Daughter's bedroom and bathroom

I'm stuck.  Briley is 10 and I'm trying to create a room that will grow with her and still satisfy her tastes now.  Here is our inspiration room:

Inspiration pic from Pinterest

We're doing all neutrals, hardwood floors, shiplap ceiling, and similar color on walls.  The only furniture we already have and will be using in her room is a white armoire.  This is her bedding:

 This is a chair I've found but haven't purchased:

And these are the light fixtures I can't decide on: (Her room is about 12x15.  Top fixture is around 25 inches, middle is only 12 inches, and bottom fixture is around 27 inches)

Quorum Persian White drum fixture

A&B Wooden Fixture

Second problem, her bathroom.  Her vanity is 5 ft long, but I'm having trouble deciding between the two options below:

Inspiration pic with make-up vanity

Inspiration pic with tower

I should add that while the make-up area is super cute and I think she would love, I also think she'll need the extra storage the tower would provide.  She will not have a linen closet in her bathroom, and I can't bear to see a vanity covered in lotions, sprays, hair products, etc.  

Appliances

So this is the picture that changed it all!  I was looking at the brick, but all he saw was the hood.  I had never actually thought about doing a stainless hood, mainly because I find them to be very industrial looking and that's not my style.  However, paired with the brick backsplash, I think I might love it!  Once he got me on board with the stainless hood, I decided the hood alone might look a little heavy.  It needed some stainless on the bottom to balance it out - not what I initially had in mind as I had already picked out my gas cooktop and microwave/oven wall combo.  So today I went to Ferguson (again) and had the nice lady give me a quote (again) on all the changes.

Inspiration from Houzz

I'm not crazy about this range because of the oven controls in the back, but since I can't afford one like is pictured above, it seems to be the best option.  It is gas (check), does have a convection feature (check), will balance out the stainless range (check), and is in my price range (double check), so it looks like this is it!

Whirlpool Gas Range

Update:  I've found my new favorite range.  Love this one!  

GE Slide In Gas Range

Whirlpool Vented Hood

Whirlpool built-in microwave with trim kit

So if he gets a stainless range, I get a warming drawer (and oh my shall I pay for it!)  I cannot believe how expensive these things are!  But, if I'm only going to have one oven, I can at least keep food warm while the rest is cooking.  : > )

KitchenAid Drawer Warmer

Whirlpool Dishwasher

On to the next obstacle; this changes my cabinet layout.  Yep, the one I just met about yesterday.  I suppose it's not entirely uncommon for people building custom homes to change their minds on things, but I do feel bad that the cabinet lady will have to re-do some of her work.  I am hoping that eliminating the hood and drawers under the cooktop will decrease the estimate (to make-up for my warming drawer).  

Plumbing Fixtures

I'm super excited that I got two appointments in one day!

• Initial meeting on tile
• Second meeting on plumbing fixtures

My husband has been great about not having an opinion on most things and letting me take the lead; however, there have been a handful of times that I picked something out and he told me he didn't like it.  The faucets were one of those things.  So, back to Ferguson I went.  

Originally I had picked Delta Windmere for everything.  I changed my mind about the powder room faucet and he changed his about the master bath.  I keep trying to tell him that no one is even going to see the master bath faucets and I have an even stronger case now that the fixture he wants is $75 more! (That's $75 for each sink!)

My choice:

His choice:  (Honestly, does that look like it's worth $150 more?)

And the compromise: (Delta Olmsted in Chrome - and cheaper than both of them!)

And just for reference, here's the vanity sconce:

My choice for powder room (think brick walls, hardwood floors, pedestal sink, chrome schoolhouse vanity light):

Still not sure of daughter's bath faucet.  I'm really loving the one on the right.  Delta Cassidy single hole in chrome.  Here are the choices:

 

And again just for reference, here's her vanity fixture:

So with all the changes, our estimate went from $5,329 to $6,117.  Yikes!  Still under our budget, but not enough to brag about.  

A couple of things I learned:

1. Lowe's may carry a line that isn't available to other suppliers.
2. Changing a finish or a fixture isn't as simple as it sounds.  You also have to change drains, stops, toilet handles, tub fixtures, tub drains, . . . 
3. Chrome is cheaper than nickel is cheaper than ORB.
4. Don't ask the husband what he thinks.

Tile

Just finished up with the tile.  It went a little smoother than I thought.  I was only there about 1 hour and managed to pick out everything except the kitchen backsplash.
I did learn that the salesperson who helped me will be my "neighbor."  We use that term pretty loosely where I'm from, especially if you live out in the country.  Very sweet lady with three children, two of whom are my kid's age.
This is what I picked out for daughter's bathroom floor, a simple porcelain subway tile.

I think I actually prefer this to the subway, but I didn't have a pic of it at the time to show her.  This came from Lowe's.

This 13x13 is for my son's bathroom.  Colors are rich and earthy.

Again, I think I prefer the pic below to the basic 13x13 tile.  The sample below is also from Lowe's.

This is what I picked out for the entry from garage, laundry, and office nook.  This has a great texture and nice colors.  

The inspiration below was found at Lowe's, but I wasn't crazy about it.  Much prefer the one I picked out today.

The next is for the master.  I love the look of marble but can't afford it.  This is a porcelain tile that will be used on the floor (big, square tiles) and the smaller rectangle on the floor of the shower laid in a herringbone pattern.  Basic white subway tiles in the shower and the decorative glass tile for an accent. Gray grout and gray cabinets will break-up all the white.

So today I learned that the tile store doesn't carry a brick backsplash that really looks like brick.  Tomorrow I'll be meeting with the stone/brick company and will hopefully find what I'm looking for there.  Here's my inspiration:

Cabinets

Did I say I was in good shape with cabinets?  I should have said I think I'm in good shape with cabinets.  That was until I met with the cabinet company.  Too many decisions, and I'm trying to make my decisions based on what I like and what it costs, which is really not easy to do.  

First question, do I want raised panel or flat panel.  I thought I wanted raised panel, but then when I look at kitchens I've posted on Houzz, most of them are flat panel.  

Case in point:

 http://www.houzz.com/photos/214152/Gathering-Place-traditional-kitchen-birmingham

 http://www.houzz.com/photos/133964/Old-world-elegance-meets-todays-todays-contemporary-space-requirements-traditional-kitchen-newark

 http://www.houzz.com/photos/2738110/Full-Home-Remodel-Fifty-Shades-of-Gray-traditional-kitchen-charlotte

 http://www.houzz.com/photos/2026908/Breezy-Brentwood-traditional-kitchen-other-metro

http://www.houzz.com/photos/3384731/Whitestone-Builders-Norhill-traditional-kitchen-houston

I'm fairly certain that flat panel is more affordable than the raised, so that's good for the budget.  All will be painted with a glaze (main an off-white/creamy color and island Nantucket Gray).  I want simple but enough detail that the glaze will show-up.  

This pic is from the cabinet maker's website.  I think I've just confirmed that the kitchen cabinets will be flat panel.  : - )

http://www.creativewooddesign.biz/albums/album_image/8935316/8124224.htm

The Nantahala is taking shape

 I'm finally able to see the Nantahala take shape.  There are a million versions of this plan on the web, and as I've said before, we worked with an architect to make it work for us.  This is what the finished product will resemble, with different exterior.

As of April 4, this is ours.  We're at the point on framing that it's difficult to see what progress is being made each day.  They've been working on the roofline and drying it in.  

This is the back view.

This is the back side view.

Busy week ahead!  Framing should wrap up, roughing in for plumbing, meeting with cabinet company, finalizing lighting and plumbing fixtures, choosing exterior, and picking out tile.  Lots of decisions to be made this week!

Praising the Process and the To Do List

When we started this journey a couple of years ago, I came across an on-line forum called GardenWeb.  It's a forum for pretty much anything but mainly for home building, remodeling, decorating, etc.  I've followed it pretty religiously for two years even posting our proposed house plans and getting feedback.  The main thread I follow is the building thread.  I have been AMAZED at some of the horror stories people experience when building.  I am so thankful that, to date, our process has been so easy.  Our builder is wonderful, always taking time to meet with us at our current home or at the build site, return phone calls and texts, keeping us up-to-date with what's going on (although I go the build site almost daily), and letting me know what I need to do next.  It makes me really feel sorry for those who experience such frustrations during a time that should be really exciting and happy.
So speaking of what's coming next, I have quite a to-do list for the upcoming week (which is my Spring Break)!

• Cabinets- I'm meeting with the cabinet company Monday and feel pretty confident about it.  I have a good idea of what I want, with the exception of some built-ins.  I actually met with this same company back in the summer before we had chosen a builder and picked out these finishes for our kitchen cabinets.  The main cabinets will be cream, the kitchen island will be green, and the cooktop hood and surround was going to be stained, although now I'm second guessing that choice.

• Confirm plumbing fixtures - I thought I was in good shape with this one.  I'm really not that picky about faucets.  I didn't think my husband was.  Until we were at Lowe's one day and I showed him what I had picked out.  To which he responded that he didn't like it.  Ugh!  So now I'm back to the drawing board on this one.  This is what I had picked out, Delta Windmere collection:

This is what the husband has in mind:

Right now I'm thinking:

1. Master bath- polished nickel
2. Kitchen- ORB
3. Son's bath- ORB
4. Daughter's bath- Chrome
5. Powder- Chrome

• Lighting- This has been a doozy!  I have spent countless hours scouring the internet for deals.  I shared in a previous post pictures of several of the fixtures I found on-line, many of them significantly cheaper than a box store or could be ordered from a lighting store.  I've been extremely pleased with all of them.  I do have a few more fixtures to purchase and will need to do that this week. 

Dining room 6 light Quorum Cilia Chandelier:

Great room 40" Quorum Cilia Chandelier:

Kitchen Island 12" Allen + Roth Pendant:

Son's bath Millenium:

Daughter's bath Quoizel (top with glass shades) and Maxim (bottom with fabric shades):

Powder Seagull in chrome:

• Exterior finishes (stone and brick)
• Tile- Okay, so this is the one that really has me.  I have NO idea where to begin.  I will be spending my weekend on Houzz trying to get some ideas of what to do.  We're only tiling the bathrooms, laundry room, and entry from garage.  The rest will be hardwood.