an update to how "sundance" turned out

Our back deck that we affectionately nicknamed "Sundance" during the building process since it sure started looking more lodge-like than the simple-modern we were going for in the designing process.  But this is what we ended up with and we LOVE it.

I'm not sure the last time I talked about how we managed to transform it on this blog.  I know I talked about it back HERE, and again HERE, but maybe there was a time after that?  I don't know.  But we managed to get here with the ceiling:

We cut out the extra beams that went up diagonally here so that it had a more simple look:

...and we got busy with stucco paint colors:

...and picking stone for the pillars:

I didn't want this to look "cave-like" and dark, so we were trying to brighten it up any way we could get it.

Thought about this look, but it didn't feel quite right...

So we decided on a white wash on all that orange-ish wood:

...and figured out a stain for the outer rough hewn beams:

Painted the stucco:

Tried a bunch of different colors and paint strengths for that wood:

First try:

Second try:

This was the winner for up there:

Here it is kind of cleaned up:

Fireplace going in:

Flooring going in:

 Lots of painstaking decisions went into each part of this that I will refrain from boring you with...

 All coming together:

...only to have to be torn apart again to get water to where we wanted the plants:

But that's ok, because look how it turned out:

We've enjoyed that thing so much, and used it for so many events.

Here it is with a little furniture added:

 There we go:

Love that something like a "Sundance mistake" can turn out to be something we love so much.

Isn't that how so much of life is if we stand back and really examine it?

HOME Q & A

I’ve enjoyed your blog for a long while now (my girls, too!) and have enjoyed your home blog lately, too. My husband and I are building a home—the plans are about done and now what i have ahead of me is picking out flooring, lighting, finishes, trim, fixtures, etc. etc. I think I have a full-time job ahead of me. I had a thought to ask if you had any suggestions for how to do it without going crazy. Do you have a suggestion for how to organize everything or did you keep a notebook and go for it? I was hoping there’d be a person who did if for a job who could help me. ha! I noticed you always had a ton of samples especially for the flooring…are stores pretty good about giving you samples to take?

Hi Erin!  I'm so sorry I'm so slow with emails!  I'm excited for you to build your home.  It is a tough job and I really would recommend anyone you can get to help you with the decisions.  I wish I had that and have totally tried but I'm way too particular!  It's a curse!  Luckily I have some amazingly talented friends who have talked me through a lot when I come to a road block.

Anyway, yes, stores will have way too many samples for you to take and try out.  It's a lot of research.  I use Houzz.com for just about everything.  So many good ideas in there.  At first I had a big three-ring binder I used page protectors in to keep track of ideas which was fine, but then I would forget it when I was talking to a contractor or whatever, so then I realized what a life saver it is to just put things in "folders" on Houzz with your phone app...then you always have it with you and can explain things left and right.  Pinterest is good with that too, but I don't like that it doesn't give resources or any extra information so I haven't used it a whole ton.  

Good luck and try to get some help!  A designer you trust would be worth his/her weight in gold and would save you money in the long run because you probably wouldn't make as many mistakes as I have!  It would be so great to have someone who could give you three or four good options to choose from and you wouldn't go as crazy as I have with so many decisions stretched out before me!  Now that we're almost done it's certainly all worth it.  Can't wait to move in!

I'd love to know if you've found any great barstools. I've been on the hunt for I swear a YEAR. Just wondered what you've found that you like... we have a mid-century ranch style home, and I just love your taste!! :) Thanks!! 

Ours are from Crate and Barrel.

Will you provide a list of colors/materials you went with eventually? Someday? :) Mainly interested in: kitchen countertop material, grey paint color and the debate on doing grey kitchen cupboards. I love them, I am just torn if they will look dated in a few years? We are building too and that is what I am leaning towards doing, just on the fence about it!! 

Oh gosh, this is easier said than done, but I will try to include as much as I can when I do the final posts.  For now, our gray interior paint is "Shady" by Dunn Edwards, all of our white is "Whisper" by Dunn Edwards.  Our kitchen countertops are white quartz, and I'm really happy with the gray cabinets in the kitchen.  From what I understand, gray gets scuffed up a little more easily, we will see!

Just curious...what do you have planned for those lockers that need electricity? (back HERE) My thoughts were phone chargers...but would love to know why you have them wired for power... :) (oh, and I LOVE walnut too! :) 

Thank you, love how the walnut turned out!  Those plugs are for phones...or whatever other electronics might need to be charged out of sight.

April progress

Wow I'm getting behind here.  I'm going to try to get back on track.

April was the best month yet in the progress of this home of ours.

It's the month we took the plunge and moved in, ready or not.

This is how it looked when we moved in:

Living room:

Back side:

Remember how much trouble we had with those beams?  (back HERE).  How we love them now.  So weird how things change.

Laundry room:

 (Those pulls are all from IKEA.)

Family room:

Master bathroom:

 Remember all the trouble that wall caused back HERE?

One of my very favorite parts of this house are the closets.  Here's Max's: 

We did drawers in every closet so we don't have any dressers.  Keeps down on the clutter so well I adore it.

Max's (future guest) bath:

 Let's just take a closer look at that hardware I agonized over.

Love how it turned out.

Elle's bedroom:

(all about her wall back HERE)

Elle's bathroom:

My cabinet guy made me that wood frame from walnut.  Love it so much.

Grace and Claire's room:

A few lighting issues in the bathrooms:

 (more on those later)

Game room with a section of the sectional missing:

That was how it looked.

Then we started to move in.

The kids thought the washers and dryers were from a different planet they were so in awe of having two of them.

(One of the best things we did...LOVE having two.  All but Lucy do their own laundry so it helps a ton.)

We put switches with lights over our beds for reading at night.  Love that.

Move-in stuff:

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out window coverings.

As I write this it's almost three months later and we still have no window coverings aside from the paper temporary ones in the bathrooms.

Makes for some good early mornings :)

I worked on hardware like nobody's business...especially since we really needed to open drawers!

I will try to do a whole post about what we picked at some point because I'd like to remember myself!

We put our new grill to a LOT of good use.  

 Love that thing.

It was fun to put the kitchen to good use for our first Easter basket hunt here:

...and we have loved utilizing the great light from all the windows.

 It has been interesting to live in a home with continual contractors as guests.

All. the. time.

And as much as we adore this new home of ours, it's sure had some hic-ups along the way.

More on that later.  For now I'll just say we are so incredibly grateful for this home of ours.