barton build: an overdue update.

With fall only a few days away, I can officially say that this summer passed in a blink. The craziness of the last few months has prevented me from sharing updates on our #bartonbuild. Aside from an occasional snap on my Instagram feed,  I apologize for keeping you in the dark. We have made some serious progress since my last official update two months ago. I'll do my best to get you up to speed with this post!

First, a disclaimer: you will see plenty of miscellaneous boards, buckets, and dust throughout these photos. As much as I would like to make these glimpses picture-perfect, the reality is that we are in flux. I keep telling myself that the final product will be that much more exciting once the dust has lifted! Moving on...

I wish I could give a bulleted list of all that has been done in the last few months, but you would be reading a book {not a blog post}. From the street, the most visible change from my last update would be a completed exterior: the roof is on, the cedar shingles are installed, and the windows are in place. My favorite feature? THE PORCH. I'm already counting down to next spring when we can enjoy it!

Moving inside, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see we are well beyond the framing stage. You can no longer see through our walls! Sheet rock was installed last week and it finally feels like a house when we walk in the front door. The picture above is a look from the edge of the kitchen into the living room. You can see space for built-ins on both sides of the fireplace {!!!}. I just can't get over all the yummy light.

Don't worry -- there will be railings on these stairs; they just aren't in place. The photo above is a look from the second floor down into the foyer. One day soon, there will be pretty light fixture suspended here. {We have to choose it first...} We really focused on creating an open space when you first walk through the door. Until the drywall was installed, it was hard to get a feel for the space. It is amazing what a difference it makes!

This photo was taken from the landing on the stairs, looking into the open concept living room and dining nook. The kitchen is off to the left, but the island will be visible from this view in the coming weeks. While there is still a fair amount to do, we have made some big decisions on the hardwood floors, appliances, and kitchen cabinets. Those aren't the only decisions we've made, but they are the ones which stand out the most.

Over the weekend, I made a pilgrimage to Benjamin Moore for paint samples {after all of your wonderful help!}. I still need to grab a few others, but we should hopefully have those choices nailed down later this week. We have some of the other finer details to choose as well, but we are on our way! Everyone warned us that the stress of building a home would be tough to juggle with a baby on the way, but we are taking it in stride. Since it is truly out of our hands, I don't ask about our move-in date. Our builder has been on "schedule" thus far, so we trust him to make it happen before baby {v} arrives. While we are taking it one day at a time, a mid-November completion would be quite the treat. 

As always, I am open to any and all bits of wisdom on homeownership. Are there any "little" things which might make a huge difference for us--while we still have the chance to make it happen? I promise more frequent #bartonbuild updates here on the blog, but follow along on Instagram for the most timely updates! xoxo {av}