The weather folks are positively giddy — every day this week shows an slight increase in temps, and we might actually have our first full week of work on the job in perhaps a month.  Site manager Bill has been frantically moving stuff onto the site in advance of the road restrictions which began this past weekend (Most cities don’t allow heavy equipment on the roads March 1- May 1, due to thawing.  No thaw in sight here, but we had to work with the calendar).  So all the trusses are on site, even if they aren’t due to go up any time soon.

As you can see from the photos, the basement is partially framed, and the beginnings of the main level floor are in place.  The house feels tiny right now, but we have been warned that that is normal.  We just have to trist that the dimensions we agreed on for the house are going to work! Too late to change it now!

Rich and I narrowed down our tile choices this week, and are pretty close to done.  We still aren’t set on the master bath, however.

We also visited a few fun places this weekend to look for some special touches.  We want a unique front door, like something you would see on an old house in Italy.  We found a very interesting one at City Salvage in Minneapolis.  It’s probably from the 19-teens, and is bronze covered wood.  It has a greenish patina, and an arts and crafts circular design on it.  The same store also had a fun stained-glass window.  We have a wird place to put in a window: my office”window” looks into a hallway, not outside.  I need the light, but don’t want folks to have to stare at my messy desk, so this is perfect.  At another salvage store, Architectural Antiques, we found some amazing doors that would be ideal for Rich’s office — decorative enough to be a   piece of art in our great room!

Not sure if we will bite the bullet on these items, but I do love the idea of using some unique items to personalize our home! 

Rich and I have also started sifting  through lighting catalogs.  His eyes glazed over early in the process, so I do not anticipate this being a painless adventure. Our tastes don’t always correspond, but I think in the end we will be fine.  We visited some new houses on the Parade Of Homes tour, and were underwhelmed.  Each house had some nice things, but none of them made us wish we were moving into those instead of looking forward to moving into OUR home this summer.  That’s a good thing, right?

That solid cement wall is where the tv will be in the great room. The gap in the framing is a future French door.

Beyond the framing is Carter’s future room

The cement wall will be the back of the main basement bath (shared by Carter and guests)

That ladder will be replaced by a staircase!

A lovely winter construction scene!

Some time next summer, a drum set will be sitting right here!

This plywood is the beginnings of our main floor!