Still a Mess

The guys are putting a push on this week to try and get as much of the interior finishes done as they can before the Christmas break. The house is full of dust and debris but it's starting to take shape as some of the fixtures, cabinets, and millwork are put in.

Super-carpenter Mike has been hard at work building the millwork. On the left are the shelves for the upstairs linen closet. These sent Erin into spasms of glee I have rarely seen from her! Below are the wall length bookshelves that will finally enable us to empty all the books we've had in boxes in our last three houses! 

                                                              
                                               
The bathrooms are getting close to being finished. The vanities have been built and installed, and the tiling should be done this week. Soon we'll get plumbing....oh and toilets.

And the   kitchen cabinets are now installed. The white cabinets are a nice contrast to the dark brown floors (that you can't see) and countertops (that are not installed yet), and the stainless steel appliances (which are still in boxes in the middle of the dining room).

This week the painting, tiling, millwork, and a lot of the lighting should be finished. We're hoping they install the appliances before Christmas as well. Mom and Dad are in Nova Scotia for Christmas and are dying to see the house, but we don't want to take them up until all the mess is cleared up. We're shooting for Christmas Eve.

Getting Closer!

The outside of the house is pretty much finished now. A few small details like some exterior painting (doors and maybe window frames) and the final grading of the lot, but these won't get done until the Spring. 

 The stone wall creates a little walkway between the front entrance, the carport, and the entrance to my office/studio. My original design was for an underground tunnel, but for some reason this didn't make it to the final plans!

There is quite a big back yard between the house and the pond. We have no idea what we want to do for a back deck or for landscaping yet and Erin and I have different priorities - flowers and vegetables vs. a hot tub! We'll figure it out but we want to live in the house for awhile before we make any decisions.

 

I am standing in my new office/studio. The floor is cork which provides a better acoustic than the concrete on the rest of the main floor. I can't wait to have my own space where I can make as much of a mess as I want.

We spent a few days last week stacking wood in the carport. And yes - for those of you who know me and are laughing right now - I did my share as well! Rory was a big help and is very proud of his work. The wood is near the front entrance and there is a wood storage cutout in the front wall of the entrance way that allows us to pass wood through to the living room next to the fireplace.

Lots to do this week. These boxes contain our kitchen appliances and bathroom vanities. Before those go in, the kitchen cabinets have to be installed starting tomorrow. Later in the week the upstairs hardwood floors will be installed and the bathroom floor and shower tiles will be finished. The countdown is on - only about four weeks left until we move in!

Stonewalled....

...but that's not a bad thing. The stone wall on the exterior of the house is finished. The main part of the wall is cultured stone and the wall cap is made out of sandstone from a quarry in Wallace, NS.

The chimney is also faced with the same stone. We must be anticipating some exponential growth in Santa's wastline because the chimney is really big!

The upstairs has been completely painted, but we couldn't get pictures because they are staining the downstairs floor this week and we haven't been allowed in the house.

And I spoke too soon about the exterior concrete. A little kitty got a big surprise when it ventured into the carport. The tracks run all along the porch! We've decided to leave them there for several reasons: 1) too much of a pain to fix, 2) we actually like it, and 3) it will serve as a warning to future cats!