From Raw Wood to Bunglehouse Green!

It's been a banner week for construction. The siding has started going up and portions of it have already been painted. We're going with several choices from the Sherwin-Williams Arts & Crafts Collection. The body of the house will be "Bunglehouse Grey" which is more green than grey. The Trim color is called "Vellum" and is a yellowish off-white. And the accent color that will be painted on the faux cedar shakes at some of the high points on the front of the house will be "Roycroft Bronze Green"...a dark tealish green. The TREK material has been laid on what will be the screen porch and breezeway. Much of the wiring has been completed. Fan/light combos have been installed in bathrooms. Plumbing for the upstairs has begun. The fireplace and kitchen bar areas have been framed. We made a few big changes to the original floor plan. The rec room in the basement has increased in size by about 80 square feet and there is a nook under the stairs where we will have a "refreshment" center for guests. I spent a little time selecting faucets and we shopped for stone for the foundation walls. One of the most fun things was looking at fixtures for the "vertical spa". I've been out of touch for a while, apparently, and still mistakingly called this a "shower". But that really doesn't touch what it will be! It's more like a carwash for humans. There will be four body sprays, one shower head, one hand-held shower and a 12" rain head overhead in the center. Choosing locations for various light fixtures was fun and a little stressful. Lots more decisions coming down the pike and all at a time when I've got a busy travel calendar ahead...stay tuned!

Putting a Lid on It!

Despite 5 straight days of steady rain, the past week brought lots of milestones:

* shingles on the roof!

* stairs in the stairwell!

* showers in the 3 guest bath rooms!

We also got two more exterior doors installed and lots more framing on the interior. The framing for the fireplace in the great room is in so a fireplace cannot be far behind. We've made decisions about the decking material, the exterior colors and the kitchen appliances.

And on the "other" home front, we got just about everything marked off our list in preparation of putting the house on the market.

Stay tuned! This is bound to be a busy week...

We Do Windows

Our beautiful red Pella windows and doors have been installed and what a difference they have made in the outside appearance of the house! We're two exterior doors and a little sheathing away from being totally enclosed.

Trim carpentry has also begun on the front (especially the front of the garage) and the shingles for the roof have been delivered and should be going up shortly.

Anybody want to buy a house in west Knox County?

Fall is Here!

We're experiencing our first little cool snap of the year...a bit early! We had to wear jackets out to the home site last night...a sure sign that summer made a quick getaway this year. The good news is, by the time really cool weather gets here, the house should be completely under roof and mostly enclosed! These are front and rear views as of 9/30/09! With the progress on the roof and most of the windows and doorways being cut-out, it's starting to look more and more like a house and less and less like a box. The shingles and "tin" will go up within the next week or so and windows are due to arrive any day. Fireplaces have to be selected so ductwork can be included through the roof for chimneys. Time to pick colors for the outside so we can pick decking material!

We're right on the verge of needing to make lots of decisions...and to make them FAST.

Raise the Roof!

The roof of the house is, quite literally, being raised! The framing/walls happened so quickly that I didn't have much of an opportunity to keep you all updated! Tonight I went out and was blown away to see the beginnings of a lid on the place. Suddenly it looks like a real house!

I got to stand in what will eventually be my new office and see the height of the vaulted ceiling and the incredible view from the double window! Can't wait to be working from THERE every day.

The subfloor for the great room has been completed and it's time for us to select fireplaces and the deck/porch floors. Who knew that Trex made som many different styles and colors! Stay tuned for updates...progress is fast these days!

The Most Important Room in the House

You thought I was going to say it is the kitchen, didn't you? Well, that one ranks mighty high to those of us who like to cook and who LOVE to eat. But the most important room to which I refer is the MASTER BATH! Ours took shape today...in fact, I was able to stand at the "windows" and get some idea as to what the view will be from there.

I also stood in the master closet and could've jumped on my bed had it been in place. I made a cell call from my "office" to make sure I'm still getting service from that spot!

The framing for the basement level is pretty much completed and the space is actual mostly enclosed. The floor joists that were in place on Sunday are now covered in plywood subflooring.

The window selection process was completed today so that our builder could get the Pellas on order. They are BRICK RED with the grilles between the two panes of glass on the front of the house. On the sides and back, there are no grilles at all...just a clear view into the verdant surroundings! Won't be long till we're picking out all sorts of finishes. Heck, I've already got furniture placement fairly well settled in my mind.

The Skeleton Takes Shape

Despite the periodic downpours and gullywashers (literally...you should see what the weather did to some of the roads in Saddle Ridge last week!), significant progress continued! I drove out yesterday afternoon with low expectations and was more than pleasantly surprised. As we approached the house, we were struck by a sea of floor joists. So many, in fact, that we could no longer stand atop the foundation walls and see clearly down into the basement. Nearly all the framing for the lower level has been completed and nearly all the joists are in for the second (main) level! The place is actually starting to look very much like a house.

We are close to our window color selection. I'm pushing for red windows. Yes, RED! The exterior needs to blend with its natural setting so will be very earth-toney. So, I think we need a little punch of color (yes, too much HGTV again). We'll see.

No camera yesterday, but I will go back and get some updated shots this week. Stay tuned....