Living in the house

I kept thinking about writing updates but never got around to it. I didn’t realize it had been over two months since my last post. Definitely seems to be much slower progress when it comes to the detail work. The good news is the house is perfectly livable at this stage. Still plenty of things to finish in the details and then address the cosmetics of the outside, but everything works the way it should. I’ve made a couple of mistakes along the way, but I’ll post that in a separate blog.

The larger bedroom, with the smaller bath, on the first floor is complete. It makes for a nice retreat. It’s pretty nice to wake up and just walk a few feet to get coffee and then start working, versus having to trek down 200’ of sloping ground. Originally sized for a queen bed, I opted to go with a daybed / trundle setup. With the room having a desk, it makes a little extra room and doesn’t feel cramped, while still allowing two people to sleep comfortably.

The bathroom, while smaller than the other, ended up being more functional than my bathroom at home. I added a few touches to elevate it just a bit, like some Buster + Punch hardware. The end result is a stylish but very usable, small bathroom.

A few people have questioned the use of dark colors, specifically black, that I used extensively. It’s a bold statement but there’s another reason. During the day, it forces you to see outside, which is part of the reason for a wooded lot at the lake.

While the flooring is not totally finished, the open living room is complete. It offers nice views and a comfortable place to relax.

Most people that know me, know that I work with lighting. That was always an important aspect of designing this layout. I built a bookshelf system out of a pallet and incorporated integral lighting. The living room has LED lighting on both sides of the beam. And it all flows smoothly with the well lit kitchen area. Above part of the kitchen is natural lighting from a skylight of sorts. At night, I’ll have artificial light from the second floor that can add to the illumination.

The kitchen has an almost hidden pantry with a barn door. The sink, dishwasher, and combo microwave / convection oven are smaller to save space while integrating nicely into the design.

The upstairs wasn’t getting much attention lately because I was focused on the main floor. But it is usable. The bathroom is much larger but with a smaller sleeping space – so opposite of the first floor. Functionally it’s all there, but I only recently got the laundry closet completed to be able to tuck the washer / dryer more out of the way. The focus will soon shift to completing the cosmetics on the second floor before moving outside while the weather is nice.