Whilst the difficult stage of fitting the services is taking place, Ralph goes through the custom furniture and the various lighting techniques around the build.
For more video interviews head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full Construction Diary Interviews playlist.
Archive for May, 2015
Interview with Ralph Alphonso – The Month of May 2015
Bluestone paving
One of the final exterior things to happen on site is the bluestone paving around the building.
Hayes Lane itself is heritage bluestone pavement, and the Melbourne City Council has worked with the 5×4 team to repave the area of the lane in front of the building.
As the 5×4 building uses every available piece of space, this means that this iconic Melbourne bluestone is paved right to the front door!
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- First the dirt had to be scraped off to reveal the existing old bluestone.
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- Then all the old stones had to be removed and and new foundations laid to enable more stability in the newly paved lane.
Video Diary: Upholstery
The Upholstery for the couch is in progress, so we went down to Martel to see what they were up to. See the video below, or head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full 5×4 Hayes Lane Project playlist.
Thintanks installed
The Thin Tank has been installed. These tanks are a great option when wanting rainwater but not having room for a tank. The 5×4 building has about a meter between it’s wall and the neighbour’s, which is all the Thin Tank needs!
Installation was not a walk in the park, however once installed the tank melts into the design.
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- Tight squish
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- Slim fit
Video Diary: Bed Base Time-Lapse
With the offsite construction of the custom designed bed, it was time to install it in the future bedroom of the 5×4 Building. This had to be done early before the stairs had balustrades installed, because it wouldn’t fit otherwise!. See the video below, or head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full 5×4 Hayes Lane Project playlist.
Geothermal is hot to trot
The Geothermal system has finally been completely installed!
What began long ago with drilling holes into an empty worksite, has finally had the finishing connections put in and is blowing both hot and cold air throughout the house via the modest ducting and vents!
A place to sleep
The queen size bed base for 5×4 has been installed in the 2nd floor. Of course, with space at a premium, it’s been kitted out with as many storage units as it can hold. Bit by bit, the 5×4 Buiding is taking shape.
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- The entire bed is utilised for storage
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- The draws snap open and closed
The Couch
The Couch/Dining room table has been custom made to fit the building.
The piece had to be compact and needed to be used as both a couch and a table. The solution was a roll-over design, created by owner-builder Ralph. Both Ralph and 2nd Chance Tables built the piece of furniture together.
The fabric for the couch and pillows were supplied by Woven Image. The couch fabric is 100% wool, and Comer and King chose the black and blue colours of the piece.
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Indoor Painting
The indoor walls of FivexFour are currently being painted in white using Ecolour paint.
The painted plasterboard contrasts with the timber creating a clean and homely atmosphere.
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- eColour interior paint
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- Contrasts against wood
Television Installed
The TV has been installed into its hidden storage unit.
It rises up from under the bench in the kitchen/living area – another effort to save space!
When the TV is out it dominates the space, so it is nice to be able to tuck it away during social dinners or breakfast!
Pop-up TV