Thank you so much for your kind words, everyone. Houzz never ceases to delight, I am so glad I began this renovation even though it was an incredibly stressful journey at the time!! Here are a few more pics taken over the last 2 years.

Yep - communication is the make or break factor......particularly at the back end/construction stage of the project....if you're having trouble now god help you when it get's seriously down and dirty dealing with builders and trades.......it's kind of an unusual set-up though in that obviously you have designed it and then he's come into the picture afterwards....and hence kind of makes sense why he's thrown some of this stuff back onto you because some of that will come out of design.......advice: forget the email, get on the phone and start hassling, clarify what is expected and if you're still beating your head against the wall and getting radio silence you'd be better to seek an alternative option for the project's benefit.........from a professional point of view, the latter stage architectural services (Stages 3 & 4) are structured to be executed following/progressing from thorough servicing of the design stages 1 & 2.....possibly you have bought into a particular level of service that you don't require since you have actually designed the house yourself (which is no mean feat!), and the "normal" way an architect would operate is naturally being adjusted here......I think it's about clarifying what exactly you are requiring here because reading between the lines you are expecting more than what you are getting for what you are paying and possibly an alternative option may be better suited to for you.....has the project been specified in that has the architect prepared a written specification to accompany the drawings? If you are still confused about what you should be expecting, am happy to provide some further advice/details to help steer you in the right direction if you want to contact me privately with details.....it sounds a little messy to me...

I would discuss this further with a plasterer. I don't see as an issue as many do square set regularly. Its more to get a costing on it. Some may prefer to remove wall and ceiling linings and start again for example; can be quicker actually as some older houses had the old type of 'horse hair' plaster as its commonly called. This can be a headache for the plasterers.

to make the space into a properly lined safe lockable room i would have an electrician and plumber first check that the pipes and wiring are in good order, think about any changes to plumbing or extra power points light fittings (outdoor and underfloor storage area?) or switches you might need, what about drainage and do you plan to tile walls or floors? (the plumber should be able to recommend options and probably knows a waterproofer and tiler).... a plasterer could line the walls and ceilings and finish all the joins ready for painting but you may need extra framing to support the lining and a frame around the opening to hang a new door and add architraves around doors and windows ... a carpenter or handyman could build any extra frame and hang the new doors and maybe add wall lining but you would need to organise all the other trades yourself but a builder would organise everyone else to do their different parts of the work and charge a finders fee for saving you the hassle.