final!

The county inspector came out this week, noting 8 things we needed to fix, and gave a conditional “ok” for us to start moving things in!  He is scheduled to stop by today to make sure those things were done, and we’ll have official paperwork by the end of the day tomorrow.  🙂

We plan to celebrate with the kids tomorrow – to give us all a moment to take in the victory!!

Then, we’ll take a collective breath, and get back to work.  Brad wants to finish the baseboard and crown trim this week before we move in.  And I’ll be packing all the things here.  We hope to move all the big stuff next weekend. (maybe??)

Here are some pictures of the changes this past month …

final grading, added compost and topsoil, and cleared path for walkway

master shower – done!

master shower floor – done!

here’s a progression of the kitchen

range hood in, working on countertops

appliances in! kitchen island counters cut to size

gap above cabinets closed in, and crown molding is up

mounted the sink, counter tops sealed with waterlox.  love that faucet.

interior handrails

the girl’s purple closet doors

master bath is done. vanity and fixtures in. doors painted.

master bedroom with carpet and crown finished.

girl’s room with carpet

boy’s room with carpet (color is off – the carpet is brown)

the kids got to see the concrete poured for the walkway and basement entrance

basement entrance with concrete

Brad and his dad got the guardrails and handrail up the day before inspection

here’s a better view of the basement entrance

front walkway. look! grass!!

view from porch

we let the kids leave their mark  🙂

Hooray!!

progress …

Brad and I took 4 days to get away to celebrate our 10th anniversary, and then we had one day home all together before Brad left on a week long work trip to Brazil.  So around here, it feels good to have everyone back home, and our thoughts refocused on finishing this house!

Brad has the butcher block counter tops cut, and I’m still deciding on the exact stain color.  The range hood is mounted, waiting for the electrician and mechanical guys to come back and finish connecting it.

The remaining doors are in now, and I hope to start painting those soon.  The wood steps are in and the stairway trim has started. Brad and his dad started base trim upstairs today.

The master vanity is almost finished except for one piece of decorative trim and I’m sorry, I forgot to take a picture of it today.  I do have a picture of the kid’s vanity in their bathroom.  Our measurement we made back in the fall during electrical rough-in for that center outlet was perfect (whew!).

The appliances were scheduled to come last week, but it rained.  A lot.  So, we rescheduled for this week, so they wouldn’t get their truck stuck in the mud.

I’m hunting the ReStore for a laundry sink, mirrors, a couple of doorknobs, and closet shelving.  I’m also deep into purging and packing – 4 bags donated, at least 10 bags of trash thrown out, and 3 boxes packed.  I’m trying to take the advice of good friends – if I don’t love it or use it, get rid of it!

cabinets!

I’m not even sure how to put this into words!  I have been thinking about the kitchen in the new house for so long, how it functions, what the views are, where things should be … and in one day, there it is!  (of course, minus the actual functioning elements of a sink or range, etc)

I almost called Brad to ask if he would bring the countertops (they have been sitting in the garage since the fall), but I decided he had enough things on his mind and didn’t.  He showed up after work, walked around for a minute, then said, ‘hey, help me get something off the truck’ …

A vision come to life!

success

Brad and his dad worked on the hardwood floors Saturday, and were finished by 2:00pm.  Staining the steps took a few more minutes, and they were cleaned up and heading home by 4:00pm.  No doubt it would have taken weeks to properly stain and poly the floor using a traditional method.

Brad and I basically agreed on a brown stain for the floors – his preference being lighter, mine being darker.  In similar fashion to the paint color, the floors are looking darker in certain low light areas, and lighter in direct sun.  Compromise is a beautiful thing.

I snapped a few pictures this morning and you can see the difference in color from different rooms/angles.  In real life, the difference isn’t quite so dramatic, and it feels like a nice, light brown throughout.  We are calling this one a success and moving on to the next thing!

I included pictures of the kitchen as a reminder of what it looked like empty.  Cabinets are being delivered this afternoon, and will be installed tomorrow!

tomorrow!

Brad is staining/sealing the hardwood floors tomorrow!

He’s using a Rubio Monocoat finish (in dark walnut) and like it’s name suggests, it’s just ONE coat and done.  It’s an oil finish, that is not shiny, hides scratches, and makes repair of the floor easy.  We realized that at this stage of life, we need a floor that can take abuse and is easy to fix, instead of stressing about scratches with a shiny poly finish.

Here’s their website if you want to read more about it: http://www.rubiomonocoatusa.com/

Once the hardwoods are stained, the cabinets, doors, base trim, steps/railings, fireplace mantel and bookcases can go in.  Long list, isn’t it?!  Brad is quoting some of it because time is becoming short.

We changed our minds about painting the doors before installing them.  We just don’t have time to do it that way, so the upstairs doors are in, and the downstairs doors will go in after the floors are finished. You can see in this picture we put laminate flooring at the landing and front room (which felt almost too easy after laying the hardwoods!).  The bedrooms will have carpet installed in a few weeks.

The tile floors are sealed/cleaned and ready for the vanities to be put in place.

I’m working on finishing the master vanity I found at the Habitat Restore.  I’ll wait to show a picture until it’s finished.  All the downstairs window trim is finally done, and now I’m working on the upstairs windows.  Once windows are done, I’ll move on to painting door trim and doors.

The septic system is complete and was scheduled for inspection today.  The final grading might happen next week (side note – good dirt is expensive!).

Kitchen cabinets are on schedule to be installed Tuesday. Just 4 more days to wait!

I’ve started making a plan of attack for packing up this house … we just might get this house ready in the next month!

hardwoods

Brad took a “vacation” last week to put down the hardwood floors.  He had 4 people helping off/on, and they got about 1100 sf down in 4 days.  2 rooms are already sanded, and the rest will be sanded this weekend.  We plan to stain the floors a warm brown once we get finished with trimwork, cabinets, etc.

Here are some pictures …

from front door

hallway, with peek into hall bath/laundry chute

from kitchen looking back to front door

from kitchen to dining

from dining to kitchen (the color is really off here)

dining to living room

living

the whirlwind

I’m sorry for the pause in updating.  The change in weather has been quite dramatic, and we are out at the house practically everyday/evening.  I am very thankful to be able to say that we’ve made some good progress this month.

People often ask me “how do you do it all?!”.  And quite simply, I don’t.  Each day is prioritized and I work to get those things done as best I can (while managing normal home life).  Some mornings, Brad tells me that I just get to be a mommy that day … those are usually good days of lots of stories, maybe a playground trip, or just playing along with whatever game the children invented.  Those are the days I catch up on laundry and find the hiding dust bunnies.  I might actually cook a balanced meal!  Brad goes in early to work, drives out to the house, works late and comes home.  Often we are out there together.  Sometimes we trade off working alone, while the other one has the kids, depending on what needs to be done.

We are all feeling a bit weary from the lack of schedule, long hours of work, and unpredictable demands of building the house.  This is exciting and parts of it are fun, but it’s a long road of hard work, and we, as a family, are getting very eager to be at the end.

Here’s where we are as of today:

We have power!  All the lights and fans are in and the HVAC guys should be testing the air units today.

The back steps are finished.

Despite hitting rock, the septic tank and pump are finally in, and the septic field drain lines should be set today.

All bathroom floor/wall tiles are down and grouting is next.

All downstairs window trim has been caulked and primed, and I need to finish the final paint this week.

Brad is prepping the hardwood, sorting a couple thousand square feet of it by size, since it didn’t all come from the same place.

Once the hardwood floors are in, then comes the next flood of cabinets, plumbing fixtures, base molding, doors, fireplace trim, stair treads … and then move in??  It just might happen!

the cuties on Easter

kitchen

master bedroom sconces

hall bath tile

back steps from kitchen door

dining room

painting done

What a messy month this has been. Sickness has come and gone … and come and gone.  Snow and ice have come and gone … and come and gone, again.  Oh, to see the sun shine!!

I am relieved (ecstatic!) to say the painting is done.  Everything has at least one coat of color, most walls have 2 coats, and some portions of the ceiling have 3 or 4.  We learned a hard lesson about ceiling paint and color matching at Lowe’s: Do not buy their “ceiling flat paint”.  It’s base is a white/gray, and will not give you the color you want (even if the guy at the counter says it will).  Just buy the normal interior flat paint.  It’s actually easier to work with and will give you just the color you are hoping for.  

This mistake was heartbreaking at the time, having to re-do what we already thought was “done”.  Also, do not leave 10 gallons of paint in the back of your van for days and days when it’s snowing and icing outside.  Paint freezes and then it’s ruined.  Another hard lesson.

With painting behind us, Brad made short work of the window trim and knocked it out in 2 days.  It’s perfect.  We are working toward getting conditional power before putting down the hardwood floors.  The mechanical and electrical guys are coming back out to hook up/cap off things, and the plumber is setting the first of the sewer pipes.

Brad’s folks have tackled the tile floors head on this month, and it looks SO good.  I knew tile was labor intensive, and the cost of hiring someone to tile was expensive.  I now understand why.  Beyond the hard work of lifting and cutting backer boards, mixing and toting mud, lifting and cutting tiles … you’ve got to be smart about what you are doing.  1/8th’s of inches matter and having a good start sets you up for a good job overall.  We are so thankful they are willing (and happy) to work hard for us.  Next, will be the full shower in our master bath, and the walls around the tub in the kid’s bath.

My list of things to decide is getting much shorter.  I ventured down to IKEA recently, without the children (oh, the quiet!), and found most of our lighting fixtures.  The Habitat restore had several more ($4 for a vanity light? yes, please!).  The rest are coming from Lowe’s and Amazon.  A bit of spray paint for a few of them and lighting fixtures will be done!  I’m still looking for a couple of vanities, tile for the master shower, and I need to choose carpet for the bedrooms – but I think that’s about it for my “design-decision” list.

Did I write about the fireplace hearth yet?  The masons came back out a few weeks ago and bricked the hearth and sides of the fireplace.  It’s just what we were hoping for.  Brad will trim out with wood above the brick to the ceiling to finish it off.  The children are usually camped out at the fireplace with a movie while we work, so I’ll try to get a picture of the hearth next time we’re out there.

We have hired someone to caulk/paint the exterior of the house and the plan is for him to start whenever good weather returns.  Brad is glad to have it off his to-do list and I am beyond thrilled he won’t be at the top of a 22′ ladder.  I have gotten used to the house being primer gray, so much so, that it almost feels like a new idea that it will change to creamy white soon.  I can’t wait to see it.

Here are a few pictures taken this weekend, after Brad finished the window trim.  My next job will be to caulk and paint the trim, while Brad gets everything ready to lay the hardwood floors.

dining room

master bedroom

master bath – look at that tile!

 

kitchen

reading nook

girl’s room

boy’s room

colors

Picking out paint colors feels strangely similar to taking my children to Target.

Sometimes, it’s a great day, attitudes are cheerful, and the trip is quite pleasant.  The van is full of laughter, and I think ‘it just doesn’t get any better than this’.  Oh, the good times!

Then, there are those other days.  You know those days. The ones where I might think all is going to be great.  Without much warning, I end up with a screaming, grumpy toddler on the floor who has long forgotten his cookie and is quite set on making an embarrassing display of himself.

Paint colors can behave this way … they look like the perfect color, you bring it home, paint a sample, and yes!  it’s perfect!!  And then, there are many others who don’t quite play by the rules, that look fine in one place, but just all wrong in another.

And just like the children, paint colors need patience.  So, I’ve bought lots of samples, brought them home, painted sample boards and tried them out in the new house.  This phase of decisions was most tricky, given how the colors needed to stand alone and work together, with different light conditions, dark/light flooring, and personal preference.

These are the final winners:

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

BM Edgecomb Gray

I almost titled this post “Griege saved my marriage”, but felt it would be slightly too dramatic.  Seems that the trend shift from “brown/beige base colors” to “gray base colors” is everywhere.  Most homes painted pre 2005, have beige neutrals, but unfortunately, all the rugs, throw pillows, sheets, curtains, towels (everything really) for sale in stores have shifted to gray base colors.  Enter griege.  A mix of gray and beige.  It’s quite fascinating.  Edgecomb Gray feels more beige/brown in full sun, and reads more gray in low light.  Compromise at its finest.  We are using this color in all main areas, hallways, and our master bedroom.

Benjamin Moore Brittany Blue

BM Brittany Blue

A nice blue (that leans more blue than gray).  This was the easiest of colors to choose.  We’ll be using it in the kitchen and all bathrooms.

Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue

BM Palladian Blue

The girls had their own compromising to do over colors, and this one looks great with both pink and purple.  It feels feminine, but not too grown up.

Benjamin Moore Kensington Blue

BM Kensington Blue

The boys had no trouble picking out the color for their room.  One says, “Mama, we want blue!” and the other yells “yeah!” and jumps around the room.  Can I just say … little boys are great.  I showed them a paint sample of this color and there was more jumping for joy.  It just doesn’t get any easier.  This color is my most “risky” decorating move in the house color-wise, and I’m excited to try it!

Sherwin Williams Creamy

SW Creamy

This creamy white will be the exterior color, ceiling, and all trim.  It doesn’t even look white on your screen, does it? This is one of those colors that just doesn’t play by the rules. And why picking the right “white” was so amazingly difficult.

The exterior paint will be Sherwin Williams paint, but all interior paints will be color matched via Lowes.  I’m hopeful this will save us money and still give us a great looking home. I’ll keep you posted on how that color matching works out!

Wall painting starts tonight, and the plan is to plow through it as quick as we can.  There are boxes of tile waiting to be installed, and trim boards ready to be cut … Time to get to work and press on with the next set of decisions! Hopefully, I’ll have some pretty pictures to show by the end of the week!

drywall

Since we’ve started building this house, I think our children have grown in their appreciation for those that work hard.  I know I have.  Our drywall guys put up all the drywall in one day, and came back the next day to tape/mud.  Almost an overnight transformation!  We had to wait about a week for the mud to dry out (and for Brad to work at his real-life day job).  Brad’s folks came this weekend to sand it all Saturday and spray primer Monday.  Hard work pays off!

I’ve been standing in awe and dreaming of colors, instead of taking pictures this week.  We are in full finishing mode now.  The final decision on colors needs to be made by next week, and I am glad those little samples from Lowe’s are so cheap.  I’ll do a full post on colors soon.

The kitchen is our most thought out room so far, with cabinets, countertops, flooring, and paint color decided.  I just placed the order for cabinets this morning, so they will be ready to install in about 3 weeks.

The overwhelming majority of our lighting will come from Ikea, which was an easy choice given their selection and prices.  The rest will be from the Habitat ReStore or craigslist.

I do have some pictures of the drywall after it was taped and mudded.  More pretty things to come!

living room

kitchen

master bedroom

boy’s room (bookcase centered with sconces)

kid’s bathroom

girl’s room (same bookcase centered with sconces)