River House Diary

How not to make friends with your neighbors! Duke Progress Energy was digging a trench to bury the power line from the pole to the house and severed our neighbor’s irrigation system. Damaged irrigation pipe; personal collection

Since the lot slopes down to the river the screen porch steps are more complicated than the steps to the front porch. We decided to have a landing instead of a straight flight and have the steps from the landing to the ground descend parallel to the porch. That way, if we add a patio later, the steps won’t end in the middle of the patio, splitting it in two. Screen porch steps; personal collection From the screen porch; personal collection

We met with the landscaper Friday. That’s good news and bad news. The good news is thinking about landscaping means we’re near the end of the construction process. The bad news is the slope of the lot means there will be more costs associated with landscaping that are not in the contract. We’ve pretty much decided we need a retaining wall and the landscaper agreed. And we might as well build it now while we’re a construction zone rather tear things up later. So our mission Monday was to decide on pavers for the front walk and back patio and material to use to build a retaining wall. Belgard was recommended as they pretty much own the market down here. We learned we’re pretty open style wise, though everyone is suggesting Cambridge or Dublin Cobble based on the style of our house, but we think Savannah is the color. Belgard Dublin Cobble in Savannah; personal collection It’s more tan than I expected but has a bit of blue in the stone. It wasn’t the color I thought we’d choose

They built the steps to the front porch yesterday. This is when choosing a brick clad foundation instead of stucco would have made deciding how to design the steps much easier. I’m not convinced I like the simple wood steps but will wait and see. Front steps; personal collection

Neither the county or the water company, who owns the sewer line, knew exactly where it was, which made tapping into It an interesting proposition. Our contractor was afraid it was so far under the road, digging to it may collapse the road — something none of us wanted! But they finally found it and were able to successfully connect our sewer collection box to the main line. The water company that provides sewer service to our community is privately owned and they have been “interesting” to deal with — not knowing where the sewer main was located or even its size were just additional examples of their casual attitude toward customer service. Digging for the sewer main; personal collection

The painters spent last week prepping the interior for paint. I can't wait to see what it will look after they are finished. Now, if I could only decide on the stain color for the tongue-and-groove ceilings. Kitchen prepped for paint; personal collection Great room prepped for paint; personal collection

Today the trim carpenters were installing the beams on the Great Room ceiling. Great Room beams; personal collection They will be stained using two coats of Minwax Simply White, which are the two boards on the left. A clear stain is on the far right and Pickled Oak is next. Stain options; personal collection

Friday the pantry countertop was installed and Monday the backsplash tile was laid. This is going to be a great room to handwash dishes. Pantry countertop and backsplash tile; personal collection

It's hard to describe how much a couple of coats of paint changes a house. I am loving our exterior. River view elevation; personal collection

We’ve had temporary electricity service at River House for months, but we are at the stage where the electricians are prepping for the final service to be installed. The power company requireD a meter base and one was installed yesterday. Meter base; courtesy of Austin Bayliss It didn’t look like much from the outside, but on the inside, it looked downright dangerous — wires everywhere! Meter base; personal collection

Yesterday, the trim carpenters moved upstairs and started work on Pete’s desk — built-in shelves and a work surface. He’ll have a great view of the river. And I’m not minding my window mistake as much as I thought I would. Beginning of Pete’s desk; personal collection

The fireplace mantel was installed a few days ago. It will be stained espresso to match the shelves in the cabinets beside the fireplace. I just love the tile! Fireplace mantel; personal collection

The trim carpenters, cabinetmaker and tile installers are are still finishing up their work inside, but the painters began working on the exterior Thursday. It’s amazing how a little white paint can change the appearance of a house. Front elevation after the garage wing had been painted; personal collection

Yesterday, Pete and I walked to the Beaufort Historic Site to browse in the Mattie King Davis gallery. These little terns had such personality, they came home with us. Tern Around, an oil painting by Bunny Matthews; courtesy of Bunny Matthews Fine Art

Pete and I had a glimpse of our waves earlier in the construction process when we approved them. Now they have been sanded, painted, installed and trimmed — install complete. Waves appliqué on the kitchen vent hood; personal collection

The replacement countertops for the Laundry Room arrived a couple of days ago. They haven’t been installed yet but what an improvement over “drama marble.” This is WilsonArt Hebron White. The website says it has the look of “soft Jerusalem stone ... with sophisticated movement and detail in a range of warm cream tones.” Yeah, right. Replacement laminate countertops for laundry room; personal collection