June 2022 Update: Shingles and Chimneys and Fireplaces, Oh My!
- Molly Ishmael
- Jun 30, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 11, 2022
Hello, summer! The heat keeps building and so does the momentum on our new build. Hopefully, end of August or early September will see us moving in. We'll have more exact timing after drywall, I think.
Meanwhile, here's a quick photo update on June's progress!
Ah, it's a real chimney!
The photo above is a view of the back of the house which overlooks a patio, lawn (coming soon:) and in the distance, the woods. The outdoor fireplace was installed and so was the chimney, which nicely breaks up the previously vast and boring roofline, haha. We're living how this is turning out.
If I could do it again, I would more closely analyze the fireplace and door so it didn't block the view. I didn't realize the fireplace was going to be "in front of" the glass sliders; I pictured it lining up just behind the door like the other side does where the outdoor kitchen goes. Who knew this fireplace would be so beefy... It can be hard to know exact sizes from the plans as things change when you order actual items after the design stage is done; plus, things just look different in 3-D than on a sheet of paper. So it's something that I didn't simply catch. However, there's nothing to do about it now! So, I'll place a large plant between the fireplace and the door to soften the space. I think everything will be fine, in the big picture.:)
Outdoor wood-burning fireplace.
Despite a bit of "designer's remorse" with the exact placement of the glass door and fireplace, I still love the concept. Imagine being able to sit outside and roast marshmallows on the covered patio, even if it's raining! The fireplace is to be finished in cottage-style stone, the exterior walls white stucco, and the patio pavers gray. When it's all finished, hopefully the space will appear nicely finished and we won't even notice the fireplace in front of the door... in fact, I have another little idea with furniture placement that may also help. Can't wait to show you soon:)
The soon-to-be lawn.
We still need to contact the landscaper the builder assigned and figure out whether it's best to do sod or seed. Either way, we're hoping to have a nice green lawn where out daughter can play. That was one of the main goals in moving up here and building on land, that she can have a big outdoor space to run around and play, the old-fashioned way, outside in the sunshine.
Prep for stucco has begun!
The black metal mesh that you see on the upper floor will continue down the walls before they spray stucco. I think the product is called "lath" and it basically gives the stucco something to stick to. We can't wait to see how that looks! I'm sure the house will take on a more "finished" and less "under construction" look at that point.
Electric is underway.
Speaking of the "under construction" look, as soon as the electrical is finished, I believe they'll be ready for dry wall! In fact, sheet rock is already piled upstairs. A number of light boxes were installed in the wrong places, so we just need to do a walk-through and get that corrected before the drywall is installed. The lighting was one of my favorite things to design for this house, so we definitely have a detailed electric plan that we want to triple-check before finishing anything. Plus, the low-voltage piece was important to David (wi-fi drops, cameras etc.) so again, that is something we've gone over a few times versus just following a "normal" builder plan.
Plumbing to the water heater closet.
So this is probably a pretty boring photo, but... the rough plumbing is done and gas lines have also been installed. The photo above is from the garage looking into my laundry room / office. I'm so excited to have a private space to stash my laptop and work books, etc. One wall (the one with all that plumbing you see) will host the washer/dryer/sink, and other opposite wall will be a built-in desk with shelving and cabinets, just for little ol' me, yay! In our rental, I use a collapsable desk in the corner of the living area, and in our previous home I had made a little under-the-stairs office, which I loved. But this will definitely be the most office space I've had in any house, so I'm pretty excited about it. It doesn't bother me at all that it's in the laundry room, as I plan to use a colorful rug, cozy chair, artwork, and basically cozy-fy the whole space!
David's office above the garage.
We're just continuing in faith that the internet situation will work out; above the garage here you see David's man cave/office. He needs to be able to participate in multiple video conferences per day, so a quiet space apart from the family area was important. In other words, a place our toddler can't just barge in any old time, haha! We trust all will work out as it's meant to be and we can't wait to share another update soon!
With Love,
Molly
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