The last inside project (for quite a while) was finished today, installation of the bookshelves that Russ Harrop built for the office. Two units are over the workbench and one is over the computer desk. As you can tell from the photos, I have room for expansion of books! I'll probably find more in boxes in the garage!
The shelves over the computer desk are high on purpose. I am hopeful to get a new 27" iMac, and I will need the height to accommodate the higher monitor.
The good news is that with the addition of the shelves I was able to unpack 7 boxes today! No boxes are stored in the house. Now, to attack that darned garage full of them!
The entryway is finished! Jim Grant of Grantwood (he built the display case in my office) built a custom alder bench for it so I have a place to take off my shoes and put on slippers (or flip flops in warmer weather). It is way cooler than the folding chair I had borrowed from the shooting range! That goes back tomorrow.
The sun set and I was able to take some kitchen photos this evening.
The south side of the kitchen.
The north side of the kitchen.
The prior post should give you some relationship of the kitchen to the living/dining space.
Here are a few photos of the finished product. The master bath is just too small to photo, and my office is not totally finished yet. These are the main areas.
This is the master bedroom. I ordered a new Pendleton bedspread which just came today.
The dining area adjacent to the living area looking into the kitchen.
The living area from the hallway leading to the bedroom/office areas.
The Energy Trust of Oregon sent me their rating on the house. They rate the average monthly energy consumption at $76/month. Given my first bills were in the winter months, and energy consumption will drop markedly in the Spring/Summer/Fall, I think this rating is very achievable. They list the annual energy savings at $913 when compared to a conventional house built to current code. This is a 34% reduction in energy use. The carbon footprint is estimated to be 34% less than a conventional house as well. While I do not know the total additional cost of the energy efficiency built into the house as much of my additional cost was in upgrades to appliances and finishes such as flooring, cabinets, bathroom fixtures and shower, etc, based on an annual energy savings of $913, I would guess the payback to be somewhere around 10 or 12 years. Again, I am more than pleased with the final result.
The first utility bills came in and I am very pleased. I use natural gas for hot water (on demand system), the clothes dryer, and cooking. For 27 days, the bill was $10.21, and $7 of that was the basic charge. So gas usage was $3.21. The electric bill for 34 days was $109.47. The per day cost worked out to be $3.60. Pretty darned cheap I'm thinking! We'll see how the next several months work out.
The landscaping is finished except for the hydroseeding of the lawn. That will wait until the end of March or first of April depending on the weather. So, when you see dirt in these photos pretend it is grass!
Here is the front of the house. My lot line follows the right edge of the mulch; so, the grass will go into the circular area by the steps.
This is the left side of the back of the lot. It is not that wide; so, it is just a path and mulch with plantings.
This is the right side and back of the lot. The stick you see in the foreground is a Turkish fig tree. The other 2 in the foreground are a plum and pear. Six blueberry bushes are behind the raised beds, and I will plant asparagus there also. Herbs are also planted behind the retaining wall.
This is the back side of the house with the water feature. Once the grass is established, I believe it will be a show stopper! The Harmony Gardens guys did a superior job!
