Casita update #2

Roger here...  We promised you another update on the progress of our new home.  Things are moving quickly right now.  We hope to be closed within a couple of weeks.

The most striking pictures from the inside are in the kitchen area.  The cabinets have been installed, painted and glazed.  Granite countertops are in place.  The sink is installed.  In this photo the refrigerator will go in the space to the left of the back counter.  We bought it the other day --- a stainless steel Samsung with french doors, freezer at the bottom, and a separate pull-out drawer in the middle.  The oven, cooktop and microwave will slide into the open space at the back of the center section.

We were so pleased by the appearance of the stone backsplash.

The kitchen began to really look like a kitchen after it was installed.

The pendant lights in the photo below were another pleasant surprise.

We added a feature to the floor tile at the main entrance.  It looks even better now that the real doors have been installed.

Dianne is thinking about changing the wall color after we move in. It is still up in the air.  She is holding up paint color cards in this photo.

The living/dining area is also coming together.  I think we are really going to enjoy that ceiling fan and the hidden/indirect lighting in the ceiling.

The TV will hang on the back wall.  The computer center (in my mom's old secretary) will fit into the niche on the left.

The bathroom is small, but functional --- plenty big enough for the two of us.

We especially like the tile in the shower below and the seat.

We opted for rubbed bronze fixtures throughout the house.  We know that brushed nickel is more trendy, but we like the look of the dark bronze.

We expect to make frequent use of the ceiling fan in the bedroom.

The walk-in closet has hanging bars on three sides as well as plenty of handy storage shelves.  The washer and dryer will fit underneath the hanging bars on one side.

We spend the majority of our waking hours outside, so let's take a look at our outdoor space.






The outdoor covered porch and patio area (soon to be covered by a pergola) is nearly as big as the house.  The two ceiling fans and the extra shade should make things pleasant.  Dianne likes it when things are pleasant.

The landscaping is in, the underground drip system installed, and the sod laid.  The sod is getting greener with each day of watering.

We have four palm trees (two queens and two robellinis) --

-- that frame the ends of the back yard.  Flowering shrubs (cape honeysuckle, yellow bells, purple skyflowers) will fill in the center.  The small staked-tree in the foreground is a Mexican Poinciana.  It will have yellow flowers.

The front beds have also been planted --- hibiscus, yellow bells, firecracker plants, and lantana.  Everything looks small now, but we know how that quickly changes down here.

Now that the glass doors are in, we are locked out until closing.  Since the workers are beginning to clean up, we expect to be in the house soon.

Yesterday was a flurry of activity.  The next "Casita" post will show a house full of happy people and dogs (and a cat). 


The pet picture of the day shows Tequila and Big Chuck lounging in our back yard on a warm Texas afternoon. 

(Dianne here:  The trunk is a project I'm working on that I'll let you see when it's done (hint:  it has something to do with Charlie the cat).  Look closely and you'll notice that all three of our fur kids managed to get their leashes tangled.  Bandido is just outside the photo on the left.  This problem will be alleviated once we move down the street and have a fenced-in backyard.  We can't wait!!)