Progress in Northern Idaho

Taking a badly needed break doesn't mean you get any rest!

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We arrived at our Northern Idaho home last Thursday only to begin again, the task of preparing this home for our move in 2009.

Plaster, paint, faux finishing... it's all in a days work and it seems that day just gets longer and longer.

Somehow though, this trip seems to have yielded the most results which is very gratifying.

The granite for the island in the kitchen was finally installed on Tuesday. We ordered it last November but due to 187" of snow this winter (a record for the Sandpoint area), this was the first opportunity that Mario and Son Granite Company (The largest granite manufacturer in the country) had to get up our road.

Within 15 minutes, that heavy slab had been brought in to the house and laid in to place with such precision.

We visited their exquisite show room on Wednesday to pick out the granite for the back counters. Every aisle met me with yet another breathtaking piece of granite that I would have just died to have in my home! It was great fun and a new experience for me.

The pieces we chose are lovely with deep veining that swirls slightly and will create a unique pattern over the counter surface.

The back granite will be installed within the next few weeks but we will be back in Seattle and won't be able to see it until our next trip over here in September.

Did you know that most granite comes from either Brazil or Sicily? I was amazed.

Now able to see the exact colors of the granite, I was then able to pick out the paint colors for the faux finishing on the kitchen wall and executed that project the very next day.
It came out scrumptious and adds depth and warmth to the room.

Laying my new cupboard doors against the surface proved that my color selection was right on. Oh Happy Day!

Today, the house was measured for carpeting. We've chosen a sculptured vine carpet in a beautiful neutral sand color. I can't wait until it's installed (which won't be until September when we can be over here again from Seattle). It's hard to be so patient. But I've waited for years to rid myself of the blue "Velcro" carpet that now covers the floors. Certainly I can wait until the first of the fall season for my reward.

After 4 years of working on this house, I can't believe that I'm still re-plastering walls. But a 4,000 square foot house means that the square footage of walls is even greater. I shiver to think of how many feet of plaster I've already done and then painted.

On Sunday we head back to Seattle and I begin the execution of all of the new designs I've come up with. That will be an exciting venture and I look forward to their release in early summer.

This certainly has been an eventful trip and as I stand back and look at everything we've done, I finally feel that we are making some real progress!