March 9-15 - Siding, Cabinets, Trim, Interior Paint, Porch

March 15 - Lots Happening!

We were away for a few days and came home to find the drywall completed, a primer coat of paint, a second coat of paint, stairway railings, wall trim, kitchen cabinets, and even the siding all completed or partially underway. I'm sure there's plenty more to do, but it's definitely starting to feel like it's almost done.

I'm not sure how others experience this phase, but for me, every time something new is started, I find my self being very happy with our decisions during the original specification stage. Little things, like the balusters on the stairs and the oak finish on the stairs just look so great when you see them installed. Of course big things, like the great room extension, the morning room, and the bonus room are awesome as well. However, I'd have to say the most significant option we selected on this model is the alternate kitchen layout. By moving the pantry into the side hallway, a lot of extra room is created in the kitchen - for additional counter space and cabinets. Also, the master bedroom is larger, as is the laundry room and the arrival center, which includes a coat closet. If I could only get one major option, that would be it.

Here's some photos. More to come soon!

The Winterbrook is an interesting model. It feels much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. The layout certainly has a lot to do with it. I think the design makes great use of interior space to achieve that effect. The interior hallways don't take up much space, and with the open design, the dining room, foyer, and stairways blend together to for a larger space than any of them would be by themselves. The great room/kitchen/dining area/morning room combination is also a killer in that it's not boxy and provides some definition to each area while also sharing floorspace to create a feeling of a large space. We walked into a few of the Somerset View models, which are larger and more expensive, and the contrast is kind of striking. The SV has a large rectangular area for the kitchen/dining/great room, and it doesn't achieve the same effect. From the outside, the Winterbrook looks noticeably smaller than the SV models (of the 5 houses under construction right now, 4 are SV models). However, the full front porch elevation, which isn't finished yet, will go a long way to making the house looks plenty large and attractive.   I'd recommend making sure you look at a Winterbrook before making a decision. We're really glad we go it!