Blank Canvas - July 2012

One thing about builder homes, they are like cookie cutters. Depending on the models, they all look alike.

Finished Front Facade

We knew when we were choosing the materials for the interiors that we would stay with the standards on majority of the finishes and choose our upgrades wisely. We were on a tight budget, so we already thought of areas will would update.  Fortunately, the kitchen comes with two choices of granite colors -- beige and greenish black uba-tuba-- that are standard for this community. We chose the uba-tuba because we have had a bad experience with the lighter beige granite with staining. Also, the greenish black looks sleeker, even with the espresso colored wood cabinets. We opted to upgrade the appliances to stainless steel. We could have kept it black had it been the standard as what the salesperson stated originally, but at the design showroom, they told us that the white appliances are the standard not the black. So, since we were paying extras whether we choose the black or stainless steel, we opted for the latter and paid a couple of hundred dollars more than the black, totaling $600 additional upgrade costs. It was a great choice that we know can help sell the home should we decide to in the future.

Kitchen

 As for the floors, we stayed with the builder's standard beige carpets and beige 12" x 12" ceramic tiles for the kitchen, entryway, laundry, and bathrooms. We had to pay extra to put tiles in the secondary bathroom, powder room, and laundry area, which would have been in linoleum. The choices were pretty decent. We chose the tiles that had some grayish design on them to compliment the cabinets and counters.

Loft

The loft near the stairway is bright and airy. We plan to use it as an entertainment/game room. As you can see from the photo, the railings are basic wood painted in white; however, the top of the spindles matched the standard espresso cabinets.

Dining Room

There is no separate formal dining room, which is okay. The "not-so-formal" living and dining rooms are combined. You walked into this combo as soon as you enter the front door.

Family Room

There is a separate family room that has a corner fireplace. The surround is made of tiles that match the floor tiles.

All the four bedrooms, full bathrooms, and laundry room are upstairs. My daughter is using the second bedroom, which is closest to the master bedroom.  I am using the 3rd bedroom as my home office. Right now, the 4th bedroom is a "storage" room. I plan to turn it into a hobby room. There is a powder room downstairs near the dining room, right off the garage side door.

The house is a blank canvas, waiting to be decorated when we first moved in. On my next post is how it looks like right now!