day 160

I slipped away to the house for a bit on Saturday morning to take photos before we started filling it up. Our walk-through was on Friday afternoon and we still have a punch list of items to complete, but I'm thankful we were able to receive occupancy and avoid a short-term hotel stay.

The punch list isn't too crazy and includes things like: patch drywall, touch up paint, install hood extender, replace master bedroom carpet, fix leaky sink, tighten tub faucet, finish installing plumbing fixtures, caulk around windows, shim squeaky floor, trim closet door, add additional shelf brackets, etc.

We also have a to-do list, which includes: hanging curtain rods/blinds, installing cabinet hardware, hanging bathroom fixtures (TP holders, towel rings, etc.) and installing the washer/dryer.  My father-in-law was able to get the hardware installed and we hung those temporary paper blinds over most windows.  Hubby took care of the washer/dryer and will start installing the remaining bathroom fixtures this week.  Progress!

In other words, it's mostly done.  But the contractors are working hard to make sure it's totally done soon.  The drywall guy, carpet crew, carpenter and plumbers were all here today.  And the painter is supposed to be coming tomorrow.  I'm finally seeing the light that we'll be wrapping up soon!

I'll continue to share photos as we personalize this house and make it our home, but I wanted to make sure I documented what it looked like on move-in day.

Without further ado...

[exterior - still need to paint trim, stain door and pour sidewalk/driveway]

[foyer - still need to stain door]

[living room from foyer - still need to touch up paint]

[fireplace]

[dining area from living room]

[flex room]

[living room from flex room]

[dining area - still need a great rug!]

[living room from dining area]

[dining area and my gorgeous handmade table]

[kitchen - before hardware was installed]

[kitchen - before hardware and hood extender]

[kitchen - before hardware]

[kitchen - before hardware]

[kitchen - before hardware]

[E's room from hallway]

[E's room/closet]

[E's room]

[main bath - before hardware, plumbing and mirrors]

[spare bedroom]

[spare bedroom/closet]

[powder room before pedestal sink]

[laundry room before washer/dryer]

[drop zone before hardware]

[hallway off kitchen - master bedroom at end, basement stairs on right]

[master bedroom]

[master bathroom]

[master bathroom tub]

[master bathroom vanity]

[master bathroom vanity]

[master bathroom shower]

[master bathroom shower]

[master bathroom]

[master bath vanity]

Hopefully I'll be back with moving stories and more interior shots later this week.  Until then, you'll find me unpacking, working and sleeping.

day 142

Lots of changes and little time to update can only mean one thing - it's time for an iPhone photo dump!

1. Tile work in the master bathroom shower has begun.  I think they started last Wednesday and currently have the floor and half the walls complete.  The photos below are from Sunday.

Since these were taken, they've laid the floor (rectangular mosaics) and hung the diagonal square tiles above the small pencil edge tile.  Can't wait to see it finished!

2. Granite was installed in the master bathroom last Friday.

[Vanilla Ice granite counters]

And I don't totally love it.  Which makes me sad.  I'm hoping that once the additional shelf is installed in the middle of the vanity and the plumbing, mirrors, lights, etc. are added, I'll like it much more.  I had really wanted a neutral granite that didn't make a big statement and, right now, this is a bit bolder than I had originally hoped for.  I'm sure the fact that it's currently the only pattern in the room does not help.  Nor do the cardboard-covered floors.

Also, we had to make a last minute change on our faucet locations.  They were originally supposed to be offset, at an angle, on the outside corners of the sinks.  We received a call from the granite folks the morning they were to install, letting us know they'd just gotten a complaint from the last vanity they did that way.  Apparently, water keeps splashing out of their sinks.  In favor of function over design, we decided to mount the faucets as normal, centered along the backs of the sinks.  I'm just bummed now that we didn't go with the rectangular sinks.  Unfortunately, by the time they'd received the complaint and called us, the sink holes had already been cut for the oval bowls.  Oh well.  I was just grateful to find out about the splashing issue before they'd cut the faucet holes.

3.  And granite was also installed in the main bathroom.

[Coffee Brown granite counters]

There is more brown in the stone than the photo is pulling.  And as nervous as I was about the dark color, I really like it.  Phew.

4. We finally got around to painting our Craigslist dresser this weekend.  After much debate, we opted to do a charcoal top with a medium grey base and drawers.  The contrast is definitely greater in person than the photos are showing.  More details to follow on this project.

5. After a ton of browsing, I think I finally found a shower curtain that will work for the main bathroom.  I really want something kid-friendly, but classy.  And it's been amazingly hard to find!

The shower curtain was found at Tuesday Morning ($16) and I think I'll need 2 yards each of the navy and green fabrics ($3/yd).  So, for $28, I should have a shower curtain I love.  Hopefully!

6. I also found hardware for the master bathroom vanity!  I don't know if they're new to Lowe's, or if I've just never noticed them before, but we finally decided on using a combination of knobs and pulls.

Knob: allen + roth 1-1/4" Polished Nickel Round Cabinet Knob

Pull: allen + roth 3" Center-to-Center Polished Nickel Bar Cabinet Pull

7. I found a mirror that I love for the main bathroom.  But I think it's a little too large.  And I think something rectangular would probably fit better.  The one below is from Hobby Lobby, but I'm wondering if we could make our own if we bought a plain beveled mirror and then trimmed it out with some painted and distressed molding?

8. We might have decided to wall paper the wall behind the toilet.  Or maybe the powder room.  And, yes, I swore I'd never use wallpaper in my life.  Especially after living in this highly wallpapered condo.  But isn't it pretty?

9. Weren't my boys handsome in their St. Patty's Day attire?

10. The electricians are coming out on Saturday to wrap everything up!  We're going to have them install one more light outside of the powder room/by the drop zone.  We've noticed it's a bit dark at night and figured we might as well have them take care of it now.

11. The new bathroom vanity cabinet should be delivered tomorrow or Thursday.  Can't wait to have it installed and to finally be able to check cabinets off the list.

12.  The plumber was supposed to start working Monday but we haven't seen him yet.

13.  Unlucky number 13.  We stopped by the house this weekend to drop off our kitchen faucet and a replacement light fixture that had been purchased broken.  In the time it took us to walk into the house and quickly drop off/check for updates, E discovered the latest project.  They'd filled our master shower basin with cement.  And it was fresh.  I'm sure you can imagine what happened next.  Hubby worked hard to smooth everything out while I cleaned up the kid and his less than two-hours old shoes.  Breath in.  Breath out.  

The countdown is on....20 days to go!

day 119

Hubby and disagreed on how long it'd been seen I'd taken real (e.g. non-iPhone) photos of the house.  I said a week.  He said two.  It kills me to admit that he was right.

Where have the past two weeks gone?  Oh, I know.  A week away for a work conference and then a week for month-end close.  Add in some unplanned (but super successful) potty training and time flies.  So freaking fast sometimes.  Like the fact that my son is now two and a half.  When did that happen?  I swore I just brought him home from the hospital and learned just the right way to swaddle him so that he kept at least one arm snuggled.  Now, he's parading around like a big boy, willing to share his latest bodily movements with just about anyone.

Anyway, I digress.

This past week, in particular, has been a busy one.  Flooring work continued, we met with the granite folks to do a rough layout, trim was delivered, lighting was installed and cabinet installation began.  Cabinets were supposed to start going in on Monday, but due to delays in flooring and trim delivery, the carpenter re-scheduled for Friday afternoon.  Everything is finally starting to come together and the place is looking more and more like a house.  And I think, for the first time Sunday night, I finally had the realization that it's our house... and we'll be making it our home.  It's not just a project we've spent countless hours working on, waiting to hand off to someone else.  Pretty exciting stuff.

I'm mostly going to let the photos speak for themselves.  But, I need to say this -- I love my hardwood floors.  Love, love, love them.  They're the Ponderosa line from Real Hardwood Floors and we chose Alamosa Hickory.  The color is just dark enough, without being too dark -- and just warm enough, without being too red.  And don't mind the dirt; I'll take better photos once the dust settles and the protective paper is removed.

[wall color: Gray Clouds by Sherwin Willams - flooring: Ponderosa Alamosa Hickory by Real Wood Floors]

The tile in the main bath was the first flooring laid - and the one we were least excited to see.  That sounds so anticlimactic, but it's true.  It's a very pretty beige tile.  It really is.  But the tile in my master bath?  And the hardwood floors?  So much more exciting.

[wall color: Nantucket Dune by Sherwin Willaims - tile: Sandolo Acacia Beige by Daltile]

And while I prefaced the master bath tile with being even more exciting, we're still waiting for the best part to be completed.  The floor tile is in - and it's beautiful.  But, we're still waiting on the vein-cut tile to go up in the shower.  It's the tile I originally fell in love with, but ultimately decided to restrict to just the shower because it only came in the large 12x24-inch size.  Our bathroom is somewhat galley style (is it appropriate to describe a bathroom as 'galley'?).  With a narrow center walkway, we feared the large tiles would be overwhelming to the space.  Bummer.

[wall color: Perfect Greige by Sherwin Williams - tile: San Michele Crema Cross-Cut by Daltile]

[the good is coming... this is the bad and the ugly]

[wall color: Perfect Greige by Sherwin Williams - tile: San Michele Crema Cross-Cut by Daltile]

The electricians worked hard to install fixtures and complete wiring over a few different days.  We have been beyond pleased with these guys and I'm super thankful for their laid back manner and willingness to answer my ten thousand questions.  Examples:  Are you installing a doorbell? (A: Yes)  The hallway light seems to be in a really weird place - is that right? (A: That's the smoke detector - the light box was drywalled over)  Can you wait to install our dining room fixture?  I don't want it to get dirty. (A: Sure)  On second thought - can you wait to install the shades on the other drum lights?  I don't want them dirty either. (A: No problem)  On third thought - can you also wait on the kitchen pendants and vanity lights?  (A: Already planning to)  Seriously can't thank them enough for their patience with me.

[Harbor Breeze 44-in Bellevue Ceiling Fan in the two bedrooms]

[Hampton Bay Altura 68 in. Indoor Oil Rubbed Bronze Ceiling Fan in the Living Room] 

[allen + roth 12-in W Bronze Traditional Pendant Light with Clear Shade in the foyer]

[allen + roth 12-in W Bronze Traditional Pendant Light with Clear Shade in the kitchen]

The only bad part about all of these fixtures going up so quickly was our lack of planning in purchasing light bulbs.  When we got the call on Monday that they were ready for fixtures the next day, I had a momentary freak-out that we hadn't purchased any light bulbs.  Oooops.  We'd also forgotten to purchase the motion light for the side of the house.  Double oooops.

I immediately started making a list of the fixtures, required numbers of bulbs and ideal wattages and Hubby began scouring Lowe's and Menards for exterior motion lights.  I'm happy to report that between my diligent list making, Hubby's diligent shopping, and a properly-timed sale at Lowe's, we did end up getting everything out to the house by the next day.  And with only one mistake.  We decided to 'go green' and try LED lights for the first time in the bedroom ceiling fans.  Well, they were the wrong size...or the wrong shape...or something.  Lucky for us, the fans came with bulbs and we just hadn't noticed.  I'll mess with the LED bulbs later, and for now, will be thankful to return $60 worth of light bulbs.

[Harbor Breeze 60-in Saratoga Oil-Rubbed Bronze Ceiling Fan with Light Kit in the master bedroom]

[allen + roth Semi-Flush Mount Light in the back hallway]

[Hampton Bay Altura 68 in. Indoor Oil Rubbed Bronze Ceiling Fan in the Living Room] 

[allen + roth 12-in W Bronze Traditional Pendant Light with Clear Shade in the kitchen]

[Patriot Outdoor Double Glass Wall Light by the garage]

They really busted their you-know-whats to get most of the electrical done and I believe the following is just about all that's left:
- Install large drum pendant in the dining area.
- Install shades on smaller drum fixtures in laundry room, flex room and master closet.
- Install single sconces in master bathroom (flanking each pivot mirror).
- Install vanity lights in main bath (above mirrors).
- Install kitchen pendants above peninsula.
- Return LED light bulbs.
- Install exterior motion light.
- Pick up a replacement glass shade from Lowe's (so thankful only one fixture has been damaged - and luckily it's one we picked up in town).

The trim was delivered on Friday morning while we were at the house.  The delivery truck ended up blocking us in the driveway, so we spent quite a bit more time at the house than we'd intended.  Someone started to get a wee bit bored and started hiding in closets.  Adorable, no?

NOTE: This update  has been semi-drafted since Friday evening but I'm just now getting the chance to wrap it up.  Interested in what's happened since Friday?

Swoon!  More details to come.