Everyone has a 'budget'

My architect, while building our home 2 years ago, told me "everyone has a budget". It may be $100 or $100,000,000, less or more, but $s aside, everyone has confines they must (better!) work within.

your temple

The last post discussed finding our lithe figure through polishing, but as we know a gleaming frame is no easy feat. And as Marie Kondo has discovered and shared perhaps our environment is instead the place to commence. 

A clean, fluid, bright home built honorably and soundly with beautiful, natural materials will provide endless pleasure and can bestow lifelong health. All the decorating in the world will only mask fundamental flaws.

Probably not what one wants to hear, but consider moving or renovating over decorating. 

To put "lipstick on a pig" is  rhetorical expression, used to convey the message that making superficial or cosmetic changes is a futile attempt to disguise the true nature of a product or person. 

a house becomes a home

As we enter into the fourth season in our fresh abode it gradually begins to feel like a home, yet it certainly isn't anywhere near ready for it's interior photo shoot - but, is a home ever finished? Of course not! Here's to evolving and making progress.

How you do one thing is how you do every thing.

And thinking of doing something and actually doing it are not the same thing.

to live is

to love and let go

sorry, Joneses

I'm too busy working on my own grass to notice if yours is greener.

House Build Progress Photos April

Landscape design is my current focus; we're not out of the decision-making woods yet.


Chicken sconces to welcome you in.
Dutch door front door was a must-have-wish-list item from day one.


His Office in wind chime green.


The Kitchen turned out larger than I imagined.


East-facing, neighborhood-facing, lawn-facing sink.


Spiral stair up to guest room.


Living and dining area (or if J gets his way: living and billiards area).


Wood burning fireplace.


First floor Master Bedroom.


First floor Master Bathroom.


Master shower porcelain tile.


Contemporary stair detail.


Upstairs Bathroom also porcelain tile.


Upstairs Bathroom waiting on floating sinks.


Upstairs shower.


Upstairs Guest shower porcelain tile.


Guest bathroom. Lots of fun sloping ceilings upstairs.


Back downstairs, the Powder room.


Powder room exterior.


Side door.


Our 'Lane'.

House Build paint colors

First color pick. Benjamin Moore Proposal is the winner.


Art is likely family photos in distressed white frames and/or children's art. 

The ceilings throughout are Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace. AKA White.

House Build Land Photos

Love at first sight - we purchased our plot in early Spring. Spring of 2014, that is! The energy efficiency requirements to build in Boulder and are some of the strictest in the country, hence the planning and review process is more extensive than a usual timeline. The bonus is, in the end you get an earth-friendly, futuristic product with a low cost to power and easier maintenance. A product you can feel good about!


A winter's day and the only thing(s) standing between us and Boulder. Our neighbor, an environmentalist, bought the conservation easement -THANK YOU!!!

House Build Progress Photos January

The roofing materials arrive.


Weighting the roof with concrete tiles before install.


Concrete roof tiles.

 
Mudding the drywall - which means we must choose the plaster finish and eventually colors! Love the asymmetrical, symmetrical mix in the home.




Most current color palette.
The open flow through the home will be white/cream, not shown.



Measure.


Height.
And working through the weekend! Love the team.

House Build Progress Photos

August. Astrid moves dirt, breaks ground.


Goldie on the way with her rig.


September. The home gets a form.
After MUCH deliberation there is no basement.


I am smitten by my neighbors. And despite the construction I think they adore me as well ;)


Lots of steel. There will be exposed steel on the front porch, in the living room, and on the back and side patios. We are from Cleveland, so we love steel.


October. The sticks are up. The framers are awesome.
Bring the framers treats to eat - check.


Stick phase is pretty.
(Plywood phase is not; photos of plywood phase are few and far between if any at all.)


Laundry room with a view.


Fireplace. Goldie is 3-feet tall for scale.


Trusses arrive. Prefab, baby.


Beautiful trusses that unfortunately will be hidden away behind walls.


November. Endless discussions in the dining room with architect.


Upstairs. Goldie's suite. Storm a comin'?


Well, Hello, windows!



Stair 'tower' and stairs we and the crew used to use (ladder).
Exposed steel. Bronze windows. Knotty siding to be stained dark.


Long day's work.


January. Radiant heat pipes. A difficult $ decision that I fully recommend!
Steel beams to be powder-coated dark.


Radiant heat pipe patterning and a wood burning fireplace which heats 3,000 square feet.


Dry wall abound. Looking into the kitchen from the living area.
Kitchen is in North-East  corner of home; the most high energy location in any house.


Baking the gypcrete. The radiant heat is on high and for the first time we (they!) are not all freeeezing on site.


Master 'retreat'. Windows on three sides.
The Master is purposefully placed in the South-West corner, where the energy is calmest in any building.


Front of the house as of January 1, 2016.


Back of the house as of January 1, 2016.


Goldie makes her mark in the Garage. Headed out the back door ...

Everything in the project was conceptualized and chosen by myself and architect Mark Ford of Studio 3fold. We did not use a 'designer' so the next phase, 'finishes'!, should be interesting... Lots more fun to come!!