3/31/08 House update: Home stretch!

[A10CalGal]

8 days to closing!! Rafael drove out to the house today (while I'm sick in bed). The only things left to do are: landscaping, pour concrete stoops for garage man door & back yard sliding door, a few final plumbing fixes, final cleaning, and ?? Take a peek:

 

Our front entrance:

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...100_3586-1.jpg

 

Finished fireplace

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e/100_3571.jpg

 

Wide view of kitchen

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e/100_3581.jpg

 

Kitchen detail

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e/100_3552.jpg

[MikkiStreak]

Hey, curious, are those oak cabinets with a non-oak stain on them? I know you guys made a lot of decisions in the favor of energy efficiency--- are gas stoves considered more energy efficient? I've been wondering about that since crude oil prices keep increasing, but gas has more heat control compared to electric. So I'm wondering which one really is more energy-efficient (gas or oil)?

 

I have kitchen envy. Which is the female version of penis envy. Yours is HUGE!

[A10CalGal]

Thanks Maria! I'm super excited about the kitchen...and I can't wait for Rafael to make our custom island.

 

To answer your questions:

-Cabinets are maple with a "mocha" glaze - they are from Armstrong.

 

-Gas stove: mainly choosen for cooking quality/preference. I hate cooking on electric cook tops. I much prefer the control of gas. I have no idea whether this contributed to our energy star rating or not.

 

-Additional info: all appliances are Kitchen Aid Energy Star appliances. The countertops are Cesarstone Engineered stone in a steel grey color (can't remember exaclty what it's called). The flooring is temporary - we will install hardwood floors, possibly bamboo, as one of our first DIY projects. The cost of hardwood as an upgrade was insane.

 

-Other Energy Star choices we made: Tankless water heater - basically "on demand" hot water!!

Energy Star rated high efficiency heating system.

All light fixtures are fitted with the coil-y light bulbs.

Increased the rating on our blown in insulation.

I know there is more, but that's all I can think of at the moment