Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Windows are ordered. Phew!
I had to pick out my molding preference and after googling to death, I told the builder I like this the best:
Now we're working on finalizing portico plans. I've asked the builder to price it out with and without the 2nd decorative roof-line. I am all too quickly running out of money here.
Bathroom #1 should hopefully be complete by the end of next week, depending on when we can get the countertops in and measured. It's painted, they're laying tile tomorrow (which I have a story for), and they said it'll be ready for the quartz people to measure anytime after Monday. Yay!
Lesson learned: Travertine doesn't come with a bullnose - you have to have a stone fabricator bullnose it for you. I've said 'bullnose' more times in the past few weeks than I ever thought I'd say in a lifetime, I'm sure. And running back and forth to the place in Natick that does it, not fun! I hate that section of Route 9.
So speaking of Travertine, my carpenter was all ready to start tiling on Monday when we realized we didn't have the 12x12's for the master bath. What???? They were nowhere to be found, which I couldn't believe because I was sure we picked up a complete order. I called Best Tile and they said their stock was correct so I must have them somewhere. Nope. So I sent my husband down yesterday with the receipt and he convinced them to give us another lot of tiles for free. I'm willing to bet that a stock person caught the discrepancy and waited for a customer to call. When a few weeks went by with no call, that employee took the overage home with him. That's my bet. They told my husband that if we come across the lost tile, to return it. Ha.
I cannot wait for all of this to be done. I'm already sick and tired of having to correspond with so many people so often. Especially if they call - with all the time I spend on the computer, I really hate talking to 'live' people anymore. LOL.
All this window trim googling has distracted me from work - I must get some more work done today...
I had to pick out my molding preference and after googling to death, I told the builder I like this the best:
Now we're working on finalizing portico plans. I've asked the builder to price it out with and without the 2nd decorative roof-line. I am all too quickly running out of money here.
Bathroom #1 should hopefully be complete by the end of next week, depending on when we can get the countertops in and measured. It's painted, they're laying tile tomorrow (which I have a story for), and they said it'll be ready for the quartz people to measure anytime after Monday. Yay!
Lesson learned: Travertine doesn't come with a bullnose - you have to have a stone fabricator bullnose it for you. I've said 'bullnose' more times in the past few weeks than I ever thought I'd say in a lifetime, I'm sure. And running back and forth to the place in Natick that does it, not fun! I hate that section of Route 9.
So speaking of Travertine, my carpenter was all ready to start tiling on Monday when we realized we didn't have the 12x12's for the master bath. What???? They were nowhere to be found, which I couldn't believe because I was sure we picked up a complete order. I called Best Tile and they said their stock was correct so I must have them somewhere. Nope. So I sent my husband down yesterday with the receipt and he convinced them to give us another lot of tiles for free. I'm willing to bet that a stock person caught the discrepancy and waited for a customer to call. When a few weeks went by with no call, that employee took the overage home with him. That's my bet. They told my husband that if we come across the lost tile, to return it. Ha.
I cannot wait for all of this to be done. I'm already sick and tired of having to correspond with so many people so often. Especially if they call - with all the time I spend on the computer, I really hate talking to 'live' people anymore. LOL.
All this window trim googling has distracted me from work - I must get some more work done today...
Monday, October 12, 2009
New windows are being ordered tomorrow. All $20,000 worth. Doh. That's $5k more than what I assumed it might be. Add that to the fact that bathrooms are costing quite a bit more to renovate than I expected, and this project is going over budget. We'll see. Bathroom renovations should kick into higher gear now that most of the Kohler order is in.
I had to pick a different quartz for the master - the other was not available as a remnant. I picked Cambria's Sutton:
The windows are Integrity by Marvin with a prairie style grill in bronze.
Being replaced is every window in the home, as well as 2 sliding doors, additional awning windows added above side windows in the living room/dining room, and a new Therma-Tru front door with matching sidelights in the Saratoga design with black nickel:
They're having Marvin make a custom window for over the front door which will also have the prairie style grill.
Construction on the windows will likely not begin for 4 weeks. Hopefully the bathrooms will be done by them. I'm hoping to show my family all the renovations when they're in RI for thanksgiving.
Of course nothing goes smoothly - just before bathroom construction started, my beloved Siamese died suddenly. He was only 5 or 6. We think he got into something poisonous or toxic, but we really don't know. None of the other animals got sick (2 other cats and a pit bull). Losing my handsome Simon really broke my heart, but I also feared the workers going in and out of the house all day and losing him another way - he was quite the escape artist when he wanted to be and I was so afraid he'd get out with all the activity around here. I really want another Siamese but I think we'll wait until all this activity (and spending!) is complete.
The carpenters had to re-frame the shower because I told them the wrong width for the linen cabinet. Whoops. But luckily they weren't so far along that it was too much work. Although they have to resize the copper shower pan for like the 4th time.
I didn't expect that my niece-in-law's boyfriend would charge me as much as he is for plumbing work. Oy! And this is just for the first of 3 bathrooms, I was reminded today. That means more of my speculative calculations are off. I'm likely going to have to find another source for money - Dad? He he. Let's hope I don't have to go there, yet there's pretty much no turning back now...
Let's hope I have finished bathroom pics (at least of one of the three) to share sometime in the next 2 weeks.
I had to pick a different quartz for the master - the other was not available as a remnant. I picked Cambria's Sutton:
The windows are Integrity by Marvin with a prairie style grill in bronze.
Being replaced is every window in the home, as well as 2 sliding doors, additional awning windows added above side windows in the living room/dining room, and a new Therma-Tru front door with matching sidelights in the Saratoga design with black nickel:
They're having Marvin make a custom window for over the front door which will also have the prairie style grill.
Construction on the windows will likely not begin for 4 weeks. Hopefully the bathrooms will be done by them. I'm hoping to show my family all the renovations when they're in RI for thanksgiving.
Of course nothing goes smoothly - just before bathroom construction started, my beloved Siamese died suddenly. He was only 5 or 6. We think he got into something poisonous or toxic, but we really don't know. None of the other animals got sick (2 other cats and a pit bull). Losing my handsome Simon really broke my heart, but I also feared the workers going in and out of the house all day and losing him another way - he was quite the escape artist when he wanted to be and I was so afraid he'd get out with all the activity around here. I really want another Siamese but I think we'll wait until all this activity (and spending!) is complete.
The carpenters had to re-frame the shower because I told them the wrong width for the linen cabinet. Whoops. But luckily they weren't so far along that it was too much work. Although they have to resize the copper shower pan for like the 4th time.
I didn't expect that my niece-in-law's boyfriend would charge me as much as he is for plumbing work. Oy! And this is just for the first of 3 bathrooms, I was reminded today. That means more of my speculative calculations are off. I'm likely going to have to find another source for money - Dad? He he. Let's hope I don't have to go there, yet there's pretty much no turning back now...
Let's hope I have finished bathroom pics (at least of one of the three) to share sometime in the next 2 weeks.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
ok folks - here's the plan!
I've scanned the plan... here we go!
We still have yet to determine if that's the final look for the windows or if we'll work in that architectual design work that you see below the picture window - also below the other 2 front windows and/or if we'll be adding transom windows above each (instead of the molding design). I have a bad feeling that transom windows won't fit. All in all though - the windows to the right will be more uniform with the big window on the left - this is the rough draft that the builder used to submit to town because the important part is the footprint.
Remember that this is what we're working with here...
We still have yet to determine if that's the final look for the windows or if we'll work in that architectual design work that you see below the picture window - also below the other 2 front windows and/or if we'll be adding transom windows above each (instead of the molding design). I have a bad feeling that transom windows won't fit. All in all though - the windows to the right will be more uniform with the big window on the left - this is the rough draft that the builder used to submit to town because the important part is the footprint.
Remember that this is what we're working with here...
Bath renos!
Ack! I just wrote out a whole entry and then lost it because I'm a spaz.
Today I've put in my order for vanities and quartz countertops for our 2 bathrooms. Yesterday I picked up tile samples from Best Tile in Shrewsbury and took them over to Kitchen Views in Berlin this morning - and everything I've picked out looks so perfect, I went ahead and put in that order. I'm really excited. It seems our bathrooms might get done sooner than our exterior plans!
Here is my inspiration for our master bath (which when you see the pics that follow, is *really* small) - the inspiration here is simply the pebble border with travertine - we have no room for a tub in that particular bathroom but will be doing a custom tile/glass enclosed shower.
I have no pic for the other bath inspiration, but following the ugly bath pics, I will post bad camera phone photos of what I've picked out.
Here are our bad, bad bathrooms currently...
As you can see they both have *HIDEOUS* linoleum flooring.
The main bathroom (with full tub - we'll be putting in a 5' whirlpool tub - yay!)
The itty-bitty master bath:
(just realized how filthy that toilet looks - yuck!!!)
We'll be moving the toilet to the right of the vanity (which you can hardly see on the left there). Then we'll have a narrow floor to ceiling linen cabinet in the right corner, with a custom glass enclosed tile shower with bench to the left of that (ripping out that halfway in the middle).
How do you get all-inclusive photos of such a little bath?
Obviously I have zero interest in keeping such ugly baths relatively neat. And with little cabinet space, where do you put everything? That will most definitely change with new baths!
Future half bath (currently dog-food central)! We'll be adding a toilet and sink to the downstairs laundry room. My husband insisted on a colored toilet (as this room is off his 'mantown') - so I'm ordering him a Black 'throne' to go with his red LG washer and dryer (he insisted on red!)
Wow - I can't believe how nasty those pics make my house look. It's a work in progress, so hopefully you'll let it slide.
We are scoring discounted Kohler products (hello: $1100 whirlpool tub for $655!) through my husband's neice's boyfriend (her baby daddy?) who is an excellent plumber. A friend of his will be doing the carpentry as well. We've seen their work in other homes and they do a first-class job.
Here are the cabinet/tile/countertops that I've picked out...
Main bath:
That's a Merillat vanity in maple - granite glazed finish with Caesarstone Quartz countertop in Oyster. The travertine is Rustic Mocha with 'precious gems' accents.
Master bath:
Merillat vanity in maple - kona finish - with Zodiaq quartz countertop in Astral Pearl. Durango travertine accented by 'mixed salad' polished pebbles. (I was torn between 2 quartz options - the one in the top right is the rejected option)
Yay! I'm so excited for 'new' bathrooms! I promise to take after photos.
Today I've put in my order for vanities and quartz countertops for our 2 bathrooms. Yesterday I picked up tile samples from Best Tile in Shrewsbury and took them over to Kitchen Views in Berlin this morning - and everything I've picked out looks so perfect, I went ahead and put in that order. I'm really excited. It seems our bathrooms might get done sooner than our exterior plans!
Here is my inspiration for our master bath (which when you see the pics that follow, is *really* small) - the inspiration here is simply the pebble border with travertine - we have no room for a tub in that particular bathroom but will be doing a custom tile/glass enclosed shower.
I have no pic for the other bath inspiration, but following the ugly bath pics, I will post bad camera phone photos of what I've picked out.
Here are our bad, bad bathrooms currently...
As you can see they both have *HIDEOUS* linoleum flooring.
The main bathroom (with full tub - we'll be putting in a 5' whirlpool tub - yay!)
The itty-bitty master bath:
(just realized how filthy that toilet looks - yuck!!!)
We'll be moving the toilet to the right of the vanity (which you can hardly see on the left there). Then we'll have a narrow floor to ceiling linen cabinet in the right corner, with a custom glass enclosed tile shower with bench to the left of that (ripping out that halfway in the middle).
How do you get all-inclusive photos of such a little bath?
Obviously I have zero interest in keeping such ugly baths relatively neat. And with little cabinet space, where do you put everything? That will most definitely change with new baths!
Future half bath (currently dog-food central)! We'll be adding a toilet and sink to the downstairs laundry room. My husband insisted on a colored toilet (as this room is off his 'mantown') - so I'm ordering him a Black 'throne' to go with his red LG washer and dryer (he insisted on red!)
Wow - I can't believe how nasty those pics make my house look. It's a work in progress, so hopefully you'll let it slide.
We are scoring discounted Kohler products (hello: $1100 whirlpool tub for $655!) through my husband's neice's boyfriend (her baby daddy?) who is an excellent plumber. A friend of his will be doing the carpentry as well. We've seen their work in other homes and they do a first-class job.
Here are the cabinet/tile/countertops that I've picked out...
Main bath:
That's a Merillat vanity in maple - granite glazed finish with Caesarstone Quartz countertop in Oyster. The travertine is Rustic Mocha with 'precious gems' accents.
Master bath:
Merillat vanity in maple - kona finish - with Zodiaq quartz countertop in Astral Pearl. Durango travertine accented by 'mixed salad' polished pebbles. (I was torn between 2 quartz options - the one in the top right is the rejected option)
Yay! I'm so excited for 'new' bathrooms! I promise to take after photos.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Hi new readers!
How fun - I'm getting some 'publicity'. LOL.
http://reclaimedhome.com/2009/08/19/blogging-the-splanch
It's all part of my grand scheme... mua ha ha ha.
But anyways, it reminded me to make an updated post about our updated plans.
I met with Dennis (the builder) again this week and we're officially on the schedule. We are like 90% there on a final design plan too. We just need the window guys to come out and measure - then we decide if we go back to design A or if my ideas for a revised design B will work (and if I can afford them - they involve larger/more windows). I know, I'm not very descriptive. I'll wait until I have pics of the plans to speak for themselves. Don't expect anything over the top - after the cost of new windows and sliders, and installation of said windows and sliders, how much is really left before you go overboard on a house like this? And contrary to popular belief, I am not made of money. (shucks).
The plot plan is completed. Dennis will add his part of the plan to it. He'll apply for permits, which could go smoothly - or not - and we're scheduled to start the project at the end of October. Oh yeah, somewhere in there we have to do the most important part: order windows.
I'm so excited!
Or I've just eaten too many Canada Mints.
http://reclaimedhome.com/2009/08/19/blogging-the-splanch
It's all part of my grand scheme... mua ha ha ha.
But anyways, it reminded me to make an updated post about our updated plans.
I met with Dennis (the builder) again this week and we're officially on the schedule. We are like 90% there on a final design plan too. We just need the window guys to come out and measure - then we decide if we go back to design A or if my ideas for a revised design B will work (and if I can afford them - they involve larger/more windows). I know, I'm not very descriptive. I'll wait until I have pics of the plans to speak for themselves. Don't expect anything over the top - after the cost of new windows and sliders, and installation of said windows and sliders, how much is really left before you go overboard on a house like this? And contrary to popular belief, I am not made of money. (shucks).
The plot plan is completed. Dennis will add his part of the plan to it. He'll apply for permits, which could go smoothly - or not - and we're scheduled to start the project at the end of October. Oh yeah, somewhere in there we have to do the most important part: order windows.
I'm so excited!
Or I've just eaten too many Canada Mints.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Hey look! A raised ranch makeover, including before and after pics:
http://www.katiehutchison.com/vineyard-haven-raised-ranch-re/view-vineyard-haven-raised-ranch-renovationaddition/
They've apparently got more money than I do though.
Here's another - but I hope they post new pics soon of the exterior: http://www.frederickdesignstudio.com/RC/R-C.html
I'm leaving a comment over here: http://reclaimedhome.com/2008/09/12/updating-raised-ranches/
http://www.katiehutchison.com/vineyard-haven-raised-ranch-re/view-vineyard-haven-raised-ranch-renovationaddition/
They've apparently got more money than I do though.
Here's another - but I hope they post new pics soon of the exterior: http://www.frederickdesignstudio.com/RC/R-C.html
I'm leaving a comment over here: http://reclaimedhome.com/2008/09/12/updating-raised-ranches/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
