For the past several months, we’ve been working on countless lake home renovation updates. It’s been quite a process, friends. Thankfully, our builders, architect, and interior designer have been extremely patient with us. To be honest, we’ve been quite anxious and stressed during this phase (or at least more than any other since purchasing the property). To be honest, I’m not quite sure why. Perhaps it’s all the costs coming in at once or the fact we’re making some of the most important decisions.
Either way, we just need to remind ourselves to breathe and take it one step (and decision) at a time.
Lake Home Renovation Updates
For phase one (building and construction), Bob has taken the lead on project management. Beyond just being an incredible husband, he has unmatched spacial capabilities, organization skills, and an impeccable attention to detail. Nothing gets past him, and he adapts quickly to new skills.
From the placement of lighting fixtures and heat vents to the selection of construction materials and the tiniest measurements of things, he’s been in lockstep with our team to ensure we’re selecting what works best for our lives moving forward. I’m forever grateful to him! Our builders and architect have also been extremely impressed (no surprise there!). I feel he may have a second career calling lol.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve stayed involved, but the pace of my full-time job has greatly accelerated leaving little time for myself, much less lake home planning and development. Style Charade is also in a really fun phase, so weekends and nights are filled with those exciting and fulfilling projects.
Thankfully, Bob has managed things flawlessly during this stage. I love and appreciate you, B!
Drywall is a Moment!
So where do things stand? First, our drywall is UP! I could cry even writing these words, haha. Building a home is not for the faint of heart, and one key learning for us has been that it’s imperative to get everything right before any drywall goes up (think electrical locations, window, door and wall placements).
Thankfully, Bill Massey of Massey Associates Architects mentioned this fact to us early in the process. As such, everything is in its rightful place, and Bill made sure to triple check that everything is meticulous. 🙂
As an aside, if we build another home, Bill Massey and Massey Associates Architects will lead the process. He’s simply the best. To be clear, we do not get a discount for their services. We simply adore how they run their business with integrity and precision. Will they want to work with us again? That remains to be seen, haha!
With drywall up, we can now start the fun part – DESIGN. This is where I step in. 🙂 Thankfully, we’re nearing holiday break, which will give us the much-needed space and time to focus on this next phase. Furthermore, I’ve hoarded nearly all my vacation days at work til the end of the year knowing this stage would be so imperative.
The Best Exterior Siding
Another fun update is that we’re officially putting the siding up on the exterior of the home. After re-siding our primary home in Chicago, we fell in love with this brand. In the past, I never really spent time researching the importance of quality siding. However, after having issues with a previous siding product, we realize it’s one of the most important investments to make for the home.
Thankfully, nearly everyone we know agreed THIS is the gold star brand for siding. I’m so excited to be working with the brand to transform our lake home. We spent a lot of time discussing the look, feel, color, and texture we wanted to create at the lake home. Think something fresh, slightly coastal, and totally timeless. Stay tuned!
This week, Makie Construction started installing the siding, and I can’t wait to show you the final look. Like Bill and team, Makie have been exceptional partners through this process. We’ve heard horror stories about builders and contractors, and Makie has truly showed up for us in every single way.
The siding is going to be phenomenal! Stay tuned for more information on our product selections (and the final result) in the New Year.
Flooring
The next major project? Flooring. To be transparent, we’ve always disliked the color of the floors in our primary home, which are relatively dark. They’ve never really felt like they align with our personal style.
For the lake home, we’re working with this incredible brand to get things right. It’s a company we’ve followed and known about for years. Several friends have their flooring in their homes and speak highly of the finished results. Divine has an impeccable reputation for their products, and it’s easy to see why. From modern to contemporary, farmhouse to Grandmillennial, Divine Flooring truly has products to meet your needs. Plus, their team has been incredible to work with. I honestly don’t know how we got so lucky!
The lake home will feature a mix of both chevron and straight plank pieces in the shade, Cosmopolitan (Naked European Oak). I’m extremely excited about the design and product overall. It’s truly going to stand the test of time. Special thanks to Amelia (our friend and interior designer) for helping us with the decision.
Cabinetry
The final update is that we’ve completed the design of all our cabinetry. Frankly, it’s been a long and unexpectedly exhaustive process of getting things right (on our end, to no fault of others). Thankfully, our work order is officially “in,” and the design should be phenomenal for us, our family, and close friends.
Installation comes next, and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together. During the process, we bid out the project to several companies knowing that cabinets are a big investment. We end up selecting Servare Products, a Chicago area, family-owned company who we know and love. They did a great job working with Bill and Amelia to refine our design.
Ultimately, we chose custom inset custom cabinets. We sincerely loved Servare Products offered a large spectrum of options, from affordable, quick install cabinets to the best quality cabinets on the market. We only get to install a kitchen once, so we wanted to go with the best quality and craftsmanship possible.
In addition to the kitchen cabinets, Servare Products are also doing custom built-ins for a couple of spaces, including bookcases for the living room and storage in the entry way.
Lastly, you might recall our kitchen cabinet color conundrum a couple months ago. Let’s just say I had a *small* freakout about choosing the hue. Bob (being Bob) went to the paint store and purchased no less than 20 samples of paint from Benjamin Moore and Farrow & Ball.
After speaking with Amelia and sitting with the paint swatches for a few weeks, we ended up selecting this color. The goal is to have a bright, light, serene, and timeless kitchen that won’t feel outdated in a few years. I’m so excited to see these come to life!
For the entry way, we chose this paint color for the built-ins, which is a near perfect match to Farrow & Ball’s Parma Gray. While Parma Gray is quite popular, Amelia felt strongly that Benjamin Moore was the way to go from a quality, longevity, and cost standpoint. We trust her implicitly!
Lake Home Renovation Updates – In Closing
Interested in seeing more lake home renovation updates? Follow along on Instagram (especially the “Lake Home” highlight), along with my LTK page. I’ll be giving a lot of exclusive sneak previews of the design on my LTK channel. More to come!
