My Office Reveal!!

We've been in the house for almost a year now.  And one of the few rooms that actually is essentially done is my office.  J has allowed me to prioritize it decorating-wise since I spend a majority of my time in there.  It has definitely been such an upgrade from my previous "offices".  I've previously had to turn bedrooms into my office.  Having a dedicated space that is just mine, and that I can leave and ignore when I'm not working is so nice.

 

When we chose our floor plan, I knew that I was going to want built-in cabinetry and a floating desk, so we pushed out the wall by a foot.  Which was a plus all-around since it enlarged our master bedroom, bathroom, shower room and closet! :)  Umm, yes please! 

I still am slowly adding knick-knacks to my bookshelves and desk space, and I definitely want to add a linen upholstered desk chair.  But other than that, I've pretty much completed the decorating in the office.

Since there is not a room above my office, we decided to give the office a bigger feeling by removing the ten-foot ceiling and making it a cathedral ceiling with a cedar beam. 

And one huge plus of having the custom built-in cabinets was being able to be very picky on the desk set up.  I hate having ugly, necessary things in view.  So, I requested rollout shelves that fit my laptop and dock and the printer.  We made sure to have outlets built inside the cabinets and a large drawer that could accommodate hanging file folders, should I ever need them.  Then, I had them make the cutout for cords go straight into the cabinet so that they're as invisible as possible!

We Have a Foundation!

The pace is finally picking up on the house!  After weeks of non-stop rain in May and June, they finally were able to pour the footings for our house.  Last week they poured the foundation, and this week they start the framing!  It's so exciting to see the house coming together!

 Since we're building a custom home, let me tell you, it can get really overwhelming with design choices.  We are literally picking everything out from the flooring to the grout colors to the hardware and the lighting.  And I love to obsess over every little detail, and we've barely even started the process!  Last week we picked out all the flooring, countertops, backsplashes and fireplace stone.  J and I have a very transitional style, so basically a more contemporary spin on traditional design.  Here were our inspirations for finishes and styles for some of our rooms!

 1. Guest Bathroom  2. Upstairs/Kids Bathroom  3. Powder Room  4. Kitchen  5. Master Bathroom  6. Office

Moving Out!!

So, the one thing that has been incredibly stressful so far about this building process is that we need to sell our house!  We also went the more exciting route and decided to Sell by Owner! 

So, if you know of anyone that is looking for a great home in south Norman, please send them our way!  And we are offering a cash incentive to anyone who refers someone to us that ends up closing on the house!

You can check out the home listing at the following sites:

• ForSaleByOwner.com
•  Zillow
• Yahoo Real Estate

Moving On!!

While there hasn't been a whole lot going on in our day-to-day lives, there is one big change that is brewing.  We're moving!  And by moving, I mean we're building a beautiful, custom home in Norman!  J and I are beyond excited!

After plenty of deliberation, nearly a year, in fact, we decided to stay long-term in Norman, and also stay near our families and Jason's job.  And while we love our home where we first started our lives together and have made so many memories, we decided we should move while the housing market was still not strong and while interest rates are at an all-time low.  We are also hoping to expand our family sometime in the future and, since I work full-time from home, we currently don't have the space to grow.

We decided to build because we both have a really clear vision of what we want in a house and there's not much in Norman that fits our bill.  So, for months, I researched neighborhoods and builders while still looking at pre-existing homes.  I also worked on our list of needs, wants, and likes for a new house so that we wouldn't regret any decisions we make.  This is serious stuff!!

We initially were going to work with Landmark Fine Homes and build in Carrington Lakes, on the west side of Norman, but that ended up being a little too pricey for us.  So, we switched to Muirfield Homes and decided to build in Hallbrooke!  And, boy, are we glad we switched!  Scott at Muirfield Homes has been so incredibly helpful with the whole process and we absolutely fell in love with the Hallbrooke community.  So, stay posted for sneak peeks on the new house and the building process!