Category Archives: Interior Rooms

Week 18: Getting Ready for a Roof, Window Walkthrough & Countertops

Posted in Countertops, Framing, Laundry Room, Mudroom, Mudroom Bathroom, Rec Room, Windows by

This week seemed like there wasn’t all that much progress when I look at where the house was last week compared to this week, but they actually got quite a bit done.  There were random wall & ceilings that needed to be finished up (or changed…because things didn’t look quite right and I wanted little things slightly different than what was originally planned…hello change order)!  In addition to these little framing things, they were really getting ready for the roof to be put on next week – which meant getting all of the plates/brackets/etc put in the right spots – something that I really don’t even notice.

It's coming along!!

It’s coming along!!

A view of the front from the other direction.

A view of the front from the other direction.

The garage doors were framed this week.

The garage doors were framed this week.

They finished the last little shed roof above the master closet this week.

They finished the last little shed roof above the master closet this week.

Also this week, we decided not to put the windows in the garage. My mom convinced me that there's really no use, and all it does is let people see all the junk in the garage. And with the basketball hoop going in near the garage, maybe they'd just end up broken anyhow.

Also this week, we decided not to put the windows in the garage. My mom convinced me that there’s really no use, and all it does is let people see all the junk in the garage. And with the basketball hoop going in near the garage, maybe they’d just end up broken anyhow.

The mudroom door was FINALLY added this week. The framers made a mistake originally and forgot to put it in! On top of that, we also had them increase the size of the windows in the mudroom (left) and the mudroom bathroom (right).

The mudroom door was FINALLY added this week. The framers made a mistake originally and forgot to put it in! On top of that, we also had them increase the size of the windows in the mudroom (left) and the mudroom bathroom (right).

The laundry room ceiling was finished up this week - I love how the ceiling over the window is sloped and connects with the rest of the vaulted ceiling. A little hard to tell in this picture, but once it's drywalled it'll look amazing!

The laundry room ceiling was finished up this week – I love how the ceiling over the window is sloped and connects with the rest of the vaulted ceiling. A little hard to tell in this picture, but once it’s drywalled it’ll look amazing!

On Friday I met Matt and Andy from Grove Window Supply at the house and we measured & walked through each window and what I wanted the grids to look like.  It took a little over an hour, but it was definitely worth it to be out there.  A few of the windows we hadn’t quite sized or figured out how they open, and Andy had great ideas.  My most favorite decision we made was the window in the staircase.  Because of the stair placement, the window couldn’t be the same size as the others in the lower rec room.  I was going to have it be a little odd in size, and just deal with it, but Andy came up with an awesome idea of just doing the upper 1/2 of the window so that it still aligns with the others in the room…and it looks fantastic!  Such a great idea and I never would have thought of it.  My favorite window is definitely the one above the bathtub in our master – we decided to switch it up as a focal point and put the grids in a diamond pattern.  I think it’s going to be such a cute detail.

We have stairs! Now we can finally get downstairs without walking around the house!

We have stairs! Now we can finally get downstairs without walking around the house! And check out the window at the bottom of the stairs.

I love the new window shape in the staircase. So simple, yet I never would have thought of it!

I love the new window shape in the staircase. So simple, yet I never would have thought of it!

Here's how the lower rec area looks like from the back of the house. The 1/2 window in the staircase is on the lower right.

Here’s how the lower rec area looks like from the back of the house. The 1/2 window in the staircase is on the lower right.

Besides picking out Windows, my mom and I met up on Friday to pick out countertops.  We had gone a couple weeks ago to look at slabs, and found absolutely white quartzite that we loved, but it was at a random fabricator’s shop and Matt had no idea of the quality they’d do.  But lucky for us, we found the same slabs at MSI in Seattle!  Score!!  So now we can have our own (recommended) fabricators do the install and there’s nothing to worry about!  We found 4 slabs, so that’ll take care of the kitchen, powder room & master bathroom.

Slab #1

Slab #1

Slabs #2 & #3 are book-matched.

Slabs #2 & #3 are book-matched.

Another shot of slab #2.

Another shot of slab #2.

Slab #4

Slab #4

Quartzite is so beautiful - check out what sunlight looks like through Slab #2 when it travels through the slab. So gorgeous! Too bad we'll never see it like that in the house.

Quartzite is so beautiful – check out what sunlight looks like through Slab #2 when it travels through the slab. So gorgeous! Too bad we’ll never see it like that in the house.

The slab is so beautiful up close - love the crystal-esque pieces in it.

The slab is so beautiful up close – love the crystal-esque pieces in it.

Close up of the countertop.

Close up of the countertop.

Another detail picture

Another detail picture

Four slabs of absolute white quartzite - yes please!

Four slabs of absolute white quartzite – yes please!

While we were at MSI, we also checked out the quartz slabs that they had.  Quartz is a man made stone and it super durable, and we’re thinking of using it in the laundry room and boys’ bathroom.  They had a really cute white slab of quartz with little blue-green glass and mirror pieces in it, and we found this green glass tile.  We thought it might be cute for the laundry room – super clean feeling.

Sparkling white quartz - maybe an option for the laundry room!

Sparkling white quartz – maybe an option for the laundry room!

We found this arctic ice glass subway tile (the top one), that is super clean and fresh looking.

We found this arctic ice glass subway tile (the top one), that is super clean and fresh looking.

Here's a close-up of what the slab and tile look like together.

Here’s a close-up of what the slab and tile look like together.  Both of these look so much prettier in person – but it gives you an idea of the look.

Week 17: Framing Continues and Interior Selections – Flooring, Counters & Some Tile

Posted in Countertops, Decor, Exterior Design, Framing, Great Room, Kitchen, Laundry Room, Mudroom, Tile by

This week they focused on more framing on the house.  The gable on the front of the garage was completed and the roof sheathing was finished up.  They also framed both of the shed dormers above the laundry room and the master closet.  It’s looking pretty good, and it’s exciting to see what it feels like with a ‘roof’.  I was out there earlier in the week talking with Matt about locations for blocking for things like towel rings and millwork.  There’s so many details – and things you normally don’t have to think about – like which side you like the toilet paper holder located on.

The front of the house is getting pretty far along. The gable is up in above the garage and the roof line is finished above the laundry room shed dormer.

The front of the house is getting pretty far along. The gable is up in above the garage and the roof line is finished above the laundry room shed dormer.

The gable above the garage was worked on this week. I think it turned out great!

The gable above the garage was worked on this week. I think it turned out great!

Here's the progress made on the back of the house.

Here’s the progress made on the back of the house – the sheathing is all finished!

The view of the back of the kitchen windows.

The view of the back of the kitchen windows.

Here's what the back of the house looks like from right underneath it.

Here’s what the back of the house looks like from right underneath it.

Here's a panoramic of the back of the house.

Here’s a panoramic of the back of the house.

The shed dormer was put in laundry room this week.

The shed dormer was built to finish up the laundry room roof this week.

This wall will eventually have our stove centered between the doors. The opening on the right leads to the butler's pantry & dining room. And the opening on the left leads to the pantry, laundry & mudroom.

This wall will eventually have our stove centered between the doors. The opening on the right leads to the butler’s pantry & dining room. And the opening on the left leads to the pantry, laundry & mudroom.

This is a view from the kitchen into the great room. The opening on the left will be a pass-through with cabinetry in front of it.

This is a view from the kitchen into the great room. The opening on the left will be a pass-through with cabinetry in front of it.

Spencer came with us today to check out the progress on the house. He said that the house is built, it just needs a 'couple more things'!

Spencer came with us today to check out the progress on the house. He said that the house is built, it just needs a ‘couple more things’!

There's Joel - checking out the kitchen!

There’s Joel – checking out the kitchen!

Here's a view of the kitchen windows. Joel and I can't decide if we want built-in benches here and where to add them in the space.

Here’s a view of the kitchen windows. Joel and I can’t decide if we want built-in benches here and where to add them in the space.

The great room looks really good - although the ceiling is too high, so we decided this week that we're going to drop that down.

The great room looks really good – although the ceiling is too high, so we decided this week that we’re going to drop that down.

On Saturday, we scheduled our first trip to pick out some of the finishes.  My mom and I went up to Everett to CFM which has a lot of selections to choose from.  We spent a couple hours with the designer (Jodi) and really didn’t get a whole lot picked out.  We settled white oak floors finished on site.  That’ll be the main floor covering for the upstairs and downstairs.  Because the downstairs is a slab on grade we had to go with an engineered hardwood.  But we can actually get engineered wood that can be finished onsite so we can have it exactly match the upstairs – love that!  I’m pretty sure that we’ll go with a hardwood stain that’ll be pretty close (maybe a touch lighter) than natural white oak, but since it’ll be finished onsite we’ll get to choose the stain color after it’s installed.

Here's an example of the color of white oak that we'll have. Since we're having it finished onsite it won't really exactly look like this, but it at least gives us an idea of what the finish will ultimately look like.

Here’s an example of the color of white oak that we’ll have. Since we’re having it finished onsite it won’t really exactly look like this, but it at least gives us an idea of what the finish will ultimately look like.

Other than that, we decided on the type of carpet (which was a super soft one from Shaw), but haven’t chosen the color yet.  Jodi is going to get us a bigger carpet samples in the colors we like so that we don’t have to choose from mini carpet squares – and even that we’ll wait until after the hardwood stain has been chosen and we can see the carpet in our house.  It was so difficult to really see the true color of the carpet samples anyhow, so I’m glad we’ll get to choose once we’re more finished with the house.  We tried to pick out some of our tile, but Jodi was bummed that we didn’t have our counters picked out yet since that really determines the backsplash and floor tile colors.  We looked at a bunch of tiles while we were there, but it was difficult to find exactly what we were looking for.  And it’s surprising how fast 2 hours speeds by!

So, after a couple hours with Jodi, my mom and I went on our own.  First we headed to United Tile just down the street where we actually found the floor tile that we’re going to use in the mudroom.  We ended up going with the Crossville Buenos Aires Mood Porcelain in the color Pilar.  It will be a 12×24 tile – laid at a brick pattern.  And we might end up putting some tile around the border of the room – same tile, just a different size.  We’ll see!

We chose this tile for the mudroom flooring. The flooring in the background is the hardwood that we're going to have.

We chose this tile for the mudroom flooring. The flooring in the background is the hardwood that we’re going to have.

Then we headed down to Georgetown in Seattle to look at slabs for countertops.  We now realize that it’s a priority for us to pick those out before we choose any of the other tile, so we were on a mission.  The first place we went to was META and we found the perfect slab for Joel’s bar downstairs.  It’s a Fantasy Brown Quartzite with a Leathered finish.  The bar cabinets are going to be gray, with a wood bar top, so this is the perfect blend of gray/white/brown to tie everything together.

Joel's bar countertop for downstairs.

Joel’s bar countertop for downstairs.

We found it at META Marble & Granite in Seattle - it's called Fantasy Brown Quartzite with a leathered finish.

We found it at META Marble & Granite in Seattle – it’s called Fantasy Brown Quartzite with a leathered finish.

We went to so many places – MSI, Oregon Tile & Marble, Pental, Daltile and META and didn’t find any that we liked for the rest of the house!  Last year when we were looking at slabs for my mom’s kitchen I found this quartzite and totally loved it!  I should have just bought it back then, but hindsight’s 20/20 I guess.  We couldn’t find any gray/white quartzite that I liked in Seattle.

Last year we found this amazing Silver Storm Quartzite...should have just bought it back then!

Last year we found this amazing Silver Storm Quartzite…should have just bought it back then!

Next we headed to Kent to check out a couple of places we knew about. And we ended up finding this quartzite at Cosmos.  It’s just ok – I don’t think I’m a big fan of how splotchy/spotted it looks.  I like the colors, but the patterning of the stone isn’t something I’d be happy with in the long run.

This slab of

This slab of “New Super White” Quartzite had the right colors – but was too splotchy and not quite right.

After passing on the stone at Cosmos, we checked out Marble & Granite Specialties and found this one.  LOVE!!!  Isn’t it great?  Gray/white, simple, clean – exactly what we were looking for.  The problem though – M&GS is a fabricator and they own the slab.  That means that if we want these slabs, then we have to use them to fabricate them (cut & install the slabs).  And that means we can’t use Jodi’s fabricator – and since Matt’s never used them before we really have no clue if they do a quality job or not.  Such a bummer.  We have a call into Jodi so see if she could find it elsewhere for us.  Cross our fingers.  If she can’t find it, we’ll have to choose if we want to wait to find something different that Jodi can get and install for us, or if we want to take a chance and have the other people fabricate it.

This Absolute White Quartzite is perfect! Hopefully Jodi can find it for us so we can use her fabricators.

This Absolute White Quartzite is great! Hopefully Jodi can find it for us so we can use her fabricators.

Week 16: Roof Sheathing & Well House Foundation

Posted in Concrete Work, Footings & Walls, Framing, Office, Private Well, Utilities by

This week the framers were at the house and primarily focused on sheathing the roof.  Sheathing is when the put the plywood on top of the trusses – this creates the structure for the roof to be installed on.  Joel and I swung by on Thursday early afternoon to see the progress on our way out to Suncadia for a quick getaway with Joel’s work.  They had quite a bit of the sheathing already installed and although it doesn’t look like much was really ‘built’…it’s amazing how adding the roof really makes it feel like rooms.

A glimpse of the progress on Thursday morning.

A glimpse of the progress on Thursday morning.  I’m still not sure when they’ll put the gable on the front of the garage. I would have thought it would have been more logical to build that first and then put up the sheathing.  But what do I know about building houses!?

Quite a bit of the roof sheathing went on this week.

Quite a bit of the roof sheathing went on this week.  The space at ridge of the roof will be where our ridge vents will be located.

We dropped by the house on the way home from our weekend getaway on Sunday and quite a bit more work was done on it…they even started the gable on the garage!

We stopped by the house on the way back from Suncadia on Sunday and they definitely got a lot more done!

We stopped by the house on the way back from Suncadia on Sunday and they definitely got a lot more done!

They even started on the gable on top of the garage!

They even started on the gable on top of the garage!

This will be our office, which will have a vaulted ceiling.

This will be our office, which will have a vaulted ceiling.

The dormers above the window in the master closet and the laundry room haven't been started yet.

The shed dormers above the windows in the master closet (shown in pic) and the laundry room haven’t been started yet.

Cameron checked out the house with us this time, and liked the sawhorses!

Cameron checked out the house with us this time, and liked the set of sawhorses!

The back of the house still needs some sheathing, but it's coming along!

The back of the house still needs some of the roof sheathing, but it’s coming along!

Now it's really easy to see the covered bbq area outside of the kitchen.

Now it’s really easy to see the shape of the covered bbq area outside of the kitchen.

Here's what the house looks like from the front as you'd drive up to it.

Here’s what the house looks like from the front as you’d drive up to it.

Also on Thursday they poured the slab for the well house.  Sheds are allowed to be built to a size of 200 square feet without needing to be permitted through King County.  We ended up building a shed that’s 12′ x 12′ so 144 square feet.  I contemplated building it as big as we could, but Matt convinced me that 12′ x 12′ is definitely big enough to hold everything we we want to and it won’t look huge and out of place.  So…what do we need a well house for?  We will have water storage tanks that will store water as it comes out of the well.  I think the intent is to have 2 large storage tanks.  One for water that we use in the house (potable water) that we’ll end up treating for water quality.  And the other tank will store water that will serve two purposes – the lawn sprinkler system and our house fire sprinklers.  We’re required to have fire sprinklers at our house because King County requires that the fire department needs to be able to reach all exterior walls of the house by walking 150′ around the house.  Unfortunately, with the shape of our house, and how it sits on the property you can’t walk 150′ around both sides of the house and cover the entire back of the house.  So we’re required to put in fire sprinklers.  One good thing is that it’s safer for us – after building and spending so much time on the house, at least if there’s a fire I know that it’ll be put out instantly – or at least delay our house from burning down until the fire department could reach us 🙂  Plus, I think we’ll end up getting lower insurance rates too!

The foundation for the well house was poured this week.

The foundation for the well house was poured this week – a little hard to see, but it’s way down there and actually there’s a guy down there finishing the concrete surface!

Up close pic of the well house foundation slab.

Up close pic of the well house foundation slab.

Week 14: Plumbing Fixtures & a tiny bit of Framing

Posted in Boys' Bathroom, Guest / Rec Room Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry Room, Master Bathroom, Mudroom Bathroom, Plumbing, Powder Bathroom by

This week was pretty slow at the build.  Last week I mentioned that the framers had to work on another job that they committed to prior to ours – so they were there all week.  As it turns out though, a few of their guys actually snuck away to work on our house on Thursday and Friday.  We visited the house this weekend and it didn’t look like much had changed except for a few more ‘barge boards’ were up on the front of the house.  That was, until you actually went inside and then we noticed that the roof was put on the mudroom. This is the transition area that turns the house 45 degrees.  As such, it looks like it took some time to build, and a bit trickier than the other areas of the house.

Here's the progress from this week's work. Not too much changed from last week.

Here’s the progress from this week’s work. Not too much changed from last week.

The temporary construction ramp leads up to the mudroom door. The roof framing above the mudroom is what the guys worked on the couple of days that they were at our house this week.

The temporary construction ramp leads up to the mudroom door. The roof framing above the mudroom is what the guys worked on the couple of days that they were at our house this week.

Here's what the framing looks like from inside the room!

Here’s what the framing looks like from inside the room!

Beside that, the guys also worked on a small area of the back deck which connects the mudroom to the outdoor BBQ area near the kitchen.  Joel and I debated for a while over how much of the back deck should be covered.  We ended up only covering a small spot for Joel to put his BBQ.  The house that we’re renting now has a great covered BBQ area, so that’s now a must on our list.

The crew built a little part of the deck this week that has the covered BBQ area.

The crew built a little part of the deck this week that has the covered BBQ area.

This is a straight-on look at the covered BBQ area. It's right outside of the back door to the kitchen so it will be super close and handy!

This is a straight-on look at the covered BBQ area. It’s right outside of the back door to the kitchen so it will be super close and handy!

Here's the little trusses they used to frame the BBQ area.

Here’s the little trusses they used to frame the BBQ area.

This wall is missing a door - there should be one between the two windows (will get fixed later). That will be the back door from the mudroom which has a bit of a covered porch off the back to let our dog Bella out.

This wall is missing a door – there should be one between the two windows (will get fixed later). That will be the back door from the mudroom which has a bit of a covered porch off the back to let our dog Bella out.

Check out the new view from the kitchen windows - you can see the roof line from behind the mudroom (on the right) and the BBQ area (on the left).

Check out the new view from the kitchen windows – you can see the roof line from behind the mudroom (on the right) and the BBQ area (on the left).

I climbed on top of the dirt stockpile to take this picture - it's hard to fit the whole back of the house in one picture on my iphone!

I climbed on top of the dirt stockpile to take this picture – it’s hard to fit the whole back of the house in one picture on my iphone!

 

This week, my mom and I also did some plumbing shopping.  Actually, over the past 4 weeks my mom and I have been plumbing shopping 3 different times!  I know – I’ve been holding out on you and not telling you this yet 🙂  There’s a few reasons for that actually… Our first plumbing shopping trip was at Rosen Plumbing in Kirkland.  I really had no idea what I was getting into, but imagined that I’d be working with a sales associate, touring the showroom and picking out what I wanted.  I was really a bit under-impressed with actuality though.  We ended up standing around a showroom sink for 2 hours, flipping through manufacturer’s catalogs looking at tiny black & white pictures of different faucet options.  It truly was less than desirable and unbelievably inefficient.  In 2 hours, we didn’t even get through picking out the upstairs!  I went home and decided that it’d be best if I did lots of shopping online to figure out what I really wanted.  Two weeks later, we ended going back to Rosen, this time I was armed with a plan of the exact fixtures that I was looking to purchase.  Now, I was all ready to tell her exactly what I was looking for…the only problem?  They didn’t sell everything I was looking for.  So annoying!!

So this week, my mom and I went to Ferguson to check out the items that I couldn’t order from Rosen.  Ferguson was night and day different than Rosen!  The showroom was GORGEOUS, filled with shimmering lighting fixtures and sparkling faucets.  It was exactly what I was anticipating before we started our original search.  We ended up having an appt with a sales associate there named Hannah and she was fantastic.  She sat us down with us at her desk (novel idea, I know) and went through all of the plumbing fixtures we were looking for.  Then we toured around the showroom looking at fixtures we were interested in and ones she suggested for us.  They had hundreds for us to look at, and it does make it so much easier to see them in person, and they had ALL of the brands we were looking for.  Over the next week, Hannah’s going to send us a quote for everything that was remaining on our list, as well as all the other fixtures that we previously picked out from Rosen.  Her pricing may end up being better, and honestly, it’d be so nice to just deal with one place instead of two (plus Ferguson is conveniently close to where I work)!

Ferguson had HUNDREDS of faucets to choose from.

Ferguson had HUNDREDS of faucets to choose from.

Loved all of their lighting too!

Loved all of their lighting too!

Do you see all of those light fixtures?  I think I might just have to be back another day to look at those.  And bonus, they also sell door hardware!  So, I might have to be back a couple of times!

To give you an idea of what type of fixtures I’m looking at right now, here’s some idea boards I made for each room.  Things are still in flux, but it should be pretty close to what we’ll end up with.  And I haven’t picked out any sinks, but these were my initials after shopping online.  I’m going to wait to order sinks until I have the counter tops and cabinetry all figured out.

Master Bathroom Ideas

Master Bathroom Ideas

Powder Bathroom Ideas

Powder Bathroom Ideas

Boys' Bathroom Ideas

Boys’ Bathroom Ideas

Guest / Rec Room Bathroom Ideas

Guest / Rec Room Bathroom Ideas

Mudroom Bathroom Ideas

Mudroom Bathroom Ideas

Kitchen Ideas - although I still can't decide on a faucet.

Kitchen Ideas – although I still can’t decide on a faucet.

Laundry Room Ideas

Laundry Room Ideas

Joel's Bar Ideas

Joel’s Bar Ideas

Week 13: Trusses are Up & Barge Board Design

Posted in Dining Room, Entry, Exterior Design, Framing, Great Room, Laundry Room by

They really focused on getting the trusses up this week, and unfortunately it’s going a bit slower than expected.  The framers had committed to another job (before taking ours) so they only had a couple of people out there Monday-Wednesday and then nobody worked on Thursday or Friday.  Matt’s expecting that next week it’s going to be pretty slow out there next week too.  Luckily the other job is a pretty small remodel, so it should only take about 10 days to complete.  Nevertheless, that still leaves not too much progress happening on our project, but they did get a lot more of the trusses up!

By Wednesday I think they had all of the trusses up and in place.

By Wednesday I think they had the majority of the trusses up and in place – it looks like they’re still missing some over the mudroom.

Another view from the other side of the front of the house.

Another view from the other side of the front of the house.

The entry started to take shape this week - the doorway and the big dining room window on the right will eventually both have arched tops. I'm loving the oval window up top though!

The entry started to take shape this week – the doorway and the big dining room window on the right will eventually both have arched tops. I’m loving the oval window up top in the bump out though!

Here's a view of the dining room ceiling and you can see that we added in a 10" tray ceiling into the truss design.

Here’s a view of the dining room ceiling and you can see that we added in a 10″ tray ceiling into the truss design.

A view of the trusses from below.

Another view of the trusses from below in the dining room.  Here you can really see the tray ceiling.

This is the ceiling in the laundry room. I went round and round with Matt on the best look for the ceiling in here - I never really liked what the architect came up with, but I'm super happy on what the builder and I designed.

This is the ceiling in the laundry room. I went round and round with Matt on the best look for the ceiling in here – I never really liked what the architect came up with, but I’m super happy on what Matt & landed on.  The ceiling will be sloped and will be raised up in the area where the window is located.

For the main roof that runs side to side, the trusses were so tall, they couldn't fit in on the truck (and be able to fit in a standard driving lane). So the top of the trusses come separate and will eventually be installed.

For the main roof trusses that run from over the main massing of the house, the trusses were so tall they couldn’t fit on the truck (and be able to fit in a standard driving lane). So the top of the trusses come separate and will eventually be installed.

The trusses are up in the great room!

The trusses are up in the great room!

Another view of the trusses from underneath. Love the blue skies!

Another view of the trusses from underneath. Love the blue skies!

On Wednesday during the day Matt called to ask what shaped ends I wanted on the barge boards…the what?  It’s basically the ends of each of the gables, and the tails at the bottom can be cut at whatever angle I wanted.  Most of the homes in the Pacific Northwest have a craftsman look and feel so the barge boards end up being cut with a straight vertical edge to them.

Here's a home that was recently for sale in our area - typical northwest style. Do you see the white trim at the ends of the gables? Those are the barge boards.

Here’s a home that was recently for sale in our area – typical northwest style. Do you see the white trim at the ends of the gables? Those are the barge boards.

In the close up you can see that the ends are cut vertically.

In the close up you can see that the ends are cut vertically.

Matt says that ALL of the homes around here that have been built recently have them cut vertically.  Of course, I HAVE to be different though.  I know it looks just fine, but really I’m not a fan.  I think that it screams craftsman and I’m tired of that look – like he said – ALL homes around here are like that.  The homes that I really like the look of have the ends cut at a right angle (90-degrees for all of you who don’t remember that from geometry class).

Here's another house built on Lake Washington. Do you see the ends of the gable on top of the house - that's the shape I want, 90 degrees. So maybe not ALL homes around here have vertical ends, do they!

Here’s another house built on Lake Washington. Do you see the ends of the gable on top of the house?  That’s the shape I want, 90 degrees. So maybe not ALL homes around here have vertical ends, do they!

So, the first ones went up and our house and I think they look great.  I can’t wait to see how they look on the front of the house!

After installing just a few of the barge boards, I can already tell I made the right decision. Love 'em!

After installing just a few of the barge boards, I can already tell I made the right decision. Love ’em!

Week 12: Framing Continues, Trusses Delivered & Fireplace Shopping

Posted in Framing, Great Room, Master Bathroom, Master Bedroom by

This week Matt’s subs worked on more framing of the main level of the house.  The garage was started, more walls were put up around the house and by the end of the week, the trusses were delivered!

The garage framing started this week. We're going to enjoy finally being able to park our cars in the garage and having a space for all of the boys' toys in the extra bay.

The garage framing started this week. We’re going to enjoy finally being able to park our cars in the garage and having a space for all of the boys’ toys in the extra bay.

This will be our staircase, which is located just behind the fireplace in the great room.

This will be our staircase, which is located just behind the fireplace in the great room.

The walls are now all up it the master bedroom. Joel and I think it's the perfect size.

The walls are now all up it the master bedroom. Joel and I think it’s the perfect size.

Here's our master bath. Underneath the big window we'll have our vintage clawfoot tub.

Here’s our master bath. Underneath the big window we’ll have our vintage clawfoot tub.

It was neat to see how they constructed the main focal wall in the great room - first on the ground and then they raise it up.

It was neat to see how they constructed the main focal wall in the great room – first on the ground and then they raise it up.

Before the trusses could go on, they braced all of the walls in the house. Now it's so difficult to walk through the house - like a giant spider web of 2x4's.

Before the trusses could go on, they braced all of the walls in the house. Now it’s so difficult to walk through the house – like a giant spider web of 2×4’s.

By Friday, two truckloads of trusses were up on the roof! Next week they'll work on standing them upright and in place.

By Friday, two truckloads of trusses were up on the roof! Next week they’ll work on standing them upright and in place.

The great room wall is finally up!

The great room wall is finally up!

Here's what the house looks like from the backyard - really the only view you can see that it's two stories.

Here’s what the house looks like from the backyard – really the only view you can see that it’s two stories.

Another view of the back of the house.

Another view of the back of the house.

Here you can see what the house looks like from the other end of the house and you can finally see where the windows are going to be on the side of the garage. I still haven't decided if we'll keep those or not.

Here you can see what the house looks like from the other end of the house and you can see where the windows are going to be on the side of the garage. I still haven’t decided if we’ll keep those or not.

Besides all of the work on the house, Matt sent us to pick out a fireplace for the great room.  For the fireplace, I really just want something simple and easy looking.  No fancy arches, iron work, flames, etc.  Just a simple gas fireplace.  Joel and I totally agree on this too – we don’t really use the fireplace, but it’s just something nice to look at and brings in the traditional feel that we want in the great room.  That said, my mom and I went up to Monroe Fireplace which was recommended to us by the builder, but it was a total disappointment.  They only had ONE fireplace that was super simple.  The others all felt like they belonged in a cabin.  And to top it off, the majority of their fireplaces were at the Evergreen State Fair on display!  And honestly, the proportions weren’t great on the one fireplace they had either – it wasn’t very tall.  And I was looking for something more square.

We had some more shopping to do in Kirkland, stopped for lunch, and  then checked out Fireside Home Solutions in Bellevue.  Their showroom was WAY bigger than the one in Monroe and they had three different fireplaces that met what I was looking for!  We ended up choosing the least expensive of the three since the fireplace really isn’t a high priority for us.

We ended up choosing this Heat-n-Glo Slimline. Much better dimensions for our space, very simple and clean looking too.

We ended up choosing this Heat-n-Glo Slimline. Much better dimensions for our space, very simple and clean looking too.

Week 11: Framing the Main Level Begins

Posted in Entry, Exterior Design, Framing, Great Room, Kitchen, Master Bedroom, Office by

This week they started to build the walls for our main level, which was fantastic because now you can see our home start to take shape from the street.  And we’re able to really walk through the space and see how it’s all coming together.  There’s still a lot more framing to do on the first floor, but below are some in progress photos which show pretty much what some of the spaces will end up feeling like.

By the end of the week, there was a TON of progress on the main level!

By the end of the week, there was a TON of progress on the main level!

Our entry!! The top window will end up being arched, and we're also having them start the side windows lower - so those will increase in height.

Our entry!! The top window will end up being arched, and we’re also having them start the side windows lower – so those will increase in height.

This is what the office windows look like from the outside. It faces the street at the front of the house.

This is what the office windows look like from the outside. It faces the street at the front of the house.  We’ll have vaulted ceilings in here.

This will be the eating area in the kitchen. Joel and I love all of the windows, and how much light it will let into the kitchen.

This will be the eating area in the kitchen. Joel and I love all of the windows, and how much light it will let into the kitchen.

This is also in the kitchen - our sink will be centered underneath the three windows and that door opening will lead outside to the deck.

This is also in the kitchen – our sink will be centered underneath the three windows and that door opening will lead outside to the deck.

These are the windows and door to the deck in our master bath. We love the view!

These are the windows and door to the deck in our master bath. We love the view!

Still framing in progress! Lots to do next week for sure. This will end up being the back wall of the great room where we'll have a set of french doors.

Still framing in progress! Lots to do next week for sure. This will end up being the back wall of the great room where we’ll have a set of french doors.

Throughout the build, we’ve been having the cutest deer family visit us!  There’s definitely a male, female, and I think three (maybe four) little baby deer.  So cute!!

The daddy deer!

The daddy deer!

The cute couple hanging out in our backyard!

The cute couple hanging out in our backyard!

Design Changes

Our only design hiccup this week was that the dining room windows were sized to be 11-feet tall at the height of the curve, but the architect spec’d that the ceiling height in the dining room also be 11-feet!  Eeek, that can’t happen!  So I spent a few hours Tuesday night fixing it and coming up with the plan below.  I ended up having to adjust both the dining room and the entry windows to make it all work. But I think it’ll turn out great!  And bonus, we were able to get rid of the vaulted ceiling in our foyer which I was never a huge fan of anyways!

I changed the entry and dining windows this week to work with the 11' ceiling height.

I changed the entry and dining windows this week to work with the 11′ ceiling height.

Week 9: Lower Level Framing has Begun

Posted in Framing, Guest Room, Playroom, Rec Room by

This week marked a huge milestone with the completion of the foundation and basement slab and the beginning of framing.  Big deliveries of the lumber for our house too!  We opted to use Douglas Fir which is regarded as the highest standard for framing material – all other woods are measured against Douglas Fir because of its high strength, stability values, and excellent performance against strong wind forces.  Did you know Douglas Fir isn’t actually a true fir tree?  It’s scientific name “Pseudotsuga” actually means “false hemlock”…how strange is that?

Anyhow, the builder’s standard would have been to use a Hem-Fir which is a combination of lumber from western hemlocks and true firs (nobles, grand, pacific silver, etc).  Hem-Fir has a lower strength value than Douglas Fir, but it’s still capable of meeting the engineer’s span requirements.  So Hem-Fir would have suited our building needs, but my dad insisted that we upgrade to Douglas Fir.  Dad knows best, huh?!  He thinks we’ll end up with straighter and stronger walls.  Stronger walls…maybe. That was the case with ‘old growth’ Douglas Fir – which isn’t really around anymore.  Everything now is fairly ‘young’ and our builder thinks that now there’s not much of a difference in strength between Hem-Fir and Douglas-Fir lumber.  In any case, we opted for the upgrade to the stronger Douglas Fir.

Lumber was delivered to the property this weekend.

Lumber was delivered to the property this weekend.

Each piece of lumber has a stamp on it which describes the wood species, grading, and processing. Here's an example of ours.

Each piece of lumber has a stamp on it which describes the wood species, grading, and processing. Here’s one of ours.

Also delivered was a lot of the material needed for the floor system between the two floors.  This includes our plywood, TJI joists, and some laminated strand lumber needed in certain spots.  Our engineer spec’d for us to use 110 TJI’s at 24″ on center spacing with 3/8″ plywood sheeting for the subfloor, but we opted to use 210 & 560 TJI’s at 16″ on center spacing with 1 1/8″ plywood sheeting.  So we’re using stronger TJI joists, at a closer spacing, and with thicker plywood – this results in a much stronger floor system, without any deflection or ‘bounciness’ in the floor.

A lot of the lumber for the house was delivered this week!

Even some of the material for the flooring system between the main and lower levels were delivered, including our 1 1/8″ tongue & groove plywood subfloor, Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL’s) and our TJI joists.

Ok, to the fun stuff…the guys started framing the house last Saturday, by snapping lines and prepping for the sill plates.  It’s amazing to see the amount of work they can get done in just one week.  The majority of the basement walls have been framed and you can walk through each of the rooms now.  After working on designing the house for a year, it’s crazy to see it actually taking shape and being able to walk through all of the rooms.  Now that we can walk through them, all of the rooms’ dimensions feel really good – I don’t think any of the rooms feel too small (which I was a little worried about in the guest room).  And the only space that feels big is the storage room downstairs – I guess that’s expected though since it’s 620 square feet!  It’s going to be so nice to actually have some storage in a house – we were definitely missing that in our old house and our garage was always filled with ‘junk’ (as Joel says), like Christmas decorations, patio furniture, and camping gear.  And now that we added a door to the backyard into the storage room we’re really going to be able to access it easily.  Super excited for that space!

Check out our lower level! It's so awesome to see it go up and be able to walk through it now! Absolutely surreal!

Check out our lower level! It’s so fantastic to see it go up and be able to walk through it now!

It's so awesome to walk down the property and see the house! This is looking south at the house, which is Spencer's room on the corner.

It’s so awesome to walk down the property and see the house! This is looking south at the house, which has Spencer’s room on the closest corner.

Here's 4 out of 5 of the windows in the guest room.

Here’s 4 out of 5 of the windows in the guest room.

This is a good look at what it'll feel like in the downstairs rec room. All said and done, there will be two double doors with a pair of windows in between them.

This is a good look at what it’ll feel like looking out of the downstairs rec room. All said and done, there will be two double doors with a pair of windows in between them.

Here's the framing so far in the boys' playroom.

Here’s the framing so far in the boys’ playroom.  There will be a couch to the right and a TV & art center on the left wall.  The boys’ bathroom is straight ahead and bedrooms are in the far right corner.

Here's what the house looks like from the road as you drive up - so much progress this week!

Here’s what the house looks like from our street as you drive up.  They’ve already got the trusses laying down, which they’ll be installing the first part of next week.  It’ll be crazy to see the main level being worked on next week for sure!  Then it’ll actually look like a house from the street!

Here's a view of what those trusses look like from down below...I'm sure they'll be standing them up on Monday.

Here’s a view of what those trusses look like from down below…I’m sure they’ll be standing them up on Monday.

Vintage Clawfoot Bathtub

Posted in Master Bathroom by

Ever since I knew we were going to build a house, I knew that I wanted to have an antique clawfoot tub in our master bathroom.  It’ll be the only tub in the house since all the other bathrooms have showers and I wanted it to be perfect.  I’ve been keeping my eye out at antique stores, architectural salvage shops, craigslist, and antique tub resellers for the perfect one.  And let me tell you – it’s harder than you think to find exactly what you want when it comes to vintage pieces (and for a reasonable price).

But I finally found it…a double ended, center drain, wide brimmed, 6’ long, cast iron, claw foot antique bathtub!!  And it’s absolutely gorgeous!  It’s a Standard (now American Standard) tub from 1912 with all of the original (and working) hardware.  The original fire glazed porcelain is 100% intact, no chips, cracks, rust, etc.  The outside will need to be repainted, and the inside will need to be cleaned up & polished a bit, but honestly, it’s stunning.  I couldn’t be happier or more excited.  Joel bought it for me for my birthday and it’s the most perfect present…I couldn’t have asked for anything better and it’s going to look great in the new house!

Standard 1912 Clawfoot Tub

Standard 1912 Clawfoot Tub

Corner mounted claw foot

Corner mounted claw foot

Original faucets in excellent condition

Original faucets in excellent condition

Wondering how/where I found it?  Of course…craigslist.  It was originally put in a craftsman home out on the Puget Sound in Aberdeen.  So today we rented a Ford Expedition XL, and hired a couple of movers to help us move it out of the house.  And boy did we need the help!  The tub is about 400 lbs, and of course on the second story of the house with a wrap-around staircase.  We are so lucky that we hired a couple of guys to help us move it…there’s absolutely no way that we could have moved it ourselves!

I know it’s a bit crazy to have already purchased the bathtub for our future house when we haven’t even broke ground yet, but it was too good of a deal to pass up – the tub was listed for $1,500 on CL and I negotiated the owner down to $800.  So including the truck rental, gas and movers, we’ve probably invested about $1,100 into it (not to mention a days worth of time to drive there and pick it up).  But it’s such a steal – the same exact tub is listed in an antique salvage shop for $5,500!!  And it has a broken faucet and the porcelain isn’t in nearly as good of shape.  So we think we really scored, plus, it was my birthday!  And what’s life without a little adventure and craziness anyhow?  We’re very excited to put it in the new house, and are extremely happy it won’t need to be moved up any stairs.