Chapter 16 – Please Pardon our Dust

Ninety-Nine Percent Purgatory

We came back from an unplanned Pittsburgh detour to a welcome surprise: the kitchen backsplash was finished. Apparently, dragging magnolia leaves from the tree just outside the kitchen window through 21 tile shops to find the right tone and hue paid off. True to mid-century design principles, it pulls the outside directly into the kitchen—way better than we imagined.

High-variation, handcrafted Riviera series deep green tile from Italy now anchors the kitchen’s back wall and carries through to the island’s knee wall. From the living room, those continuous surfaces create depth, and paired with the quarter sawn oak cabinetry, the space feels less like a kitchen and more like it’s set within the landscape—just with walls, a roof, and air conditioning.

The main level has tipped from construction site to something resembling a home. The office and family rooms are fully complete—enough that I’m moving my home office in and starting the very next workweek here. That’s a meaningful threshold. The living and dining rooms close the loop: a reproduction steel-and-globe chandelier reinforces the mid-century design without trying too hard, while the Regina Andrews sconces style the room, further framing outside views. Furniture is arriving, and with it, the shift from build to living. “Living the layout” is no longer theoretical—it’s happening in real time.

A deep construction clean helped too. Not just visually, but spatially. With the dust and debris gone, the proportions, textures, and materials finally look and feel like home.

Chaos to Cohesion

Closed off to Connected

“Two weeks.” — Tom Hanks as Walter Fielding Jr.

At this point, work is 99% done. Two rooms—one guest bedroom and family room—are fully complete. Everything else is one or two minor tasks away. Close enough to feel finished, but not quite close enough to call the win.

Upstairs, Ramiro and I are within inches of calling the closets we built done. Easy Closets systems are in, layouts work, proportions feel right. Only baseboards stand between “installed” and “complete.” A lingering reminder that the last inch is never easy.

The bathrooms are in a similar holding pattern. Everything functions, but not everything is finished. Integrated heating still needs proper timer switches (Ramiro wants to “idiot-proof” them—I’m sure there’s a compliment somewhere in there if I look hard enough), and frameless glass shower doors are still pending—the final layer between design and daily use.

Ramiro and I installed solar shades across the bedrooms. What was supposed to be a one-hour task turned into a six-hour Sunday, effectively replacing the gym with a step (ladder) workout. The shades solve for privacy, but now we’re debating curtains—something mid-century, with enough weight and texture to deliver blackout sleep, while still adding color and calm to the rooms.

Then there’s the punch list. We were adamant that every closet have proper lighting. Most do. A few don’t… yet. Naturally, the ones that matter most for move-in weekend are still tied to circuits that aren’t fully functional. Nothing major, but enough to keep more spaces from being moved into the complete column.

This final stretch isn’t about building—it’s about closing loops. And even with all the planning, all the “drywall is a deadline” discipline, the last mile demands patience, a few deep breaths, and a true partnership with our builder.

Before and After – Dining Room

The wall between the dining room and kitchen is gone, and that space transforms as part of the new island. What replaced it isn’t just openness—it’s intention, reinforced by layered lighting: recessed for ambience, a mid-century chandelier for presence, and sconces that frame views.

Before and After – Living Room

The living room changed the least—if you can believe it. In most renovations, the updates we made here would be the renovation, but without moving walls or making major structural shifts, it reads as restraint rather than overhaul. Floor ducts were sealed and replaced with ceiling vents, and the new hardwood flooring—now continuous across the house—started here. Ramiro and I restored the 17′ African red mahogany ceiling by hand, while the flooring team refinished the original mid-century railing to align with the new floors. Wall sconces now frame the floor-to-ceiling windows, reinforcing the connection to the private gardens beyond.

Before and After – Kitchen

The kitchen changed the most. Other than the sink and dishwasher remaining under the large window, everything else was up for grabs. Removing three walls allowed us to completely rethink the space—transforming a closed-off 9×11 galley into an open 14×15 “detached L-shaped” kitchen anchored by a central island. Two built-in pantries now flank the refrigerator, and around the corner, a walk-in pantry is concealed behind oak paneling, extending the kitchen without interruption toward the family room.

Before and After – Family Room

The family room refresh centers on a new tiled fireplace—a mid-century geometric pattern reinterpreted in black and white, a combination that’s become something of a signature in my renovations. Two modern circular pendants bookend the seating area, while the natural hardwood floors read as an extension of the garden when viewed through the floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors.

Before and After – Office

What was once two rooms—divided by a narrow opening and mismatched floors—now reads as one continuous space. A new beam opened the wall to its full width, and rather than conceal it, we clad the beam and far wall in fresh-cut cedar. Drenched in Ecological Green, the room carries a deliberate weight, with cedar and wood floors creating a moody office that doubles as a zen yoga studio.

Before and After – Main Floor Powder Room

The main-floor powder room—now a Jack-and-Jill to the first-floor bedroom—changed significantly. Wallpaper came out, the ceiling went up 7″, and the shower widened by 20″. The palette is intentional: Tiffany Martini Blue handcrafted tile in the shower, contrasted by white textured tile around the vanity and toilet. A floating vanity, new fixtures, updated lighting, and terrazzo floors complete the space.

Before and After – Primary Bedroom

The primary bedroom was expanded to take full advantage of two large windows overlooking the rear Japanese garden. New hardwood floors, updated trim, and 5-panel doors reset the space, along with a refreshed ceiling fan. The layout now includes dual walk-in closets that create a natural transition between the bedroom and primary bath. A small champagne and coffee bar, paired with a seating area, completes the room.

Before and After – Primary Bathroom

The primary bathroom moved on from its 1970s builder-grade roots—platform whirlpool tub and single-sink vanity included. In its place: dual walk-in showers with rain heads, wrapped in a high-movement sage-green tile that carries across the floor and up the opposing wall. Relocating the toilet across the room made space for a dual-sink vanity and dedicated linen closet, both finished in the same cabinetry and countertop as the kitchen. All hardware is from Delta’s new Champagne Bronze line.

Before and After – Primary Bedroom Closet

The primary closet came with a bit of heartburn—removing what was almost certainly the original cedar-lined room wasn’t an easy call. In the end, it was the right one. What was once a single walk-in closet and two inefficient hallways is now dual, fully custom walk-in closets—his and his—finished in light oak cabinetry with matte black hardware.

Before and After – Guest Bedroom #1

The first guest bedroom saw the least change—no walls moved. The updates were practical: HVAC moved from floor to ceiling, new hardwood floors, 5-panel doors, new trim, and a ceiling fan. One original detail remains—the 1970s track lighting, still earning its keep.

Before and After – Guest Bedroom #2

The second guest bedroom corrected a proportion problem. What felt like a bowling-alley layout was resized into a more functional 12′ x 16′ room. Along the way, we updated the essentials—new electrical, ceiling fan, doors, trim, hardwood flooring, and relocated HVAC to the ceiling.