Day 260 - Take Nothing for Granite

We are now officially 20 days over the estimated time to build the house and we are probably still 2 months away from the finish line.  But, good things take time and we are not in a hurry - we want the same care taken with the remaining phases of the project as with the previous phases.

The other day, Richard from Delta Granite, came out to measure the "templates" for the granite cuts and we discovered the slab of Alaska White granite selected for the two kitchen islands was too small.

Richard taking measurements

So, we went out to the granite yard and selected a new piece of granite - Nettuno.  We both are very happy with the new selection and think it may, in fact, be a better choice.  Being flexible is a lot less stressful than fretting because an earlier decision won't work!!!

Back to the granite yard again!!!

New granite selection - Nettuno

Ivan and his trim work crew (actually his Dad and brother) have completed installing the cedar beams across doorways and on two ceilings.  The beams will be stained the same color as the other trim work. These guys pay so much attention to detail and are very creative!!  I made them a burrito lunch the other weekend as a thank you for their beautiful work.  I felt funny taking shots of them while they were eating........

Entry Beam

Bruce's Study

Upstairs Bonus room

The deck around the pool has been formed and should be poured late this week or early next week.  As you can see, the layout is very "organic" with the intent of blending into the natural landscape.

Deck forms and steel rebar

Another shot of pool deck and start of waterfall structure

Firepit will be in the right rear

Waterfall is taking shape

Last year, I joined a bookclub at the local library and really enjoy chatting with the other members before we start our serious book discussion.  In early September, one of the members asked how the house project was progressing.  When I told her we were at the cabinet hardware selection stage, she whipped out her cell phone and called her son while simultaneously telling me he had a cabinet hardware business on wheels!!!!!  After a later discussion on the phone, Jonathan, of Push Pull Open Close brought his "hardware van" to the house for a consultation.  We had a great time putting hardware up against the cabinets and making selections for each room.  Jonathan is very, very knowledgable and has great design savvy.  Just goes to show ya, you can learn about wonderful sources in the most unlikely places.

Jonathan at work

Trays and trays of hardware to consider

Kitchen Pulls

Pulls for Bruce's study

Array of Selections

We were thrilled to have visits from family and friends this weekend.  My niece Stacy, her husband JJ, and daughter Jaysa came to see us Saturday morning.  We had a lot of fun going through the house and taking a Ranger ride so Jaysa could see the longhorn cattle up close!!  It was great to see them and we look forward to their next visit.

JJ, Stacy, Jaysa, Nancy on the front porch

And later in the afternoon, our friends who just finished building a home in Mystic Shores dropped by for a visit along with a visiting aunt from Oklahoma.  We had a fun time walking around the house and swapping "building issues" stories.

Gary, Neva, PJ, Bruce on the back porch

We are still making progress and there is more to come soon!!!

Day 247 - Worth the Wait

I've been promising cabinet pictures for at least two weeks, maybe more. Well, the cabinets have arrived and they have been worth the wait.......but you have to wait a little longer.

We had an "incident" at the house requiring a visit from one of Hays County's fine law enforcement officials.  The responding officer was quick to arrive, efficient and thorough in the investigation, courteous, and professional in every way.

Very quick response for non-emergency call

A criminal or cretin or general scumbag kicked in the unlocked front door - very stupid on so many levels and so unnecessary!!!!  The damage is being repaired quickly and the alarm/surveillance system activated.  So if the criminal tries again, the creep will get a big surprise.

Officer inspecting door frame

The damaged door was discovered by the cabinet installation crew who has been hard at work for days.  They set up "shop" on the back porch and garage to cut pieces for the finished cabinets.

Cutting crown molding

Garage "work stations"

I'll take you on a tour of the house with cabinet work still in progress.   We'll start in the mudroom and work our way around the house.  I apologize for the poor lighting in some of the pictures.

Mudroom sink area

Kitchen refrigerator surround

Kitchen work island

View from "barrier" island counter

Prep/bar/baking area

Cooktop Wall

"Barrier" island for serving and storage

Nancy's study understairs bookcase

Nancy Study desk area

Bookcases either side Nancy's desk

Great room - left of fireplace

TV will go this area

Guest room vanity

Bruce's study - fan will be raised to clear view of window

Bruce's study TV wall

Master Vanity

Very bad shot of master closet - no flash!!!

Master Laundry

Upstairs guest bathroom vanity

Upstairs window seat - needs thick, comfy cushion!

And you might have noticed some of the light fixtures and fans in the cabinet shots.  The guys aren't done with the fixtures yet, but here are some interim shots.

Banquette area fixture

Dining area fixture

Great Room Fan

Master bedroom fan in cove ceiling

We are thrilled with the progress and are looking forward to the finish of the cabinets, trim work, and the start of the granite process this week.

Day 236 - Shedding Light

The electrician crew is still hard at work putting in light fixtures and I think they were really happy to see the weekend roll around.  As we have come to learn from our builder, lighting is a common struggle in building any house.  I think we had at least three walkthroughs before the electricians started putting in wire.  Now we are at the stage of determining the height of fixtures, the exact location, and in a couple of cases - do we EVEN have the right light fixtures!!!!!  Things look different on the showroom floor or in a catalog.  So, the light fixture portion of this project is going to take a while.

Boxes of lighting supplies stacked on stairs

Since we have some pretty high ceilings, we bought very long life LED lights for many of the fixtures.  The extra cost of these bulbs will be offset by the lower frequency of replacement and avoiding the cost of hiring someone to come replace the bulbs in the really high places.

LED bulbs awaiting installation

We are lucky to have a really good crew working with us and the guys are very nice about answering our questions and making suggestions.

Bruce and Ernest discussing challenges

Even with the challenges, it is lots of fun to see the fixtures get put in place.  Here's a brief tour of what's been done so far.

Entry way lantern

Sconces on either end of upstairs window seat

Foyer light (in progress)

Back porch fans

Here are a couple of the lighting challenges we will resolve in the coming days.  The first is master bathroom pendants - we need to decide which height we like and when the cabinets arrive, we will need to make sure they are in the correct places above the sinks.

Simple master vanity pendant lighting

The next challenge is the powder room pendants.  I thought our fixtures were downrods, not cables, to hold the glass globes from Wimberley Glassworks.  So, I was surprised to see the cables hanging when Ernest asked me to help him with the height of the fixture.  I bought an inexpensive downrod fixture at Loew's afterwards and we will work this issue on Monday.

Powder room problem

And the last lighting challenge is that we bought the wrong size fixture for the lighting for the staircase. This fixture was selected by looking at a catalog and I failed to notice its tiny proportions.  It looks lost in the stairwell.  I think I've already found the right replacement, we just need to get it ordered and the wrong fixtures returned.  So, lesson learned, pay attention to sizes!!!

Can you even see the light?

 We have time to get all of the issues resolved without too much hassle.  We both are learning so much through this process and still enjoying the ride!!