Post Mortem

So it all happened so quickly - Down - In - Out - Back !!

Perhaps some more sober reflection -

I can truly say everything exceeded our expectations!

The House
It was exactly the space I had in my mind.  Robert achieved what I (and I think Lisle) had lived and breathed for months.  The staircase that had been so problematic was a perfect sculpture set in the tower.  The spaces that seemed so small in January when they were shells of concrete were suddenly immense with the finished tile floors and painted walls and furniture.  The whole house is filled with air and light.

Sure there are deficiencies - a list of 82 of them.  Some sloppy work on the windows and screens, 3 missing electrical outlets and drop in bathroom sinks on the granite counters (were supposed to be undermount) are the most significant issues.  They'll have time to work on these before we are down again.

The Furniture Etc.
While we had talked to Sheila about look and feel, given her photos, and looked at fabrics, we really had no idea what we were walking into.  And so what did we walk into?  Absolute perfection!

Sheila had listened to every word we had said.  The colours were tropical and bright but not gaudy or jarring.  The wood was dark but not heavy or overpowering.  The styles were eclectic but complementary.  The Master Bedroom was masculine, unique but still tropical and fitting with the house.  She managed to capture us completely.

And everything worked. All the appliances, the home theatre (it was programmed and ready to go with indoor and outdoor speaker zones).  There were step ladders and cleaning products, BBQ utensils and laundry soap.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing was the living room tables.  We found a photo of Indonesian Drum Tables, and knew they would be perfect.  In case you don't know them, they are stamped metal ceremonial drums that have taken on new life as objets d'arte and unique furniture pieces.After much work, Sheila broke the news - yes she could get them - but $2,000 each imported - so much for an interesting statement in the living room - we settled for small square wood tables more suited to the budget.  Surprise - we arrived to the most spectacular drum tables.  Sheila had them custom-made by the wood craftsman - - Unbelievable!!

The Landscaping
Christian has not been the easiest part of the project for us to manage.  He is exceptionally talented in design, but struggled to make his vision meet our reality of functional, beautiful, open outdoor space.  The final plan is wonderful, and the first phase suits the house to a 'T'.  He has taken what was a rudimentary concrete pool deck and expanded it into outdoor rooms that perfectly complement the other living spaces.

There is still 2 months of work on the landscaping, including all the planting - but I can say I am wow'd!

Conclusion
This group of talented and committed professionals has delivered on everything they said they would and more importantly they worked with us to create a unique place we now call home.

One more thing - more than anything I wanted to create a space for 'barefoot living' - a comfortable but simple life - signified by the fact that you can move freely through the house and around the property without ever having to put your shoes on.  The fact that we had achieved this struck me on Wednesday when I was looking for my shoes so we could go out for dinner!