Cabinets, Mantels, and Sound, Oh My !

Today Jeff and I met Jim at the house to decide on two things:  configuration of the built-ins,  and there are a lot, (.... in every room except the bedrooms)!

Rest assured, Jeff is working to remedy that!






We also had to decide, once and for all, about audio and security. It has been nagging us for weeks; and we're finally done!

The exciting development today was the fireplace. We have been mulling over ways to make the surround more interesting and make better use of the space.

Jeff and Jim came up with the idea of creating a recessed area above the mantel to add interest, use empty space, and break up the straight lines of the fireplace surround. For the mantel, we're using a nicely finished glulam beam to match the exposed beams upstairs.



Siding and Bruce's beautiful garage door






Most of the progress is happening on the outside. The siding is going up, and the fir soffits are going on. They look great on the garage!

Our sturdy plants are looking sad

And our house is looking ...YELLOW!!

How many shades of beige ARE there?

Now that the floors and footings are dry, the insulation and wallboard will soon be going in. Our next challenge - picking the interior colors.

The lady at our Benjamin Moore store said to pick the main color first. I guess that would be the downstairs front room. Bedrooms and baths will be different as will the family room. Something 'different' for the laundry room. Any ideas?

Indian Summer on Camano

My friend Susie and I made the trip to Camano today. Susie has been anxious to see the house and it was a beautiful day to show it to her.

taken through the screen





 

Susie got quite a kick out of our little one-legged gull, Cedric, who appears to be quite  comfortable around people. We watched from upstairs as a beachwalker got right up to him.

Not much happening today. However, the whole house fan has been installed.

 Dave Wickstrom, our electrician,was there. He's pretty much done with the wiring.

The guys were putting the gutters on the house. The garage looks so tidy with its wrap and  new trim and gutters.

click images to enlarge

Before lunch we took a little walk down the beach. Here are some  shots of the house from afar.





And some birds!

A Beautiful Fall Day

Cedric at his station



This was a quick trip - up and back by 2PM, but the weather was so nice I couldn't resist.



Shingles curing in the garage



The painters have been at work dipping the shingles and painting the trim.

Gary has been putting strips where the Hardie Board will go. These will allow the house to 'breathe'.

looking through the walls at the guest suite

Meanwhile the interior continues to dry out, with help from the fan,  fireplace and the heated floors.

click on any picture to enlarge

The winter birds are arriving. Here are some Grebes.



Getting real with the surfaces

Just got back from my second trip in as many days to the house.

 Brendan was kind enough to drive us up and Jazz came along for the ride. Boy did she ever get excited as we headed through Stanwood. She knew she was going to the beach!

At the house we met Eric, who will install the flooring and the other tilework.  Cameron, from Green Home Solutions  http://www.ghsproducts.com/ , and a good friend of Brendan's, was seeing the house for the first time, although we've been talking about products for almost a year. 

 



Building a home is an exciting process, don't get me wrong. You can have things just the way you like (and your budget allows :). But along with all of that comes the job of determining just what it is that you like; what you  as a couple like in common; what suits the style and location of the house - the list goes on...

A while back, Jeff and I decided to take charge in specific areas, and this one is mine.



Once we established that I expected candor from the professionals -  I am definitely not an expert in this field- Jim, Cameron, Eric, and I walked through the house spending, by far, the majority of time in the  bathrooms! We discussed everything, tile - materials, patterns, grout thickness, trim, accents.  I learned a lot and felt that we had come up with some very good ideas by putting our heads together.







We surprisingly spent a bit of time gathered around the fireplace. Brendan had some ideas about maximizing the space above  the fireplace itself and making it a bit more interesting. More to follow!

 



Some contenders



Since, there is still work to do on the final product selection, Cameron and I will try very hard to finalize the process tomorrow at his shop.



 

On the way out, we stopped in the garage to check out the heating systems.

I'm going to be sure to have the phone numbers of these companies tacked to the wall!

Cabinets and bookshelves

 

Today we met with Curt, a local cabinetmaker who Jim recommended. Our mission was to configure the cabinets in the kitchen, pantry and bathrooms; bookcases in the office, living room, and family room; and  the windowseat on the landing. What we expected to take all day was accomplished in just three hours!

How, you ask?

 

 



Designing Men!



 

We had the advantage of a very skilled and experienced cabinetmaker; a contractor who's a great problem-solver; and we did our homework! Jeff and I both were in agreement on the kitchen layout before we started!







 Yesterday morning I awoke at 6AM with thoughts of doors and drawers dancing in my head. I decided to lay out the kitchen and pantry on a piece of paper - very visual, eh?

So today the tough work just needed to be tweaked.

 

Meanwhile the gas fireplace was being hooked up to help dry the house.  The moisture meter is now down to 11-13% from 19% and the floors feel warm and cozy!

 Insulation will be happening soon.

Then drywall!





A huge flock of large blackish birds flew by our front door and landed down in the cove. They look like cormorants. I've never seen so many!







Tomorrow we meet with the tile setter and Cameron from Green Building Solutions to plan the interior surfaces!

Riddle of the Day

This one was sent in by our contractor:

How many trucks does it take to install 6 TV/data jacks in open walls?

No, not four

But five!

That's what I call service  :)