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!

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. 

Sun or Storage?

Here is the kitchen.

 

The picture above is the pantry door with the built in desk (very exciting!) on the left and the door to the screened porch on the right.  The window on the far left is in the dining room.  Since this picture was taken I have also decided to recess a bookshelf into the wall to the right of the pantry door which I think will make the door not seem uncentered and, best of all, will create an easy to reach spot for all of my cookbooks!  In the kitchen!  I am the luckiest woman in the world.

So, I am at peace with all of that.  And by at peace I mean absolutely ecstatic.  My dilemma is on the other side of the room.

 

That's the kitchen! 

Here is the layout,

 

(This floor plan still shows the laundry room here.  I moved it and changed this space to a walk-in-pantry.)

except that I will move the cook-top to the oven and then the range to the right several inches to align with the island and the fireplace.  So, currently the kitchen and cabinet layout is similar to this,

 

except that my island is much smaller and my kitchen has the fridge to the right of the window.  But I am mostly looking at the corner cabinets to the left of the window because my other option is to do this:

 

beautiful kitchen!

Lose the corner cabinets and install a tall, narrow window.

When I am standing in the kitchen that windowless wall with no view to the pond makes me feel weird.  I have no doubts that a North facing window there would be so lovely but to lose two cabinets in an already small kitchen?  Crazy?  Without them I think I would have only three traditional upper cabinets.  But remember that I have a really big pantry and storage under the 3x6' island.  I will need only enough cabinets to store dinnerware, glasses, coffee cups - serving pieces.

I am leaning toward - Less stuff!  More sun! - but I'm just not certain.

P.S.  JD and I walked through the house for the first time together last night, in the dark, by the light of the moon and our headlights...and he loved it.  Really loved it.  Just to be safe, we went back over as soon as the sun rose this morning and...he still loves it! 

CaesarStone

I think I have spent more time thinking about kitchen countertops than nearly anything else for the house and as it usually goes, in the end I have come right back to what I first wanted.  CaesarStone is made of 93% natural quartz (the remaining 7% is pigment and ploymer resins) and is a virtually care free surface.

I had read all about it online and in magazines but I had never actually touched a sample or seen it in person.  So when I was in a local flooring store last week, I asked if anyone in town carried it and it turned out that his display was due to arrive that week!  I am so excitied to be able to find the product locally.

 

Luckily, I am not horribly conflicted here.  There are only two colors I am drawn to, the Espresso and Champagne Limestone.

 

More great pictures!  Not.  The diamond mosaic just happened to be there.  Please disregard.

The Espresso is not black but a dark brown, of course.  The mosaic tile is my own sample I was considering for the backsplash.  Being that it is so busy I planned to only use it between the range and vent hood.  Then I realized that I would have to coordinate whatever other plainer tile I chose for the remaining backsplash and chickened out. 

Remember the kitchen I loved?

 

I love that the backsplash material is the same as the countertop but I am not sure that that is an option with the Caesarstone.  If not, I do know that I want the backplash to be nearly as light as the cabinets.  Mine will be cream like these.  I like for a backsplash to blend in more than stand out.  I have ordered a sample of a travertine subway tile.

 

I like the lightness and the bit of gray.  My island will have a stainless top so that will tie in.  This also comes in a 2x2" square but I think I prefer the brick like pattern of this 2x4" tile. 

Between the two samples, I like the Limestone the most but I like the contrast the Espresso would provide.  Then again, I don't miss that in the kitchen above.  Also, my cabinets will be light but the base of my island and the built in desk near the pantry will be darker stained wood, providing a some contrast and a focal point. 

But what do I know?  It could all be a total disaster.  Time will tell!

Trim

I wanted to post about flooring today but a couple of samples I expected to be here by now are still out for delivery.  I am last on the route for both UPS and FedEx and often don't get my packages until well after dark.  For several weeks after we first moved here I didn't get my packages AT ALL.  I finally had to call both companies and promise that we do in fact live here in the vast wilderness that is Hillsboro, that if they continue to drive down the road long enough, we will appear there on your left, nicely marked mailbox and all.  Later when I met the drivers they apologized for giving up on me and turning back.  They were sure the address was a mistake.

So, instead I shall post a picture of a kitchen I love.

 

Isn't she a beauty - so easy on the eyes.  The symmetry.  The natural light from those lovely windows.  The dark table focal point. 

I think I am also attracted to the like color of the cabinets, walls, and trim.  This is a recent development.  I have been really trying to come to a conclusion in regard to wall and trim color.  I considered my options to be painted walls of varying color with trim in a) white b) stained wood, but I have noticed a different pattern recently in the inspiration pictures I've been saving.

 

Picture courtesy of the super talented Brooke Giannetti who has the amazing design blog Velvet & Linen. 

 

 

The walls and trim are the same color.  And WHITE at that.  It also seems to work for very ornate trim or molding and the more simple stuff.

So it's that verses something like this

 

or this.

Which are beautiful, too no doubt, but suddenly I am drawn to walls and trim that match.  Which do you prefer?

On a slightly related note, I have resisted posting all the inspirational photos I have collected from the web here and there over the years because the source is not saved along with them. Oops. I know that there are many blogs that pull photo content from across the Internet exclusively, both with and without crediting the source but I am not familiar with the exact rules about that.  Does anyone know?  I am throwing caution to the wind tonight.  If I am in jail by morning FedEx better leave that darn sample at my door.

Kitchen: A Plan

 

It's been several months now since the mortifying realization set in that I alone am responsible for the design of the interior of the house.  The flow?  The decorating?  See, I am not even sure what to call it but I am sure that I have no idea where to start or how it is done...exactly.

 

To make matters worse I have a broad range of what I like.  My stack of magazine tear sheets are many (MANY) and varied with very few themes showing up again and again.  I finally realized that what united all my kitchen tear sheets was more about a beautifully lit space than anything else. 

 

At this point, I feel like pulling off a cohesive design for one room would be a miracle, much less an entire house.  On the bright side, when I like something I know it immediately and I do not tire of things easily.  Oh, and I am full of ideas!  Here are mine for the kitchen:

 

• The travertine mosaic tile is from Deko Tile, which is the best source for tile (of my taste) I have found.  I am seriously in love with this rock/quilt pattern and it's color, but not it's price.  My plan is to use very little and cover only the back splash between the range and vent hood as an accent.   Being a bit detailed and busy, a little will go along way.
• The Rustic Glass Pendant for over the island is from Pottery Barn.  Love. 
• Cabinets will be painted an off white.  Painful to some I know, but it's a definite for me.
• Wall color will most likely be Benjamin Moore's Fennel Seed or something like it with trim in an off white.  The swatch above is a bit darker than the actual color which has more white in it.
• The countertops are CaesarStone in Espresso and because there aren't any super long counters I think I like the dark verses something lighter.
• The island will be a solid sheet of stainless steel.  No cook-top, no sink, no grout lines.  Just an expanse of cold, clean steel for biscuits!, cookies!, pastry!  
• The sink could go enamel or stainless, but I am leaning enamel with a rubbed bronze faucet.
• I have decided not to extend the wood floors into the kitchen but to go with tile with a finish similar to this and in 6" verses 12".