energy audit

Earlier this month Craig had an audit done on our house to verify that the house meets energy efficiency targets to enable him to get a tax credit as a builder. As home owners we will receive a report in a few weeks telling us what costs to expect for heating and cooling. It will be interesting to see how well we met our goal of building an energy efficient home.

First night

Emma and I spent our first night in our new home. Pete is on a weekend trip downstate to Warren for a fly fishing meet up and Libby is in Cadillac at Shelley and Frank Youngman's Doggie Bed and Biscuit so we had the place to ourselves. Our friends Jean Cotton, Jane Henry and Marcie Cox came over for dinner, one that Jean had provided, and we celebrated the first of what we hope will be many many happy hours in our new abode.

Unpacking is underway, going well, only a few unhappy surprises so far. There are a couple of uncluttered, calm spaces along with stacks of boxes to be opened and stacks of boxes already done. Here is a look at what we see this morning.

Stuff is in

The moving crew has come and gone, the house is full of boxes with secret code written on the sides. Photos tomorrow.

I hear a moving van

Our moving coordinator, Charlotte, called yesterday to say the movers could deliver our goods today.....we are headed out to the house now. Photos tomorrow.

clean and quiet

We had a winter storm last night and today, M28 (a major highway going east out of Marquette) is closed due to blowing snow and lots of schools closed as well. The house is clean top to bottom and quiet as no one has ventured out there today.









The guest bath in the basement.








In the tv/game room in the basement looking through french doors into my combination laundry/sewing/work room.






The entry with skylight.

Monday the painters return to do some touch up, there is a final electric inspection scheduled. Craig has some work to do on Pete's study and I will be putting things away in the pantry and some closets and bookshelves. The movers are loading the truck in Fort Worth today. We are really going to move into our new home.

Clean up time

Yesterday the cleaning crew started upstairs cleaning every surface, the ceiling, walls, windows and baseboards. Methodically working through each room, down the stairs and then the first floor. When we left about 5 pm they had started on the basement and that is where they will begin today. After all the floors are cleaned they will move to the garage and workshop to finish up.

The moving van from Fort Worth will be here either the 5th or 6th of March and while we wait we can move clothes, canned goods, some essential books, and whatever else we grab on the way out to the car, from our house in town to the new house. We may be pretty busy for the next couple of months.

almost finished

The stairs are finished except for a last coat on the treads and risers and the handrails.

Craig told me today that he has scheduled the cleaning crew for the last three days of this month....which means it is time to call the movers in Fort Worth and plan for an early March delivery of the things in storage. I am elated.

further progress

Almost done . The stairs have the old treads on top of the new treads as protective covering. There is still a decorative element for the outside edge of the stairway to be cut and attached. It is every bit as beautiful as I had hoped for.

Wednesday progress

Stairway in progress...more photos to follow today or tomorrow.






Storage and seating for the mudroom, whether it should all remain as open shelving is an open question.

step by step

The stair treads and risers are cut and varnished and are drying while the railings and balusters are being fitted on a temporary basis. When the risers and treads are dry, tomorrow probably, they will be installed permanently and then the railings and then the balusters.

The living room/ dining room

Work on the bookshelves should be finished by the end of the day today along with most of the crown molding in the room and I think it is all elegant.









The window seat above opens to provide a small storage place.

The pantry

Work on the pantry started this week. Dan made the upper shelves from leftover beech flooring. I wanted shelves eight inches wide to have things stored on them mostly visible so Dan pieced together the flooring to make the elegant shelving and made the curved brackets to hold them up. The workmanship and detail is completely charming. Next comes a wooden countertop and then more wide shelving under that. One wall next to the door has no shelf space, instead there will be two wooden rods to hold ironed tablecloths.

Friday progress

Jim and Jeremy started the bookshelves today.

The week in Harvey, Michigan

Although our mailing address at the new house will be Marquette, we are located in Harvey, Chocolay Township, Marquette County, Michigan. Harvey is named for Charles T. Harvey who designed and built the first Soo Locks at Sault St. Marie in the eastern part of the upper peninsula. You can read about Mr. Harvey and the locks at this site: http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1992/5/1992_5_26.shtml

Work continues on trim around windows and doors and baseboards. Craig is getting ready to start the stairway from the first to second floor, we have all the pieces on site ready to be put together like a big beautiful puzzle.






Island lighting in the kitchen is in, the carbon filament bulbs that shipped with the lights were 240V and do not work well in a 120V environment but I have found another source for the bulbs and should have the right look in a week or so.




Craig and the first step in the new stairwell, he has a lot of detail to work out yet but sometime next week we may see the beginning of the new stairs.





Jim Hendrickson, our lead carpenter, made this model of how the bookshelves and window trim will come together. This is at the east end of the dining room and the window wells will provide either a place to sit or a lovely site for lucky house plants. There will be four bookshelves and three window seats/plant platforms.




Rich, our plumber from Trudell Plumbing, fabricating and installing heat vents in the bookshelf/window seat at the west end of the living room.







Larry, our other BFF from Trudell Plumbing, installing the faucets in the guest bath.




The half bath which is just off the mudroom and shares the same gray slate tile as the mudroom.

Master bath

Quetzal green marble for the countertop, two sinks, two mirrored cabinets, waiting for the plumber to put in the faucets.

Guest bath

This is the guest bathroom on the first floor with the cast iron sink in place. It is difficult to photograph the bathrooms, they look better than the photos show.








With the mirror installed.



There is a white tiled shower opposite the sink and toilet, yesterday I ordered the glass surround and door for this shower and the one in the master bath on the second floor.

the kitchen

Today the countertop, refrigerator,microwave, dishwasher and cook top were delivered. We went with Bosch for the induction cooktop, dishwasher, oven and microwave and a Jenn Air for the frig. We got the wrong oven, in white rather than stainless, and will have to wait for a replacement. Still to go, trim for the windows, hanging lights over the island, waiting for plumbers and electricians to hook up the dishwasher and the oven and cooktop, and shelving for the pantry. There are two sinks, one deep one in the island and a double sink to the right of the dishwasher, under a window which looks out to the barn.