Still Ahead......

We've moved into Steve's house for this week while he and the kids are away for spring break.  Our poor underprivileged family is spending a week on a chartered boat in the British Virgin Islands.  Next week we'll move to a less expensive (than the one we've rented until now), cleaner house in Escondido until we can move back home.  Nomads!  We're nomads!

So this week I felt better and got back to work.  Completion of framing, basic in-ground plumbing and concrete patching took up the week at the house. We are still ahead of schedule.  Our electrical walk-through was postponed until tomorrow so that "everyone could be there" (whatever that means?).  Our designer, our project manager, the audio-visual guy, the electrician and us chickens will attend.  This is where I get to ask for more lights and beg to move some and receive their recommendations.  Stan is working with the A.V. guy to get the house prewired for "all our needs".  From my perspective, innocuous speakers are the only important need.  No more plant stands!

This last week I chose the tiles for the bathrooms.  Yes, I'd done it before but then we changed the configuration of the two baths and I have more flexibility.  I want the powder room to be a bit dramatic, the guest bath to be beachy for the mermaid collection.

So I chose a Limestone from Israel - Hebron White, a mosaic glass tile blend called Enchantment (iridescent purple/olive green/pale green) and the Caesarstone remnant in Mocha for the counter.  Depending on the final cost the idea is to put the Hebron in 16x16 tiles on the floor, cut those in half and use them in a staggered pattern as wainscoting on three walls and run a row of the mosaic on the back wall (as a backsplash) behind the cabinet and toilet.  The cabinet will float and will be stained "Wenge", almost black.




For the guest bath we're sticking with the beach rock on the floor and the shower pan, the Seagrass Limestone on the shower walls, the rest of the Mocha Caesarstone remnant as the counter and a row of a mosaic glass tile blend in Muse (clear iridescent, Fleet blue iridescent and a pale green glass) as the backsplash.  Love it all, no second thoughts.


Beside those monumental decisions we selected a door style.  All our doors are 8 ft. tall (just couldn't be your average size door!!!) hollow-core, white doors builders use in spec houses.  We picked Mahogany two panel doors and Mahogany for the pocket doors as well.  They stain them on site - the top panel being longer (a rectangle) than the bottom (a square).  We decided to use the same style door as our front door (french style) but plan to replace the wood panels with rain glass.  Simple yet distinctive (we hope).

The garage is so full we can't take anything else on.  Yet, the refrigerator arrived and we managed to squeeze it in.  Tomorrow the toilets, sinks, fixtures, etc. will have to find a space as well.  We're still trying to sell the Viking Professional 48" stove that came with the place.  We relisted it today for $1000 - a bargain for someone who cooks seriously and has room for a behemoth - at least we think it is a bargain because it easily has 10-15 years of good cooking left.  We sold the Sub Zero for $700 - also a bargain.  By mid May I'll be giving the thing away!

Some decisions haven't come easy so we've just tabled them.  Lights!!!!  God, there are a lot of lights out there!  We wanted something "different" in a dining room fixture, a beautiful Asian style called "Shanghai" with shades and gew-gaws, but not cheesy.  I thought it was $485 so showed it to Stan and he loved it too.  It was $4,895.00!!  We just had to leave and pretend I dreamt the whole thing.


This is our choice for pendant lighting over the island in the kitchen.  Simple brushed nickel finish with a white glass shade.  Cheap - so we ordered it.









And here's a picture of the Caesarstone in the laundry with the red washer & dryer, white cabinets and flooring as yet to be selected.








I don't know how far north of us you had to be living not to feel the 6.9 earthquake (centered south of Mexicali) about an hour ago.  Australia is probably a good place though I know it's not north :-}  We shook, we rattled and we rolled for quite a long time.  I thought about Haiti and building codes and how I hate building depts. and permits.   I thank the people far wiser than me for the rules and the ingenuity that has created designs and materials to withstand some of what Mother Nature dishes out.  The idea of being "up to code" is very appealing.

This being a blog about remodeling I won't give you my opinions on the Catholic Church or the Easter Bunny.  Stay tuned.......