9 Things We Got Right During Construction
Today on the blog, I want to share 9 things we got right during construction. We totally re-built our family’s farmhouse, and it was a journey to say the least. You can read more about that here (click here). This April marks two years since we officially moved into the farmhouse, so we’ve had plenty of time to reflect on our decisions and design choices. We know that the farmhouse is our forever home, so there won’t be another build for us in the future… but we often think back on our construction journey and reminisce on the things we would do the same or differently given the chance to go back in time. So here are 9 of the things we would keep the same if we ever had to do it all again…
Custom Designed Floor Plans
We custom designed the layout of our farmhouse based on measurements and the original footprint of “The Old House”. I looked at floor plans for months, maybe years, and never could find exactly what I wanted. If you’re considering this option, price wise it wasn’t a huge difference to draw up our own plans versus buying ready made house plans. Granted, we knew exactly what we wanted, and we were very detailed and thorough in our sketches before submitting them to the architect so we did not have to make any changes.
Double Front Entry Doors
Our double front entry doors have been a blessing for moving in appliances and furniture! For everyday life, we just use the door on the right, and the one on the left is kept locked and stays in place. I love the functionality of having a wider opening, but I also really love the way they look in our home and the entryway!
Large Front Porch – Half Screened / Half Open
“The Old House” had a large front porch that ran all the way across the front of the house. Half of it was screened in, while the other half was open. We decided to keep the half by our kitchen screened in, and it has been the best decision! We use the other side of the porch often, but the screened in side acts as a second living/dining area when the weather is nice. And the kids love playing out here!
Extra Deep Porch Railing
One thing I owe a little credit to our builder for his suggestion to add a wider board to the top of the porch railing. It acts as a mini table. At 7″ deep, it’s spacious enough to hold your drink, a small plate, potted plants, etc. We love this little detail and are so happy we opted to use a wider board on the porch railing!
Interior Wall Insulation
We had the entire house insulated, including interior walls and it helps tremendously with noise from room to room! With hardwood floors throughout, anything that helps with noise is nice to have! It’s not something you see, but it’s something you notice for sure!!
Large Kitchen Island
We love to host friends and family, and so we designed our kitchen layout with lots of big gatherings in mind. The island measures 3’8″ by 8’3″. It’s massive by my standards! When we host thanksgiving or a baby shower for example, this is where all the food goes, and people walk around the island making plates. Alternatively, we have set up food on the stove and the counters on either side of the stove. That leaves the entire island open for seating! The flow is perfect for our space! I know a lot of people put their sink in the island, but I wanted ours to function as a table/buffet so I love having it as one solid piece!!
Putting the Kid’s Bedrooms Upstairs
Our kid’s rooms are upstairs, and I wondered how I would feel about that with them being so young. Especially having the master bedroom downstairs. But it has been a great decision for our family! They’re rooms are so quiet, and they love having their own little space to go and play in.
Handicap Accessible Areas
We made sure to think ahead and plan for the what ifs of the future by designing the downstairs to be wheelchair accessible. Our hallway to the bedroom is extra wide. And we included a walk in shower with a very low profile step and that was large enough to accommodate a shower seat. You never know what could happen in the future, and with this being our forever home we wanted to ensure that we could stay here even as we age and our needs change with time.
All the windows!
Our farmhouse has a total of 26 windows! When our builder saw the plans, he asked if we were sure we wanted so many. What can I say, I love natural light!! I love all our windows and am especially glad we added this one in our laundry room. It really brightens up this space and makes the laundry room a happier place to spend some time in.
I enjoy reflecting back, and wondering “what if” we had to do it all again. And reflecting specifically on these 9 things we got right during construction gives me an even greater sense of appreciation and love for our farmhouse! My plan is to do a follow up post on a few things we would do differently as well, so stay tuned for that! And in the meantime, thanks so much for visiting the blog! I hope this post was helpful and gave you a few ideas for your own home, whether you’re building or renovating!! It means so much to have you here, so thanks hanging out with me and following along…
Love, Brittany
