor can read your mind, IS GOLD.
Although this project was painful at times, the results are no less beautiful, and I for one am proud of us, for making it out the other side!
