Clean.New.House.

I had to document the now-clean, pre-move-in, architectural shell--that will never be so pristine again.  So here it is.  This is what I've spent all this time, daydreaming, planning, decision-making, shopping, wakeful bedside notes in the dark, effort, money and love on.     

To make it easier to follow, here's a reminder of the floor plan.     

The front door and entry.  The antique French door has glass that opens to let a breeze flow through the iron grate.  I like the old fashioned inside opener, but I'll probably mount a central knob.

The living room.  The rest of the tile around the fireplace should show up in the unpacking.  This color, Oxford Gray, is the same used on the front door, outside shutters and furniture, and the garage doors.

The dining room.  This old Italian chandelier will probably move to the living room.  It's too high, and would have to be completely rewired to lower it.

A powder room.  The drawer will also show up when unpacking.

The coffee bar.  Obviously it will be a multi-use bar!  Awaiting wine drawers.

The serving pantry.  I refuse to call it a butler's pantry because it didn't come with a butler!  But I'm not quite "proper" enough to call it a scullery or larder.

This storage cabinet is between the bar and pantry, at the bottom of the stairs and behind the kitchen.

The Kitchen & Family room.  The hub, the core, the heart of the home.  Same wall color as my last two family rooms.

        On each side of the kitchen is a patio.  The Dutch door above goes to a barbecue patio.  

                                                    The opposite doors to this glass-covered patio.

Another powder room with an antique dough bin converted to a sink. 

My Office and Sadie's nest--in the closet to the right. 

The Sunroom. 

The Breezeway or mudroom, with glass doors at both ends and a sink at one end.

Looking upstairs. 

The upper hallway.

The laundry room--where I can reminisce on the house plans.

The Master bedroom and bath.  I was going to be more pc and say "main" or "primary" bedroom, but then I looked it up.  First of all, the 1926 Modern Homes catalog by Sears, Roebuck and Co. marks the first recorded usage of master bedroom.  At $4,398 the Dutch colonial house was the most expensive in the catalog, featuring: a sunporch, built-in kitchen cupboards, and a master bedroom with a private bathroom.  (Thus, it does not derive from terms used during slavery.)  Secondly, when used as an adjective, the word master has come to mean someone or something at the top of its game--the best (i.e., master's degree, master craftsman).  So it makes sense that the master bedroom would denote the best bedroom in the house.   

In a tribute to my California years, this guest room could be appropriately called Mountain View.

In an accompanying tribute, this guest room could be Palo Alto ("tall tree" in Spanish).

The basement bath.

The cottage kitchen and bath.

On the eve of my move, my 73rd blog post marks the end of my building saga (with a huge punch-list remaining).  Overall a great--though lengthy and expensive--experience.  As I've said, I wish I were younger and could foresee another house in my future.  But the next chapter--decorating, "home making" and landscaping--should keep me busy for a while!