Progress...and a destination (for now)

This has been a busy and exciting week. Baseball championships, end of school parties, visits (thanks Nany and Papa) and a possible move.... but not to this house.... seriously, that was some drama. All week I have been wondering if we would ever get to live in this house, or if we just worked on it for somebody else to enjoy. How could the new owners know all of the little special touches that we built into this house, and what if they used things the wrong way.... like the roll-outs in the butler's pantry are for tall booze bottles.... we've got some important details going. Yesterday we were thinking we'd better hurry up and have a party in this house before we move away, but alas, no holidays approaching, no birthdays on the horizon, what a shame! But, then we realized Lanie is turning 12 Saturday, and what dog doesn't need a party? And surely she would be delighted to enjoy the butler's pantry and the window seats, right? Well, call off the dogs, because we are staying. It was hard to know how exactly to feel about the possible new move because it would have been a good opportunity. We were relieved all around to get to stay, because bottom line, we really like this area. All of the boxes delivered yesterday by Nany and Papa have a destination, and that is a nice feeling. Now we'd better get packing!

So, now back to OUR house progress....
All of the trades are back. The plumbers are a'plumbing, the painters are a'painting and the electricians are a'electrocuting.... well, hopefully not, but they did light up the house briefly yesterday and we got to see the lights on in some strategic areas. The lanterns down the hallways look pretty cool. At first they were on so low it was just a little glowing bulb, with not much light. I worried, but then realized I'd asked for a dimmer on them, so it was pretty fun to dial it up to a bright hallway, and then turn it down for more ambiance. Aren't dimmers fun? I sure thought so! We did try to avoid turning on lights where the guys were working in an effort not to fry them. Luckily, nobody was fried by the electricity, but we were cooking since it was almost 100 degrees. Yuck.

The exterior doors have handles (except the front door), and the front door is painted the first coat. This is again one of those things that is shocking the first time you see it, not in a good way. I think once all of the details are complete, (shutters, furniture and landscaping) the blue will look good, but for the moment, in isolation, it is definitely questionable. I am going to remain calm though and see it through. After all, repainting a front door in the long term is not that big of a deal. One of the things that bugs me is the trim is the cream color and that looks strange. I looked at 25 houses on the drive home and they all have that, and I'd never thought it was strange, and I checked all of my architecture and "old house" books. They are all the same way, but it still looks a bit strange to me. Oh well.

The cupola has been reworked. Not sure why exactly, but the copper looks much "swoopier" and therefore much better. Nick is happier about it. It is a pretty horse, but then again, I think all horses are pretty.

The hallway, wish I'd snapped a picture with the lights on.

The mudroom. Looks like one of the guys hung up his purse because he liked the hooks so much.
I have been a little hook happy. Every place I could think of I had them hang one. I was so proud of myself to put one on the back of the powder room door so people could hang up a purse or jacket while using it. I showed Nick and he pointed out, "great, just like a public bathroom." Didn't really think about it that way, but he has a point. But, in its defense, it is a much prettier hook.

The kitchen sink. It is sitting on a walnut shelf. I like the look, but the jury is still out if it might be a tad crooked...yikes!

The Butler's pantry. The glass is an antique seeded glass, but the photo looks very different.

The dining room. Yes, I like horses, see the chandelier?

Keeping room and kitchen and breakfast area. The stained beams look cool. The lights for this room seem to be on backorder. Visual Comfort is the slowest company ever, but they will look great once they actually arrive. With a few phone calls by me and some prodding, the backorder time shrunk from 3-4 months to 3-4 days. Can't wait to see them!

Breakfast area and banquette. The drawers are refrigerator drawers. I'm excited to try these out, but think it will be super convenient.

See the cool barn doors. They will be fantastic for hiding dirty dishes!

Better look:

Door knobs are on in some locations. The kids loved the "diamonds." I like them too, they remind me of the doorknob my sister and I fought over when we were building our house growing up. Since we both wanted the giant diamond one, we ended up putting it on the hallway door as a compromise.

Master bedroom built-ins and fireplace

Master bath vanity

Rear porch. The ceiling is stained now. I really like it and it is one of the best spots, always a nice breeze.

Closer up of fireplace:

Courtyard got stucco --- color to be applied Monday.

Indiana geode found at Mom's house. Put in by Jesse and Robert.

Front handrail starting to go up. Still to be painted and trimmed.

I think the next step is finishing the hardwoods late next week. I'm meeting the landscaping guy early next week and then it is the final touch-ups. Wonder how much longer?