Home Sweet Home, Part IV

It has been a while since I've posted anything about our house, so I thought I'd do a brief update. (For past posts, search "Home Sweet Home". I've titled each this way.)

Work is progressing right on schedule. Everything is "house shaped", by which I mean the walls are framed, (almost all) of the windows are in, the skylights are in, electrical is in, plumbing is in, the new roof is (almost all) on, the new siding is (almost all) on, the fireplace is in, and the radiant heating is in. Today they started installing the insulation, and they hope to begin hanging drywall on Friday. When there are solid white walls, wow!, it will really look like a house!

We are about half-way through the construction project: work began in August 2012 and is scheduled to complete in June 2013. Woot!

Firebox
For various unnecessarily complex reasons, our house will have a sprinkler system. This is the firebox which will monitor it. When tempted to shake my head at having a sprinkler system in our house, I am comforted by the thought that our family will be very safe. 

Master Bath Ceiling
From top: mudring for speaker, light, sprinkler (blue cap), fan. It's a busy ceiling.

Master Bath Wall

Skylight in Kid Bathroom

Front Living Room Window and Fireplace
Woodburning fireplaces are not permitted in new construction, but if your house is a certain age and already has one, you may keep it. Our house had woodburning fireplaces, but we are not keeping them. The chimney was structurally unsound; rebuilding it would have been costly. And a woodburning fireplace - while sounding romantic - seemed ill-advised for environmental and practical reasons. So, we will have a gas fireplace insert to help keep us warm on those chilly gray San Francisco days.

"Reclaimed" Wood Beam
I put the word reclaimed in quotes above because the beam is actually "reclaimed" from our own house. But the house is old: built in 1904! The guys sanded it down and it will be used decoratively.

Kid Bedroom Closet and Nook
On the left, there is a closet. On the right, a nook the length of a twin bed. Our plan is to build-in a platform bed and bunk. How fun will that be?!

Back of House
It's difficult to see with the scaffolding, but this is the back of the house. You can see the new siding. Then, on the ground floor there is a 3-panel door that will open from the family/guest room into the yard. On the second floor there are three glass doors that open from the kitchen/great room onto a small "plant balcony". Above, on the third floor, there is a deck.