Encouraging women to choose joy...

Looking at Neighborhoods and Making a Decision

We moved from Georgia to South Carolina. Since we knew nothing about the area from a 'living permanently' standpoint we hired a realtor to show us neighborhoods. NOT houses.

We had a list of  'criteria' that we both wanted in our next house. You can read all about how we came up with our list right HERE.

It seems to me that the area we moved to is the home of one story ranches. Which is great on many levels. But, for us, a ranch was too spread out. Too many steps between rooms. An elevator was better for us. Hence, 2 story living.

As we spent the day looking around it became clear to me that renovating was what needed to be done to most of the homes. Or building from scratch.

Now, when we decided to sell our dream lake house I said that I would NOT build a house. I did not want to live in temporary housing for 18 months as a 70 year old! Life was too short to not be fully living.

But, as they say...never say never, right?

We ended up buying a lot on January 14th. You can read about how we made a decision on which lot to buy right HERE. (This involved narrowing our search down to 1 neighborhood, looking at ALL the choices, and talking to a builder before making a decision.)

And so the design process began!

And the questions:

What style? How big...realistically. What rooms did we need? How big? And, of course the big kicker - what was the budget?

The neighborhood that we chose is a planned community, Hartness Living. It was designed to replicate a European village. Small houses. Large manor homes. Cottages. Very little land but TONS of common areas and walking trails. With an area for commercial establishments. Restaurants, ice cream shops, retail shopping and more. Even a school.

Because it's a planned community they only allow 5 architectural styles. We walked around and looked at what was already built and fell in love with the English Cottage Style. It invokes the feeling of small, cozy, and simple.

So, now a few decisions were made.
✔️ Neighborhood chosen.
✔️ Lot chosen.
✔️ House style chosen.

Next up...the house plan. Which, in my humble opinion is the most difficult. We met with our builder and his person that he uses to design houses. Our builder likes him...I won't have any idea until we see a rough draft. You can read about our meeting right HERE.

I spent hours on Pinterest - typing in English Cottage. I pinned anything that was remotely interesting - exterior and interior. My daughter sent me ideas, Instagram people and TV shows I should watch for inspiration. I was only looking for inspiration! I fell in love with Jean Stoffer/The Established Home on Magnolia Network and took pics of the TV screen!

I then put all of my images (screen shots) in a Google Drive folder for my builder and his designer. 

I also began my notes...anything that came to mind got written down. I did not filter anything. A brain dump if you will. A wish list. As the design/build gets further along I will eliminate what no longer interests me or what I can't afford.

We are anxiously awaiting the preliminary drawings from the designer. I want to see if he understood what I was saying...or not. I do have an architect that I LOVE who I could hire to help me. I was hoping to save a few dollars tho and not use him. In the long run, it's better to use someone who understands me than someone who does not!

BTW - I am probably one of the most detailed people you will ever meet - especially when it comes to home building! Let the builder beware! Haha

Finding a Plan That Works

A few weeks ago we met the builder that we chose and the person that he likes to use for house design. Click right HERE if you want to know how we chose our builder PLUS how you can choose your builder.

We waited 2 weeks for the preliminary plan. While I was waiting I watched every episode of the Established Home (Jean Stoffer) on Magnolia Network. Looking past the expensive details and furnishings...I focused on floor plan and flow.

One house, Reed's Lake House, had me grabbing my graph paper and pencil. I am all for open plan living but sometimes a little privacy is what I need. So, rather than having 1 large room with no definition of space...I wanted to create spaces. Using arches, interior windows, cased openings...even exposed brick.

I sent this drawing below to our builder. We shall see what happens on February 3rd during the 'reveal'.

I met with the builders tile person on February 2nd. I am looking at tile to see what I like and what I don't like...and to get an idea of price. I want tile that looks hand made...without the handmade price.

Our lot is 85' across. The garage is in the front, on the left.

We want room for a side yard. A foyer. Large kitchen, 8' dining table and a cozy living room. All of this is created with architectural elements. Not just space.

I really would like to have an arched front door (we call in a hobbit door) and a side entry - similar to a Charleston, SC style house.

Putting together inspiration boards really helps me with the design process.

I put together these 2 boards as preliminary design ideas.

Tweaking the Plan

Now that we have a 97% complete main floor it's time for the finder details. I am looking at door swings - are they going in the correct direction.

Are the windows in the correct place the the right size? I am laying out cabinets so I know where the sinks need to go.

At this point the exterior elevations are being developed. Currently I am working with 3 people. My architect, builder, and decorator. They are all an integral part of my team. Each one has a different role but they all work together.