Modern in NE Minneapolis

Exterior photos

2008-09-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Newly installed sidewalk (designed by Tyler at Phillps Garden) and sod just before the Parade opened.
View of the house from the city sidewalk.

Late night planting of the Little Bluestem against the house. We tried to plant the trees ourselves as well (with help from Mom, Nate and Lucas) but quickly realized our limitations to plant trees on a slope. Luckily, Phillips Garden was able to come out the next day to plant the rest of the trees and install the edging.

More photos....

2008-09-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

Polygal installation day

Kitchen view from the breakfast bar

Kitchen view of the inset cabinet with metal tambour door

"Mudroom" area with laundry and wardrobes. At the end of the white wardrobe is our creative solution to hide the support beam. The white cube opens up while the orange is fixed to hide the pole. The black door is a chalkboard.

Finally...new photos!

2008-09-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all for not posting in over a month! We were so burned out with house details that I didn't want to write about them. The Parade of Homes started on Sept 6th. This weekend will be the third already. We say ALOT of activity in the days before the Parade open. Everything turned out well, however, there are many tweaks left to make before we close and move in.

With the house on the Parade, we have had time to work on our landscaping with Tyler Grissman at Phillips Garden. Our goal is to work in stages, starting with the front yard. We planted Little Bluestem along the front of the house, edged in metal. We also planted 5 Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry trees along the sidewalk to create a "screen" from the neighbors walking by. We didn't realize how exposed we would be with the big windows so the trees should work out really well. They also fit the house style perfectly. We are currently planting gro-lo sumac underneath the Serviceberry to fill in that space. Should be very low maintenance.

We painted the existing garage to match the house, including the blue window detail. Unfortunately, now all you see is the red roof....especially when you are in the house! We have been told by the builders that everyone coming through on the Parade comments on the roof. In due time.....

Master bedroom wardrobes....We should never run out of room to store blankets and pillows!

We tried to do something different with the basement steps. Both Jason and I love rubber commercial stair treads and our builder (Aaron) suggested covering the risers in stainless. Our neighbor, Corey (who did our roof and entry way) did a fantastic job....it looks fantastic. Very excited not to have to vacuum the steps!

Metal in the entry way

Both the bedroom doors and the front entry closet doors are birch with inset frosted acrylic panels. Its has a soft transluscent feel like the polygal over the second bedroom.

Cabinets are in and floors are stained

2008-08-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Master bedroom wardrobes waiting to be installed and master bath vanity

Master shower

Master bath floor

Kitchen cabinets - view from dining room

Mudroom wardrobe with the custom piece to cover the support post (the black door is chalkboard paint) An orange door will cover the post.

Overall, we LOVE the floor color and the cabinets really stand out in the house. Its taking shape....just in time since the parade starts on Sept 6th.

Many thanks to Chris from City View Hardwood and Rich and Lori at Alpine Woodworking for their excellent work!

Floor sanding...and tile

2008-08-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

CityView Hardwood sanding the floors

Preparing the floors by slathering on wood putty to seal all the open areas

Our master bath supplies arrive today. Dennis - the tile guy- had to pick up some extra shelf inserts as we all forgot about the shelf in the master shower.

Next week will bring huge changes! Cabinets will be installed by Tuesday or Wednesday, the floor will be stained and finish work should mostly completed. Can't wait to see the cabinets but am also really nervous...hopefully the colors will turn out. That's my worst fear...

Landscaping plan

2008-08-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

In order to get the most out of our small yard, Jason and I interviewed a few different landscape designers, all having more of a modern esthtetic. We settled on Phillips Garden design Tyler Grissman - a fellow northeaster - who seems to really get what we are trying to accomplish. Of course we weren't influenced at all by their incredible office space complete with a Wee House addition and custom metal staircase!

Since the Parade of Homes is rapidly approaching , we met today to discuss the front sidewalk which has to be poured with the next few weeks. Tyler's idea was excellent...it gives us some space to hang out in the front and an offset sidewalk to the house. The rest of the plan isn't complete yet, but its off to a fantastic start. Hopefully we won't have to make too many compromises on the front concrete plan due to budget constraints or can make it work with a "modular" concept of completion.

http://www.phillipsgarden.com/

Progress...

2008-08-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

Not much has changed on the exterior but most of the siding is complete as well as the roofs

Mike, the siding guy, created a "dog house" to cover the electrical box that sticks out on the side of the house.

Here is the "dog house" with some possible exterior siding colors. I love all of them but Jason is not favoring the brown stripe in the middle. The green at the bottom works well with the brown....but the house next door is a golden yellow and i want something totally different than the immediate neighbors. So we decided to use the blue (ICI Skywatch) as the accent and a medium gray (ICI Icon Gray) for the rest of the house.

Floor is finished

2008-08-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

The installers finished laying the white oak hardwood yesterday. It turned out beautifully! The dark color stain will come this weekend I believe. At least get one coat on this weekend they are hoping. We were set back by the cabinets not getting installed until next week so they wanted to get started on the floor now.

Cabinets

2008-07-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

I visited the cabinetmaker today to approve another color for the master vanity and drop off our recently purchased Ikea door hardware. The trip was worth it....Rich showed us our completed cabinets! They were awesome! Painting starts today and installation should start sometime next week. The house will feel more like a house when they are installed. I hope the kitchen looks good when its all said and done....As usual, I am second guessing myself until the last minute.

Last minute changes to siding

2008-07-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Its been a crazy week with siding again. Originally, the front and back corners of the small box were going to be metal, but when our neighbor Corey (who is doing the roof and metal siding) stopped by to discuss how he was going to put the metal, we quickly figured out that the metal was not going to work. The front area is too small and would look chopped up. So Jay and I collaborated on a concept we think is pretty cool. We are still going to use some metal but its only going to line the inside of the front entrance. To create some texture and visual interest for the front, we are going to wrap the front corner in 12" cement board back to the kitchen windows. Mike, the siding guy, already has most of it done. We are really happy with it but it took awhile to make the decision. The neighbors must think we are crazy since we visit every night and usually just hang out in the front yard pondering the house.

Master Bath

2008-07-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much progress in the interior this past week but today we noticed that the master bath is being prepared for tile and wire for in-floor heat. Despite our budget being really tight, we decided not to cut the heated tile floor for this room. Its a luxury I am looking forward to as fall and winter near.

Siding

2008-07-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Galvanized flashing on corners

Horizontal fibercement w/z-channel and recessed corners

View of siding from the corner

So this week they started the siding. There was a misunderstanding of what we expected and what was on the plan. All along we wanted siding like some of the other Hive homes (modern, flat, using z-channel) but somehow a lap siding detail got onto one of the drawings. Our builders saw that and had me thinking thats they way it was on the plan so it would be hard to change. But Jason and I knew we never agreed to do lap siding. Its was an option we kicked around with Hive but Jason didn't like it. Nonetheless, it somehow got onto our plans.

When we got to the house after the siding sub-contractor started putting the corners up for the lap siding, I knew instantly that is was NOT what we wanted. That resulted in another dramatic phone call from me to our builder Aaron. He suggested meeting at the land the next day with Mike (the siding sub) which was good because I was almost in tears!

Lets just say Mike is my favorite sub so far. He noted that our plans have detail drawings for both siding styles, which only confused everyone involved, not to mentioned wasted time and materials. It turns out the z channel (for the modern look) was already at the site so Mike could get started right away. This way of installing it is much faster. Mike also came up with a fantastic way to finish the corners; he is using a recessed technique with the fibercement overlaying a galvanized corner leaving a small reveal. The reveal looks OUTSTANDING with the z-channel! I am really happy that we were able to work this issue out. It was pretty stressful but seeing the results today made it worth it.

More exterior color options...

2008-07-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some more color options for the exterior....The blue and gray are the same as in the garage photo but the green is new. We requested a few more colors from the painter but they are all in the same green and blue family. Any thoughts?

Exterior color dilemma...

2008-07-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

There are way too many color choices and at this stage in the game, making choices is really difficult. We really like a medium to dark gray with a bright or soothing color for accent. I need your help! Other colors we have considered are lime green, orange, yellow. Here are the current choices painted on the garage:

Any ideas?

First Coat Primer

2008-07-21T19:46:00.001-07:00

From the living room looking towards the kitchen

Master bedroom - headboard wall

Living room looking toward front entry

The first coat of primer is on the walls. I really like the color white of the primer. Its actually not primer but a coat of paint. I think we are going to keep this color throughout the house except for the master bedroom. It would be nice to have a really light green-blue color in there with maybe a bright accent for the headboard wall.

More photos

2008-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

The first piece of sheetrock up...

Painting in progress....

2008-07-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

Its been over a week since I last posted...a lot of progress has been made. Yesterday, they were priming the walls with low-odor/low-voc paint. Here are photos of the last weeks progress:

Spraying insulation

Jason installing insulation in the interior walls for sound

Next Up:

2008-07-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

Nordic Insulation sprayed foam insulation in the ceiling today and prepped the house for spraying the walls tomorrow. All the exterior stud faces are taped off with red tape.

If everything passes inspection on Friday, Aaron said the house will be sheetrocked on Saturday. Jason and I are going to have to sneak in on Friday night to insulate both bathrooms for sound. This will be our first hands on project with the house!

This weekend we also need to finalize tile for both baths, purchase interior light fixtures and bath cabinet from Ikea. Oh, and pick up the door hardware from Menards and a mailbox from Lowe's. We should save a nice chunk on going with a commercial style lockset/deadbolt for both exterior doors.

Full Speed Ahead!

2008-07-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since our last post and with the speed this house is being built, much has progressed. All of the windows are now installed, including the basement windows. Most of the windows are fantastic but there are a few windows - particularly the guest bedroom - I wish we had thought through the placement, size and configuration more. The view of our neighbors isn't partiularly the best view but the size of the window is not going to make it easy - or cheap - to cover with blinds. Its going to be Ikea drapes for us...

Plumbing has gone in. Our watertiles are roughed-in in the master bath. The guest bath tub is in place. Its the Archer tub from Kohler...more modern than I originally thought. I like the lines and the slotted overflow.

HVAC is also being run as well as wiring for our security system and the in-ceiling speakers. Secure-Tec Protection installed both security and audio lines. Joe from Kelzer Electric has been working hard all week installing fixtures and moving stuff all around for me.

The front patio return was built within the last few days. We had some inconsistencies on the plan which caused confusion with the builders but they got it fixed quickly. It looks great and will be nice to hide the mailbox from general view.

Front entrance with return on right side and recessed lights

The mailbox nook in the front entrance

Watertile rough-in's in the master bath

Tub in the guest bath

Stunning...

2008-07-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

When I drove up to the house this afternoon after work, I was absolutely STUNNED. Most of our windows were installed; the front window is SO impressive as well as the 8' full glass doors. At the moment, just the sidelights are in with the construsction but they look awesome! We have seen other Hive homes with similar exteriors but this is ours...somehow its looks more impressive on the single story. Standing on the interior looking out the large front windows is almost like being outside.

Some of the week's progress:

- Electrician started installing boxes and recessed cans (we were going back and forth on compact flourescent recessed for greenstar but ended up with what we originally spec'd)

- Most windows installed

- Duct work started

- Plumbing/water pipes started

- Flat roof portion started

- Air conditioner increased to 15 SEER for GreenStar compliance

- House wrapped in Tyvek

Today's progress...

2008-06-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today was crazy at the job site...the framers will finishing up, plumbers were bringing the lines thru.... I met our contractor there to discuss some details that needed addressing. We ended up leaving the vault in the master bathroom instead of having it framed with a flat ceiling. Hopefully it will make it seem larger.

Another last minute change: the engineer put in a beam right in the middle of the kitchen wardrobe/closet separating the mudroom from the hallway. Originally it was supposed to be open at the top but now we will have to close it in. One advantage is that we have to shorten the closet so it will give us more walking space between the kitchen and hallway.

Yet another issue was the window in the master closet. It was spec'd too large so the closet will come right up to the window edge which will make it hard to open the door. We have Lori at Alpine working on alternative solutions without doors for the ends of the wardrobe wall.

Tomorrow we are meeting with Joe, our electrician, to do a run through for lighting. We just found out this afternoon that we needed to do this asap. Everything is moving so quickly that its hard to keep up. Luckily our contractors (Aaron, Todd, Josh) have level heads, reminding us constantly that not everything is a crisis situation code red.

Still Framing....

2008-06-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Some days I think its detrimental to our mental health to visit the site everyday...The other day we had framing issues, Friday saw the electrical box in a weird location, Saturday saw the trusses overhanging the small box when they should be flush to the wall and Sunday brought the installation of the gutters. Yes, that's right...they installed the gutters on the bare wall while they were still framing. By Sunday night Jason and I were so tired of hearing the comment "I can't believe they installed gutters while they are still framing the house!" We couldn't believe it either.

This weekend we went to Ferguson to pick the plumbing and to ProSource to drop off the sample chart for rubber stair treads. We made some changes in our plumbing selections from what we posted on the blog earlier. Changes included dual flush toilets from Kohler (for more GreenStar points), a Kohler Archer tub and simple shower faucet set from Delta for the 2nd bath, Kohler Oblo controls for master shower, Delta kitchen faucet with low flow aerator instead of Hansgrohe.

For the stair treads, we are going with Raised Square rubber treads from Johnsonite in Storm Cloud or Medium Gray. Prosource is ordering samples for us.

We Have Walls!

2008-06-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Floor trusses up

Jason enjoying the view out our front window

Today, all the exterior walls are up! Framing is supposed to be completed by Saturday. So many decisions to make as our timeline speeds up. We need to finalize and order plumbing, select an alarm system and choose were we want our whole house speakers placed...to name just a few tasks...

While the focus right now is on the interior, we met with another landscape designer tonight. He seemed to really understand our functional needs for each individual section of the yard. Making a decision will be hard.

Backfilled today

2008-06-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

Jason looking into our basement

The backfilled hole

View from the back

Our back yard (anyone want a birdhouse?)

Now that the hole was backfilled, we were able to walk right up to our house. It really feels real now. The backyard is small but not that bad. The side yard is tight but workable....we will need to be careful how we orient the steps. As you can see in the photos, the foundation is slightly higher so we could keep the basement windows above grade. This should increase the light coming into our basement. Unfortunately, space is at a premium on the north side by the egress windows. If we put a fence up there might not even be enough space to mow grass. We might have to put in flagstone pavers with pea gravel or grass

Progress in the Hole

2008-06-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

Wall Forms

Wall Forms removed, waterproof coating applied, insulation going on

Egress Windows

Flooring....

2008-06-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

We met with Chris from City View Hardwoods @ T&G Hardwood to pick out our floor. Decided on the following (for entire first floor except bathrooms):

Ashawa Bay Engineered Wood
4" White Oak unfinished (custom site stain)

The stain will be like a black-espresso color to contrast with the white walls.

For the steps going to the basement, we want to do something a little different (although we've seen it in a few mod homes in our area) by using rubber coin stair treads in either black or graphite, instead of a stained hardwood tread. Aaron had a fantastic idea to use metal - either stainless like we are using for backsplash/toekicks in the kitchen or perhaps a galvanized sheet - for the risers. Should be fairly economical but look phenomenal!

Basement Wall Forms

2008-06-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Not much happened today...forms for the basement walls were placed in the hole. Tomorrow they set up the forms and pour the walls. Apparently, with these particular forms, one side has a brick pattern while the other side is smooth. Aaron gave us the choice to have it on the inside or outside. We considered the inside but once I saw the pattern on the forms, I knew the pattern is going to have to be on the outside. Since we are insulating the exterior of the basement walls we would rather see the smooth surface on the inside, especially since we hope to keep some cement wall exposed for decorative effect.

Final and Full Permit Approved Today!

2008-06-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our builder for all their efforts in getting our permit approved. Its been a frustratingly long process for all parties involved but because of Aaron/Todd's quick responses to the City's every whim, we've finally received our full permit.

Footings Poured

2008-06-16T16:29:00.001-07:00

No rain so footings were poured today! Its fascinating to see the outline of our house, but it looks so small. The drain tile is apparently built into the footings. My dad got the tutorial from the guys doing the work, sounds pretty interesting. The basement walls should be up by Wednesday. The time is going to roll right by now.

Big Dig Complete

2008-06-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

It took 4 days but the hole was finally completed on Friday. All next week should be fantastic weather but you never know. The footings are scheduled to be poured tomorrow. If all goes well, our basement will be done by the end of this week.

Also up this week: meetings with Chris from City View Hardwood for our floors and with Matt from Rosenlof-Lucas for potential landscape design.

The Big Dig Wasn't So Big After All...

2008-06-12T18:12:00.001-07:00

With all the obstacles of the first day (slow digging due to not enough trucks, dirt being hauled to Stillwater...), the second day brought a solid 24 hours of heavy rain. The third day (today) saw no digging at all due to 10" of standing water. We hope tomorrow sees the last of the digging as well as the footings poured. But really, who knows what tomorrow brings? Its always something unexpected...

Plumbing Fixtures

2008-06-11T21:05:00.001-07:00

Here are some of our plumbing fixtures:

Kohler Cimarron 1-PC Toilet (1.6 GPF)
Chord sinks for master bath (with single faucet hole)
Purist single handle faucet (Brushed Nickel)
Watertiles (qty 3 ) for the master shower (Brushed Nickel)

Low Flow Options for Water Conservation

2008-06-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

Roxanne (from ecodeephaus blog) gave a great suggestion to go to the vendors for options so I dug out my Kohler Faucets and Accessories book. Low and behold....low flow aerators were available for all of my Purist faucets. Water flow is restricted from 2.2 GPM to 1.5 GPM....all for the low price of few dollars!

So now we need a low flow showerhead, however, most options are not that attractive for the modern aesthetic. Searching through the Kohler book, I found the MasterShower Relaxing 3-Way Eco Handshower with a flow rate of 2.0 GPM, down 0.5 GPM from their regular lines. Is 2.0 GPM enough to be considered "eco"? Not sure...but I do know that the low flow showerhead used in Motel 6s is the most painful showering experience so maybe the 2.0 GPM is a nice compromise!

Photos from the Big Dig

2008-06-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

MN GreenStar

2008-06-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

We got the go-ahead last week from GreenStar but need some additional points in Water Conservation. One of the ways is to do low-flow plumbing fixtures and dual-flush toilet. Will have to do more research on this. Any ideas?

The Big Dig

2008-06-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

We got the excavation/foundation portion of our permit from the city on Friday so today was the day: the big dig. It started early but got off to a slow start. The excavation company only had two trucks which then hauled the dirt across town to Stillwater. Our contractor was finally able to summon up more trucks in the afternoon. That helped tremendously. At the end of the first day most of the area was dug out but it was only 3'-4' deep. Tomorrow the digging should be finished. Hopefully, the rain will stay away so we can start the footings.

Jason and I have never so excited to see a hole dug in our entire life. Now if we can get the rest of our permit approved....(need more info on the beams).

Will post photos when I find the camera...

Appliances

2008-05-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-05-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-05-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

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

The Builder

2008-04-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Our builders link: www.summitdesign-build.com. They are currently called Residential Contractors but are transitioning into this new name from my understanding.

Contract Signed

2008-04-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

After 2 1/2 months of dealing with multiple contractors and a flurry of different scenarios, the roller coaster ride came to an end. We chose to build with Residential Contractors (Aaron and Todd) out of St. Paul, MN. The contracts are signed, with progress already being made to secure the loan, the land survey and appraisal. We are all excited to start the project!

When the design process first started, we didn't know if "green building" would be an option. Now we are excited about doing all the eco-friendly products/processes possible (within our budget of course). Aaron and Todd seem open to learning what it takes to qualify to the MN GreenStar program. There are alot of opportunities in the house to utilize creative materials for flooring and countertops (among other things).

Will know more about our participation in the GreenStar program later on....

Links to Hive home photos

2008-03-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

At my mothers request, here are links to other Hive homes in the area. All the photos are of two story modular homes, but ours will be a one story slanted roof stick built home. Our interior layout will be very similar.

http://picasaweb.google.com/HiveModular/BLineMedium003

http://picasaweb.google.com/HiveModular/BLineMedium002

http://picasaweb.google.com/HiveModular/BLineMedium001

Sheboygan's One Redeeming Quality

2008-03-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

So Sheboygan, WI doesn't have all that much going for it except the lake, beer and brats EXCEPT for one thing: its a hot bed of amazing Mid-Century Modern architecture. At one point we even had an accepted offer on a MCM home designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wrights in a fantastic neighborhood by the lake. There were also two other homes on the market that were incredible! However, the rest of Sheboygan is....well not so urban. So we decided not to stay.

When I was living there, I would drive around town looking for MCM homes. Here's a photo of a great structure that reminds me a little of our new house...

NOTE: I take that back...Sheboygan has a few things going for it: the architecture AND all of Stefano's restaurants! Its some of the best Italian food outside of Italy. And, of course, DOD (Duke of Devon for the uninitiated) for FFF (Friday Fish Fry).

The Exterior...

2008-03-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Check out the movie clip to get an idea of what the exterior will look like. There are changes in the works for some different window groupings and the siding will be slightly alterered but it looks pretty close to the final.

Land clearing...

2008-03-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

All the trees are down. Now the stumps need to go, as well as the fence. Here are the latest photos:

Finally starting to see PROGRESS

2008-03-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Its been 4 months since we started this process of designing and building our home. Originally it was intended as Hive Modular but courses were changed so we are now pursuing a stick built home. Paul Stankey, with Hive & ma architecture, is still our architect. The house will ultimately have the Hive aesthetic stamp to it. Although the design is mostly complete, picking a contractor has been a bumpy road full of frustration and disappointment. We are getting closer to making a decision after talking with at least 7 or 8 builders; hopefully by the end of the month we will have a signed contract!! A month ago the prospect of starting on the house seemed distant, if not impossible. Who knew custom houses could cost so much compared to a development house? But we can feel the excitement again with the new round of bids coming in.

The land was officially ours on February 29th. Chris (the previous land owner and our new neighbor) has been busy removing all four of the large trees off property. Soon he should start ripping down the chain-link fence. Seeing the trees go was the first visual sign of progress and even a little hope that our house will soon be here.

Site of the future Box-Haus

2007-11-24T21:50:00.000-08:00

Photos of our land in NE MPLS that will soon host our very own Hive Modular home.

View from the front:

View from the alley:

View of the neighborhood: