I’ve been visiting the jobsite almost daily now.  So much is happening now that it’s best to keep an eye on everything as it happens because we have no time for delays at this point.  Plus, it’s fun to watch the transformation from day to day.

Since my last post, sheetrock was completed and hardwood floors installed. Tile install began and is looking great, but will hold that subject til next post.

Last week the exterior stone install began and is really looking good.  I have never used this exact stone color and style so I was a little anxious to see how it was going to turn out.  It’s sometimes daunting to make a prominent selection based off a small 16”x16” sample.   I watched in awe as the stone installers studied and worked the space with the pieces they had before them.  It’s especially challenging to install a fieldstone pattern because the shapes are irregular.  It almost requires an artisan to install fieldstone well, and I commend our guys for taking the time to do a good job.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

While stone was going up on the exterior, the interior trim guys have been hard at work cutting trim boards for all the windows and door frames,  coffered ceilings, wainscoting,  and my accent wall for the Dining Room.   Before the trim guys come out, I spend time in the office studying the plans and thinking through each room.  With my notes and pictures in hand, I meet onsite with Neil and Jeff Ayscue with Ayscue’s Trimwork.

I’m going to be honest, I’m not much better at knowing all the trim lingo now than I did 10 years ago. I still get confused knowing the difference between basecap and cove mold.   For some reason, my  brain just doesn’t store it.  However, it doesn’t stop me from thinking up plenty of wonderful ideas and I can trust Jeff to take those ideas and make them happen.

When we purchase interior doors, they come with the trim already attached.  Most suppliers stock a few styles such as 1×4 or #470, or #445.

#445 door trim

1×4 door trim

For this home, I wanted to stick with the 1×4 (straight line, simple) style trim around the windows and doors.  I think it lends itself well to the overall feel of the interior style.  We add two additional pieces of molding at the top to finish the look.

One challenge with the 1×4 style, is how to trim out Arched Windows.  One of the features of this home I love is the beautiful arched windows.  To accommodate the arch, a special flexible cove mold is needed to finish out the top trim piece.

This home has 10’ ceilings down and 8’ up.  So downstairs we are using a solid core 8’ tall door and standard 6’8” hollow doors upstairs.  Using 8’ solid core does limit the style choices a bit more but there are still several nice styles to choose from.  Since I want to emphasize the arched detail throughout the home and I am using beadboard in several areas, I thought this door style was a perfect fit.

We are using 7 1/8″ wide baseboard and 2-piece crown in the ceilings.   When considering crown moldings and other trim options, builders are often at the mercy of the suppliers and what they stock.  Stock items can be ordered on Monday and arrive onsite Tuesday.  I’ve learned the hard way, to stray from what the suppliers stock will end up costing three times more and take twice as long to get.

Other cool features on the Trim List:

• Nook Area: added Bench seating
• Powder Room: added Beadboard up to cabinet height with a decorative tile accent capped off.
• Family Room: built horizontal beams
• Dining Room- In the last post, I gave three layout options for the dining room wall. After discussing with Jeff and Neil, we all agreed upon “option 2” using 1×4 plus Window Stop to soften the edge just a bit. When hardwoods were installed, we decided to add a decorative border along the perimeter and we turned the interior floor boards on a diagonal.  It turned out great and I wanted to hint at that decorative border on the ceiling so we added a subtle basecap molding.
• Study: added Coffer Ceiling
• Closets have customized wood shelving designed for best use of each space.
• Master Bath: added wainscoting going from corner to corner acting as the backsplash for the freestanding tub with an accent band. Since my vanities are two different sizes, I found it difficult to find store-bought mirrors, therefore, we are installing trim similar to the windows and having mirrors cut and installed afterward.
• Stairway railings and balusters.

Bedroom 4:  I want to backtrack a minute and look behind the scenes a bit for this Bedroom.  This home plan was originally drawn like this.

As soon as it was framed, Neil and I stood in the space and immediately wanted to make that room more efficient.  We removed the framing for the walls facing the rear dormer and pushed it back as far as we could.  Then we removed the currently framed closet and set it into the dead space beside the bathroom.  In order to utilize some of the deadspace adjacent to the closet, we created a recessed niche with a flush door to give more storage space.  We added a window seat in the side dormer flanked by two recessed book shelves.  These changes transformed this previously 12×10 room into a 15×15 room. This is what the room looks like now:

During framing we also added a full height access door to a large walk- in attic space through BR 2’s closet and another access door from the Rec room to access another floored attic space.

When I visited Saturday morning, cabinets installation was underway.  

Join me next time when we take a closer look at how the selections and colors start coming together from a Designer perspective.