House on Hillsboro

One Week Later

 

Picture above:  Here is the desk off of the kitchen.  I have decided to top it in the same Caesar Stone I will put on the kitchen counters.  The upper cabinets will be covered with doors and are deep enough to store my printer, freeing up the top of the desk of everything but my monitor so that I will have space to lay paper and write.  The cabinet below will store my hardrive.  There will be lighting mounted flush under the upper cabinets and a corded wall phone mounted on the wall on the left - the one in the house that will work even when the power is out.  The guys will create several tunnels through the wall into the pantry so that all my computer/printer cords can be organized in there and out of sight.  And not underfoot!

 

Picture above:  The bannister made by hand by the builders.

 

Picture above:  Master bedroom with finished ceilings! looking through master bath and into the closet.

 

Picture above:  Master bath counter tops.  I wanted something seamless and shiny and white to match the tubs and toilets.  I went with the cultured marble from Lowe's and while I had no fewer than five nightmares that they didn't fit, they did!  And I am really happy with them.

 

Picture above:  Can you believe it?  Flooring!  Not only have I finally committed to something but I LOVE it, it was UNDER budget ($2.77/square foot), and some is even installed!  It is a SwiftLock laminate from Lowes. 

 

Picture above:  The master closet is finished except for a small piece of trim that will finish the molding around the floor.  Ray built the custom closet system after a quick consult with me and it is so nice.  The shelves on the right will serve as the bathroom storage for towels and such.  The thought of filling the rest of the space neatly with our things AND having space for it all is so exciting.

 

Picture above:  Here is Ava's cultured marble counter top.  Perfect fit!  And, yes, that is a shell sink.

 

What?  She really loves the ocean. 

 

Picture above:  This morning they laid the floor in her room and closet. 

 

Here is one of the windows in Jack's room.  I had fifteen or so lights in various spots throughout the house that I wanted to match and be relatively simple and inexpensive.  I found the school house-esque ceiling mount at Lowe's for $30.00 a piece and was thrilled to death. 

No stone progress this past week.  Here's hoping for Monday!

First Floor Update

Um, I've fallen a bit behind with the blogging.  I really have nothing to say for myself except that it must have something to do with a computer that will not cooperate.  Or the fact that I have had 67 house decisions to make every single day.  Or that I have spent nearly all of my free time in home stores or plumbing warehouses or on the road somewhere in between.  Or that I went from walking over each evening and finding nothing to report to finding lots and lots of progress and feeling overwhelmed about what to photograph first in the quickly fading light of day. 

Or this sweet baby I am making.  (Second trimester!)

Or a particularly exciting recent development.

Or that school is out and glorious summer is here. 

But I am not complaining just explaining.  I am thrilled to death with the house and things have been going so well - house building and baby growing. 

Here's some of the latest:

 

The house is white and I love it! 

 

The roof is nearly complete.  They had to stop there near the middle to wait for the stone to arrive so that they could bring the chimney through the roof before laying the tin around it.

And finally,

 

it is here and waiting.  Rumor has it they will start laying it on Wednesday. 

 

Picture above:  pantry entrance

 

Picture above:  pantry looking left  The same shelves are on the right .

 

Picture above:  Here are the tile I chose for the kitchen and pantry floors after a very, very long search.  They are made to resemble the clay tiles in old Italian farmhouses.  The tile felt right but I could not for the life of me decide between the light or dark.  Then I had an idea.  I have always loved the old black and white checkered tile kitchens but would never be THAT bold but I could checker these two colors on the diagonal and have a similar, more subtle effect.  I will use the 3x6 wall tile for the back splash.

 

Picture above:  the dining room ceiling, still to be painted    Beautiful.

 

Picture above:  master bedroom ceiling

 

Picture above:  laundry room

 

Picture above:  Master Bath  In real life the paint isn't the least bit green (It's a really light cream) and the wallpaper is breathtaking and not at all pink (more gold).  I just couldn't capture it, Becca.  So sad.

Frank, however, is exactly like that in real life.

 

Picture above:  view into water closet   The floors are perfect.  I love them so.  I have decided to put them in the laundry room, too.

 

Picture above:  wallpaper detail   So sweet.  This wallpaper is the most delightful thing I have come over to find yet.  I am already regretting that I didn't have the time to find more wallpaper for Jack and Ava's bedrooms. 

 

Picture above:  vanity wall

I can't believe we have come this far. 

Torture

 

There is our super wonderful claw foot bathtub.

It is sealed in a wooden crate and stored in JD's secret room under the stairs for "safekeeping".  Personally, I think they are just trying to torture me.  One evening, when Ava and I didn't think we could stand it another day, we lifted off the lid, climbed in, and sat.  We giggled and lounged and died of anticipation of the first bath.

Then we put everything back just so. 

And did it all again the next day.

Tubs/Showers

Sadly, things are going  v e r y   s l o w l y  now.  Alvin has only been working a half crew hanging and floating sheet rock because we are waiting for the right weather to do what we are really waiting on - stain the exterior, install the metal roof, and lay the stone.  I can not wait for all of that.

I walk over every afternoon with my camera in tow but everything looks about the same.  Finally today we had a little excitement.  The plumber had come and installed the kids bath tubs and fixtures.

 

Picture above:  Ava's bath.  And it works!

A confession:  These tubs were delivered on Monday.  I watched the truck pull in and saw them being unloaded and carried inside.  That evening I could not wait for the guys to leave so we could run over and see them, partly because Jack and Ava were so excited (we take our baths VERY seriously around here) and partly because I had never laid eyes on the tubs.  Alvin had ordered them himself.  I had not chose them - something I agreed to then worried about for two months.  I hadn't given him any direction at all beyond the color (white) because he had said that they are all basically the same but really they are not - something that occurred to me as we waited for them week after week after week.  If I had known it would take that long (Alvin says it was very unusual) I would have definitely went myself.

But I didn't and now here I was standing in Ava's bathroom ...crying.  Tears.  Embarrassing, I know but the tub was so small!  I seemed shallow and narrow and small.  And, yes, they are kids bathrooms but kids grow up!  Kids can be 6'3" - just ask JD.  That night I sent JD a pathetic email about the tragedy and went to bed.

But that was Monday and today I am back to normal.  Everything is okay.  Exchanging them is technically an option (though I never mentioned any of the saga to Alvin) but only in the most dire circumstances and this situation is not dire.  The tubs are a reasonable, normal size, made by an excellent manufacturer that will most certainly get the job done and save on electrical cost to boot.

Besides, downstairs there is the most fantastic tub in the universe should anyone need a serious bath and it just happened to come on Monday, too.  (More about that later.)

 

Picture above:  Jack's bath

The good news is that I love the Delta fixtures (so nice) AND we have one more shower to redeem them all.

 

Can you see it?

On the wall there?

 

It's the outdoor shower!

Not meant exactly for showering outdoors in the nuuuuuude, but for the prewash the kids, hubby, dogs, and okay, occasionally myself needs before entering the house.  No more hosing the kids (and, ahem, hubby) down with freezing cold water!  And for bathing dogs (which we do a lot) - what could be better?!  There is hot and cold water so you can use it year round.  No more Frank in the kids tub!  He's a cold weather weenie.  He has no coat. :(

This particular fixture isn't exactly what I had envisioned either.  I did pick it out myself but the options are extremely limited when you are buying in stock from a showroom, even one like Home Depot where this came from.  I wanted, maybe, a rubbed bronze finish with the old timey hot/cold knobs, but no.  The main problem was that it was plumbed for a two handle fixture and even after going to three places my only option was this or the plastic/crystal knobs.  No one stocks much in the way of two handle knobs because of the increasing popularity of the one handed control, which I think would look odd outside.  But I think it looks fine and it will blend in even better once the cedar is stained white.

We will have Alvin insert a little o-ring into the mortar in the rocks that will cover the cinder blocks below the cedar so we can connect a leash.  We also plan to plop a big Arkansas stone along the house below the shower.  Local stone yards sell them about four or five inches thick and in 2x3'ish or 3x4'ish slabs that are perfectly flat on top.  Too exciting!

 

And it works!

Around the House

 

Yes, yes, yes.  Perfect.

 

Picture above:  Front door, looking in and to the left. 

 

Picture above:  On the other end looking toward front door.  Frank is sweet.

 

Picture above:  I do believe the fireplace is our favorite thing in the whole house.  I began to worry that when they finally built it in it would feel big and obtrusive because I had gotten use to nothing being there, but it feels just right.  It will soon be covered in a stone veneer that will come down over the top three rows of the white fire brick so the opening won't seen so tall.  They will also build a hearth. 

Over the weekend JD and I sat our lawn chairs where the couch will go and imagined watching tv.  It wasn't awkward in any way!!  It is definitely not too high.  Relief!

 

Picture above:  Master bath tub nook and shower on the left.  Because the shower is seven feet deep, I made the decision to make the outside wall a half wall.  The top will be covered in glass and the door will be glass.  It will definitely feel brighter and less claustrophobic when you are in the shower but I am having second thoughts about the way it looks from the point of view from the tub.  Another tricky compromise.  I think it was for the best, though.

 

Picture above:  Across from the tub nook.  The original plans showed dual sinks with knee space in the middle and one long counter top.  I think I have decided to have a sink on the left, counter top with knee space (a vanity) on the right, and floor to ceiling storage in the middle - drawers below to store the little stuff and large cabinets above to store towels.  Otherwise, the only storage will be in the master closet (the plans show a built in linen closet there). 

The space is 9'4" long, so if the built in was about two feet wide (the width of two rows of folded towels) each side would still have 3 1/2 feet of counter space.  Do you think the space will feel crowded?

 

Picture above:  The landing at the top of the stairs.  Door to Ava's room on the left.  Eventually, the floor to the left of the stairs will be cut out to the floor joist creating a space to look down into the foyer from the second floor.

 

Picture above:  Looking into Jack's room.

  

Picture above:  Jack's room view from his bathroom.

   

Picture above:  Looking out Jack's door at the bookcase.  Ava's room is so full of saws and sheetrock and such that I am not able to get a good picture now. 

Aren't we making progress!  Building this far has been an absolute pleasure but the hard part (for me)is about to really begin.  Lights, paint, wallpaper, counter tops, sinks, appliances, and MORE FLOORS.  Oh, dear. 

Sheetrock, Plumbing, Electrical

 

Picture above:  Master bedroom

 

Picture above:  First floor heating and cooling unit.  There is a separate one for the second floor.  Laundry room on the left.  Master bedroom on the right.

 

Picture above:  Master bath shower.  Master bedroom on the left.  Master bath on the right.

 

Picture above:  View into master closet from master bath.  It's a doozy.  There is another window to the right.  JD and I won't know what to do with ourselves. 

 

Picture above:  The closet area I turned into a built in bookcase.  Second floor heating and cooling unit will go there on the right and the fireplace will come up to the right of that.  Window nook on the left.

   

Picture above:  Jack's room

 

Picture above:  Ava's room.  I am having heck making a final decision about furniture placement in this room.  Every room, really.  It matters because the phone jacks and coax go in now.  I wish I had thought about thinking about that a long time ago.  It just never occurred to me.  But I am learning!

As a side note, I recently realized that house plans are on the same scale as graph paper.  I honestly had no idea!  One square foot is equal to one graph paper square so you can make to scale cut outs of your furniture and place them around the house really easily. 

 

Faucets, Tubs

Tuesday Alvin called me over to the house to talk plumbing and told me I needed to have bath tub/shower faucets and a master bath tub by Friday.  FRIDAY?

We devoted all of Thursday to doing just that and while we did not have it all by Friday it is all chosen and on order.  I could have found faucets locally and taken them home that day but since the freestanding bathtub must be ordered the faucets can be, too, and I can get exactly what I want.  The builders/plumber assumed this would be the case with the tub so the rough in will be postponed until it's delivery.

Choosing the shower faucets was easy as pie.  The saleslady at the plumbing warehouse led me straight to a Delta system that they sell often with excellent feedback and it was so perfectly suited to my taste that I decided to use it in all three bathrooms.  It is from Delta's Leland Collection and has a thermostatic valve (the top dial) that you set to the temperature you desire and a separate control (bottom, larger dial) that controls volume.   So, and this is thrilling to say the least, the kids will be able to shower or fill their tub by simply turing the water on!!  No finessing of hot and cold required!!The temperature control will reach the preset temperature and maintain it. 

The temperature control cover removes allowing you to fix the dial into one set place for the kids so that they can not move it in either direction but for our shower we will leave the stop out so that each person can adjust the temperature as they want. 

 

To top the whole pleasant experience off, the plumber asked me the next day what I had chosen and was thrilled it was this system, saying it is his favorite to work with, well made and easy to get parts for later.  He was so complementary of Delta products that I believe I may use them for every faucet in the house.

Next on my list was the master bath tub and this is where things got hairy.  I had shopped around online for freestanding tubs for some time and was familar with average prices and the plumbing warehouse was considerably more.  This was sad because I felt comfortable with their quality and service but they did not keep any freestanding tubs in stock so we couldn't carry that day anyway. 

We headed to Lowe's hoping that they might stock a few and felt they may have better prices but no and no.  They also get a NO for decent customer service and a NO for knowledgeable salespeople.  When this whole process started I assumed JD and I would practically live in the big home improvement chain stores and we have yet to purchase a single thing there. 

As usual, I ended up where I began and purchased a 60" clawfoot bathtub with satin nickel faucet from  Vintage Tub.  The company is in good standing with the BBB and this specific bath tub package had several excellent customer reviews. 

 

It will go here.

 

There is a dogwood blooming just outside that window.  :)

I can't wait to see it in person.

Guess what I did get to see in person?    The bathtub of my dreams.  I even climbed in to torture myself but would you believe that I did not like it at all.  It was nothing like sitting in a traditional clawfoot tub. The ends were too upright to lie back comfortably and the sides were too high to rest your arms. It was so odd. This particular one was also acrylic, something I was seriously considering and that, too, was not right.  The tub I ordered is porcelain over cast iron and I could have it no other way.

 

So now I can soak in total peace and contentment with no time spent mourning the tub I couldn't have.  Sweet.

Floor Joists

What these guys can get done in a day is nothing short of amazing. 

All day I watch them through the windows, so curious about what is going on but it is so far away(about 1000 feet) that my creepiness really doesn't pay off.  

So after I fed the horses, we walked over.

 

These beams were the first thing I noticed.  I've not had a chance to talk to Alvin about them but aren't they MAGNIFICENT!

First action shot!  That is Alvin the Builder in the overalls.  Hiring him was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  Remind me to tell you that story one day.  They had completed the first floor framing and were beginning to place the floor joists.

 

I had to go home and start dinner and resume the creepy window peeking so that the minute I notice them leave I can run over and take pictures before it gets too late.  I barely made it this time, sorry they are dark.

From here things looked about the same.

But on the inside...

 

different!  Picture above:  Living room.  The columns in the middle of the room will flank the fireplace.

 

Picture above:  Standing in the kitchen looking toward the pantry.  Pantry door on right.  Door the outside far right.  On left:  framed recess for built in desk/bookcase. I need to post more about that.

 

Picture above: Bath tub nook.  It looks so small but the opening is 6.5 feet.  Walk in shower on left.  Water closet (toilet room?) on right.

 

Picture above:  Windows in master bedroom.  They were bigger than I imagined!  The sun rises behind that tree line and since JD and I are early risers I love that.  The sun sets in the front of the house, through the dining room windows. 

The crickets chirped and the coyotes howled and the breeze blew and the sun set and I walked through the house with my hands over my mouth, not sure if I was about to laugh or cry.  Not only is our house materializing before my eyes but it feels exactly like I thought it would.  Only better. 

Framing Begins

 

Jd is gone again.  This time it is especially sad because during his time home he had to attend two different week long schools back to back.  Then he went and passed all his super hard tests with an A average, earned himself a promotion and a raise, proved himself to be extremely smart, and impressed the heck out of me.  We pick him up at the airport Friday night, he spends three day being extremely cute and sweet and funny and smart then he flies off to Australia of all places, leaving us here wanting more.  He could at least be mean to us on the last day.  At least.

 

Rain was predicted for Monday and Tuesday, and though it never actually did, the builders didn't show.  Then last night we had an awful storm but by morning the sun was shining but again - no builders.  Finally around 11:00am they came and it wasn't long before I could vaguely hear the sweet sound of power tools. 

 

Each room is now sectioned off with 2x4's so I can get a good idea of room size and flow without having to use so much imagination.  What they say is so true - it seems so small at this point!  Tomorrow, I think walls will raise.  WAAAAAAAAAALLLSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

 

Walk in shower.  Someday this summer, I will sit at my computer fresh from this shower, look back at this picture and smile.

Ava's Rooms: Bathroom

   

I love Ava's little group of rooms.  Her bedroom is spacious and with east facing windows, will be bright and sunny in the morning.   It also has built-ins.  When we finally recieved the actual plans (fun day!), we saw that they are little desks, one with drawers below and one with kneespace and both with bookshelves above.  One can never have too many bookshelves.  Ever.

Her closet is huge by my terms and has a window! that will overlook the pond.  When I imagine hanging all of her clothes there, grouped by season, I am overcome with joy.  I think I may put a colorful, quirky wallpaper in there suited just to her.  I have a deep, secret love of wallpaper (wallpaper post forthcoming) and a closet is a good place to indulge. 

 

But today, I am thinking about her bathroom. 

• The green swatch is Formica's Solid Surface in Citron Ice and funny story there.  A few weeks ago, JD and I were looking at countertop materials at Lowe's when he took one look at this kooky green sample and decides he loves it and wants it in the house.  Which is REALLY WEIRD beacuse this is the very sample that I could not seem to pass without reaching out to touch it on several occasions in the past.  FATE! 
• For the floor, 1" hexagon tiles in white, which I absolutely love in a bathroom that is not too big. 
• The Flamenco Shower Curtain is from Anthropologie.
• The drawer pulls and door knob are from Look In the Attic, a really unique source for hardware and home accents.
• The vanity lights are from Overstock.com which is a really good source for lighting.  I love this particular one minus the tan background.
• Paint in a shade of white.
• Lose one vanity to get more counter space. 

Will I be brave enough to actually go through with it?  I'm not sure, but I can see her there prom night, heels on, rollers in, digging through her makeup bag.  Eeek.