First Final Walkthrough

Yesterday we had our "First Final Walk-through".  The house turned out great and we are very satisfied with the builder.  No complaints at all.  When we were finished, we had a punch list but all the items were minor paint and stain details - nothing significant.  Today we signed papers which went surprisingly well.  It was one of the easiest signing we've experienced.  Isn't that sad we can compare this signing with others...plural!

Next week comes the "Last Final Walk-through" where we get the keys and then the move begins.  Sometime in between, there's this holiday we'll celebrate and we have to pack.  Busy times. 

Thanks to Mr. Bob, our Realtor, for helping us successfully navigate the California real estate market.  He was patient, observant, keen to our likes and dislikes, all wrapped together with a great sense of humor.  If anyone is in the market to purchase in the Roseville/Lincoln/Rocklin/Granite Bay area let us know and we'll be glad to give the referral.

Here are some photos from yesterday.

Have we mentioned that we love the carpet?

 

Looking over the balcony to the downstairs.  The stained spindles were perfect.  Going with white would have been a mistake.

These floors are just asking for a game of broom hockey!

View of the kitchen with lots of cabinets.  On the right are the two "morning cabinets" which will house the wedding china and heirloom pieces.  The shelves at the end of the island will be great for storing cookbooks.  I can just see all the great bowls of cereal that will be poured in this gourmet kitchen!

Hudson Bay Blankets

Winter has arrived.  Some places get more winter than others.  Flagstaff, home of our alma matter, had it's first blizzard in years this month.  It's raining here in Northern California and snowing in the Sierra's.  Hot chocolate is going quickly in our house and the coats, extra blankets, knitted caps and cashmere scarfs are out.

This weather has reminded me of an item that I believe is a must have yet strangely I don't have.  That item is a Hudson Bay blanket.

Image courtesy of LL Bean.

These blankets are the standard for all other blankets.  Available and used for over 200 years, the history of a Hudson Bay blanket is fascinating.  From the Hudson Bay Company website:

Each blanket was graded as to weight and size using a point system. Points were identified by the indigo lines woven into the side of each blanket. A full point measured 4 - 5.5 in.; a half point measured half that length. The standard measurements for a pair of 1 point blankets was: 2 ft. 8 in. wide by 8 ft. in length; with a weight of 3 lb. 1 oz. each. Points ranged from 1 to 6, increasing by halves depending upon the size and weight of the blanket. The number of points represented the overall finished size of the blanket, not its value in terms of beaver pelts as is sometimes believed.

Wool, heavy, warm with the iconic striping and a rich history...no other blanket is like a Hudson Bay.

What a Conundrum

The carpet was installed late last week.  It looks great!  Here's a picture of the master bedroom. 

The color is "toast" and is a low pile carpet inspired by the sisal carpet in Legacy Books in Plano, TX.

We measured some windows for coverings.  Bedrooms and bathrooms come first.  The plan is to go slowly so we do it right.  The back windows are so large and let in so much light that it would be criminal to cover them completely.

Our first post included a brief discussion about what to do with the stair case.  The end decision was stain.  Earlier last week it was stained and we don't regret the decision.

Please excuse the Blackberry photo.  Getting into the house was a surprise and we didn't have our camera with us.

Now here is the problem.  Our first home was a small (950 square feet) Craftsmen home.  Interestingly, this first home is our bench mark for every subsequent home we have lived in.  Why?  Because of its character!  Here's a picture from the street.

The front porch was painted to look like tile.  It looked so good people would be surprised when we told them it was not tile.  To the right you'll notice a small nook.  In this nook were cabinets and a beautiful stained glass window complete with lead cames.  This window was original to the home.  The WPA stamp in the sidewalk out front made the home at least 50 years old.

Notice the woman walking on the path to the windmill.  A recessed light in the hutch lighting the window from above created a beautiful scene at night from the outside.

The hutch was also the perfect location for a Mother in Law's Tongue.  No plant we've had since has thrived like that one did.  Our china and various heirloom items looked great behind the glass door windows.  The pitcher and basin on the left is from a family ranch and is over 100 years old.  It's beautiful!  Thanks to my wife's father for having the foresight to preserve this great feature of the home when he restored it.

Lately I've been haunted by the fact that we're moving into is a track home in a suburb.  That's how it is these days so the challenge is to give our new home character...something to make it stand out from the others - make it ours.  What we have to do to make that happen, we're not sure but we're going to figure it out - so stay tuned!

Aperture is measured in “f” numbers.

Our camera is a digital point and click.  Inexpensive and easy to use.  I don't know anything about the science of taking good photos but that's OK - I know I'm not a photographer, don't pretend to be and I'm OK with that. 

Recently I found some great software for touching up photos.  It takes this...

And makes this...

The software is Poladroid and is fun and can create some interesting looks.  Available for Windows and Apple.

A blank canvas.

Habitually Chic had a great post recently.  I'd love to have a grid of art or photos on a wall.  Some nice landscape photos - or perhaps amateur photos of the family in black and white.  I think any grid looks best in black and white.  I'm reminded of some friends in Texas who had a great display of photos of the children.  All taken by their mom. It was inspiring then and now and not difficult to do.  (Translate that to there's no reason to not do it other than being just lazy.)

Now we're getting excited!

Last week the Mrs. snuck in during the day and took some photos of the tile.  While at the design center we decided to put what little money we did have into the master bathroom.  That decision was vindicated when we saw the tile in the bathroom.  What a difference a couple of small changes make.  Those changes include a tile with more color - less washed out - and 18" tile on the floor.  The photos don't do it justice.

This will be the garden tub with a small glimpse of the 18" tile on the floor.

The shower before the glass doors and walls are installed.

The shower floor with the diagonal tile.  A small but nice touch.  We dropped by late in the evening after a trip to the bike shop and had a great surprise.  We found the front yard was landscaped which was a relief with rain coming next week.  And even better, the wood floors are in. 

Even in the dark and covered in paper it looked fantastic.  (Please be patient with the photos, they're taken through a window on a Blackberry.)  The kitchen looked great also.

The under-cabinet lights are a nice touch.  So here we are pushing into the last stretch for a holiday move.  It's exciting but a tough balance as we try to lessen the children's disappointment there will be no Christmas tree this year.

Cabinets and Apples

Now that the home is locked at night we've taken to sneaking in during the day.  On the most recent visit, the tile layer was there working on the 2nd bath upstairs.  Things are really taking shape now.  The cabinets are in and the baseboard is down.  Here's a view of the kitchen.

We have no regrets in the chosen color.  On the right you'll notice the "Morning Cabinet".  That was an extra we splurged on.  There are actually two cabinets each with a glass front placed on both sides of a window.  The idea for this space is to have a place to put our wedding china.  That's a thrill - having something to do with the wedding china other than storing it in boxes our entire lives!  Here's a close up of one of the cabinets.

Enough of the house.  Now for some local Sacramento sightseeing.  The other weekend we went to Apple Hill in the Placerville area.

We had a good time.  There's a maps with each site numbered.  We had an experienced friend (thanks Dave) provide his recommended itinerary.  It was a good time.  The donuts and apple cider were good, the area beautiful, the air crisp and the fall colors dazzling for Arizona natives like us!  We plan on going back next year.

Deck the Walls

We already own some vintage cycling posters that will be prominently displayed in the den.  Our source is World Cycling Productions.  They have a great selection including all our favorites.

 

Now to the previous post's quote.  It's from one of our favorite movies..."North by Northwest".  We're thinking of hanging a movie poster near the TV in the family room.  Something like this from MoviePosters.com...

What movie poster would you choose to hang in your house?

We have a closing date!

We heard this week that we'll close on the house on December 29th.  Not the greatest time to be moving but the excitement we have to be in the house makes up for it.  Now the house is locked when they're not working on it so we can't get inside.  Oh well.

After peeking in the windows today we saw that the interior paint is done.  Baseboards are down.  Cabinets are in and the most beautiful brown.  There is definitely no second guessing on the pick of colors.  Overall, the color scheme will be warm and inviting.  The front entry decorative rock is in.  Here's a photo.

A recent post at Habitually Chic had this photo.

Aren't the stacks of books great?   Love it!

We'll try to post more this week...with an idea of what the next post will be about we'll end with this quote.

Now you listen to me, I'm an advertising man, not a red herring. I've got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don't intend to disappoint them all by getting myself "slightly" killed. 

Kudos to those who know what this is from.

...it's a... growth industry...

There will be a den in the house.  A place for books, a desk, an easy chair.  A place to relax and be alone with your thoughts as much as you can with a 12 and 9 year old boy in the house.  Dens conjure up images of golden retrievers, floor to ceiling book cases, big leather chairs, pipe tobacco and scotch.  We already have a dog but he's a black lab and a part of the family so no getting rid of him.  Also, we don't drink alcohol or smoke so book cases and chairs will have to suffice.

Since the wood floor is darker than the current furniture we'll have to get new items.  Here's what is being considered from Ikea.

Glass Door Cabinet

 Bookcase

Tabletop for the Desk

 And table for the TV - we'll have to get a new TV also - oye! This is getting expensive!

So we'll start saving now and get these one at a time.  Come back in 5 years and hopefully we'll have it all matching and complete.

And in case you're wondering, the title of this post comes from the movie "Grosse Point Blank". While picking up Debi for the reunion Marty is visiting with Mr. Newberry in his den while he reads a book. The conversation goes like this.

Mr. Newberry: What have you been doing with your life?
Marty: Uh... professional killer.
Mr. Newberry: Oh! Good for you, it's a... growth industry.

The dark humor in that movie is irresistible.

It's starting to come together.

The first coat of stucco is on.

Sheetrock is hung and taped.

Before the sheet rock was hung, we did a walk-through with the project manager.  It's impressive the details they cover.  The walls were checked for straightness and either shaved or shimmed to compensate for inconsistencies.  There's a whole house pest treatment system.

Running through the exterior walls of the house are small tubes.  From the exterior of the home the pest control company can come and inject the pesticide and it circulates through then entire home creating a "ring of defense".  I've read up on it and some naysayers allege that it not only keeps the bugs out but also keeps them in.  Hmmm.  Well, the fact that the company has to be paid to do this eliminates the option.  Alas, we are cheap in that area.  What is cool is the smart box in the master closet.

All things tech go into this box including phone, satellite and the DSL.  We have satellite but that's never been a problem.  Phone, nope - we're 100 percent cellular.  DSL - a distinct advantage due to the fact that no modem is required.  The router plugged directly into the wall is our onramp to the information superhighway! The mortgage company also let us know today that "now is the time to lock-in our rate".  There's nothing like a Christmas move!

It's so small, they recently had the whole country carpeted.

The title to this post comes from the movie Arthur.



In past houses, we've had cheaper carpet and the wear paths come too quickly.  Once those paths appear they serve as a constant reminder of the future need to pay a lot of money on flooring and frankly, wouldn't we all want to spend our money on something other than carpeting?  So this time we decided to put all our extra budgeted money into carpeting. 

At Legacy Books we quickly fell in love with their sisal carpeting.  We went for a similar look.  I came across a post at The Newlywed Diaries which had a carpet very similar if not identical to what we chose. 

So here's hoping this carpet will last like we were told it would.  No wear marks for at least 7 years.  Wouldn't that be great?!

Sheet rocking started today.  The entire upstairs is hung and 75 percent of downstairs is complete.  Tape and texture should be complete by next week.  Onward and upward!

Work Continues

Wow, it's been too long. Work continues on the house. It's ready for stucco. The electrical, phone, cable etc are all in. Insulation appears to be substantially complete. Tomorrow they're supposed to begin hanging the sheet rock. Things are moving along and we look forward to getting out of the rental into a place where we can hang our photos.

Have I mentioned that Andrew Wythe is a favorite? To this day, Christina's World stops me in my tracks.  I remember as a little child staring at my mother's print of the painting and being impressed that the girl is crippled, perhaps with polio.  I wondered how she got out into that field.  Was she waiting for someone to get her?  Perhaps she was left alone and stranded there with no way to return to the protection of her home.  I remember how I'd stay in my great-grandmother's farm house in Kansas.  This scene reminded me of summer vacations there.  This is the only painting that really moves me the way art is supposed to.

But alas, I digress.  Adieu.

A Brazilian Beauty

On Saturday we went and picked out the granite for the kitchen counters.  Here is the main slab that we chose.

We decided to go with a Brazilian granite.  Sounds exotic eh?  We thought so also until we were told that roughly 80% of granite comes from Brazil.  So that's like saying we went with a "German Volkswagen" just to sound posh.  On our way home we worked on channeling our New Englander snob - "Yes, but is your granite from Brazil?"  Think of Louis Winthorpe III when saying it and you'll get it just right.

 

We're happy with the choice.  It's a neutral color and provides for flexibility with the accent colors.  So now we're done with selections and await the house to be completed.  The plumbing is in right now and we're expecting electrical soon.  Then we sign off on the electrical before the sheet rock is hung.  This should all happen by the end of the month.

The roof is also on for the most part.  This is good since there is a storm forecast for early this coming week.  Having the roof on will hopefully prevent loss of work days.  I was very pleased to see them working on Saturday to get the roof on.  Here's a photo from earlier in the week of the tiles getting loaded to the roof.

We hope to close before the end of the year and realize it will be close. We have nothing but good to say so far about the builder and the process.  This is our 2nd home we built and the 5th one we've bought and it's been the best experience - from the realtors to the construction crews to the suppliers. As things progress we get more excited to move in.

Watching Paint Dry

We haven't posted for some time.  Life has been busy.  There was a family reunion in Arizona.  Business trip to Chicago.  Conference and friends in Utah.

As for the title of the post - it appears that right now watching the house be built is like watching paint dry.  Very subtle changes week by week.  We're told that once the exterior is done, sheet rock is hung and cabinets are in then things move quickly.  We hope so as the goal is to close and move in by the end of the year.

During all this time we managed to make it to the design center and had a productive morning with Troy picking out tile, paint color and carpet.  Here's a photo of our final choices.

We're happy with the choices and think it will go well with our existing furniture.  There's a couple of pieces that will need to be replaced but those are minor.  During our time at the center, we were looking to upgrade tile in the heavy traffic areas downstairs.  Then Troy threw a "wrench in the gears" by saying that we could go with wood and also save some money.  We jumped at that suggestion and substituted wood floors for tile.  The wood should make for a great entry into the home.

 

The roof is decked and appears to be ready for the tile.  Sheet rock is sitting in the garage.  And there appear to be boxes ready for the lights on the front of the house.

So that's the update - and more design and decorating inspiration to come this week - we promise!

It's been a long time...

Almost a week has passed. Wow. Business trips and family reunions are the cause for our derelict posting. So the 2nd floor is framed and they're starting to deck.

And we're not sure if we should be nervous about the big question mark on the floor.  Is this a sign of things to come?

When we first started this blog - we asked about what kind of spindles and ballusters we should have on the stair case.  Happy to report we've gone with something more rustic - the natural pine 2x4.

And lastly, we are excited about the radiant barrier going in the ceiling.  Coupled with the whole house fan we're hoping to see some energy savings.

While it's not solar, it should put a dent in the bill and we can feel good about being "green".  Our carbon footprint has been a concern to us lately so this helps put our minds at ease.  ;-)

As a family we walked around the house on Saturday.  Our oldest son was especially excited to see the view he'll have from his bedroom window.

It is a good view and worth the lot premium we paid.  At least that's what we tell ourselves to feel better.  But then the builder raised the price by $3,000 this week so we're already up in equity!  Should we flip now or wait?!

For inspiration in our decorating some other blogs have had some good stuff this week.  We recommend Brooklyn Limestone for some Restoration Hardware ideas - like this one.

Instead of towel bars we're going with hooks.  We're seeing more and more of these like here at Just Beachy and also here in some model homes we toured.

The better half says the photos are too close.  Yeah, photography is not my strong point but you get the idea.  In the future the photos will be better, promise!  Thanks for reading and have an enjoyable week.  We have the design center on Wednesday so wish us luck!  More to come after that day.