Homecoming

What does homecoming have to do with home construction? Well, absolutely nothing. But since we are waiting on a lot of detailed finish work, things are moving pretty slow. In the mean time, I want to introduce you to Mrs. Grigg's second grade homecoming representatives.

Franklin and Rebecca.

Rebecca lost her top front tooth the day before homecoming. She wasn't going to smile, but rabbit ears on the photographer worked wonders.

Finishing the Floor

When asked what color stain we would use on the floor, I would always answer, "We're not sure, but it will be something dark." And then I would usually get that, "Please no, not dark" look. But we had done our research and I had looked at literally hundreds of photos and I knew a dark floor could be pulled off with the right stain and the right colors in the room.

We decided on Jacobean stain color by Minwax. This is only one coat with a matte finish. The camera flash makes the floor appear lighter than it actually is.

The landing at the top of the stairs gives a better representation of the color of the floor. 

The bookcases were not in the plan and I spent many agonizing hours trying to determine exactly how to fill this space. I was fortunate enough to receive some good advice on the space and the bookcases. 

We substituted railing with the bookcase on the right. Not only do I like the look, but the bookcases will be very useful and soon will be filled with The Boxcar Children, Encyclopedia Brown, and Dr. Seuss books.

The window seat at the other end of the loft opens for storage and will need a cushion for comfort.

The entire house is red oak and has the same Jacobean stain. 

Oh by the way, the chicks are getting big and still hanging around. 

An Overdue Promise

Sarah started piano lessons when she was around 5 years old. At that time, we were living in a 1000 square foot condo with barely enough room for the 3 of us. We purchased her a good quality keyboard and kept it on a stand in the kitchen. A few years later her instructor told me Sarah would really benefit from the sound, feel and size of a real piano. Even though we didn't have any room for a piano, there were a few occasions where my guilt over her not having what she needed almost resulted in a piano replacing the couch in the living room. So when we started planning our build I made a promise to my daughter. I promised her, that if the entire house had to go without furniture, she would get a piano.

Sarah sitting at her new Yamaha B3. Sarah, don't ever stop playing and singing. Sorry it took so long. I Love You.

Exterior Lights & Porch Fans

 My wife and I made a deal that I choose the exterior lights and porch ceiling fans and she choose the interior lights. There are hundreds of styles, colors, shapes and sizes of exterior wall sconces. When I began my search I knew I wanted a "lantern look", but I didn't have a particular light in mind. Lantern and Scroll have some lantern style lights that I really liked but I knew they may be a little pricey. So after checking Lantern and Scroll prices and weighing the consequences of yet another discussion with my wife to justify the cost, I decided to continued my search.

The lights I chose are 19" outdoor wall sconces from Quoizel. These lights are from Quoizel's Trumbull Collection and the color is Mystic Black.

It's a good idea to know early on what height you want your exterior lights. Plans must be made before you begin "roughing in" the electrical. With a tall porch ceiling, we wanted the lights a little higher than normal.

The side porch received a matching Quoizel pendant lantern. The pendant is 19" long and 9" square.

The fans are Raindance Tropical outdoor ceiling fans with 52" wicker blades. If your fan is going to be outdoors, you should buy a fan that was made to be outdoors. Have you ever seen indoor fans mounted outdoors? You can usually recognize them by their drooping blades. An outdoor fan is manufactured to be exposed to the elements. Some features of these outdoor fans are a fully enclosed motor, water resistant housing, stainless hardware and non-warp blades

The fans are from The California Fan Company and they're matte black with a 12" extension.

The upper porch received identical  porch lights and fans.

Kitchen Cabinets And Countertops

Our cabinets are being built by Morrisons Custom Cabinets of Lawndale NC. The wood species is maple and the color is Benjamin Moore's Simply White. We did have an issue with matching the paint for the cabinets. Morrisons uses a lacquer paint on cabinets and it took some effort for them to match their lacquer paint to the existing trim paint and satisfy their "picky" client.

Before our build started, I spent a lot of time reviewing window placement and window sizes. We decided we liked the look of the window stool close to the  granite counter top. We also knew that the backsplash and the window apron would be factors in determining where everything needed to be. I can't express enough, the importance of being thorough during the design and planning phase of your build. We actually don't want the two receptacle outlets below the windows but they are required by code to pass final inspection. And then moved later. Shhh.

The sink is a Kohler Strive stainless apron front.

The large windows and our wide trim choice didn't leave much room to turn the upper cabinets in the corner. We decided to just "run" the uppers into the wall without turning them at all.

Running the upper cabinets to the wall turned out to have a good look.

All the doors and drawers will be "soft close". A no-brainer with children around. The cost is minimal and it's a nice feature.

These cabinets are considered European Shaker style. The two main characteristics that determine European style are a frameless cabinet and hidden hinges. The shaker designation refers to the door style.

The peninsula is 3'0" x 7'6"

The peninsula is the future home of a duel fuel range and microwave.

The granite color is colonial white.

The cabinet crown molding is simple but works well with the shaker style doors.

I have had projects in the past where I've researched products, chose colors, had quality work done, and felt confident the results would be great. And when all the work was completed, it just wasn't the way I had pictured it in my mind. The more projects you do, the more you learn. There has been a little bit of that fear with the kitchen since we have so much invested. What if the colors clash? What if the counters look bad against the cabinets? What if the results aren't what I envisioned? I hate what ifs.

Even though it looks incomplete without the appliances, I'm very pleased with the results. The colors of the wall, trim, cabinets, and counters work well together. Worried for nothing. (:

Late Favorites

Most individuals have "that moment" during the building process that they consider their favorite. That one thing that they have pictured in their mind for years and the excitement of finally having it become a reality. Breaking ground or raising that first wall may be it for some. Or it may be that long wait for the exterior to be painted, where you see the color of your home for the first time. Others can't wait for their dream kitchen or master bath to be completed. Not only did my "moment" come this past week, it was followed by a surprise "moment" that was almost as good. Now I know some may question the judgement of "my moment". And as you read below, if at any time the thought of "that's not normal" crosses your mind; well, thank you.

I decided to pour a concrete pad so my kids could use it for basketball, roller blades, a canvas for sidewalk chalk or whatever else they see fit. 

The girls received a brief history lesson about our property and I explained to them how fortunate they are to have the opportunity to play basketball in the shade of a 60 year old water oak. Although they are happy about the basketball court, I feel the appreciation for the history of the area and the long existence of the tree didn't quite reach them. The basketball court may be my favorite part of the build so far.

My surprise moment that nearly equaled the basketball court was when we realized some chicks had hatched under our front porch. The kids have already claimed ownership of the chicks and are thinking of names.

Aunt Betty's China

We chose Aunt Betty's China for the exterior of the house. Aunt Betty's China is an older color by Duron. We had Sherwin Williams prepare the paint at 150% to achieve a darker tint of the original color.

I'm glad we have some color on the outside but these temporary steps are killing me.

The exterior trim is Super White by Richard's Paint.

The railing is up on the porches and it looks pretty good. But no steps?

The steps are 8 feet wide with 6x6 posts. Finally!