Phew – my head is spinning.  Big time. I’ve learned a lot about construction. One thing I’ve learned is that I don’t want to do it again.

I didn’t quite expect the constant need for decisions. All of the time. Anxiety comes along with all these decisions. Getting the little things right has always been a big thing in my book.

Vacation is right around the corner. The pressure is on. Gearing up for vacation has been quite the feat. When we get back, the drywall will be finished. Because of this, we’ve been scurrying to make sure that every outlet, light, speaker, etc… is in the right place. Decision after decision after decision.

A lot has happened over the last two weeks. We got word that our oven has left the factory in France and is on the boat. We’ll be passing her in the Atlantic. 

Because of the size, we had to order a custom hood, and deviate a little from the original chimney style hood.

Here’s the shape we chose. I like how it is reminiscent of an old world style.

Actually it will work out better with the beams. (P.S. see how much BETTER they look with the dropped ceiling!) Jonathan’s plan is working out perfectly.

Many things are now moving right along.

Plumbing and electrical are in.

We have a fancy manifold control system. Apparently this is the plumbing brain. (I’m still learning about how all of this works…)

Being able to control the aesthetics of our home is a great benefit of a major renovation. Often it’s the little things that drive me crazy. Our ugly panel boxes will now be nicely hidden in the utility rooms.

Hello recessed lighting – goodbye dark spaces!

We are really looking forward to being able to control the lighting and moods in all of our rooms.

Here’s an area where we are recessing a piece of art in a wall with special lighting – a cool idea our builder thought of.

The outside siding looks great.

It blends in perfectly with the old.

We went with real wood so the imperfections would show and match closer to the original wood we have.

The HVAC has been installed. Four systems to maximize efficiency and coolness in the right spots. (Now I can get ready and sleep in the tundra without breaking the bank – ahhhhh.)

New ducts have been installed throughout – hello healthy lungs.

And, bye bye (huge) ugly entry intake. We welcome something that is smaller and far less noticeable.

The porch columns are finished up and it looks great.  We are really looking forward to spending a lot of time here.

Hello vacay and bye bye decisions. I’m looking forward to the break from making any decisions for a few weeks. See ya’ll after drywall…