Conversion update

Progress is good on the derelict cowshed conversion on the farm.

In the last couple of years my son, Danny and his wife, Heather have renovated one of the farm houses and somewhere along the line during that process came up with the idea of converting an old derelict dairy shed into a modern home.  The concrete floor of the shed and surrounding yards were already there, as was the roof.  They have maintained the original footprint.

The shed had been condemned as a milking shed before the farm was purchased.  I'd say one of the reasons would have been it was too close to a waterway.  As far as we were concerned it was just something that was there, beside the creek, beside the paths the cows sometimes follow to and from the shed, beside the track we use to visit the lake.  

The cartoon characters were on of the milk room wall of the original shed so they have framed them to make them a feature of the new build.

I took the following photos about this time of year, after a lot of rain, a few years ago.  The first is taken from the road. 

This one shows a bit more clearly the roofline and you can just make out the cartoon characters. 

Their approach to building was not exactly orthodox.  They went to Auckland and bought a number of doors and windows from a demolition warehouse, including a couple of lovely leadlights, then designed a house to fit around them.

The bathroom is in the area where the milk vat used to stand.

 Bathroom windows

From the kitchen, lounge and main bedroom you will be able to see the cows pass by on their way to be milked.

 

It's a work in progress but is definitely taking shape.  I don't think they have come up with a plan yet about what to do with the curved fence of the yards.

The first thing to be built inside was the kitchen bench.  They decided to hold a "walls are up" party.  As the roof was already there they couldn't do a roof shout.  That seems to be a dying tradition these days but somewhere in ancient housebuilding folklore, it is written that the homeowners must supply a shedload of beer, chips and cake to thank the builders for their hard work once the roof has gone on a new build.  Not really appropriate in this case as the builders were themselves and one builder at the weekends.

Anyway, the party date was set, friends invited.  Then they realized they didn't have anywhere to put food and drinks so Heather knocked up a kitchen bench over the original herringbone pit of the shed.  Here seems the appropriate place to add Heather is more the builder than Danny but they are equally creative and neither of them ever walk away from a challenge.  The wagon wheel was added later.

We've had a crazy amount of rain lately and the road to the farm is in a hell of a state.  I'll wait till it dries out a bit before visiting again.