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.
I did one last walk-through to show you the house at the current moment. Check out the video below:
Our main roof has been on for some time now, but there was one small special section left to complete before sharing! There was a hiccup with the roofer and he wasn’t able to finish the job, so our contractor stepped in and got it done! I’m sharing all the details about our roofing materials today, and the reasoning behind the decisions. You can see our full exterior design concept here.
researching roofing
I’m not an expert on roofing. I know the main options but my knowledge hardly scratches the surface when it comes to pricing, quality, durability, and sustainability. It was over two years ago when we started thinking about the look of our home. That aesthetic all revolved around a metal roof. I knew it was costly, but I knew the durability and sustainability of a metal roof was all worthwhile. Fast forward a year and receiving a cost for the total house. We had to make some cutbacks. We held on to the metal roof for so long. Eventually, it was cut. It saved us nearly 15k. We had to select a new material and it was a really difficult decision. I researched so many different roof types, looking for something sustainable and affordable. I came up empty handed over and over again. But it was time to make a decision.
sustainable considerations
As a deadline approached to make a decision, I pretty much knew I had to go with a standard shingle. But I wasn’t going down without swinging! I was introduced to the company Malarkey. They specialize in asphalt shingles, but with a twist. I’m not going to get into a lot of detail, because again, this isn’t my expertise. But I liked that their company is local to the PNW, and they are doing good work to keep asphalt shingles out of landfills. No, they still aren’t the most sustainable option for roofing. For the options we had, we felt it was our best choice. We hope when the time comes to replace our roof, we can upgrade from an asphalt shingle to a metal roof (or maybe some other material we learn about between now and then!).
the final selection
Our primary roof material is the Malarkey shingles in the Storm Grey color. It reads as a charcoal color which felt softer than the Midnight Black. Yet, it still looks killer with our black gutters! I also have to say, the more I looked at inspiration photos of cedar siding with shingled roofs, the more I loved it!
I wasn’t going to give up on my metal roof though. We decided the main hallway section of our home was the perfect opportunity to change things up. We already planned to do this with the siding material at this location as well. So the metal roof here was perfect. We used our local metal roofing supply company and went for a standing seam look in black.
other details
The soffits were installed and painted, as well as the ceiling in the covered patio! These are all a dark charcoal color from Miller Paint. Gutters also were installed which was so nice to have after a week or two of pouring rain. We went with black gutters and it all just looks so sleek. We don’t have the downspouts on yet (waiting for siding), but we have a few locations we’ll be doing underground spouts so it doesn’t pour out onto the patio spaces.
I’m really looking forward to seeing these selections paired with our siding material and stone!
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.
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!
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?!
I’m so excited to share about our windows, because they are a huge feature of the home. I went back and forth A LOT when figuring out the size and style of windows. It felt like so much pressure! We have the acreage and a great view, so working the floor plan and window views was nervewracking. I worried about not capturing the views or the windows being too small. At the last minute, I switched to an overall 8′-0″ head height and I’m so glad I did! The scale is perfect and the windows are stunning! Read on for more information about it all!
our list of demands
In the beginning of our window search, we were pretty open to a few different window brands, and we did a lot of shopping around. We knew we wanted black on both the interior and exterior for a strong architectural statement. There was not too much of a preference between wood, aluminum, or composites — that would all come down to budget. We also wanted grilles, and after a lot of debate, we decided internal would be best for easy cleaning in the country. Last, we were interested in casement windows, but ultimately went with a combination of sliders and casements to help on cost. I used casement windows in the main areas like the living room, laundry room, and primary bedroom, where I felt they would make the biggest impact.
the final selection
After all the searching and comparisons, we went with the Andersen 100 series. This series was a top contender from the beginning, but initially we kept an open mind and looked around a lot. With many other companies, we felt like we were making a lot of compromises on our ideal window. However, the cost was equal or more! We purchased our Andersen windows through Home Depot, which saved a ton of money due to their bulk order discounts. The trickiest part was getting them to the job site. For 8′-0″ windows (we had a few full height), they don’t offer delivery, so our contractor had to build a special rack on his trailer to transport them.
the window tour
Here’s a rundown of the windows for each room of our home:
Entry: We initially planned for two windows at the entry, one on each side of the door. But we realized the space was very tight to do this. We struggled when considering dropping the size of the side lites down to 12″, but ultimately decided we’d rather have one large 18″ side lite instead of two small side lites. Once the front door is in, the overall look will be gorgeous!
Living Room: Each of the windows by the fireplace are casement windows. The main slider in the living room is part of Andersen’s multi-glide series. This was another window that changed multiple times through the process. Initially we planned for two sliders that met in the middle, but wanted something that opened up larger. We also considered an accordian door. With the opening stretching 13′, we finally decided that three panels instead of four would take advantage of the views the most. Especially because of the grids. So we finally landed on a three panel sliding door, with each panel a little over 4′ wide.
Dining Room: This is a sliding window and I LOVE how huge it is! Definitely captures a wonderful view here, too.
Mudroom: The windows here are simple but some of my favorite! This was one of the special areas for the casement style. Eventually we’ll have a counter with a sink along the window wall and I love how it looks to the front yard.
Bedrooms: Almost all of the windows have the same sill height of 30″, and this was a very intentional decision. I wanted Finley to be able to see out the windows easily! But it also captures so much beauty with the low sill height and 8′-0″ head height.
Main Hall: This hall with windows was my non-negotiable for the house. We designed these windows with a swinging patio door, and made sure the fixed glass on either side matched the lower kick plate height. This door will go out to a little courtyard.
Primary Bedroom: This is another area with casement windows. I love the look when both windows are open!
Primary Bathroom & Closet: I’ll start by sharing that we have a lot of privacy out here, hah! One of these large slider windows is in our shower “wet room” space, and the other will be outside of the glass. I love walking into the bathroom and being able to see right outside the back wall.
The closet is another space where we went full height windows to match the hall. We didn’t do a patio door here, and I do kind of regret it. I’m thinking out the back of this space would have been a great place for a hot tub! But I’ll love the views out these windows as I get ready each morning.
the last details
We made sure to plan for a few other details. For South and West facing windows, we made sure they had extra sun protection. We planned the head heights on all exterior doors and windows were the same. Sill heights were almost all the same except where a window was full height. The other exception was in the mudroom. We would have cabinetry below the window and therefore, the sill height needed to be higher. And last but not least, we always considered the views! Even the basement egress window, we looked for a way to beautify the view. The result was a concrete window well that is poured to a custom form and looks like stone. It’s such a nice option for a basement window!
I’m so happy with our window selections! We may have adjusted the estimate about 20 times, but all that finetuning and reviewing really made for the best plan in the end. I’m so thankful to our local Home Depot store and window salesman for all of his patience in perfecting our options!
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!
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!
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!
We’ve been moving right along the last few weeks since framing was complete. Trusses and roof lines are taking shape and we’re getting all ready to move to the big phase of exterior finishes. I’m so excited to see what the next month will bring!
Here’s what we’ve been up to!
trusses & framing
Trusses were delivered and the framers worked for a little over a week getting them all set in place. We had a mix up on the covered patio and we were given scissor trusses instead of a more open timber frame. Thankfully our contractor was able to hook us up with the new ones in a quick 3 day turnaround (instead of 4-5 weeks!). This will prevent delays on the roofing. Seeing the trusses installed was was so exciting! It really finished the form of the house and helped blend and soften all the corners.
The last of the framing details are being completed. I shared a framing tour over on IGTV before the trusses were on if you’re interested in checking it out! I’ll do an updated one soon. The guys are now working on the eaves of the roof, fascia boards and soffits, adding the stairs to the basement, casing out a few openings, and doing the partial wall for the island to back up against (great for plumbing).
misc. & future plans
Speaking of plumbing, we marked all the center lines of our fixtures so the plumber can start on rough-ins soon. We also determined that we will need to reverse the layout of the tub and shower in the master bathroom. It will still look beautiful and maybe feel more open not having the tub in our main line of sight!
The septic system was approved and we were able to backfill that area!
Our Port Orford cedar T&G siding arrived and we can get that finished ASAP so it’s ready for install!
We’ve also been working with Blend Outdoor for our landscape design plans. We are getting very excited to start working on the first phase!
Our contractor used his drone to get a few really cool aerial shots of the home and the surrounding land. I love that it’s starting to blend now that the roof is on! We’ve been working so hard to create some hills around the house, too!
Hey all! Our last update was over a month ago and we’ve made huge progress during this time, but particularly in the last two weeks. The “moment of truth” finally happened, which was the process of framing the house. Walking through the house for the first time was pretty incredible! Noticing every little inch of detail that I had thought through on paper. We’ve been going back almost daily now for little tasks to complete. Every time, I walk through the house again. I’m SO ready to move in now…hah!
Progress list
Our electrical/gas trench had some erosion from being done so long ago. At the last minute we had to do some hand digging to smooth it out and remove the extra dirt. Thankful for friends who were willing to help us out and keep our schedule on track! After that, we were able to successfully get our electrical lines installed in the trench, followed by the gas line.
We backfilled the trench mentioned above and then the power company came back to officially turn on our electrical. We’ve got power! The well pump will get finished up in the next few days, allowing us to have water too! This is HUGE! It’s so dusty so we picked up eco-friendly hoses (made from 100% recycled material) and sprinklers to start watering it.
We borrowed equipment and were able to start working on the final grade. We softened the edges of some hills near the electrical trench as well as the back patio area. The window well was bolted to the house and we backfilled around it. It really improved the front elevation of the home. It’s looking so good and I’m excited to start thinking of the landscape around the house!
The septic system was installed at the end of last week. We just have to wait for the inspection of that before we can close it back up.
framing starts & finishes!
The main load-bearing walls in the basement were framed! This is as far as we will finish the basement for now. It was really exciting getting down in the basement and seeing the overall size of the spaces. The plan is to eventually finish it to include a family room, bathroom, and bedroom. The mechanical/storage space is down there as well. The floor joists were also added over the whole basement and crawl space!
The decking was installed which was the first time we could get the slightest sense of the main floor. A few of the perimeter walls in the master suite were standing, too. This allowed us to get an idea of the overall space and window views!
At the beginning of last week we were expecting the remaining perimeter walls to be raised. We stopped by and were shocked to find the perimeter walls and all of the interior walls framed! The framers knocked this out so fast, I was so pumped driving up to the house! I shared a framing tour over on IGTV if you’re interested in checking it out! We’ve been walking the house daily and I can’t get enough of being in the house!
coming up
Trusses will go on early this coming week!
The big decisions and purchases are being made lately, too! Siding, windows, appliances, and plumbing fixtures are all ordered and on their way! We’re working through the final selections of our front door, interior doors and hardware, roofing, and flooring. We are really close to making a decision on all of these! Lots more to select for other categories, but we still have some time! I’ll be sharing all of the selections of course, once I have some pictures to share with them!
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Hey all! It’s been a few weeks since our last home update so I thought I’d share a little about what we’ve been working on! So much of what we are doing right now is totally not gram-worthy, but important nonetheless! So here’s what we’ve been up to:
Our foundation had the waterproofing done which basically looks like a black tar-like paint on it. It’s sticky, bubbly (really fun to pop…shhhh) and will protect our basement from water! I’ve never seen this process before so of course our contractor played a nice trick on us texting me “who did this!?” with a picture of the concrete all black and I about had a heart attack thinking something was done wrong. Thanks, Tim! Heads up, y’all.
Basement plumbing and piping went in. I’ve already fallen in the hole for the clean out. Job sites are fun!
Gravel and thick foam was placed to insulate under the basement slab. It’s all tucked in and cozy and will help with maintaining temperatures down there. And the concrete slab was poured!
We’ve been working on many other utility items as well. Our well pump is in and (almost) hooked up. Our electrical meter box is hooked up as well so we just have to get that inspected and then our power and gas company will be able to lay the lines so we can backfill our trench. Having water and electricity will be so nice!
Finally, today we had the backfill and ground work done. Lumber delivery is headed our way so we are on to framing!! Good stuff is coming!
Over on Instagram, you may have seen a sneak peek at some incredible photo-realistic renderings of our home! I’ve been dropping a few of my favorites lately, but I just can’t wait to share the rest! Doing photo renderings of our house was on my to-do list. However, it’s been years since I’ve done it, so it was a project I wasn’t real keen on taking on. Not to mention, technology continues to change and I know the programs out there are so different and better from how I learned! So, I’d love to introduce you to the business that took on the job for us… Envision Home Designs.
I’ve looked at a lot of rendering companies in the past and always really admired them. I’ve never fully considered using it for my own clients though! The drawings and 3D models I did felt sufficient for the task at hand. However, after experiencing the difference for myself, I think I’ve changed my mind on how incredible it feels to see your home with such a clear picture! I’ve now been snooping their website and watching all of their beautiful home video tours.
So who is ready for the tour of PDCo Home? My husband was THRILLED when he saw these and my 4-year old thought it was our house literally already built! So I’d call that a total #win for those needing to convince their family/spouses on their designs…haha!
THE EXTERIOR
When Envision Home Designs first reached out to me, I thought we would just do the exterior renderings. You will see some slight variations in the exterior designs because we wanted to compare a few options. For example, we’ve gone back and forth on the siding being vertical vs. horizontal and it DEFINITELY helped us make a decision! Can you guess what we picked?
This back view is my favorite of the whole home; the entire home was designed around this space. The outdoor patio looks out over our 11 acres, with rolling hills and then treed mountains in the distance. We wanted areas that were open and a partially covered patio as well since it is South and West facing. We’ll likely be working with a landscape designer to best determine how to work the patio into the surroundings.
THE INTERIOR – main areas
When we got to the interior renderings, Envision Home Designs took some creative liberties and they knocked it out of the park! We made some minor adjustments to better represent the vision I have. While it’s not 100% what we will actually pick for some of the details, it’s a really great overall feel and I’m just so happy with the results.
These first renderings are the entry, living room, kitchen, and dining room.
the interior – master suite
The wing for our bedroom is literally life goals for me! You walk down a glass hallway (overlooking the rolling hills) and then enter the bedroom. From there you can turn into the bathroom and see the built-in shelves as a focal point. To the left of those are our vanity, toilet, and walk-in shower/tub area. To the right of the shelves is our walk-in closet. This is like the dreamiest closet in the world and it’s quite possible I think about it everyday. Design is truly in the little details of improving our every day life, making every moment beautiful.
I hope you guys enjoy this visualization as much as my family did! It is such an exciting thing for us to look at often and it’s also been an incredibly helpful tool for us to make important decisions and remind us of our priorities in the budget.
Disclaimer: We were gifted these renderings from Envision Home Designs but in no shape or form does this change our opinion of the service and product we received. Stephen was so easy to work with, willing to make any adjustments we wanted to see, and had a very quick turnaround time. If you are looking for a rendering service, I’d definitely recommend them!
The last week and a half have been a whirlwind watching our home come together! Excavation was completed within a few hours and the guys were able to quickly move into the footings and foundation phase. We had to fight the weather a bit in the beginning due to heavy rain. But once that cleared up, they got to work on the footings and then building the basement and crawl space walls!
I was really excited to watch this process because with my job, it’s not a part I have ever really gotten to see! I went up often to get a closer look at the details — the forms, rebar, etc.
It was also fun to see them pouring the concrete and watching how they smooth it out — a bit mesmerizing! They started with the footings, then poured, then we had to wait a day for that to dry. It’s funny how each step we take feels more exciting than the last, and more “real” than the last. Progress happens each day and it takes shape bit by bit.
Next, they worked on the basement and crawl space walls. I was honestly a bit freaked out seeing how tall the forms for the basement were. We could see them from the bottom of the hill! It made it seem like the house was going to be standing up out of the ground like a castle! There will be a lot of ground work to do to flatten it all back out and create soft slopes, but not as much as I was worried about originally.
The basement walls were built at 9′-0.” The reason for this is because we are wanting a flat walk-out to the back patio and at the front door. So what will happen is the floor joists will actually sink a foot below the top of the concrete walls. This will give us the flush walk out, as well as allow us to maintain an 8′-0″ ceiling height in the basement.
We also discussed the egress window in the basement. Often times in client’s homes, I see egress windows and they seem so high off the ground. 44″ off the ground is the maximum height it can be off the ground. But to me, that’s too much. Considering the point of the egress window is to have an escape route, that’s not an easy height to climb. Especially for children! So we requested to have the egress window 36″ (basically your standard counter height) from the floor. This will allow for easier access AND it will make the window feel more part of the room. On the other hand, it does create a deeper window well.
If you follow my stories on Instagram, you may have seen the poll we took on window well styles. We are debating between a simple metal grate with landscaping in front of it, or a fully landscaped/terraced wall. Our issue is the egress window is on the front of the house, fairly close to the front door. I think we will go with the more minimalist metal cover, even though I like the aesthetic the other option would have created for the basement bedroom.
Check out the final video reveal of the foundation below:
Anyway, it is really starting to look like a house! Next week they will start waterproofing, and we are hoping to have the basement plumbing and slab go in shortly after!
