The Making of a Home - part 8

Matt and Margaret spent their first night in the new house on November 22! I asked Margaret if it was alright if I took some 'done' photographs, and she said it was fine, so here is a peek into this home that you have seen being built literally from the ground up. You may click on 'The Making of a Home - 2010' tab under the blog header for earlier photographs. It has been the most amazing process, which really began just about a year ago with visits to the bank for Margaret and Matt; and the town for us to get a subdivision of our land. It has been quite smooth all along the way. People have been very nice.

These photos were taken on the first of December. There is still inside unpacking, decorating, arranging to do but it is now their home! When I took these pictures, both of them were at work and there was a crockpot bubbling away and a newly made loaf of bread on the counter. We gave Matt a bread machine like ours for his birthday in November, and he has made maybe half a dozen loaves since they moved in. Margaret told a dear story of a bunch of guys who stopped by and they all stood around the island eating fresh bread. Don't you love it? We gave Margaret a red KitchenAid for Margaret's Day, and already a cake has been made. Ah, the lovely domestic life. It fills my heart with the deepest happiness.

What you see when you first walk through the front door

Happy Lexi and Piglet in their new home

Margaret and Matthew's closet off the bedroom - isn't it great?!

I love the built in shelves in the master bath, such a nice touch.

Upstairs - the loft

These are Margaret's childhood beds in the guest room

Her massage room

The cellar

If you look really closely through the trees, you can see our house

With the camera zoom

Waiting for a summer day

The landscaping can't happen till spring, and wow is it ever muddy!

Isn't this a great welcome mat? Matt's brother gave it to them.

The joy of seeing their lights each evening is simply indescribable. We are so very happy for them, and for us!

The Making of a Home - part 7

Today is the first time I've been down to the house since mid-October. Because of the colder weather, the workers put in a kerosene construction heater to keep the house warm so the polyurethane on the floors would dry. Well, I'll tell you, I have never had such a sensitivity to a smell in my life. It was like it jumped right into my lungs and I felt sick. Tom went in a few times and when he got home, he had to put his clothes in the washer immediately, and still I had to open doors and burn candles for a while. Now the heat is on, and the heater is shut off. Thank goodness.

SO much has been done since I last wrote. I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Front steps and porch lights

The stairs

The kitchen

The bathrooms



Ceiling fan


Dining room and loft lights

The photos aren't so great because of the brightness! Maybe next time, I'll go down after dark.

To celebrate Matt's birthday, they had a bonfire at the house, burning a lot of the scrap lumber from the job. We didn't go down, but it was quite a sight in the nighttime sky. Forty or fifty people showed up, and it lasted till midnight. The 'kids' thought nothing of standing outside for hours on a cold November night.

I'm not sure when they'll be in. My guess would be not for two weeks anyway. The upstairs floors aren't finished, the washer and dryer need to be hooked up, the stove isn't in place yet. And I'm not sure about the water to the sinks. But still, it is moving along beautifully. Margaret and Matthew are so excited.

For the other entries please click on tab under the header picture.

The Making of a Home - part 6

The past few weeks have been very thrilling down at Margaret and Matthew's house.

The inside walls have been put up and varnished.

From master bedroom looking toward master bath.

They've picked out the fridge, stove, and dishwasher. They've chosen to have laminate flooring for the living room, dining room, and master bedroom, and pine boards for the upstairs. There will be tile in the kitchen, bathrooms, and entryway. Some was laid this week.


The outside is almost all stained; a lovely color called Golden Honey. The steps off the sliding glass door, and the porch side steps have been built.

The cellar door is installed.

One of the fun things about this house is that even though it is new, there are eaves and nooks and crannies, much like an older house would have. This is the southwest upstairs bedroom.

Upstairs southwest bedroom closet.

And the loft corner.

The interior doors have arrived.

The heat is going to be propane. No chimney. The silver box is the boiler, with the 3-zone heating pipes to the left; one for the upstairs, one for downstairs, and the third for the radiant heat in the cellar floor.

The baseboard heating has been installed in the upstairs rooms.

The electric panel is on the left, with the water tank on the right; where the water from the artesian well goes.

The lights came on the first week of October! There's such a soft, mellow glow in the house now.

The fixtures are all bought and waiting to be installed.

I love this view looking in. It's a bit blurry because of the protective film which is still on the windows.

October dusk at the new house.

The Making of a Home - part 5

Since I had borrowed the camera yesterday to photograph the Kindle, I thought I'd use it to take some pics of Margaret and Matthew's house. There are earlier postings under Letter Topics, 'The Making of a Home.'

Though the work hasn't been so visibly dramatic the past few weeks, it is so exciting! The electrician has been working steadily and there are now plugs and sockets awaiting fixtures. There is insulation being put up every day.

There are ceilings

There are piles of wood everywhere


Looking up from the living room area

Though a bit blurry, this is the view from their porch of a changing maple tree, and another one on the east side of the house.

Margaret and Matthew have begun looking at kitchen cupboards; they bought a ceiling fan which will hang in the loft; they've picked out the refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher. Things are moving along beautifully!