Den Renovation: Paint, Ceiling, Electric…

Posted on | March 12, 2010 | 4 Comments

Our den renovation is moving along. Paint samples came from Farrow & Ball this morning. We also want to try a few Benjamin Moore and Milk Paint samples on the walls too.

Other to dos which need to happen before paint goes up on the walls.

1. Call an electrician to find out how we replace the old wiring in the house. Can it be done piece by piece or does it have to all be done at once? Since the ceiling is opened up I want to find a solution before we move forward.

2. We need to decide if we are going to rip out the walls and ceilings of the other two rooms on this floor (guest room and dining room shown below, hopefully someday two bedrooms). The walls are cracking and in really bad shape. All the woodwork has been rimmed out of these rooms so preservation is not a concerned. The rooms have the same old floors as the den so hopefully the room will still look period correct. We need to decide soon so I can maybe hire someone to hang all new drywall for the rooms ceilings and walls at once. Maybe we can do this ourselves but a decision needs to made one way or another.

3. If we do remove the walls in the other room we can blow in insulation—which is a plus in my book. Currently the house has no insulation which makes for a chilly winter.

4. We have two fireplaces on the second floor. I need to call a chimney guy to find out what I am really dealing with and get some estimates. Currently they are caving in and we don’t have caps on the top—we have a lovely rainfall effect when we have Spring storms and a great breeze through the room in the middle of January.

5. I need to call around for estimates to have my floors stripped. There is no way I am doing this ourselves. Stripping and sanding floors is a disgusting labor intensive job. I’ve heard if your an amateur you’ll screw them up and regret it for the rest of your life. Also, the paint on the floors is nasty stuff. I would rather save up and leave it to the professionals.

Then after I have checked all my to dos off the list I can go back to decorating which frankly is a lot more fun. Maybe I was jumping the gun talking about sofa styles? I feel like I’ve been putting off calling for help because I’m over anticipating the cost. I know every project will be jaw-dropping expensive. But my impatience over the slow pace of the renovation has gotten to me. I would love to have this floor completed this summer so we can get back to renovating our bathrooms. I’m willing to bite the bullet and call in the professionals for some advice. I just don’t know if my other half is on the same page.

Above and below photos from the second floor of our house in different stages of the renovation. For a video tour of the den click here.

second floor guest room small room and dining room Den Renovation: Paint, Ceiling, Electric...

Category: house renovation

Spring Green Photographs: Abby Try Again

Posted on | March 10, 2010 | 4 Comments

6a00d83451904a69e20120a917f4c5970b 500wi Spring Green Photographs: Abby Try Again

6a00d83451904a69e20120a917eadf970b 500wi Spring Green Photographs: Abby Try Again

Beautiful verdant landscapes are popping up all over in blogland. Photographs from California by Abby Try Again are my favorite. Greens mixed with undertones of yellow and blue is stunning and moody. I’m thinking about getting a few printed really large to hang in my bedroom? The green is so seducing and fresh. Check out Abby’s shop for purchasing and her blog for even more inspiration.

Thanks Abby for letting me share your photos.

Category: artist, photography

Whale Bottle Opener & Stripe Cotton Towels

Posted on | March 10, 2010 | 4 Comments

DSC 2002 Whale Bottle Opener & Stripe Cotton Towels

Two recent purchases that I am totally in love with. Above a whale bottle opener ($21) that I picked up at Liberty Henry & Me in Marblehead and cotton herringbone stripe towels ($20) I picked up on Amazon.

I probably didn’t need the whale opener but it’s so freakin cute and looks pretty adorable resting on my windowsill in the kitchen. I picked up the stripe towels for all the bread baking I’ve been doing. I use to buy the ikea version by the dozen but decided to try a more industrial towel. The amazon towels are bigger, stronger, and more absorbent. I found similar towels even cheaper on large kitchen supply websites but the shipping usually ended up costing more then the towels. I’ll have to keep investigating…

Just got this tip. Available in red, green and blue stripes: $3.95 dozen.

Liberty Henry & Me
139 Washington Street
Marblehead, MA, 01945
781-631-0550

Category: accessories

Cotton Prints from V&A Quilt Show

Posted on | March 9, 2010 | 13 Comments

Miss Chelsea over at {frolic!} tipped me off to this fabric. The fabric is part of a quilt show at the Victoria & Albert museum in London. The fabrics above were reprinted by Liberty from old quilts from the early 1800’s and can be purchased through their site.

My mom is making me a quilt using some of my favorite prints with a box of fabrics Greg’s mom gave me before she passed away a few years ago. I want the quilt to be a scrap style showcasing my favorite prints including some beautiful floral liberty prints. It’s going to be pricey to gather all the fabrics but I know it will be something I will treasure for the rest of my life. Below a few quilts featured in the show at the Victoria & Albert museum through July 4, 2010.

412630 Cotton Prints from V&A Quilt Show

412685 Cotton Prints from V&A Quilt Show

412636 Cotton Prints from V&A Quilt Show

Category: textiles

Ordering Sample Paint Pots

Posted on | March 9, 2010 | 8 Comments

I ordered some sample paint pots from Farrow & Ball for my den this morning. Hopefully they will come by the end of the week and we can try them out on the walls. I am leaning towards painted the trim an creamy gray off-white. I really like the idea of green moulding but I’m feeling like I will regret it 10 years. I really don’t want to repaint moulding after we painstakingly stripped all the paint off. Walls I can deal with repainting.

Above a few of my selections. The images on my computer look nothing like the paint chips appear in real life. Color is so hard to depict accurately on a computer screen. Images get photo shopped and every computer screen shows colors differently. I advise ordering sample pots before choosing a color. Below a few of the color combos I picked paired with cream trim and my color card in the morning light.

Trim Options:
Off-White
Lime White
Joa’s White
Clunch

Wall Colors:
Theresa’s Green
Light Blue
Cooking Apple Green
Saxon Green
Green Ground
Vert De Terre
Breakfast Room Green (to try on moulding)

farrow ball greens and cream trims Ordering Sample Paint Pots

Category: paint colors

Ben Pentreath Ltd.

Posted on | March 8, 2010 | 5 Comments

I came across Ben Pentreath’s flat in the book, Perfect English over the weekend. His style is what I aspire too. Layers of pattern, antiques, and art that is approachable but classic. The small chair in the upper right of the photo is upholstered in men’s suiting. I love the gray field with the red stripe—a color a combo I think would be perfect for my den.

Ben runs a great shop in London offering accessories, art, and furniture with a nod to classicism. The store is filled to the brims but finds flow through patterning and symmetry. For those of us unable to make the trip across the pond, Ben has a great online shop filled with all his favorite essentials.

Ben Pentreath Ltd.
17 Rugby St
Bloomsbury
WC1N 3QT
benpentreath.com

Category: accessories, interiors

Rose Tarlow: Textiles & Wallpapers

Posted on | March 8, 2010 | 1 Comment

Last week Jennifer shared with me some great tips for decorating my den. One of my favorite suggestions was upholstering the sofa in Avignon from Rose Tarlow (above upper right-hand corner). I’m in love with the fabric—feminine but not over the top.

When I clicked over to Tarlow’s website I found all kinds of great stripe fabric (above) and beautiful wall coverings (below). How did I not know of this gorgeousness? The fabric is to the trade which is a bummer but many design centers now offer design services. Check the list of showrooms for purchasing information. Above and below just a few of my favorites. I love ‘Bloomsbury‘ in Merlot (above lower right-hand corner). How beautiful would those flowers be as drapes?