Our Pool

I have been excited to write this post for so long... 

We are getting a pool!!!

I know it may seem like we have a lot going on, but we have been working on this project for almost a year. No seriously, we started the conversation with the pool company last fall, signed our contract in early January and we just got a hole in the ground last week! It has been a process for sure, but we are excited to see some light at the end of this tunnel.

So, let's start at the beginning. When we found/purchased this house I really liked the idea of this being our "forever" or at least our "for a very very long time house". It's big enough for us to grow into, the location is perfect and it has everything we could want in a house with the exception of....a pool. Obviously a pool is not something we need but it is something we, and especially Brent really envisioned for his "for a long long time house". But we could add a pool one day, right? Well, I thought so, but Brent wasn't so sure. Our lot is kind of interesting, size wise so he had his doubts.

Our house sits on two lots. The original portion of our house was built in 1920. Back in 2007 the house behind ours was knocked down and the people did a big addition to our house. So, we have two driveways and one long, but somewhat narrow back yard with the foundation from the house that was torn down in our backyard. In fact this foundation is what our Outdoor Kitchen/Pizza Oven sits on. Remember that project? Yeah...it kind of took a back-burner position on the priority list when the idea of the pool became a real conversation.

One day late last summer we were looking at our backyard and talking through options for what we could do to finish it off. I brought up the pool and we actually gave it a hard look and took dimensions, etc. to find that it looked like we did have enough room to add one. So, we researched pool companies and landed on Hilltop Pools. The company sent out pool designer, Anthony Longshore, who came to our house, took dimensions and notes and then drew out our pool on the computer right before our eyes. In doing so he was able to provide a quote that very day. We had a lot to think about, so Brent opened up SketchUp and did a more detailed drawing, all his own. Doing this really helped us play with details, not only pool specific but landscape related as well. Here is where we landed:

What you are looking at here is a hot tub, sitting just beyond the pizza oven and water falling into a  10 foot wide x 30 feet long pool. The pool will sit right beside the existing fence. It's planned to be 42" deep all the way across except for a shallow tanning deck at the far end.

OK, so seems simple enough, right, so why did it take almost 9 months from contract to dig? Two words: Setback Variance. We live in the city of Atlanta, and in our district the minimum set back from the lot line is 7 feet.Well,  the layout of the backyard made it pretty much impossible to start the pool 7+ feet from our lot-line without stepping right into it from our back steps. In addition the existing fence + old house foundation (our patio) were already over that set-back and kind of pre-determined where the pool needed to be. Sooooo we applied for a set-back variance, i.e. permission to have an exception made so that we could place the pool where we needed/wanted it to go. This process consisted of presenting and getting approval from:

• Neighborhood Association
• NPU (had to do this one twice)
• City of Atlanta Zoning Board down at City Hall. 

We were also encouraged to get neighbor signatures. Phew, It makes me exhausted just thinking about it. But, we got through it and were awarded the variance approval. This was first week of May. Since then, we have been going through the regular permitting process which required nothing of us, but did take time. Finally, about two weeks ago we were given our "dig day" and last Tuesday the bulldozers showed up and got busy.

By the end of day one the hole was dug and Croix could not of been more excited to watch the "machines" do all that work.

Now that things have started we are rolling right along. The guys were out for 3 straight days and now we have the plumbing run, the re bar is in and the pool equipment is hooked up! It's really starting to look like a pool and we couldn't be more excited!

The lead time is around 8 weeks, so I will keep you all updated as things continue to progress. Through this process we will also be finishing off the Outdoor Kitchen (finally!!) + re-landscaping the back yard. The vision - a modern English garden, but more on that later...

All photos are my own. 

DIY Bunk Beds

What. a. whirlwind. weekend. 

In 3 1/2 days, 3 guys built-out and trimmed THIS:

For those of you that missed last weeks post, we have been planning out the transformation of our very large upstairs guest room into a cool and functional big boy room/playroom for Croix for months, and over the last 3 days a large part of that dream became a reality. 

Here is the official "before" shot of the future site of the bunks:

We taped out the location of the bunk beds, stairs and the fort. Croix was making sure the tape was in the right place on construction day!

Things got started on Thursday when Brent's Dad and Laura rolled into town. The guys reviewed, tweaked, analyzed and finalized the plan and then headed to Home Depot to load up on supplies. 

Once home, step one was covering the window. Initially we had hoped to keep the window, but it was just going to fall at a really awkward place, so we decided to cover it. From the outside the window looks just as it did, but from the inside, you would never know it existed. After that it was time to set the columns (2, 2x4s) against the left wall. These columns were especially important because they set the stage for the stability and overall layout of the bunks. The stud locations were really important here because the guys planned to anchor the columns to the studs for optimal stabilization.  So, the base was increased in depth 9" to catch the stud. This 9" space would allow us to create a lip along the front + a small ledge at the back for glasses, phone, cup of water, etc...

Next, they got started on the frames for the mattresses. The plan was to create Queen size bunks because A.) the room could handle this size, B.) we already had these mattresses and C.) we wanted bigger beds to give our home additional guest bed options when family or friends were in town. 

With the bottom mattress frame in place they installed the columns on the right side which were constructed of 2, 2x6s. These columns are bigger because more stability was needed since they would be free-floating in the space, not anchored to the wall. Remember, ability to anchor to the wall is dependent on stud location.

Electrical work was next. The guys tapped off an existing outlet to add an outlet, switch and sconce light for each bunk. 

With the framing of the skeleton up and the electrical in place it was time to start putting up the paneling. 

Croix and Gates were inspecting the paneling work on the bottom bunk, making sure everything was secure :)

Meanwhile, up top a small design change was made. At the end of the first day we had decided not to move forward with the fort. Not only was this portion of the bunk going to protrude into the space (left to right) more than we'd like but we realized the depth was going to be an issue because of the ceiling fan. In addition, Croix would definitely be able to stand atop it right now as a 2 year old, but it wouldn't be long before he would be too tall. We considered lowering the fort platform, but that would end up making the space underneath too short sooner rather than later, so we decided to just nix the whole thing. Because of this, the vertical boards going to the ceiling (look back, 2 photos before) could be cut down to make for a more open vibe.

Below is a shot that sums up Saturday....two guys working on top to cut down the verticals and two guys working down below on paneling. If we could have a house full of willing workers with every project we would be unstoppable! :)

Oh, I forgot the other guy that was around for all the action all weekend long - The Croix!

With the verticals cut down and the paneling up it was time to get the top rail installed. We added that vertical in the center so the rail would be stable, but I really like the craftsman look it brings to the whole piece. The tiny platform you see in the photo below is the landing for the stairs!

Next, came the most technical, pain-in-the-butt portion of the project....THE STAIRS. Oh the math, just typing about it makes my head hurt but here we go.... We couldn't use the standard pre-cut stairs that Home Depot offers because we had a fixed height (rise) and depth (run) that we had to achieve in order to hit the landing and ultimately the upper platform to enter the bed.  We knew we wanted a 2' platform at the top so we started from there.  We had to build the platform an extra 6"" deep to get past the column at the wall.  This left us with approximately 39" to get 5 steps up to the platform with one last step from the platform into the bed.  The steps wound up being approximately 8.5" high (rise) and approximately 8" deep (run).  The frames for the stairs were cut into a 2x10 board using precision cuts from expert craftsmen Bruce and Phillip Shearer.  

This was by far my favorite part of the project - does it get cuter than mini stairs?! 

Initially, the plan was to panel the side of the stairs, leaving only the small section against the wall for a little door. But the more we looked at it, we realized, covering up the small area right under the stairs was a missed opportunity for more storage and more charm, so....

We kept it! We will either leave it open or maybe add a little shelf inside for books/baskets.

The stairs were the last major construction element, so once those were in, the only thing left to do was to add the finishing boards over everything. This material is what gives the boards a nice smooth look - all ready to paint. The majority of this step went down on Sunday morning and by Sunday at lunch time, things were looking like this....

Talk about a labor of love! So many people took time out of their weekend to come and help us/cheer us on and we are SO happy with the results. Croix LOVES it and goes up and down the stairs over and over again. He's so excited!

Obviously we still have to sand, paint, add the little door, figure out a rail for the stairs, install lights, etc., etc. but for now we are relishing in the fact that THIS awesome beast is upstairs, only weeks away from being ready for Croix to move in! 

All photos are my own. 

Bunk Room Intro

We are in the finishing stages of the bath remodel, you know, the stage where I agonize for days/weeks/months (please no) over the final details. While we work on bringing that all together, we have simultaneously moved on to the bunk room aka Croix's Big Boy Room!

Before we get into the plan and progress so far, let me give you a little back story on the space. 

You may remember the bedroom sits right outside the bathroom, and served as our work zone for all things tile cutting, wood chopping and staging for that project.

But before it became our work zone it served as a guest bedroom. 

A guest bedroom with two queen beds. Yes, the room is big. When the people did the remodel/addition to this house back in 2007 they split the entire second floor between the master suite and this bedroom. So, yeah it’s a big room for a little boy which is why we plan to turn this space into a bunk room/playroom for Croix + sibling(s).

So, here is our proper Before, empty and as it was the day we moved in.

The space was one of only 3 areas left with carpet. When we moved in the entire upstairs had carpet, but we had hardwoods installed in the upstairs hallway and our bedroom before moving in. So, this room + our closets were the only carpeted areas that remained. Until now that is....

Step one of this project was to remove the carpet and have hardwoods put down. We went with 5” white oak that we got from Floor & Decor. We bought hardwoods from them back in 2015 as well but went with 3 1/2” boards that time around, that size was unavailable this time, but we figured as long as all was stained the same color, it didn’t matter if the width changed in a bedroom. We had a small bundle of the 3 1/2” boards left from last time so we decided we wanted to add a “Herringbone Rug” in the little hallway within the bedroom.

It’s a small little detail, at only roughly 24” wide x 48” long, but we knew it would be a great little feature to greet you as you walk through the space. The installers weren’t thrilled to execute this idea, but they made it happen and we really love the way it turned out.

It’s amazing what a difference the hardwoods make. The room already has white-ish walls and gets GREAT natural light with 5 windows in the bedroom 1 in the closet, so the hardwoods were just the icing on the cake for an awesome backdrop to built-out Croix’s new room. 

Next up....the bunks!! We have been scheming for this part of the project for months and we're really excited for the concept. Brent drew out the whole thing on Sketch-Up (his skills know no bounds). 

Here is a sneak peek of our final plan...

We have enlisted help from our Dad’s and Brent’s brother Phillip, so hopefully by this time next weekend this portion will be done!

All photos are my own.

Countertops - Croix's Bath Part 5

Thank you for all your kind words on Baby Shearer #2! Now, to finish this bathroom project so we can move on to Croix's big boy room. His nursery is going to be needed before we know it! :)

Today, let's talk countertops.

The countertops are FINALLY selected and INSTALLED and we couldn't be happier.

There is always that one element that seems to drive you crazy in a project and for us it was the countertops. I think there were several reasons why, the first being this was one of very few things that we could not DIY. We knew we would have to pay for the material and the fabrication, which was fine, but at the end of the day this is a bathroom for a 2 year old, so we really wanted to be mindful of a selection that was pretty, but also affordable. 

We checked out several Atlanta countertop companies, but were somewhat discouraged by the pricing we received. Ugh over $1k for a countertop just irked me. So, we continued on with the project, and just figured things would work themselves out. Well, as you saw in our last update post we eventually got to a place where progress wasn't really possible without countertops, so we got serious about making a decision. Around the same time I was talking with one of my clients about my countertop predicament and she suggested I consider Crowe Countertops, a company in Acworth, Georgia. I had never heard of them, but was hopeful they could be the solution to our little countertop problem.

The next weekend Brent, Croix and I headed up to Acworth to give Crowe Countertops a whirl and the rest is history. From beginning to end we had a great experience. We were welcomed in without an appointment that Saturday morning and had picked out our remnant and paid our deposit in less than 30 minutes. The next Monday we got a call that they could come template the following day between 10 and 2 with a 30 minutes courtesy call. This is where things got really impressive to me. Not only did they call, like they said, but they were literally at my door step exactly 30 minutes later. The templating group was friendly and efficient. A week later I got the call the the tops were ready and they could be out the next day between 9-12 with the same 30 minutes courtesy call. Again, they were right on time and could not of been nicer and more professional.

I know I'm going on and on about the professionals, but doesn't it make such a difference? 

Ok, ok now let's get to the pretty of it all...the actual countertop selection!!

We selected a quartz by VTI and the color name is Pantheon. It's has a white body with little flecks of gray sprinkled throughout.

I love that it's clean and quite and really just kind of blends in. The floors and wall trim bring a lot of personality to the space, so these tops needed to just sit and be pretty and they do just that! Oh and speaking of personality, check out the little step stool I snagged at an Estate Sale yesterday for $8!

All photos are my own.