Gingerhawk Construction Update – July 2020
Hey friends - As you may know, a year and a half ago we purchased a 25-acre property in Washington State that we hope to transform into a beautiful rental retreat called Gingerhawk. The last time we shared an update was way back in March - it feels like a lifetime ago with all the crazy happenings in the world. Construction work was shut down for about a month due to COVID-19, but things are moving again and the house is almost complete. It may take a little longer than we hoped to have all the cabins up and running, but our goal is to get the main house in good shape by the fall. We're planning a road trip up to Washington in August to check it out, get the basic furnishings set up, the kitchen stocked, etc. It's been a long journey and we are so excited to see everything in person. Keep reading for lots of pics and updates on construction progress.
The siding is up and it looks great! We went with a bat and board style Hardiboard which is very durable and fire resistant. We plan to paint the whole house a deep moody blue, and can't wait to see how it turns out.
There's been lots of progress on the interior as the sheetrock has been put up on the walls and ceilings. I love how the wooden accent beams add a rich touch of texture and character.
The kitchen cabinets have been installed and we've got pendant lights hanging over the island. We are so excited about this big kitchen. It will have plenty of room for cooking delicious meals for the whole family. We've got two ovens, a big refrigerator and plenty of storage space. We plan to stock the kitchen with all the essentials like a Crock-Pot, Vitamix, cooking pans, etc. The kitchen is open to the living and dining area to create a Great Room, and this will truly be the heart of the home.
We chose to go with radiant floor heating throughout the home, and we can't wait to see how it feels underfoot. Radiant floor heating works by running hot water through all these little tubes in the floor. It's more efficient than forced air, and beneficial for a number of reasons. Since heat rises, this will heat the whole home from the ground up. Plus, it warms the floor surface to create a cozy feel under foot. And best of all, it won't dry out the air like a forced air system.
Next the floors are covered in a layer of Gyp-Crete to make it smooth and even. The floors will be laid on top of this.
This is all the plumbing and stuff that runs the radiant heat flooring. I have no idea what any of it does, but it looks pretty cool, right?
The fireplace has been framed out. We got a nice big gas fireplace, and the mantel and everything will be covered in stone. Hanging out by the fire will be so cozy on those cold winter nights.
Moving on, let's check out that beautiful back deck. The giant eaves of the house create a big covered porch in the back. We plan to add a grill, a big dining table, and comfortable seating to make this space truly lounge-worthy. Each of the three bedrooms opens up onto the back porch as well. The flooring material is made of Trex Composite Decking.
There's more progress happening on the interior as well. Those brown cabinets are in the laundry room, and the second picture is the start of the main bathroom.
These tiles will be going on the shower walls in all the bathrooms. It's a porcelain tile designed to look like white marble. I haven't seen it in person yet, but I'm hoping it looks nice in real life.
I'm happy to report we've had some visits from the local neighbors already! I'm glad that all the construction hasn't scared these elk away. Hopefully there will be many more sightings in the future.
Holy moly - the yard's been all dug up to install the septic system. The septic system absorbs our domestic wastewater for basic treatment. The solid gunk that builds up will need to be vacuumed out every few years.
Here are a few more pictures of the exterior. Things are really coming along, and it's all so exciting. Scroll to the end for a sneak peak of the bath house.
Tada! There she is. This little bathhouse will serve the mini-cabins on the property and also contains the sauna. The sauna is actually complete now, but we'll save those pics for the next update. Stay tuned for more soon.
Be sure to check out all the posts about Gingerhawk so far: