House on Hillsboro

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. 

Stairway

Those of us who do not have super neat and amazing software that allows you to see the rooms of your house before construction even begins, are always on the look out for rooms similar to what we will be building.

Earlier this morning I found a stairway/foyer photo that is nearly identical to mine.

   

This is as if you've just opened the front door.

The scale is nearly identical and I have the same foot wide opening at the top left of the landing.  With mine you also arrive at the top of the stairs at a wall with a window and turn left.  My foyer will lead to a room same as here, but mine will have a standard (not arched) doorway and will be the laundry room.  This appears to be a dining room.  To the left where this has a solid wall with a chest will be my freestanding fireplace. 

Again, I am loving the off white walls and trim.  I also love the pictures climbing the stairs and the foyer's lantern, very similar to the carriage house chandelier I chose, hanging in the very spot I had planned!

First Floor Framed

 

Jack sweeps the kitchen.

   

Living room (fireplace is missing) in foreground then foyer and master bath.  Door to master bedroom center left, door into laundry to it's left.

Master bath shower.

 

Front door, foyer, dining room to right.

 

Kitchen and pantry.

Wow.  The crew was gone by the time I came home from picking Ava up which is probably for the best.  My composure was tested and I failed.

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.