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. 

Second Floor Framing

The second floor was framed on Friday and work continues today.

It's beginning to take shape and we have no regrets still.

A blog post this past week is providing a lot of inspiration and dreaming this week.  It's at Velvet and Linen.  Pay particular attention to the great kitchen and laundry room.

We also found the best bags recently.  They're at Cambridge Satchel Company in England.  The bags are great and what's even better, the price is very reasonable.  That is when compared to what you would pay for other name branded bags in the US.  We'll be making a purchase soon.

Work Continues

The floor joists for the 2nd floor are up and the second floor is decked.  Yes, it is getting boring taking photos of a framed house so here's an attempt at something different.  An "artistic" look at floor joists.

Not too exciting?  What if it was black and white?

A bit better but it still is a stretch.  The framing stage fast loses its excitement.  We have an appointment with the design center on 9/30.  At that time we pick out carpet, counter, paint color, and tile.  This is where we also select the upgrades and test the limits of our budget as well as our marriage.  But then, we have redone all the flooring ourselves in one of our houses.  If our marriage survived that, the design center will be easy. ;-)

On another note, one reason we liked this house is that there is a den/office/library.  We've been studying the offerings at Ikea (our favorite place for furniture) and have some good ideas.  A post is coming about that soon.  So in the meanwhile, here's an article about Jay Walker's library, an amazing and one-of-a-kind room.

Walls are up!

The first floor walls went up today.  As we walked through tonight there's the continued assurance and satisfaction that this floor plan is perfect for our needs.  No second guessing or feeling like we're forcing ourselves.

And here's a recommendation for another great design blog.  Velvet and Linen by Brooke Giannetti. If we had the means, she would be on retainer.  Enjoy!

Progress

The framing package arrived yesterday.

And we also have a dumpster on the lot which I guess can protect us from the elements if it comes down to that.

They also chalked where the walls will go.

As I was walking the site a scene from Raising Arizona came into my mind.  It's not on YouTube so here are the lines.

...Lookahere, young sportsman. That - there's the kitchen area where Ma and Pa chow down. Over there's the TV, two hours a day maximum, either educational or football so's you don't ruin your appreciation of the finer things. This - here's the divan, for sociahzin' and relaxin' with the family unit. Yessir, many's the day we sat there and said wouldn't it be nice to have a youngster here to share our thoughts and feelin's -

Today they have the walls framed but not standing.

Now to some decorating ideas.  We want to do some chair rail yet the idea of mitering corners and the cost of molding gives us pause.  However, when looking at a model home we saw what looks like 1/2" x 4" flat board.  Here's a photo.

So the idea is to do this in the bedrooms and use it as a break between different paints.  Then, coincidentally - over at Just Beachy there was a similar project going on.  I don't think we'll be doing as much wood work - just a chair rail - keep it simple.

Image of Raising Arizona courtesy of Bright Lights Film Journal.

Tom, Dick and Harry

First, thanks for all the feedback on the stairs. I believe that we're going with all stained. White reminds me of The Hamptons or Cape Cod, all very far from suburbia.  Stained will contrast nicely against the paint (which will not be white) and be a closer match to our dark furniture and couches.

For this house it will be the first time we don't have shutters or blinds installed. The house will have nice large windows in the back and I don't want them to be covered up. Having shutters makes me feel like I'm in this scene from The Great Escape (the inspiration for this title's post).

So instead of blinds or shutters we're leaning towards tabbed curtains, drapes and roman shades. First in the baths and bedrooms for privacy and then the rest of the house as time and budget allow. It will be fun to choose the colors for the boys' rooms. I think we'll end up with a vibrant red in our bedroom. More to come on this.

Regarding this blog, sorry for the standard template.  The font is Verdana, a favorite of mine.  However, I know that something needs to be done with the colors, background, and title.  We're not sure yet what to do so until then - it will have to remain this blah style.  But also take note that more inspirational blogs have been listed on the right hand side.  These are ones we subscribe to and are a great source of ideas and never want for quality posts.