DEMOLITION DAYS!

The long awaited day came... and, as luck would have it, I was away, seeing colleges with my son.  Of course!  Fortunately, my project manager from COASTAL Construction, Jason, was able and willing to take photos and some drone footage to memorialize the big event.  We closed in October on the home, so this felt like a long time in the making.  

What I have learned is that the town/city hall moves at their own pace and you can never anticipate an exact date on which permits will be issued.  What I now know is that they permit things in stages, or at least that is how it worked in Westport.  The first permit was demolition which, in our case due to the age of the home, required approval from the historical commission first.  The holidays were not our friend in this and therefore, it took longer than expected.  Once that is obtained, the remaining documents are circulated through the other departments. As we are on city sewer, we didn't need to get through the septic phase but we did have existing "equipment" in the ground that needed to be dug up and then approved before we could do anything.  That went well and we moved along. Next up, in order to begin excavating, we need the get the Zoning sign off and in order to start to frame and really build the home, we need structural approval and there, we will have it- the FINAL BUILDING PERMIT!  

While we wait for the remaining approvals, we are focused on making some kitchen and bar decisions so that we can move on to the appliance selections.  Our designer, Fiona Leonard is having her draftsman do the interior elevations so we can visualize where things will go.  As part of the exercise, I have a list of what "zones" I have in my current kitchen so I know what items I need to have space for in the new one.  I love organization and am exciting for all of the ways I can make space in a smaller area.  I am trying to remind myself that when downsizing and having an empty nest will mean I will be using the same things on repeat and should be realistic about just how much room in actually need for these items.  Anyone have tips for me???  

Once this layout is complete, we will have to choose appliances.  We are planning to have a small bar off of the kitchen a slightly larger one in the lower level as it will walk out to the backyard and pool so it'll get used quite a bit.  We are trying to decide where we need wine storage, if we need an ice maker in both areas, should we add a filtered water/seltzer maker, are beverage drawers a good choice or does under counter refrigerator give more flexibility?  I am also wondering if it is strange to get these appliances from different manufacturers as it doesn't seem like any one company makes exactly what we would want.  Again, open to anyone's thoughts or experience!  

It's getting closer to build time so the fun is around the corner!  Bring it on!!!!