Progress: Second Floor and (Apparently Uncommon) Splayed Windows

The 2nd story ICFs are almost complete:

The great room stair window dilemma has been decided upon - I'm interested to see how it turns out because it is a very large, very splayed window where the "splay" portion at the lowest left corner of the stairs will be very close to the baseboard of the step, but everyone agrees it will look really cool and that it's not a concern.   I'm not sure I'm convinced, but I'm going with the majority on this.

Speaking of splayed windows, apparently this is a new endeavor for both my builder and the ICF guys.   With having such an immensely-high ceiling in the great room, I was worried that the square windows at the top would be "lost" tucked back into the thick ICF wall.   I had asked my architect to splay the window, and she has done so in a fashion that will expose the windows more, and more importantly play on the light coming in with the angles.  Our great room upper ceiling is like this:

and the windows should be splayed in a similar fashion as these upper ones depicted here:

Traditional Living Room design by San Francisco Photographer Bernardo Grijalva Photography

As to doing a splayed window in an ICF wall - apparently that gets to be tricky.  They are going to widen the rough openings to allow for the splayed angle portion, then the angles will be created with wood and then spray-foamed.  My architect's instructions are below, but we'll see how it plays out in the field...   

 

Progress: Floor joists going in, and Why Didn't I Think Of That?

The lumber for the interior framing has been delivered, and floor joists are coming up.  As luck would have it, they "forgot" to put a few supports in so now the mason needs to come back in order for them to install the floor system on the other side.  I'm glad the floor is going in, makes the space look much more "homey" as opposed to this huge cavernous space that is super-sized.  Now that I can see it from the perspective of the windows, I'm loving how low many of my windows are.

 

WINDOW MOMENT:  WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?

While watching Downton Abbey last night,  one of the windows in the background caught my eye.  These are the windows of the old Highclere castle where it is filmed...   instead of having the sill hit right at the bottom of the frame, it drops down about 10 inches and THEN there is a sill.  This would have looked great in my long bathroom window!  (Which is now concreted in).  Darn.  Maybe I'll try to incorporate it somewhere upstairs since there is still time.  See the window in the background: 

http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s183/downton-abbey/recaps/a435011/downton-abbey-finale-recap-lets-see-what-the-future-brings.html

Bathroom - The Main Powder Room

I like drama in small spaces and have always loved a nice powder room.   My powder room is on the more spacious side because a) in my dreamworld we will someday have a pool and b) there is an exterior door to the screened porch.   This is the layout:

With just a little effort, the powder room can be so much more than the standard pedestal sink and toilet that seems to be the norm. So, I'm converting a dresser into a sink.  I looked around at various antique stores and boutiques in search of a great one to convert.  It's not complicated to do - a carpenter can usually pop the top off without much effort, provided you buy the correct piece.  I never did find what I was looking for, so I ordered this long ago to serve as a future sink:

Source: horchow.com via Shari on Pinterest

I've already found several remnant pieces at various stone yards that could ultimately be less-expensive for the counter top, mainly marble or quartz.  I envision a rectangular sink to the right-hand side;  I've never understood why sinks are always centered as it seems an impractical use of space. 

Once the sink is installed, my intention is to use a few lines of this tile above it:  .

and then to mimic this picture below, with a small lip of smoothed wood and a mirror flush above.  I'll wait to see how it plays out before committing to that additional step, however.  Side note: in doing this post, I just realized I need to figure out where a towel bar will go, don't I?

Contemporary Bathroom design by San Francisco Architect Michael Tauber Architecture

Windows and Floor
The windows were tricky in here.  Since the windows are visible to the screened porch, privacy was priority.   I opted on opaque glass for the exterior door to the porch and the window in front of the toilet, with that window also having a clear-glassed transom above it. Additionally, there will be an interior transom window above the door to the hallway, allowing even more light in.  I'm hopeful this will still create a light and airy space without compromising privacy. 

As to the flooring, I love a tiled bathroom floor.  However, if I do the above hand-painted tile scenario, I think that might be a little much.  What do you think, hardwood or tile? 

Lighting 
No clue yet.   Will update later. 

 

 

Interior: Trim Choices... Which Do You Prefer?

BASEBOARDS

With the decision of windows and flooring made, it begs another very important question of trim work details. Given that I already know the style of my house (see previous post:  dark stained windows and a medium hickory solid floor) in that it is fairly simplistic and without a lot of ornate moldings, etc, deciding on any trim is a really important decision.  Our windows will have only a windowsill, no framed trim around it, and there will be no crown molding at the top of the walls.  So, the overall "feel" of the house can go in many directions.

Which do you prefer? 

There is the more seamless approach that simply blends what looks to be a shoe molding matched to the walls (where the floor meets the wall near the chair)...

Contemporary Living Room design by Birmingham Architect Erdreich Architecture, P.C.


or here, they've used tile as the "baseboard".  I probably can't afford to do this, but it sure is beautiful...

Mediterranean Hall design by Santa Barbara Architect Maraya Interior Design

Here, they've gone with a thicker baseboard detail and matched it to the paint on the walls...
 

Mediterranean Bathroom design by Los Angeles Design-build HartmanBaldwin Design/Build

and lastly, there is a bold, darker baseboard in contrast to the flooring here: 
 

Mediterranean Staircase design by San Francisco Architect Claudio Ortiz Design Group, Inc.

After much thought, I'm going with the last one.  I like some of the others for their more modern appeal, but if I think ahead 10-20 years from now, I think the last one will stand the test of time more.  I was actually at a friend's circa 1940's house and noticed there floors & baseboard were similar. I'll stain the baseboards the same as my windows.  

WINDOW RETURNS 
 
Another thing I've debated about is the window returns.  Originally I thought I would do very minimalistic windows with no sill whatsoever, and a drywall wrap only.  It would be similar to this, but with dark windows and a rounded wrap instead of a straight edge:

Modern Closet design by Boston Architect ZeroEnergy Design


but my architect thought it was a huge mistake, not to mention a maintenance nightmare with keeping it clean over time.  I value her opinion and after much thought, decided to do a simple sill only at the bottom, which if I really think about the longevity appeal again, makes a much more timeless appearance.  Similar to: 

Mediterranean Hall design by Atlanta Architect Thomas Thaddeus Truett Architect



So for the above choices, do you agree?  Why or why not? 



 

Interior: First Things First, Windows and Floors

There are tons of things to pick out for a custom house.  Tons.  It can be overwhelming, but if you do it in a progressive fashion and make the most influential decisions first, that will go a long way in defining your space in a more confident manner as more and more choices need to be made.

Just like when painting a room - you don't go to the paint store and randomly pick out color swatches, right?  The smart way is to take something that guides the CHOICE of color swatches, like a piece of fabric, throw pillow, rug, painting etc.  It starts you out in a direction.

The same principle goes for windows and floors.  Deciding on your windows and floors way in advance will determine a lot of other choices down the line, and make it easier for you not to make rushed decisions or waver in your preferences, because at least the basic "bones" are in place to define your space.  

FLOORING
I frequented tons of flooring stores and took many samples home.  I laid the samples in bright daylight, then compared them when it was dark outside and only artificial light inside.  I experimented with the quality - did a drop of water I left overnight make a mark the next day?  If bread crumbs were sprinkled on the floor, did it disappear or stick out like a sore thumb?  If I hit a spoon on the wood, did it make a dent?  If so, how big and how noticeable?   Etc. Etc. Eventually, I narrowed it down to two sample boards, then as luck would have it, one of them became discontinued which made my final decision even easier.   I also decided which rooms would have hardwood, tile and carpet.  Ultimately I decided on a solid, medium-toned hickory wood floor.  I wanted something between light and dark, which didn't show much dirt or wear and tear, which was important to me with pets and kids. Here's a picture of the sample board along with my kitchen cabinet selection on top.  I'm trying to reach an earthy/modern balance with these materials.

WINDOWS
I also did a lot of window shopping in advance, and met with all the local vendors just to get an idea of what was available, and then read a lot of online reviews regarding quality.  I'd always wanted dark windows and neutral paint inside, so ultimately our windows will be a very dark stain on the interior, to contrast with the off-white paint.  Add in our deep windowsills with the ICF effect, and hopefully it will have a pretty dramatic effect. I chose to go high-end on windows as it's not an area I wanted to skimp on, so we are going with Marvin windows.  It was a hard decision to make because you certainly pay more and I'll have to cut costs in other places because of it, but in the end we felt it a worthwhile place to go top-of-the-line.

Looking at just the windows and walls in the below photos, I'm hoping mine will have a similar  effect to these:

Mediterranean Living Room design by Atlanta Architect Summerour Architects

Eclectic Family Room design by Cincinnati Architect RWA Architects

Mediterranean Entry design by Atlanta Architect Summerour Architects

 
Now that those decisions are done, do you see how it gives a much clearer image as to what the space will feel like?  Now other things like tile, hardware, etc can be narrowed down significantly because the "bones" of style have been determined, and other choices can fall into place a bit more easily.