Thread: Building our Retirement Home in Nan Province

I was kind of expecting a 7 out of 10 result Rivo but honestly think we got close to a 10. Thanks for the step hint there, I'll argue the case should the spirits come calling. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Rivo

Kitchen looks fabulous BiP


Regards the even number of steps, it depends on which step to call the first, ground level or 1st step, same with the top level 555

Site Visit 21 January 2019

We're back onsite for the seventh day in a row. But today we didn't arrive till close to 2:00pm. We are expecting a late afternoon delivery of the refrigerator and oven from HomePro in Phrae. Still quite a bit going on. There are two gents building the steel trusses for the carport, a gent working on the teak shelves, another continuing on the baseboard and moldings installation, another building the two short walls and the general duties gent. The general duties guy has been onsite every day since the build commenced in mid-August. Same as the older gent Mart our builder pays to sleep onsite overnight for security.

The steel trusses for the carport are being made onsite. They span the full 10 meters. No way these will be hidden. Currently thinking the carport is going to look a bit rugged, and the house end up with a face only a mother could love.


Short supports for the carport are ready.

The short walls on either side of the front of the house are coming along nicely.

The teak shelves are starting to be installed. This is the open robe in bedroom 3. A thick metal rod will hang below it for clothes hanging.


The shelves are installed in the level 2 linen cupboard.

Teak now covers the leading edge of the kitchenette counter.


Same, same in bathroom 4.

The wife noticed these stains below the aircon unit in bedroom 3. They are not under the other three units. Unsure what they may be. None of the units have been run yet so nothing to do with operation of it.

Teak is now around the counter top in bathroom 2.

And final photos for today. The refrigerator and oven have arrived.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

The steel trusses for the carport are being made onsite. They span the full 10 meters. No way these will be hidden. Currently thinking the carport is going to look a bit rugged, and the house end up with a face only a mother could love.

You can always cover that up with something like Rangoon Creeper (lep mue nang in Thai) along the front truss.
https://www.thaigardendesign.com/qui...ngoon-creeper/

Hi mikenot, that's not a bad suggestion. There is soil right at the base of the carport supports though would likely only do the two leading supports and let it creep along the front truss towards the middle. Will have more of a look at it once I see how it hangs together. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by mikenot

You can always cover that up with something like Rangoon Creeper (lep mue nang in Thai) along the front truss.
https://www.thaigardendesign.com/qui...ngoon-creeper/

I've just created a new thread Greenscaping our Retirement Home in Nan Province in the Farming and Gardening forum. I'm going to use that thread for retaining walls, fences and establishing our orchard and gardens.

Morning BiP and Ahe....

Wow! its all coming together so quickly now...you are inspiring us to 'get a move on' with ours!

I can't wait to see the finished kitchen - I think you found a winner there - the colour scheme and layout is perfect.

As you know, we have not got any plans finalised for our kitchen yet so I am especially interested in the details for this one.

I might still build it but its good to keep all the options open...

You could paint that 10m carport truss brown so it looked less like the industrial frame you mentioned and more like a trellis of sorts.

Then, as already suggested, grow something up it to complete the effect.

Thanks TD, let me know if there is any specific kitchen info you're after. But I can't help thinking your proximity to Bangkok and Chonburi likely mean you literally have dozens of more potential supplier than is the case in Nan. Our kitchen was manufactured by Starmark. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

Morning BiP and Ahe....

Wow! its all coming together so quickly now...you are inspiring us to 'get a move on' with ours!

I can't wait to see the finished kitchen - I think you found a winner there - the colour scheme and layout is perfect.

As you know, we have not got any plans finalised for our kitchen yet so I am especially interested in the details for this one.

I might still build it but its good to keep all the options open...

You could paint that 10m carport truss brown so it looked less like the industrial frame you mentioned and more like a trellis of sorts.

Then, as already suggested, grow something up it to complete the effect.

Got a couple of photos from Mart our builder. We certainly seem to be on the way to having something that looks a bit industrial. I'm less upset then you may think since I have applied a philosophy of function and simple all through the house and you cannot see the carport or front of the house when sitting on the covered decks taking in the view. And it is all about the view to the north, that is why we orientated the living and relaxing portions of the house that way.

Colour choices for the carport roof were limited. I was looking for something that matched the roof tiles but 'not have'. So it came down to a cream to match the house or this brown to add a third colour and a bit of character. Went the brown.

Starmark is the kitchen supplier. Manufactured in Bangkok, purchased from them via a sales guy working in HomePro

I was pricing some stuff on the Homepro website today, I see there is a 35% off sale on Starmark .....hope you timed it right to get the discount ?
If not, don't read this comment

I think we did get a significant discount mikenot, suspect that Starmark is perpetually on sale. (Maybe a bit like vertical blinds in Australia, for at least thirty years they are always advertised as 60% off...God knows who the poor b@stards were that paid full price before that.) The kitchen cost 259k baht and we were given an 11k credit voucher to spend at HomePro. I'm very pleased with what we got. BTW...appliances and fancy faucet were extra. All up kitchen investment probably around the 320k baht mark. And the refrigerator another 30k baht.

Originally Posted by mikenot

Starmark is the kitchen supplier. Manufactured in Bangkok, purchased from them via a sales guy working in HomePro

I was pricing some stuff on the Homepro website today, I see there is a 35% off sale on Starmark .....hope you timed it right to get the discount ?
If not, don't read this comment

The short walls at the front of the house to the east and west boundaries are progressing. Metal gates will be hung off each and latch/lock on the house. The boundary end will also serve as the pivot for the different front and back fences we've planned.

This is bathroom 2. Each shower has a double towel rack at the end. And a clothes hook on the back of each door.


Because bathroom 2 doesn't have a lot of counter space around the basin we've added a glass shelf.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

Construction of the great carport of Pua continues. Perhaps I should have bent a little away from functional and simple. Softening how this ends up looking may well require a bit of thinking and Teakdoor member suggestions will be welcomed. Putting a creeping plant on it will likely happen but that's not a quick solution.

Alternatively... put some fairy lights amd spots along the top, get a couple of speaker stacks and a PA, and invite bands, etc to Nan's newest rock venue.

Locals will love it. You will learn to love it...

Quite a possibility TD. They've been singing karaoke down in the local village all week for a wedding and no doubt would love a new venue. But I was starting to think business ideas. Looking at the truss it would be a shame to waste it. Think all I need is a block and tackle, a few spanners, safety flip flops and I'll open an engine exchange shop.

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

Alternatively... put some fairy lights amd spots along the top, get a couple of speaker stacks and a PA, and invite bands, etc to Nan's newest rock venue.

Locals will love it. You will learn to love it...