New Home Construction

[TBDonnelly]

<font color="blue"> Divided light windows....... </font>

I added them across the second floor windows.....

I also made the shutters on the right similar to the color of the roof. The shutters on the left are similar to the color of the foundation.

I thought a black and white dog would also be appropriate.....so I added one. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Keep the ideas coming.....

Don

 

[bmac]

Cliff,

<font color="blue"> I'll take this as an invitation to give you my unprofessional opinion. </font>

Jump right in!

<font color="blue"> Man, you have one beautiful house. The mouldings, the proportions, the floor, the transoms, the color choices, the stone work -- everything about it.
</font>

Very kind of you, thanks. If you've been reading along, most of the eye-catching features happened because we let talented craftsmen do what they do best. We asked for their input and, in the case of the molding and tile, we gave them some photographic examples of things we like, then said - " do it like you would do it in your home". I agree with you, some of this stuff is really nice. But they get all of the credit.

<font color="blue"> but I think you've probably noticed that all these houses have divided-light windows. Divided light windows are another way to keep the "hole in the wall" look from comming out. I personally think that's what you're front facade is missing to give it just the look that fits all the interior design work. </font>

You may have picked up on something here. While our windows are not really divided, we do have some "pop-in" mullions that have not yet been installed. We only ordered 1 vertical divider for each upper member of the double hung windows, so we may not see a dramatic difference. But it may help. We did not want true divided windows because my wife says they are harder to clean (more corners). Thsi way, she can pop out the mullions, clean the window and pop it back in. We'll see how it looks after they get installed. Thanks for the suggestion and kind words.

 

[TBDonnelly]

<font color="blue">We only ordered 1 vertical divider for each upper member of the double hung windows, so we may not see a dramatic difference.</font>

I added a full length vertical member on the first floor windows.....

Don

 

[rox]

Cool work, so much fun.
Can you please make the shutters on both sides the color of the foundation + change the front door to the same color?

Can you add a cat on the porch (kidding, kidding, about the cat!)

 

[HGM]

Bmac,
Take it easy man....... You've got a beautiful house... One thing that you need to rememebr is that you have been involved in this project for quite a while, youre naturally anxious to get it done and moved it.. Its not quite done yet(honestly, it never will be).. The more you are there, the more you will see, that you want to change something. Thats human nature.. Thats also something that makes home ownership fun(and expensive)...

As for the front elevation.. I do suggest the shutters, I like the way they look.. The challenge may be the closeness of the upstairs windows, but the modified pictures Don(I think) added are great... These are things you can do over time as well.. Just get everything on the "docket" done so you can move in, then look at the other stuff next year.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Seriously, you should be proud of the house, it looks great.. The owner is ALWAYS more critical than the visitors because he can see flaws(?) that no one else can..

 

[TBDonnelly]

<font color="blue"> Can you please make the shutters on both sides the color of the foundation + change the front door to the same color?</font>

Done!

<font color="blue">Can you add a cat..... </font>

Of course! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif He's a bit small, but he's color coordinated. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Don

PS: As a side note, (for future reference) I have seen 'mullion' bars installed between/inside the two thermopanes of glass for ease of cleaning.

 

[steveinmo]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( like your house. I like it white. I like the style and I like the way it looks. Liar
)</font> /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Stop it! You're killin' me! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Hmmm. I don't know what happened to the picture I "tried" to attach from HOME with my lightning DIAL UP connection. Probably got re-directed to that other White House. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'll try it again tonight.

I think you're getting some good ideas here bmac. I agree that the window mullions will be a good addition.

Steve

 

[bmac]

<font color="blue"> As a side note, (for future reference) I have seen 'mullion' bars installed between/inside the two thermopanes of glass for ease of cleaning. </font>

I think, from a purely esthetic standpoint, nothing beats a true divided light window. To me, the next in line is the kind we ordered where, from the inside where yo are likely to be closer to the window, they kind of look like divided light windowas but not really from the outside where you have 2 panes of glass between you and the mullions. My least favorite is the one with the mullions sandwitched between the glass. Certainly east to clean, but, esthetically, I think they fall a little short. Just my opinion. Oh, and I can't remember for sure, but I don't know if Pella offered the ones with the grill in between the glass panes. Your point is well taken, though Don.

BTW, nice artwork. Thanks.

 

[bmac]

Hi, Greg.

<font color="blue"> Take it easy man....... </font>

Dude, I'm good! I'm gellin'. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Thanks for the kind words. And you are exactly right, we can do lots of stuff after we move in. No problem with that.

<font color="blue"> Seriously, you should be proud of the house, it looks great. </font>

Maybe I haven't used the correct words before and it sounds like I am really dissatisfied. I'm not. But the result is just different than we originally intended. That doesn't mean its a bad result or that I'm not mostly happy. I'm just not doing backflips. But, then again, backflips at my age could lead to real problems so this is probably a good thing.

To repeat myself, it all goes back to the plan. It was not right from the beginning. However, I think the plan we had was executed masterfully. Some really nice craftsmanship. No problems with that. To put things in some perspective and to maybe better communicate my thoughts on this, my overall satisfaction level for the main floor and upstairs, including the front elevation as it now stands is probably around 90%. That's prety good. With the basement (which so far remains unfinished), my satisfaction level drops to about 75%. This number may go up or down once we complete it.

When everything is done and we have moved in, I will make a list of everything I like and things I would do differently next time.

 

[rox]

TB,
Thanks for the rendition. Yup this is the one I would go for. Shutters on the wings, coordinated tot he brick work, and the front door the same color.

This has been so much fun! Course it is not my house, it's Bmacs & posse, so they will do what works for them.

My vote, including the cat, is as you have renederd. Geeze I really hope BMAC puts in a circle drive, talk about $$$, but they are so practical and so pretty. So easy to spend other people's money, yadda yadda yadda.

Thanks for just messin around with the photo's adding a few things, it made the thread fun.

BMAC- we had the same mullions, thye snap in and they are really very very nice. TB's work showing the mullions in really shows what it will be, very very soon. We als had one verticle bar and based ont eh sized windows you have it will be beautiful, jsut beautiful. Funny how you forgot to mention that earlier. Now that we all knwo about the ullions it makes a very big difference on how we are all visualizing your finished home.

I kind of know where you are coming form about houses and material "possesions." I have owned 8 homes, and currently own 4. My main home in Francce, a band new Guest house on the olive farm, a condo in Cannes and a condo in Wisconsin. Don't even ask me how many beds that is.

A hosue is is just a shell, a structure where memoires happen. Of couse it is great to have a great stucture, day to day convenience and coming home to an environmet where you feel comfortable. I myslef am not attached to much to the structures, even the ones I designed and had built. Sure I liked them and enjoyed them, do presently enjoy them, but the structers themselves are not the MOST important thing, it is the memories of what happens inside the structures. I will say that building together brings a couple closer together. It is much different than buing an existing home. Some how when you build a building, at the same time you build your relationship stronger (hopefully) with your spouce. The give and take, the backing off on what you want do to budget concerns and the going overboard for your spouce because one particular item is important to them. So in a way the structure is important because of what you both did together to create it, but once it is created, no matter where you live the memories you will have of the experience will live in your heart forever. And that is why I enjoy builing so much, and have enjoyed your topic. It brings back memories of when my husband and I built homes together.