The Final Entry

We're finally feeling like we've created a home, so I thought I'd share one final post and several photos. We've come a long way since the last post, but it seems the "to-do" list continues to grow...and financial prioritizing seems to prevent things from progressing as quickly as we'd like. Despite all that remains to be completed, we are loving every minute in the space that Matt designed. It is amazing how much a beautiful, well thought out space can affect your mood and overall outlook on life. During these short winter days we are really appreciating every little bit of sunshine that finds it's way through the south facing facade of windows and the radiant heat in the concrete floors.

Entry

carpet tiles by FLOR...we still need to find the perfect stools for the kitchen island.
Back Hallway
the hallway storage is one of my favorite spaces...so much stuff "neatly" hidden away!
Steps to living room
reclaimed douglas fir...same as the heavy timbers. and more FLOR tiles.

Living Room

the East wall is so massive that it was difficult to fill the space with conventional art. we comissioned this piece from an artist that works full-time for "Anthropologie."

Fireplace

this was the most difficult part of the design process for us...but we finally have all the "issues" resolved and are pleased with the end result.

Dining room

View out dining room window from kitchen sink. Matt hopes to eventually build a dining room table from the huge white oak tree that was removed for construction. we had the tree milled and it is currently drying. the adjacent porch (just off the dining room) will be screened-in this spring.

Powder room on main floor

This is was our first "color" attempt....the photo doesn't do it justice. It has been very intimidating to think about color selections in this blank slate.

Master bath

View of powder room from master bath

Stairwell


So that's it. Thanks to all who have followed along...come visit in person to see future updates!

Final Grade

The grading and seeding was completed this week - just in time for some great summer storms. No need to water around here! Another grade of sorts: our home has been energy star certified by the state of Wisconsin and is in the top 5% of home as far as energy efficiency is concerned.

In other news, yesterday we spotted a large snapping turtle crossing the yard and had coyotes howling quite nearby...always something new around here!

A long awaited update

Where does all the time go? We continue to make progress - this weekend we parked both cars in the garage! Our landscaping (basically grading) is scheduled for the first week in June. It will sure be nice to not be tracking sand and gravel in every time we enter the house. Matt hopes to get a start on the screening for the porch within the next couple weeks as well. We have enjoyed many guests and have our weekends full for the next 4 weeks, so that leaves little time for projects...but we are so happy to have a roof over our heads and friends and family to host. This is a decal we placed on the boy's bathroom wall. Titled "Strength in Numbers," I think it works perfectly in the room and is a good lesson for the little guys as well! Blik is a great source for crazy decals of all types.

One of our frequent visitors, the boys are not even excited to see turkeys anymore! Unfortunately, our windows have become somewhat of a hazard to the birds around here...last week 2 scarlet tanagers lost their lives to the windows and the week before it was 2 yellow bellied woodpeckers. (and our windows are filthy - what will happen when we get them washed?!!)
And now for some exterior shots... The prodema worked out beautifully.

The shower

We're finally able to take a shower in our master bathroom. It's been a long time coming, but I think the final product was actually worth the wait. Our tilers did an amazing job and created a beautiful work of art out of what we had simply planned would be a square shower. The interior corners are all perfectly curved and the bench area is amazing. The major reason this piece of our project took so long was delays in delivery of the tile...which we ordered through Matt's office. If anyone needs a recommendation for tiling companies, we certainly would use these guys again.

Prodema

A few nice, dry days here have allowed for some exterior work to be done. This is the prodema siding on the East side of the house. The garage has not yet been done, and rain is expected for the rest of the week, so we'll just keep our hopes low for completion. The master shower tile is about half done now - and wow! it's going to be bold. It will probably be all placed by tomorrow night and then will still need a day of grouting - hopefully Friday. Slowly, very slowly, we're nearing completion. We are feeling very at home here now...it is a wonderful space to call home. Both Matt and I have had nightmares about selling this house...needless to say, we are very happy to be in, and, at this time, NEVER want to leave this place!

Getting settled

The metal siding portion of the exterior of the house was completed last Friday. From this angle, it nearly looks finished! ...but the prodema (see link for info) portion of the siding still needs to be installed. That will be placed on the East side of the house (living room wall) and around the stairway windows.
The empty spot on the garage will also have prodema siding. We have a bit of landscaping yet to do! Matt is planning on screening in the porch this spring...and we'll need it; I spotted a mosquito last week - at 42 degrees!
The tile of the kitchen backsplash was installed last week... we're still waiting for our master shower tile to arrive. This tile is clear glass, but has a beautiful sea-green hue to it installed.
The custom cabinetry was installed in the living room last week, too. We are still waiting on the fireplace surround, which is currently being fabricated. (Note the mess already collected on the entryway ledge....)

That's it for this week's update....more to come.

Getting there....

Dining room from kitchen
Kitchen from entrance
Living room from steps
Master bath

We're living in the house now! The exterior still has a ways to go, but inside we're feeling pretty comfortable...especially with the heated concrete floors. It's been too long since I've posted, but I don't have time to go into great detail. Pictures are worth a thousand words, right?

Upstairs

Stairwell as seen from the front doorFrom the landing, looking up to the second floor
Looking down the stairwell from upstairs hallway
Boys' bathroom
Boys' bedrooms....sliding door to be done at a later date!

The Front Door

Our friend, Vic, in San Antonio just sent this photo of the front door. It's upside down here, but we think it looks great. They plan to ship it this week, and we're anxious to see the hardware on it.

The tiling is mostly complete in the boys' bathroom and looks good. Unfortunately, the tile we ordered for our shower is backordered for a 2nd time - to the end of March. The plumber arrived yesterday and should get most of the plumbing done this week. Our countops are to be installed today. Trimwork continues...there is just so much of it to be done, but it's looking beautiful.

The roof has finally been started and yesterday we also saw a glimpse of the siding...we're anxious to see more of it, but the zinc color is going to look very nice with the timbers.

We're getting very tired of being completely unsettled. This is our 4th week of homelessness! The boys are handling it much better than I am...but we're hopeful that we only have one more week of this. Again, we're so grateful for all of our wonderful friends who have taken us in and offered to take us in, as well as to my parents, who have earned their grandparenting merit badges!

Photo Update

Alright, here are some photos, finally! Things are starting to come together....but there are plenty of things yet to do. Today they actually are starting to install the metal roof! (It's a balmy 25 degrees!)
This is the start of the custom cabinetry in the living room. This view is from the stairs looking toward the front door. A long bench made out of douglas fir will span the entire length.
This is the kitchen cabinetry last week. The island is now installed as well. Next week we hope for countertops and appliances. We also need to install the hardware....an ikea purchase.

The stonework has been completed inside and out. It looks wonderful! The fireplace surround will be metal plating (designed by my architect) and should be installed next week.
The window trim is looking good. This is the living room - East side wall.
The final trim on an upstairs bedroom window. Very clean and simple.
A tile-prepping master has been hard at work in our master shower all week. He's created an unbelievable space that was totally unexpected to us. We're anxious to see the tile start going in next week.
The cabinetry/lighting in our master bath. Again, the countertop should be placed next week, so that the sinks can be installed. The plumber arrives Tuesday to start hooking up appliances and fixtures.

Slow Home

I just discovered this movement - the "Slow Home" - that epitimizes what we believe and are trying to accomplish. (and, unfortunately, is exactly the speed of our construction!) Check it out! http://theslowhome.com/blog/index/

Good Test

I forgot to mention in my previous post that we had a good test of the performance of our home Tuesday night. While working at the house that night, we noticed that the furnace/water heater was not working and determined that it was some sort of power failure, but no one could take a look at it until the next morning. When we left the house at 10 PM, the temperature was 67 degrees...upon arriving at 7:30 the next morning, after a night with absolutely no heat and sub-zero temperatures outside, the thermostat read 60 degrees. Pretty darn impressive, I think! (It was an electrical issue that was quickly resolved.) I can't wait to see how low we can keep our heating/cooling bills...score 1 for SIPs!

Deep breaths

As you may have noticed, I've taken a bit of a break from posting here. For the past 2 1/2 weeks we've been gypsies and life has been stressful, to say the least. But thanks to good friends and excellent parents/grandparents, we're making it through. I have found an apartment we can rent week to week for the next 2-3 weeks so that we can be living as a family again. (And possibly be able to post pictures - if we can get a wireless connection on our laptop.)

On the construction front, things are improving. All the drywall is painted, the kitchen cabinets are installed, we've assembled and installed our "custom closet" from ikea, the master shower is prepped for tile, doors are being stained and hung, window trim is stained and being installed, the interior stonework will be done today, custom cabinetry in the living room is being fabricated, and most of the lighting has been installed. Our hardwood flooring has been installed in the upstairs hallway and the stair landing...but still needs to be finished.

It's a busy place, but a lot still needs to happen. The counters in the kitchen and master bath were measured yesterday...and will take 1-2 weeks to complete. (They're just formica with wood trim) All of our exterior siding, roofing, and trim has arrived, but we need to wait for temperatures to rise above 0 degrees...maybe tomorrow...for that to get going. Our appliances are all here, but won't be installed until everything else is complete, and we're also waiting on the plumber to get the toilets and sinks hooked up. (He needs the countertops installed first, though.) The tile needs to be laid in the boys' bath, our master shower, and the kitchen backsplash, the stair treads haven't yet arrived (but the railing has and looks great!), and the carpet in the upstairs bedrooms will be the last thing to go in.

Phew - I'm exhausted just thinking about it all. Having a place to stay for the next few weeks does make it all seem much more tolerable, though... and, I just have to add a political note here - the results of WI elections yesterday gives me great hope - GO OBAMA!

Kitchen Backsplash

This is the 2"x4" subway tile we've chosen for the kitchen backsplash. The lighting is not the greatest here - it's clear glass and I think we'll do a white grout with it. The tiles have some depth to them, which creates a neat effect when lit.

Floor Photos

A little difficult to see - these are the floors following the staining process, but not yet sealed. The seal coat should bring out a bit more contrast...we actually like all the variation. These photos are in our master bedroom. Not at all what we planned on, but we think it's going to be good.

Floor Update

As anticipated, we had a frustrating weekend. Unfortunately the stain did not "stick" again. After another test, we discovered the color buffed out. It did leave the floor a slightly warmer gray and after much debate over whether or not to just seal the raw concrete (as is seen in virtually every "Dwell" home recently), we decided that the stain does give the floor a bit more character and warmth. So we did it....and it all buffed out as expected, but we feel alright with the result. Because the color continues to come out when buffed, it also added a day to the process before it can be sealed, so we have to push the drywallers back until Wednesday...which is a big bummer. Every day seems so significant when you're facing homelessness!

Our appliances will all be delivered (to the garage) tomorrow. Also, the siding and roofing materials should arrive to the installers this week...that means installation could begin soon. Our good friend, Vic, in San Antonio thinks our front door will be shipped this week as well. All good news, as we are packing right now to move (into storage) next weekend.

Progress Report

We now have defined rooms! The drywall is all hung. No word on if the mudding will begin tomorrow, so that's a probable no. Despite those frustrations, we are very pleased with the spaces that have emerged and the overall brightness of the rooms. This photo was taken standing just inside the front door - to the left is the kitchen.
Looking towards the living room from the kitchen/entrance.
In the kitchen looking towards the dining area.
Looking towards the kitchen from the living room.