When you build a house, there are always things that you wish you would have done differently. In our previous houses, there have been major things that drove us a little crazy, but in this house, there are only a few minor things. So for this post, instead of focusing on the negative, I want to point out a few things that I’m so glad we did, and would most definitely do again in a new home. These aren’t the only things, but these three are at the top of the list.
Black/Dark Windows
When we built a few years ago, black windows were not being used at all in our area. Our building supplier even thought we were a little crazy for using them, and prices were high because they were more of a special order item, especially since we were doing black on the inside as well.
This made us doubt our decision a little, but we stuck to our guns and went with black anyway, and I’m so glad we did!
What I love about black windows is the contrast it creates with our white walls. They act as a focal point in a room, especially when you have a pretty view through the window. Because of this, I haven’t felt the need to hang any wall art in many of our rooms.
And on the outside, again they create really good contrast. This is one reason we haven’t felt the need to hang shutters.
Tall Ceilings and Doors
By “tall”, I mean 10ft ceilings and 8ft doors. In our other homes, we did have a few vaulted ceilings, but the overall ceiling height was 9ft, and the door openings were 7ft. With this house we went 10 and 8 everywhere, even on the second floor.
Obviously there is some added cost when doing this: more framing material, bigger doors are more expensive, and more trim material. But I think it is so worth the added cost. Rooms feel more open and bigger, and in our area, most homes have standard heights, so it makes our house different and stand out in another way.
Engineered Wood Floors
This is the second time we have used engineered flooring in a house. It’s extremely easy to install, and if you use a wider plank, it goes down quicker because your covering more area with each plank. It’s also very affordable compared to solid wood flooring.
If you’re not familiar with engineered flooring, the bulk of the plank is made up of a layered plywood material, and on the top is a then layer of fine hardwood. This makes it stand up extremely well to any kind of moisture. So you don’t have to worry about your floor warping or cupping.
We’ve experienced this first hand in a previous house when we had a water issue. The engineered flooring was unaffected by standing water in one of our bedrooms. Because of this and all of the beautiful color choices, I would definitely use it again in a new house.
In our house we used Padua from ADM Flooring.
22 Comments
What kind of engineered hardwood do you like?
November 10, 2018 at 9:56 pmHello Christa! We love our engineered hardwood. It is Padua by ADM Flooring Company. Hope this helps!
November 17, 2018 at 5:21 pmI love the rug in your living room. Could you please share the name and where you got it from. Thank you.
December 1, 2019 at 11:23 pmAgree to everything! We have 10’ ceilings and 8’ doors and engineered flooring. I love the black windows, but my husband was t sold on them so we went for the Anderson 400 series in white.
June 25, 2019 at 2:20 amHey, just curious- do you have dogs? If so how do the floors stand up against their nails?
November 27, 2018 at 6:17 pmWe do have a small dog and it has been fine so far.
December 3, 2019 at 5:45 pmWhere did you get your curtains from? Can you go over how to create a modern farmhouse look for a family room?
December 5, 2018 at 2:39 pmHello Caitlin! The curtains are from Pottery Barn. Im not sure exactly where you are starting from, a new build or an existing room, but there are several things you could do to implement this look. A starting point would be a light color on the walls with wood accents. Examples of the these wood accents would be a wood mantle, wood shelves, or wood furniture. It would also be great if you could incorporate any shiplap on the walls or at least an accent wall. I love to go a little modern on the furniture and light fixture in the room. This will contrast with the shiplap and the rustic wood elements to add more of the modern farmhouse look. Also, adding in some baskets, throws, and leather pillows will help give it a cozy vibe. Hope this helps!
December 6, 2018 at 6:14 pmCould I ask what windows you used?
December 13, 2018 at 9:54 pmHello Brenda! They are the Pro Series 400 by Plygem in black.
December 17, 2018 at 1:54 amI have a similar living room layout except where you have Windows, we have sliding glass doors. I’ve always wanted to do black accents and was wondering would it be possible to go through and paint the metal black on the windows/sliding doors? At least until we can go through and replace them? Thanks!
February 25, 2019 at 1:28 amHello Megan! We have nevery painted metal before, I would assume you would need to use a special paint.
December 3, 2019 at 5:48 pmPrimers are so good nowadays you can even paint glass. Point being, yes, you can paint the frames inside and out. We’ve painted our windows with latex paint with no problems. If we didn’t have those darn white colonial grids sandwiched between the double glass panes on the remodel we’re working on now, we’d do it again.
July 4, 2019 at 1:37 pmHello Mark! Yes, those grids can be a problem!
December 3, 2019 at 5:49 pmHi Brooke,
July 12, 2019 at 2:50 pmMy husband and I are considering using wide plank flooring from ADM but a friend told us the wider the plank the more likely it is to creak. Do you have this problem?
Hello Melissa! I think if installed properly, this shouldn’t be a problem.
December 3, 2019 at 5:47 pmLove your windows! We did black exterior and white interior but now I want to paint the interior black. Also, I was wondering where you purchased the jute rug shown in the first photo. Thanks so much!
October 18, 2019 at 9:46 pmHello Erin! I’m getting ready to link it in our shop under rugs.
December 3, 2019 at 5:46 pmMay I ask where you purchased your couch?
November 30, 2019 at 10:36 pmHello Hannah! We purchased from a local furniture store, but it is Franklin Cooperation brand.
December 3, 2019 at 5:46 pmHow tall/wide are you windows. We are about to build we have 10ft ceilings and 8ft doors what size window should we get,and where did you get yours? What style are they single or double hung?
May 4, 2020 at 4:17 pmHello, we are renovating an old farmhouse and we have decided to paint it white. I love the way your white looks on your house. Could you tell me what color white you used on your exterior? Also, could you tell me what your interior wall color is? Thank you!
October 24, 2020 at 12:23 am