Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Out of the Chrysalis
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Home Again
The spell of high heat and humidity in August pushed me over the edge, and I moved back home a bit earlier than I had intended. This led to a bit of awkwardness at first with the contractor's schedule, but we are now down to the last few "punch list" issues--things like doorknobs and hinges, grommets in the desk surface for computer wires and the like.
My furniture is still in storage so I'm sleeping on the garden level (aka the basement) on the futon couch. Perfectly comfortable, even if the environment is still quite dusty and chaotic. At least there was an air conditioner for those several unbearably hot days. Now we are in early fall, bright, clear and cool. Perfect for sleeping.
Next week the painting prep will begin and I'll finally have to make some decisions on color. Very difficult! You'll see color swatches in some of the pictures.
The kitchen appliances are fully functional, including the range hood (no more fears of cooking garlic and fish!), and the glass shelving and cabinet fronts are in place. Here is the wine storage area populated with some glasses adopted from Dad's house including the short white wine glasses I brought back from Finland (I gave them to Mom and Dad as a gift but I think I'm the only one who liked them!).The ladder is installed in all its glory. It is a helpful thing to have, and I used it a lot when cleaning the glass in the cabinet fronts. The amount of storage is truly awesome, and I am resisting the impulse to fill it all up.
The counter will require seating and because it is about 45 inches high, the stools will have to be about 34 inches--not the most common size for bar stools. So I am currently surfing the web and driving myself crazy trying to choose bar stools. Alas, there is a certain amount of predictable tackiness in this product category--the longhorn cut-outs, and bowling motifs for example.
The cabinets now have their frosted glass fronts. I was worried about so much mahogany feeling dark and heavy so I went with all glass fronts on the lower set of cabinets. When the rest of my kitchen stuff is back, I think it will look good. Janet and Brian put me on to the two-drawer dishwasher. Perfect for one person--I cycle back and forth between the drawers.
Here is the Walker Bramble china, adopted from Dad's place. I associate this with special dinners throughout childhood, both at our house and at Grandma McAdoo's and the cousins' houses in Ohio. It's a pattern from Walker China, made in Bedford, OH where Mom grew up and was a wedding present from Grandma and Grandad McAdoo. Walker made the heavy white china famously used in diners, as well as commemorative pieces, and customized sets for hotels, railroads, passenger ships, the Coast Guard, etc. This was the fancy stuff. I know it's a bit "retro" but I've always liked it and look forward to getting a lot of use out of it. Currently these are my only dishes, and the sterling flatware set are my only utensils, adding a touch of elegance to my "camping."
Some things do not change. Mr. Bo is in his normal dinner spot and hoping I will notice that his food bowl is getting empty!
No pictures of the master bath today, as the closet had to be torn up and fixed and it's a bit of a mess now, but here is the guest bath--one of the major improvements, and one that I hope many will appreciate when they come to visit! I was using this bath initially when I moved back and discovered that the shower head is aimed too high (a shorter person could stand under the shower and not get wet!). However, a new junction between the hose and the shower head has been ordered and will solve this problem. Notice the safety grab bar. I'm seriously thinking of having a teak floor made for both showers. This one in particular is trecherously slippery.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Original Inspiration
Also in are the counters, which may look white in this picture, but actually look like marble. The material is a manufactured stone, mostly natural quartz, more durable than most other materials, and definitely superior to natural marble which is very porous and easily scratched. Above is the eat-in counter top, with the sink in the background. Below is the bar area with the counter and all the cabinet lighting in place.
The other new development is a set of color schemes from Laura, the color consultant recommended by Steven and Katharine. Today I'm walking around the house, taping swatches to the walls and pondering!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Counting Down
The pictures below were with the cell phone camera; sorry about the lower quality!
Many of the lights are now in place in the kitchen, and I'm ordering the glass for the cabinets just above the counter.
Downstairs, the lighting is in place in the hallway:
The new heating system is being installed in the kitchen/living room level—European-style Runtels. Someday I’ll have the same system installed on the bedroom level, but I have to recover a bit (financially and psychologically) first!
This week I should receive some ideas about paint colors from Laura Knight, a color expert who also runs a bed & breakfast in upstate NY and with her partner does “community-supported agriculture.” She is trained in fine art and has a deeper understanding of color than I am likely to have in my lifetime.
Today I returned from a big reunion on the McAdoo side of the family, celebrating the 85th birthday of twins Murt and Eunie, and welcoming the new set of twins, Parker and Peyton, just 3 months old. Many promised to visit Boston!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
End in Sight?
The appliances have arrived and have been herded into the living room. The cabinetry is nearly all in place—my job is to select the hardware and the glass that will go in the lower range of kitchen cabinets. The library ladder is in hand and is now being finished to match the cabinets. The wall with the desk, pantry, and wine area is taking shape. Below you can see the desk on the left side of that wall...
...the bar/wine area with the wine fridge (!) on right side of the wall...
...and in between the pantry which is still waiting for its doors.
Another treasure has been brought to Boston from the Connecticut house--a Tiffany mantle clock. Unlike the chandelier, we don't have much knowledge of its origin or the background story, but it's a very pretty thing. It was likely made sometime between 1890 and 1910. The damage to the glass will be repaired, the clockworks cleaned, and it will live on my mantle.
I’ve also engaged a color expert to develop some possible strategies for painting nearly everything in the apartment. She met with me last weekend and it’s clear that she will come up with ideas that I never in a million years would have thought of. I have wanted a more vivid set of colors, but realize I don’t have confidence in selecting them. Left to my own devices I would make very dull choices.
I feel very lucky in my choice of project partners--they are making everything look wonderful!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The Tyranny of "Stuff"
None of us realized the full scope and scale of my mother’s acquisitions, each one protected with fierce loyalty. Without her to protect them, most are going to charities, and the local dump. We can hear her protesting in our mind’s ear. Never mind her promise (after emptying her own mother’s house) that she would never inflict such a burden on her own children. For her, “stuff” had a very strong attraction.
The “tag sale” plan had to be scrapped. The sheer scale of disposal made this the only possible course of action, given that Dad still has to get all of his belongings out by the end of July.
While I feel I successfully discarded a lot in emptying my place for the renovation, with this experience fresh in mind I see another round of de-acquisition on the back end of the renovation.
Back at my space the pace has slowed as the team gets into the detailed finish work. Last week was the beginning of the tiling in the bathrooms. All three now have floors, and the guest shower is almost complete. A bit of plumbing in the master shower needs to be re-located which will clear the way for the completion of the master bath tile.
Now that the tiles are here, I can see the shapes and colors and am pleased with my choice. Below is the floor of the powder room with marble mosaic.
In the kitchen, James tells me he’s spending hours on the phone with the cabinetmaker figuring out how the whole intricate puzzle goes together. Despite the complexity, pieces are being fitted into place and the overall vision is getting clearer. On the lower left is where the sink will be and on the lower right will be the microwave.
Looking out of the center of the kitchen, you can see where the wine area will be on the right. Wine racks are on the lower right, next to where the wine fridge will be. The large open space is pantry--just deep enough for cereal boxes and canned goods. My challenge will be to resist filling all these cabinets to capacity, given my possible genetic predisposition to accumulation.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Even Quicker
I picked out stone for the fireplace hearth today--a plain black granite, about as dull a piece of stone as you could find, but adding another color to that crazy quilt didn't seem like a good idea. Next week I close on a home equity line of credit to finish some of the optional and unexpected items, and address other items like paint and refinishing some furniture--people told me this project would put me on the road to perdition and it appears to be true.