Appliances

Over Memorial Day weekend we started buying appliances. Of course our plan deviated from what we originally thought we would be buying, but I think we got some great items for a decent price. The front loading, stackable washer and dryer (both white) are from Whirlpool and the diswasher is Bosch (in black), both from Appliancesmart. Both the washer and dishwasher are Energy Star rated. Before this weekend, I didn't know that Energy Star doesn't rate dryers, ranges, etc. We found a great Bosch range (gas) from Sears Outlet. Its both black and stainless so it should pull the diswasher and stainless steel fridge together.

Still to get: the french door refridgerator and range vent (probably Bosch).

Still No Permit

Instead of an approved permit, we got disappointing news last week. The City of Minneapolis requested that our house be moved back towards our garage by two feet. We didn't have much yard to begin with but now its really small. Almost just a walkway. We are going to have to something really nice with the garage as our bedroom window is going to be right on top of it.

The house was supposed to be re-staked today. Everything is going very slow lately. Hopefully, we will hear from the city by the end of the week so we can start the big dig.

No permit yet....but we have siding updates

Unfortunately, no permit yet. Apparently, its still with the city but has been moved to plan review from zoning. Its getting so late. We need to start ASAP!

The only new news is that the metal siding quote finally came in with a favorable result. Its one-third the cost of the cedar shiplap with the advantage of being virtually maintenence free. Now we only have to choose from one of the profiles below, then choose the color. Color is always the hardest...the available options never seem to match what I have in mind...

Both Jason and I like them all equally but I think the scale of the IC-72 is maybe too large. The other two are the front runners. We should be getting some samples soon of both these wall panels and the roofing panel colors.

Note: these wall panels are from http://www.metalsales.us.com/

V-Line-32 profile

IC-72 profile

7/8" corrugated profile

FSC Hardwood Flooring

http://www.wdflooring.com/consumer/c_samplesWhiteOak.htm

At this moment in time, we think we are going with FSC-certified white oak, stained espresso-dark-grey-black on most of the house, with the possible exception of the two bedrooms. Other options like bamboo didn't interest us. We do have to look at the entire picture of sustainability and shipping materials from overseas takes alot of energy while creating alot water pollution. But on the other hand FSC-certified wood is still hardwood that takes a long time to grow back. Its tough making the right decision based on so many factors...

We might be looking at cork for the bedrooms. It all depends on budget, but the cork would be a better alternative than carpet. Its really funky looking and really soft on your feet. However, it looks like it would gouge easily.

There are a few new products at Natural Build Home that we saw at this year's Living Green Expo we want to check out. One is Dura-Palm and the other is a recycled wood plank flooring. They didn't have cost information on any of these so we need to get over there. Unfortunately, the cost is usually high, which I dont get because if you are using scraps from someother industry...shouldn't it be cheaper?

Outdoor Accessories

I am not one for plantings and flower pots - in fact I have been known to kill anything green - but this modern Bullet Planter from http://www.hiphaven.com/ is enough to make me reconsider. The light blue/turquois or orange are so mod! This would look fabulous next to our front door.

Wish List: Concrete Countertops

Concrete countertops are high on the wish list for the kitchen. The sleek, smooth natural grey color is the perfect contrast against our dark stained floors, natural steel breakfast bar and wood cabinets. Very organic...hopefully, very eco-friendly with some recycled content. I found this photo online...it exactly what we are looking for.

Silt fence up...Builder sign in yard

The silt fence went up on Monday, May 12th, accompanied by the builder's sign. This is a big day for all of us. Jason and I, as well as the builders, are anxious to get this project underway!

We are still waiting on the building permit and MN GreenStar approvals. Hopefully, by the end of the week they will both be a go.

Windows and doors should be ordered tomorrow. As usual, I am debating changes right up to the last minute on window changes in the office.

MN GreenStar

Todd at Summit Design-Build (our GreenStar guru!) submitted our documentation package last week to the crew at Minnesota GreenStar. Jason and I just got to review the package and it was almost as exciting as seeing our final floorplans! It looks like we will be able to reach Bronze level at this stage in the game. I would like to see what we need to do to achieve Silver status. Hopefully we should receive feedback from them soon so we can start digging!

Unfortunately, budget does not allow for the most obvious interpretations of green home building: solar, geothermal, solar water heating and greywater collection. I would like to know more about greywater collection though. I wonder what it involves? Is it something you can do at a later date or does it need to be created now?

Some of the green building items we are doing include:
- Passive solar
- Cool metal roofing (white)
- White EPDM membrane roofing
- Energy Star appliances
- High Efficiency HVAC system
- Low-flow toilets from Kohler
- FSC-certified wood flooring
- Rain barrels (two)
- Tankless water heater
- Programmable thermostat
- Spray foam insulation (walls and ceilings)
- Fiber-cement siding
- Marvin low-e argon aluminum-clad windows
- Low VOC paints
- Possible Rain Garden and native plantings

Modern Lighting Selections

Exterior

Our current outdoor lighting choices are entirely from Progress Lighting. Surprisingly, they have a nice selection of modern light fixtures at an affordable price point.

For the garage and side door entry:

We have two options for the front entry to illuminate our house numbers (if we do not get back-lit house numbers):

Interior

We are torn with getting a ceiling fan or not for the master bedroom but we need a light in there, plus its an angled ceiling so it would help keep the heat from rising. Fortunately, there are quite a few companies that produce fantastic modern fans. Once again, Progress Lighting has stepped up with a new ceiling fan Trevina (P2514-09) which includes a sleek downlight. Here's a photo:

For over the dining room table I like the Kartell FL/Y Suspension Light. Its sleek, simple and transluscent. Who knows though...I do like to change my mind!

No more Ikea cabinets...hello custom!

When Aaron (our contractor) suggested custom cabinetry to Jason and I, the first thing that came to mind was our architects' mantra "its nice but you can't afford that." He sent us to Alpine Woodworking in Blaine.

The entire design process for the house started in October or November in 2007 . Up until a month ago, we were focused on Ikea cabinetry. I didn't know if looking at custom was such a good idea, mostly for me because I couldn't handle the stress of changing gears at this late stage. Its funny that you get focused on certain products that anything else was other-worldly.

As we met with Lori at Alpine, Jason and I started to get really excited since custom can offer some great solutions where Ikea would just be average. Just in one meeting we came up with some awesome solutions to some kitchen design challenges.


http://www.alpinewoodworking.com/

Siding on our "Bookends"

As usual, we (mostly me, not Jason) have a hard time sticking to a decision on the siding at the last minute. Right now its cedar shiplap with an 8" reveal. Other options are metal panels like Hive uses on their modular homes or regular corrugated galvanized panels. Still waiting on quotes before we make our final last minute decision.

One advantage of the shiplap is being able to change the color with stain. Who knows if you can paint the metal if you get sick of it? Probably wouldn't work very well. But it is maintenance free. Oh, I could debate the pros and cons all day....I guess it will come down to cost. Doesn't everything?

Modern Entry Doors

Our original exterior doors were specified as Marvin patio doors. However, they are crazy expensive and don't have a great sill. The sill sticks up quite a bit and some people - namely my mother - have a tendency to trip over protruding objects. They were also a beige color which is odd against the black door cladding. Anyway, we decided to go with Simpson entry doors, at the suggestion of Scherer Brothers Lumber, for both the front and back. Amazing! We actually saved some money. Trust me....that does not happen very often throughout this process!

They will be full glass panels with large sidelights. The front door will be 42" wide with a 30" sidelight and the side door will be 36" with a 28" sidelight. We wanted the front doors to be double entry but the hardware costs are outrageous for multi-point locking systems. So the wider door will give us more freedom for moving large objects in the house without having double doors and double the hardware costs.

We will have a couple of options in finishing the Fir doors but we won't have to decided until later. One less decision right now is very much welcome! Some ideas include a black stain or gloss black paint. It might be interesting to stain a bright color to match the spaces in between the windows that call out for color.

Building Permit Applied For

Although the idea of having our loan closed on and the permit in to the city for approvals seemed foreign a few weeks ago, on Monday it was our reality. Of course there was closing drama: money and insurance were the culprits. When doesn't a closing come down to the last hour where regular people have to reach into their imaginary money pile and pull out at least another $1k+? Seems to happen all too often. My brother and I had this conversation: why after all these years is the closing process so undefined and random? What other business can operate like that? The mortgage/title industry needs a team of Six Sigma Black Belts for some serious process improvement!

Notes:
Closed on construction loan with Johnson Bank and The Title Group on 5/2/08
Building Permit submitted by Summit Design/Residential Contractors on 5/5/08