Updated Photos

We have our 90-day walk-thru today with John C & Kevin. We'll be glad to see them again. If you've read my blog, you'll know how highly we think of them. Plus, John's a walking thesaurus, so I always learn something new. :-) We only have a few small things to bring to their attention. Nothing earth-shattering.

Now is a good time for some updated photos.

Our basement pub. The stone is the same as our exterior stone. The solid wood bar top was custom designed & finished. Bar stools complete the look, but were removed to showcase the stone work.

This is the eating area. We love the windows. There's a door leading to the back yard where the rug is in the right of the photo.

This isn't an ordinary dining room. I was blessed to receive my parents' hutch & dining room table/chairs. It was originally my Dad's parents' set, so it's been in the family a long time. The hutch dates back to 1889. What's special about this room, besides what resides here, is that Linda had the room designed around the furniture measurements. The hutch fits in its recessed alcove like a glove.

While this isn't the best of photos, it's the only way for you to see the classy design of our main level powder room. During the design process, I told our designer that I didn't want a run-of-the-mill powder room with a back splash & dinky mirror. This is what Kristen D. created. The vertical mosaic tile runs from granite sink-top to the top of the ceiling, as does the mirror. The pendant light fixtures complete the look. When lit, the space is fabulous!

We opted for a room-enlarging ceiling treatment in our master suite. It's painted a soft shade of lt. blue to complement the spice gold walls and other decor in the room.

Linda P., our R&H sales consultant, added extra windows to our master bedroom suite (the house plans as originally drawn only had three). We love them!

IMHO, a tub in the master bath is a waste of space. Our old one only collected dust. Honestly, how in the world does one find time to take a tub bath, especially with kids around. Our walk-in shower is huge, complete with a bench & a generous window for natural light.

This, by far, is one of my most favorite features in our house. A vent?, you say. Not just some ordinary vent. This vent, my friends, is underneath my kitchen sink cabinets. As one who goes barefoot in the house year 'round, it keeps my toes toasty warm in the winter. I'm assuming it'll keep them cool in the summer when the AC is on.

Another favorite feature: the kids lockers in the mudroom. Keeps *everything* in it's place & is the perfect after school dumping ground. A big plus: the kids are actually *trained* to use it. :-)

Hallelujah, We are Closed!!!

Whew! It is with great excitement that I announce yesterday's successful closing! At long last, we are finally able to move in. It's almost hard to believe that we are at the end...which, I s'pose, is also the beginning.

Tony was at our closing, and we had plenty of time for conversation during an unexpected delay. He presented us with a silver suitcase, similar to those used on Deal or No Deal. I took great delight in asking him if he was giving me cash to offset the cost of our new home. Uh, right. He just looked at me and laughed. Rather, it's my own personal tool kit, which will come in handy as I decorate our new house. Or, as DH unwittingly calls it, "putting holes in the wall."

Movers come today. Lots to do. Coffee coffee coffee.

Post #24: What They Say

So, being on the cusp of closing has prompted me to examine our entire experience and compare it to what R&H promotes on their website. We did not choose R&H based on their website, but it will be interesting to see if their ideals & advertising match what we experienced. Thanks to the genius who invented cut-n-paste, we shall begin...

FROM THE WEBSITE:

"As a builder, we work closely with you as a team in designing your new home. We can work with your ideas, or utilize existing plans that we have... the choice is yours! Either way , you're assured of creating a unique home that reflects your individual tastes and needs. That's the Romanelli & Hughes difference!"

This is definitely true. Our experience began the moment we walked into a model in Westerville and talked to the very capable (and tall *smiley face*) Linda. We began our home design with one of their plans, The Genoa. The home's square footage met our needs and the layout fit our family and lifestyle well. We did steer from the beaten path a bit by altering the design. This would not have been successful if it weren't for the genius ideas of our salesperson, Linda. Her ideas were spot-on and we will enjoy her vision for years to come, especially in the master bedroom with its wall of windows overlooking our own little personal forest. It's like a tree house! And, our finished basement is so light & airy because of the many large windows she suggested/designed. In fact, her fingerprints are all over our house! They must've been good because we approved them.

Anyway, this afternoon, I looked at The Genoa's plan as-is and it appears as though we've altered it dramatically. Every nuance of change was welcomed by not only Linda, but the architects (and others behind the scenes that I'm unaware of, perhaps). Our changes/requests were never met with disappointment or negativity.

FROM THE WEBSITE:

"Not only do we use the highest quality products and construction techniques available, we only use the finest craftsmen and subcontractors who have proven themselves as true artisans and take a great deal of pride in helping create a beautiful home. "

We have been so impressed with the quality products and craftsmen/subcontractors who've worked on our home. The jobs they've all done have been simply amazing. You can see how impressed I've been just by reading this blog. Unfortunately, I've probably not mentioned all of them.

We were cheerfully greeted by "workers" (as our 7-year-old calls them) everytime we'd visit our house. Sometimes, work on certain areas would seem to drag. That's not a sign of incompetency or slow work. Rather, that's a sign of doing what it takes to get the job done right the first time. Strong, solid, detailed construction. Inside and out. That's what we're closing on on Friday.

FROM THE WEBSITE:

"We want the home we create for you to be even better than you imagined. We will meet with you frequently at your new home site to make sure that every detail is what you want and where you want it."

Honestly. They did meet with us frequently. Very frequently. And, when we couldn't physically meet, we talked to them via cell phone or email. When you consider the number of times we met/talked/emailed (with John, Linda, Kristen, Kevin), and it was many, we never felt like we were a burden. I'm certain it's very stressful for everyone on the R&H side, but we never felt their stress. Honestly.

FROM THE WEBSITE:

"We have built many "award winning" homes, but this is not our objective. Our objective is to build a home for each person and family that meets their needs and aesthetic preferences. "

Our new home is a direct reflection of our needs as a husband & wife and a family of five. Aesthetically, it's us. It's perfect.

FROM THE WEBSITE:

"Every builder claims to be different. At Romanelli & Hughes we substantiate our words with what we have built and are currently building. "

In the 20 years we've been married, we've owned three homes (well, technically two because the third closes on Friday). Our first home was built by M/I. Our second home was a Tradition home built by Dominion. These two aforementioned builders are reputable central Ohio builders. The experience was OK. The homes were fine.

What we've experienced with R&H has been different. Are all custom home builders like this? I don't know. This is our first experience with such an animal, so I cannot compare. Based on past experiences, this is by far superior. With R&H, we feel like we have the whole company by our side. I've not met Mr. Hughes, but I have met Vince & Tony Romanelli. We've had several conversations with Vince right in front of our new house. That continues to impress me.

FROM THE WEBSITE:

"Complete customer satisfaction is very important to everyone at Romanelli and Hughes Building Company. That is why we facilitate a mutually beneficial and productive association with our homeowners and achieve their optimal satisfaction."

Simply put: we've never heard the word, "no." Our entire experience was made great by the sum of everyone we worked directly with: Linda, Kristen, John, Kevin. I can't say enough about the four of them and can't imagine going through this entire process without them. Then there are the "workers," whom you can read about in earlier posts.

CONCLUSION:

I am not a sappy person and do not recklessly compliment people/things when undeserving. I do not post when emotional. If we encountered a problem, I waited for its resolution before posting, then posted objectionably. I am an optimist.

Our entire family is excited about moving into our new, custom R&H home this weekend. Linda, John, Kristen & Kevin: we can't thank you enough for your professionalism, patience and friendship. You *MADE* this entire process!

Post #23: So Long, Homestead (*sad face*)

This is our temporary home, in R&Hs Homestead at Highland Lakes community. DD7 made herself right at home playing in the sprinklers one summer day. The home is beautiful inside & out, complete with warm faux finishing in the main living areas. It was sad for us to say goodbye to both the home & the community's residents.

Part of the buffet table during The Homestead's Annual Shrimp Bash. This R&H community of residents celebrates everything with a party, and that's fine with us!

We hosted an OSU tailgate party in the parking lot behind the model we live in. Many of the residents came and a great time was had by all.

Much progress has been made as our home enters the final stages of completion. This is an exciting time, when our daily visits reveal hints of the finished product. It's crazy to believe that the move into our new home is just days from now. I must confess, however, that it's with much sadness that we leave this wonderful community!

Our adoptive community, R&Hs The Homestead at Highland Lakes, is PERFECT. We've been living temporarily in the former R&H model here (thank you, Linda, Joyce & Tony!). It's a two-story detached condominium, and it's mentioned in an earlier post. Yes, the neighborhood is beautiful and easy on the eyes, well kempt, & maintenance-free. Our favorite part, however, is not the beautiful homes or the clubhouse & pool. It's the WONDERFUL residents who make up the community. We spent our summer lounging by the pool getting to know everyone (I know -- rough life). Even though a majority of the residents are much older than we (we're in our early 40s), fast friendships were formed and we are truly going to miss everyone. :-(

The highlight of the summer was the 2008 Annual Shrimp Bash on the evening of August 30, held in the clubhouse & poolside. Signifying the end of summer, the party has grown by leaps and bounds. It's a full-fledged southern-style shirmp boil with all the fixins. Tables were set both inside the clubhouse and surrounding the pool. The food was amazing -- everyone pitched in with a dish to share. Conversation was puncuated with laughter. We didn't want the evening to end.

We hosted a community party in September. The model has a parking lot behind it, so we turned the large lot into a true tailgate party on the evening of the OSU/USC game. Too bad OSU lost; we had a great time anyway.

I can only hope that the neighbors in our new community, Mansard Estates, are as easy-going & friendly as those here in The Homestead. Location is everything; good, friendly neighbors seal the deal.

Post #22: Countertops & Landscaping

Granite countertops have been installed. This is the kitchen.

Our custom-designed master bathroom shower.

Our trees & shrubs!

Side view of installed landscaping. My favorites are the "hydrangeas on a stick" that stand guard flanking the driveway. Not a technical term, but it fits their cuteness perfectly.

This is the back wall in our great room. See all those patches? Looks like it took a beating with all the trim that was stored in this room. I'm not showcasing the nicks in the wall. Rather, I'm highlighting the incredible job done by the painter & his team because they found nicks & scratches that we didn't even know existed. That's how good they are.

All of our interior doors have been painted and are lined-up in a row in the MBR. They're flawless.

Post #21: Granite Slab Selection & Staining

The large windows in the great room have been protected with paper, tape & plastic to allow for staining. The beams on the ceiling look amazing, if I do say so myself.

The princess balcony...er, DD7s balcony...is complete with railing, newel post, and balusters.

DHs office looks executive with the beginnings of dark stain.

Granite slabs lined up for approval.

We've been busy with appointments of the past couple of weeks. We've met with the painters (they're great!) to approve stain samples & confirm what color stain goes where. We've met with Phil, the Concrete Guy, who has helped us design our stamped-concrete patio. We went to the granite yard to select & approve our granite slabs. We met with the landscaper once again, who by now, must be really tired of us. Can't leave out the light store appt.

The application of stain in the house has really impressed me. Having refinished several pieces of furniture myself, I can appreciate the skill of the men doing the job. We visit the house daily and talk to Mike, the Stain Guy. Honestly, I'm surprised he's not grown a couple of arms as a result of being around all the fumes.

We have approximately six weeks left!

Post #20: Main Floor Cabinets & Built-Ins

Falling under the category of, "How'd they do that?" this gently curved piece of wood will be the railing for the bowed princess balcony (see photo in Post #16).

View from the front door. The entrance hallway is beautified by the turn-out stairs. DHs office is out of view to the left, followed by the oversized entrance to the dining room. Across the hall from the dining room, on the right, is the powder room, then the mudroom. The kitchen & eating area complete the view.

We are official with a mailbox!

Detail trim inside the crosshatches in the great room ceiling has begun its journey around the large room. It will eventually be stained. The ceiling inside each panel will be painted the trim color: classic ivory. That way, if I ever repaint the great room (I love to paint!), I won' t have to worry about painting the ceiling.

The kitchen as viewed from the great room. Although installed, the cabinets have yet to be trimmed with their fancy details.

Another view of the kitchen from the great room, showing the windowed eating area.

The stained, built-in lockers in the mudroom will solve our kids' drop-it-anywhere habit. Each kid has a dedicated space of their own in which to kick-off shoes, hang coats, dump backpacks, & store instruments. Across from the lockers is a set of cabinets with plenty of electrical outlets for charging personal electronics. It's a mudroom full of solutions that we designed!

The built-ins & double mantle in the great room have been completed. The TV will be mounted above the fireplace. It's gonna be one heck of a room!

This is the main level bar, which is just off the great room. The empty spot on the right is for an ice maker. The glass-front cabinets in the center will house vintage monogrammed stemware I received from my Grandmother via my parents. The raised center cabinets were Linda's idea.

Post #19: Shutters & Cabinets!

The beginnings of our driveway.

We have shutters!

The detailed trim around the great room windows looks great already! All the trim on the floor will make its way throughout the house.

DHs office is looking regal with the completion of interior trim. It will be stained eventually.

In a couple of days, this jumble of cabinets will evolve into my fabulous gourmet kitchen. Don't panic: the walls are not that yellow in real life.

Post #18: Interior Trim: Fabulous!

The entrance to DHs office is highlighted with heavy trim. Inside, the built-ins show great detail.

The oversized entrance to the dining room is made more dramatic with heavy trim, as is the entrance to the kitchen (on the right).

Post #17: Stroking Fur

Primer has made its way to our great room. The cross-hatched beams on the ceiling will eventually be trimmed with wood & stained. The large windows will be completed with grande wood trim and the entire fireplace wall will boast dramatic woodwork, including built-ins on both sides of the fireplace itself. We'll have years of memorable family time in this room.

Could these garage doors be any cooler? The second floor windows you see are our master bathroom (two on right) and my laundry room (one on left).

DHs office is the holding room for all of our doors. As of this post, they've all been installed. They'll be painted Classic Ivory, as will all of the interior trim.

The drywall is complete and has been primed. R&H insists on using a special type of primer - one that contains drywall dust to help aid in the concealment of "raw" drywall (I think I have that correct). I have to admit to being a bit scared when I first saw the color on the walls. It was much more yellow than I remembered our paint selection being (think 1970s harvest gold...all we needed was an avocado-green sink & a disco ball). Came to find out it was just the primer. Whew!

We had a walk-thru with the interior trim guy last week. He definitely knows what he's doing! One of the features that makes an R&H home so unique and special, in my opinion, is the high-quality, dramatic interior trim. There's nothing like it. And, it will really, really make our home special. I love architectural details!

Last week also hosted our lighting consultation. The main-level powder room has a somewhat modern design to it, which is atypical for us, and the three ceiling-hung pendant lights we selected will look fabulous. The 24" wide mirror goes all the way to the ceiling and is flanked by 8" of mosaic tile. Imagine the pendants hanging in that space. Can't wait to see it!

We had a meeting yesterday with Linda, our sales consultant, to finalize some interior trim options. All I have to say is that Romanelli & Hughes is fortunate to have someone like her working for them. Her knowledge is boundless and she treats our home as if it was one of her children.

She is genuinely nice and so easy to get along with. Honestly, she's a genius. She effortlessly seems to know exactly what we want and is full of design ideas, which is very important to us because we're clueless with some of this custom-build stuff. Anyway, with her help and John & Tony's input, we have finalized our dramatic interior trim and couldn't be happier!

While I'm on the subject, I have to compliment Linda some more. While looking through our file a couple of weeks ago, she noticed something that didn't seem right to her. She analyzed the issue for hours on her own time and of her own accord. It's this personal approach that, once again, makes R&H so special. Just knowing that we and our new home are being so well cared for puts us at ease.

Oh, and last week while we were looking at our house, a charming Vince Romanelli pulled-up and started chatting with us. I've mentioned in previous posts how we've met many of the powers-that-be of R&H. This is proof-positive that the owners really care about the homes they build and their homeowners.

Coming next week: cabinet installation!!!

Post #16: We've Got Stone & Drywall!

The exterior stone is complete. Although not shown in this photo, it goes completely around the base of the house. Personally, I think it's beautiful!
Berry bushes in our backyard!
The Princess Balcony, which DD7 has claimed as her own because her room is right next to it, overlooks the two-story entry. That's her bedroom door just to the left of it.
The exterior stone is unique because of its uneven texture & lines.

I've been anxiously awaiting the installation of the exterior stone we selected. I was beginning to forget what it looked like because chose it back in March. As of last night, it is officially installed & complete. I, for one, think it looks fabulous!

Drywall was delivered earlier this week and, with lightening speed, was installed. As of last night, the house is two-thirds of the way along. Seeing the rooms come to life with drywall is exciting.

Post #15: The Exterior Taking Shape

Stucco was applied this week. AND, we officially have a street address with the addition of our number stone. To follow: insulation and drywall!

We had our third and final appointment at the Design Center yesterday. Our designer, Kristen, is wonderful!!! She's guided our choices, made suggestions when we asked for them, and has been so patient with us. After all, there are a million things to select because our home is completely customized.

Two of the choices we made yesterday are really exciting to us: the built-ins in the great room and the basement bar. I'd try to describe them here, but it'd be fruitless. I'll be sure to post pictures upon completion.

A little teaser: the basement bar will feature the stone we're putting on the outside of the house.

Post #14: Tripping Over the Same Branch

While DH & I were at the new house one weeknight evening, we noticed something that didn't look right with the kitchen lighting. The can lights had been roughed-in in what appeared to be the wrong places. We also noticed that the washer & dryer pipes, et al, had been installed in a way that would conflict with my front-load doors.

The next morning, we called John C. to ask him about it. We left a message on his cell phone. Not more than five minutes later, John called me back. He met me at the house 30 minutes after I hung-up the phone with him. Let me translate that: we notified our builder of a problem and it was resolved in less than an hour. I don't think this kind of attention to home owners is normal for other builders. This is just one of the many reasons we know we chose the right builder.

Anyway, his patient & calm demeanor walked me through the issue in the kitchen. As it turns out, the root of the issue is the island's design. A communication gap was also present. The washer & dryer pipes can easily be reversed, John assured me. He said that they'd get everything straightened out. I am confident that they will.

Did I expect our new home's construction to be completed with out a single road block? Absolutely not. What makes a good company great is how it responds to issues and problems. Doesn't matter if the problem is big or small (ours is small, in my opinion). What's important is how quickly and professionally the problem is approached and resolved.

I can't say enough about John C. (construction supervisor), Linda P. (salesperson & logical home designer) & Kristen D. (genius designer). The three of them have worked very hard in a way that seems effortless to make our dream home become a reality. We thoroughly enjoy their personalities and look forward to meetings with them...and will miss them once our home is complete.

Post #13: Happy Hour at the Homestead

Earlier this week, a few people from the neighborhood invited us to a Happy Hour evening in the Clubhouse here at R&Hs Homestead at Highland Lakes community (where we are renting an R&H home until our new one is complete). Of course, we eagerly accepted! Since it was BYOB, I tucked a bottle of sauvignon blanc & a couple of wine glasses in my bag, and off we went.

The clubhouse is within walking distance, and after a short jaunt, we arrived to a full house. We've really enjoyed this community for the past couple of weeks since we moved in. However, we've not officially met anyone up until now. Not only is this community beautiful, but the people who live here are incredible! They are warm & friendly, and everyone seems to know everyone. We immediately felt like a part of the family.

Conversation flowed as easily as the wine, and we had a great time getting to know our neighbors. They're all one big, happy family. I wasted no time in asking how frequently they get together for Happy Hour and was informed that, in addition to Happy Hour, they have wine tastings and a big shrimp boil during Labor Day weekend. Sign us up!

Although we didn't ask, we were told by several people that Romanelli & Hughes builds the best home and that they love the homes they're in (R&H built part of this community). What surprises me, however, is that the Homestead condominium concept is not as popular as I think it should be. They are free-standing condominiums. Meaning, you are living in a single-family home, but the grounds are cared for by someone other than you. It's the best of both worlds! Toss in the clubhouse and pool, and you've got a recipe for success.

My biggest hope for our new house/neighborhood is that we have neighbors exactly like the ones we just met. It was hard leaving our old house, and I can already tell that it will be hard to leave our temporary home.

Post #12: Meeting Day

Partial 3D view of our kitchen. We've tweaked the design a bit since this drawing. As for interior design selections, the island will not look the same as the perimeter of the kitchen.
L to R: 1) Wood floor to be installed in entryway, main hallway, powder room, master bathroom & laundry room. 2) Chestnut cabinets for the perimeter kitchen, mudroom, basement bathroom & laundry room. 3) Light granite for perimeter kitchen & wetbar countertops. 4) Dark granite (small slab w/ white sticker in upper left corner) for island countertop. 5) Kaffe cabinets (piece dark granite is leaning on) for island, powder room & master bathroom cabinetry. 6) Tile for kitchen backsplash & master bathroom shower floor (resting atop light granite). 7) Tiny mosiac tiles (small square) for kitchen backsplash accent...my bling.
Close-up & brighter view of Kaffe cabinets & dark granite for kitchen island.
Close-up of kitchen backsplash/bling accent.
Mudroom cabinets, tile & laminate countertop (the small piece).

Yesterday was a day full of meetings with various people to customize several aspects of our new home.

First was our 8am meeting at the house with Mike V. from Delta Electric. We walked floor by floor, room by room, customizing everything from electrical outlet placement to special lighting needs. I appreciated being able to hide many of the outlets. John C. was there, too, along with Mike's assistant, who dutifully made appropriate marks on exposed studs. They all offered ideas & suggestions, which were welcomed by us. Afterall, we've never built a custom-designed home before and were clueless about different options. For a short while, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who Mike reminded me of. The proverbial light bulb lit and I realized I was talking to a Nicolas Cage look-alike.

One of my favorite lighting options, thanks to a brilliant idea from my Mom, is to light the three stairs that go up to the master bedroom wing using the little lights that light the aisles in a movie theater. I also have the kitchen being wired to be lit like the airport. I don't like to cook in dim spaces. DH says he likes the kitchen bright because he's certain I'll cut myself while chopping if it's dim.

Our next meeting at the house was for low-voltage wiring options. Things like cable & phone outlets were placed where we did (& didn't) desire. We'll have TVs mounted on the walls, so we were able to dictate where the outlets were to eliminate dangling, unsightly cords.

Our final on-location meeting was with the landscaping company. Mark from Ciminello's Landscape Design listened to our patio dreams. He's designing our outdoor living area and the greenspace surrounding it. We had a list of trees/shrubs we want included in the plan, along with DHs long-sought-after outdoor kitchen. We can't wait to see his design!

The afternoon's waning hours were spent at the R&H Design Center with our genius & patient designer, Kristen. We selected many things for my kitchen: granite countertops, backsplash, & wood flooring. We also chose finishes for the MBR/bath & mudroom, laundry room.

One of my favorite things about the new kitchen is the two different colors of cabinets. The island will have a darker cabinet than the perimeter. Same things goes for the granite, which will be darker on the island than on the surrounding counters. I'm also in love with the wood floors, which have an Old World quality to them. The backsplash accent pleases me with it's bling-design quality (I think I've coined a new interior design phrase).

Overall, I couldn't be more excited for my new kitchen and it's interior design! The appointment was so much fun...not to mention a lot of work. I now understand why these types of selections are broken down into several 2 1/2 hour appointments. After a while you are tired of looking at samples and you could get to the point where you begin to carelessly select things just to get it over with.

Next week, we'll finalize cabinet layout (including the basement bar) and meet with Kristen again.

Post #11: Windows & Poured Concrete!

Windows grace the exterior walls of our new home. The concrete truck is pouring the basement floors.

It hardly seems possible that our home is ready for windows. No time was wasted in their installation, either. They have really changed the appearance of the home from a skeleton of timber to a structure that resembles page one of our blueprints.

The basement & garage floors have been poured, too, and DH is already imagining our cars parked in the garage. He only had a minute to enjoy that thought, though, as I reminded him that the third garage will hold DDs car once she turns 16 next summer. His groan echoed off the freshly-poured floor.

Since our new home is not a cookie-cutter home, we have the opportunity to customize everything. Things from HVAC to electric to plumbing (and other things I'm sure I'm missing) will all receive our stamp of approval.

We met with a rep. from Complete Comfort, Troy, a couple of weeks ago. Prior to the meeting, he called me to direct me to the appropriate page on R&Hs BuildLinks website to view possible upgrades, offering his cell phone number should we have questions. Once at the meeting, he walked us through our home and offered suggestions on air conditioning, filtering and all things related to air. He was very trustworthy and I learned more about air and its movement through a home than I ever dreamed existed.

A meeting with the plumber, Bob, was next on the agenda. What a personality he is! Full of humor and a detailed understanding of plumbing, we immediately liked him. He & his assistant guided us through the selection process and we left the showroom excited about our choices, not to mention giggling. We especially enjoyed talking to Bob about the new toilets that eagerly accept & flush, without overflowing or clogging, buckets of golf balls and, "anything your teenage kids throw at it." Bob made talking about toilets a hilarious event. Needless to say, our home will proudly boast these turbo toilets. Perhaps I shall post a review of them when appropriate.

We are learning that R&H associates themselves with great people, not only in the office, but out in the field, as we are constantly impressed with the integrity & personalities of everyone we've met so far.

An eagerly anticipated appointment at the JAE Company for cabinetry furthered the customization process. Rod guided us through the forest of cabinetry wood options, proposing ideas and advice. A great piece of advice was to not put all of our money into the cabinet itself. Rather, sink it into decorative accessories that will take the kitchen from ordinary to extraordinary. While advice like this may seem obvious, when you're lost in the backwoods of decision-making for your dream kitchen, it's most welcome.

Since our first meeting with Rod, we've met once again to tweak his design to the next level. I had been struggling with where to place my new kitchen appliances, and he proposed a great idea that solved my dilemma. I'll post more details later once the kitchen cabinets have been installed -- that will make the explanation easier.

On the horizon: a meeting at the new house with the landscaper; another meeting with John, the construction supervisor for the electrical rough walk-thru; a fun afternoon at the R&H Design Center, hosted by Kristen, our Design Coordinator.

Post #10: R&H Open House

The weekend we moved also happened to be an open house weekend for Romanelli & Hughes Homes. And, conveniently, it was just around the corner from us at the new Villas at Walnut Grove community.

Walking into an R&H model home is an experience! The fine craftsmanship is only matched by the exquisite interior design. It was here that we had the opportunity to meet another Romanelli, Tony. We've built with two other larger home builders in the central Ohio area and have never met the owners of those companies. With R&H, we feel like we're part of the family because we've actually met the family. How cool is that?!?

Speaking of meeting people, we met Alan, who is one of the illustrious interior designers for R&H. This happened just prior to the open house at the Mansard Estates model where he was working on the finishing touches. What a treat that was for me! I struck-up a conversation with him and eagerly asked him where he shops for accessories. I can't wait to visit some of his sources.

Post #9: Walls & a Roof

Materials for our roof.

The view from our backyard. DH & DD15 are leaning against the basement, which is highlighted by lots of floor-to-ceiling windows.

Our new home continues to take shape at an impressively fast rate. Walls have found their way up to the second floor and we can feel & experience individual rooms as the interior walls are erected into position.

The rooms we carefully designed are actually coming to fruition right before our eyes. How neat it is to walk into the house through the front door (at least, what will eventually be the front door), and see the beginnings of the staircase I designed, with its dramatic first few steps angled outward; see DHs office and envision the built-ins that will be the perfect backdrop to his executive desk.

The dining room boasts the beginnings of the bump-out that was specially designed for my parent's antique mahogany dining set. I can see myself cleaning the kitchen at the corner sink, flanked by two large windows.

Looking toward the family room, I'm able to envision the crosshatched ceiling and large windows: both custom-designed and things we'll love for years to come.

Post #8: Moving

Moving day has arrived!

My parents (& me), who fixed us a fabulous & well-needed meal on moving day. We were exhausted and really appreciated their thoughtfulness. The new kitchen has officially been broken-in.

Moving day arrived faster than we were ready for. We were prepared as far as packing was concerned. It was the emotional factor that caught us by surprise.

Sunday, May 18th dawned cloudy, gloomy and chilly. We awoke to an early alarm and hit the floor running. Leader Moving & Storage was due to arrive between 8 & 9am and we all needed to be ready for them. As the hour hand finished its climb to the eight o'clock hour, the skies cleared and the sun began to shine brightly. It was a surprise to see the sun, because all morning long the weather forecasters had predicted a rainy, chilly day. They were wrong.

The movers arrived on time and we greeted them outside. After we moved our vehicles, they backed one of their two trucks into our driveway. It was at that moment the reality of moving hit me. It hit me hard. The only moisture falling at that point were the tears from my eyes. We love our house, and it's so hard to move out and say goodbye.

The crew of three movers worked efficiently, carefully and quickly to transfer our furniture and large electronics from the house to their truck. I was really impressed (and surprised) with their work ethic. The house emptied, the truck filled. At last, both trucks were full of our possessions and they were ready to follow us to our new, temporary home, just a few miles north of our now-to-be-called, "old home."

Our caravan arrived, and the able movers reversed their procedure and unloaded everything. I directed their movements and placements, sending most of our stuff to the basement for storage. Lunchtime came, and DH brought home a few pizzas to share with the movers. We also shared with the cable guy, who hooked up cable for our TVs and Internet service. By 2:15pm, we were officially moved in.

Fortunately for us, my parents, who know how tiring and exhausting moving is (we moved frequently as a family), cooked us a well-needed and delicious dinner. They arrived at our new home early in the evening, added the finishing touches to the meal they'd prepared at their own home, and we all sat down for one of the best meals we've ever eaten. To top it off, they cleaned the kitchen. We are blessed.

The home we are renting is a former R&H model, and it's located in a most perfect area. The community is lovely and we are fortunate to be able to use its pool during the summer. The walls inside the model are faux finished in a calming, warm color and the house already feels like home.

Post #7: Framing!

The exterior walls of our new home. This is the front of the house.
An interior view, looking at the back of the house. The great room and its 11-foot ceilings are easily visible (on the right). The window cut-outs frame our wooded view beautifully. To the left of the great room is the windowed breakfast area.
Views from the great room & breakfast area.
Every time we visit our home, little DD6 constructs a home of her own for the workers to see the following morning. If there's scrap wood around, she finds it. We do, however, make sure she doesn't find discarded nails to step on.

It's so exciting to see the house start to take shape. Framing began with the beginnings of our first floor and, as of yesterday, has found itself up to the second floor. It's also fun to see the the early formation of the interior walls, studs echoing the drawn lines on our blueprints (the large blueprints :-)).

We continue to drive by on an almost daily basis. The lovely temporary home we're moving into this weekend is even closer to our new home, so we'll be able to cruise by even more.

Our temporary home will house us for approximately four months. To further prove how family-like R&H is, upon hearing that our current home sold so fast (have I mentioned that our Realtors, Murphy & Associates Real Estate, sold our house in FOUR days?!?), Linda & Joyce worked hard to secure us a vacant, existing R&H property to move into while we wait for our new one to be completed.

The home is approximately the same size as what we moved from and it oozes R&H quality and style. The community is quaint and safe, and even has a swimming pool that we can use. What's not to like?!? Anyway, we realize it's not R&Hs responsibility to take care of us like this. It's just one of the things that proves we made the right choice.