There’s an old adage from my parent’s generation that too often seems to be forgotten in our disposable society. Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, Or do without. Believe me, my parents lived this verse! When I cleaned out my dad’s house to sell last fall (he moved in with us after [...]
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One of the final steps in a custom home build is installing appliances. Appliances are a major purchase, one that you’ll be living with for a long time, so making the right choices is essential. After selecting our appliances, it was time to get appliance bids and compare prices. We purchased some of the smaller [...]
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If you’re looking for gorgeous granite countertops, but looking to keep the granite costs down, I have just the thing for discount granite countertops: granite remnants. On our first house, the granite fabricator required us to purchase entire slabs of granite. When the granite island was completed, the leftover granite was paid for whether we [...]
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This blog began as a means to dig into the nitty gritty of building a custom home and to openly evaluate the pros and cons of those working on the project. You all know I’m not afraid to give an honest critique. But once in a while you run across a subcontractor who is so skilled, [...]
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Generally speaking, I’m an organizational freak. But living out of a suitcase — waiting for the house to be finished — is only heightening my desire to get my new house organized. I can’t wait to get out the containers and labeler and create order out of our current chaos. If you love organization, you’ll [...]
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Another involved process! Choosing countertops and tub surrounds was almost as involved as selecting cabinets. There are so many possible materials and dozens of qualified companies, that narrowing down the best selections was a difficult process. After all was said and done, we selected the following fabricators based on quality, expertise, selection, price, and responsiveness. [...]
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The counter and tub surround selection took a very circuitous path. I love the look of tile and had a lot in our first build in Boca Raton, but I really (really) hate grout. So we went with concrete floors and priced out anything-but-tile surfaces. It wasn’t until we began working with granite and solid [...]
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While getting countertop and tub surrounds bids, we learned a lot about various surface options and how they compare in today’s market. (Things have really changed since we last built in 2003.) Unfortunately there are no perfect home surfaces. All have pros and cons. While I love the look of tile, I really hate grout. [...]
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Choosing cabinets was, I think, the most difficult single decision on the entire house. It was grueling. Not just for me, but probably for the cabinet makers as well. With budget overruns in engineering, footings, lumber, electrical, and plumbing (oh, yes, you’ll hear about all that later), cabinets (unfortunately!) was one of the few places [...]
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Note: The cabinet drawings have been updated. The kitchen has been modified and the master bath vanity drawing is now complete. 5/5/10 Just a quick heads up to all you carpenters and cabinet makers! We are going to be getting bids on all the cabinets and built-ins in our new home. We are looking for [...]
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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 [...]
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Don’t get technical with me. I’m no tradesman. But I can tell you that the plumber came and ran a whole slew of black pipes all over the ground. They are poking up everywhere. All kinds, for toilets, sinks, showers, floor drains, utilities, appliances. I can’t remember the last time I got this excited about [...]
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