It has been truly amazing to watch our dream home take form. As the rooms take shape we have been able to make minor changes to the plan and layout. Much to Jim's consternation I was able to get him to add a wood burning fireplace in the living room. It was left out of our original plan because of budget limitations. The budget will have to compensate somewhere else to make up for the additional materials and labor. Our framers are terrific and very precise. I told them I was hanging stripped wallpaper so the wall must be plumb and level :-). That is a bit of an inside joke. Long ago and in another house I tried to hang stripped paper and used the corner as the starting point. Halfway around the room, well the strips were so bad it make me sea sick!
Back to the house. To reduce costs slightly, the entire exterior of the house is Hardie plank, which the framers are installing. Hardie makes planks that are in many colors but more expensive and not in the shades we chose (this week) for the exterior of the house. We are doing a craftsman style house and next week the windows will be delivered and installed by the framers. The windows are all LOW E vinyl and in the prairie style, which I will show you next week. The front door is wider than standard so it will take longer to be shipped to us. In the interim a "dummy" front door will be installed set in the framing necessary for the final door.
The plumber will be out next week too, to run water and sewer lines to the fixtures, sinks,water for the frig. and to the stackable washer and dryer that is being installed in the master closet. Having the washer and dryer in the place where dirty clothes end up and clean being, saves me a lot of steps. Jim dresser is also in the master closet so dryer to drawer is one step.
Someday when we retire the house will probably be sold to a family that will be able to add another washer and dryer to the second floor. There is plenty of room on the second floor for growth. For us, it is just a place for occasional company.
I am going to put up some pictures now of the progress made it one week.
Jean
