Pool Update + Living & Learning Confession

I'm popping in on this Sunday with a quick update on our patio progress + a little confession about some stresses we've faced with this project...

The landscapers FINALLY started last weekend and have been moving full speed ahead since then. As exciting as it has been in theory to watch the work progress each day, it's also been a little nerve racking because we really don't know what we are doing. Well, let me rephrase, we aren't physically doing anything, but throughout this process we have realized we are kind of just going forward and hoping that the decisions we have made are the right ones. We clearly have great craftsman around us, but no real leader. Maybe I'm more sensitive to this because I play the role of this leader for so many of my clients when it comes to their homes, but for us and this big, expensive project we are kind of flying solo and it's scary!!

Here is a shot looking at the pizza oven. They still have to finish the stack stone up the wall by the hot-tub and they will be adding plaster on the face of the fireplace (covering the brick) to match the plaster already added to the body of the pizza oven. Still trying to decide what we will do with the chimney...leave brick or plaster? 

I'm admittedly on one far end of the spectrum when it comes to details and consideration. It's a great trait to have when it comes to ensuring all the i's are dotted and the t's crossed for my clients, but for me and my house, it can actually be somewhat paralyzing. For most projects we tackle, I'm far too aware of the abundance of choices and have a hard time nailing down a direction for fear of something more exciting or creative coming to me later. But with this pool, I know nothing. I know what I want it to look like at the end of the day, but I have no real frame of reference when it comes to materials, pricing, combinations, pros and cons of this vs. that. I'm completely at the mercy of the people around me and like I said, those people are not big picture thinkers. They are focused on their specific task at hand - stone, fence, concrete, demo, whatever. There is no person with a beautiful rendering of our future back yard that has spent months talking us through our decisions that is leading the charge. Nay, it's just me and Brent, Pinterest and our imagination.  I'm constantly haunted by the "what ifs" ....What if we spend all of this money and it doesn't end up looking like what we had thought? What if we go to work one day and come home and find that the work they did that day did not align with our contract or vision (this has happened). It feels so vulnerable and frustrating!

This is the progress on the side steps! Do you guys remember this area? It used to have that weird "hut structure?" Well, that was removed and the new steps are going in. Already looking so much better!

Could we have gotten a landscape architect? Yes and maybe we should have, but you know, money doesn't grow on trees.  At a point we honestly just didn't know what we didn't know. Thankfully, I truly do think it's all going to come together, but I thought it might be helpful to others out there to know of some of the struggles we have faced. Whether you are doing a pool, a bathroom, building a house or renovating a coat closet - I have a new found respect and sense of compassion for any of you out there going through that on your own. And let this post serve as a reminder to you and ME that there are professionals out there for a reason. To think that just because you are good at one thing makes you a good enough expert on another is a recipe for disaster. All the respect for those out there owning their corner of expertise, may we all be wise enough to find those people and lean on their experience and knowledge when it comes time to tackle our dreams.

And this is the shot of the progress for the steps coming from the house. We have a new awning coming (woo!) and the rest of the landscaping (grassy area) will hopefully be starting this week. 

All photos are my own.