Ok, ok, ok. I’m not a builder. So, right from the start let me state that in order to create the type of tea house I want, I had to use parts from houses and structures designed by others; specially, Effulgent Brown. Effy, is one of the true artists and builders of Japanese homes, buildings and many different furnishings. Special note: All of us who know Effy and her work are saddened that she is not in Second Life anymore, but hope that she will return.

From the beginning, it was clear that I could need to mix and match objects, assemblies and textures in order to create a good teahouse. In fact, the first tea house I am building will be a prototype or a sample. I believe I’ll need to replace the new teahouse at a point in the near futures. Anway, I started with a junkyard full of assemblies and parts.

This was the early hours of day one.

I suspect you are saying, no brainer, she’s already got everything she needs. Well, I had most everything I needed but there was a lot of conceptualization going on. For one thing, do I really want to be driven by the styles that are readily available? The answere was, no. However, keeping in mind that the first build would be a prototype, I decided that the aesthetic improvements I could achieve in the near term would outweight any problem I had with using existing structures.

By the close of shop one day one, I had selected the basic structure I was going to build on. See me inside that pavillion.

On the morning of the second day I could see my way clear. I beleived I could create a small, one-room teahouse with a fantastic room, nice slicing doors and tolerable window settings. It came together rather easily and to my delight. Aynnie Tomsen dropped in to see where I was and she gave me some good tips, plus helped envision how I’d get to the next phase after the prototype was complete.

I continued working hard and by early afternoon I had completed the teahouse prototype. As soon as it was complete I was on a tare. I raced back to the garden, lifted the old teahouse into the sky and moved all the contents of the teahouse to one side. In less than an hour I had the new design in place. Yes, weaks are needed but I’m very pleased with the colors and style. Check it out:

This is Yordie’s Teahouse.

More to come.