"Stuff"

Today's post is about cabinets. 

aka...places to store "stuff".

Our current house is great, however each room is very "boxy",
just four walls, with very little storage.

The problem is...I have stuff.
I think it's in my DNA.
My grandmother had stuff,
my mother has stuff,
and
my sister has stuff.
Gotta be in my genes, right?!

All this to say, we ended up purchasing units from IKEA
 and worked with base cabinets from Home Depot to store all our treasures in our current home.

 When we were designing this new home, we tried to use all available space.
We wanted things to be handy, a user friendly home.
We knew the cabinets would be built on site, so my husband got out his draft paper and started planning.
{The drawing, above is his work, it's for the den.}
Can you guess what will be behind the right shutter?
Yep, a TV.
He's so smart.
So what's behind the shutters on the right?
More room for stuff.

Ok, now here's my drawing.
{don't laugh}

I know...pretty bad,
but because I'm such a visual person,
I needed to draw out each room so that I could "see" how things would actually look.
This drawing is for the laundry room.

As things progressed, lumber was delivered.

and the work began.

The trim guys are good, aren't they?
Looks very similar!

The guys basically built all the boxes...

and then installed them.

{These units are also in the den.}

Here's the laundry room, the natural light from the windows really brightens the room.

This shot is of the butler's pantry.
It can be seen from the dining room, as it leads you into the kitchen.
The doors on these cabinets will be glass.

This shelving is in my office.

And this box is right by the laundry room.
It will be a handy spot for putting on or taking off shoes.
{There will be a lid.}

We wanted our master bedroom to be relaxing so we opted for very simple furnishings.
We plan on making the headboard to match our two night-stands.
They are very simple...but with two drawers for books and such.
We'll have another shelving unit for books and our TV, but that's it.
No dresser, no chest of drawers.
Instead, we opted for all storage to be in the master closet.
We made it large enough to put this unit inside.

This is my side of the bathroom...a sink, vanity, and storage.
My husband's is on the other side...the tub is separating the two vanities.

This shot is of the foyer with its planked walls.
{There will be a transom install above the doorway.}

And now for the kitchen.
This is a shot from the den looking into the kitchen.
The largest section on the left is for the refrigerator,
the middle section is for the range and hood.
The sink will be in the middle of the island, looking into the den.

This shot is taken from the breakfast area into the kitchen.
If you follow the long back wall, you can see the butler's pantry at the end.
The cabinet that is jutting out on the left is for the microwave.
This island will also house the dishwasher.

This is an updated picture of the range hood and doors ready to be hung.

I've always loved plate racks, so we thought this was a good spot to store dishes.
The open space above the rack is also for displaying dishes and such.
I'm thinking this would be a great seasonal shelf.

And finally, back to the exterior,
trim was installed above the windows and front door.

The trim and cabinets make such a difference!
It's really starting to feel like a real home.
Stay tuned!

Exterior Copy Cat

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," so the saying goes.

Remember the porch from this post?

The blue ceilings...they just make me smile.

And as an added bonus, they are supposed to keep the wasps away.

{The wasps think it's sky and they won't build their nests there!}

So, here I am...admitting to the entire world wide web...

that...

I'm a Big Ol' Copy Cat.

Here's the proof.

Yep, I'm painting the porch ceilings "Lauren's Surprise" from the Sherwin Williams paint collection.

It's very calming, the softest blue, and guess, what? no wasps!

You don't see the ceiling until you're on the porch...it's kinda subtle...still makes me smile.

Then there is the whole front doors issue like the inspiration house:

There are four sets of doors, transoms, and full shutters across the front of this home. Isn't it a great look?

 Can you imagine being in one of those interior rooms and just opening the doors to the front porch?

...breezes, curtains flowing, fresh air...

Well, when my budget reality set in, we looked for an alternative. 

We decided on plain windows and trim to mimic the doors.

The shutters were a must...I think they complete the look.

Here's the front painted "Pure White" {Sherwin Williams} and the double entry doors.

And here are the shutters.

If you squint your eyes, they kinda look like doors, right?

ha, ha

Then painted, "Respose Gray" {Sherwin Williams}

It's a start.

Oh and by the way, 

look who's moved in...

Yep, it's a wasp.

Go figure.

Exterior Brick

Welcome Back!

The sand is here...

the mortar is here...

the brick is here! 

Do you see all that silver foam board? 

Yep...soon to be covered with brick.

FYI...That metal building in the back is my husband's shop. 

Watching these guys work is just amazing. 

While the guys were laying brick, guess what the painters were doing?

See you soon!

Easter!

source

Luke 24

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Has Risen

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words.

Good Friday

source

John 3:16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Read Mark 15:
Jesus before Pilate
The soldiers mock Jesus
The crucifixtion of Jesus
The death of Jesus
The burial of Jesus

But there's good news! Read on about His resurrection!
Matthew 28

Maundy Thursday

source

The name "maundy" comes from the words of Jesus, "Mandatum novum" ("a new commandment," John 13:34). 

Maundy Thursday remembers the events in the upper room the night before Jesus died. These upper room events are described in Matthew 26:20-30, Mark 14:17-26, Luke 22:14-35, and John 13 - 17. Matthew, Mark, and Luke focus on the institution of the Lord's Supper and the eating of the Passover meal. John focuses on the words of Jesus and His washing of the disciples feet

source

New Home - Exterior

Our drive out to the new home is about an hour away. 

We have our benchmarks along the way:

1/4 of the way is that large multicolored building,

1/2 of the way is the transition to the next interstate,

3/4 of the way...progressions of small communities,

and finally...our exit.

I always have to remind myself, as I exit the interstate,

...No Speeding...

even though you're excited to be there.

Speed limit is 55 mph on the access road.

Relax and breathe,

you're almost there.

Then each time as we round the corner, 

I always anticipate what we'll see.

Did the subs show up?

Did they begin/finish on schedule?

You just never know...they are sometimes on "their own schedule":

Monday really means Wednesday...

Tuesday really means Thursday...

and Wednesday...usually means the following Monday.

ugh.

I just retired from teaching and our timing was of utmost importance...really.

If you were 1-2 minutes late to a meeting, someone was on the phone looking for you.

...really.

So, coming from that profession and taking on this project has been a lesson in patience...

and yes, I've adapted. I've become a fairly laid-back person.

I've just learned to ask the right questions (to ease my OCD nature)

 and to be very thankful for all the progress so far.

All that to say, we just never really know what has happened over the past 24 hours with the house.

But, boy oh boy were we thrilled to see this stage...

Primer!

The primer is a little grey but it was very close to the final color.

and a great transition from the Hardi primer.

By the way, that 40 yard dumpster...

It's so great!

Really!

It holds sooo much stuff!

Can I even put any more exclamation marks so show my love for this thing??!!

Kinda distracts from the view, but I'm ok with that..

it's well worth it...

it's handy in keeping the place picked up and tidy!

Until next time,

{the OCD contractor}

Sharlotte

This is a post in a series, if you're interested in starting at the beginning, click here.

And just as a reminder...here's the

inspiration house...we're getting there!