This is mostly about what we did in the house we’re in now that we built and moved into last April, the alabaster modern farmhouse, but there are references to our past homes and what will be our final build, that we’re working on the land now while we WAIT on others to do what they need to do before we can really get going.
Windows On this alabaster modern farmhouse house I was just about to order the windows when I realized I hadn’t kept the grid ratio the same. I know no one but me would probably notice but I didn’t want the oblong rectangles way off unless they were squares. I think I ended up with mostly a 1.4 ratio.
On the new gray modern farmhouse, I’ll call the final build, I’ve also made a decision to go 2 over 2 windows again instead of the oriel or cottage look. This time around I’m starting the ones that have to meet egress then trying to keep the others the same ratio. That was never an issue on our other windows with craftsman or prairie grids. I’m dead set on using black windows again. We paid extra for more soundproofing in them- even put a window in the master closet. I love the shadows the grids make too.
I’ve narrowed down the barn square designs to one, wish I would’ve had it chosen and had all the supplies during the Superbowl.
Doors: On the garage doors on the final build, on the blue barn/detached outbuilding (where the barn square will hang), I keep flipping between the gray or wood color look. I love the wood grain slate gray we have now (middle sample), I just didn’t really want to spend that much on FIVE garage doors. Also not sure I want 5 in the same style/color or house and barn different. In this alabaster house, we chose no windows on the garage doors which is a first but I kinda like no one being able to tell if we’re home. I may do the 2 on the house garage sans windows again but let the 3 on the outbuilding have windows. Not sure yet. We’re not doing a trim color again and I don’t want the gray house with gray shingles to be a big gray blob. It’s gonna have to have some black and wood and so is the outbuilding to coordinate. Hubby thinks I’m mixing it up too much, but I’ve never been one to want to do what everyone else is doing.
Some first that were not good: The garage doors came after 4 months with the wrong parts. We spent HOURS on the phone with Cloypay on multiple days and two shipments to get the right spring. We always do oversized doors and they didn’t all come with the correct springs. We had Jeld-Wen doors come from Lowes with stickers all over the face and under the hardware. I’m talking hours here on almost every single door, picking and peeling the face of the doors, taking hinges off and sanding the stickers off that were half on the faces and half under hinges. BTW mayo left overnight on stickers made the biggest dent in tackling the mess. We found out Jeld-Wen windows will only provide cleaning instructions when they ship their windows covered in silicone all over the glass, the metal, and the wood, I’m talking silicone fingerprints all over the and silicone blobs oozing out. Yep, they blamed that on covid too.
I’ve had a list of windows and doors in just to be quoted for our final build for MONTHS.
I literally started asking in January!
Seems the delays on quotes is as long as the delivery process.
Our Craftsman house and this alabaster farmhouse both have double entry doors. I like the look but I really love it when you have to carry in something that’s big and heavy.
The craftsman house double doors were Pella, this time I went unfinished and used gel stain (Minwax coffee) for the first time. Easy peasy and I’ll do it again, especially since the manufacturers charge over a thousand just to stain them. I also put frosted static film on them since ordering with anything other than clear glass would’ve delayed it even longer – and added over $600 for different glass. I’ve used the static cling film before and love it. No residue, no sticking, and it doesn’t hurt the glass. If the next owners don’t want it they can just pull it off. I like it letting light in without being clear.
While we’re waiting on the window and door quotes, (and the well guy) I did ask around trying to find gable brackets and corbels made out of fiberglass with wood grain that I could gel stain, but they seem to only come in smooth PVC or cedar the bees and woodpeckers will love. Why doesn’t anyone make this yet?!
Interior doors. We’ve had stained, painted 6 panels, painted craftsman mixed, 1 panel reeded (old pic I’ve shown you before with Tyler wanting in the room), and now 2 panel with some one panel frosted or clear glass. The final build house will be one panel- for the most part. I like the barn doors in our last house and I did them again but used solid wood pine doors. On the great room side they’re red with stain and the studio they’re teal and wood. Sorry pics while we were still buiding. I like mixing in a few unique doors and will be doing that agai. I think I’ll repeat frosted again.
Anyway, we also have a first that hubby should get credit for carrying out my idea from a sketch of what I wanted. A handmade hidden Murphey door! I have a video of hubby opening it but he doesn’t really want a blog feature 🙂 For three houses now, I love that hubby can leave the master bath into the laundry or a closet without coming back through the bedroom. Any morning he’s up before me it’s nice so I don’t hear him, but it’s also nice when I’ve got a migraine. It’s also great to have the master bath, master closet and laundry close together.
Rain chains – love these. Will be adding to the final home. It’s kinda weird that they work better on heavier rains than just a sprinkle.
We used 6″ studs instead of the standard 4″. It allowed for even more insulation even though our last home, the Craftsman, which cost basically nothing to heat and cool. You can’t really see it anywhere really except the deeper window sills. I like that the blinds don’t stick into the room and all fit within the sill.
And this cool timeline composite from above was shot by my cousin (in-law). Now I want a drone but feel a bit guilty I’ve hardly touched my cameras in ages.
The next house post (hopefully posted before the 1 year anniversary of getting our C.O here at the alabaster modern farmhouse on April 6th) will be on the kitchen. It will be the last on the house we’re in now so I can concentrate on the final build ~
And, yes my upper root canal tooth still hurts. Nothing like ending the post on a non-cheerful note.
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Covers, Cats & Clicks by KiM 
So interesting! You have so much energy!
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