House on Hillsboro

Beadboard

 

 

 

We are slowly getting there!

The bead board has been installed in Jack's bedroom.  I had them finish the top with a two (three?) inch ledge instead of just a trim piece.  It looks wonderful plus you can use it to lean pictures and such against the wall or to sit tiny horse or zebra or giraffe or rhinoceros figurines and anyone that knows Jack can tell you that will tickle him to death. 

The white primer is so soothing and beautiful that I am almost scared to walk in the room the first time after they paint.  Choosing paint was so hard for me and I have a history of never liking paint when it first goes up even if I come to love it later.  They are painting now, the first coat is on in most rooms and walking over in the evening has a new touch of fear to it.  I am fairly certain that painting is my least favorite part.  I'll let you know how many I got right and how many I didn't.  I am hoping for at least 50/50!

The rain.  Our little pond is breaching the levee as we speak and Hillsboro Road is completely covered in several places.  Today is so dark and stormy the guys can't work at all AND rain is predicted every day this week.  We need several sunny days to stain the outside and install the metal roof.  In the meantime, I am officially needing wood floors.  Decision time has come. 

Windows Framed

 

A window is framed!  And this may not feel like big news, but it is one of the only bits of non sheet rock progress we've had in weeks. 

That sheet rock is quite a job.  Let's see, first they hung the sheet rock.  Then they taped the seams.  Then they mudded the tape, screws, and nail heads.  Then they sanded it.  Then they reinforced all the corners with metal stripping.  Then they taped and mudded again.  And sanded again.  Then they primed the walls.  Then they sprayed a light texture on all the walls not to be wallpapered.  And that is where we are now. 

When I pulled up last night at 10:00pm (loooong day) to unload the fans and lights I had purchased (yes!), I walked through the house with a flashlight and...as far as I could tell...I think...all the walls and ceilings are finished!!!!  That means a) exciting stuff begins next week and b) I really have to make a final decision on paint and wallpaper THIS WEEKEND.  And let me say, these are decisions I should have made a long time ago.  I was funny about wanting to wait to make a lot of the decisions about the finishing part of the house until the time I could actually buy them and bring them home, partly because my plan seemed to change frequently (once the house is finished I should probably never look at another home decor magazine again) and partly because a lot of the products are so fickle.  Like tile (the worst)!  And flooring.  And even appliances.  And having an entire plan built around something that is all of the sudden discontinued is heart wrenching. 

BUT, paint and wallpaper for the most part does not fall into this category.  Most are around for years and years.  I've said this before but it is so hard to know where to start with the design of a room.  Like the bathroom, for instance.  I wanted to choose tile THEN wall color.  But if you wait for the entire house this way, all of the sudden you have a lot of decisions to make fast. 

The good news is, I finally have a plan coming together and though it started out as a hopeless mess, I am starting to feel pretty good about it all.  The thought of having all these paint/wallpaper decisions behind me is so exciting.

But back to the window.  I was thrilled with them.  So simple and perfect.  This window in Ava's closet is the only one complete but I noticed all of the other windows pieces are cut and primed and waiting to be installed.