PDCo Home: All About Our Stone!

stone exterior modern home
stone exterior modern home

If you haven’t seen our post about the exterior design concept, be sure to start there! That vision was the driving force behind all other decisions for our home’s exterior. The last blog post shared more information about our primary siding material, which is cedar. Today I’m excited to share more detailed information about our accent material, stone.

I have to say, finding the right stone was one of the trickiest things with our house design! I had a lot of ideas of what I liked, but sourcing the actual product required looking through dozens of online vendors and local stone suppliers, and HUNDREDS of products. Eventually though, I found the perfect option that complimented our cedar beautifully as well as fit the modern organic aesthetic we are going for.

stone walkway
stone breezeway
stone locations

From the beginning of our exterior planning, I knew I wanted to mix natural materials, and I had a few ideas of where I’d locate them. I always wanted a stone hallway that connected the main house from the master suite. When creating the floor plan, I made sure this hallway was notched in from the walls next to it so we would have a natural stopping point of the stone. I love how it looks with a large black windows on both sides of the house!

I wanted to be sure to incorporate the stone on the front façade as well. Again, a bump-out for the entry/stairs created a perfect “block” for applying the stone. I’m never a fan of stone applied as a “skirt” — the 3′-0″ or so at the bottom of so many houses. I like it to look as intentional as possible, so bringing it up to the roof line to make it look more authentic.

The last location we have stone is on the outside of our fireplace. And one of our most common questions is if we have the stone on the inside of our house, too. The answer is — no! We have a more modern aesthetic and wanted to keep the interior very simple. I worried if I started pulling the stone into the interior, the home would start feeling too rustic or traditional. I think we’ve struck the balance of modern and natural quite well so far!

stone accents on modern house
stone exterior
the specifications

I know this has already been one of the top questions about our house, so I’ll get right down to it. We chose Eldorado Stone’s Casa Blanca Rough Cut for our stone. Here’s what we loved: muted creamy white color, large sized stone mixed with some smaller pieces, organic shape for a more natural — almost primitive — aesthetic, and rough edges so the stone has a perfectly imperfect feel.

For our grout, there wasn’t a particular color we selected. When viewing options, none of the tints had the lightness we wanted without it turning grey. So our mason did a white sand/white cement mixture and it was exactly what I imagined in my head to keep the stone feeling natural.

We did an overgrout to further enhance a more organic shape to the stone. I found without this technique, this particular stone can have a more linear feel. We roughed up the grout with some scraping techniques to help get some texture to it. Be sure to check out this video that captures some of the installation!

stone house with black windows
the installation process

Since we live in a location with four seasons… i.e. COLD weather, we had to prepare for some chilly nights. This means the guys had to create a heat tent to prevent freezing or moisture variation in the mortar. The heat had to run throughout the night until it was cured. Thankfully, these guys are FAST and the overall installation took just a few days. Despite being in the middle of winter, we happened to get our installation days on some of the nicer days. The tent was still necessary for the evening, but boy did it get toasty in there! The guys were wearing t-shirts and it felt like a cozy greenhouse! Plus, it made it kind of fun to see the tent pulled away to get a final reveal!

stone installation with coverage
stone installation spokane
the video reveal

I had so much fun capturing a few videos of the masons and I loved watching their techniques. It was exciting to see the last of the exterior together, and I hope you enjoy watching it as well in this video!

Overall, the stone added just the right element to our home and the look we are going for. We are super excited for some additional stone projects we will complete in the warmer months, including a gated entry and mailbox! We’ll also be adding an additional stone walkway to the future garage. Big plans ahead!

Have questions about the stone? Drop them in the comments below!

Sponsored Post: Transparency is important! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with some incredible companies on our home project. These collaborations may include discounted or donated product in exchange for content. But rest assured – I actually selected products from these brands based on the fact that I love them! Collaboration opportunities came later, and I’m really grateful each company wanted to work with us on our project, too!


Want to stay up-to-date on PDCo Home?

Follow us on Instagram and use hashtag #pdcohome to search for past posts.

Follow our contractor Solo Homes Co. on Instagram, too!

View a full resource list of blog posts, videos, and allllll the things about the house.

PDCo Home: Cedar Siding

If you haven’t seen our post about the exterior design concept, be sure to start there! That vision was the driving force behind all other decisions for our home’s exterior. Today I’m excited to share more detailed information behind the actual product selections and process. Not to mention, the first glimpses of these materials being installed!

the BASICS ON CEDAR

Once I determined cedar would be our primary material, I had a lot to figure out when it came to the color. I researched bleaching oils, wood species, wood grades, and more — there’s so much that goes into the final appearance.

Many people are familiar with red cedar as it’s the most common in our area. It ranges from knotty to clear, with most people desiring the clear cedar for it’s clean, modern look. However, that clean wood comes at a high price! The golden red undertones of this wood also was a factor I needed to consider. I was looking for more of a neutral brown tone.

the new kid on the block

Fast forward a bit, and I stumbled across a cedar known as Port Orford Cedar when researching online. It’s much less common. In fact, when I called our local lumber supply stores and mills, most thought I was crazy and didn’t know what I was talking about. Traditionally, this cedar was used for building boats and Japanese temples. And just like other cedars, it has an amazing scent to it, kind of ginger-like even.

The amazing thing about Port Orford Cedar is that: A) it has more of a natural white/yellow undertone rather than red, and B) it has less knots and so even a D grade material is basically the equivalent of a clear grade red cedar. And to top it all off, it was about half the price! Long story short, we jumped on the opportunity and purchased it directly from a mill in Washington.

the specifications

When we selected our cedar, we requested a flush joint tongue and groove. It basically has a square profile that you’d see on shiplap, for example. I didn’t want any gaps like nickel gap because it tends to have a more traditional or rustic look. We went with a D & Better grade because it was plenty clear for the aesthetic we were going for. Last, we made sure to get one side sanded smooth, and had the smooth side facing out during install. Some people choose to put the rough side out. Apparently this is less maintenance, but it’s just not the look we wanted.

a custom color with miller paint

I looked at inspiration photos a lot and did a ton of research on how to achieve different colors. In the beginning I explored bleaching oils quite a bit. Specifically for use on red cedars when trying to eliminate the red undertones. But with Port Orford, that was no longer a challenge we faced. For me, it was all about bringing a warm oak color so it would complement the white oak tones of the home’s interior (our floors and cabinets).

I worked with Miller Paint to create a custom stain color using their Sansin products. We probably completed somewhere in the range of 20-30 samples to get it just right! A little more white, a little more umber, a little of this and a little of that. Finally, we felt like we achieved the perfect color! It was a decision that I was very anxious about. It would be followed by a lot of labor to stain the whole house, and I didn’t want to mess it up! So a very special thank you to my friend Cathy with Hue Color for holding my hand through it and helping me execute my vision! And another big thank you to the lovely people with Miller Paint for their patience, customer service, and letting me spend hours at the store, and adding the pigments — drop by drop — to perfection!

If you are looking to achieve a specific look for your home, all of these people are simply amazing and can definitely help you accomplish your color dreams!

stone and wood siding
final notes

A few final things I wanted to be sure to touch on with cedar siding – the installation is so important! We made sure to do a rain barrier behind the siding so moisture is never trapped behind the wood. We also stained all sides of every board for protection. In the Spring, we will likely do some sort of clear coat over the stain for added protection.

Have questions about cedar? Drop them in the comments below!

Sponsored Post: Transparency is important! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with some incredible companies on our home project. These collaborations may include discounted or donated product in exchange for content. But rest assured – I actually selected products from these brands based on the fact that I love them! Collaboration opportunities came later, and I’m really grateful each company wanted to work with us on our project, too!


Want to stay up-to-date on PDCo Home?

Follow us on Instagram and use hashtag #pdcohome to search for past posts.

Follow our contractor Solo Homes Co. on Instagram, too!

View a full resource list of blog posts, videos, and allllll the things about the house.

PDCo Home: Exterior Design Concept

modern exterior design concept

The day is here! I’ve been waiting for forever to share the concept board for our home’s exterior! I didn’t want to share too early, because we had so much foundational work to complete on the house. But we’re at the point where windows are in, roof is on, and siding and stone are on their way. So it’s about time to share the vision behind it all.

I’ll confess, I considered a black house for a long time. It’s basically still plan B. But for now, we’ve decided to bring in a charcoal/black color in more subtle ways, like the soffits, the garden shed, and the roof.

a little background on the concept

I looked at so many siding options. I could NOT find anything I loved. And then, I don’t even remember how it started…but I started considering cedar. But not your typical traditionally stained cedar. But a light, natural color that felt like the white oak interiors I love so much. I dove down the Pinterest rabbit hole and found some gorgeous examples of wood siding and bleached cedar options that spoke to my soul! Once this was a firm decision, I wanted to find another natural material to bring in some variety and texture. We looked at so many stones until we found the one. I’ll get into all of these exact decisions on another post later, but for now, I just want to share design inspiration!

the wood tones

It’s hard not to dive into all the specifics right now! I’m going to share some of my favorite inspiration photos for what guided me to the final look of our cedar. From width to installation, tone, to combination materials, here are a few of my favorite photos of wood-clad homes. We ultimately decided to go with a wood tone a bit more warm/saturated for extra sun protection and general color (a similar color to our flooring for a good interior/exterior connection) — you can take a sneak peek at the final cedar color here.

Source: Geremia Design
a natural pairing

Exteriors are not my forte, but I looked at a lot of photos as part of my research process. I always tell my clients to start design by immersion. Looking at pictures and analyzing what you like and don’t like is critical to learning your design preferences. The next step for me is really analyzing how certain materials are used. With exteriors, starting and stopping points are a detail that cannot be overlooked. There needs to be a purpose behind transitioning to a different material for it to look most authentic. Out of all the exterior materials available, this rule holds the most true for stone.

I knew stone would be the perfect option for some added texture and visual interest playing with scale. I was very critical about where and how it would be used. The image below is one of my inspiration photos that helped me with color and style of the stone. It was perfect because it paired it with the warmer wood tone I wanted for the cedar as well!

roof options

We had initially planned for a metal roof despite knowing it was going to cost a substantial amount more. But when numbers came back and we had to go through the process of cutting costs, it eventually had to go. I really struggled finding a roof option I liked, but the more I looked at shingled roofs with cedar siding, the more I loved it. Standing seam metal roofs paired with vertical cedar can look ULTRA modern, which I love, but I actually wanted something a bit softer looking. The shingles bring that soft texture I was looking for. But I wasn’t ready to let go of the metal roof completely. I love mixed roof materials and we had the perfect location to change it up — the hall between the master suite and the rest of the house.

time for implementation

I feel like there will be one hundred more times where I say “I’m most looking forward to…” but… I’m (currently) most looking forward to seeing the exterior come to life. It’s the first impression of the home. Watching the framing of the house come together was a HUGE step. One with a lot of pressure around it hoping that I didn’t mess up with sizes of the rooms or regrets on layout. When I nailed that, a weight was lifted from my shoulders. The shape of the structure is there, but it’s currently like a silhouette. It looks beautiful, but what will happen when a light is cast over it and all the details are shown? I feel confident in our material selections both individually and when viewed together. I see the end result in my head, but will it look the same as I imagine? Better? Worse?!

Give us a few more weeks and we’ll know for sure!


Want to stay up-to-date on PDCo Home?

Follow us on Instagram and use hashtag #pdcohome to search for past posts.

Follow our contractor Solo Homes Co. on Instagram, too!

View a full resource list of blog posts, videos, and allllll the things about the house.

PDCo Home: Rough-Ins & Miscellaneous Work

pdcohome spokane construction
pdcohome spokane construction

I’ve been a little quiet about updates on the house lately! There’s been a lot happening behind the scenes though! The guys have been completing all of the tedious work to get our home functioning. Last month has been all about HVAC, plumbing, electrical, gas, and more.

electrical & plumbing rough-ins

There were a lot of decisions to be made in a short period of time! The electrical plan needed to be finalized. Then we had to determine the perfect heights for both electrical and plumbing fixtures. We quickly finished selecting our lighting to best make these decisions, and then started ordering them! At the last minute, we also decided to throw in central VAC. So we did a walk-through to determine best locations for piping and get those in quickly.

The fireplace and chimney cap also got installed! It all turned out beautifully thanks to Falco’s. I’ll share more about the designs for this in the future. Right now it’s all about the behind the scenes things that don’t make for pretty pictures. But of course they are important steps to complete before getting to insulate and then close up the walls. Last week we passed all of our inspections for these items, so onward we go!

roof & windows

I realized I hadn’t even posted anything when the roof finished! I’ll soon have a separate post all about that. The windows have been done for quite some time but we just received our extra large sliding door. It was installed this weekend so I’m finally sharing the decisions behind all of the windows in this separate post!

black roof and windows
gutters and exterior work

Gutters were added right after a long week of drenching rain. But at least the rain helped compact a lot of the dirt around the house. We’ve been working to fill in the sinkholes around the foundation and finish grading before the ground freezes. I also made quite the plant haul with some great clearance deals! We planted close to 100 grasses in the front corner of the house! We’ll be doing more landscaping in the Spring and I’ll share more about our long-term plans for prairie-style landscaping then.

We also had our soffits, fascia boards, columns, and covered patio ceiling painted. The exterior is really taking shape and last week they started installing the cedar siding. Exterior doors are getting installed and painted. We also got our stone delivered, so I’m hoping we’ll have the exterior all done before Christmas!

black covered patio
what’s next…

So what’s coming up? We’re looking forward to insulation and drywall in the coming weeks. From there, it’s all about diving into the pretty things, starting with tile and hardwood floors! If you want to stay tuned on a daily basis, be sure to follow us on Instagram and keep an eye on our stories and highlights!


Want to stay up-to-date on PDCo Home?

Follow us on Instagram and use hashtag #pdcohome to search for past posts.

Follow our contractor Solo Homes Co. on Instagram, too!

View a full resource list of blog posts, videos, and allllll the things about the house.