From the category archives:
In our last home all our sinks (with the exception of the laundry room) were either integrated or undermount. In the new house, there won’t be any exceptions.
Undermount sinks don’t have nasty lips that trap gunk and debris. When you have food and liquid on the counter, wiping them directly into the sink is a [...]
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Yesterday the crew was out in force (love to see that!) framing up the interior walls in the basement. Seeing each room take shape makes it easier to visualize how everything fits in — and the kids can walk around in their own rooms for the first time.
The walkout basement will include a large theater/recreation/exercise [...]
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A few weeks ago I was at a service project with some women in my neighborhood. One of them asked what kind of floors we were going to have in the new house.
“Concrete,” I replied.
“Oh, are you going to cover it with carpet?”
“No.”
“Wood?”
“No, just stained, polished concrete.”
Silence.
“Oh. Uh…won’t that be uncomfortable?”
The truth is, I suppose [...]
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When we built the last custom home, we determined that we needed a security system. Our house was large and in a moderately remote location. Given that all the lots were five acres, the few neighbors that could even see our home weren’t likely to hear anything. Installing a security system seemed to be a [...]
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If you’re into home improvement or…ahem…building a custom dream home, you’re going to love the MagnoGrip Magnetic Wristband.
This clever gadget just straps to your write with velcro. The powerful magnets inside hold nails, screws, and drill bits securely right at hand. No more digging into your belt pouches or your pockets. No more calling back [...]
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Last August my dad turned 80. He still lives at home. In fact, he runs a college dorm.
Not long after my mom died in 2003 — after nearly 47 years of marriage — my dad opened their home to his college grandkids and their friends. I thought it was a sure sign of dementia! But, [...]
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Our first dream home featured Delta faucets in all the bathrooms. After living there for five years, we did not have a single problem with any of them. We were very pleased with the quality and so they are certainly top-contenders for the bathroom fixtures in our new home.
I already purchased the perfect kitchen faucet. [...]
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With the basement poured we’re waiting on the concrete panels. They should arrive next Wednesday.
In the meantime, we’re on the lookout for honest, quality subcontractors and suppliers in the Utah County area, who would like to bid for remaining work on the house. We’ll be making a short list of a few we’d like to interview. [...]
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After writing about some really cool features for your custom home a few weeks ago, I was reminded that knowing what to avoid is a big part of getting the home you really want. And the truth is, sometimes home designers/builders don’t seem to actually live in homes. Too often they create features that aren’t [...]
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Monica spent a number of days pouring over all different bedding online. She is 12 years old and looking for something fun, without being too young.
Over the years attending the Parade of Homes with me, she took a liking to the new pink/green combination we saw in a lot of girls’ rooms. And so it’s [...]
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A few years ago, we got a mailer from a company called DirectBuy. It sounded a bit like a Costco or Sam’s Club for home builders, designers, or remodelers. I’ve been a happy customer of Costco for years and thought I’d give it a try.
First, I googled for info about the company. What I found [...]
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Our new dream house did not come in at a dream cost. And so, as I told you last month, we decided to redesign the house. That’s no big deal. We’ve done it so many times already. And we did it endlessly on the first custom home, too.
It’s the time factor that’s killing me. We [...]
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Details make all the difference in home livability. Your new custom home can go from great to amazing with some forethought and planning. Check out these 8 cool features submitted by the SeerStone Homes community. Implement those that fit your lifestyle and you’ll be on your way to luxury living!
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While reconfiguring the house plans, Sam asked for a complete list of appliances. For some people this is easy, but for me it’s been a chore. I’ve purchased so many rotten appliances in my life — dishwashers that can only clean pre-washed dishes for example — that I’m ultra-wary of every advertising claim. And there [...]
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Appliances are not only a major expense in a home, but also a long-term investment. If you choose well, your appliances should give you years of service.
In our last home we installed a Wolf 48″ professional rangetop, model SRT484DG, with four gas burners and a dual griddle. Coming from a ceramic top stove, this upgrade [...]
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Custom kitchen and bathroom cabinets are gorgeous, but are going to take a chunk out of your homebuilding budget. And you’re going to live with them for years. Make the most of it with these eight essential features.
Designed with You in Mind
Don’t rush in and let the cabinet-maker throw together a plan for your cabinets. [...]
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For the first many months of planning, we had determined that our new, custom home would have a real, wood-burning fireplace in the family room. We’d still use a gas fireplace for our master bedroom, but not in the main living area. Neither of us is terribly enamored with gas fireplaces. We have found four [...]
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Plumbing excites me. (Wait until I tell you about my toilets!) It ranks right up there with cabinets, counters, and flooring. It’s a long-term, hard feature of your home. To me that means getting it perfect.
When choosing kitchen and bathroom fixtures there are all sorts of things to consider. In my world, function cannot take [...]
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When we began to build our first custom home in 2002, I was very excited. Finally the project was underway. But in many ways, we had no idea what we were getting into. Choosing paint colors was fun. Deciding on kitchen cabinets was great. But when it got down to choosing hinges and such I [...]
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Three moves are as good as a fire. And as we moved to the rental home to be closer to the build site, we probably did lighten our load of about a third of all our stuff. Two of those things were the small entertainment unit and the television from the master bedroom.
Sam replaced the [...]
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