Door Heights

When looking at our floor plan, the builder recommended that we install 8' doors in the main living areas because of the higher ceilings. He said that 6'8" doors would look more proportional in the areas with 9' ceilings.

Once the doorways were framed, David and I were able to walk through and "test" the heights. In the areas where the 6'8" doors were planned, we felt like the drop to accommodate the shorter door was dramatic.  After much discussion and a call to our interior designer, we decided to raise these doorways to allow 8' doors.

In the same conversation with the interior designer, we asked for guidance on the door leading to the covered porch from the great room.  The plan called for outswing double doors with windows on each side and transoms above. We changed this to sliding doors instead. She recommended that we revert back to the outswing doors. The builder said we might be too late with this change, so we are anxiously waiting to hear back.

David went out to the house site this morning to let Randy (the head framer) know about the door height change. We were surprised to visit the house site this afternoon and find all sixteen 6'8" doors changed to 8' height! They also framed for some columns in the dining room, kitchen, and breakfast room. No pictures though because I couldn't find my camera.

We had our first vehicle parked in the basement garage space too. They parked their New Holland there to keep it out of the rain. :)

Cast Iron Tubs

After Prosource raised the price of the Toto cast iron tubs we had selected, we started the search for another cast iron tub brand and supplier. We could always buy Americast tubs from AAA Supply, but we really wanted cast iron tubs if they would fit in the budget.

We looked at Kohler's cast iron selection and liked the Bellwether. We found reasonable prices online, but we preferred to purchase the tubs locally. We called Gateway Supply, and they agreed to match the online pricing, including free shipping! They even said that they could hold the tubs until we needed them and have them delivered to the house site!

Getting Ideas

During our last meeting with Tracey, she suggested that we stop by to see her bathroom organization. She had installed laundry hampers under the bathroom sink and used her tower for storage. Although I'm still debating how to best organize our master bathroom, it was great to see her set-up!

While we were there, she gave us a full tour of the house. We really liked the high cabinets that she installed in the master bathroom and kitchen. My back often hurts when preparing meals or washing dishes with our standard height cabinets, so I definitely think we'll incorporate this idea into our house. We also liked her use of space in the kitchen, especially the extensive use of drawers to keep things organized.

Entertaining

Today I co-hosted a baby shower at my mother-in-law's house. (Thanks, Gail, for letting me use your house for this event!) I look forward to entertaining more once our house is built!

Selecting a House Plan

Building on family property, we knew this must be the "forever" home. It must fit our lifestyle now, with children, as empty-nesters, and with wheelchairs. For us, the perfect floor plan would have everything on the main level, a bathroom attached to each bedroom, and plenty of outdoor living space to enjoy the mountain view. 

We fell in love with the exterior styling of Don Gardner's Clarkson house plan, but we were not sure we would use two great rooms. Instead, we decided to build Don Gardner's Birchwood house plan with exterior features from the Clarkson rendering. We will make a few changes to the floor plan, including extending the master bedroom, adding a deck, and changing the e-space to a powder room. We will also have a full, unfinished basement for plenty of storage space.

Today, we purchased the vellum plans. Since Don Gardner is based in Greenville, we were able to pick them up from their office in downtown. We look forward to seeing the progress from house plans to a home!