Progress!

 

 

 

This will be the studio for Phil and I to share.  Taken from "his" end of the room, which--admittedly--is not huge.  But he only wanted a small space for his leather table and tools, so it works out.  GREAT lighting--four lights with three aim-able fixtures each, and a light in each closet.  Plus three four-by-four windows on the south and west sides.  I already love this room.  The floor is a deep sunflower yellow.  I can't wear yellow, or I look like I died and nobody told me.  But I find it to be a color that stimulates my creativity, so there ya go.   

Bathroom floors!  I did this.  It was scary, and I had a couple Lucille Ball moments in there (crawling around in Patch & Smooth on my hands and knees, scooping handfuls of cement muck into the bucket, because I didn't know how to mix or use it.)  But it's Vinyl Composite Tile--that old grade-school linoleum--so it'll last forever.  Once I figured out the process, it went pretty fast.  I love it.  Bonus; you can ease the cutting of this stuff with a heat gun.  Hubby bought me a good one, and I am embarrassed by how much I like using the thing!  Call me Pyro Jan--I had soooo much fun.

 

 

Here is Phil, figuring out the cabinet layout (with Gypsy's help, of course).  That mess in the middle of the room is where our dining table will go, once we're in.We bought unfinished Home Depot cabinets, and I painted for almost two weeks.  Never thought I'd get tired of painting, but now I know;

 it's possible.

 

 

I call this the Coffee Bar, and Phil said, "But you don't drink coffee anymore."  So he named it The Hutch.  So, Hutch it is.  The tall green pantry will be an appliance garage.  Don't mind the plywood countertops--we're making do until our custom ones come in late in January (painted toe-kicks asap).  I'll be cussing myself when I have to get a step stool for the stuff in the top of those 36" cabinets, but that'll all be "seldom used" stuff, and I'll need the exercise anyway.

You can see the laundry room off to the right side there.  

It's 21 x 6, so it's all business.  The vinyl plank flooring goes throughout the house, with the exception of the bathrooms, the studio, and our master bedroom which will get carpet for Phil's tootsies.  

 

 

I love this flooring!  It's got enough texture that Gypsy doesn't slide everywhere, it's tough and doesn't show her scuff marks even though she gets the crazy-zoomies on it all the time.  It doesn't show dirt because of all the pattern variation, and it's super easy to maintain.  What more could you want in a floor?

 

 

We had three snows before December!  I discovered something about my husband.  I always knew he wasn't a fan of severe or windy cold (who is?), but his real problem with rain and snow: the messy ground.  My Arizona Desert Rat grew up never having to contend with muddy boots, and it really annoys him!

  

We still have to finish the decks and railings, and a few plumbing fixtures.  We did one toilet yesterday, so YAY!!! No more 20 degree trips to the porta-john.  It's not like I didn't know I was spoiled, but dang.  We'll have to wait til spring and warmer weather to finish exterior painting of the cinderblock foundation walls, and a couple other things (chicken coop!!!), but it'll keep. The front door will be barn red.

There's a county thing called the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy that we must get, and in order to get it, we have to have; a functional kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, as well as all electrical fixtures in place, and the finished decks with railings.  We're getting there, and it gets more fun every day.  Once we're in, we'll work on baseboards and window trim, built-ins and shelving.  Every day I discover how right this floor plan is for us, and that the rooms are really going to "live" bigger than I thought when we designed it.  

Looking to be by Christmas.  What a great present!