From Last to Best - GO SOX!!!

Three times in a lifetime.  Wow, I almost can't believe it.  Thanks 2013 Red Sox for finding a way.  You're the best.

(My lucky shirt in need of a visit to the washing machine.  Yep, I'm one of those people that "help" my team win.)

GO SOX!!!

One Room Challenge - Week 5 & Changes

Week 5- ok, things are getting serious, there's only one more week left to pull it all together.  If you happen to be new to my blog, I'm participating in the One Room Challenge - 20 bloggers, 1 room, 6 weeks, created by Linda of Calling It Home.  (previous four weeks here.)

So here's a larger view of the painted white floors.  I didn't show them last week because the floors made the baseboards (which hadn't been painted in 10 years) look terrible.  So all the trim has been updated in BM White Dove.

The dining table has been refinished but still needs polishing.  It is less orange (this pic isn't the best) than before - however my plains to stain it walnut didn't happen.  See all those terrible black splotches below - I "made" them by trying to remove the last bits of gummy stripper off with hot vinegar and steel wool.  Major no-no! - it reacts w/the tannins in the wood and creates iron stains.  I was able to remove the stains with lemon juice and salt but it just left me thinking I shouldn't push my luck.  My husband hand made this table when we were newly married and although he didn't say too much, I could tell he was just sick when he saw those stains.

I've also decided to give up on trying to keep the desk in this room.  The two rectangular shapes just didn't work so I've brought this round table in.  It will be the "library table' with books, etc.  I know, it looks orange too.  I'm going to glaze the top of it with a gray wash to tone that down.

Another change in plans - no layered mirrors.  No matter what angle I place any mirror at, it reflects the ceiling fan!  Has to do with the angle of incidence = the angle of reflection  which equals ugh!!  Dan and I had a pretty good laugh over that.  He thought when I pulled out the mirror I would have known this would happen.  (My B.S. is in Biology, his is in Physics...) 

Here I am toying around with 3 spheres on the mantle.  I've also decided not to make a screen with the marble paper but instead to create a herringbone wood insert for my faux fireplace.  Let's just say I'm glad it's Daylight Savings this weekend - I'm going to need the extra hour!

Be sure to check out the Week 5 progress for the other 19 bloggers in the One Room Challenge and don't forget  the ORC Linking Party on Calling it Home on Thursday.

Calling it Home
Chinoiserie Chic
Classic Casual Home
Cottage and Vine
Design Addict Mom
Design Crisis
Design Indulgence
Design Manifest
The English Room
The Green Room Interiors
Henhurst Interiors
Little Black Door
Maddie's Nest
Mix And Chic
Pawleys Island Posh
The Pink Pagoda
Shelter
Simple Details
The Vault Files

Hearst Designer Visions Showhouse: Carlos Aparicio

I had received an invite to attend the preview for the Designer Visions Showhouse but just couldn't make it happen - so I was so happy when I ran across this tour of Carlos Aparicio's space for Veranda. Sublime. Chic. Sophisticated.  To see for yourself, head here.

I Spy

I spy D. Bryant Archie pillows in the Watch Hill home designed by Michael Smith, photography by Simon Upton via Veranda here.

I have one of her throws and I can tell you it is sooooo soft!! Hope you have a great weekend.

One Room Challenge: Week 4

Week 4 - Well past the 1/2 way point!  If you happen to be new to my blog, I'm participating in the One Room Challenge - 20 bloggers, 1 room, 6 weeks, created by Linda of Calling It Home.  (previous three weeks here.)

(Image I took back in 2009 in Stacy Hyde's now-closed Dallas store.)

Before I get to the new stuff, here's a quick update on what's been done for my library/dining room:

•  Floors - finally painted white and finished!   Huge thanks to Sherry of Design Indulgence, Steve of An Urban Cottage and Elizabeth of Little Black Door for holding my virtual hand when things didn't work out at first (including fumes that lingered for days)  After conversing with Elizabeth, I decided to switch to Sherwin Williams floor paint and things went beautifully.  Although I don't have the semi-opaque floors I was originally going for, I'm happy with them.
• Drapes - almost...done
• Dining Room table has been refinished.  Years ago I foolishly followed advice to coat it in polyurethane with only served to make the cherry even more orange.  Here it is prior to refinishing.
  
  I'll be doing a whole post on that because I want to share what not to do after you strip the urethane off- steel wool and hot vinegar is a serious no-no!!!- and how lemon/juice and salt saved my a_ s.  

So, let's move on to fun stuff.

Over the Mantle:   I need to figure out  what do do over my faux fireplace mantle and I'm leaning towards layering a sunburst mirror over another mirror.

Source unknown, image via Interior Exposure

Here's the mirror.  You may recognize it, it's the Martha Stewart from Home Depot {on those new white floors :) }

I've gone over it with Gold Leaf Rub 'n Buff to tone down the orangey finish.

BEFORE:  Here's the view from side french doors to the faux fireplace I'm thinking of having the layered mirrors over.  The plan is for a large piece of abstract art on the wall to the right. So, what do think of this plan?

Furniture:  Besides the dining table and desk, I want to have a buffet or server.  BEFORE, my parent's danish modern buffet was in the dining room.  In my ongoing quest to get rid of orange, the buffet has been moved to the living room

and I plan to bring in this bar cart instead.

I'm returning the hardware back to its original brass finish.

In this case, hot vinegar works well on removing the silver spray paint from the knobs.

Faux Fireplace Screen:

I'm also considering creating a fireplace screen using this marbled paper to try and add some dimension to that space.

Things still left to do:

• Move furniture in and arrange 
• Add artwork
• Add lighting
• Style shelves and accessorize

I'd love to hear your opinion and suggestions!

Be sure to check out the Week 4 progress for the other 19 bloggers in the One Room Challenge and don't forget  the ORC Linking Party on Calling it Home on Thursday.

Calling it Home
Chinoiserie Chic
Classic Casual Home
Cottage and Vine
Design Addict Mom
Design Crisis
Design Indulgence
Design Manifest
The English Room
The Green Room Interiors
Henhurst Interiors
Little Black Door
Maddie's Nest
Mix And Chic
Pawleys Island Posh
The Pink Pagoda
Shelter
Simple Details
The Vault Files

A Capitol Hill Renovation

I love it when an owner adds on to their home in the most stylish and stunning way.  That's the case with this Capitol Hill home. My favorite part is the three tall french doors spanning the back and those gorgeous lanterns. 

Renovation by Thorsen Construction, architect Frederick Taylor and kitchen design by Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath.  More images via Thorsen Construction here. 

Hope you have a great Monday!

Designer Sample Sale - Open to the Public Nov. 1 - 2

The Design Center of Northern Virginia is having a designer sample sale and it's open to the public Nov 1 - 2.  There's going to be over 40 designers selling new items!  All the info here.

Howard Slatkin's Fifth Avenue Style

The creation of a legendary interior space is truly a work of art but one you always dread will have an ending - someday when it is eventually dismantled and becomes the home of someone else.  Howard Slatkin's mother knew this well and encouraged her son to write a book to reveal and preserve all the gorgeous design of his legendary apartment.  So while most of us will never have the pleasure of experiencing this designer's home in person,  Fifth Avenue Style: A Designer's New York Apartmentopens the doors to share the sumptuous rooms and all the planning and workmanship behind them.

Fifth Avenue Style arrived as a treasure - wrapped in tissue and custom monogrammed paper and the most perfectly colored gray ribbon.  (the wrapping paper is the same as the undercover of the book jacket) Unwrapping something only heightens your expectations of what will be inside and I was more than thrilled as I turned each page.

Chapters are divided according to the rooms and in each one Slatkin shares all the details, from furniture plans, resolution of challenges to the selection of finishes and the craftsmanship required to bring it all to fruition.

While many of today's design books give you just landscape views of rooms,   also lavishly hones in on the details, and these are incredible details!  Note the monogrammed retractable brass rod and rosewood hanger.  Credit to the artists and experts in the trades is freely given throughout, including a special section in the book that honors them.

Here's just a few more of the images from Fifth Avenue Style: A Designer's New York Apartment.

All the photography in the book is by Tria Giovan and it makes you feel like you are walking through the space.

 Thank you to Meghan of Vendome Press for letting me review  Fifth Avenue Style: A Designer's New York Apartmenta book I'm very pleased to add to my collection.

One Room Challenge: Week 3

OK, it's Week 3 of the One Room Challenge - 20 bloggers, 6 weeks, 1 room, created by Linda of Calling It Home.  First off, here's an update of the floor situation in my library/dining room.  (Go here for the previous posts)

Finally - sunshine in the DC area! (just had to make note of that)  Above is the floor with 1 coat of BM Floor Paint over 1 coat of regular paint (both in Simply White).  The 1 coat of regular paint (below) was a major uh-ho moment!

I think there's alot of variation in the red oak in this room and the wood absorbed the paint in a blotchy way.  So after spending a day feeling bad, entertaining the idea of drinking bourbon mid-day,  and with the unshakeable feeling "I was in trouble",  I painted over it with 1 coat of BM Floor Paint.  The first picture doesn't look very white - but in real life it looks quite a bit different than it did with just the 1 coat of regular paint.   It's been very humid here so I'm waiting before I put on the second coat of BM Floor Paint.  So the floor saga continues, but I remain hopeful.

On to the Drapes:

I decided to make them myself.  I know, why am I attempting that?  Well, I didn't want to spend the money to have them made because I'm still worried that in a short while I'll grow tired of the floral.  Also, I need to have drapes for 2 more rooms and being able to do it myself would be both satisfying and money saving.  
Here I am laying out the fabric and accidentally realizing that those markings on the border help you match up the pattern.  I kinda happened upon this discovery in the nick of time! Scary, right.

I'm following instructions for DIY lined drapes from House of Hepworths here.  Her instructions are really easy to follow and make intuitive sense - probably why it's been pinned 340,000 times!

Here's the first panel with the 2 combined 54" widths.  The center seam needs to be ironed flat but I was pretty happy with how it lined up.  Let me tell you, a much better feeling than the uh-oh floor moment!

The only thing I'm planning to do differently than the House of Hepworths instructions is to hand sew euro pleats.  Here's an inspiration image from the portfolio of Garden House Studio.

Drawing from Drapery Design

Finally, while I was feeling depressed over the floors I also started pulling together some DIY intaglios for the library/dining room.

So, I estimate I'm about a week behind my original schedule.  Drapes should need to be done next week and so do the floors.  Hope you'll come back to see how I fare.

I'm off to check out the Week 3 progress for the other 19 bloggers in the One Room Challenge and don't forget  the ORC Linking Party on Calling it Home on Thursday.

Calling it Home
Chinoiserie Chic
Classic Casual Home
Cottage and Vine
Design Addict Mom
Design Crisis
Design Indulgence
Design Manifest
The English Room
The Green Room Interiors
Henhurst Interiors
Little Black Door
Maddie's Nest
Mix And Chic
Pawleys Island Posh
The Pink Pagoda
Shelter
Simple Details
The Vault Files