Introduction: The Power of Color Drenching The painters have officially wrapped up, and I can honestly say: Color drenching was the best design decision we could have made. If you were on the fence about painting your walls, ceilings, trim, and interior doors all the exact same color, let this be your sign to go for it. Because we used different sheens (flat for the ceilings, eggshell for the walls, and semi-gloss for the trim and doors), everything catches the light just a little bit differently. It creates this subtle, seamless, incredibly cozy vibe that makes the whole house feel like a warm hug. I am completely in love with…
-
-
Introduction: The Concrete Grind Before the first plank of flooring could go down, the crew had to do the unglamorous prep work: grinding down the high spots and leveling out the low spots in the concrete. It’s tedious work, but it’s the secret to making sure your floors don’t squeak or buckle down the road. When the actual installation day arrived, we were pretty shocked to look over and see only one person walking in to lay flooring for the entire house! But let me tell you, that man was an absolute machine. He made quick work of the whole project and had the entire house laid in just two…
-
Introduction: The Evening Installation When you live right on your build property, you never really “clock out.” At 7:30 PM one evening, we noticed the countertop installation crew had finally arrived. They were set to install our brand-new quartz counters in the kitchen, on the island, and in both bathrooms. Larry made a beeline over there to talk with them, especially about the sink clips. We had ordered a heavy-duty single granite sink—the same kind we’ve had in a previous home and absolutely loved—and because of its weight, it requires special hardware to make sure it stays securely attached. The Carrara Gold Choice For the countertops, we decided to splurge…
-
Introduction: The Long-Distance Reveal If you’re building a custom home, you quickly learn that life doesn’t pause just because the contractors show up. This week, while Larry and I were out of town on a short trip, we got the notification: The kitchen cabinets are going in! Talk about a mix of excitement and anxiety—how do you inspect your kitchen when you’re hours away? Fortunately, we have the best built-in safety net: my parents live right on the property. My dad was able to step in, walk the site, and oversee the whole installation for us. From the progress photos he sent us, I could have cried. They look even…
-
Introduction: Reality vs. The Vision If there’s one thing Larry and I have learned while building our forever home, it’s that a custom build is essentially a long series of pivots. We’ve had our fair share of miscommunications, but nothing quite prepared us for our “Sunday afternoon surprise.” As we walked up to the site this weekend, we were expecting to see the warm Special Walnut stain I’ve been dreaming of for our front doors. Instead, we were greeted by raw, bright Red Mahogany. My heart sank! It wasn’t just a shade off; it was the exact color we had explicitly cleared with our project manager back in February. The…
-
Introduction: The “Fresh Paint” Feeling There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh primer to make a construction site feel like a home. This week, the painting crew arrived to get to work on our interior—and let me tell you, when you’re dealing with 18-foot ceilings, you are so incredibly glad you hired the pros! We decided to have the crew prime the entire interior, including the garage. We saved a little bit of room in our budget by having them stop at the primer stage in the garage for now—we’ll tackle the final coat there ourselves later, and Larry and I are planning to DIY the epoxy floor…
-
Introduction: The Transformation If framing is the skeleton and drywall is the skin, then siding is the dress—and I have been waiting for this “outfit change” for months. We have officially moved past the look of industrial framing, and the exterior of our forever home is finally taking its true form. For weeks, we’ve been playing a little game with friends and family: Did we go with the trendy all-black, or the classic white-and-black contrast? Most people guessed we’d play it safe, but we decided to make a statement. Why Metal Siding Was Our Only Choice We opted for metal siding from The Barndo Co. for the same reason we…
-
Introduction: The Transformation The day has finally arrived! If you’ve been following along, you know we’ve spent weeks looking at exposed studs and hanging wires. But this week? The house officially became a home. Seeing the crew unload the drywall was almost as impressive as the installation itself—I held my breath as a crane operator expertly maneuvered those heavy sheets right through our front door with surgical precision! Efficiency vs. The DIY Struggle Larry and I have tackled our fair share of home projects over the years, and if there is one thing we’ve learned, it’s that drywall is not our favorite way to spend a weekend. Watching these pros…
-
Introduction: The Transformation There is a striking shift happening at the site this week. With the black metal roof and soffit fully installed, the house has a sharp, modern-meets-traditional contrast that I absolutely love—especially against the bright blue skies on a sunny day. But as much as I love the exterior, this week was really about what is happening inside the walls. The “Hidden” Efficiency Next up was the insulation. It’s not the most glamorous part of the build, and to be honest, it’s one of those things you won’t ever see again once the drywall is up. But it is arguably the most important decision we made for the…
-
Introduction: The Transformation There is a moment in every home build where the structure finally stops looking like a “construction site” and starts looking like an actual house. For us, that moment happened this week when the crew started the roofing. Watching them carry those long, gleaming panels of black metal up the ladders and bolt them into place was like watching a puzzle click together. Why We Chose Metal One of the reasons we felt good about choosing The Barndo Co. was their commitment to metal roofing. We opted for a classic black finish, and I’ll be honest—I was a little nervous about the heat! In the peak of…
