Walk-Through

The last couple days have been very busy, so I've fallen a little behind (sorry, mom & dad!). I'll start by catching up on what happened yesterday (Thursday, July 9). When I got to the house, I was astounded by the number of trucks parked outside and around the corner. Just about every subcontractor in the stable was on site - plumber, roofer, painter, tiler, electrician, etc. The stucco guys had finished the fireplace, so here's the "after" photo:
The microwave and the pendant light over the sink had been installed.
As had the towel warmer in the master bath. Josh and I have never used a towel warmer before, but our architect insisted we should have one in every bathroom, so we compromised and put one in the master. I'm sure we'll especially appreciate it in the wintertime.
Ian and his crew had installed the tile backsplash in the upstairs bathroom.
And the painters had stained the newel posts and hand railings on the stairs to match the floor.
John and Rob put some oak trim under the landing to cover the transition between the drywall and the wood floors. Rob actually nailed this up without a ladder -- he was able to reach it from the stairs below. (Did I mention he's freakishly tall?)
John also added some oak trim above the tile on the stair risers. I think he's finally reached a point where he can see the light at the end of the long, winding tunnel of working on these stairs. Ian and I discussed grout options for the stair tile, and decided to go with white, since all but the top and bottom tiles in this photo have white on the edges.
When I left, Ian's friend Seann was prepping the kitchen to install the tile backsplash.
Rob suggested that Josh and I do a walk-through of the house that evening and create a punch list of items that still needed to be completed or fixed. Marta, our architect, had called us the night before to let us know she was back from her vacation, so we asked her to join us. We thought it would be helpful to have another pair of eyes, especially if they belonged to someone who was as detail-oriented and familiar with the project as she is.

Marta and her husband Amalio met us at the house at 6:30, and we found Seann and Juan just finishing up the kitchen backsplash. We spent some time debating how high the tile should go on the wall next to the island, and then let them finish while we worked on the list. I'm glad we had Marta and Amalio come over, as we were able to delegate tasks -- I took notes, Amalio checked all the windows, Josh and Marta marked trouble spots with blue tape. Afterwards we all went out for Indian food and then I typed up our notes for SAI.