I also bought my first faucets!

The Kohler Karbon. One wall-mount for over the main clean-up sink and one deck-mount for the prep sink. So, totally, totally cool. Cool beyond words...

Purchased my first appliances!

I can't resist a deal. I got some discontinued models at crazy good prices on eBay. I will be installing the 27" Gaggenau double ovens and matching warming drawer. For refrigeration I bought two 36" Bosch Integra refrigerators with the bottom freezer drawers.

It's all very exciting!

Chalklines are beautiful

DSC_0313, originally uploaded by Clean_Freak.

You can see the hallway down to the master bedroom. The things sticking up will connect the foundation to the framing. You can make out an outline of the house now! Exciting times!

Love my picnic table?

DSC_0314, originally uploaded by Clean_Freak.

You can see the boys' bathroom here. The picnic table is in one of the boy's rooms. No assignments have been made. I have almost a year of holding this over their heads. Finished the homework? No? Well then I guess you get the room closest to mine! That's motivation for you!

Garage foundation

DSC_0315, originally uploaded by Clean_Freak.

The perimeter of the 3-car garage is set. Next week we expect the rest to be poured.

Basement exterior

DSC_0322, originally uploaded by Clean_Freak.

Slider, window and door from the *outside* now.

Basement bedroom

DSC_0323, originally uploaded by Clean_Freak.

The big opening will be a slider. The small opening is a window. Both look out to the egress area. Maybe a bedroom for Primero. Or maybe a guest room. Not sure yet.

More basement

DSC_0327, originally uploaded by Clean_Freak.

Husband is in the study area. Stairwell will be on the far side, adjacent to the wall. There is a small closet framed in. The stairs will come up and to the left around the closet.

In the baesment storage room

DSC_0328, originally uploaded by Clean_Freak.

Looking out westward to the planters (on the left) and stairs (on the right).

In the family room

DSC_0333, originally uploaded by Clean_Freak.

The big scary rebar things will someday be a concrete wall. Husband is in the "family room" now.

Day 74 - Framing and foundation!

DSC_0332, originally uploaded by Clean_Freak.

Husband is in the future dining room looking over where our outdoor entertaining area will someday be. Imagine a double-slider there.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Day 64 - Framing the basement

Framing has begun in earnest. The concrete guys are still working on the garage and crawlspace areas. These photos show the footprint of the garage (3-car) and give a sense of how the basement will be laid out.

Day 62 - We have WALLS!

The foundation work continues on the garage. PG&E has installed power to the porta-potty. I called to investigate - they charged me $1500 to hook the porta-potty to the power line about 20 feet away. Really? That costs $1500 of time, materials and labor? Um, I don't think so. But the utility has you over a barrel. Still, I want them to justify it to me.

The pool house is being framed and I've never been so excited to see lumber. Now, having just typed that I am expecting someone to make a juvenile joke about lumber. Don't go there.

Lessons learned - bathroom edition

So in a continuation of my earlier post, kitchens tend to be my obsession but bathrooms matter. In my current house I redid both the kids' bath and the master bath. I have lots of thoughts on both.

Things I'd do again:

• Fantech fans. These things are so quiet you don't know they are on. But they suck just as they should. Love these things. Hubby has them on timers because otherwise you'd forget they were on!
• Lots and lots of storage. I have medicine cabinets in each room. I like having places to stash cough syrup and vitamins.
  

Things I would re-think (code for NOT do):

• White anything. Ugh - hard to clean. Shows mildew. In a word - yuck.
• Tile counters. No thank you.
• Natural stone in the shower. I did tumbled travertine and that was a big, big mistake. It is hard to clean and there is way too much grout. The crevices are a nightmare to scrub. If I do stone it will be smoother and with tight grout joints. It's pretty but not worth the work.
  

Things I am sure I will do this time:

• I need a tub. A deep tub. I don't have one in the master bath and it makes me sad. There will be one in the new house. With a nice ledge for candles and wine glasses.
  
• Dual-flush toilets. Liquid and solids will be differentiated at last!
• Glass tile. It makes me happy.
  

Day 57 - Stairs, footings and more foundation work

The crew is digging footings for the garage foundation. The exterior basement stairs were poured yesterday which are alongside the board-formed concrete planters.

The site is mostly back-filled now and the pile of soil is about 50% gone. The pool house framing may start any day now. Things are moving along!