It's Too Late. . .





     As I thought about what song title I would use for this post, Carole King's,  It's Too Late  came to mind mainly because of all the decisions and/or things that have been done to the house to this point!
    ALL the paint choices, to include ceiling color and trim color for the entire house, went to the builder earlier this week and today we will go to the site  to see them on the walls . . . and hopefully love our choices. It's too late . . .now!
     The stone arrived along with a beautiful week of sunshine and warm weather, and  it is now on the house and looking the way we had pictured it in our minds. This was one of the choices that has had me sitting on pins and needles wondering if we made the right color choice ...and we did! We love how the siding color, brick choice and stone goes together. For any of you who don't like our color choices, I'll say, it's too late. . now!

(In case you are wondering, the copper coupola on the garage has not been added yet.)



This is a view showing all three choices together
(One of the few places all three will be seen  together)



      Inside the house, the interior doors are installed and the trim work around them is done.  The door to H's office is in and I am really glad that I will be able to "share" some of his light coming from that side of the house. (The glass still has a film like covering on it so you can't see much through it...yet.)

The base boards are all in and the crown moulding is almost done. All the entranceways are now being trimed out which really gives each room definition and I really like it.  I can't wait to see the color on the walls with the trim color next to it to see if we are satisfied with our choice of color for each room.

I wanted to post some paint color samples but I am not sure how they will come out for you to see. I will tell you that they are soooooooo much prettier in person than in these photos.




This photo is in the dining room showing the picture frame moulding  under the chair rail.
It will be painted the color shown above the chair rail with the trim color painted below. 





This is the laundry room paint color. Can you see it with white cabinets with a black counter top and a black and white tile floor?   Our builder wants to rename this room...he says it looks too nice to be called a laundry room. (H keeps calling it the utility room so I think Laundry Room is an upgrade from that.)

This is the foyer, but this color will  f-l-o-w throughout most of the house

This is the color choice for the Jack and Jill bedroom with the white furniture. The other room, with the darker furniture, will be painted the same color only it will be a lighter shade.

   These are just a few color samples which I am sure you can't tell much about, but I thought I'd try to show them since you have listened to me stress about them for several posts now.  I realize that paint colors can still be changed, and I could even change them after we move in, but so many other decisions, such as bed linens, and all the upholstered furniture that needed fabric and rugs needed to work as well. . . each depending on these paint choices, so in my book and to keep from doing this again...it's too late now!

     The meeting this week with the designer depended on these paint choices in a big way! Since we have decided to have our furniture recovered instead of buying all new stuff, we needed to select fabric for all  of these pieces. We  found fabric that I liked for the sofa, the wing back chairs and possibly the Martha Washington chair. What we needed now, was a fabric to cover MY new club chair and ottoman that will sit next to H's chocolate leather recliner. The designer found 5 fabrics to pick from. Two were immediately ruled out by me, another H really liked, but it was too much like the sofa fabric in color and design, and the last two were very good candiates. Two completely different fabrics, one patterened, one striped, but both had almost the same exact colors. Both would go with the rest of the furniture great. Cost was not too much different, but definately something to consider. H liked one, I loved the other.....but I also liked H's choice as well. The designer suggested that we now start looking at rugs. Depending on the rug selection, it may help to make the decision about the fabric. One fabric would definately not want too much of a design on the rug, the other needed more movement in a rug.  She had picked out several rugs for us to look at when we met  with her and had even had them moved to the front of the showroom so we could see them in natural lighting. She had picked out some georgeous rugs and as she suggested, the rug we fell in love with (at first sight) made the choice we needed, not only for the chair fabric, but where the rug would go in the house.  She then helped us select the other rugs needed. Believe it or not, the rug we fell in love actually ended up in the dining room! Since that room has so much wood furniture (and floors) it really need that WOW factor people talk about to make that room come alive. The dining room is on your right and is almost the first thing you might notice as you enter the house. (The first thing, will be the view of the lake staight ahead in the great room.) Anyway, this rug was a "must have" from the first time we saw it! It is a persian style rug. We also bought this same rug in a smaller size to go in the foyer. I CANNOT believe I did not take a picture of this rug! The rug we picked out for the great room is really a carpet. It has a very subtle pattern and looked great with the patterened persian style rug. . .  and when we found out it had a contrasting border that could be added, it too, was a done deal! When these choices were made, we then KNEW which fabric would go on the club chair. . . the striped, which was H's choice but I really like as well. Not a problem.
     We have been a little afraid of this part of the decorating  process, but our designer made this so easy. (Did I mention that our designer came with the purchase of rugs, fabric and/or furniture  from the store we are working from?) She has be a tremendous help throughout this whole process, and we Thank You, Elaine. The same is true with several other stores we have been going to. The tile store has a wonderful young designer who helped us design our master bath and is fast becoming a friend since I found out she, too, is a paper crafter and scrapbooker! The lighting store has a woman we are working with for these decisions as well. Thank goodness!
   OK, so now we have the great room paint color, a rug for the hardwood floors, sofa and chair fabrics selected, a new club chair and leather recliner...what else could we possibly need for this room....I know, I know....how about a TV?  So we found this store with a sale going on. . . But first, am I the only one on this planet who did not realize that the size of the TV is directly proportional to the size of the room? Well, it must be true, since we have a big room and  I (we) just became the proud owners of two 58 inch plasama screen TVs! I just can't wait to see the Crimson Tide on these babies! (insert my face with eyes rolled back)

    Meanwhile, back outside. . .

    H went to the site  this week to meet with the guy from the Alabama Power Company who will issue the permit for the contstruction of the sea wall and boathouse. Permit granted! Now with the weather gradually warming up all next week, the construction of those "biggies" will begin on Monday.  Once the boat house is constructed, maybe we can bring "baby boat" home!

NOTE: As of February 17, we have officially been building this house for 5 months!  WHOA! I can not believe how much has been accompolished in that short a time. Can you? Way to go, Carlisles!