Setting Sail

This blog will now be a way to keep friends and family in the loop while I am living abroad. Hopefully there will be lots of pictures and stories coming shortly. I am moving a little over a week from today and have a wonderfully small flat lined up to move into. I will be living in South Kensington a couple of short blocks south of Hyde Park.

Currently, I am working on visiting all of my favorite dining spots before I leave and trying to over eat to the point of not having any cravings for a while. I am also taking in the last few days with my bud Brady and will be dropping him off with my wonderful parents this coming weekend.

This past Saturday night I had a wonderful time with a few close friends. They treated me well and it meant a lot that they took the time out of their busy lives to come hang out for one last football filled Saturday.

Until next time - cheers

Fireplace example

This picture has a lot going on in it but there are pieces that I may use as inspiration. I really like the up lighting above the fire place and also the indirect lighting in the location of crown molding.

here is an image indicating what the kitchen layout will be. The family room is off the back on the right and the doorway leading on the left side is the mud room.

Here are a few pictures of the cabinet doors I am looking to use in the kitchen.

Granite Pictures

Here are a couple pictures of the granite and slate that we found over the weekend. I really didn't expect to find something that I like as much as these options. I could still be convinced otherwise but it's unlikely. The top picture is of the sample pieces laying on top of my current table to see how it would look next to a darker wood (cabinet). Still trying to figure out if stainless steel will be incorporated into the counters or maybe a wood/chopping block type top also.

First signs of commitment

Let me fill you in on my progress and some of the inner struggles that having been waging war for the better part of a year now.

So, leading up until this point I have spent a lot of time going back and forth on whether or not I am going to take on this project. There were times when I put it on hold completely for one reason or another and there were moments when I was making my architect run around in circles really just because I was afraid to commit to a floor plan. When a month had passed and I had not been able to find a way to change the layout for the umpteenth time I realized that I must have something in place that I am happy with and that I could commit to.

Duane at Kara Mann Design has been wonderful in dealing with me. We have discussed at length anything from the proper layout of the master bath to how to save the economy without giving up our rights or our entire paychecks (I will leave the political discussions for another blog).In the end he has guided me through carefully and gracefully and when I think about it I have probably come back to some of the ideas that he and Kara had intially proposed.

More recently, since I have committed to 98% of the floor plans, I have begun to visit showrooms ranging from hard wood floors to low voltage systems (I will probably never commit 100% to anything throughout this process since that would put all credit and blame squarely on my shoulders) After visiting three different hard wood floor manufacturers, a audio visual specialist and falling in love with materials at a marble and granite warehouse I really can't decide which area of the house I am going to have more fun designing or enjoying after this whole thing is finished.

I will soon be posting more specific information on this blog. There will be pictures of the stone samples along with links to different design ideas that I am leaning towards. I will also try to post some of the floor plans but I warn you - if you propose changes in the floor plans at this point you won't be allowed to visit - ever. I joke. Better to have the obvious pointed out sooner rather than later.

I am going to get back to enjoying what seems to be the 14th overcast day in a row in Chicago. We better get this rain out of our system becuase I really won't need water from the sky when the basement is being dug out and the back wall of the house open to the elements. Due to city codes I can not have a swimming pool in my basement and I get written up for my driving habits enough by the city. I don't need them to have a problem with the way I live too.

Introduction

Hello to all and to myself. I feel like writing this blog will be both fun and informational. I am opening myself up to the possibility that some will have opinions on my design decisions and others will just nod politely and tell me something looks "fine".

This will also be a space for me to look back on and both admire and critique the steps that I took to get through the gutting of my first house. I do appreciate any and all suggestions on ideas that will lead to a better finished product as I go through this process. The more help I have on designing my dream house the more people I can blame when it does not turn out exactly the way I thought it would. But, if it turns out better than expected I get all the credit.

This will also serve as a countdown until I can throw house parties and invite friends and family to visit me without having to put them on an air mattress with the rumbling raucous sounds of Belmont Avenue interrupting their dreams.

So, sit back and relax and enjoy watching me pull my hair out as I go through what I have been told is the wonderful experience of building a home.