Fireplace, part three

Okay, I think we have it. Prepare yourself for the ugliest rendering of a fireplace ever.

Ready?

Sad rendering of our cool fireplace vision, done on ...PowerPoint. 

Overall, I'm pretty excited about this idea that Niels threw out there a few days ago. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it's exactly what I/we want. 

The fireplace insert is the Classic Flame 36" 36EB111-GRC, which had already selected.

As we've been looking online and in real life, we keep coming back to this fireplace surround:

We like the concrete look, though we'll likely do a smooth stucco. We like that there is both a mantle and a hearth, and while it is modern, it still seems cozy to us. The more we came back to it, the more the idea of the tile framed around it and up to the ceiling grew on us, too, especially because we have a 14' ceiling.

The natural choice for the tile was this 12"x24" Emser Strands tile in Twilight (or the Daltile Fabrique in Gris, which ever is the better buy), which is what we'll use in the mudroom and foyer, so it will tie all together nicely:

I like Niels' idea of having a stripe for a little visual interest. We have a few ideas. First, we could use a stripe of a different color Emser Strands/Daltile Fabrique tile, similar to what was done in this bathroom.

Source: houzz.com via Jen on Pinterest

In the same vein, Emser, but not Daltile, has mosaics with both matchstick and squares, like this:

matchstick

mosaic

Another option, since the great room is open to the kitchen, is to use a stripe of our very cool Solistone Mardi Gras in Carrollton:

Carrollton close up

Carrollton in context.

My initial preference is with the Carrollton, but since we don't have tile samples, it's hard to know which will look best...yet.

Build Day 30: Up on the roof top

The only physical work done on the house this week was started--and completed--today. The shingles were put on the roof. 

Originally we were hoping to be able to incorporate an Energy Star shingle (e.g. CertainTeed Landmark Solaris) but that didn't work out with the schedule and are now using the regular CertainTeed designer-series Landmark. 

However, since we are not in the deep south, the effect on the temperature under the roof won't be too dramatic, especially not with an R-50+ insulation in the attic... 

Here's a look at the shingle install:

View from the driveway around 10 am.

From the back yard.

No way I'm letting Niels up that high!

Making good progress on the front.

5pm and it's all done.

The Toto Package

We're really getting into the nuts and bolts of selections now, so here I am doing a post about toilets.

To start, we knew that the green choice was to go with WaterSense toilets. Much like EnergyStar, WaterSense is a program that designates green home products. In order to be labeled as a WaterSense fixture, the item has to be certified to be at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance. 

Toilets today do use a lot less water than the toilets of decades past, but with dual flush toilets, a user can conserve even more water by selecting the amount of water needed per flush. My first experience with dual flush toilet was at my in-laws house in the Netherlands, where I saw something like this when I looked for the lever:

Dual flush wall buttons

I quickly learned that the little button was for liquid waste and the big button was for solid waste. Pretty easy to remember! Obviously, more water is used for solid waste removal.

Dual flush toilets are not common yet in the States, though we do believe they will be in the coming years. We choose to install Toto Aquia toilets.

Toto's Aquia line

For most of the bathrooms, we'll install the Toto Aquia CST416M, which is standard height.

In the in-law suite, we'll install the similar Toto Aquia CST412MF, which is ADA compliant as it is a little taller.

Here's a fun little fact about Toto toilets: they don't come with seats...

Just compare the Amazon picture below to the Toto product picture on the left. Good to know, eh? So, make sure you order them or it'll make for an interesting sitting experience... ;-)

Kitchen Cabinet Selection

This week the pace slows down quite a bit after the flurry of framing. There won't be anything going on at the house until Wednesday, when the roofers get to work. The timing is quite nice because we have an out-of-town guest and a lot of social commitments this week.

However, the next big decision we have to make is which vendor will make our cabinets. And we need to make the decision by Friday (August 12). We have talked to five different companies:

The Contenders:
1) Vendor A is an Amish man who is just starting his own custom cabinetry company shop after 17 years working with a major cabinetry company.
2) Vendor T is the company referred to us by our builder. This was the company that generated our original cabinet estimate, before we really figured out the layout and options we wanted.
3) Vendor G is a company that our builder has recently partnered.
4) Vendor C has a good relationship with our builder for countertops, so we wanted to talk to them about cabinets as well, as that is also their stated speciality.
5) Vendor M is more modern shop we found on our own at a home show. We liked that their display had a Euro kitchen and wanted to see if they could give us the look we wanted at a price we needed.

The Cabinets:
All five vendors can provide the look we want, which is shown well below. These are maple shaker cabinets with an espresso finish. (These are also the exact pulls we want for hardware, and we will also be using the white quartz countertop).

Source: houzz.com via Jen on Pinterest

The Considerations:
While our kitchen is fairly straightforward--other than the size--there are a few things are a little unusual, like the recycling center idea from Ikea. It pulls out from the end of the island, with a sliding drawer on top. This puts all the recycling in one area, with the trash, making it very easy to make the choice to recycle each time.

Source: dejongdreamhouse.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

The other option that threw vendors for a loop was this foot pedal door opener from Hafele.

Source: hafele.com via Jen on Pinterest

t

We would also be happy with this option from Richelieu, which uses magnetic force rather than air.

Source: richelieu.com via Jen on Pinterest

We also really wanted a metal tambour for my command center, but once the quotes came in (for the ones who could find them), it wasn't worth it.

From our perspective, what drives our decision is:

• the ability to get the look and function we want
• quality
• cost
• to a lesser degree, the "feel" we get from the vendor, if we felt heard, if we are happy with the service and attention

1. Vendor M was nearly twice the price as the next highest quote. They were easy to cut.
2. Vendor T's second quote was the lowest. They made it to round 2.
3. Vendor G had the unfortunate timing of meeting with us at the end of the day, at the end of a busy week. I was a having a bad brain day and our meeting did not go well. Aphasia and a cranky boy made articulating my thoughts a bit of a stretch and it didn't help that the meeting pretty much started off with, "You can't do..."

***Customer Service PSA***
When someone comes to you prepared to spend thousands of dollars, price out their wishlist. Do not assume what they can or cannot afford. Present your best price. Ask about their needs and offer low(er) cost alternatives. In the end, let them make the decision on how to spend their money. Thankyouverymuch.

In the end, I was embarrassed, Vendor G was apologetic, but we had too many other good choices to try to get that bad taste out of our mouth. Vendor G was out.
4. Vendor C was easy to work with. We felt heard and the process felt collaborative. Our builder raves about their customer service, but their cabinet work is unknown. They made it to round 2.
5. Vendor A was the last vendor we met. We LOVE the idea of having quality, Amish-made cabinets, but never considered custom because of the cost. Our builder learned of Vendor A from talking to our framing crew because Vendor A is family. He doesn't have a showroom, so he invited us to his home to show us the cabinet work he did there. A few thoughts: 1) what a cool experience for our family, especially because his two boys took our boy by the hand and they played together the entire time we talked. 2) his cabinets blew the other vendors' cabinets out of the water. He definitely made it to round 2.

That leaves us with three options:
1. Vendor A: Amish built, custom cabs, good feeling, he's hungry to grow his business and we'll have a house he can showcase his work in for six months as our builder uses our house for a model (and we pray fervently for our current house to sell!) Clearly the frontrunner. Just waiting to hear the final quote.

2. Vendor C: Middle of the pack on price. Unknown on quality.

3. Vendor T: Originally the least expensive, but their final quote came back on the high side.

By Thursday evening, we should have all the final quotes in and can make our final decision.

Build - Day 26/27 - August 6/7, 2011

This weekend was dedicated to research as we have a whole lot of decisions to make now that the rough build is basically done. So, we planned trips to Keim Lumber in beautiful Charm, Ohio and to our nearest IKEA in...Pittsburgh, PA.

The first trip, on Saturday, was kind of a bust. It is a beautiful drive through Holmes county, the heart of America's largest Amish population. We saw lots of horse-and-buggies and hard-working people in their traditional plain clothing. For the frequent visitors of this blog, you know we have nothing but respect and admiration for these folks, and are so thrilled with the work our crew did on our house. If the rest of the world modeled their work ethic and less of a consumeristic mindset, I think we'd all be better off. However, tech-savvy people that we are, we forgot to check the Keim's opening hours, so we got there 10 minutes before closing. Bummer. We made up for it by stopping at a local kids store, so at least our son thought it was a useful trip... ;-)

The second trip (to IKEA) was a greater success. We figured out the master closet configuration, the pantry configuration using the Varde collection  (which matches the bookcases we are repurposing), a few things here-and-there, got some kitchen organizing equipment and found the poles for under Jen's baking center. Beautiful stainless steel posts for $15ea (IKEA Vika Moliden). Our GC initially thought them to be $59... We also bought some Lansa pulls for the new kitchen cabinets to compare against the (much higher priced) ones the kitchen suppliers ... well... supply. Stay tuned on that.

For the upcoming week the following items are on the agenda:

• Decision on kitchen supplier. We have the layout down, now we need to decide which one will actually get the job.
• Faucet decision. We will use the Delta Touch2O series for the kitchen and in-law suite and Moen's Eva series for the rest of the house. Both are WaterSense (the aquatic equivalent of EnergyStar) units which is a requirement we've set ourselves. It has ruled out some cool-looking units, but we want 'eco-performance' over gadgetry...
• Shingle installation. The roofers will come out on Wednesday to install the remaining parts of the roof. 
• More touring. We have a guest book and floor plan at the house for the 'self-guided tours' but I'm sure we'll be giving a few ourselves as well. Today we did 3...

So, the progress will be a lot less visible for the upcoming week but we'll keep the blogoshpere updated on all other items pertaining the building of our dream house. 

Build - Day 25 - August 5, 2011

Today we say goodbye to our Amish crew. The house is ready for the next set of folks to perform their magic. In the last 3.5 weeks we went from grass to a 2 story, full ICF house under roof with all but 2 windows and 2 sliders left to close the building envelop. Amazing pace. They worked in a scorching heat, dealt with a 18" of water on the morning of the basement concrete pour and yet they still got it all done in 25 days. Oh, that is 25 calendar days, not working days.

Here is a little photographic testimony to their incredible work... a few more pictures than normal but today warrants it.

9am progress, face plates.

Side of the house.

Windows ready to be installed.

Able to get the Energy Saver Plus window. U-value of .27 for the fixed and .30 for the non-fixed.

Pretty ThermaThru door. The wife LOVES this one and that makes me happy... ;-)

Windows and doors are in. Just 2 windows left, 2 sliders and the 2 garage doors.

Hall way / Foyer, all clean thanks to our crew. Amazing group of guys.

Foyer from the living room with stairs to the 2nd floor.

Kitchen and dinette. The little wall will be shortened to allow maximum light from the window into the kitchen.

Our little niche, with building documents. Now also with 2 copies of the floor plan for visitors to use during their own walk through. Hint... ;-)

Cleaning Up

The decisions are coming fast and furiously now. Yesterday and today's agenda included shower and tub fixtures.

D's room was easy. We went with a standard Aker by Maax shower/tub kit. It will be very nice to have a standard tub in our family bath. Our current one is only a shower, which made bathing our toddler interesting at times!

Standard 60" shower/bath kit.

In our room, we have a 60" shower with bench, also by Aker by Maax. We opted against the tile showers that are so popular right now because 1) I'm not a fan of cleaning grout lines, 2) it's much more expensive, and not a cost we want to spend, 3) if we do want to upgrade later on, it won't be very difficult to do. This is the same fixture I had in my townhouse, and I look forward to not having to do acrobatics every time I try to shave my legs!

60" Shower with bench.

For the tub, we chose a nice big 60" soaker tub with jets. We have only one tub in our current house, a big honking triangle shaped Jacuzzi tub. The jets are nice, but the thing is a bear to fill and clean. This choice is still a splurge, but a more reasonable one. At this time, I'm not sure if will be 32" or 42" wide, but I know we'll like the rectangular shape much better!

60" x 42" soaker tub with jets

The originally plan for the in-law bath was to have a custom shower that a wheelchair could wheel in, if needed. While we are keeping universal design in mind, in reality, this much-less-expensive option will work just fine for our current needs: our parents visiting, and bench seating for anyone recovering from surgery or broken bones when going upstairs might be more difficult. Niels found this 60" shower with adjustable bench late in the game or else we might have done this for our bathroom as well. I love the extra niches!

60" shower with movable bench.

Build - Day 24 - August 4, 2011

Today we have reached another milestone. Yesterday the blog went over 5,000 page hits (still blown away by that...) but today we've reached the highest point on our house. Yes, the roof trusses are on. Both for the main roof line and for the garage.

Yesterday the dinette was 'topped', today it was the rest of the house. Tonight - after we received another kitchen quote - we took some cool night shots as well. Here's a sampling of it...

Early morning progress

Lots of these were consumed over the last three hot weeks... 

4pm progress, roofs are on...

Back of the house showing the roof lines.

Sky finally cooperated. 

Showing the tray ceiling in our bedroom.

Playing with the light on the 2nd floor.

The great room in a great light.

Fireplaces, revisited

As it stands today, the fireplace in our new house looks like this:

We decided pretty quickly that we didn't want that long stack to the ceiling. Fortunately, we are assured that changing it at this stage is not a big deal. The clincher for us is when we say how far it stuck out:

The frame is about 2' thick.

Since we are going with an electric fireplace, we don't need the mantle to be nearly that thick. In our current house, we have a  wood fireplace. While it is nice to have that option, in reality, we've only used it a handful of times due to the mess. The electric fireplace, with the ability to turn on the flame, with or without heat, with a push of a button is the winner for us. However, we do like the basic style of our fireplace:

I like the simple white trim mantle with surround and raised hearth.

When I was looking at fireplaces before, we had kind of settled on something like this:

Dimplex Sahara Sands

Unfortunately, when I visited Custom Fireplace Shop in North Canton day (where we were sent by Charis), I found out that they didn't carry Dimplex due to their tendency to break. He recommended this one instead (insert only, not the mantle):

Classic Flame 36" 36EB111-GRC

You can adjust the colors around the rocks.

The actual insert is less than 8" thick, so we can definitely have a thinner frame. So, if this works with our budget, this might be our insert.

Next up, we have to decide about the mantle, surround (if we wanted one) and hearth.

I've been learning a lot of terminology through this whole process. I did not know that the mantle was the top part and the hearth was the bottom part. I had always used the two terms interchangeably, as do a lot of people out there in cyberland, I learned!

I knew I wanted a hearth. It's the traditionalist in me. I like the idea of a seat in front of the fireplace at Christmastime. I asked the guy at the store if they were going out of style because I saw so many more fireplaces without hearths. He saw that a lot of builders don't put them in to save money, but most people agree that they are nicer. Some parents don't want kids to hit their heads on a hearth, but D has always keep his distance from our current one, so that isn't a concern to me. I realized that I like a higher hearth, between 12" and 18" like this:

 or this:

Hearths typically come out about 18" for a seat (at least, that seems to be standard around here). I love the one above, but the hearth would definitely need to be thicker.

I do want a mantle (to put a big family picture up in our house, at last!) And I want a surround with it, so the hearth and mantle are connected. I don't care for the hanging log look of surroundless-mantles.

As far as the design of the mantle, we both like clean lines without a lot of extra detail, like this:

I like the espresso on on the right.

But I keep coming back to this one. I wonder if we could have a concrete mantle made...

If we have a wood mantle made, we have to consider what kind of material we'll use in the surround and hearth. I think I'm drawn to a light colored limestone or marble, like this one.

 

I'm not sure, but depending on the size of the surround and insert, you might not even need much stone or tile, like this one, which is very close to the overall look we'll have with the fireplace and flanking mirrors.