Take a Tour!

The house is just about finished and moving day is coming.  I invited Justeen and Denise over to take pictures of their brain child now that it is all grown up.  I thought they might like to take pictures before the furniture went in. 

I thought I might like that, too, so I borrowed an iphone that has a wider field of vision than my trusty camera and headed over.

The foyer is a little tricky to photograph.  It is very cozy rather than grand and is more horizontal than vertical.  This view from the dining room through the foyer and into the library shows the front door and gives the best feel for the entry.

 

Backing up into the dining room, you can still see the front door and get a sense of the wonderful space that is created by the bumpout on the front.

 

Now here’s the magazine shot.  I hope Justeen and Denise won’t mind that I messed up the symmetry and axis line by stopping the bookshelves short.

I probably shouldn’t have said that.  Now it will drive us all nuts.

This shot of the library is a little blurry and the shelves are quite dusty, but it gives a good sense of the room.

In fact the shelves are so dusty that my favorite rock star wrote me a message in the dust telling me that she likes the curved hedge in the back.

And it does look good, doesn’t it?

How about the wonderful little window seat with a view to the garden space between the bedroom and living room?  I can’t wait to curl up with a mug of tea and a gardening book there.

And if I want to stretch out a bit more, I can move over the to the master bedroom to the window seat in there.  It’s long enough to lie down on and do exercises.

If one were so inclined.

I’m more inclined to recline in the tub. 

Apparently, so is Denise.  Now there’s an architect who really gets into her work.  She is soaking up every detail.

Actually, she was a very good sport.  I told her about how comfortable the tub is, and she accepted my invitation to climb right in and check it out.  It looks like something out of the Deluxe Barbie Playhouse, but it sure is comfy!

No one tried out the shower, although Denise did send me a tip for removing a rust stain on the marble floor.  Isn’t it odd how pink the gray walls look in this photo?

Turning slightly toward the left back to the  linen press, they look gray again.

Moving on to the kitchen, I was worried about the kitchen being very gray with all of those north facing windows, but with windows on three sides, it is very light and cheery.

Between the family room and the kitchen is one of the most clever things in the house.  I was so worried about having the kitchen on the back of the house, because I couldn’t figure out where to put a grill or my beloved Big Green Egg.  I really didn’t want to carry pans of smoked meat up and down stairs.  So, Justeen and Denise bumped out the screen porch and made a little grilling deck.  You can slip out the door next to the freezer here or go through the screen door from the screen porch.  It’s just big enough for a grill, a smoker and a few pots of herbs.  That’s why the architects earn the big bucks!  Great ideas!

I broke in the kitchen last week.  Builder Gary was under the weather, so I brought over my soup kettle and my cast iron skillet and made lunch.

It’s starting to look like home.

Now if only we had a table here in the breakfast nook to sit down and eat that soup!

Before we leave this floor, let’s check out the powder room. The funny little vanity that was made from a sideboard looks great with the puck lights in it. 

And just to add to the fun, a chandelier that matches the etching on the mirror!

Let’s go upstairs.

This bedroom is essentially an attic bedroom and I was worried it would be too small.

So, we stole space from under the eaves for a built in desk

and then built an armoire into the wall just for good measure.

The bathroom came out really cute.

Tucking a shower under the eave was a little challenging, but we made it work.

Just in case this room didn’t have enough fun stuff, there is a door in the back of the closet leading into an attic space that will serve as the art studio.

Down the hall, this bedroom isn’t too shabby either.

I like the funny little heart pine vanity.

The last bedroom is so light filled and pretty.  It has the best view of all.

The bathroom is a bit more masculine

and has a great looking shower.

The upstairs laundry room is ready for action,

and who wouldn’t want to do laundry when you get a view like this?

This was my favorite view of the day, though.  The job johnny is finally gone!

Now it’s time for the rest of us to do like the beagle and settle in.