My Parisian Balcony, in the making

Half a year and 3 moons ago, the doodling and beginnings of the kitchen renovation plan. One can see that there was no plan for a balcony off the kitchen, although getting OUTSIDE from the main floor was essential and always part of the plan, although I was going to access the great outdoors via the dining room.

Some advanced technology, kitchen floor planning tools and playing around found a balcony off of the kitchen and I rather liked it.

I stalled on flooring selection for kitchen but didn't want to slow down progress so made a decision to carry on with another phase of Kitchen Reno, the now dubbed "Parisian" balcony which requires swapping out the 78" rotted window with a patio door.

And now we have the frame and supports...

That was two days ago. Yesterday he laid down the balcony floor, which has not been photographed yet. Look at that, a contractor that works faster then I can photograph! I suspect he is finished for the time being, until the double french doors arrive. A few more weeks.

And to further explain the creative process for the balcony ... Yes, most people WILL bump their head on the balcony while going down the steps to enter basement through door, which happens to be our main door into house as the car gets parked at back. A problem for some people.

Originally I was going to swap out the single double hung window in the dining room, seen on the right of the photo. Seemed like a good place to put a deck, in that alcove. But the window in the kitchen was rotted and malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. And the concrete steps leading into the basement, are cracked in half and also need to be replaced. (A quote on that work was 3500 dollars!!). Eye popping news for me, considering I just dug out a 12 x 6 concrete patio that was under the over growth. BY.MYSELF.WITH.MY.FAMILY. I decided the cracked steps were not a big problem after all, despite the small-waterflow-on-rainy-days-into-the-basement issue.

Thanks to Mother Nature and the warm temperatures we had this winter, I decided to do some outdoor work in January. I called a stump crusher operator and discovered he was thrilled for the job offer in January. Normally he plows snow, but no snow means no work. Fine weather, Bad stumps, bring on the work. He was an easy guy to work with. I snooped around his website and discovered he did contracting work, deck building, basement renovations, any and everything. I showed him my kitchen and he was willing to work with me on my kind of schedule, little jobs at a time. I told him my ideas and he was happy to make my visions come true. I showed him the cracked steps and the balcony idea and he suggested he could bring his back hoe over, haul out the concrete and lawn, grade the area and make it level with the driveway. And create a walk way into the basement door solving three problems at once! (and if you didn't catch those three solved problems, 1) grading slope / lawn away from house, prevent water issue flowing into basement. 2) hauling out cracked concrete steps. 3) Lowering entryway creating more space to walk under balcony / no more bumping head. Ill have to draw it up some time.)

Eventually, we may extend balcony into the alcove area but for now, I'm getting my outdoor access via the kitchen. A place to swing open french doors, step out, sip coffee, admire the rising sun and the sparkling dew drops glistening off the blades of grass. Hibachi some hotdogs in the late afternoon. Clip some basil and chives from the hanging herb garden. My Parisian Balcony.