PDCo Home: Fireplace

** For a full resource list of blog posts about our home, check out this link.

What questions do I get asked most often when it comes to PDCO home? That’s easy; where do you get your light fixtures? Annnd, how do I get my fireplace to look like that? I went through light fixtures in our PDCO home reveal post so today let’s take a closer look at the PDCO Fireplace! Something most of us don’t realize, until we start looking into installing our own fireplace, is how much detail goes into it. Today you can consider me your fireplace fairy godmother! I’ll take you through every decision we needed to make to get our fireplace to look like this. And every detail you’ll need to make when you’re getting a fireplace installed.

Where to start?

If you’re from the Spokane, WA general area then highly recommend Falco’s Spokane for all your fireplace needs! They truly are the full package; they’re easy to work with, have quality products and do quality work! I love that they are a one stop shop for finding the right unit AND installation. After finding a fireplace supplier, your next step is to decide what type of fireplace you want. Gas, Wood or Specialty? The exact model we selected is the Kozy Heat Bayport 41 gas fireplace. A fireplace is a big focal point in any space, so one thing to consider is the style of your home. Not only with the shape and size of the unit, but all of the “media kit” items inside the unit! There are fireplaces that lean more traditional, transitional, modern, etc. so make sure the fireplace you select fits the home you’re dreaming up.

Falco’s has details about each fireplace unit and here’s what they have to say about the Kozy Heat Bayport 41 direct vent gas fireplace. “Direct vent gas fireplaces don’t require a chimney or existing fireplace for successful installation – they can be installed almost anywhere, even on interior walls and in modern homes. The Bayport 41 Log is energy-efficient, easy to operate, and provides an exceptional level of heat output, making this fireplace a great investment that will give years of good service.”

We really wanted a fireplace that put out heat. Many fireplaces are fine for just aesthetic purposes, but some people don’t realize that there are special units that are more for the functionality of heat output!

Let’s personalize it!

After selecting the exact fireplace unit we began to put together the details. Our home is definitely more modern, but still cozy and soft. We knew we wanted our fireplace to have a minimalist appearance. I kept all this in mind when selecting a fireplace, but also when going through all the details. The easiest details to select were the black gloss enamel panels for extra reflection and glow. The black full rectangular framed screen front was exactly what we needed for the sharp lines next to the drywall edges. These two things definitely took our fireplace in the modern direction we were wanting to take it.

We also customized our media kit to our personal preferences. I get lots of questions about this specifically! We selected the driftwood rock media kit but we asked them to eliminate the rocks with yellow tones. I’m a pain, I know 😉 We added the black glass media kit onto that to also increase the reflection and glow. And there you have our customized Kozy Heat Bayport 41 direct vent gas fireplace!

What matters most!

Your fireplace surround is just as important if not more important than your fireplace unit, when we’re looking at the aesthetic aspect of things. For a cleaner look we went without a hearth and mantle and chose to do a built-in ledge instead. The detail of a ledge gave me the room to “dress up” our fireplace while still not making it too busy for what we were wanting.

We brought our fireplace surround all the way up to the ceiling. In our PDCO home final reveal, I talk about how this brings your eye up making your ceiling heights seem even taller. It’s a must-have in my opinion when designing a fireplace wall. We also brought this drywall all the way to the floor with a very clean line so no base trim was needed to finish it off. We painted the whole thing in the same color as our walls. I wanted a minimalist look but felt there was enough detail because of the ledge and the angles of the vaulted ceiling! I’ve been going back and forth on adding a white oak ledge on top of the existing ledge to add a little warmth, but haven’t fully decided.

The Frame TV

I recently released a blog post talking about our Samsung Frame TV details. But a few details I wanted to add here are how we don’t have any TV “parts” sitting on our ledge and how we got away with that. We included an outlet in the spot where we’d be hanging our TV above the fireplace. So, the plan was to plug in the TV and everything would still look very clean. However, the Samsung frame TV does have the “brains” of the TV in a separate box that you plug into the TV. This allows for a thin TV screen, making it even more identical to an art piece.

That said, we still didn’t want to have any boxes sitting on our ledge. So, we decided to drill a hole through our wall (behind the tv). Then we drilled another hole through the side of the fireplace surround. We fed the cable through so the box could sit out of sight – once we find the right cabinet of course!

I hope I covered all the questions you have regarding putting together your own fireplace package! If I did miss anything, comment below!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. And/or – some of the items discussed in this post I have received at a discounted price. We hope by sourcing some of our favorite products, we provide value to you and your projects!

PDCo Home: Hardware

** For a full resource list of blog posts about our home, check out this link.

Hardware. You either love it and everything about selecting it, or it stresses you out. Whichever one you are, today’s post is for you! And if your blood pressure usually goes up from just mentioning hardware, then maybe today we can change that!

our go-to resource

I often think of hardware as an accessory for your home. Just like we choose rings, earrings, and necklaces to wear with our outfits, hardware is the accessory we choose to dress up our doors and cabinets with. But it’s not just an accessory for our homes — it’s absolutely essential due to its functionality! For our home and for 99% of our projects we select all of our hardware from Spokane Hardware which is also known as Hardware Hut online.

If you are local to Spokane, Washington, I cannot recommend Spokane Hardware enough! They have the greatest selection of cabinet hardware, door hardware, and so many accessory options too. It’s so nice to go to their showroom and easily browse different hardware options, many of which you may not have thought about searching for online. I love doing this because it opens my mind to other options, while also allowing you to see the true color and feel of the hardware before purchasing. For those who aren’t local, you can also easily purchase the hardware through their online website. Their team is always so helpful no matter what I’m looking for and they are an incredible resource for finding hardware solutions for the trickiest problems! So, whether hardware shopping stresses you out or not, Spokane Hardware and Hardware Hut are your places!

The Logistics for cabinetry hardware

There are a few things to consider when you are hardware shopping. First, I normally like to use a combination of a knob and pull in each space, but you can use the same combination of hardware throughout your entire home! If you do decide to change it up, I’d recommend keeping the finish the same. However, in rare cases, I’ll change up the finish if it really makes sense for the aesthetic of a particular room!

Another thing I see people worry about is what type of hardware they should get, such as pulls or knobs. I’ll share how we do it most of the time and why. Almost every time, we vote for knobs on cabinet doors. I personally think a pull on a cabinet drawer gets too visually cluttered. The exception to this is very tall cabinet doors, like a pantry cabinet, that may need a longer pull to hold the weight of the door. Knobs are incredibly versatile, and I love using them on doors and drawers! We go back and forth between knobs and pulls on drawers in our designs depending on the aesthetic we are wanting to achieve. Every once in a while, we will throw in a special piece like a cabinet latch, cup pull, finger pull, or other unique design to change up the look.

How We Did it: the kitchen

Next, I’m going to share all our PDCO home cabinetry hardware details! For our home, we wanted a fairly minimalist look, so we chose to do knobs almost everywhere.

Starting off in the kitchen, we used all Top Knobs Nouveau II Round Cabinet Knob and a Top Knob cabinet latch. For some reason, I couldn’t find the Top knobs cabinet latch, but this Emtek Cabinet Latch is the same look. Please keep in mind though, that brands usually have slight variations to their finishes! So be very careful mixing different brands, especially when it comes to brass and bronze finishes.

The knob placement depended on how long our drawers were. Since most of the drawers weren’t wider than 36″ we just used one knob in the center of the drawer. There was only one spot, which is the tilt-out under our sink, that we used two knobs due to the length. The latches we used are beautiful but have a lot of detail, so using them sparingly is important. I like placing them under a sink, or a special pantry cabinet. We love the visual interested they added!

How We Did it: the primary bathroom

To keep that minimalist look, we carried the same finger pull knobs throughout our home so you also see them in our primary bathroom. We also stuck with the beautiful oiled bronze finish, which was the perfect brown tone. It’s not too stark like black would have brought, and not too flashy like satin brass. The oil rubbed bronze finish from Top Knobs is very different from the standard oil rubbed bronze you typically would see. It’s a favorite of ours!

Even though the drawers on our vanity are pretty large, I LOVE the very simple look of keeping one knob on each drawer. It’s modern and simple, but feels so warm due to the finishes we chose for this vanity.

How We Did it: the kids’ bathroom

The only room we changed the style of cabinet hardware in is our kids’ bathroom. I wanted something a little different in here! Something that was easy for the kids to use and also that added a little extra charm. We selected these from the Top Knobs line to make sure the finish matched the rest of the home. The exact ones we selected are the Top Knobs Egg Cabinet Knob.

Kid's Bathroom Oak Vanity
Door hardware

When it comes to door hardware there really aren’t many guidelines! But the main consideration is the ease of use between a lever and a knob. We recommend levers for families with children as well as those considering a home for aging in place, due to levers being easier to grab and use. From an aesthetic standpoint, we select a finish that coordinates with one of the other finishes we’ve selected for the home. At PDCo Home, we matched our door hardware finish to our plumbing fixtures which is a satin brass.

All of our interior door hardware is from Emtek. The door levers are the Emtek Modern Helios Door Leverset with a Stretto Narrow Trim. With this narrow backplate, planning ahead is important! It requires a custom bore hole size. You must order your doors with this specific bore size, or have the bores drilled on site. I’m so in love with this look! The pocket door hardware is the Emtek Narrow Modern Rectangular Solid Brass Mortise Pocket Door Privacy Latch. It’s a sleek look and matches our narrow backplates on the other doors perfectly.

Our front exterior door is the only one that we didn’t select from Emtek’s line. I wanted something very unique for our front door and this Sun Valley Brass Bandbox Handle x Handle Mortise Lock Entry Set makes such a statement! I was obsessed from the moment I saw it. The entire Sun Valley Brass collection is stunning, with products ranging from modern to traditional styles. There are a lot of finishes to select from, too! The brass is a living finish and has antiqued so beautifully, adding warmth yet contrast with our black front door.

There you have it! A full hardware tour. I know many of my clients get stressed thinking (and overthinking!) about hardware and the millions of options and combinations out there. Sometimes, it really is okay to keep it simple!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. And/or – some of the items discussed in this post I have received at a discounted price. We hope by sourcing some of our favorite products, we provide value to you and your projects!

PDCo Home: Counters

vanity with thick quartz edge

When countertops get installed, you know you are nearing the finish line! I was really excited for our counters because I had the opportunity to do a few details I had been wanting to try out for a while! Check them out below!

master bathroom

Our vanity was something I had been dreaming about and designing for a long time! I wanted something modern and simple, but warm, and also something that looked more like a furniture piece. The custom design for the vanity achieved all of those things! But most of all, I designed it to accommodate a thickened quartz face AND an extra tall quartz backsplash, with the veins aligning the whole way through. The fabricators did an incredible job executing my vision, and I couldn’t be happier with how these details all came together.

We also used the same quartz for our shower bench, again, with the veins carrying from the front and side onto the top. This baby came in one large piece, which was shocking! And would you believe it was installed AFTER the tile? A perfect fit! It extends past the tile edge so we can add shower glass which will sit on top of the bench. All in the details, and this planning ahead took a few sketches to get just right!

We did the same counter in Finn’s bathroom, but with a standard thickness and just a 4″ quartz backsplash. I need to get some photos of her bathroom and vanity because it’s just so cute!

kitchen counters

I always imagined I’d have white counters with grey veins in my kitchen. That’s my go-to and I always love how crisp and modern it looks on just about any cabinet. But the more I looked at our warm Scandinavian palette, white just didn’t feel right anymore. I wanted a warm, calm, neutral space. When I found Pental Quartz Nordic Grey (how appropriately named!), I knew it was the one. Of course my brain went into overdrive and tried to make me second-guess the decision a few times. But I’m glad I held strong because our counters are the perfect choice. There is just the right amount of variation — it’s so subtle!

miscellaneous areas

The pantry counters match the kitchen but I have to share this photo (even if it is a little blurry) because this space turned out beautifully. I love the extra warmth the wood planks bring in as the “backsplash.” This little nook is so cozy and one of my favorite features of the home.

The second photo is the custom vanity I designed for our powder room. I included it because there’s no counters here! I really wanted this space to have a vanity with a simple wood top. The travertine vessel sink would not have presented as beautifully with any type of counter. Wood was it’s soul mate!

We are certainly in the home stretch of sharing the details of #pdcohome! Plumbing, lighting, hardware, and some other fixtures will just about cover it, but we all know those details bring so much character to a home! I look forward to sharing them soon!


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: Tile

tile preparation

Well we are officially moved into #pdcohome but the end of construction came with a lot of busy-ness between final decisions, prepping for a move, and running a business! So I’m now going back through old photos, catching up on content, and excited to continue to share the last phases of the construction process!

Our tile had been done for quite some time that I could have shared sooner, but I wanted to wait until our kitchen backsplash was done as well so I could share everything at once! We have a few main areas that were tiled in the home: the master bathroom and closet, Finn’s bathroom, the mudroom, powder room, and kitchen backsplash. Scroll down to check them out!

master bathroom installation

Our bathroom was definitely the biggest undertaking for the amount of tile, due to the extra large walk-in shower/wet room. Combine that with 9′-0″ ceilings and it’s going to take some time for completion! The installers started with the floors, adding heated flooring through the bathroom and closet, then installing the tile there as well as the shower floor.

Next they moved on to the shower walls, which took a long long time but was so exciting to watch! Each piece was 2×10 and individually set. Finley in the picture for scale, I guess, hah!

Once the grout was in, the variation felt like it really started to pop, but overall the space feels so soft and soothing. The wall tile is also a matte finish which helps the room feel more natural. It’s Bedrosian’s beautiful and popular Makoto tile, which may be my new favorite, too.

kitchen backsplash

Moving on to one of my next favorite spaces, the kitchen backsplash! It took me a while to decide on the tile for this space. I didn’t want anything too modern or too traditional. It needed to fit into both a bit and just feel classic. I was excited when I finally landed on Riad Tile’s 2×6 zellige tile, which added the perfect amount of a handcrafted look and texture to an otherwise very simple kitchen palette.

Unfortunately my phone did not like the lighting when these photos were taken so they’re a bit blurry, but eventually better photos will come as I finish cleaning the house and start to share more!!

mudroom & powder room floors

I guess I’m just pretty bad at taking photos lately, because I don’t have many others to show at the moment! But I absolutely love our floors in the mudroom! It’s a large format porcelain with a tumbled edge so it looks and feels like travertine. I love the earthy look it brings to this space, and I liked it so much, I used it in the powder room as well! I had something else picked out for that space, but in the end felt like this was a better choice. So glad I did!

tumbled porcelain tile
finn’s bathroom

Currently MIA, Finn’s bathroom has no photos to share! We went with a white matte penny tile on the floors. We threw in a cheap shower surround at the moment until I can make a better decision on the tile for that space. Funny (but also not) how I’ve been so indecisive on my own home! I have a feeling this will be an upcoming project to get that area finished up!

You are sure to see more snippets of the tile around our home in the coming posts. After months of having finishes covered up for protection, it was the best feeling to pull off all the paper and get things cleaned up. Plus, seeing all of the finishes combined together for the “full picture” was like a reveal in itself for us! Can’t wait to share!

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: Cabinetry

white oak cabinets
white oak cabinets

Last week was such a momentous one! Cabinet installation happened last week and seeing the final color come together perfectly made it all SO worth the wait! Sharing all the details on our cabinetry below!

inset cabinets & slab doors

We went with an inset cabinet paired with a slab door. I was inspired by the inset cabinetry I’ve done in the past for clients, which typically have a Shaker door panel, but the top narrow drawer is a slab. And I always LOVED the clean look of that top drawer. So I wanted to take it a step further and do the slabs on all drawers and doors. This look is apparently unheard of according to the dozens of cabinet companies we talked to. This is because 99% of cabinet companies use MDF for the cabinet doors with a wood veneer. This is because MDF doesn’t warp like solid wood doors do. However, this posed a huge problem for the look we wanted to achieve. The veneer took stain differently from the solid wood cabinet frame, giving it a two-tone look! I definitely wasn’t going for that.

After doing a deep dive on this with Dave from Faber Built, a local cabinet company in Spokane, he spent a good chunk of time researching options and making the impossible possible for me. We went with solid quartersawn white oak doors (instead of MDF/veneer) and solid face frames to achieve such a simplistic aesthetic. Everything was grain matched, and it all turned out exactly like I imagined! The interiors have solid maple dovetailed drawers, the boxes are made of birch, and we will have roll-out drawers with a special dovetail detail that I’m excited to show off!

the perfect stain & other details

Our cabinets have a custom stain applied. Nope, I don’t have the details on what that custom stain is made up of! It took MANY MANY attempts at color matching our floors to get a similar undertone. Then the cabinets got sprayed with stain, and we brought a few pieces up to the house, and it wasn’t quite right. It was such a tease because we were so ready to get them installed! I just couldn’t keep them that way. So we did another round of color matches with a tinted top coat. After a few more tries, we NAILED it! We spent a few extra weeks reworking the color, so we were a bit behind schedule, which was tough. But worth it!

You probably won’t notice much of a difference in the color from the photos below to the final install, but it was noticeable in person! Thankfully it’s absolutely perfect now!

Our back panel of the island was also something I had a pretty clear vision on but took a few tries to get it just the way we wanted. From the width and depth of each groove and overall width of each plank, to the way they will connect with the furniture base, it all was carefully planned and executed. I was later inspired to add this same detail to the back wall of our pantry. It’s coming soon and I can’t wait! There may be a little twist on this planked look for our powder room vanity as well. The inspiration for the all of these pieces has just kept coming! It’s been really fun to “play” a little extra on this project.

bathroom vanities

Our bathroom vanities are also all custom. Our master vanity in particular took some extra work to figure out the details. You’ll see what I mean once the countertops go in. For now, I’m just admiring the clean look of the drawers. The guys at Faber used a consistent grain from left to right across the entire vanity. Once all the drawers are in, you’ll be able to appreciate this detail even more. You see this same detail throughout our kitchen cabinets! They were built into large sections and the grain matches perfectly top to bottom. It’s all in the details, and I’m glad because it makes my OCD real happy.

More pieces are on their way, including a whole bunch of floating shelves for different areas of the home and…cabinet hardware! Lots of good things coming!


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: Flooring

wide plank engineered floors
wide plank engineered floors

We have floors! And they are more beautiful than anything, and just as perfect as I had imagined. Our installers completed it in about 3 days, so we had quick results of seeing this finish pull together! And the house just looks so much like a house with the floors in. So let’s talk about it!!

I knew I wanted very wide plank flooring. I was really hoping for at least 6″ even though when I saw the 9-10″ boards I was in literal Heaven. Given this specification alone, I knew we’d be looking at an engineered product. I have nothing against engineered floors, in fact, I specify them all the time because if you know what to look for, they are REALLY good! But I had a few other non-negotiables when it came to finding the right product…

non-negotiable #1: quality wear layer

There are many engineered products out there that are affordable, but the wear layer is paper thin. I wanted a flooring that could live through a few sanding/refinishing over it’s lifetime. Raising our budget to help with the cost of sourcing a quality product with this extra thick wear layer was a must. I didn’t want to be tearing apart our house down in the road to replace garbage floors.

wide plank engineered floors
non-negotiable #2: color & tone

The second non-negotiable for me was color, of course. When sourcing engineered products, most come prefinished. Finding the right tone can really limit your options if you have a particular look in your head, which of course, I did. I wanted a natural/light oak color. I did NOT want something that looked like it had a whitewash (even a light one) over it. Not too orange, either. I finally found a product with the perfect muted brown hue. Once I found that, it was hard to find anything that came close to making my heart flutter.

flooring specifications

I looked at probably 30+ floor samples. But I came back to my first choice. Why do I always torture myself like this?! I have looked at this flooring for well over a year — every time I went to one of the local showrooms to source for clients, I would pass by it and stare with envy. But I wanted to be sure I had explored all my options and price points.

So what did we ultimately choose? Duchateau Grande Savoy in Vicomte was the winner! With occasional knots and the perfect brownish-grey tone, it was love. And seeing it in our home, I know it is the perfect backdrop for everything else!

I was able to capture a few videos of the installation (as the guys were almost done and just had the hallway left!). I always love watching subcontractors work and do their craft! Check out the video 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: Color Selection & Painting

best white paint color
best white paint color

I’m a few weeks behind in writing this post, so many of you already know we completed painting the house around the holidays! We chose to take on this task ourselves to offset some of the budget overages in other areas. It was definitely hard work, but with access to a sprayer, it made the job feel less daunting! Seeing the walls painted with fresh white paint brought us one step closer to watching the interior finishes come together. The house finally had a clean feeling to it (except for the plywood floors still).

white dining room
sampling whites

A few months ago over on Instagram, I shared some stories about my process for making color samples, and the four whites I was trying out from Miller Paint. (I also made a whole video about this last summer for our Pittsburg Residence, which you can view here.) I have never used any of these whites from Miller Paint’s Evolution line, so it took some time for me to try them out and narrow it down since I had no past experience to fall back on. But there was one that stood out right away, called Sugar Dust. While I kept this one at the top of my list, I still made sure to check the others with our other samples and in our home’s light.

At the end of my sampling process (which is a several day job), Sugar Dust still came out victorious. It’s the perfect amount of a fresh white feeling yet just warm enough to provide a soft look.

white master bathroom
white paint colors
some background on miller paint

Miller Paint is a local company to the Pacific Northwest, with stores across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Their paint formula was made specifically for the Pacific Northwest, created by a Portland artist and painter, Ernest Miller. The company’s whole history and mission is fascinating to me and I love the local aspect to it.

the final specifications

Let’s get to it! Paint is always the question designers get asked most about. Half of my in-home consultations cover color questions. I know with my own home, people will be intrigued about the “recipe” we’ve created.

With our drywall, we did a smooth coat finish and we topped that with a thick layer of primer which we sprayed and then rolled for best coverage (contractor’s orders!). The primer we used was Miller Paint’s Super Seal. Between the product and technique, we had really good coverage!

Next, we picked up our Sugar Dust Evolution paint in their “paper” finish, which is their equivalent to a matte sheen. In our bathrooms, we bumped up to the “canvas” finish for a bit more protection. The Evolution line is pure luxury — so thick and creamy, you can feel AND see a difference! Best of all, we only had to do one coat and the coverage was incredible!

Last thing to note — we did the walls and ceiling in the same color. When going with white, I see no reason to do a lighter/brighter white on the ceiling. Having a natural flow from the walls to the ceiling makes the room feel bigger because your eyes aren’t stopping from a visual break in color. For our trim, we’ll also do the same color (because hello, modern) but we will switch over to their specialty trim paint in semi-gloss. Again, the same color will have a nice flow, but the change in sheen will give the slightest variation due to light reflectance.

white hallway sugar dust
upcoming events about paint

We’ve had so much fun collaborating with Miller Paint’s team on our project, and we have some exiting upcoming events planned! From giveaways to live discussions/Q&A’s, be sure to keep an eye out on Instagram for these!

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: 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: Insulation

insulation batting
insulation batting

We have an update on the interior of #pdcohome! Insulation was completed a few weeks ago, and our inspection passed last week. The house is all cleaned up and ready for the next phase…drywall! I know once drywall starts, this house is going to look completely different, in all the best ways of course. The drywall phase has always been my favorite for client projects, because the home really brightens up and shows off it’s final shape. I have no doubt this will be a favorite part for our own home as well.

We left one little memento in the walls, courtesy of Finley. Finn was allowed to draw a family picture on the plywood in one of the stud bays. I love that there is an addition to the family…a dog. Finn is really great at dropping hints for us, hah! Connor labeled each person, Finley wrote “love” below the picture. I was a little sad to see this covered up, but happy I remembered to take a photo to remember it by.

family house build ideas

I did one last walk-through to show you the house at the current moment. Check out the video below:


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.