As Arnoud suggested in an earlier comment, another thing I could make out of cedar is a coffee table. So I did. All corners are rounded to 45 degrees, so when you bump into it, it’s never too pointy. Chalk up one more for excess cedar.
The area rug is a low cost Ikea one, but keeps the feet warm when not wearing shoes. (Mind you, in Summer, your feet won’t mind the somewhat cooler tiles at all.)
According to April, my Hill Country Premier Lodging contact, Ozuye will probably be popular for people attending weddings in the area. As I don’t have any tall closets that would allow hanging up a dress or a suit, I was advised to get a clothes rack. As you know by now, I’m kinda handy with excess cedar, so I made this one from cedar and the extension rod I did not need for the curtains.
The August lock was the first gadget I added to Ozuye, allowing me to lock/unlock the front door from my phone and watch. It worked fine, except for one thing; it ran out of batteries within 3 months, even without using the lock. Another downside was that it was only operable by those with the correct App on their phone. And even though most people have a smart phone, it could not be integrated into the operation of the company I’m using for renting it out. So it was time for a change; in comes this new lock.
It’s much like the August lock, in that it can be controlled remotely. But the main difference is that it uses a key code for entry. That key code can be controlled remotely, and different codes can be setup for different people. That way you can have different access codes for cleaning staff, guests, etc. This one does not run out of juice quickly; it uses a wifi connection at intervals to update codes, and goes into sleep mode when not used. To enter a code, you press the top button to “wake up” the lock, and then the code you received.
It’s the default brand used by most rental properties in the area.
The only negative comment on the bathroom was on the lights above the mirrors. Although practical (Just plain bulbs) they were not very nice to look at. And as I don’t like many wall fixtures, and wanted enough light when you stand in front of the mirrors, I decided to make my own. From (you guessed it) excess Cedar. Now the lighting is indirect and brings more atmosphere.
I also treated the tiles with a sealer, to prevent too much water leaking from the shower area down to the other side of the bathroom. Although it helps a little, anything that is spilled over the barrier, will have a tendency to flow into the bathroom. But if you sweep the remaining water back over the barrier, and help the collected water there towards the drain, it is a very comfortable shower. At some point, I will add a second drain strip, where the barrier now is located of 64″ wide. Then the water will not build up anymore but can all drain out properly, and most of the barrier can be removed. Some water sweeping will still be needed to make the floor dry quicker, but that’s hard to avoid.
What’s more cool than Mr Cool? Two Mr Cool’s. The great room now has Mr Cool 24K, the big brother of Mr Cool 12K that’s in the master bedroom. It can be set to quiet, but if needed can create a breeze that is felt on the other side of the room.
This split unit heat pump can also heat up the great room, with more than twice the capacity of the heaters that I had until now. But as it is May now, I won’t be doing any heating soon, as temperatures don’t drop enough. Mr Cool 24k is a newer generation AC compared to the 12K, and has a new App, that’s a lot easier to use. Both AC units, like almost all lights, I can control remotely. So next time I drive over here, I can set the temperature to 73 before I leave, so when I get there, the great room temperature and humidity is comfortable.
The only logical place for a big TV in the great room is right in the middle. And even a very nice flatscreen TV would be in th way there. So I thought of a different solution, involving an obsolete projector, and obsolete Apple TV, and (thanks to my brother Karel for providing) a little gadget that allows an Apple TV to be connected to a VGA screen. Normally that’s prohibited by a technology called HDCP, intended to prevent copying. But with the gadget, and an Ikea roll up blinds set, I now have a 57″ ultra flat TV.
The colors aren’t that blue, that’s just my camera choosing the ambient light as neutral.
It plays Netflix, Music, Radio and anything streamed to it using Airplay. When not in use, you simply roll it up to the ceiling. The HomePod is moved to the tree, to be more natural as a sound source. Tomorrow, I’ll hook up power to the tree under the house, so the extension cords is no longer needed. Also coming is Air conditioning in the great room. More about that also tomorrow.
This is the last wall that still needed a stain coating. From the previous year, the cedar had turned grey completely, but with a fresh coat of stain, all is good again.
The stairs leading up to the deck have also been stained now. It’s beautiful weather today; I took my run along the old mail route, and enjoyed the sun.
The ceiling fan is (big surprise) mounted to the ceiling. But that ceiling is up a bit; about 16 feet up. So the one foot chain that came with the ceiling fan doesn’t really cut it. So now it’s extended so apart from little kids, everyone is now welcome to yank my chain.
Only the fan speed chain has been extended, the light switch is already voice controlled.
At some point I will add a homekit enabled fan switch (https://9to5mac.com/2019/03/04/lutron-smart-fan-speed-control-now-shipping-from-59-homekit-support-at-launch/) but for now, you’ll have to get up and yank my chain.
To bridge the gap between the fridge and the stove, I made a little extra workspace/storage shelve from, you guessed it, excess cedar wood. For the top, I used the piece I cut out of the kitchen countertop on the other side. It also creates a spot for the rice cooker that will still vent out through the vent hood.
Until today, the ceiling the hallway was some pieces of cardboard. But now it’s all drywalled and painted, so it has a more finished look. A second layer of paint will be put soon.