jillivictorio@gmail.com /

We are finally in the home stretch of our build and all that remains are the interior finishes, appliances, and landscaping. August had the most progress in terms of the contractors staying on schedule and materials arriving and getting installed on time.

A recap of our build progress in August and September:

Exterior Paint

We started planning for our exterior paint earlier in June so we’d have enough time get paint samples, test paint swatches on the exterior, and finally choose the right color. In staying with the classic farmhouse exterior, I knew I wanted a white farmhouse, but choosing the right white was more complex than I thought. Who knew there were so many shades of white. Some were cooler whites, some were warmer whites, some pulled yellow, while some pulled blue, grey and others in between.

We narrowed it down to my top three favorite white exterior paints by Sherwin Williams. I also posted a poll on my Instagram stories.

We then tested the three colors on the actual exterior siding:

 

Based on the direction our home faces and how much sun it gets throughout the day, Alabaster ended up having the warm white I wanted to achieve.

Exterior paint started the first week of August and took only three days to complete!

 

 

I’m so happy with how this color turned out on our exterior!

 

Cabinets

Cabinets were also delivered and installed the first week of August. I’ve been anticipating this wood hood! Our previous home had a wood hood and I knew this home would absolutely have to have one.

 

I absolutely love built-ins and how they add so much character to a space, and provide functionality and value to a homeowner. These built-ins were custom designed to fit on each side of the fireplace.

 

The mudroom is a multi-functional room I am really excited for. I designed this space with kids, gardening, and pets in mind to be accessible from the back patio, and from the garage for our daily entrance and exit to and from school and sports. There is a sink in the utility next to the mudroom lockers for rinsing off cut flowers from the garden, doing a quick mask wash, hand rise, and for pet cleanups, without having to go through the main house/kitchen.

Trim Design and Installed

Trim work lasted a few weeks. It was important for me to meet with our builder to discuss our wants and needs on trim before the trim carpenter got to work. Our trim package included all the closets, utility room, pantry, and staircase.

Drawing out the pantry

 

 

Staircase Installation

The staircase design has come together. We originally intended to paint the risers white and leave the treads oak, but the installers accidentally installed the entire staircase with oak. It ended up being a good accident! The entire staircase will also be hand scraped and stained.

For the balusters we went with modern matte black steel and white oak on the railing. I love the warmth feel the wood adds to the modern steel.

 

 

Interior Paint and Stain

For our interior paint, we went with the same color but in different sheens. We painted our walls in a flat finish, our baseboards, trim and doors, in a satin finish, and our ceilings in a flat finish throughout.

 

We stained our kitchen island cabinet and a couple of other trim pieces for some touches of wood and warmth.

 

September – Floor and Wall Tile

We are halfway through September and are experiencing our first delays in our build – brick and countertops.

Without the countertops installed, the trim carpenter can’t finish the wall trim and the tile installers can’t install the kitchen backsplash.

On a positive note, our other floor and wall tile started this week! We chose natural stone for the mudroom, utility, and master bathroom, and ceramic tiles in penny rounds and mini hex for the other bathrooms.  Check out the progress so far on our mudroom and bathrooms…

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend! Ours was spent hanging out at the lakes and parks, with friends and neighbors, watching and lighting fireworks, and a quick stop to the house to see the latest build progress… sheetrock!  Also, our build page on IG hit 1000 followers over the weekend! Thanks for following along this crazy fun build journey.

Today, I’m sharing all of our selections we’ve chosen for our home since we are nearing the stage where all the fun interior design elements begin to come to life.

Selections… builder speak for choices a client makes to the way the home will look when it’s finished. This includes important decisions such as what kind of appliances, plumbing fixtures and flooring the home will have, the color of the paint, cabinets, countertops, light fixtures, doors, etc. The selections process has been fun as we’ve worked with different vendor partners who have helped through the process. Most of the design decisions are made during this process.

Here’s a timeline and a roundup of our selections process from start to finish:

 

Flooring and Tile Selections

Started: September 12, 2020
Finalized/Ordered: May 4, 2021

When it came to choosing the flooring for our new home, we were so excited to get the chance to use some of our favorite materials.  We worked with Oakline Floors in Fort Worth for our flooring and tile selections.

Left: White Oak Hardwood Floors throughout | Right: Bluestone Slate for the Master Bathroom Floor with Alabaster grout

 

Handscraped white oak hardwoods with water-based poly stain

 

Flooring and tile was a long process for me to finalize. Even after visiting the showroom, I took my time doing most of my own research, sourcing, viewing samples, and creating mood boards until I found the right materials as the showroom didn’t have certain flooring materials I was looking for. Ultimately, we carried our wood throughout the entire main floor and upper floor. The mudroom, laundry room, and master bathroom will have natural stone, and we’ll have tile in the kids, guest, and pool bathroom.

Left: Slate floors for the mudroom and laundry room with black shadow grout for less contrast | Right: White oak to the kitchen and main floor

For the mudroom and laundry room, we chose a herringbone pattern and I can’t wait to see it laid out!  I love the look of herringbone because it adds so much character and creates some varied texture.

 

In our kids’ bedrooms, we chose low-pile carpet from Anderson Tuftex in the style Dynasty and in the color “Marble Dust”. We love that it’s low-pile but still so soft!

Tile

I’ve always loved the look of penny rounds so I made sure to incorporate these in the kids bathroom and pool bath for a fun design element.

Penny rounds in the kids’ and pool bath

 

Mini hex tiles with capestone grout and white subway tile with bright white grout in the Guest Bathroom

 

Lastly for tile, I’m most excited about our zellige tile for the kitchen backsplash behind the gas range. I’ve always loved the natural, hand forged glazed, imperfect edges of zellige tile as no two tiles are the same. Our flooring rep was able to source the exact tile samples for me and I’m so happy they could order it for our build!  We went with the snow color for a brighter look. The natural color is beautiful too, but I definitely wanted to go with the brighter backsplash in the kitchen.

 

Zellige tile inspirations

 

Appliance Selections

Started: October 20, 2020
Finalized/Ordered: October 28, 2020

 

It took me only one week to choose our appliances. I think with appliances, it’s a little easier to make those selections as there aren’t as many options and little details involved. For example, there are only a few refrigerators within a price range that are panel-ready and a few commercial grade gas ranges and stoves within a certain price range, whereas with plumbing fixtures, paint, and hardware there are dozens of styles and finishes to choose from.  I knew before we even started our home building process that we would have panel ready appliances, specifically for the refrigerator and dishwasher. Our cabinet designer will be installing the custom panels when the cabinets go in and the hardware will be brass to match the rest of our kitchen hardware.

Our one splurge appliance for the kitchen that I am most excited about is the Ilve range. The range is a dream. I cannot wait to see it installed and to cook on it!  We love to cook at home, so a commercial grade gas stove has always been a priority in our homes.  I chose the Nostalgie series in the stainless steel finish with brass knobs which will match our brass hardware in the kitchen.

1 | 2| 3| 4| 5| 6 

 

Plumbing Selections

Started: October 23, 2020
Finalized/Ordered: December 31, 2020

The plumbing fixtures were among the earlier selections I needed to make since the rough-in plumbing and drain is installed at the very beginning of the build process, before the foundation is poured.

It took me two months and one week to decide on all the plumbing fixtures, and on New Years Eve, December 31, 2020 I emailed our pluming rep that we were ready to approve the quotes. I think plumbing selections may have been the most challenging for me as our plumbing allowance from our builder was limited, and I knew right away that many items I loved would exceed the plumbing allowance. We were prepared to pay cash for some out of pocket items that we knew we wanted to have in our home, so going back and forth with other options, pricing, and crunching numbers took some time.

Plumbing fixtures include important items such as sinks, faucets, bathtubs, toilets, basically anything that uses water is part of your plumbing.

Building Tip: research your own model numbers, finishes, sizes, and pricing, then submit that list to your plumbing rep for their builder pricing. This can save a lot of time and eliminate a lot of back and forth with the rep when making selections.

On our kitchen plumbing must have list were 1. a Shaws farmhouse sink for the kitchen and 2. a cast iron claw foot tub for the master bathroom. Those two items were non-negotiables, so I had to find other areas and items to save money on.

I debated long and hard on whether to add my dream faucet for the kitchen sink, and when I learned that prices would be increasing for all Waterstone fixtures as of January 1, 2021, I bit the bullet and had our plumbing rep order the faucet.

Here are our final kitchen plumbing selections and actual kitchen plumbing fixtures and finishes I chose, all unlacquered brass, with the exception of the pot filler in a polished nickel. I loved mixing this one up, and since polished nickel has warm tones, it works well with brass. Actual items are linked below!

1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6, 7

 

 

The secondary bathrooms’ main finish is matte black (Kids’ bath, guest bath, power room, laundry room).

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

 

For the Master Bathroom Plumbing Selections, I went with all polished nickel for the faucets and clawfoot tub feet.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

 

 

Hardware Selections

Started: December 16, 2020
Finalized: July 7, 2021

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

I wanted a mix of hardware throughout the kitchen, and I was excited to learn that our builder’s hardware partner is Rick’s Hardware in Granbury. I’ve worked with Rick’s hardware on our previous home and they have always provided great customer service and carry the best hard-to-find hardware styles in a variety of finishes. They carry Emtek which is a brand I love most for door hardware. They also carry Alno which has this beautiful unlacquered brass knob that is such a heavyweight, I just love it. So for our kitchen we did knobs, cup-holds, latches, and long appliance pulls on our integrated refrigerator and dishwasher.

 

Secondary Bathrooms (guest, kids, powder), Laundry and Mudroom

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 

For the laundry room, the kids bathroom, the guest bath, and the pool bath, we went with matte black hardware in a mix of cup-holds, knobs and pulls.

 

 

For the master bathroom, we went with polished nickel hardware in cabinet knobs, towel hooks and a shower handle to match the faucets.

I truly love cabinet and door hardware and consider it as jewelry and accessories for the home!

In the next blog post, I’ll be sharing our lighting selections.

 

What have been your favorite selections for your home? What selections did you struggle with? Tell me in the comments below!

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

 

Lumber drop and framing begins 4/15/21

 

We have officially started framing this month (April 2021) and it has been the most exciting stage in our build so far. I feel like from the time we broke ground up until framing, not a lot of progress has been noticeable until now. Since framing has gone up, it has been so rewarding to see the layout and get a feel for the floorplan of our home we designed.

Recapping our timeline of major milestones since we broke ground:

January 6, 2021: Broke Ground

January 10, 2021: First Snow Day

January 13, 2021: Housepad Prep

January 18, 2021: Temporary Power

February 9, 2021: Forms

February 19, 2021: Trenching

February 24, 2021: Retaining Wall Built

March 3, 2021: Rough Plumbing

April 9, 2021: Foundation Poured

April 14, 2021: Lumber Drop

April 15, 2021: Framing Begins

Here are before and after photos taken on the same day when framing started. I had to get one last shot of the bare foundation (and let Baron run all over it) before the framers arrived.  The framers worked so fast in such a short amount of time!

April 15, 2021

Taken at 7:33AM:

Taken at 2:35PM

 

 

Writing Scriptures On The Framing

With framing underway, I felt that it was a perfect opportunity to mark our home in a meaningful and personal way. Dubbed ‘Our Farmhouse at the Ranch’, (follow our build journey on IG @our.farmhouse.at.the.ranch), this home is already so significant to us being our first custom build, and writing a few bible verses on the framing is something we will always remember and preserve in our home. I wanted to find relevant scriptures that would tie into each room of the home, and serve as a reminder to us that God’s word never fails and is the foundation of our family and life.

Below I’ve listed some of our favorite scriptures I’ve incorporated into each room of the home:

On The Foundation

For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christs. Corinthians 3:11

 

 

At the Entryway

You will be blessed when you go in and blessed when you go out. Deut 28:6

 

At The Staircase

Genesis 28:12 is probably one of my favorite verses as it resonates with the upstairs being the kids’ space and Jonah and Baron being our angels.

As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the Earth up to Heaven, and he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. Genesis 28:12

In the Dining Room

They broke bread together and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Acts 2:46

Give us this day our daily bread  Matthew 6:11

 

Pantry

My cup overflows with your blessings. Psalm 23.5

 

Kitchen

Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Jeremiah 29:5

 

 

Living Room

 

Through wisdom, a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4

 

Study/Office

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will direct your path – Proverbs 3:6

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23

 

Master Bedroom

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2-3

His mercies are new every morning. Lamenations 3:23

 

We also wanted to involve the kids in writing on the studs. They had fun writing their names along the kitchen window frame.

We will be adding more scriptures around other framed areas of the home, and around the kids’ rooms upstairs after the second floor has been framed and is safe to access. The kids are so excited to mark up their rooms.

I’d love to hear your favorite verses in the comments below!

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

Amidst a global pandemic, I am grateful for the time spent together with my family and some of the goals we have been able to accomplish together in 2020. One of those goals was to build a house!

Are we crazy for doing this? Yes! Is this process going to give me a full head of grey hair? Probably. Is it going to be the project of a lifetime? Heck, yes!  It’s been a longtime dream of mind to find some land a build a home.  Here’s how it all began…

We have been living in our current TX home since 2017 when we moved from Seattle (Issaquah) WA.  We sold our home in WA at a great time and had only had a few weeks to find a house in TX so it was a very rushed process, but we knew exactly what we were looking for and how much we wanted to spend. I’m grateful for the home we found and knew in my heart that this was a home that we would love, add our touches, and eventually flip while getting to know the area, town, and neighborhood better while planning for a future build. We’ve really fallen in love with Granbury TX and we knew we made the right choice moving here to raise our family.

 

The Selling Process – December 2019

With patience and the right planning, I knew we’d be able to make this dream happen. We made some minor updates to our home such as replacing the exterior door and light fixtures, then we renovated our kitchen to add equity and value to the home, with the intention of some day selling.  The day after Christmas 2019, I created a FSBO listing on Zillow, wrote the marketing copy, staged our home, and took and posted the photos. I received inquiries and appointment requests immediately, but nothing serious. I felt that this fsbo listing was a great way to test the waters and see what was out there in terms of a buyer pool. We weren’t in a hurry to sell and we would only sell on our own terms (price, timeframe, and lease back). Then three months later in March of 2020, Covid hit, and real estate seemed to halt for a brief few weeks. Schools and sports also shut down, so with the extra time we had at home together during quarantine, we tackled a few home improvement and gardening projects. I was cleaning and organizing the house like crazy so naturally, our home was always clean and show-ready for potential buyers. In April, potential buyers became active again and the requests for tours continued. I made sure to have viewers practice social distancing and wear masks when touring our home, then re-cleaned and sanitized after each showing. We received multiple offers, but the blessing came in June 2020 when I got a call from a prospective buyer looking at homes for her brother-in-law looking to move to TX from CA. Her and her husband toured our home, loved it, gave the seal of approval to her brother-in-law, and the buyer made an all cash offer sight unseen. They also agreed to our lease back terms allowing us to continue living in the home while we built our house. John and I knew this was the right time and the perfect buyer we had been waiting and praying for.  We had an attorney draw up the documents and handle the transfer of the title.

 

Finding The Lot…

Finding land to purchase was probably the most challenging part of the homebuilding process for us as we were very particular on the type of land in the location we wanted. Some lots were too sloped, too close to neighbors, had no privacy, some had a ravine right in the middle, some too narrow, too small, no trees, too far outside of town, located off a blind road, the list goes on.  Our land search took about a year and half. Our main requirement was trees, lots of MATURE TREES, and privacy.  After more months of looking and visiting potential lots, I found land that fit all our criteria – a treed lot on 1.5 acres, backing up to private ranch land so we would always have privacy without any homes being built behind our lot, and located on a cul-de-sac. I’ve always loved the idea of a cul-de-sac, especially with kids. I imagine the kids being able to ride their bikes and scooters up and down our street without the busyness of cars passing through, except for the residents who live on that street.  The lot had a fsbo sign posted, so out of curiosity, I got out of my car, walked the lot, and saw a vision for a home with landscaping features surrounded by trees.  I immediately contacted the owner listed on the sign and we began negotiations. The lot being located in a beautiful private community with amenities (trails, a fishing pond, and sports courts) were some of the added perks that sealed the deal for us.

Community stocked fishing pond

Choosing A Builder…

We met with several homebuilders in Granbury to get an idea of pricing, styles, floorplans, procedures etc. We first had our heart set on a particular builder as some of our friends had their homes built with and they were absolutely stunning. We liked the idea of a semi-custom build where you can choose from a portfolio of available floor plans and can customize certain areas. Many of the lots we found could not fit the floor plans we liked and needed. We ended up going the custom build route, which I never thought we would do, but I am loving the process so far. In a custom build, there are a lot of decisions to be made about everything, things you never thought about in a home.  We found an amazing custom homebuilder we really liked and we are now working with Remington Homes DFW. After our first pre-design meeting, I felt good about Remington Homes’ services and processes, along with the individuals I met, one of them was the owner. They are family-owned with a boutique feel and a hands-on approach. I learned that they have built many of their homes from floorplans on Architectural Designs, which was the same site I had been obsessively browsing to find inspiration and to pin floor plans from – it was a good match. Remington Homes also conducted several site visits for us and walked several lots with us before we made any decisions to make sure the land was buildable and could accommodate our desired floor plans.

 

Floor Plan Design & Inspiration…

We rounded up our favorite floor plans from Architectural Designs. I spent hours on this site morning, noon and night! After narrowing down my favorite floor plans, we combined some features of two different floor plans and elevation inspirations while adding in our own features for a custom plan and drawings to meet our needs.

We knew we wanted to build a modern farmhouse style home with an open floor plan with a lot of natural light.

On my wishlist for a floorplan included a kitchen sink against a window (my number one ask), a butler’s pantry, mudroom, a private guest suite, a study/home office, game room/play area for the kids, a front porch, rear patio, fireplace, outdoor kitchen, and a detached shop. A short wishlist right?

Here were some of our favorite floor plan inspirations:

Favorite 2-story plans:

Main level

 

 

 

Second level

 

Main level

 

Second Level

 

Favorite Modern Farmhouse Elevations

 

 

Breaking Ground 2021

January 2021

A couple of months after closing on our lot purchase and waiting for the necessary approvals, we started 2021 by finally breaking ground this week! I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see dirt being moved.

I will be sharing the details of our selections (flooring, tile, countertops, lighting, cabinets, etc) in the next blog post, so stay tuned!

You can also follow along our homebuilding journey on our Instagram build page dedicated to all things homebuilding and design: IG @our.farmhouse.at.the.ranch

Thanks for reading! What are your favorite features when designing or building a home?