Week #2

We have a foundation!  Do not built houses seem smaller for some reason?  Because when we walk around the space that will be the house it feels tiny.  How can 3200 square feet be tiny?  Maybe it's just because it's dwarfed by all the other even enormouser houses in the neighborhood.

This whole building a house thing has confirmed my long-standing suspicion that Jerel and I have nothing in common.  At the design appointments where we pick tile, faucets, etc. we both like totally different things.  It comes down to this:  I'd like a house just like this one:  Isn't it lovely?  It's so happy and cheerful and unique and quaint and all of those wonderful things.  It seems like your children would have no choice but to grow up to be darling, charming little tykes.

Jerel, on the other hand, would like something more like this:  Think Utah Parade of Homes or something like that.  He loves the stonework, the granite, the archways, etc.  I don't think any of those things would enhance the charmingness of my children.

Compromise is not a strong point for us either.  It's worked better to just divide up the decisions.  For example, Jerel gets to pick everything for the kitchen (because he cooks) but I retain veto power in case he selects something I can't live with.  (I am being SO agreeable.  I even okayed having a gas cooktop even though I just know it will leak and we'll all die from the fumes.)  I get to pick the laundry room (because I am the only one who properly does laundry :) )  And I got to pick the millwork (doors, baseboards, etc) which was important to me.  We did come to a standoff when it came to the hardwood floors.  Actually they're laminate.  We hated all the options at the studio, so Jerel got them to bring in some more choices (which they weren't happy about).  In the end I won that one and I'm sooooo glad we won't have oak!