Big Girl. Tiny House.

8/29/17 Lookie! Look at your kitchen sink. took this to the granite guy.  And Bill got all the interior trim up. looks fabulous.  AND lookie... the tansu is in... YEAH!  Yahoo! Here is Vanna White [a.k.a. Johanna] showing you the options for the grab bar. just let her know which one you would like, and we will install them. [We like the left image location.]          And here are the different shelf areas. a straight on shot and a side shot. and then the right and the left(fuzzy pic) of the sink. [ We want to use some of the leftover mango from the desk to make shelves but cannot decide where.] He is going to finish up all the riff raff tomorrow and put the gutters on. I got the garden window corner bead on today. it just has to be painted now. Tomorrow I am taking the fabric to kona and dropping it off at the upholstery people. and returning the light bulbs. taking my friend in to have her cataract corrected. Okay. All good. Sle

We finally made our way to the build site to see the house, and it was so worth it! It looks great, and I feel good about sticking with the white interior because it feels pretty open. We had to have a heart-to-heart about the loft mechanics (who sleeps where) since clearly one person is going to have to climb over the other to get out (unresolved). We also got to make some adjustments, including the extension of the end bench, the cancellation of an ottoman, and the addition of dimmer switches.  We didn't like the second choice flooring we picked out, so we went back to the drawing board. And then, Johanna got creative in order to circumvent the 6-8 weeks special order time of our first choice at Home Depot. She ordered the original color online and had it shipped to her sister in Colorado, who will, in turn, ship it here. You'd be surprised how many companies do not ship to HI. Including Home Depot. Anyhoooo, here's the latest... 8/28/17 Got 'er dun! He got the

Yesterday we met Johanna at Lowes. Apparently the flooring we wanted did not get ordered, so we had to pick one that was in stock to stay on our timeline. We chose something different than we wanted - more gray than brown - but it will be fine. We also got drawer and cabinet pulls, lightbulbs (I like the antique looking ones), sink, and handles we are hoping will work as grab rails along the stairs to the loft. Oh, and a bunch of other stuff that we think we want. Ahhh, Lowes. By the end of Johanna's and my frenzy, Jim was about to poke his eyes out. We're going to go to check out the house today. Yay! Can't wait. In the meantime, here's Johanna's latest report. 8/25/17 Friday's pics! The windows came in early! I made a special trip back to Waimea to uncrate them and bring them back. so awesome. the kitchen window is due in on 9/22. I LOVE these windows!  the fat sills worked out perfectly thanks to Bill's precise nature.  Stunning. I also b

Johanna's report for yesterday is all about power outlets. I've shared it below but thought I'd take the opportunity to write about our experience in trying to nature-ize our little house. Last month, Jim and I went to a lumber yard in Hilo to check out potential options for adding some live edge local wood to the interior of the house. We've been working hard to design the space to feel open despite it's cramped self, which means everything is pretty streamlined and engineered. To "bring nature inside," we've been looking to add details that break it up a bit. We started with the idea of doing all of the countertops (ha, like we will have thousands of linear feet!), but it started to feel like too much. And I can't help but think about my only experience with furniture made from wood in its natural state: @1970s, heavily-polyurethaned, yellowed-with-age tables. So, when Johanna said that if we went that route, she would want to add a little tile

This is so exciting! Above the windows and below the roof is a valance, behind which is rope lighting. That's what she calls the "up lites." We saw this in the other house and really liked how much of a difference the detail makes in the space. In such a small room, big lighting feels a bit overwhelming, particularly in the loft. This just gives the house a warm glow. Yay! 8/22/17 Benches are in! Bill got the up lites installed and we put the valence up. is totally a 2 person install. Check out this sweetness. love this loft [tongue and groove] floor.   Tom is working on the Tansu next. THAT will be fun. [The tansu is the stepped cabinetry that serves as the stairs up to the loft above and pretty storage underneath. By the grace of god this feature prevents us having to climb any ladders.]   The benches are in and really inviting to lay down on. Can hardly see the outlet on the bench.  I remember that you want the USB outlets upstairs in the loft bu

I am SO glad we went with the tongue and groove flooring in the loft! The ceiling will look beautiful from the underside. Couldn't have handled the woven straw look.  My office is full of accessories - sconces, box spring, mattress, teak flooring squares for the outdoor shower, plus the rod and shower curtains. Still need to get water to the house. We settled on a partial pavement of the driveway... just too expensive to do the whole dang thing. It'll be done on the 1st of September, and then it has to cure for a few weeks. That is timing perfectly with what looks like a late September deliver of the house. Can't wait! 8/21/17 Yahoo! Kinda washed out. dang setting sun light. got the loft floor installed today.. and Bill marked out the benches. he will make them tomorrow. Bill got the fat sill window jambs in today.. they are gorgeous!!   Cyndy got the rest of the outside caulked and painted. I got the corner trim on...and all the windows I can trim out.

8/18/17 Check it out! Here is the base cabinet for the kitchen area.  That blue tape is sticking out 14” from the cabinet. just realized there is a 10” cabinet missing. so add 10”. I will have to go re do the pic. Will let countertop hang over as much as can. Anyway. that is the pantry on left.  sink. then cabinet with drawer above it. the stove puka  ["hole"] . then the little 4.5” cabinet for trays and such. Bill started the window sills.. here is a sample.. he got all the parts milled and cut to length.. will start installing on monday. It is 5.5” of window sill. We got the inside painted today. I will do the t&g on monday. was trying to keep the paint from dripping on it.  taking shape now.  Windows due on the 29th.  Bill got both the roofing installed over the garden windows but forgot to get pic. ah well... Well... one of you is home. the other due in soon. you, of course, can visit any time. Okay then... ☀☀☀

8/17/17 Where's Bill?? He is on the roof. we were going to paint his shoes red. He is sealing the gap between the 2 roofs with the foil backed tar tape.. He went all the way down the roof on his stomach. see those screw heads right about tummy height? I moved the ladder to the end so he could get down.. Here is your roof.. nice! Cyndy got the battens on the exterior all painted up. or mostly. I got the rest of the battens on and caulked. I got the windows done flashing. I was short one piece. so ordered that today.. dang! Going to put the gutter on tomorrow and the ridge cap. and the garden windows...then pau ["finished"] with the roof.  I am picking up the kitchen cabinet and toe kick tomorrow along with the 5” teeny cabinet to the right of the stove. now I can make a template for the granite people. Did you get my earlier email about the rounded corner and if this cabinet is a bookshelf or has doors? Need the sink to do the template. If I had

We leave Eleuthera today, which makes me very sad, so it was nice to get Johanna's message with the "good news" subject line. It's starting to look like a real house, no?? 8/16/17 Good news! Bill got the interior paneling done today. totally focused. did a GREAT job. He also got the gas line installed. all swept. ready for next phase. I got the rest of the battens on the house. Cyndy caulked each one and will paint it tomorrow. unless she painted the interior? I was installing the window flashing as well. see it? The roofing arrived and the packet of screws. the white piece is a top sheet.  Bill will start this tomorrow. hopefully finish it. I'm hoping to get the loft t&g installed tomorrow. now that Bill is out of there. The fabric arrived today. It is at the Waiaka house . Barrie would like to go over the fabrics with you when it is convenient. Hoping for some base cabinets on Friday. yippee! Okay. see you tomorro

We missed hearing from Johanna, and now we know why. Love that the team was able to help a friend in need. Also love the amazing progress they are making! We head back to the island this weekend and will get to see it in person! Yay! 8/14/17 Yesterday's fun... Got the whole outside re painted and it looks great. the battens are only primed. will start repainting them once they are caulked into place.  Bill got the rest of the downstairs done. he is working on the loft. just a couple of pieces left up there. the little pieces behind the cabinets. he waits til the very end. uses up the window cut outs. I will be putting the t & g in tomorrow in the loft. have to do that before he puts the other wall on. otherwise too tight to pull plywood out. :-) virgo  The roofing was delivered today. and the flashing. will be great to get the roof on tomorrow. and finish the trim around the windows. needed the flashing. Cyndy can start painting the inside now. it onl