Thursday, September 29, 2011

Final Inspection!

The last time I wrote about our home addition was in August when we finished the mud room. I haven't written since then because we have not done anything. The project was at a total stand still.


Last week, Ed finished making the window seats. I loved the idea of using the two corners by the fireplace for storage. After deliberating over whether to have drawers, cupboard-like doors, open shelves with baskets, we finally chose a toy box style box, mostly because it was the easiest way to have a lot of storage.


I love the final outcome. The top is walnut left from other projects. I was planning to make a cushion, but this wood is too pretty to cover. For now, I just threw on a pillow. It is good there is two of them because this is hot real-estate! The children love to perch here with a pillow or two.


Now my only question is what to store here. I'm not planning to use it for toys. I hate toy boxes as the favorite toy is always on the bottom crushed under twenty other toys. I prefer shelving for toys and we already have a good place for toy storage.

For now, I am using one window box to store picnic supplies and paper-ware. I never had a good place to put these things and was actually storing them in the master bathroom closet! I think this spot, right inside from the picnic table, will be convenient.

The other window box holds all my table cloths, another item that lacked a good home. When I walked around the house gathering up the table cloths, I was surprised to discover how many I owned, and how many different locations I was storing them. I can still change my mind, but for now I am pleased.

On Saturday, Ed seeded grass. We had planted some grass in early summer. But it was right before the summer drought. The only thing that grew was weeds. Ed sprayed it all down and started over.


A couple loads of topsoil helped to smooth down some uneven areas.


Sprinkle on the grass seed (with Ed's grandfathers old grain seeder.)


Scatter some straw.


And hope it grows!

Monday night, my brother came back to finish one little area on the outside.

Then yesterday, the inspector visited. And gave his signature for final inspection! We are officially done seven months after making a huge dirt hole in the back yard. We have certainly been living and enjoying this addition for months but now I have permission to finish moving in furniture and hang things on the walls!

We learned a lot through the building process. Maybe my next post should be "lessons learned when building a home addition"!

11 comments :

  1. Oh, the window seats are perfect and your right that wood is too pretty to cover. I am so glad you are all done an enjoying your new space.

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  2. I loved seeing all of daddys "helpers"...so cute and hard-working :-)
    Yay on getting another job completed.
    So what's next on the agenda??

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  3. How exciting and fulfilling! It is always nice to finish a project that needs doing. Your pictures throughout the work made me feel like I was there, too. (and brought back memories of my husband re-doing a house we once had) Thanks for bringing us on the journey.

    Alicia

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  4. Congratulations on the inspection! After all the waiting I know it's a big relief and I can't wait to see pictures of how you've decorated. :)
    I love the window seats! Your husband is such a talented carpenter and I don't blame you for not wanting to cover such pretty woodwork.
    Take care and have a wonderful weekend!

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  5. Love, love, love the window seats! You have done well to get that all DONE in seven months ~ Enjoy!

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  6. Lovely! The window seats look so inviting! Probably be hard to keep the windows clean..., but I'm sure your children will love it!

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  7. Your addition looks lovely. I'm sure the window seats will become wonderful places for children to read.

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  8. LOVE it- I'm with you I wouldn't cover the tops of the window seats, either- they are too beautiful. Ed did a fantastic job!

    Please show us more as you furnish the room- the glimpses you showed are so pretty- beadboard, great fireplace, and window trim. I'd love to see a full shot.

    Are you going to make the rest of your house look like this, too, or does it already have the same trim and touches of beadboard? And I've always wanted to ask- does the front of your house have brick? What made you go with brick for the porch? Just curious!:-)

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  9. Julia -
    Maybe rest?!

    Jami-

    The rest of our house looks nothing like this! :-) Just a plain drab vinyl siding box house! We decided to put brick on the front of the addition when Ed saw how cut up siding would be between all those windows! Maybe you figured out, we are using this addition as our front entrance, even if it is in the back of the house. Our parking area accesses it well. The front door to our house is reached by a tall narrow set of stairs. We hated it since we first saw the house, but since other things were perfect about the house, we have endured it. We tried for years to come up with ideas on how to change the front entrance to be more user friendly, especially when coming home with a load of groceries. Finally we decided to avoid the front entrance and build on to the back a space that we would actually use and love.

    But maybe I should give a house tour sometime, when I finally finish moving things from here to there!
    Gina

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  10. The addition is beatiful Gina! Love the window seats, they could also be used for extra blankets to cuddle with while reading on the seat or extra pillows. Enjoy your extra space, you probably already wonder how you lived without it.

    Hope you get some rest before the cold winter sets in.

    Hugs, Carolyn

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  11. I love your grown-up trees. =) Mine won't be that big until I'm OLD!

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