Moved in

Master Bedroom

T (aka Messy Marvin) bedroom

J's bedroom

In the loosest interpretation of "moved in," we are! Everyone is now sleeping in his or her own bed in his or her own room. We are definitely seeing the peaceful effects of this change!

We have many, many boxes to go through, but this is an exciting moment!

Inspection update

We had our "backflow test certification" today for the radiant heating system.  This means we can invite the inspector back, and he is supposed to finally sign off on our radiant (third time's a charm?).  We are crossing our fingers for three plumbing inspections (including radiant) next Tuesday.

As for electrical, the PG&E guys came out today.  They confirmed the worst: our system is "private" in our neighborhood, and if we even touch the electrical source at all, we will definitely need to get a whole new electrical panel and trench through the sidewalk.  Big gulp.  Mama's gonna need a new job to pay for this big surprise. 

Lord have mercy!

Kids' rooms are done!

Closet organizers and doors are installed, floors and baseboards are in, and we are ready to move the kids in on Saturday. Woo hoo!

T's room - closet

T's room - window corner

J's room - closet

J's room - window corner

First dinner on our new deck!

Today's gorgeous 79 degree weather invited us out to enjoy a meal alfresco.  It felt like we were living a page out of Sunset magazine!  We are thrilled with the way the deck turned out.

J planned a special "Around the World Dinner" for us.  First course: mini tacos with guac & salsa (Mexico) and potstickers (China).  Second course:  Caesar salad (Italy) and hummus and veggies (Turkey).  Main course:  chicken with vodka sauce (Russian).  Dessert course: cookie dough ice cream (USA). 

So that's why everyone hates the inspectors.

We failed three inspections this week!  First, the plumbing inspector failed our radiant inspection because our contractor wasn't ready to perform the pressure test.  Next, the plumbing inspector refused to inspect our fireplace because we, as the homeowners, scheduled the appointment, and he claimed that we are not allowed to do that.  Finally, the electrical inspector failed us because we have 70 amps coming to the house, and although we only added lights and outlets, he said we now require a minimum of 100 amps.  This may require $20,000 worth of trenching and electrical work!!

Let's just say it was not a great week.

The punch list

We're down to a list of tasks that fits on one sheet of paper -- both sides, and a new column off to the side, but still!

Window fixed!

It only took nine and a half WEEKS (almost twice as long as it took for the new windows to manufactured and deliverered)!! It didn't help that a month ago, they arrived to fix the window - but they brought the wrong window.

Let's just say that it's a very good thing that only the inner pane was broken (so we were still sealed against the weather), and now that it's fixed, I'll be happy to forget the whole thing!

Child labor

R tapped into a new resource this weekend. After building one of six drawers for our closet organization system, he taught the kids how to read the directions. They built the rest!

Later that afternoon, the kids enjoyed their first playtime out on the new deck. T built a fort out of leftover pieces of wood and a sawhorse (the deck is 95% done, hence the tools, etc. still lying around).

New balcony/railing

Our new wrought iron balcony has been installed! I love it - so much better than the old wooden shelf. We'll wind the bougainvillea around the top bar and watch it fill in as it grows - a lovely display of hot pink flowers to enjoy from both inside the house and out. I will enjoy the increased privacy it will offer as well.

The honeymoon isn't over

Feels like a warm vacation

Decking is two-thirds complete

The living room got its lovely new hue today: "honeymoon!"

The deck grew another 5 feet today. I can't wait to let the kids loose on the deck so they can reclaim their treehouse!

Mudding, piping, painting, and a new front door

Snapping in the piping (red in the photo)

New solid wood front door with window

We elected to make some wall changes in our original living room/dining room/kitchen as part of this project. With the hardwood replacement, it's an excellent time to make modifications!

Three wall changes included:

• adding two narrow strips of wall to form an entry area
• lengthening a wall between the new office and dining room to provide a space for a china cabinet on one side and a kitchen table on the other side
• shortening the wall next to the fridge and removing trim between the kitchen and new office, to make the kitchen feel larger

These walls were built on Monday and Tuesday, followed by mudding and sanding.

Meanwhile, the radiant heat work continues, with installation of the actual piping. I was thrilled to find out that each length of pipe is one continuous piece from the boiler to each room and back again - no leaking!

The exterior painting has been happening all week. Today, we had the first chance to view the black trim and accents. Too much! We've asked the contractor to repaint the wood siding above the front windows. Picture to come in another post.

They even squeezed in the installation of the new front door. So much more solid than our old hollow flat slab door, which R always hated. Door hardware is still coming, so we're temporarily using the old knob and deadbolt.

Lots of good progress, but some bad news: we are a half room short on hardwood flooring (new office). It took 3 weeks to come in the first time, so we're a little worried... But since it's prefinished, installation isn't super messy, so this won't necessarily keep us from moving back into adjacent spaces.

Taking up the mantle

Overview - TV, mantle, fireplace. TV is
temporary, we're saving up for a larger one.

See the rustic gouges?

One more view from the front

We had our reclaimed wood mantle installed today, and I love it! We found a local carpenter who was able to pick out an appropriately sized beam from a salvage yard. After we went out to his Treasure Island workshop to approve the beam, he sanded, treated, stained, waxed, and installed it. It has old black gouges and nail holes in it - so cool!

A little bit of grout/caulk and our fireplace wall will be complete! I'm so pleased with the way it turned out.  I would love to refer the carpenter if you need any interesting wood work done...