Enjoying our new spaces

This USED to be our living room. The wall where the fireplace was is no longer there. The fireplace has been relocated to the basement. The old deck that was just outside that door is gone. A new deck is now out to the side of the new addition.

This is the NEW part of the living room.

This is the view standing from our front door. The original living room and addition blend together so well!

The new deck is just beyond these doors.

DONE!

We made the final payment yesterday.

We are T H R I L L E D !!
Just a few photos. Our rooms are not really set up and decorated completely yet.

Today furniture was delivered for Mom's room.



Her closet system was installed. This was her little luxury. Now to fill it up with her clothes- she has a LOT!





This is the ironing center which we will paint.

The experience was wonderful and the workmanship superb! We look forward to many fun times in our new spaces.

Bits and Pieces

This is Don, our contractor. We are down to the nitty gritty details at the end. You can see that he is a hands-on guy. Literally. He has been here almost every single day to inspect work and to get his hands dirty. He cleans up the site and pitches in wherever he sees something that needs to be fixed. The best part, he does it all with a smile- ALWAYS!

Waiting on the final inspections!

May 7- 2 months to the day- the footers for this project were poured.

It is hard to believe that this process is coming to a close. We are really excited but at the same time a bit sad. Everyone working on this project was so nice that we will miss having them here everyday- well at least a bit! The carpet was laid, HVAC in and the landscaper mulched and planted grass seed.


This experience has been better than we could have imagined and faster than we ever thought possible! It is also interesting to have conversations with the subcontractors. We have been told by several that Donny is THE BEST builder in the area. If they were to build a home he would be the builder. They also talked about how well he treats his subcontractors and how quickly they are paid. That always makes for happy workers and in turn a happy homeowner. We ARE VERY happy homeowners who feel blessed to have had Donny as our builder!


Mom has always told me that once you retire a big house is a blessing as you each have space to enjoy your own hobbies. Well, we are ready! This basement is going to see lots of creating and fun!

Once the final inspections are completed, the decorating fun begins!

We could even have a dance floor if we want. This space is tremendous!

Despite the incredible heat, the landscapers had smiles as they spread mulch on the new beds.
The bedroom is waiting for a furniture delivery.
Bathroom linen closet.

Floor and Ceiling!

The ceiling was installed in the basement.

The wood floor to match the existing floor was installed. The room looks so much bigger!

Painting done

New patio areas off basement.
Basement standing in original area looking at new addition.

Fireplace was moved from living room to basement.
Standing in original living room looking out to addition.
Looking out to new deck.

We chose the same color that we have in our house for the living room and basement areas. Mom's room, closet and bathroom are Sherwin William's Silvermist.

Above is looking into mom's 8x 10 closet- waiting on the closet system.
Above-Hallway in bedroom to living room. Bathroom tile is all grouted waiting on the plumber.
The color is so pretty! Annette had picked it out for Don's Parade of Homes house and we fell in love with it. All of the subs who have seen it have complimented it as well. It is very restful. The five windows in this bedroom are terrific!

Patios poured!

Weather is always a factor during construction. Fortunately the only thing that was affected by weather was the pouring of the concrete. The issue was more of having the heavy truck pull through the yard and leave deep ruts after the rainfall we have had. They were here by 7:00 this morning and started right to work. We now have some great patio spaces that I look forward to turning into some great outdoor rooms.

As an extra we had them pour a 6 foot circle that will be circled with brick for our little bistro table. A nice little spot at the front to sit with coffee. We have to finish putting the trellises together on the brick wall. The Carolina Jasmine has really taken off since Mothers' Day!



We also chose paint colors. When we visited Don's home in the Parade of Homes we fell in love with the color that the family room was painted. Don's wife Annette did a super job on colors in that house! It was Sherwin William's Silvermist that we really liked. It looked gray, then blue, then green...just pretty! Mom chose it for her room, closet and bathroom. We are sticking with the neutral color that is in our house already for the remainder of the addition.

Wet and hot but the work moves along!

The cement forms are in place. The weather has been very wet this week with heavy rainfall most nights. We are hoping that the concrete is poured tomorrow.
Vanity was delivered this week. Mom is excited!
Trim work all done! Starting to really look like it is near completion.

All the doors were installed and the crown molding was put in the trey ceiling today.
Bathroom tiling near completion as well. Hot days to be inside working like this but these guys did it with a smile- and a fan!

My favorite so far......

See these? Guess what they are......



Pieces to this....look...up to the left.....




I have found my spot, my favorite spot to sit and share this adventure with you. From the comfort of my new deck. A deck that will NEVER have to be stained. A deck where I can watch and listen to the birds. A deck where I can sit and dream of my gardens to come!


And just as promised, the next crew arrived bright and early this morning to do their thing!