The first task before starting any of our larger projects was finding a contractor. We talked to several, but timing and expertise were the biggest factor in who we ultimately wanted to work with. Last week, we had one (Austin Crystal, who many of you recommended!) into our home one morning (I wasn’t feeling the best that day, so pardon the just rolled out of bed look) and talked through all of our plans with him.
In this week’s VLOG, you’ll get a candid look at our conversation and what what we look for when hiring a contractor (have a full post coming with more on this!). A peek into some of our inspiration photos we share with him. I also share why I’m feeling nervous about the process and the doubts that sometimes creep in. And we do some stone shopping and experience sticker shock.
You can watch this week’s VLOG below or subscribe to our YouTube channel right here and watch it on any device (phone, tablet, TV, laptop) anytime!
I’m not an architect but I think you definitely need one, or an interior architect/designer. They will help get the proportions and scale right. And help you resolve some of the exterior detailing issues which have been discussed in comments on earlier posts.
I really enjoyed this video and listening to your process. At the end of the video when you are just talking to the camera, gave me an idea that I hope you would consider. I would love to see/hear your thought process about designing a room and creating a mood board.
I find personally, I have a hard time getting started in the direction I want to go. (For instance, do I go dark or light in my bedroom!? Help! Haha) I know you’ve said you typically start with 1 piece of inspiration, but how do you narrow down even that!? And go for a specific feel. I have so many questions and would love to see it through. ????
I also have a question that perhaps your readers can also pitch in with. We just bought our first house. How do you determine the style of your house? I know you said you want to go cottage/Tudor style in this house, the bones make sense for that. My house is just a split entry 1947 built house that doesn’t seem to have any character at all. Besides the stone on the front (that unfortunately needs to come down due to the way it was installed), the house doesn’t scream a specific style to me. So help determining the way I want to go would be appreciated. My personal style is a mix between classic and comfy/cozy. Thanks!
I’m so excited you are using Austin! He is very knowledgeable and is aimed to make your vision happen. You will love Dave, his foreman and all of Austin’s crew is fabulous to work with. They made building our home run as smoothly as it could, and do such high quality work!
I know you want all stone. What about doing natural stone, because it looks so much better, and doing some other material (hardie plank) on some smaller sections of the house and on the back to save money? You could still get a cottage look.
I have radiant heat in my 7,000 sq. ft. home and it is fantastic. You would love it in that room.
What is your design process? Do you use a drawing program like Sketchup or a CAD program? Or just do loose sketches and refine as you build things? Would love to know how ideas in your head become more concrete, especially now that your projects have gotten more complicated. For example, how will you communicate the details about your new exterior dining room wall, the heights of openings, trim details, etc. Thanks.
We used a draftsman