Interior Update

A very busy couple of weeks at Lot 4, outside and in! On the interior, the wiring, plumbing and ventelation have all been istalled and breezed through town inspection. Outer walls are insulated and ceilings prepared to be finished. Piles of wallboard and plaster are everywhere and start going up on Tuesday. This first photo is the kitchen and the door on the left leads through the laundry room and into the garage.

The fireplace is bricked . Just beyond you can see a bit of the sunroom (definitely our favorite room!)

And the stairs are completed into the basement, which has a floor and lights.

The last pic here is a shot of the very impressive ceiling in the great room. To the left is the kitchen and that will be the powder room to the right.

The kitchen is finalized and on order. We expect that to be ready to install around September 20th. The tiles, carpets and hardwood are all selected as well as the paint (did you ever realize just how many shades of white there are!!) Most of the lighting is purchased, although we are still deciding on the exterior lighting. Last thing on the list for this week is we need to order the hot tub, which needs to be installed in the basement within a couple of weeks so that Mike can begin the landscaping.

floorplans

Gary has been asking me to post pics of the floorplans for a while now. Problem is photographing floor plans isn't as easy as you think! So after a couple of hours with the camera and a couple more in Photoshop, this is the best I can manage. As rooms are finished, I'll post crops of the specific areas. As if floorplans aren't difficult enough to read, these are mirror printed to show the actual layout so all the writing is backward!

As empty nesters, we were startled to select a house with 4 bedrooms! But it actually works for us! Bedroom 2 (at the top of this pic) will become the guest room. Casa Maney in our old house was known for its hospitality and we are sure, with family and friends scattered all over, that this room will be well used! Bedroom 3 will do multiple duty as extra sleeping accomodations, staging for my photography, and a sitting area. Bedroom 4, with its huge double closet and two big windows will be my new studio! With tons of room for storage and workspace I know I'm going to love to spend time here!

ohboy, ohboy, ohboy!!

The extra touches have been added to the siding on the entry area to t he house. I don't know who is more excited, Mike or Tom and me! The three of us just sat in the front yard staring and grinning for about 10 minutes. It is so nice when a plan comes together. The entry itself manages to be elegant and inviting at the same time. The trim around the library window and the starburst above the upstairs window really make the windows pop. I've been afraid that I'd chosen too light a siding color, but with the white trim now added there is a good balance. The photos are a bit washed out, but I think you can get the idea. Once the columns and stairs are put in the exterior building will be complete. We're off to shop for carriage lights and doorknobs... yea, and a doorbell too! If you all get a chance, stop by and take a look. Gary's holding open house every Sunday afternoon and will be glad to give you a tour.

Update

With Mom in the hospital, we haven't been able to visit Lot 4 these past couple of weeks, so Mike was kind enough to send a few pics so we could see the progress. Siding is nearly done except for the kickout (which is actually done this week) And the door is in place. The entryway has a bit of work left to do, but it is just stunning already. The door was custom made and we are thrilled with it.

In the meantime the inside is moving along. Vent work, plumbing and electrical are all progressing and the fireplace is just about complete. We've met with the carpet and hardwood people and selected our final choices (in budget - hooray!) and made final comittments with the kitchen and the tiles. We've bought about half the lighting. I found the pendant lights I wanted for the kitchen at Overstock.com at an excellent price and the rest has come from Loew's so far. We should be back to our regular visits (and posting) this week.