James Hardie Siding is now on!!

Ok, so now our new James Hardie fiber cement siding is on!! Woot Woot! Now this is just primed. It still needs a fab paint job, but the hubby and I are thinking we like the color that it is already! It reminds me of a cedar shake color or a Belgian light wood effect especially with the white trim. Anyway, we like a light tan color! I love too that it is a wider plank than the old vinyl siding you see. So, I was just pleasantly surprised when I saw it all up. It gave it that western ranch house feel that I wanted. It looks like wood planks to me anyway! Love it!

Now, our next issue is the columns for the porch. I am wanting a rustic wood post with a stone base. We really want to put emphasis on the gable over the front door. The gable over the garage came out larger than we wanted, so we are thinking of beefing up the posts on the front entrance and scaling back on the ones for the garage gable. (The posts that are up there now are just temporary ones!) We had a problem in our other house with people walking into the house from the garage! I hated that. They walked right into my laundry room where I always seemed to have piles of laundry lying around. (Isn't that what a laundry room is for? Just not one that comes right off a garage and into your kitchen I guess!)

So, we really want to make the front door a feature area so people will be led right up to it. Here are some posts I am inspired by. Sorry I don't remember where I got the pics from as I have looked through thousands! We'll see what our builder thinks and our budget! ;)

Lighting Inspiration

Lighting is something we have had to start thinking about for the new house. We already have recessed lighting put in on the porch. I think we will really like having the porch lit up since it is a big ole front porch. I like some of the pendants I found in the Sundance catalog. Sure wish I had the budget for it though:( But you know me. I can take a pic and find it for less. I love me a bargain. So, that is kind of what I do and would say a lot of us do! I have a ton of inspiration pics that I take and make into my own.

We are using Menards, which is a big box do it yourself store if you're not from the Midwest, to get a lot of our supplies. They have good prices and some of the stuff isn't half bad. Now, there are some things that we are going to get custom made. I can't wait to put those special little one of a kind touches on the house.

Along with the recessed lighting for the outdoors I am trying to go with a lantern look for the lights by the doors. I liked some of these from Menards. They will also go by the garage doors.

I am thinking of the pendants for above my kitchen island, but we have an angled island that seems a little awkward right now to decide until it is actually installed.

I also love chandeliers. I am trying to find the perfect one to go over my tub in the master bathroom. Can't wait to soak in the tub with the chandy on dim and candle lights aglow.... Ooooh sorry I was daydreaming there for a second;) I am also searching for a unique not so spendy antler chandy for our living room. That one may take some hunting. No pun intended! lol I don't want a ton of hunting paraphernalia going on but I do have an amazing cow hide rug that would love to have an antler chandy hanging above it.

So, we'll see what we come up with. I can't wait to share with you our staircase project. Crossing my fingers that we can get it done. Will let ya know as soon as I find out. Stay tuned....

Images: 1. Sundance 2. Mothology 3. LampsUSA 4. Progress Lighting 5,6 & 7. Menards