The Build: Week 6

We are still here in the middle of our building site. Lots and lots of activity helped along by the glorious weather. We can see now what the outside will look like and the house does look a lot friendlier for it. Two velux windows went in today in the kitchen - very exciting.

We have been a little preoccupied with our Juliette balcony. If you remember back to my post in March I mentioned how in an ideal world I would have a tower as part of this extension. Second best would have been a full blown balcony which again wasn't possible so we have settled for third best: a Juliette balcony. Actually it's more like a 'Julie' balcony. Due to the pitch of the roof under the balcony we can't quite have full length windows. We have had to settle for three-quarter windows but we are thankful for anything we can get.

David and I have made a full blown, forensic study of Juliette balconies as we have walked around the area. Surprisingly there are quite a lot of them and each and every one has a handle on the outside of the window. Now if you have a proper balcony upon which your butler serves you your morning paper, strong coffee and croissant every summer morning then you may indeed have need for a handle on the door exterior. The butler may gently close the balcony window as he retreats to his duties. Then once you have breakfasted you may have need of said handle on the outside of the door to get back in. But a Juliette door is a door to nowhere. It's a door to ventilation. It's a door with aspirations to being a balcony. A door with a view. You aren't going to cling to the balcony balustrade, close the door and then want to get back in. We are not a superhero Spiderfamily. Why would you need a handle on the outside? It just looks daft and clumsy.

Thus we have set the builder and window maker the task of ensuring there isn't a bloody big handle on the outside of our 'Julie' window which will annoy us to death from the garden. I thought Juliette balcony makers would have this little detail in hand but no. They manufacture these windows with proper handles. No doubt indeed because they are just patio windows but placed one storey or more up. Will keep you posted on the handle controversy.