Project Updates

I've been buried alive, literally, under a sea of boxes during the last few weeks, but I'm happy to report we are finally into our new home. 

I affectionately call our home, the "farm".  Basically, because it's on acreage, looks like a Texas/German farmhouse and is on the out-skirts of Austin with a vegetable garden....but no chickens, goats or longhorns, quite yet for this city girl. :)

The photo above shows the updated front. You can check out pics of the house "before" pics here. We closed in the front porch to create my design studio.  We will be adding another covered front porch in front of the studio later, along with a modern version of landscaping.

Remember we just moved out of a lakehouse rental?  We lived there temporariily while the farm was being remodeled.  If you ever need an Austin rental, click HERE for the link to the lakehouse.  Here's the AHHHmazing view we enjoyed everyday.

Honestly, we're putting on blinders and not flipping anymore Austin houses.  As we've gotten "up in our years", we've realized it's just too much work and we've done enough.  Maybe that thrill has gone?  We made the fatal mistake of moving into a house that is not quite ready.  I've lived and learned this hard mistake, and I swore I'd never do it again...but I did.  Therefore, the farm is NOT photo ready in my opinion, but will be one day. So until then I'm sharing a few tidbits of our work in progress...

In the kitchen, we added wide plank pine floors and we're using a black soapstone for the counter tops, which I LOVE.

We loved our Jennaire range from the last house so much, that we decided to buy another one for the farm.

We bought a commercial vent hood and our sheet metal guy will fabricate a stainless steel chimney that will run all the way to the ceiling (to cover that ugly vent pipe).  The subway tiles with dark grey grout will run all the way to the ceiling as well.

I had a fun custom barn door made for our walk-in pantry:

And our painter will be painting the "X" chairs in a black paint, and painting the table a white.  And there's a bench on the other side of the table you can't see.....that color might be black....still thinking on that one. 

The master bathroom is almost complete and we used this vanity (available through Van Wicklen Design): 

The bathroom is a mix of Calcutta Gold and Carrera marbles.  Here's a peek into the master shower:

Now on to some exciting client projects we're working on: First off, the Patterson Project.  I've had the complete joy of working with these clients for about a year now.  From the exterior selections to the interior.

The master shower is being tiled in a seagrass tile (actual seagrass beds are in this stone). We accented the shower with a vertical run of pearly shell tiles:

Here's one of the modern vanities in the master with tile that looks so much like wood:

The guest bedroom painted a soothing watery aqua:

The adjoining guest/pool bath:

Love the glass river rock and the vertical run of the glass mosaic tiles:

The vanity of the guest/pool bath, is currently shown with a metal wire front.  However, we're replacing the current "chicken wire" with a more modernized diamond shape wire:

The kids' gameroom with the rustic finish.  Will become "modern" with wide horizontal hardware.  We just selected all of the interior hardware yesterday and can't wait for you to see the choices!

Two boys will share this fun shower with black and white "penny round" tiles, grey grout and vertical runs of large subway tiles:

A young girl will use this bathroom with white penny rounds and subway tile, mixed with a blue grey grout:

Lovin' the "feet" of her bathroom vanity:

The kitchen is a mix of white cabinetry but we added a drink station side and created a custom mixed finish along with the wire fronts.  This wire will also get a more moden look with a different wire we're working on.

The glasses and plates will get stored on chunky wood, free floating shelves made in the same finish:

The laundry room will have a custom raised built in for the high efficiency washer/dryer set:

A gift wrap station will also go in the laundry room:

There are so many cool features I want to share about the Patterson home and hope you'll continue to check for our updates!

Next up, a sneak peek into a new project that just broke ground called the "Biscayne #2 ". This house will have alot of the same exterior style as the Patterson Project,  and here's some of the interior selections we chose last week:

Natural river rock floors:

 Glass tiles, mosaic accents:

 Penny rounds:

LOVE this one with the blue/brown edging around the white:

 Oversized subway tiles:

 A beautiful faux Calcutta Gold marble for a fraction of the cost of regular Calcutta marble:

Glass and seagrass linear accent tiles (disregard the tile floor behind the samples)

Needless to say we can't WAIT to share more details of these amazing projects as they all evolve.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Hiring The Right Home Improvement Louisiana Contractors

At some point, homeowners will require major renovation or improvement to the house. And for any home improvement or renovation projects, it is important that the right contractor is chosen to carry on the renovation works. This is to ensure that everything in the renovation plan is followed and carried out. Whether it’s a bathroom renovation or changing roof or construction of additional space or structures, an experienced contractor should be able to manage the renovation works professionally and without delay and unnecessary wastage.

Hiring the right renovation contractor from the many Louisiana contractors can be a difficult task especially if it is the first time you are undertaking such a task. But some people can help you. Ask for referrals from people you know. One of them must have done some home renovations in the past and know some contractors as well. You can check local directories or phone books. Online directories can also give you a list of contractors specializing in home improvements. You can check some names and make online research about their background and experience. 

You should look for Louisiana contractors that specialize on the type of renovation work you need for your home. If you are renovating the entire house and not just replacing wood floors or electrical wirings, you will have to find a general contractor. They will be in-charge of providing you with all the services you need for the renovation of your home. They will provide you with the electrical contractor, carpentry contractor, plumbing, etc., and make sure that all the components of home renovation are complied with according the working plans. Essentially, the general contractor will be your supervisor-on-site as they will be managing the daily activities on the construction site.

In order to be assured of the credibility and integrity of the contractor you wish to hire, it is important that you check their licenses, permits and insurance for validity. The contractors should be able to provide you with copies of the licenses, permits and insurance certificates. When all the documents are properly checked, request a written and detailed estimate of cost for the project. Their estimate should include details on specific materials to be used and construction methods used (if applicable) and estimated completion per phase or stage. The estimate or quote should also contain payment terms. There should be no lump-sum payment. Negotiate for payments to be made after completion of each construction stage. And allow for a retention fee that you will keep until a specified time. This retention fee should cover for incidental expenses or repairs that might crop up after the project is completed.
The last part of the process is signing the contract. But before any document is signed, have a lawyer browse through the terms of the contract to make sure there are protection clauses for both parties and not just for one. The contract or agreement should also clearly spell out the specific responsibilities of the contractor with respect to the implementation of the renovation plan.