What in the heck does all that orange stuff even mean?! The building has begun! 🎉
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Concrete poured for the footings and foundation walls, and installs of the wet utilities to be exact. In the last blog I shared the pre-construction options that needed to be decided on at the time of the offer; decisions that weren’t exactly what I was expecting to make on the spot. Nevertheless, they were made- and I honestly couldn’t be happier with how those immediate choices are now coming together. 
The pre-construction options we chose are ....(drumroll please......)

1. Den option with barn door 
2. Covered Patio with sliding glass door off Master bedroom. 
3. Fireplace package

     4.   Additional window package
     5.   Garage Man Door
     6.   Plumbing- double sink in Master, hot cold hose bib in garage. 

For those that know my style probably know that barn doors don’t really seem to be my “thing”.  First off, we chose the den option with the intent of using it as a giant playroom for all our kids, as well as a bedroom to be shared by our 6 and 4 year old girls who are very accustomed to (and adamant about!) sleeping near one another. At some point we know this won’t always be the case, and this is when having 3 other bedrooms will come into play (assuming this is our forever home). So, barn door...here this boho girl comes. See the third picture to see where my brain is initially headed with this!

Being California born and raised, an online-purchased wooden patio gazebo seems doable. But if anything, visiting this area over the last 3 years and now living through our first fall/winter here has shown us that unless we want to build something way sturdier on our own- having the covered patio as a structural extension here is really the only way to go. It initially felt very costly and excessive, but now it feels like a need. Not going to lie- my head is focused on the interiors for a bit but just know that there are some BIG plans for our happy investment and future little outdoor patio shangrila. 

Another option I wanted to share a little inpso around (picture featured under Descartes tab) was the fireplace and shelving package we chose. Fireplace because, well, Idaho. And shelving because, I don’t know about you, but the least amount of furniture we can break in our next move is of utmost importance 😁 Built in shelving is a craftsman’s dream, and I CAN’T WAIT to style these babies!  

Last but not least- garage man doors and hot and cold bibs should be considered a need here, so thank God for genuine, knowledgeable real estate agents and thoughtful builders!

Last piece of advice- Get yourself one of those 👆🏼!
www.instagram.com/greenstone_homes

​Well, I guess this is the official "Before" photo of The Descartes. I have to be honest and say, I tried to get a real good one with the whole family standing in front of our little slice of heaven. It was back in November after a couple of first snowfalls, and I had just happen to be driving by with the whole family in tow, each family member wearing whole outfits of real clothes. Since I didn't know when that would happen again, I jumped at the chance of getting a "lovely" pic in front of what would be our new Idahome. 

Long story short, my eldest had other ideas and thought it was the perfect time to practice her new "Duck face" look for each photo.

This one captures my second attempt. 

Prior to the building of the house foundation as you see in the picture above, this lot was just a few piles of dirt and whole lotta weeds. We purchased this empty beauty in September 2020. From September to January, we have had several meetings to determine specific design and building options prior to the BIG Pre-construction meeting which occurred on December 11th 2020. 

These last 3 months have been full of a lot of panicked questions, small focused bursts of kidless research, and some all together just design madness which I will be reflecting in future posts. 

It's important to note here: attending design center meetings without children is mandatory! Not really, but for your sake, I'm saying it is. You'll thank me later.
Prior to selecting finishings and other design options, you'll actually be required to pick specific building options ON the day you put in your offer. Surprised? I was too. Now because of this post, you won't have to be. 

Options needed to be picked on day of purchase of the Carson Model due to Building Permit Requirements:

1) Solar Panel System
2) Exterior Options (Window Packages, Black Vinyl Windows, Covered Back Patio, Sliding Glass Doors off of Master)
3) Fireplace Package
4)Garage (3rd car garage bay with bonus room, Garage Man door)
5) Interior Options (Bedroom 4, Bonus room Bath, Den Option, Independent Suite)
6) Plumbing (6ft Master Shower, additional hose bib, Double Sink Master, Hot/Cold hose bib in garage, Laundry Sink with base cabinet)    

These are the items you should prepare to consider prior to purchase. In my next post, I will be going into more detail around the options we chose, why, and where my vision is headed.

Stay tuned! And.....maybe have the duck face talk with your daughter before your big Before pic. ;)