Friday, July 12, 2013

My outside fireplace

My Outside Fireplace



We're getting the last few touches done now - like the installation of the outside fireplace.

This was another of my "must haves". [I know - I've had several]

I first saw an outside fireplace on a very reasonably priced house which was one of the last houses we looked at before we decided to build.  I figured if they could afford an outside fireplace on a reasonably priced build - then certainly I could afford it on mine.  The covered patio might have had a little something to do with driving up the price on my build :(

But by this time, I was in love and no one could talk me out of this.



I can envision many wonderful fall nights sitting out under my covered patio with a glass of wine in hand. 


Wednesday, July 10, 2013

It's Cabinet Time

It's Cabinet Time


Lots of exciting things are happening now!  My cabinets were delivered today.  Looks like the cabinets will be delivered over a few days.  Here is the first shipment of the laundry cabinets

 



Here is the kitchen - pre-cabinet installation




A few cabinets dropped into the Master Ensuite











Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Bathrooms - almost done.

Bathrooms - almost done.


I may not have written here about the agonizing decision regarding bathrooms during our home design.  In the first round of floor plans the architect presented us with a plan showcasing 7 bathrooms.  Yes 7.

Who needs 7 bathrooms?  Certainly not I.  hmmmmm.  Or did I?

Apparently, I did.  4 full bathrooms upstairs, one in the basement and two on the main floor.  It made perfect sense.  Of course, I haven't yet been faced with the task of cleaning all of these bathrooms.

Months spent tile shopping have finally come to fruition.  The tile installation is not yet completed.  Saddly, our tile calculations were somewhat amiss, and now we wait for more tile to be delivered so the tiling project can be finished off.

Here is what we have so far {some bathrooms are complete - just awaiting seats, sills, glass, and plumbing}.

The long debated main floor bath, conveniently located through the kitchen and in the mudroom - accessible through the garage and the mud room door.  Grey glass mosaic tile will complete this shower.


The main floor powder room.  The picture doesn't show it, but we've used alternating rows of matte and polished tile.  The accent tile is Spanish Emperador marble.

 
 
Victor has the "grey" bathroom.  It's beautiful.  His bathroom is done with porcelain tile but it looks so much like marble.  This tile is called "wood grey" and is installed in a 24x24 floor and wall tile.  The accent tile is a random-glass-strip mosaic using the wood grey tile.
 
 
 
 
This is the guest bathroom.
 
 
Sienna's bathroom is not done justice by the pictures.  Her porcelain tile is meant to look like Calcutta Marble.  The accent tile is polished glass - if I've achieved the look I set out to; her bathroom will have a sparkly posh feel to it ~ and the accent tile will like diamonds.
 
 
 
And finally, our ensuite.  Wow.  Just wow.  As beautiful as much of our porcelain tile is ~ nothing compares to natural stone.  This picture is of our shower.
 
 
 
And yes, your math is right. I've only shown you six pictures.  The basement lighting has not been installed and the lighting was too poor for any of the basement bathroom pictures.

Monday, July 8, 2013

The Stairway

The Stairway



Well this may not be the stairway to Heaven, but seeing this beautiful stairway installed definitely evokes feelings of joy (at least for me ~ we've already established that I'm weird about stuff like this).


Rod, our installer, was so precise and meticulous in this installation.  We spent hours (okay, maybe not hours) debating over hand rail, post and end cap designs not to mention all the options in picket style and pattern.  {the pattern of one knucle, two knucle will be forever engrained in my memory}

 
This is the railing that overlooks the great room.