We have a fireplace! The unit itself is 48 x 26, so we decided to make the overall width 8' and keep it the same width all the way up to the ceiling. It will be centered between the window trim on the right and the wall on the left. The two ceiling beams hit it evenly up top. It took some thought and planning to get this to work, but we really like how it looks so far.
The angle braces are in on the back porch. There were supposed to be wagon wheel/sunburst angles coming out up top. The problem was if we use 10x10's to match the center post, they'd be wider than the 6x material they run into at the top. We could use 6x10's instead, but they'd be narrower at the bottom and look smaller than the center post. After a phone call and discussion, we decided to cut them altogether and leave it plain. It's simple and beautiful as-is.
There's roof sheeting over the upstairs hallway and they've finished tying some rooflines together.
The great news is the builder thinks we'll be able to keep rolling with electrical, hvac, and plumbing so we won't lose a month while we wait for windows! But that means the exterior lighting plan and vent register layout were added to our list of "homework". And choosing interior door styles and finishes, selecting a fireplace mantel, and designing the exterior fireplace shape were already on our homework list. We aren't sure how we ever built a house ourselves because making selections and decisions feels like a lot right now and we aren't even doing the work. We did get one item scratched off the list today...we chose the stone veneer that will be used on the post bases, fireplaces, and exterior accent walls. Jeremy asked the guy at Marenakos who was pressure washing nearby if he'd spray the stone so we could see what it looked like when wet. 🙂
