slow and steady wins the race

also...what the hell is taking so long

I apologize for not writing sooner. It's just that everyone sucks.

It feels like forever since my last update.

It's just that it has been a longggg four (that's right! 4!) months of headaches and agony. But since you asked ...I am going to show you the house as it stands today. It has definitely made progress...but just not as fast as my bank account would have liked it.

the new question people constantly ask me is:

  • when does your contractor think you are moving in (this is the one that gets me cray)
  • don't you think it'll all be worth it in the end? (meh.  maybe.)
  • when you're done will you help me with my home (hahahahahaha)
  • i'm thinking of building a new home - should I do it?  (see detailed answer below)
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the final countdown

So noooo. We have not moved in - I know - shocker. I dont even know when we will move in...that's how ridiculous it is. When i talk about this project...people will tell me about their "house horror" story. And you know what...I love hearing these types of stories! I don't feel so alone and for some reason it makes me feel better. I know - I'm a horrible human.

But...here is the crazy part...we are moving out at the end of the month (4 weeks from today) whether or not these "people" are done with the house. It's so unorganized and it's like herding cats. Cats that are all fighting with each other and cats that love to take long lunch breaks (or just not show up at all).

So...if you have a nice place to stay with a fully stocked bar and room for four humans plus Thurgood the dog (see previous post) and Mimi the cat..let me know. We may need to move in.

ta daaaaaa....

we have had to make a gazillion and 1 decisions to get this house to the point it is today.

  • tile and grout (my fave thing that has happened in months)
  • plumbing fixtures (this was pretty fun too)
  • doors and interior trim 
  • paint - I used a Sherwin Williams paint consultant - more on that later 
  • columns and railings
  • rear porch decking
  • A/V and security equipment
  • metal roofing (Tesla tiles not ready til late 2020.  ugh.)
  • garage door
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a really weird view of the porch. i love the simplicity of the columns

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rear of the house

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rear of the house. hardie panel walls will be painted at a later date / who knows when

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rear of the house. see cool new chimney vent

hmmm...I've never done that detail before!

Every time I meet with a new contractor and I show them a detail or an image of something I want to do on the house...they say something like "oh! that's interesting! I have never seen it done that way. but that looks good!" Or " wow. I never thought to do it that way...its really complicated but sure...we can do it!". It's like I'm asking them to build me something SO out of this world, so crazy like a moving staircase from Hogwarts castle. It's really not that hard people. But - apparently it is.

One of those HUH type moments was the exterior siding. We decided on this type of siding that has more of an architectural design - it has a true shadow line under each piece of siding as well as they can be cut so there are NO corner trim pieces.

Normally houses that have this type of siding have corners that look like this - with vertical pieces that cover the corners.

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See pic below of the corner of our house. Notice there is no end or corner trim to this siding. It's SO much cooler and more modern. The siding manufacturer has it all over the website shown like we have built it and they claim they do it all day long on the west coast. The siding contractors I encountered said they had never done it like this and was double the amount of time. Whatevs. This was a huge hassle and more money but one detail that I think will be worth it in the end.

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side of the house. note cool corner with no corner trim

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here is an up close of the stone. I love it..simple but clean. it took FOREVAAAAA to install. again - the installers had no idea what to do...but after a couple of tries and many days... in the end did a great job. pssst - look at that corner! #sidingnerd

interior pics

here are some interior photos...there aren't too many because the house is a complete and total disaster right now. Did i mention we have less than 4 weeks to move in (with a holiday in between!).

We chose a LOT of finishes these past couple of weeks. One of them that was particularly hard for me was the paint. I can do this pretty easily for clients but...it was tough for me...I have never had to pull together such a large palette before. So - I went to the Sherwin Williams store to look at paints readying myself to agonize over each and every room. But - for only $95 you can hire a paint consultant come to your house for 90 minutes and she helps you pick out all the paints and all the finishes for each room. It was worth it for me - saved me so much time to talk through each and every room with someone else who has a good eye for color. She was so easy to work with and had such great ideas that I would not have thought of. Oh - and they also give you a $50 gift card for anything at the SW store. I love me a deal!

Reader beware: the paint choices are not for the average bear...most are dark and bold and (I think) fun.

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testing out the location of where the cool fireplace is gonna go

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son #2 bath - fun tiles in niche

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close up of kids bath flooring - same as niche

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son #1 bath

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dark green sunroom

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game room / XBox room for boys. It's an almost black paint...i really love it.

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my little guy with a big toothy grin. and yes - we are painting his wall red! GO Terps!

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stairs are in. railings coming in a couple of days

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dont mind the mess. just imagine this space with a tv and a comfy couch.

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view looking to the kitchen. love all the light coming in through the clerestory windows.

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glam master bath tiles. not installed yet. gulp.

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kitchen countertops and cabinet swatches

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design sesh at Architectural Ceramics. SO much fun

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Canadian hardwood floors throughout - can you guess which one we picked?

It has been difficult to get excited about this project - even with the end so near. I just want to move in and have my life back. I want a day where I can just come home, do homework with kids at the big island, cook ribs in the Instant Pot and not have to think about roofing or trim or contractors or weather delays or shoddy materials or writing humongous checks.

I am really hoping that you guys are right. That one day when we move in...it will all be worth it. I need to start becoming a normal human again.