The end of Day one...

We are thrilled!!!

The install continues...

We used the wood stove all winter and it was fantastic AND efficient to heat the house. But, we noticed that the area around the hearth was certainly getting more than it's share of abuse. I was worried that stacking the wood (sometimes wet) would scratch the floor and affect the finish.

Mike came up with the idea for a few courses of stone around the hearth, to protect the floor. We did notice times where sparks would fly out. We thought it was a great idea for both looks and safety.

Then, we decided to bring the stone all the way to the front door and to the landing at the bottom of the stairs. Again, that area was constantly getting wet from all the people (and dogs...) it seemed a perfect solution! What do you think???

The beginnings of the slate...

The colors are wild! Make no mistake we love them and think they look great, but we made our selection from one piece on display. It had color to it...but was basically a darkish gray with texture.

Of course it's stone...so what else did we expect? But now, Mike is back to being an artist and making sure each piece "flows". Set-up was not quite as easy as he anticipated!

We really love all the random colors.

Rick finished laying the maple plank flooring...

The bump-out was the final area to be installed.

Of course, there's still all the pegging to be done. Then we need to chisel off all the plugs! And then sand it...and finally put on the gym spar.

Right now all the furniture is stacked in the living room area. We've decided since this room is still empty that this will be the section we finish pegging first, then get the finish on it. Once that's done we can work on pegging and finishing the last half of the living room. Seemed like the smart thing to do rather than move the furniture all around all over again.

I think the bump-out looks wonderful. I can't wait for the furniture to be moved back and we finally have a finished living room!

The deck is finished...

We love it. Rick's been grilling up great dinners and enjoying just sitting out there while our dinners cook.

The dogs are quite happy just to lay down and soak up the sun.
I love to just walk out there and stare at the river!

The deck is wonderful...

We absolutely love it...

The views are fantastic...

It's coming along nicely...

Still working on the floor...

We are going to surround the hearth with a slate floor, which will actually extend to the front door and landing of the stairs.

We just keep moving furniture around. I think doing it in sections actually takes much longer, but so far it's working quite well. Not one paw print to be found in the finish.

The deck is coming along...

Can't wait to use the grill!

We were able to walk on it, but don't feel secure yet without the rails.

We just love the way it wraps around the corner!