Design and Execute

Sometimes we get a little weary of this project, but then a day like today comes along and all we feel is the satisfaction of our partnership as designer and builder.

More than a year ago we began to develop a concept for our new kitchen. With a lot of thought we decided on layout, colors, cabinetry, and tile. We chose to incorporate Pratt and Larson's beautiful plant and animal motif tiles for a focal point behind the range. Now Don has begun to lay the tile. Its exciting to see our vision come alive.

Laying out the pattern with a pencil grid, and tape X's for the picture tile.

Tile on the sink side, ready for grout.

It took Don about a day to set the design onto the wall with tile adhesive.

Builders

Today finds us wielding tools; building things. Sami used the little IKEA tool to put together a metal storage unit for the closet in the main floor bedroom. Don is busy with hammers, saws, and power drills building the peninsula.

 

This is the second unit we have built. The first one is in our coat closet.

Don ordered the leg from a sailboat outfitter Web site.

Close-up of the peninsula support leg and the oak trim. Don sawed full length notches in an oak board in order to curve it around the peninsula.

Room 5 - Almost Done

Again, brick red is the accent color.

The main floor bedroom has been our recent focus. Finally it is complete except for buying a new bed and a ceiling fan/light fixture, and refinishing the oak floor. The floor will happen after we do all of the other work throughout the house. The bed and fan will happen when we find a time to shop. But for now the room is usable with a temporary inflatable bed.

This room took a lot of work that is not visible. First there was all of the work we did to insulate the exterior walls, and repair them afterwards. Building the storage in the closet took time. Don patched the oak floor in two places and had to rebuild the duct work underneath the heat register. This room has a lot of painted woodwork, and the walls required two coats of paint to look good.

We'll hang a few pictures on the wall before we say, "finished."

Yesterday we moved most of Oliver's things back into the room in preparation for a sleep-over. He and Simon have declared the room "Great!." This room doubles as Oliver's room and a guest room.

Oliver modeling his new batman PJs (complete with cape and bat ears) in the mirrored closet doors.