Building a Dream: Phase 1

Tucked away in one of the many totes flooding our storage unit is an old white binder. Barely hanging on the front cover is a clear pocket with a hand-smeared sketch. Inside, separated by dividers, are pages of bent corner cuts-outs and amateur computer mock-ups.

I’ve had my house plans drawn since I was 19. The roof lines, the windows, the room shapes, all calculated. Pictures of exteriors, drawings after drawings, magazine pages, paint color favorites, patterns that I loved, all separated room by room. Over and over I would map it out until it was perfect. I loved the challenge of fitting needs within spaces until it worked out exactly how I had imagined. Just when I would get it right, I would reconfigure just for the sake of improving. I obsessed with mixing design choices that I liked, or a lot of the times, creating what I had never seen. I spent hours and years navigating in these thoughts just for fun.

That’s the white binder.

That white binder is a spark that started inside of me 15 years ago. I never realized the passion I was stirring up inside me. Two years ago I upgraded to a leather binder that represents an important design preference of mine, loved and worn.  This time that binder holds the new version of my dreams that is finally set ablaze with the start of our new build. My lifelong creativity has churned down a path that makes so much sense to me here and now.

As you can see, I’ve had this house in my mind for a long time but watching it come to life is mesmerizing. It has brought so much joy to me and my family. That is why I want to bring you along. There are too many good lessons, too much beauty seen and unearthed, not to share.

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After cultivating the land for over two years we raised the dirt (and our glasses), celebrating the start to the construction. Financially, we finally got the guts to sign and go for it, despite prices and time not in our favor.

We waited a few weeks and then the cement came. Our commitment was solidified. Even though our children refused to put their handprints to seal the deal.

Shortly after, the studs and boards went up and it was full speed ahead. All the way up to the roof lines. Those beautiful peaks that I had imagined, researched, calculated and configured to fit our plan. I knew exactly how I wanted it to look but I had no idea how it was going to feel seeing them in real life.

Things slowed down a bit and in the quietness we enjoyed picnics under the carport, fires in the back, racing scooters across the open floor, and planting trees in the yard.

Next up is more plumbing, windows, doors and blacking it in. I can only smile with delight on how this is going and burst with joy on what’s to come.

Stay tuned. We are just getting started.

Buy Dirt by Jordan Davis & Luke Bryan