Over the last few weeks we've made some important decisions about the house:
(1) We'll be adding a second floor instead of expanding out horizontally. Adding a "real" basement is still under discussion.
(2) We're putting the kids' bedrooms upstairs along with a "loft" space that can start as a playroom and grow into a "hangout" room as the kids get older.
(3) We will be adding an open "music" room near the front door to showcase Stu's guitars and some beautiful paintings from one of our favorite artists.
(4) Our main living space will include an open plan family/living room, dining room and a BIG kitchen that will finally allow Stu to socialize while he's cooking. We're looking forward to 30 linear feet of counter space -- yippee!
Today we met with the first of four contractors we are considering for the project, Michlitsch Builders, Inc. Leon and Marvin Michlitsch have been in business for over 30 years...which is pretty amazing considering that in addition to being business partners they are also brothers. They seem to be very down-to-earth, experienced, practical and trustworthy. Conveniently, they also recently finished a comparable remodel on a house just three doors down the road from us. Guess we'll be knocking on our new neighbor's door soon.
While we didn't walk away from the meeting thinking, "Wow, these guys are the most amazing contractors ever," we're not sure that we would ever really have that kind of reaction to any contractor. But, only time will tell. I'm sure we'll have more to say once we talk to the other three contractors and have something to compare.
Next steps for us include:
* doing more homework on appliances so we can make selections soon,
* trying to get a better sense of what "finishes" we want to see in the house (e.g., tile, floors, counter tops, etc.),
* meet with more contractors, and
* continue to refine the design - both interior floor plan and outside elevations.
We'll continue to keep you posted on our progress...
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
How much would you pay for a refrigerator?
While Ryan was working on the preliminary designs for the new house, he took us on a little field trip to look at appliances. The objective was just to get oriented to what's out there, think about what we really need from our appliances, what that might be for the interior design and how much of our budget we want to dedicate to appliances.
It was definitely an interesting trip. I was stumped wondering who would buy a built-in dedicated steam oven? Built-in dual cappuccino maker? And most strikingly, pay $15,000 for a refrigerator...and that's without a freezer! My apologies to anyone I may have just offended...I just can't relate to spending that much money on one appliance.
The trip did help us to think about how we might rank the "value" of each appliance based on how we use them. For example, since Stu does so much cooking...and is good at it...the quality, function and layout of the cook top is really important. On the other hand, while we like clean clothes, we're not obsessed with getting the top of the line washer and dryer set.
We did find ourselves having lots of discussion about refrigerator and freezer sizes and configurations. Egged on by the showroom sales person, as we evaluated each model we keep coming back to the question "can the freezer fit a turkey?" In reality, that question is pretty irrelevant for us. In over 11 years of marriage, we have NEVER had a frozen turkey in our freezer. The only time we have prepared a turkey, we got it fresh and kept it in the fridge. (Thanks Mom for continuing to host Turkey Day!)
So, who knows what we'll end up selecting, but our "field trip" was definitely eye-opening.
It was definitely an interesting trip. I was stumped wondering who would buy a built-in dedicated steam oven? Built-in dual cappuccino maker? And most strikingly, pay $15,000 for a refrigerator...and that's without a freezer! My apologies to anyone I may have just offended...I just can't relate to spending that much money on one appliance.
The trip did help us to think about how we might rank the "value" of each appliance based on how we use them. For example, since Stu does so much cooking...and is good at it...the quality, function and layout of the cook top is really important. On the other hand, while we like clean clothes, we're not obsessed with getting the top of the line washer and dryer set.
We did find ourselves having lots of discussion about refrigerator and freezer sizes and configurations. Egged on by the showroom sales person, as we evaluated each model we keep coming back to the question "can the freezer fit a turkey?" In reality, that question is pretty irrelevant for us. In over 11 years of marriage, we have NEVER had a frozen turkey in our freezer. The only time we have prepared a turkey, we got it fresh and kept it in the fridge. (Thanks Mom for continuing to host Turkey Day!)
So, who knows what we'll end up selecting, but our "field trip" was definitely eye-opening.
Our heads are spinning
At the end of October we met with our architect to share our wants and needs for the house, how we live, what our daily routines are like and what we like and don't like about our current house. Not surprisingly Stu and I spent a lot time preparing for this meeting. We even created a Wiki to collect our thoughts about our "needs" (e.g., at least 3 bedrooms) and our "wants" (e.g., sound-proof music room). Some of our thoughts were more general like not needing a big master bedroom since we really only "sleep" there while others were very details like the measurements from our current master bedroom closet and all the AV equipment in the family room.
With all that he learned from all our homework and his visit to our house, Ryan then spent the next few weeks working on preliminary concepts for the new house. We met with Ryan and his wife Nicole earlier this week to review those plans -- five interior floor plan options and four exterior options.
Overall, we were pretty amazed with what our "cabin in St. Paul" could become. (We look forward to sharing before and after pictures.) While none of the plans totally hit the mark, each had pieces that we liked. The challenge will now be to get those pieces to fit together under one roof. Some of the big decisions we have to make are:
* Do we want to expand out on the west side of the house and keep the house all on one level (very consistent with the neighborhood)? Or do we want to add on a second floor which could take advantage of the views across the river valley?
* How close do we want our bedroom to be to the kids' rooms now while they are small and as they become teenagers? Stu and I actually found ourselves trying to guess how the kids would try to sneek out of the house in the middle of the night as teenagers. ;-)
* How do we share common family spaces without the kids' stuff taking over the house?
* How important is it that we have a basement?
Next steps are to share our feedback on the preliminary plans with Ryan so he can conitnue to refine the plans and start meeting with contractors.
We definitley have some big decisions to make and are still excited about the potential of our new house. We look forward to sharing more updates over the holidays.
With all that he learned from all our homework and his visit to our house, Ryan then spent the next few weeks working on preliminary concepts for the new house. We met with Ryan and his wife Nicole earlier this week to review those plans -- five interior floor plan options and four exterior options.
Overall, we were pretty amazed with what our "cabin in St. Paul" could become. (We look forward to sharing before and after pictures.) While none of the plans totally hit the mark, each had pieces that we liked. The challenge will now be to get those pieces to fit together under one roof. Some of the big decisions we have to make are:
* Do we want to expand out on the west side of the house and keep the house all on one level (very consistent with the neighborhood)? Or do we want to add on a second floor which could take advantage of the views across the river valley?
* How close do we want our bedroom to be to the kids' rooms now while they are small and as they become teenagers? Stu and I actually found ourselves trying to guess how the kids would try to sneek out of the house in the middle of the night as teenagers. ;-)
* How do we share common family spaces without the kids' stuff taking over the house?
* How important is it that we have a basement?
Next steps are to share our feedback on the preliminary plans with Ryan so he can conitnue to refine the plans and start meeting with contractors.
We definitley have some big decisions to make and are still excited about the potential of our new house. We look forward to sharing more updates over the holidays.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Picking an architect
What happens when you put two professional project managers together to pick an architect for the home they are building? What then happens when one also is a consultant who's been traveling twice a week for the past two months and the other is a self-proclaimed consumer research geek? Well...you get a selection process that takes almost two and a half months...but also hopefully a really good decision.
We interviewed four different architects -- Lucas Alm with Alm Design, Ryan Tuftedahl with rtDesign, Kuhl Design Build, and Megan Connell with SALA Architects -- two different times. Once at the new house; once at each of their offices to see how and where they work. They were all wonderful and very patient with the process.
After talking with each of them, Stu and I identified six factors against which we would evaluate each of the architects (yes, we know we're nerds):
Short-term: things that we'll "feel" primarily during the design and construction process
* Project management skills - will they manage the design and construction process on time, on budget and keeping us involved at the "right" level along the way
* Personality/fit - do we look forward to working with this person over the next 6 to 8 months and opening our lives to them
* Budget - if we can't pay for it, we can't build it and we want to guide the design with that principle
Long-term: things we'll have to live with for as long as we own the house
* Overall design - do we feel like we'll get a house that really meets our needs now and 15 years from now
* Design details - will the architect think through how the cabinets line up, where the moulding ends, where we put the trash can in the bathrooms
* Environmental responsibility - we want to be responsibile with our resources (that's why we're not tearing down the house and starting from scratch) but we also don't want to sacrifice functionality for going "green"
So...after thinking through all of that over a couple bottles of wine, we finally picked an architect...Ryan Tuftedahl with rtDesign.
Interestingly, he wasn't really the clear "winner" in any individual category, but he had the best overall combination of strengths and weaknesses as a compliment to Stu and I. But of course, now the fun really begins. Stay tuned...
We interviewed four different architects -- Lucas Alm with Alm Design, Ryan Tuftedahl with rtDesign, Kuhl Design Build, and Megan Connell with SALA Architects -- two different times. Once at the new house; once at each of their offices to see how and where they work. They were all wonderful and very patient with the process.
After talking with each of them, Stu and I identified six factors against which we would evaluate each of the architects (yes, we know we're nerds):
Short-term: things that we'll "feel" primarily during the design and construction process
* Project management skills - will they manage the design and construction process on time, on budget and keeping us involved at the "right" level along the way
* Personality/fit - do we look forward to working with this person over the next 6 to 8 months and opening our lives to them
* Budget - if we can't pay for it, we can't build it and we want to guide the design with that principle
Long-term: things we'll have to live with for as long as we own the house
* Overall design - do we feel like we'll get a house that really meets our needs now and 15 years from now
* Design details - will the architect think through how the cabinets line up, where the moulding ends, where we put the trash can in the bathrooms
* Environmental responsibility - we want to be responsibile with our resources (that's why we're not tearing down the house and starting from scratch) but we also don't want to sacrifice functionality for going "green"
So...after thinking through all of that over a couple bottles of wine, we finally picked an architect...Ryan Tuftedahl with rtDesign.
Interestingly, he wasn't really the clear "winner" in any individual category, but he had the best overall combination of strengths and weaknesses as a compliment to Stu and I. But of course, now the fun really begins. Stay tuned...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Answers to your questions
Thanks to everyone for your congratulations and words of encouragement. We've still got that combination of excitement and anxiety as we start the process.
A number of you have asked some good questions already. Here are a few answers:
Q: When are we moving?
Based on the discussions we've had so far, we're planning on 3 to 4 months working with an architect to create a design and then 4 to 6 months for construction. Hopefully the timing will work out so that we can put our current house on the market in the spring and then move into the new house in early summer. But none of us really knows what the actual timing will be. It will likely be a real test of our patience.
Q: Will Cailin change schools?
This one we're not sure about yet. We'll actually be closer to Highland Elementary than to her current school, but we're not sure yet if it's a big enough difference to have her switch or even how well the schools compare. Thankfully, since St. Paul is an open district, we'll have a choice. Either way, any change wouldn't happen for another year.
Q: When can you come and visit?
Any time! For now, there's certainly not much to see at the new house, but we're always happy to have friends and family stop by for a visit at the current house. Once we get settled in the new house next summer, I'm sure that we'll host some kind of shin-dig.
That's it for now. We've got two appointments with architects this week, so I'm sure we'll have more updates then. Stay tuned...
A number of you have asked some good questions already. Here are a few answers:
Q: When are we moving?
Based on the discussions we've had so far, we're planning on 3 to 4 months working with an architect to create a design and then 4 to 6 months for construction. Hopefully the timing will work out so that we can put our current house on the market in the spring and then move into the new house in early summer. But none of us really knows what the actual timing will be. It will likely be a real test of our patience.
Q: Will Cailin change schools?
This one we're not sure about yet. We'll actually be closer to Highland Elementary than to her current school, but we're not sure yet if it's a big enough difference to have her switch or even how well the schools compare. Thankfully, since St. Paul is an open district, we'll have a choice. Either way, any change wouldn't happen for another year.
Q: When can you come and visit?
Any time! For now, there's certainly not much to see at the new house, but we're always happy to have friends and family stop by for a visit at the current house. Once we get settled in the new house next summer, I'm sure that we'll host some kind of shin-dig.
That's it for now. We've got two appointments with architects this week, so I'm sure we'll have more updates then. Stay tuned...
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The fun begins!
Well, we finally did it. We closed on our new house last Friday.
For those who haven't heard the story, we started looking at homes just a couple months ago with the idea that it would take us a long time to find what we really wanted. At this point in our lives, we find ourselves to be pretty particular about what we want and don't want in a house. We knew we wanted to stay in St. Paul, but wanted more land, a little more space, a better kitchen and more energy-efficient house...in addition to a long list of other "little" things. After seeing a number of great homes along Summit Avenue, near the River and in Highland we stumbled across the house we would come to buy.
The new house is located in the Highlandland neighborhood of St. Paul on a wooded lot of nearly 2 acres along a quiet, winding street. The home itself was built in the early 1950's and reminds us more of a cabin than a house. It has about 2,100 square feet filled with 5 bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room and kitchen but no basement. The one thing is does have is more wood than Sherwood Forrest! The family who built the house was in the lumber business and reflected their work in their home -- redwood siding outside and on the inside redwood panelling on every wall and hardwood floors throughout. For us, it's a good foundation to create the home we really want.
That's where the fun starts. We're now in the process of talking with a number of architects including Lucas Alm at Alm Design Studio, rt design, and Kuhl Design Build. After seeing the "green house" at the State Fair last weekend, we're also thinking about talking with SALA Architects. We're hoping to pick an architect by mid-September, take three to four months to work on the designs and start construction in the winter. Based on the timing we've heard from the architects, the house will hopefully be done by late spring or early summer 2009. But we also know that construction schedules almost always go longer than you plan for...
We hope to use this blog as a way to share our fears, excitement, frustrations and celebrations. We look forward to having a big house-warming with all of you next year. Wish us luck!
For those who haven't heard the story, we started looking at homes just a couple months ago with the idea that it would take us a long time to find what we really wanted. At this point in our lives, we find ourselves to be pretty particular about what we want and don't want in a house. We knew we wanted to stay in St. Paul, but wanted more land, a little more space, a better kitchen and more energy-efficient house...in addition to a long list of other "little" things. After seeing a number of great homes along Summit Avenue, near the River and in Highland we stumbled across the house we would come to buy.
The new house is located in the Highlandland neighborhood of St. Paul on a wooded lot of nearly 2 acres along a quiet, winding street. The home itself was built in the early 1950's and reminds us more of a cabin than a house. It has about 2,100 square feet filled with 5 bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room and kitchen but no basement. The one thing is does have is more wood than Sherwood Forrest! The family who built the house was in the lumber business and reflected their work in their home -- redwood siding outside and on the inside redwood panelling on every wall and hardwood floors throughout. For us, it's a good foundation to create the home we really want.
That's where the fun starts. We're now in the process of talking with a number of architects including Lucas Alm at Alm Design Studio, rt design, and Kuhl Design Build. After seeing the "green house" at the State Fair last weekend, we're also thinking about talking with SALA Architects. We're hoping to pick an architect by mid-September, take three to four months to work on the designs and start construction in the winter. Based on the timing we've heard from the architects, the house will hopefully be done by late spring or early summer 2009. But we also know that construction schedules almost always go longer than you plan for...
We hope to use this blog as a way to share our fears, excitement, frustrations and celebrations. We look forward to having a big house-warming with all of you next year. Wish us luck!
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