Congrats, Cindy. I can't imagine how wonderful it feels to have a livable home after 6 1/2 years. I love the warm colors of your kitchen, and especially love the combination of your beautiful granite with the 1x1's in the backsplash. They complement each other very well. Enjoy, and happy new year!!

Thank you. Yes, it really does feel wonderful! When I was shopping for BS tile, I was just overwhelmed at the number of choices. But when I saw that mosaic, I knew it was the perfect one. The pictures do not show it, but there is frosted glass in that mosaic that is nearly identical in color to all the quartz in the granite. I am really happy with the results.

You guys rock! It looks beautiful.

Beautiful work. Great combination of BS and counter

You must be so proud and happy. Looks absolutely wonderful... I love the archways, the warm woods, and use of color. Congratulations!

Your kitchen is beautiful. I love the arched openings, and the color of the cabinets with the granite. I am pretty sure I saw some earlier photos you posted of your granite and I was anxious to see your finished photos!

I'm sure you're thrilled to be at this point. Congrats!

It's lovely. Looks very warm and inviting. That pass-through is really nice. We'll be doing something quite similar to our home one of these days.

That pink teapot is adorable, too! (I love pink.)

Wow!

What a nice space you have created! I had the same DR furniture, only in white!!! :>)

You have one of the best BS's I have seen. I find it so hard/nearly impossible to combine an interesting BS with a beautiful granite, and not have the BS take center stage or look a little 'off'. If it looks this good in pics, it must be perfect in person!

Can you give more details on the BS particulars?

There are so many beautiful kitchens on this board!! And so many really expensive ones. Some of the high-end ones are simply jaw-dropping!! But I have also seen some amazing "budget" kitchen renovations too.

Posted by ccoombs1 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 18, 08 at 10:44

Wow! Wow! Wow! The moment I laid eyes on your kitchen, I couldn't help thinking of, and referencing, your earlier thread in which you asked for examples of kitchens that cost less than $20k to produce. Just know this: whatever it took to produce your own kitchen, it sure looks like a "jaw dropping", million bucks kitchen to me! :)

First of all, congratulations on being able to claim your home after a 6 1/2 year commitment of holding fast to your dream. When I think about all the moaning and groaning I've done to get others to complete one kitchen reno, I can't imagine what kind of fortitude it must have taken to build a whole house -- on a DIY basis no less! I'm also admiring your design skills. The slope of the ceilings, the arched openings and the layout of the rooms you have shared with us are fabulous. Next, I'm loving the way you so boldy embraced those warm-to-hot colors -- not just in the beautiful paints but also in the granite, backsplash, hardwoods, cabs and fixtures. It really does make for such a "come hither" space. Bottom line: it's spaces like yours that continually remind me of the kind of down-to-earth, welcoming vibe I want to create with my own house and kitchen. Thanks so much for sharing. Your work is sure to be a true inspiration to many of us. Great job!

Ccombs, I am so very impressed by what you have accomplished. It turned out great! You really struck gold with your cabinet maker-- he did a great job. You laid out the space so well. I'm smiling thinking of you nesting in your beautiful new home. Congratulations.

I can't even imagine how proud you both must be to have
accomplished so much...congratulations!
I love how it is open to the living area and all of your warm choices, enjoy!
vic

I especially love the granite windowsills & hearth. Great way to tie lots of things together. Congratulations on your design, work, and perserverance!

I'm amazed that your home is DIY.....WOW that's all I can say. You did an amazing job. I love the cabinets, the granite,(it looks alot like mine, but seems to have more lighter shades, mine has more gold) the colors you chose work so well together. ENJOY YOUR HOME.

What a terrific (and beautiful!) job you have done! I've said it before, but it bears repeating--you DIY'ers truly blow me away with your skills, and with the wonderful spaces you've created with your own hands. Kudos!!

Cindy, It must be a wonderful feeling to be finally COMING HOME. You talent and hard work show in the kitchen and elsewhere in your home. I remember when you reveal your female gender when giving me advice on kitchen remodel. I was impressed then, and now I am even more impressed that you DIY the whole house. WELCOME HOME AND ENJOY the warmth surrounding you and your DH created.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments! It warms my heart to know that what I accomplished looks good in the eyes of others. I know that I love it, but it is nice to know that other people also like it. It is very rewarding to DIY projects. My dad raised my sister and I to believe in ourselves and to not be afraid to tackle any project, just because we are girls. So now, there is nothing I won't try (unless it involves a chainsaw...they scare me). I had a vision in my head of what this house would look like a long time ago, and it came out even better than I dreamed. Building a house with your hubby will really test a marriage, but we survived the test...again. We have been married 31 years and have built 3 houses...this is our last and our forever home. We were so blessed throughout the last year or so of this build. We were blessed to have met our cabinet guy, blessed to have become such good friends with our granite guy and blessed to have a good friend who helped with some last minute electrical issues. I have also been blessed by all of the wonder Gardenwebbers who take time to help and inspire others.

raehelen, the backsplash is by Regio. The mosaic is made of two colors of tumbled travertine and two colors of frosted glass. The field tile is 4x4 tumbled travertine, they call it tumbled paradon. The mosaic is called vallarta noce. Their web site is a pain to navigate but here it is......

Cindy

Here is a link that might be useful: Regio USA

Everything I say will be a 'ditto' of the above comments, but CONGRATULATIONS!!! to both of you on a job well done.

I see so many things I like that I don't have a favorite, more like six. The cabinets and flooring are beautiful, next comes the granite and back-splash, the colors sing, the arches are great, and I really like the layout with the pass-through.

Your beautiful kitchen/dining/living-room area looks so inviting that it will be fun to entertain family and friends. And the sun-room looks like it will be bright and cheerful with the great light it will receive. Are you planning to add any houseplants? If I had a sun-room such as yours, I would be going to the garden center with a long list, since gardening is my favorite hobby.

Take some time to relax, and enjoy what you both have accomplished before you start your next projects, because you have surely earned it.
Jane

Kudos to you!!! You and your DH must be so proud!!! My DH is in the process of renovating our kids' bathroom and I know how much work just that one room is!!!! I can't imagine doing an entire house. As others have mentioned, I too love the flow of your rooms, the architectural elements, the high ceilings and the arches. What a great way to start the New Year!!!

Entertaining friends IS fun! I like that I can be in the kitchen working and still be able to see what is going on in the rest of the house. Even the window over the kitchen sink opens up to the sunroom. I have never had an open houseplan before, but I already just love it.

The sunroom will have LOTS of plants. My best friend died last year and she always kept a greenhouse full of house plants. Well, her DH called me right before it got cold here and said because of fuel costs, he was shutting the greenhouse down. He asked me if I'd take her plants, which I gladly did. So for the last 6 weeks, my already cramped trailer was packed full of house plants. I have started moving some of them over here. A huge added benefit of the sunroom is that I can put four 6' long folding tables in here easily and entertain a HUGE group of people if I want to. The main part of the sunroom is 14' x 31' and there is an additional 14' x 16' room for my DH so he will have a warm place in the house where he can smoke if he wishes to.

What a lovely way to start the new year in your beautiful home. Hopefully it will inspire many others. Your arched view-through is wonderful. It must be very nice working there. I've always wondered how on earth they went so far out of style when they can be so attractive and extremely functional; hopefully this will help it hurry back. I'm kind of jealous of your finding just the perfect mosaic. We did much of the finish work on our home (for a couple years, with some items still to complete when ambition hits again), but I never actually found an item that leapt out from the competition as just right; I waited for that moment of brainfog-clearing revelation to finally arrive, but for me it was always more a constant process of kid-in-candy-store indecision and earnest dogged hope. :) Happy 2009 in your lovely home!

Cindy - you and your hubby did a wonderful job. I love the color of every room. I've admired your countertop and backsplash for your other posts it was exciting to see not only the whole kitchen, but the house! Enjoy! It is beautiful!

Oh Cindy your home is just beautiful! I have followed your posts and all your beautiful choices but to see it all together is just gorgeous! I love the openness of it. It is truly a home that feels like a big hug. Congradulations! GREAT JOB!

Yes I agree with all the previous comments. I am so impressd with your floors. The brown paint is fantastic in that space. Do you mind sharing the color?

Your kitchen is very warm and inviting. Very well done.

Aw, thanks so much. All your comments mean so much to me. I am happy that my home conveys warmth and welcome...that is exactly the feel I was after. I wanted a large open space that still feels cozy. I think once the fireplace is in, the cozy feeling will be even better.

The brown paint is Valspar La Fonda Boulder. I am really glad they sell those little bitty sample cans now because it took 6 of them to get the color I wanted. It is the color of light chocolate milk. Yummy! The red is Valspar Eddie Bauer Crimson. Not too red, not too burgandy, sort of half way between the two. The only color I didn't like at first is the yellow in the kitchen, hall and bath. It's brighter than I wanted, althought not as bright as it looks in the pictures...the 3rd from last picture is the most accurate representation of both the brown and the yellow. I am getting use to it though. I still may repaint the bathroom.

Oh, Cindy, your house is amazing! Your kitchen is spectacular! How absolutely delighted you must be! I am so happy for you and your hubby. What a jewel you have created and what a BLESSING that you did this on your own! That is so very impressive!

Congratulations and WELCOME HOME! You truly have shown that Home IS where the heart is!

Your kitchen is stunning, your house is beautiful, and YOU ARE AMAZING. Wow!

Oh, Cindy!!! Yippee!!! Yippee!!! I've been waiting for this day, so we could all give you a proverbial standing ovation **and GardenWeb goes wild...ahahhhahhhhh**.

Good on you, girl - you have done a super job!!

Many happy times ahead and may the blessings of God continue to overtake you in '09!

Congratulations to another house DIYer! You must be so excited...and so tired! ;-) It really is gorgeous. I was the designer and did certain parts of the work on ours, but DH and DS did the lion's share...So my hat is off to you in pushing through this with the challenges and all that work you faced and persevered through. Hopefully, you can now take some time to sit back and enjoy the beauty you created!

I am sooooooo impressed- wow. Just wow. I love how you made the kitchen open, but also it's own room. That's something I really wish we had in our floorplan. Very nice. The kitchen design is timeless. You really did a fantastic job in the planning and execution! I can't imagine how proud you are!

You deserve to be very proud of all the work you have done. Your home is GORGEOUS! So warm and inviting. Congrats on all your hard work and in keeping the vision alive even though at times it must have been rough. Great house. Congrats again. Just love it!

That's quite an accomplishment ccombs!! It's really beautiful!!

Congratulations! As a fellow DIYer, I am in awe of you. To be able to have designed and built your home and stayed married throughout the process x3 is a testament to how incredible you are. I've long admired your kitchen through the snippets of pics during the process. Your house is so beautiful. It's such a lovely reflection on you.

Wow, it is beautiful! What a warm, inviting home. It all looks very open and well thought out, and again, it is truly lovely. I love so many aspects, the floors, cabinets, your granite and backsplash and the arches! You must be so thrilled! Very happy for you. Congratulations.

Amazing design and build talents you have, Cindy! I envy the openess you've created. It flows so easily and looks so nice. My fave, though, is the granite and backsplash combination. The match is perfect!

One question, please. The window between the kitchen and the sunroom-how did you do that? We are putting in a window between the kitchen and an unheated porch in Indiana where it will be cold part of the year. Is the kitchen window a regular insulated window? Not sure what to do there. Does your window open to use as a pass-thru? Double-hung, slider, casement?? Thanks!

Ya'll are making me blush! lol!! Seriously, I really do appreciate all your kind words. It makes me smile.

Cotehele, my sunroom is not heated either. I did isulate it well though, so I can keep it comfortable with baseboard heaters in the winter and ceiling fans in the summer. The window is a standard exterior window with insulated glass. It is 4' wide and 3' high, a slider. It can be used as a pass-thru to the sunroom. The window has built-in J-channel trim on the outside (like you'd use for vinyl siding and we installed the drywall into that channel. The whole sunroom is drywalled. I can take a picture of how the window looks from the sunroom side this evening, if you'd like more details. If I had it to do again, I'd get a taller window that went all the way down to the granite countertops. I LOVE the way that looks and it would have been easier to pass things through there at a lower height.

Cindy

Cindy, I have wanted a room with lots of windows and option of screens for many years. No point in building it if it cannot be used much of the year, but I had not thought about baseboard heaters! I had wondered about radiant floor heating, too. We will have ceiling fans, definitely. A picture of the window from the sunroom would be a big help. The windows will come to the counter and be quite tall, so I am thinking two double hung windows would allow the most horizontal openness. Thanks!

Judy

I'll take a picture when I get home from work. another option for heat is a window heat pump. It looks just like a regular window air conditioner, but also heats. We are probably installing a wood stove in our sun room next year too. There will be a built-in wood stove in the house next winter, and the sun room doors open up to 6' wide, so a lot of the excess heat from the house can also be used to warm up the sun room.