Okay, here’s where we are: Roof – check. Windows – check. Siding – check. Plumbing rough-in – check. Electrical rough-in – almost check. We are officially “enclosed”. Quick shout out to Mother Nature! The vast amount of gorgeous Fall days allowed for some happy contractors.

With a finish date of mid-January in mind, our attention has turned to decor. Honestly, this has me a bit freaked out. There are so many moving pieces and big questions loom. What will this space be? What’s the vibe?

If you’ve followed this blog from the start, you know that we installed new wood floors in our living and dining rooms. This has lead to new furniture as well as a fireplace upgrade.

Our friend and interior designer Lester Katz  asked what the focal point of the living room was. I pointed to our sad, useless fireplace.

Like most homes built in 1949, our place originally had a wood burner. Somewhere along the line, an owner put in a gas log. This is about as efficient (and as pretty) as turning on your gas stove and expecting it to heat up an entire room.

Dan from Claxton Fireplace dropped by and sold me on a new gas insert. The insert has a heating element that will actually heat the room. What a novel idea! And, it has a freakin’ remote!

Understand, I love a real wood fire. This time, however, convenience wins out. Also, I’ve always disliked fake fire logs. We’ll be headed in this direction:

We love to entertain. So when it came to new furniture, our top priority was the ability for flexibility. Lester helped us come up with a floorplan that both expands seating and creates a great flow.

Many more decorating decisions for the bedroom need to be made soon. I am averaging about an hour a day scrolling through Houzz and my dogeared Elle Decors. We’ll get there.

Stay tuned! Painters will start on the exterior early next week, weather permitting.