Finally Adding Finishes

A [long and slow] ten months since my last post, we are finally installing tile and other finish materials.  Our appliances have been ordered and cabinets are being built.  We are finalizing all our flooring and continue to make multiple major decisions weekly.  It is incredible how much time and thought and work has been put into this house, but I'm certain that it will be apparent in the finished product.

First are pictures of the tile that is being installed in the bathrooms.  We've run into multiple snags with boxes of broken tile,  backordered shower drains, and incorrect (insufficient) amounts of tile, so I don't have photos of all the bathrooms yet.  Most of them are well on their way to looking like bathrooms, though, which is progress indeed! The guys installing the tile have done a wonderful job...a rare experience so far on this project.

This is the floating wall that will be behind the tub in the
master bathroom.  The wall will be trimmed out in wood,
(including the little peek through) and the tub spout and
and control will be floor mounted (you can see the rough
valve off to the left.)

Close-up of the tile on the tub surround.  It is a natural
stone called Jasper Quartzite, cut into 2" dimensional squares.

This is the slab of Jasper Quartzite that will be used for the counter and
backsplash in the master bathroom, to help tie in the tile on the tub wall.

This is the master shower.  The floor tile will be installed
soon...after the drain is in place.

The powder room (bathroom by the living room and kitchen)
has a slab of stone installed on the back wall called Turtle Blue.
In this photo I was auditioning a stone tile as an option for the
flooring, but we've decided to use terrazzo instead (picture below).

The pool bathroom looks so much better than before! If you happen to
remember the wallpaper with seashells, you know what I mean! The back wall
is tiled in a linear glass mosaic.  The shower area will sport teak treads
and a rain shower.

Melinda's bathroom is still awaiting the installation of the
shower drain also, but the tile is almost complete.  On the
floor is a porcelain tile made to look like wood, and on the
wall is a French clay hand-glazed tile.

Audrey's bathroom will need a better picture once the floors
are installed, because this lovely blue tile is also the floor
tile! All the walls have the white tile, making the bathroom
look very clean and fresh.

Narrowing down our flooring: the squares atop the wood are our terrazzo samples. Terrazzo is similar to concrete, but with aggregate mixed in, and a more uniform, softer appearance. The light color will be going in the lower entry area, as well as through the library and back patio. The darker color will go in the living room. The wood floors will be in the bedrooms as well as the kitchen, dining room, and great room.

The planks above represent the tone the walnut floors will be stained...more
precise samples are on their way.

Our door frames (walnut) have been installed, along with the recessed trim
along the outside—an updated version of the original.

Outside, the shed for our main electrical panel has tripled
in size (or thereabouts) to handle all the new equipment.

The cement work in the back yard is done! We have new steps inside (and outside)
of the pool, a built in fire pit with benches surrounding, and an all new patio
surrounding the pool.

We look on as the stucco guys apply the final layer.  The color lightens up some
as it dries.  The lines with red tape are covering a simple grid that we've
added to break up the space and lend a more modern look to the house.