House Update 1/26/2014

Things are going full speed at the house.  The team was working all weekend to get the house ready for our town inspection so the insulation and blue board can start this week.  As our electrician said, everything from here goes fast.  Given that our move-in is April all of the work done in the next 2-3 months will feel fast.  Jarret and I are working on lots of things so we can get prepared for the move (packing, furniture shopping. blinds, research for great room cabinets…the list continues).

My pictures from the house this weekend really focus on the outside as the siding has made huge progress this week (even with the 12+ inches of snow).  Oh, and how can I forget!  Most of the windows are now updated with the 6 over nothing and they look great!  More updates to come next week-

Kris

Working on the weekend

Just left the house- loved seeing the progress and work on a Saturday. Siding and Electrical finishing up. Getting ready for inspections so insulation and blue board can start soon!

Farmers porch is up!

One of our favorite parts of the house has been started- the farmers porch. We went by today and are loving how it looks. It should be complete by the time we head down next weekend. Looking forward to sitting on the porch this spring.

Front Hall Lighting Fixture

This will be one of many lighting updates I will post over the next few weeks.  At this point, we have purchased about 90% of our fixtures after months of shopping and searching.  The fixture we selected for the Front Hall is from one of my favorite sites/ catalogs, Ballard Designs.  The Calisse Pendant lends a formal but comfortable look for any front hall and carries a similar look to what we selected for our interior door fixtures and exterior lights.  Looking forward to finding the perfect front hall table to coordinate with this overall design (thinking a bold color!).

Shopping trip to IKEA

Over the weekend we did some shopping and browsing.  As I mentioned last week one of the places we wanted to go was IKEA to check out their cabinet hardware.  I think this may have been my first time in an IKEA…we went to the store in Avon, MA- it is huge!  I was most impressed with their lower level that had smaller items to purchase.  We had a lot of success with cabinet hardware and bathroom fixtures and plan on making a big trip later this spring to pick up lots of odds and ends.  We also now have our final count for all of our cabinet hardware (50+ pieces needed in total!) and based on what we saw and purchased as some options at IKEA we will be heading back there to make the remaining purchases (and the prices is perfect considering we have to buy so many).  Here are some of our finds and purchases:

Perfect storage solution for the Office

Love this color option for the Nursery- yes the Nursery, more to come on that update!

Storage solution for the basement

Knob option for the Master Bath

Handle option for the master bath

Handle for our Kitchen Cabinets- cabinet color similiar to our island

Handle for our Kitchen Cabinets- cabinet color similiar to our perimeter cabinets

Close-up kitchen hardware top choice!

Chrome Handle (far top left) option for our guest bath

Purchased this tilt mirror for our Guest Bath- a steal at $49!

Move in day can’t come fast enough…

This day is one of those days where we can’t wait to move in to our house. We still have a few months to go (2-3 roughly) and we know the wait will be worth it but we are ready! A lot has been going on behind the scenes and we have had a few fun shopping trips. For now, I will share with you the latest pic from the house today. Lots of dirt (more fill) and progress made inside. The farmers porch will be started soon- looking forward to seeing that come to life.

Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

The hardware for all of our cabinets (Kitchen and Bath) is one of those details that we have to start shopping around for.  Our contractors mentioned that another client recently got all of their cabinet hardware at Ikea and it looks great installed.  So today, I did some browsing.  I have to agree I was impressed.  We are planning on doing a shopping day this Saturday to start getting ideas for furniture (West Elm– have to share with you guys the couch I love from there, Jordan’s Furniture [long-standing brand in Mass] and Ikea).  Pre-shopping and browsing online is always a good idea as it prepares you for what to expect for the assortment and pricing.  For the hardware, here are some of my favorites I found pre-shopping on Ikea:

FÅGLEBODA Handle

FÅGLEBODA handle

FÅGLEBODA knob

I think we are leaning towards a Chrome or a Brushed Nickel finish…the Chrome might leave more finger prints so the Brushed Nickel might be a better option overall for the kitchen.  What do you think?  Any advice on what has worked in your Kitchen?

In the meantime, here are some inspiration images from my Houzz page..

Photo by Alice Lane Home Collection. See more traditional kitchen designs

Photo by Venegas and Company. See more traditional kitchen designs

hard to see but I love the knob/ handle combo in this kitchen

Photo by Carolina Design Associates, LLC. See more traditional kitchen designs

Photo by Colonial Countertops Ltd.. See more modern kitchen countertops designs

Photo by User. See more transitional kitchen designs

 

 

 

Sunday reading

Browsing through a stack of mags after being away for a few days. Loving everything in the new West Elm catalog especially this page- color palette is spot on for our master.

Update from the house- 12/28/2013

Another great week of progress at the house!  We are both anxiously awaiting to see more of what we selected arrive and get installed at the house (interior doors, cabinets, etc.).  While we have a few more weeks before the big stuff comes the following items are being checked off and progress is being made.

– Siding- will continue over the next few weeks but majority of the back of the house and some of the front is complete (and we love the color we selected!)

– Rough Plumbing- will also continue but as we saw this weekend they are making a lot of progress

– Front Door- the front door is in!  Now we just have to pick the perfect color to welcome our guests!

– Garage- the dirt is getting prepped to put down the flooring.  Once that is complete the garage doors can go it (can’t wait to see those as well!)

– Gas line is complete!

– Septic is complete!

Garage getting ready for the floor

Entrance from the garage

Siding view from the back

Siding View from the back

Master shower- bigger than I thought but not complaining!

Fireplace area getting prepped in the Great Room

Inside view of the front door

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kitchen Table Love

I was browsing the West Elm site and fell in love with this table for our kitchen (and the price)!  The Starburst Expandable Dining Table is the perfect fit for our kitchen area.  It expands to fit 8 (perfect for a larger dinner party or Holiday) but day-to-day is a great size (seats 6) for the casual family breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Plus, the grey color and the starburst design makes it look more modern than a traditional kitchen table.  Given the price, a steal at $499, part of me is just ready to buy it and store it until we move.  What do you think?  Should we do it?