barton build.

If you've been following {long distance loving} for any length of time, you might remember a post filled with excitement about our upcoming build last spring. The excitement dissipated when we hit a few bumps in the building process. Sadly, 2013 was not the best year to build a home in our corner of the world.

As disappointed as we were, we decided to take the optimistic angle on the whole situation. For a little change of scenery, {cv} and I signed a lease on a newer apartment across town and bought ourselves some time to find out what to do about the house. By September, the pain subsided and we were enjoying our new place. 

When the calendar turned to 2014, {cv} and I found some renewed hope in the housing market and our timing. I'm cautiously happy to report we're back in the throes of the build process. In just a few weeks, we will be meeting with our builder to make the final design choices and I am o-v-e-r-w-h-e-l-m-e-d. Though I've been compiling ideas for years, I decided it was finally time to create one Pinterest board to share with our builder and to wrap my head around the vision for our home.

We spent a good portion of yesterday roaming the halls of Lowe's and grew increasingly overwhelmed by the number of decisions ahead of us. {The Pantone paint chips were one of my happy discoveries!} I snapped about a billion other photos of things we liked or hated. Wrapping our heads around the build is daunting, but we are just grateful to be making this little dream of ours a reality. It's like my Dad always tells me: "you can rest on the bus." In this case, we will rest in that new house.

Any tips from house building vets out there? Whether you've built a house or watched your parents agonize through the process, I'm curious how you {or they} were able to make the little decisions so far in advance. I want to make sure the house we are building is timeless. Any and all help is very much appreciated, as are prayers that this is the right time for us! xoxo {av}


  1. So awesome! Building your own home sounds sooo exciting! Good luck! <3

  2. We bought an already finished and lived in house - so we've been slowly replacing all the fixtures that are outdated. When my parents had their house built they were adamant on elements that were classic and timeless; they didn't want to go with any fads or trends, but to choose pieces that never go out of style!

  3. yah!! exciting news! im so happy for you and chris! xo jillian - cornflake dreams

  4. 1) I love that advice from your dad!
    2) Such exciting news! Can't wait to hear all about the planning and details ;)

  5. ooo good luck! Anything you do will be amazing - you have beautiful taste!

  6. My parents built our last house "from scratch" and it was a process.

    I think the key is focusing on the bones of the house itself. Paint can always be redone inexpensively, but really thinking about what you want out of a space now and farther down the road is so important. I'd think about all the things you currently dream of in a house (built-ins, farmhouse sink, wood floors, brick walls, whatever) and make a list ranking them from most important and can't-live-without-it to the ideas that are maybe a bit impractical, a bit over budget, or not as important in the long run (under cabinet lighting would be this for me, for example...nice, but definitely not necessary).

    I'd also look at some historic/classic architecture and identify key elements that really make them timeless, like high ceilings, well-placed windows, uncomplicated floor plans, etc.

    I can't wait to see what you come up with, I'm sure it will be beautiful!

  7. My parents built our house form the ground up when I was nine and after watching them do it, came to a couple of conclusions:
    1. In the kitchen, make sure the trash and the dishwasher can both be accessed at the same time! (They didn't think about it and it's been a hassle ever since ha)
    2. Build to take advantage of the natural light your lot gets.
    3. Don't try to do every room at once - wait to be able to afford the best window treatment for each room.
    4. A laundry room upstairs is a wonderful idea for a variety of reasons.
    5. Do not allow boxes to stay unpacked once you make the move! Maybe my family just procrastinates too much...but we still have some boxes in our attic that have never been unpacked!

    Most of all enjoy the process! :)

  8. My husband and I, my parents, and his parents all have gone through the build and renovate processes several times. I won't say we love it, but there are parts of the design process that are a lot of fun. And then there's the rest. The trick is to know that you can change a lot about a design, but there are things you can't. Flow matters. The flow of the room, where people enter and exit and the focal points that draw them to certain parts, will dictate where you put your furniture and what kind of a canvas you've set for yourself to design. As for the rest, the color and the decor, you'll do just fine!

  9. There is a GREAT message board thread (I warn you that it is LONG) that I saw floating around Pinterest not long after Pinterest started. It's basically a long list of things people wish they had though of when renovating or building. Pour a glass of wine, grab a notebook and pen and read on:

  10. "You can rest on the bus" - sounds like your pops back during the XC and track days! :) I hope you are able to come to some decisions! I'm certain whatever you pick will be perfect!

  11. so happy to hear that things have turned around for you guys. Good luck Ali <3
