Another busy day

Today was a little slow, relatively, because we only had the countertop installers in to measure, Luca painting hallways, and the carpenters to install the bookcase.

"Bookcase" is rather an understatement, since it is an entire wall of the house. As is usual with an installation of this size, the first obstacle was to get the components to the house. The van was big enough that they didn't want to bring it into the alley. Instead, they parked in Piazza Jacopone and used an ape (pronounced AH-peh, meaning "bee" because of the sound the motor makes) from there.

The board in the middle is a ramp
for the front wheel because otherwise
the ape wouldn't make it up the step

Here comes the ape!

Making sure everything's loaded. Roberto is in black (he's the carver)
and Enrico is in the background (mostly works with windows,
but came along to have a look)

A push to get it over the threshold and make sure nothing falls off
(Alessandro is to the left)

And up the ramp!

Toting big boards around tight stairs

 

There were pieces everywhere for a while!

Luca painting in the background

Bonus shot of the view out of our bathroom window

The wood is mounting up!

Preparing the layout

Just a few workers' cars blocking the courtyard.
I forgot to mention that the plumbers were also working on
the water softener.

Florence waiting in her reserved ringside seat

Starting the assembly without Ikea's instruction sheet

First block done! The door is
in just to give the effect that we'll have later

Paolo is to the left, helping Alessandro

Second layer going up!

The detail is just exquisite.

Roberto carved these capitals, as well

Love,

Alexandra

p.s. The blacksmith has sent a few photos of his work on the fall-protection railing outside our living room window which I include here