When I was a youngster, it was not unheard of for my folks to pack us kids up in the Subaru and drive us around to look at houses. I can recall my mother’s excitement when we would happen upon a job-site in which the door was not yet installed. She obviously saw this as an invitation, “Come on in, look around, make yourself comfortable. How about a cup of coffee?” She would fashion some kinda makeshift platform which would allow her to enter the house, which may or may not have had a front porch. Of course I followed.
So I get our fascination with looking at other folks’ homes. Honey, I do. I love it. I love to see how folks curate their living space. I love old homes and their amazing detail. I especially love seeing how creative folks take a cookie-cutter home and make it uniquely theirs, creating character that was painfully neglected during the building stage.
However, I have a hard time posting pictures of our home for the sake of posting pictures.
But we all love a good home tour, so here you have it. Ours may include a few “unique” shots.
A peak at the building process
First order of business; a road.
Second; shelter.
The “shome” (shop-home) was built 6 months after we moved onto the property. We had been living in an RV up to this point. The building of the “shome” meant 2 amazing things: electricity and running water.
Ground Breaking.
Seven months after moving into the “shome” we broke ground on our home. Not just any house, but our dream home. There are a few amazing individuals (who shall remain nameless, but you know who you are) who made this dream possible. We will be forever in your debt. Literally.
Frame Raising
One of the most amazing experiences of our lives. A dozen friends and family members, a crane, and one very experienced timber-framer.
In a nutshell we:
Found a traditional timber-frame barn plan we loved
Tweaked the design to fit our needs, wants and desires.
Sent the design to engineers who re-designed for current code.
Once finalized and permitted, the frame design was sent to a mechanical timber-frame firm.
Many months later, we received the frame and went about raising it, as you see here.
Now I have a serious gap in pictures. We worked feverishly to get this baby buttoned up before winter. That being said, it was basically an after work and weekend show. Both my partner-in-crime and I worked. My mom has many wonderful pictures of the project throughout. I hope to get them all consolidated soon.
The Home(stead) Currently
Oh, sweet summer, I miss you.
We have snow on the ground approximately 3 days per year. This is one of those days.
The Living Room. Warm and Cozy? Yep. But I have had that chocolate brown sofa for 11 years, and I am ready for a change. I am hopping that sometime this year, this will become a “before” picture. Read about our love seat here.
The Dining Area. Most definitely a “before” picture. We have big plans for this area. Check back!
Kitchen. We just finished up this little project. Read about it here.
Kitchen Pantry. This is a case of a make-do situation working out great.
Our pantry resides behind the left door. Behind the built-in shelves is our furnace. It was not supposed to be in the kitchen. But all sorts of surprises come up during the building of a house. The right hand door is our cleaning supply closet. These doors had to be custom made and were rediculously expensive. To cut the project cost by 1/3 we decided to pop a bit of open shelving into one of the door openings.
While it looks nice and tidy from the outside, danger lurks within. It’s a mess. Stay tuned. I feel an organizing post coming on.
Stove and Fridge.
See that vent hood duct work? Yeah, it’s not supposed to be like that. It should be covered. But there are some seriously funky things going on up there, and it is going to take our whole brains to figure it out. So we have been avoiding it. Because we like projects that don’t require too much thinking.
Yes, my floor is dirty. I cook and bake A LOT. We use this kitchen. It’s not for show.
Baking area.
This is where I do most of my prep work in the kitchen. That is why there is nothing on the counters. Counters are like desks. I have never been able to work on a messy desk, either. There are, however dishes in the sink. That is pretty common. Oh and my ipod dock is on the window sill. I like to get my groove on in the kitchen. Or listen to NPR; which is not groovy.
Ok, that’s what I have for you thus far… check back real soon for more pictures!
