Tour of homes

We went with our builders today to see some homes they had done. It was very interesting and we don't have time to go over it all here. We will try and post some pictures if they say it is okay later this week.

Here are the things we liked most on our tour today:

• timber framed main living spaces.
• wood living room ceiling
• "Zen house" and "euro" houses were our favorites (?photos)
• combinations of wood
• slate like floor tile and how this went right out to deck
• In floor heating
• waxed concrete floor with 4X4 squares in basement
• board and batten (joe)
• not so much stucco (tasha) :.), maybe just a little like on the euro house.
• more natural and lived in look
• kitchen with several different design themes/wood colors
• Joe wants a Japanese gong
• large but opening windows.
• arches on portico (Joe not tasha)
• wire railings on straw bale house
• unfinished natural timbers on the outside of the straw house (looked like trees).
• plaster inside house.

More later. We are tired but not as tired as Tasha's mom who watched the kids all day!

Here are our most recent floor plans and renderings from Jon and Kandy. There are, as always, some tweaks to be made, but it's coming together. This weekend we're meeting with the builders for a tour of some of the homes they've built.

Oh yeah, the materials, colors, furniture, etc should be ignored.

Here are some thoughts about the 3D pictures and 2 very rough graphics/slides to illustrate our thoughts.

We like the slanted roof, a little less traditional, and larger windows in concept 2. However, the "V's" in the roof make me way too nervous. I am sure there is some way to deal with that but I have no interest in chance of future roof problems, snow accumulation, or ice in those areas.

Please see the drawings. What about a roof that looks like the attached picture starting at 8 feet in the kitchen? Also, after much soul (and Internet) searching, I do not want a modern free standing fireplace. I would like a stone fireplace with a mantel so I don't think in the middle of the room is going to work. How about moving it to the north wall and just sucking up the 2 story chimney? Then the second couch could have a large high buffet type table behind it or some sort of furniture separating it from the dining room. Maybe we could do something with the ceiling here as well but not so massive as in concept 2. Maybe timbers?

We would also like to find a way to move the screened porch more off the south wall, perhaps more in the south west corner? Or even consider rotating the house further south as we have lost almost all our southern exposure which seems a shame to loose this solar gain on a open hill. Not too far though as I really want the primary view to be down into the valley.

Finally, we had some thoughts about the window wall to the east and perhaps breaking it up with a door or french door with exit to a cat walk that went around dining room.

ROOF IDEA (south east is to right of picture and it is front to back cut through main living space):



EAST WALL WINDOW/DOOR IDEA:

3D visualizations

Jon is trying to give us some 3D renderings of what our potential space looks like. This is not "our house" but "our space" and has given us a great deal to think about. You can see the pictures (note the creepy likeness to Joe standing in one of the pictures in concept 2!) and then see the next entry with our thoughts. Hard to ignore the finishes, furniture etc... but imagine the possibilities of the "space."

This is concept 1 (front, back and inside main living space).



This is concept 2 (front, back and inside main living space)









This is the master bedroom for both concepts.


This is the main entry for both concepts.

Updates..

Still working on the plans, hopefully closer and some pictures soon. We are also going to go look at some houses soon to get some exterior ideas. Joe and the builders are trying to sell me on stucco but thus far I think it is still heinous. Sorry, to any stucco fans out there. Who knows, maybe I will be a convert soon.

We went on the MREA solor tour. Joe went alone and saw 9 or 10 houses. Mom and I went with the kids to Spring Green and managed to see 1 unusual house, have lunch with the kids in a park, and spend most of the afternoon on the Wisconsin river. We didn't learn nearly as much as Joe but I came home with pictures of the kids on the sandbar and in the WI river up to their chests in water. How often does that happen in WI this time of year?

Hopefully driveway in later this month or early next month! The soybeans will be out within 2 weeks and we have to get the price split out for the first part since we have a joint driveway agreement with the people who have the only other lot. Hopefully this will go well since we are going to be neighbors for a long time. Unless there is someone out there who wants to buy their lot, it is still for sale.

On another bright note, Joe talked to them today and it seems they are going to build close to the road so we don't have to spend so much time worrying about looking right at their house.