Jun 15, 2011

house update:framing and floor plan changes

the house is well under way! the framing is done, and we are working on selecting
flooring, cabinetry, lighting, trim profiles, plumbing fixtures, exterior materials and paint colors.
didn't i tell you that building a house is a LOT of work?
this is a view of the temporary staircase that was installed....the "real" staircase is structured
out of steel, and is about 4 times this size....and will be stunning!
because these clients involved me so early in the project, i was able to make a few minor modifications 
the the floor plan. one change i made that greatly impacted a bedroom, was to move the door
to the attached bath from the main part of the bedroom into the little "entry hall" of the bedroom.
this allows the entire wall in the bedroom to be used for furniture.
we are planning on using this neutral travertine in the mudroom/powder room
and also in the master bathroom, and having it cut and laid in a pattern.
you can actually find natural stone in most places for less than $5 a square foot.
cutting it into smaller pieces can allow you to create some interesting patterns:
this is what i did in the master bathroom that i recently remodeled...we bought 12x12 tiles,
and i designed the shower to have several different patterns on the wall. 
you can see more details of that project here.

6 comments:

  1. The one thing I'd wish I'd done when I built my house was to put in more blocking between the studs in all the places I would later want to hang something- like towel bars, curtain rod brackets, shelves. It would be so nice when hanging heavy draperies not to rely on hollow-wall fasteners.

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  2. how exciting when things start to take shape and you get an idea of the flow between rooms :)

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  3. It's a lot of work, but it's fun too. Is it more fun when it's not your own money? I've always wondered if it's easier for a designer to work on other people's homes than it is on their own.

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  4. great question karen!
    i actually think it's a little bit more difficult to work with other people's money...at least for me it is. (i guess i would never make it as a "million dollar decorator"!) when i am building a house for myself, i know my budget, and don't exceed it, and i make decisions very quickly. i find with almost every client i have helped build, they almost always want to upgrade and exceed their budget...which actually stresses me out a little.i feel that part of my job is to help my client get the look they want within their budget. i know that all of those $20 and $200 changes are going to add up, and the house will end up cost $20k more than they planned.

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  5. I was nerve wreck when we finished ours. Never more. But after 5 years I feel I could start again.
    Will follow your story.
    X
    Viera VT Interiors Blog

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  6. Hello Autumn ... I've been following the blog and love your taste. I'm interested in your e-design services but can't seem to find a more direct way to contact you on the blog. Could you pass along an email address? Thxs!

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