Master Bath

We kept the same wood look tile throughout the house. Its durable, easy to clean, and so far is working out wonderfully.

We chose not to have medicine cabinets in any of the bathrooms in the house. For us, medicine cabinets screamed tract home, and we had enough drawers and cabinet space that we really didn't think that they were necessary. All of our previous home had medicine cabinets in every bathroom and we found that rarely did the toothbrushes and toothpaste actually get put away in them and yet they somehow always managed to have disgusting fingerprints all over them. We also never gave anyone medicine in the actual bathroom, the medicine was always in the kitchen - so they were just impractical.

I had always wanted a built in vanity. And even included one in the plans. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that with the way I am constantly redecorating, rearranging, and tweaking my style, it would be best to have as few built in, set in stone pieces as possible. Not to mention the fact that even though this is a brand new home, I wanted it to feel comfortable and lived in. So I try to use a lot of previously loved pieces with character. This table was a perfect fit for the space. 

I love the lights that we found at Lowes. I hate the standard vanity strip lights, and these fit perfectly with the style of the house, and break up all the white. We also chose to go with individual, framed mirrors in all of the bathrooms, as opposed to the standard, massive contractor grade mirrors that we were used to. I love that these are easier to clean, and give a more personalized look.

Farmhouse Kitchen

Admittedly, I am not a cook. I am not even a baker. My family has miraculously survived on a diet that has consisted of mainly eggo waffles, corn dogs, and pizza. That being said, I have always postured that if I had the appropriate kitchen, I would be magically imbued with the culinary gifts, bestowed from the gods of fine cuisine. I hoped to take my pie in the sky ambitions and turn them into pie in the oven realities. 

That being said, I built my house around the kitchen. If nothing else, it would be the most functional, beautiful space that anyone ever toasted and microwaved in.

I was aiming for a traditional, farmhouse, country style. A space that was usable and durable. I love the look of wood floors, but the upkeep -with 4 kids and two dogs - made me nervous. We settled on "wood look" tile. It gave me the worn, barn wood, look that I loved, with the durability of tile.

I also love the look of marble for counter tops. My kitchen is north facing, so I had a concern that it may feel slightly dark. I wanted to go with the lightest surfaces possible to reflect and amplify the natural light that comes in. I was initially very drawn to the look of marble, but once again, I had to put practicality ahead of elegance. Marble stains way too easily and does not mesh well with the amount of fruit punch in this house. I found a white quartz with grey veining that mimicked the look I loved and gave me the durability I needed.

The cabinets were all custom made in a shaker style by our amazing carpenter. They are shaker style and finished in white lacquer rather than regular paint. This gave a more reflective surface and allows for easy clean up with just a damp cloth.

From dirt to doorknob!

Our long adventure in building our dream farmhouse has finally come to fruition. It has been indescribably exciting to watch our house come to life before our eyes. From the first piece of dirt that was moved, to the final screw in the last cabinet knob. We had our hand in almost every decision, and although stressful and exhausting, it was also invigorating and rewarding.

We broke ground in mid June, and thanks to a semi-retired contractor, who discovered he wasn't to fond of retirement, and my father - who worked tirelessly and daily on managing every detail (including countless hours dealing with the county, getting permits, and overseeing all aspects of the job-site...even doing much of the work with his own hands), we managed to complete the entire build by October 31st!

Here are just few of the projects highlights over the 4 month build.