The Little Big House

We got a new roof!

2011-11-07T13:05:00.003-05:00

New roofs are horribly expensive. They are an un avoidable cost - and there is nothing fun about them. This year my co-owner sister got married and although the summer was filled with festive excitement over her July wedding it was also filled with dread over each summer rain storm.

After many estimates, meetings and budgets we decided on a metal roof with foam insulation board underneath. The company we worked with was extremely professional and friendly and we are very happy with the result. The new roof matches the farm house look, is warranted for 50 years on the paint alone- and the vertical seams really help make the house look taller and look straighter. I am so relieved that this one item (which has been literally hanging over our heads) is finally resolved. I will post more pictures later when I have better photos.

When walking around inspecting the new install I noticed that we will really have to deal with this entry soon (photo on right) . Right now this is a side entry that we rarely use - but eventually this will be our main entrance It will enter into the space between bedrooms on the left and kitchen dining/living area that we will add to one story vaulted space on the right.)

They squeezed the portico here in between the two windows so tightly that the portions got a bit wonky. The Frieze is set back substantially from the cornice to clear the two windows -giving it almost a tophat effect (as you can see in this photo). The narrow square columns do not reach the floor and instead hit the skirted footing - and the long frieze partially obscures the entrance door so that the entrance looks like a bit of a cave. (There used to be a storm door in between the two columns so that it made for an enclosed entrance area.)

This series below shows how it looks quite silly from straight on. The pediment itself has nice proportions but the columns along with the indented frieze makes for a tight and slightly comical effect. Also at some point someone 'repaired' the door (which I believe to be fairly original as it matches the other doors with hardware dating to the 1860s) by planing the sides and the top down several inches, narrowing the doorway by removing the orginal molding on the interior and applying new molding right over the orginal exterior molding. My hope is to remove the window pane panels and the skirted concrete footing and replace them with a simple slab porch (either a large slab of blue stone or a small simple porch deck about 4' deep 6' wide - depending on the budget) - and then I would widen and shorten the frieze ( shorten it to clear the window and widen it to fix the proportions) along with adding new square columns that will run the full height from the frieze to portico floor along with standing a bit further out than the current columns (underneath the new widened friezes corners) . Along with perhaps replacing the 'repaired door' and adding a new screen /storm door as well.

What do you think? Will it work as a front/side door? I know it is kind of hard to imagine. I have been consulting this book 'Get Your house Right' for help on proportions of columns and pediments. It is extremely helpful for disseminating what the exact mistakes are when you see something and it just 'looks' wrong.

Also while writing this post I realized the steps would need to go the full width of the portico or they too would look cheap and pinched.And I will really have to make sure that the final proportions of the columns are correct to make the pediment feel substantial and welcoming.

Some simple entrances for inspiration: most of these already used on this blog:

Considering making a dollhouse...

2011-10-03T02:09:00.001-04:00

for this. Really should be just saving for roof.

I haven't built a model in a while & I just cleaned my tool area in the basement ...

Thinking I may do a rough mockup in 1/4 foam core (and then if successful transfer it to 1/4 birch ply) although my current calculations have the house at almost 4' long and 2' deep... that is kind of crazy big right? although it would only be 20" tall ...

Great Post on Greek Revival Renovation

2011-04-08T19:37:00.000-04:00

http://cooperdevelopment.blogspot.com/2008/11/blog-post.html

Wisting my time away

2010-11-13T11:11:00.001-05:00

I just recently discovered wists and as a constant hoarder of 'someday I could buy this' links - it has been such a pleasure to visually map out what I like and don't like (even hardware and windows) . It turns all my decor and fashion maybes into a big inspiration mashup. you should try it! My list is here.

Small world.

2010-10-12T17:16:00.005-04:00

This Author is one of my mother's childhood friends.

p.s - I think lonny is amazing - there isn't any other web-azine that comes close yet.

p.s2 - I realize I look like I have stopped blogging all together. The truth? The economy is tight - so I have been working more, and spending less. Like everyone else in America vacation weekends & repair /renovation projects are on the back burner. Because it makes me sad I have also been avoiding this blog. I will be back eventually I promise - but it may be awhile...

Loft style in a converted Chapel

2010-07-10T16:55:00.004-04:00

I think this converted chapel is so adorable. NY Times house tour here listing here.

(full disclosure a friend of mine is listing it)*

Scary. A message from my little soapbox

2010-07-06T11:33:00.011-04:00

Fracking* for natural gas in our upstate NY and Pennsylvania could result in our own backyard version of the toxic BP spill. De-regulation by the previous administration is again putting our land and livelihoods in danger (Dick Cheney’s 2005 Energy Policy Act exempted gas drilling from adhering to the basic protections of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, or the Clear Air Act.) My sister wrote a great article about it at civileats. You can do something about it - here.

*(Fracking is when the gas companies use high pressure mix of water, sand and undisclosed chemicals into the ground to collapse and crack into horizontal deposits trapped in rock to release the gas.)

Below are some photos of what is at stake. All photos are taken by my sister Ulla Kjarval of my parent's farm 'Spring Lake Farm' (which is at risk if our natural springs are contaminated by undisclosed toxic chemicals.)

s

CouldWalk

2010-06-21T20:27:00.002-04:00

image via habitually chic

image from La Times

image via habitually chic

I love the detail of the round windows over the french doors - it adds such a playful treatment to the geometry of the facade - and to the interior light.

Clever

2010-06-16T17:51:00.001-04:00

love this , via

Blogging BOL and a New Logo

2010-06-15T16:31:00.008-04:00

Last night I went to the BOL event with my marketing dynamo sister. It was a great excuse for me to get out of the studio after pulling some long hours this last week/weekend.It is always nice to hear other bloggers talk about blogging (and the wine and swag bags didn't hurt either - my favorite freebie was a the print above (availible on etsy ).

I really enjoyed the panel -although in the end I was too shy/tired to network or say hi to Megan Arquette ( I am a huge fan of the skirted round table ) I guess I didn't have enough wine. ;) After being inspired last night I decided to give my blog a little fresh spring cleaning and I redid the header. Hope you all are having a good week so far!

Katie Lee Joel's Townhouse

2010-06-15T09:19:00.002-04:00

La Dolce Vita did a post on 'this or that' a while ago and featured Katie Lee Joel's west village town house - and I recently bought a set of mint colored chairs and they also remind me of this spread - so I haven't been able to get the color scheme out of my head.

Her house is so airy and pretty - chocolaty browns, peony pinks, deep turquoise, bright indigo, muted greens & rusty oranges all set against soft creams and marble grays.

Sampled color blocks are how I often start to work out color schemes in my graphic design projects - so I thought I would use them to illustrate the soft color palette that is inspiring me right now.

images from domino

images from lonny

images from domino

images from lonny

I graduated from here.

2010-06-11T09:36:00.000-04:00

Tractor Day Delaware Academy

*giggle*

Heaven is closing its Bovina location

2010-06-09T10:47:00.008-04:00

I have been enamored of Heaven On Main St since it appeared in the NYTIMES (and full disclosure Bovina is a stone throw away from our *nameless* hamlet - it is so close we share the same school district).

I finally made it to 'Heaven on Main Street' last summer on a brunch double-date with my younger sister Nina and our boyfriends . I got iced coffee and the french toast (below). I must admit that the boyfriends were not that impressed with the 'meat-substitute' menu - but I swooned over the creamy pale walls and polished wooden counters with all the bakery delights laid out. It was truly like walking into a daydream of 'if i owned a bakery shop in the country'....

Anyways I thought I would post some images from their equally lovely website designed by Steve Castro. I hope some other charming business will take their place (our depressed area needs all the businesses it can get!) .

my own photo

Floral

2010-05-27T16:17:00.003-04:00

image Henri Matisse's Odalisque in Red Trousers from Musée de l'Orangerie

Domino book of Lili Diallo apt

My youngest sister (straight from her freshman year of as a film student) is visiting with us this week - and this afternoon we started to discuss her plans for rearranging her old room - she had an idea of making a dividing screen with bright patterns ala matisse and pulled up the painting on my computer above to illustrate her idea - while opened up my domino book to what I thought she wanted. Amazing how the same ideas keep coming around :)

Simple Elegant Fence

2010-05-14T11:58:00.002-04:00

I am always on the quest for the right type of fence - not too modern - or complex - or fussy - or suburban - and not kitschy country. It is hard trying to plan for a fence that is practical but doesent block the view - decorative but not distracting - clean but not too modern...

I love the proportions of the fence below - the post have a very subtle decorative effect that hints at a finial - and I love how thick and solid all the rails look. Also I love that this fence employs a dense grid web to make it critter proof - but the horizontal rail capping makes it look far more decorative and intended.

image from Garden Design Magazine - photo by Jason Dewey

Lying

2010-05-13T10:39:00.007-04:00

Last night i watched Lying 2006 on netflix instant play ; I recommend it if you are longing for a stylish country weekend and your taste runs occasionally toward the indie ( warning : it is a bit like an extended music video with no music.) The film follows the happenings on a weekend in upstate NY (it was shot in Pine Plains and Millerton NY) when three guests slowly realize their host played by Chloe Sevigny is a pathological liar. I once had the experience of being friends with a serial liar for a year and I remember how shocking it was to realize that the slightly fantastical world I thought she inhabited was mostly fiction.

The dialogue at certain points is excruciatingly bare (there was no script) but it added to what I think was the intended uneasy mood of the film. I suspect this film isn't about dialogue - it is more is about the space in between and the tension of being on a weekend excursion with people you realize you don't actually know. The production design and the flow-y stylish costumes that the actors wear along with their stilted conversations drive home the haunting mood. One aspect I found incredibly lovely in this film is the way they used real time and real light to highlight moments - the sunsets, sunrises, tree shadows, dusk, dark evening, blindingly bright mid afternoon sun are all evocatively celebrated.

That said I loved the spotless house most of all - Below are some shots.

A shot of the first dinner - do you notice the stylish white dansk pot on the waxed farmhouse table ? The whole meal I wondered about whether the characters would have carried the table and chairs outside themselves for this meal as they are obviously not outside furniture. This is also one of the only times they show the red metal roofs

The front porch and the way the low retaining wall frames the wide gravel path

Another shot this time from the morning you can see how the gardening is minimal and slightly wild.

Side view from the front porch

I love the way the porch foundation extends to frame the flattened lawn - notice the way the wall turns into steps to the right?

These are the steps show here from the other side (see how they meet the natural hill?)

A bedroom with closets that make small window seats.

Kitchen with a window seat breakfast nook in the window bay to the right

The living room - with french doors on both sides this room connects the two wings of the house. (I love the modern fireplace here)

The connecting wing from the exterior

The wide steps that meet the french doors in the connecting wing

have a great weekend everyone!

Driveway Lust

2010-05-10T12:01:00.005-04:00

Remember when I wrote about my driveway project? Unfortunately our area had an insanely wet summer - and it started getting cold before the ground dried out well enough to do major work so we had to stall the project till later (hopefully this summer!) . In the meantime I have been researching and consulting many different books on driveways/ site planning /landscaping - and I have been refining the plan. Next step is to lay out hoses where I plan on installing curves to see how they read on the ground.

Personally I think the approach to a house can have as much impact as the house design itself. With a driveway approach you can set an anticipatory mood - and if done successfully - it can be one of the more pleasurable passages on a property. In suburban and town planning - having 'curb appeal' is most important - but with larger sites - it is possible to employ curves and natural elements to partially obscure the house and heighten the drama.

image via Style Chronicle

image via this is a design blog

Two beautiful examples of entry gates. Both examples use edging stones to keep the line crisp.

Driveway Palooza! This one is a seems a bit excessive - but sometimes it is nice to see what an 'estate' driveway with many buildings looks like.

image via the realestalker

'Cove End' : I love how the inner island has a half circle of shrubbery that shields the front door.

image via the down east dillatante

A shot from 'The Women' I like the raised beds here and the soft curve of the driveway:

image from Hooked on Houses

This is exactly how my childhood driveway looked. gravel , with a strip of scraggly grass and shaded by interlocking trees.

image via sanctuary rose

I think this approach is such a neat way to solve the dilemma of dealing with a site that has a steep hill :

image via shelter

A Salvation Army Chandelier

2010-05-10T10:40:00.007-04:00

Last fall I bought this chandelier for 7 bucks at my local salvation army. Currently we have an almost flush ceiling fixture in the dining room that is missing its glass cover so anything would be an improvement. I think this chandelier may have originally had big globes at the end but I will not be putting those back.

Here is a detail of the texture - I am usually a fan of simpler pieces but I am hoping I can make this chandelier a fun piece in the room. Like these theatrical pieces below:

image via diary of lovely

First I was thinking that it should be painted a glossy solid color a la Martha Stewart's chandelier below - but now I think that painting in a glossy finish will hide alot of the details.

So now I am thinking of a chalky white finish:

chandelier from ballard designs found via my design secrets

But I also love the color scheme of the chandelier below - so I was wondering if I painted the chandelier in a dusty chalk white - and I painted thin blue stripes along all the details - (like the vase in the last image) - whether that would add a playful and slightly bohemian edge to my 7 dollar purchase. Thoughts?

image from Lonny

image via absolutely beautiful things

How Darling is this house

2010-05-02T21:37:00.004-04:00

This adorable house (dismantled) is for sale on ebay : for 29,000.

NY Salvage is located in Oneonta, NY and they have a great salvage yard - I have gotten many period doors (the selection is amazing!) there myself and my parents got a huge lovely cabinet for their kitchen a couple of years ago. It seems they do a lot of salvage work in the area and I love the fact that they are saving buildings and architectural details.

Loving the greenery In Michelle Adam's New 'green' apt!

2010-04-13T10:06:00.005-04:00

images from newest lonny mag of founder Michelle Adam's new 'green' apartment.

and she use ikea pots

Restoration Hardware's New Look - Hate or Love

2010-04-08T11:03:00.009-04:00

I have been noticing some bloggers ripping on Restoration Hardware's new look lately - which made me wonder whether I liked it myself (btw - restoration hardware furniture is still out of my price range right now so this is a more "theoretical post".) I think RH - like Pottery Barn hits a certain cord with people - either you are comfortable with the quality and price or you are repulsed by the 'yuppie' standard it represents (i know yuppie is outdated - I kind of use it in jest here). One lovely sunny sunday a couple weekends ago my boyfriend and I went and saw the collection in person on our way to the Shake Shack. We even sat in a pair of versailles domed chairs -which I loved the theatrics of,the bf was not a fan - but he was a sport about it ;).

I found that I really liked a lot of it - RH's - glossy brown wood combined with tufted leather and gray upholstery was starting to get ubiquitous - so I am excited that they have branched out into another style and that they are embracing design classics. I feel like they are stressing the industrial look in their layouts so they don't alienate their customer base - But they are producing some exciting new designs. (see below)

Cabriole Ottoman

1950s Leather Copenhagen Chair

Louis Bench

Vintage French Square Side Chair

Vintage French Round Side Chair

For the first time I feel like they are producing a far more feminine line - in color, finish and in shape - it also looks like these pieces are almost neutral classics - I think they could go with any decor - and blend really well. And I think even though they are pricey for me right now - they look far more expensive then then they actually are. Thoughts?

Light Throws for Spring

2010-04-08T09:17:00.003-04:00

Tattersall Plaid Wool Throw (now $29.99)

Cotton Woven Chevron Throw ($49.50)

I bought these last week and I am still in love - such lovely and subtle colors. Here in NYC we have had some unseasonably warm days (89! yesterday) but I love having light throws for the occasional chilly spring evening. The wool one is obviously a better deal - but the cotton one is really beautiful as well. cheers!

Alice In Wonderland Meets Decorating

2010-04-06T21:08:00.022-04:00

images from Vogue

images from Vouge Sharp family apartment

image from Victoria Magazine

image via weekend host

image via Trixie's table

image via sweetie pie

image via simply seleta

via shelter

via la dolcevita

via Kristomatic

image via highstmarket

via habitually chic

via frolic

via - fine little love

via decorology

image via daisy pink cupcake

image via bottom of the ironing basket

image via automatism

image via alicia b design

image from ebay

image from lonny

images from Domino

Image from Anthropologie

Continuing the theme:

top row (right to left): Two Tier Rectangular Coffee Table- Gold Leaf or Nickel , Chinese Porcelain Blue and White Ginger Jar Vase 18"H , Bear Opener ,
second row: Vintage French Square Side Chair , 2x3 Large Ditsy Printed Rug , Nautical Stripe Pillow ,Cornishware , UO Tea Rose Duvet Cover ,

top row (right to left): Easy-As-Pie Dish , Atom Art Bowl, Red , Indigo Fabric ,Napa Chair , Island Time Juice Glass, Flora ,
second row: Cygnus Hook , Atelier Chesterfield , Clarence House Mergellina ,

top row (right to left): Mantadia Rug , Tropical Flock Chair , Aligre Cabinet ,
second row: Scalamandre CHINA ROSE , Batik , SIGNE Rug , SVEJE Rug .

top row (right to left): painting by my sister , Twin cabinet , Horta Water Glass ,
second row : Fleur De Lys Glasses , Blue and White Design Rice Bowl , Potted Olive Topiary , Anokhi Aqua & Pink Primrose Round Tablecloth; 90"D ,
third row: Anokhi Blue, Violet & White Cotton Tablecloth; 60x90 , crewel fabric , Aster Stripe Dishtowel , My own photo - Easter flowers from my bf :)

top row (right to left): Quilt Amanda Blue , Round Tablecloth Fantasia Blue,
Second Row: Napkin Francesca Orange, Aster Stripe Dishtowel , Napkin Amanda Blue

Emmas Garden Floral Porcelain Blue , Portrero -55 Navy , Classic Blue , Lee Cobalt Swavelle/Millcreek , Canopy Blue

Same Stuff - New Setting

2010-04-04T23:30:00.006-04:00

Watching High Society and seeing Tinsley Mortimer's new loft in 'the midtown' is a bit like watching I spy. Recognize any of the furniture?

The apartment she shared with her ex husband:

Images via Habitually Chic

Her new loft (as seen in her new reality show on the CW):

Spare Basics

2010-03-30T15:55:00.011-04:00

NÄSTVED Rug, low pile $16.99

HÅLLÖ Cushion 9.99

SOFIA Fabric $7.99 / yards

ENDIV Plant pot29.99

LERBERG Shelf unit19.99

FÖRSTÅ Coffee/ tea maker5.99

VAKEN Glass $6.99 / 4 pack

DRAGON 20-piece cutlery set24.99

SVIT 20-piece cutlery set39.99

STEK Knife $9.99 / 6 pack

IKEA 365+ plate $5.99

SLOM Jar with lid2.99

KVOT Dish drainer6.99

BOLLÖ Acacia wood Folding chair 19.99

DILLING Bed storage box14.99

EKTORP cotton and down fowl fill Neckroll $9.99

DEKAD Alarm clock $5.99

RITVA cotton Cushion cover $6.00

BOMULL cotton Bedspread $9.99

JORUN wool Blanket $19.99

All brought to you by Ikea

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-24T17:39:00.002-04:00

Spent today reorganizing my office area- stripping my bulletin board (this photo is from three months ago) - filing papers - dusting, getting the studio cleaned for a new project. and I kept playing this over and over . Definitely spring cleaning music :)

Unfinished Decorating

2010-03-23T12:43:00.006-04:00

Lauren of Pure Style Home did a great post on 'undesigned spaces' a little bit ago that got me thinking of 'unfinished spaces'. I am queen of unfinished details, i get things 80 % finished but somehow the last 20% never does. This photo above is a perfect example - out of the 3 picture frames I haven't figured out what to put in two of them!- (and to be truthful I will probably get bored of the little table-scape before I actually put anything in the empty frames)

Whenever I have 'finished' something I almost instantaneously get an 'itch' to change it again. My spaces are always 'in transition' something is on its way in or out and I always have items in my room that need to be refinished, reupholstered, painted or hung. I enjoy the process of playing and experimenting with ideas and looks rather than accomplishing a fixed 'look'. Do any of you have problems with committing to a finished design like I do?

Love the Proportions on this Table

2010-03-22T18:22:00.003-04:00

Have you seen 'who do you think you are'? The celebrity angle is kind of silly and the editing is repetitive and cheesy BUT I love the show. I am obsessed with my own family's history and I love a show that highlights people searching out their own. Lisa Kudrow's story is about her tie to Eastern European Jewish history namely the holocaust (it is very heavy story btw). I found this episode especially moving as 1/4 of my own background is Russian-Jewish.

Anyways! I loved the table in Lisa Kudrow's fathers kitchen the proportions are great long and narrow with a worn wooden top!

Happy First Day of Spring

2010-03-20T15:53:00.002-04:00

image via Victoria magazine

I hope you had the opportunity to spend most of the day outside as I did! - I just spent the morning and early afternoon moving a peach tree (it was growing sideways under another tree) and rose of Sharon, cutting back overgrown wisteria, trimming quince branches and raking leaves with my younger sister and boyfriend - after a cold winter, working in the warm sun was blissful! The garden here in the city is still mostly asleep - however the quince is putting out pink blossoms, the tulips are growing tall and there are blooming crocuses here and there. - It makes a person such as myself very excited about the the warm weather to come! - I already put in an order of navy canvas butterfly chair covers from circa50 for our four frames out back - and I am looking for nautical navy and white striped outdoor fabric to make matching throw pillows... hope your first day of spring was as lovely too!

ART FOR HAITI Silent Auction

2010-03-17T14:25:00.000-04:00

ART FOR HAITI Silent Auction at the Lohin Geduld Gallery

The art that has been donated here is superb - You can peruse all of the artwork here the starting bids are very reasonable - and all the proceeds go to a really great cause! - (full disclosure my mother, Temma Bell donated a really beautiful painting of hers). Have a look if you are in the market for some great art!

Perfection

2010-03-13T09:52:00.001-05:00

image from countrystylemag? via pink wallpaper

I love how serious the hood to the stove is here - also the length of the island is so generous but by having the corners be open shelves it really minimizes the visual weight. and to the left do you notice the full door pantry like cabinet? I think in the end floor-to-ceiling cabinets (with no counter in the middle) really get some of the most use. Erika from Urban Grace designed the wall of cabinetry in the kitchen below, and ever since I saw it I have been trying to talk my mom into making a similar wall of cabinets in her kitchen.

image from coastal living via Urban Grace

Enfilades

2010-03-12T14:15:00.000-05:00

images from Architectural Digest

from Western Interiors

Subdued Scheme and Fabrics

2010-03-11T13:34:00.011-05:00

via newlyweddiaries

via this is glamerous

via blue print bliss

via green notebook

Candian House and Home via Papillon Linens

image from Lonny

via dress,design,decor

via aubrey road pictures

via habitually chic

The Spell of Glamour

2010-03-11T11:40:00.003-05:00

image via pink wallpaper

via dress design decor

"Playing oversize objects against normal or even undersize pieces can make spaces seem taller or wider, more or less open." –Michael Lassell, Making it Modern

"The most glamorous thing you can do in a room is to be surprising." – Jill Van Tosh

Glamour, is something I have been trying to wrap my head around for a while– what does it mean? How is it obtained through design? Because we all know what it is when we see it (like all the curated images in the fabulous blog This is Glamorous) – but I couldn't for the world of me think of how exactly to describe it. So forgive me but I consulted the web dictionaries:

Online etymology dictionary: says Glamor also Glamour, 1720, "magic, enchantment" (especially in phrase to cast the glamor), a variant of Scot. gramarye "magic, enchantment, spell," alteration of English grammar (q.v.) with a medieval sense of "any sort of scholarship, especially occult learning." Popularized by the writings of Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). Sense of "magical beauty, alluring charm" first recorded 1840.

Merriam-Webster.com says: Etymology: Scots glamour, alteration of English grammar; from the popular association of erudition with occult practices
1 : a magic spell
2 : an exciting and often illusory and romantic attractiveness; especially : alluring or fascinating attraction —often used attributively

Wikipedia says: Glamour is an appearance of enhanced attractiveness
From Scots gramarye (“‘magic, enchantment, spell’”).
The Scottish term is either from Ancient Greek γραμμάριον (grammárion), “‘gram’”), the weight unit of ingredients used to make magic potions, or an alteration of the English word grammar (“‘any sort of scholarship, especially occult learning’”), from Latin grammatica, from Greek (grammatike tekhne), “‘art of letters’”).
1. (countable) an item, motif, person, image that by association improves appearance
2. Witchcraft; magic charm; a spell affecting the eye, making objects appear different from what they really are.
3. A kind of haze in the air, causing things to appear different from what they really are.
4. Any artificial interest in, or association with, an object, or person, through which it or they appear delusively magnified or glorified.
5. (uncountable) Alluring beauty or charm (often with sex-appeal)

Isn’t that funny a word I use all the time – I hadn’t realized that it had ties to the occult? I had always thought glamour was porcelain lusterware teacup sets, claw foot bathtubs, large libraries, sculptural furniture, fancy leather goods and sport cars. I thought it was fancy THINGS.

Now after doing a bit of research I realize that of course (and forgive my flowery speech) it is more about the enchanting tone, the ‘uncountable’ and magical charm that imbues a normal moment or scene into an extraordinary one. Glamour is that vision that is so charged with dream-like possibility that it lingers like a tempting spell in the memory. It taps into the power of our romantic childhood imaginations and our desires and promises however fleeting the fantasy, a moment of bliss.

I LOVE these lamps

2010-03-09T10:20:00.001-05:00

Photograph by François Halard for Vouge

p.s - see the fantastic evolution of this room at Blue Hydrangea

A Round Up of 10 Free DIY Bench and Chair Plans From the Interwebs

2010-03-09T10:05:00.004-05:00

1) http://www.spanpine.com/pdf/project_jul06.pdf
2) http://www.thewoodcrafter.net/proj/p13.php
3) http://www.minwax.com/projects/outdoor/?WT.mc_id=OutdoorProjectsMarquee
4) http://www.bhg.com/gardening/landscaping-projects/garden-structures/tree-bench/
5) http://www.homehardware.ca/Cms/content/index/page/homeathome_diy_summer_01_englishbench
6) http://www.shopsmithhandson.com/archives/mar_apr_02/html/major_project.htm
7) http://www.ronhazelton.com/archives/howto/custom_tree_bench.shtm
8) http://www.homeenvy.com/db/9/109.html
9) http://www.am-wood.com/june97/adirondack.html
10) http://www.calredwood.org/homeown/bench/bench.htm

Dear Summer, please come soon. -Melkorka

2010-03-09T09:29:00.001-05:00

A sunken tree - what an interesting way to deal with an existing tree if you change the elevation a bit. (i wonder how that is to mow? a nightmare?)

I love the idea of stone steps between different elevations - it makes the outside much more room like.

Using a rock wall to turn a (normally) swampy area of the pond bank into a neat edge detail really is a clever idea -

I am not usually attracted to large pine trees (they are often planted small and forgotton and the effect is monstrous )- but these are so sculptural. Having the trees surrounded by lawn and reflected in the water is really an unusual and beautiful design although the more I stare at it I think it looks a bit like a golf course?

I LOVE undulating lawn paths that obscure your view slightly - they can make a very small area of property seem vast and magical.

images from bayberry nursery via the lovely Laurel Hedge

My table Makeover makes it on Design Sponge!

2010-03-04T11:59:00.002-05:00

If any of you arrived here from Design Sponge, Welcome! And Thank you to Grace for featuring my little project ! :)

Rustic Farmhouse meets Scandanavian Modern

2010-03-04T11:54:00.003-05:00

I just love the pairing of these beautiful sculptural vintage Moller chairs With a rustic farm table- Such a beautiful combination.

Danish furniture design is definitely a big influence on my design sense. Did I ever tell you guys that my grandfather was a mid-century designer / architect? Below are some of his chair designs that I have photos of. He grew up in Denmark and trained there although he had most of his career in Iceland. He designed many houses, restaurants and even the library (seen here behind the president) in Bessastaðir (the Icelandic version of the white house). If I were to ever get a full set of his chairs for myself I think I may go for this kind of paring!

Shipping Cargo Containers as storage

2010-03-02T10:22:00.002-05:00

via

Any Advice?

One of the largest drawbacks of our particular property is there there are no storage structures on it. So there is no place for garden tools, storage boxes, our lawn mower, lumber, scraps, furniture projects etc... They all pile up in the demolition zone which is very crowded, messy and inefficient. I have flirted with the idea of designing and building a shed but I can't decide where would be the best place for it to be situated on the property at this point. Shipping containers are clean modern blank slates that can be easily converted into so many different spaces - and I am thinking maybe it will be a great green option for storage. Any advice? Has anyone get a shipping container delivered to the Catskills? Does anyone have any suppliers they recommend?

via

Winter Gardening : patience, planning and research.

2010-03-01T11:54:00.003-05:00

One of the things I find most difficult about winter is these last few months before spring. I grow restless and I crave nature - I long for greenery and the smell of warm cut grass - I daydream about doing physical backbreaking lawn work in the hot sun.

My escape this time of year though are my books on gardening. In the summer I rarely have enough time to curl up in a blanket and READ about landscaping. Now I get to look over historical gardens and learn and draw plans, and dream about how things COULD be. Above are the latest books to enter my 'gardening library' most of them are gifts from my my parents and siblings and I looking forward to reading them until spring comes!

Winter Project : pickled table top.

2010-03-01T11:33:00.004-05:00

Before:

This table was at one of my favorite used furniture barns- it was 79 dollars which for upstate furniture barns was kind of pricey but I just find these tables so useful for small spaces. It was a vintage base (not however a knoll/Saarinen) but it was paired with this home-depot stock yellow pine tabletop that had an out of proportion large rounded edge.

So my first order of business was planing down the sides of the table to reduce the rounded edge to a thin lip with an angle. I left about 1/4" of curve and it reads visually like a far thinner piece of wood (it is also far closer to what the actual vintage tabletop profile would be). The steps I used are illustrated below- I did the same thing on a smaller table that had a black base. Basically I drew two parallel lines- one line around the edge and one line on the underside of the table and using my hand-held planer I just removed the concave curve of wood in between.

At first I thought that the bare wood resembled a butcher-block and since I planned on using it in my kitchen I thought the effect would be charming. I sanded it and then used steel wool with wax until it was buttery soft. But no mater how much I tried to like it the yellowed knotty pine still bothered me. So after I trucked it down to the city I sanded off all the wax and I pickled the top with watered down white paint until it had that slightly grained almost marble-like look to it. Then I finished it off with 3 coats of polyurethane - and the result is far nicer than I started out with don't you think?

*p.s- I forgot to say that in order to get the slight raised grain effect (not really visible in these photos) I saturated the wood table top with water and then rubbed the surface with a scrubby sponge - it kind of melts away the softer wood which makes the denser grain appear raised. It gives the new (flat) wood more of an old farmer's table surface feel.

My week of eating in

2010-02-28T20:40:00.000-05:00

img via beautiful things to share

So I just finished my week of eating in challenge. To some eating in may seem the norm – certainly some people seem perplexed at the ‘challenge’ . Here in NYC (the land of cheap , authentic and delicious restaurants) where I work from home – the meal out is sometimes my only link to sanity. I don’t need NYC's fashion shows or film festivals but goodness knows it’s a hardship to give up my weekly dim sum lunch. Cathy Erway (who is ridiculously charming in person) wrote this book about her journey with eating in for 2 years – can you imagine two years without the corner pizza- the grocery rotisserie chicken , the deli toasted buttered bagel – (or my favorite restaurant destination) china town? Anyways – I haven’t read the book yet – My sister who has been chronicling her week of eating in on her blog ( just finished the book and passed it on me and now it is sitting next to me on my bed stand – but I am definitely looking forward to it!

p.s- (and I am looking forward to my boyfriend taking me out for a congratulatory meal on monday!)

Kelly Killoren Bensimon's apartment

2010-02-28T12:46:00.005-05:00

I did a post on fuschia awhile back and I included this shot. This loft has been in the back of my head as inspiration - I love the unexpected bold color of the love-seats matched with the very subdued color scheme in the background (white walls, ebonized floor, bare windows, pale art, sculptural furniture).

I even love the large sculptural horse - life size animal sculptures can go arty/quirky to tacky easily though. My sister and I joke about making fiberglass life size animals and hiding them as little follies in corners of the garden - my wacky side would love to have a full sized white polar bear sculpture in the middle of our Catskill lawn. ANYWAYS

Funny when I realized that its Kelly Killoren Bensimon's (from real housewives of nyc) apartment! Apparently she is also doing a makeover of her apt on youtube .Here is the before and then phase2. Kelly comes off very bizarre in RH-NYC but I think in her Youtube video tours she is kind of endearing. Below is the embedded video tour from Bravo.

p.s- ( I know this is a bit of a departure from the 'country house remodel' tone I try to have on the blog - Truthfully in the winter I spend a lot more time in NYC - and therefore my design focus has been running a little more city glam.)

Unexpected color and structured symmetry! Yummy!

2010-02-08T23:31:00.003-05:00

image via pink wallpaper

Still love this photo.

2010-01-27T20:26:00.001-05:00

image via pink wallpaper (org from domino)

all that girly glamorous silver and purple!

Color in the Kitchen

2010-01-21T20:31:00.007-05:00

My Bloglines Library

2010-01-11T11:21:00.005-05:00

Image from House Beautiful

Due to limited space I cannot list all the blogs I read and enjoy in my blogroll - which makes me feel a little ungrateful. So I thought I would share with you my Bloglines Library. Some of the feeds that I have there may be out of date - or of no interest to you - but I thought you may enjoy seeing all the great blogs I do read - and how I organize them.

When You see my Bloglines Library you may actually think I am a feed hoarder (eek!), and you may wonder how I keep up with all the blogs - Well, some of them I do, and some of them I actually use more like bookmarks (for instance I rarely read the small business blogs ). Also Bloglines Beta has a tool which allows you to "pin" posts - so I will scan the blogs first and then pin the blog posts I find interesting to read in depth later. Unfortunately the volume of blogs I read makes me more of 'lurker' than I mean to because often by the time a read a post it is almost a week after it was written.

ps-My Newest addition to my Bloglines has been Etsy store feeds - they are great to keep up with your favorite stores.I am addicted to High Street Market's Etsy store ( I already bought two items I absolutely love!)

I will be back soon

2010-01-10T21:07:00.003-05:00

I have been swamped with work and as a result I have been feeling a bit of blog-burnout lately - apologies to everyone who has commented or written to me and I haven't gotten back to you just yet!!!

P.S- how perfect is this table below? - It is worn in perfectly! - oh and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!

Image from Victoria Magazine

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T13:01:00.008-05:00

Photo of one of our family's 'yule lad' decorations from my sister

Hello all, I am up in the Catskills at my parents farm - preparing for tonight's festivities. As Icelanders we have lots of strange x-mas traditions - but by far my favorite is we get to open presents in the twinkly magic filled light of Christmas eve. Happy Holidays everyone!

p.s thanks to those who nominated/voted for me in apt therapy's 2009 homies award! makes me blush to be in such great company :)

p.s 2- if you are looking for a cheap (free) 2010 calendar I make ones available annually to family and friends on our Sheepdog Print and Design site- if you print them out centered and 'to fit' on your printer they come out with a nice white border. Happy New Year!

Sweet Tree

2009-12-22T09:20:00.001-05:00

image from MSL - see full spread at dressdesigndecor

Psst...

2009-12-22T08:55:00.006-05:00

2010 Printable Calendars available on Sheepdog Print and Design blog

images from Elle Decor via Habitually Chic

2009-12-17T08:01:00.001-05:00

Image from Martha Stewart Living

Silver and Black

2009-12-08T22:32:00.001-05:00

image from Ralph Lauren Home via Decorology

Yes, Please.

2009-12-08T22:27:00.002-05:00

I know I don't write a fashion/shopping blog - but I couldn't help but post these perfect pieces by Zoe Chicco.

Silver and White Holiday Decorating

2009-12-08T09:35:00.002-05:00

Images from Victoria mag - photographed by :Laura Resen

Currently Obsessed with...

2009-12-04T10:33:00.003-05:00

Gil Shafer's parking Area at his Greek Revival Home. It is such a simple treatment - just a rectangular stone wall that meets the hill on one side and the lawn at the other - but it has such a palatial effect - and it gives a simple driveway a processional feeling. I wonder what he used to come up with the dimensions for the parking area - how many cars does it fit ? Was it designed not to fit 'x' many cars but to have symmetry with the house? I like the way the low wall seems to invite cars - as if saying ' you belong here' . Often times rural driveways have blurry areas where guests can park but they end up being messy half grass/half gravel zones. This seems like a simple and natural solution.

Cosy

2009-12-03T19:36:00.000-05:00

Image from Better Homes and Gardens

One of my Favorite Houses

2009-12-02T19:25:00.000-05:00

I always had an eye on this house - it is a simple charming elegance farmhouse - isn't it just lovely? The little peaked window frames (forgive my blurry photo below), and the wide channels on the roof are my favorite! The house went on the market at a time that I wasn't looking, but the house and its barn look very loved now - so that is nice :).

Our Home's Doppelganger

2009-12-01T18:13:00.005-05:00

Greek revival's are very very common in our neck of the woods - heck this cabin is just the next town over. But I have had a hard time finding any houses that are the same combo of the 1830's rural Greek Revival New England house and the 1840's 'Midwestern Greek Revival farmhouse'. When I saw this house on a drive to Cooperstown - I noted its approximate location and on a lazy summer day we drove back to grab some photos. The house in reality is a mirror image of ours - (photoshop magic!), the windows are taller on the top floor (not pocket windows) and the enclosed porch is a different shape - but this house gives me an idea of how ours will look without the dreaded vinyl and perhaps with a few shutters? Its cute and classic and it kind of reminds me of this .

vs.

vs.

The Magic of Plastic Spray Paint

2009-11-20T09:45:00.001-05:00

Before (I forgot to take a picture before I disassembled it):

After:

Inspired by Eddie Ross's spray painted mirror I bought this mirror at our local salvation army for 2.99 - although I liked the white I disliked the plastic finish - with a coat of black spray paint it almost looks like it could be made of wood. It is now hanging out on our enclosed porch.

Pastel Bedside

2009-11-18T17:27:00.000-05:00

image from Instyle Home

A Glamorous House Full of Vistas

2009-11-16T16:08:00.002-05:00

images from House and Garden - Architects - Haynes Robert Inc,

Row of Trees

2009-11-16T12:34:00.000-05:00

image from House and Garden

Young Design

2009-11-15T10:52:00.000-05:00

This is a feature from House Beautiful 2003 (this issue is far before House Beautiful started to follow Domino and incorporate younger design into their magazine) and although the photos employ dated proportions and styling - the advice is very much what young trends are now. I think the true freedom of being young is not having that much furniture or even a budget - so the choices can be less formal or permanent. But I wonder how much of my current design obsessions will seem out-dated in a couple of years. I think that is why I prefer to buy vintage/antiques, somehow I hope that because they are from an earlier style period they will end up being more versatile than new current-styled furniture. - although, truthfully - I own four vintage Saarinen tulip table knockoffs and I wonder what I will think of them in a decade?

Here are some of the recommendations from House Beautiful
-use white accents
-incorporate stripes for graphic punch
-juxtapose antiques with new furniture
-oversize hanging lamps
-mix high and low
-modern accents
-bright upholstered headboards
-edit ruthlessly
-play with geometry
-eliminate fussy treatments
-combine textures shiny and matte - rough and smooth
-Modern Art

What do you think?

Lovely Moldings...

2009-11-14T22:21:00.000-05:00

image via pink wallpaper

image via desire to inspire

image from Domino

Workbench chic

2009-11-12T22:35:00.000-05:00

image via this is glamorous

image via brabourne farm

Chicken Lamp

2009-11-12T09:02:00.004-05:00

For my upcoming birthday my mother bought me a chicken lamp I had been eying - I love chickens - both in real life and in ceramic form (see the chickens lined up on top of the cabinet in the background?). Unfortunately this chicken lamp was a bit brown for my taste and the paint finish was chipped - so using the lamps in Ellie's 'cougar town' house as inspiration I gave it two coats of white oil. I even spray painted the finial in gold spray paint - and the result is a mix cheeky glamorous. I have been loving the glow of lamplight in these early dark evenings.

Kristen Bell's Colorful house in Instyle

2009-11-11T09:38:00.000-05:00

I love the mix of rich textured hues, colorful brights and cheery patterns. It is both cosy and young.

Bullseye Mirrors

2009-11-10T10:32:00.001-05:00

image from Lonny

Eddie Ross's clever job of painting the plastic reproduction has made me troll through eBay for similar examples.

image from House and Garden

image from Domino

Grey paint - White Trim - Black Shutters

2009-11-09T10:23:00.001-05:00

image from Lonny

image from Martha Stewart Living

image from Domino

In the summer I always prefer white on white farmhouses- but when the chilly weather approaches - the red leaves of autumn call out for slightly warmer tones. There is somthing comforting about a pearly soft gray.

Facade

2009-11-08T10:15:00.002-05:00

image from Met Home

Texture and simplicity. Lovely!

Cosy Plaid

2009-11-07T16:24:00.000-05:00

Scan of Ralph Lauren Ad

image via my favorite and my best.

image via cocokelley.

image via Lonny mag.

Mudrooms

2009-11-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

image via shelter

via desire to inspire

image via Brabourne farms

lonny

Does anyone else watch Cougar Town just for the set design?

2009-11-06T12:53:00.008-05:00

The kitchen:

classic stove:

look at the pantry with the partially frosted glass door - I love the effect!

see how the microwave is placed counter height but recessed in to a column of cabinents by the refrigerator?:
A lot of scenes are shot around the large glossy black topped island:

The front hall features a coat rack/umbrella stand made of bamboo:

I love the use of bright pattern and color set against neutrals in this sun-drenched 'Floridian' set.
All these shots below show the pair of french doors that make the living room meld with the 'outside'

Her Dinette set with wicker chairs

solid Coral Couch with seashells and blue accents

shot from the living room area back at the kitchen:
I love the pattern on this chair:

Her bedroom -

Her Best Friend and Neighbors house - more eccentric /french/ citrusy and a bit less warm

Real Estate Office - filled with warm apple greens turquoise and bright white

all shots are screen shots off of hulu - set design by Archie D'Amico

Autumn

2009-11-05T23:22:00.001-05:00

image from House Beautiful

Glamorously Styled Sinkscapes

2009-11-04T22:41:00.000-05:00

image via desire to inspire

image from Lonnymag

Workbench Chic

2009-11-03T22:35:00.001-05:00

image via this is glamorous

image via brabourne farm

Perfection

2009-11-02T17:46:00.000-05:00

image via braburnefarm from G P. Shafer

And her name is Kelly

2009-11-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

image from domino via unknown (sorry!)

via decorology

via the city sage

Ralph Lauren Paint

Nate Berkus Pillow

Another Simple and Elegant Portico Solution

2009-10-31T17:25:00.000-04:00

image via Shelter from D. Micheal Collins

(portico from the side) image from Ken Vona

Elegant Entries by Platt Dana

2009-10-30T16:47:00.001-04:00

Image from Domino

images via plattdana

Thanks

2009-10-30T09:52:00.004-04:00

image via high street market

In the last couple months I have been working on a large project at work. It has been lovely to have work in this climate - but to be honest it has been creatively draining. I have had to put my house projects on the back burner and as a result my posting has suffered. After about two months of blog silence I started to worry that all my fabulous blogging friends would have moved on -but here I am, my first week back posting - and you all make me feel as though I never left! I am always amazed by how supportive and kind and positive this blogging world is. Anyways just know that your support really warms my heart and I am going to try my darnedest to make time for you and my blog! And a special thanks to My Endless Inspiration - for including me in her nomination list for "one lovely blog award".

Black and White

2009-10-29T16:22:00.001-04:00

Image from Martha Stewart Weddings

2009-10-28T15:58:00.000-04:00

Image from House Beautiful

Simplify

2009-10-28T14:27:00.000-04:00

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."
-Hans Hoffman

quote via sweetie pie

images from pbs special

The nightmare project

2009-10-27T15:31:00.000-04:00

concept illustration by Ron Marvin

This article made me think of all those awkward design projects where the client and designer relationship doesn't flow well. Half of a designing job is being creative and using your prior experience to anticipate needs - and the other half is listening, explaining and generally being patient. Sometimes some jobs require you to be very, very patient.

Calm Green

2009-10-27T13:25:00.003-04:00

via blue print bliss

This is so calm and inviting - lovely.

My. Dream. Job.

2009-10-26T17:56:00.001-04:00

The Story Seller NYTimes (watch the video!)

Obsessed with Urns?

2009-10-26T15:08:00.005-04:00

Lonny

via Delight by Design

Lonny

ps - I know these are of the trophy variety but still... via Pink Wallpaper

I have been shopping for black urns - I think it is also the fall season, which makes me lust for black weathered metal pieces - but also I keep seeing them everywhere - I love how they are classic and useful and and how they cut a nice and simple silhouette on a bookshelf or mantel.

Love this Image!

2009-10-26T14:55:00.002-04:00

Eddie Ross's kitchen in Lonny Magazine.

George Carlin Talks About Stuff

2009-10-24T14:29:00.001-04:00

Pop Up

2009-10-13T16:41:00.000-04:00

images from Home Mag

This detail is such a neat way to bring more light and interest into a space.

An Affair with a New Driveway Plan!

2009-09-04T10:58:00.007-04:00

So earlier in the summer I bought the above book and devoured it cover to cover. One of the reasons that I initially bought it is that her house is similar to ours (I know that ours is MUCH more modest). But what really drew me was how she talked about her journey of turning a house into a home and a life - It was a delicious read and really inspirational. It made me happy to read about another persons devotion to a house and place - and the joy that it has brought her and her loved ones. I too am always planning on how to turn not just the house - but the land into a usable and enjoyable PLACE. Right now I am obsessed with antique barns (being that we don't actually have any kind of out buildings left on the property) - and with trees (remind me to tell you about the row of sugar maples) and driveways (read below).

So another surprise here is that today we got our permit from the county to put in a new driveway entrance! - so this poor washed- out driveway will soon be replaced with lawn and graceful curving sweep of gravel. Basically our parcel is smallest where it hits the road because we are situated on the outside of a curve (giving us a slight pie slice of land - the pointed tip being our road frontage).

Our plan is to extend the driveways to the far corners of the property and connect them in front of the house - thus removing the current turn-around /parking area behind the house - Which will help to restore the front lawn / back lawn privacy that I crave in the country. Right now the house is completely surrounded by car paths - the highway in the front - the driveways looping up the sides and the parking area in the back. This layout made sense when it was apartments but it makes for a hostile barrier between the house and the lawns that I can't wait to be rid of! Our new plan will be better for safety (better sight lines on the edges of our highway curve ), better drainage (we are gonna do some extensive ditch/culvert work), better during the winter - (we will be approaching the house from the side at the same elevation level instead of driving uphill which can get SCARY with ice) and privacy (we will be using the left over dirt to fill in the old driveway so that the resulting berm will hide traffic a bit). - So wish us luck!

p.sFor a great post on Bunny Williams’ house visit Cote de Texas.

Greek Revival Inverted Porches

2009-09-04T08:55:00.010-04:00

From this angle you can see how the enclosed porch has a separate roof and is a bump-out addition (with flared craftsman walls dating it to 1900-1930) that extends off of the original inverted porch.

I am a big fan of removing the enclosed porch addition to restore the classic lines to the structure- but that step will only make sense after we have more space - i.e once we renovate the back - because right now we are actually using the enclosed porch as a summer guest room.

Below are a couple other examples of the inverted Greek Revival porches. I have actually found it quite hard to find pictures of inverted porches that still remain open - I think in the Catskills with our relatively cool summers and cold winters - the porches were probably simply enclosed or walled off so they could be used year round.

An example of a surviving inverted porch in the next town over- see how similar this house is to ours except this house has the classic 3 windows/ two windows and entry door in the front pediment wing instead or our 2 windows/2windows layout

I stole this image from an area real estate listing (sorry it is so small) - this too has the inverted porch - the smaller wing is more similar to ours - although it also features the fancy entry door on the facing gable

This is actually a photo of a house in our town from the turn of the century - (I have been scanning photos for our history center as a pet project of mine and also because I can glean so many local architectural details from the looking at old photos). You can see how although the layout is flipped , this house is very similar to the house above - notice also how the house has what appears to be board and batten siding a Gothic Revival detail- very interesting.

Here is a tour of some of my favorite homes in my town.

2009-09-02T18:16:00.007-04:00

This house is just so deliciously simple - and yet the quirky offset symmetry makes it so charming!

This house has such clean lines and such a lovely lawn!!

they recently tore down every part of this house except for the front wall you see here and they rebuilt it.

I just love how the aged dark green is so unexpected and yet I think it is so glamorous (maybe I am crazy)

this is so clean and simple - classic Greek Revival!

look at regal setback and how the lawn runs into that lovely stone wall - yummy!

I love this generous porch! it just looks like a friendly house

This is one of my favorite remodels that has been done in the last 10 years - this house was looking a bit rundown when it was on the market about 8 years ago and now it is so handsome - I love how elegant and loved it looks now!

I don't have a good shot of this house but I do believe they may have won the 'lawn of the month award'

This place is such a classic farmhouse- (and its for sale ! - which is probably why the lawn looks so neglected)

Anyways I hope you enjoyed a tour through my town - and I hope to put up more soon to show you the examples of local architectural styles that I am hoping to draw inspiration from as we fix up our own house.

I know it has been awhile...

2009-09-02T17:52:00.004-04:00

my newest project

As the summer draws to an end my list of projects seems to become more desperate hence I have put blogging on the back burner. So apologies if I made any one worry!

You may look at this buffet and wonder why I bought it - it certainly has a very 90's color scheme, and someone seems to have given up on searching for replacement hardware ... I loved it - it JUST fit into my boyfriend's dad's Honda Fit AND was only 2.60 at my favorite junk shop. I just couldn't resist its clean lines - It took some elbow grease and an eclectic sander and electric planer (which btw is one of my favorite tools), a new coat of paint , new hinges (2 were warped and all of them were painted over) and some new pull handles (1.29 each at Lowes!)

it was originally 5.25! but it was half off due to the end of season sale

one of the first flaws I had to fix both the door had to be planed down, the bent hinges replaced and the piece glued together

the veneer on the top had to be fixed as well - I ended up just scraping the whole thing off after a partial removal-patch job didn't work so well.

i just love drawer dividers

So here it is folks - the finished product (please be nice and don't look too hard at the messed up wall or the horrible molding - previous remuddlers were not so kind to the original details in this wing of the house).

p.s- I removed the lacquer from the pulls so they should dull to a classy brass soon :).

Remember This Couch From Domino?

2009-08-05T15:23:00.001-04:00

well it has a new life here.

So all my fabric arrived...

2009-08-04T17:05:00.003-04:00

red or pink?

brown?

blue or gray?

green?

yellow?

black and white?

...and the decision is still hard! I bought most of the fabric in just one or half yards so I could decide in person but still! I can't wait to show you some of my other refinishing projects I have been working on - those I actually made a decision :).

Meet our new happy hammocks!

2009-08-04T16:17:00.005-04:00

One of the hardest things about living in a constant project is taking a break - so I have been looking for a well priced lounging option that would encourage us to hang out in our back yard. Well hammocks.com had a great sale on these steel hammock stand kits (basically the two brackets cost 19.00 - the hammocks and pressure treated 4x4's not included - but still it was an amazing deal (they seem to not be offering them anymore unfortunately). My sister's boyfriend and our friend Maneesh (pictured) helped us put them together just in time for our weekend barbecue. The steel parts were originally a putty brown but we sprayed them black and I think the effect is pretty sharp. And seriously they are SOO comfortable!