Haven on Hanover

Mid-Atlantic Get-Away

2011-02-28T03:30:00.000-08:00

To quote Cyndi Lauper, "When the working day is done
Girls - they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun,
They want to have fun,
They want to have fun.."

There's nothing better than a girlfriend weekend and I was in need of one. So, on Friday we hit the road with our first destination - Baltimore for the American Craft Council Show. I've attended this show for several years now and it never disappoints. This year was especially fun as I got to meet up with Meg Fairfax Fielding of Pigtown Design blog. I've followed along with Meg on her blog but it was so much more fun to spend time with her in person. Here are some highlights from the show:I need to find a place for such a light fixture. Loved it.

Beautiful pottery.Porcelain to die for. Looks like Meg was thinking the same thing - that's her hand on the left!
Close up of the porcelain - I love the lamp, too!!

Anyone need a head?
mmm, maybe not. That might give me bad dreams.

What did I buy, you say? Well, normally, because I am a beader, I focus (obsess) on the jewelry, however, this year I couldn't get enough of the textiles.I loved all of the felters, especially this artist's wares - The Felted Garden. I purchased the above cowl which I'm sure will keep my neck toasty. It also doubles as a hat!! Then I splurged on this purse. The artist, Caitlin Phillips from Rebound Designs, takes book covers and turns them into purses. I'm a sucker for anything Jane Austin and the birds sealed the deal. She can turn any book into a purse - I think she's very original and also very nice. Here is the inside of the purse. Nice touch.
We all started to get that "had enough" feeling about 3:00 and started talking about heading back onto the road for girl friend weekend part two when Meg suggested that we stop at a great fabric store, DeBois Fabrics. She didn't have to say it twice - load the address into the GPS and let's go.
I got several yards of this fabric for $4.99 per yard. Steal. I have no where I'm going to use it but I love it and it is in the colors that I love so I know it will find a spot soon. Thanks for the tip, Meg, I know I will make this pilgrimage again often.

We parted ways with Meg and headed north on I-95 for West Chester, Pennsylvania to meet up with some other friends and spend Saturday exploring Philadelphia. Stay tuned for part two.

Happy Monday!

Perched on Pitt

2011-02-20T07:19:00.001-08:00

According to the dictionary, a perch is a any place or object, as a sill, fence, branch, or twig, for a bird, animal, or person to alight or rest upon. I have found the perfect name for our new little rental in Old Town Alexandria, VA. Perch.

I spent the better part of this week at Perch with my canine duo, Harvey and Lion. You dog lovers will relate when I tell you that I was worried about them liking their new "digs". Dogs are such creatures of habits, as are certain humans (me) and I wanted to start a new set of routines so that they and I will start to feel at home. I have gotten so used to having them around me all day and soon I will be leaving them for the better part of each day and I don't want them to "freak out."

I dragged their crates with me in my trusty mini van so that they would have a safe place to hang out until I feel like they've settled in. Dog crates were a great invention - they also serve as end tables.

Which is a nice segue into a discussion of the interior design budget for Perch: $0.00. or close to it. I did purchase a mattress at Ikea and hope to see it delivered soon. But, for the most part, we are trying to furnish Perch on the cheap. Thanks to 30 years of collecting we nearly do have enough to furnish another home. I dragged an old kitchen table and chairs for a little reading/eating nook. The rug came from "The Dump". I had never set foot into that store because of the name - mostly it is large sofas and chairs with cup holders - not my style, however, there were a few good bargains on area rugs.

I adore all the bookcases but don't want to move books from Haven so my friends are on the look out for free books - I just want to fill the space to cozy it up. My friend Denise has already found four shelves worth at an estate sale - I can't wait to shelve them and then start reading them one by one. Any other donations gratefully accepted.

The shades are Redi-Shades, cut to fit and hanging by thumb tacks - the strip of adhesive didn't hold.

Back to the routine. Every morning the dogs and I get a good long walk. They like to go the same way every day. They lift their legs on the same blade of grass. If I try to go a different way, Harvey often sits down. Funny little creatures.

So the first morning we headed toward the river, and three blocks later this came into view: a dog park complete with a view of the Woodrow Wilson bridge. That white blob in the background is Lion retrieving his Frisbee. I didn't think to pack a hose - this could be a muddy disaster. Harvey is not to be trusted off lead so I walked him along the bank of the river so he could take in all of the good smells. He is a swimmer so I'm going to have to remember to bring a pile of towels up next time. He didn't go in - still a little too chilly I guess.

The view back towards town.

After about three thousand tosses of the Frisbee we continued our walk.Boys, we're not in Kansas anymore but I think we're gonna like it here.

Happy Monday what ever state you're in.

Haven and Hartwood

2011-02-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting, in person, one of my favorite bloggers, Connie from Hartwood Roses. We've commented on each other's blogs for quite some time and discovered that we don't live that far away from one another and so we made a plan to meet up and have a day of junking.

I wasn't the least bit nervous about meeting Connie - her charming personality comes through on her blog and I new that we would hit it off from the start. She arrived here in Richmond yesterday morning and it was like I had known her for years. The topics she writes about, her love of her home, her family, her animals - we have so much in common.

After the tour around Haven she and I drove off to one of her favorite junking spots - Class and Trash. Don't you love the name? I loved even more poking around in there. Connie has a great eye and found some treasures amongst the happy chaos. I located a coffee table that I'm hoping to paint a high gloss periwinkle (am I nuts?) and put into my new place. I'm trying to come up with something clever to call my townhouse in Old Town, like Perch on Pitt? Not sure- it will come to me.

In any case, the coffee table find was not as significant as finding a new human connection - one that I hope will continue and grow. I can't wait to visit Hartwood.

Purple Poodle

2011-02-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

I nearly died when I saw this person walking her poodle in the fan yesterday. She walked in front of my car, against the light, and I nearly creamed her. I was so intrigued that I drove around the block, pulled over and took a picture with my iphone just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

One of the things I love about living around here is that people do not fear personal expression. People wear funky clothes, sport tatoos, ride on tricked out bicycles,paint their houses fun colors - there are no architectural or design police.

I think I have to draw the line with dyeing your dog's hair. Why doesn't she dye her hair purple??

Am I overreacting???

Pittsburgh!

2011-02-04T04:57:00.001-08:00

I am not going to pretend that I have always been a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. Although I lived there in the seventies and eighties when the Pittsburgh Steelers, under the leadership of Coach Chuck Noll, won eight divisional championships and four, count them, four Super Bowl championships, I was not impressed. That was the time of the “immaculate reception,” the play that some call “the greatest play of all time”. I didn't care.

My family moved to Pittsburgh from New York city in 1972 as my father accepted a job transfer. At the time I only had a vague idea what state it was even in. We hardly ever left New York except to visit my aunt in Connecticut or to spend some time at the beach on Nantucket. I remember asking my father if Pittsburgh was in Ohio, and I can still recall the look of shock on his face. I was in my own little bubble and geography clearly wasn't my strong suit.

I spent a couple of years in mourning for my old life in New York instead of trying to see it as a new adventure (a skill I've learned of late). It took a while but I grew to love the city and today, as the city and its residents prepare for the big day, I wish I was there to soak up that energy and share in that feeling of hometown pride.

My first apartment as a single working gal was in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh. The area of Richmond that I live in now, The Fan, reminds me a lot of Shadyside. I know that is why I was drawn here. My apartment was on the third floor on the left side of this photo. It was a studio, probably about 250 square feet but I loved it. My apartment looked just like this one with its arched entry, hardwood floors and great moldings. There was also a Murphy Bed and a little kitchen. I didn't own a car, but no matter, the bus stopped right on that corner and took me to my job at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Life was simpler and fun as hell.

Unfortunately I don't have any family in Pittsburgh anymore, however, I do still have dear friends who I know are very excited for Sunday to come. Pittsburgh I'm rooting for you now.

Get out your terrible towels!!

Just a little bit closer

2011-02-02T04:55:00.000-08:00

On Sunday Harry finished piecing together the components to make the base trim in the Laundry Room and hit it all with a coat of primer. He also hung the Roman shade that my friend Rhonda, who has a drapery workroom, made for us. Remind me to tell you about the fabric later. The only things left to do now are to decide what kind of storage to add to the wall over the work surface and washer and dryer and give the trim and door a coat of paint. I'm having trouble with making a decision as I rather like the quiet, uncluttered space. (I took all the laundry off of the marble before taking the picture!) But storage in these old houses is sorely lacking, or is it that we have too much crap? I'm thinking it is the latter.

On our way back down I-95 on Saturday we popped into Ikea to have a look at their laundry and kitchen storage options. Correction - there is no popping into Ikea - you're stuck there for hours, I believe on purpose. I cringe at the thought of navigating that store. Is it me or do they try to get you lost? I know there are arrows on the floor to direct you, but I always seem to be going in circles. Where the hell is the exit? Is all of Virginia here today with their grandmothers and babies? Where did I leave my patience? I had it in the back of my mind that I would soon be at Racine having a hamburger and a beer so I tried to concentrate and not get COMPLETELY ANNOYED.

We made our way over to the kitchen department to take a look at the cabinet options. They really do have some pretty cabinetry. Actually, there are way too many pretty choices. Here are a few. Weigh in, please, as I can't seem to make a decision.

If I am correct, and I need to do more research, you buy the boxes that you need and then select a door style. I liked this stainless door with the frosted glass. These could hide a multitude of laundry room necessities.
The above door is basic, but nice, and would fit in with what we have in the kitchen if anyone thought that was necessary, which I don't as the laundry is upstairs and I am not in need of matching things.

Wandering further afield we found this area of basic storage components. I like the wall cabinets here, but worry about reaching to close it as I am 5'3" on a good day.
Here is one in a stained finish - I think I need to stick with white. Why do I keep getting Harry's arm in these photos? Sorry, thinking about beer, no doubt. I hadn't noticed the art work until now - quite pretty.

I don't mind this clean open shelving, either. And the hooks would be handy for hanging up wet stuff, what, I can't think right now, give me a minute. I could put containers above to put detergent, etc. in.
The above would work, too, I think they were the cheapest, and I think they look that way, too. Sorry, Harry. I think I'm voting this one out.

We got away without having to trudge through the restaurant or marketplace, how I don't know. We brought home a bunch of literature and need to pour over it to make a decision so that the next time we're on I-95, which we all know will be very soon, we can "pop" into the marketplace and get really annoyed as the choice we've made won't be in stock.

I sound like Debbie Downer today. Sorry.

I hope wherever you are today that you're warm and safe and don't have piles of laundry sitting in your hallway.

I haven't forgotten to talk about the fabric used on the Roman shade. I'll save that for another scintillating post.

The Photo That Cinched the Deal

2011-01-31T13:56:00.000-08:00

As part of my email as to why we would make the perfect tenants for the home in Old Town, I attached the above photo. Who could resist this duo? Turns out, it wasn't the dogs that sold her but the carpet remnant under the iron plant stand that impressed her!! In any case, the house is ours, at least for a year.

I'm starting to get excited.

You had me at the sidewalk

2011-01-30T07:27:00.001-08:00

I know it has happened to you when you're house/condo/apartment shopping - you get that feeling when you walk in the front door, or maybe even before, when you're searching the Internet - that this is home. The house seems to call to you, "live here, be mine". I didn't expect that to happen yesterday while searching for our weekday home in Alexandria (VA). We were just hoping to find something decent, mostly commuter friendly that we could perch in Monday-Thursday.

We started in Parkfairfax as stated in my post yesterday. The first apartment is housing an adorable family of four that has been there for ten years. Not much has been done to it in that amount of time, except for amassing a large collection of house plants. I'm sure once they move out and a coat of paint is applied, it will be a cute place. But it wasn't speaking to me. There was a long walk from the parking lot to the front door, too, which makes schlepping groceries more of a chore than it already is. Okay, we'll keep it on the list but let's move on.

We popped into another model - this time a vacant one, thank goodness.
This condo had the same floor plan as the other and has had some updating over the years.
I love the patio and the Adirondack chairs. It would be easy to let the dogs out from this entrance.
The bath looks like it has the original tile and tub but the rest has been updated. I'm okay with that.
I like the wall of windows in the Living Room, the two colors of paint, not so much. I'd need a new paint job, for sure. There were nice wood blinds on the windows - bonus. These pictures were taken when things were still green - yesterday there was a good coating of snow on the ground. I guess I can see myself here, after some paint. Moving on....

We did a quick drive-by of the Fairlington condos. We weren't in love with the location of either so we headed into Old Town.
You had me at the sidewalk. The home pictured above is in a section of Old Town called Yates Gardens - town homes built in the 1930s. A closer look at the listing read "no pets". Yikes, how did this one slip through the filter? My old and dear friend, Liane, who is also my real estate agent, said she often can convince people to take pets - and was willing to go to bat for us. Meanwhile, I was trying not to fall in love. Too late.
The living room which takes up the entire second floor has windows on both sides of the room. You can see above the light streaming in. The fireplace is a bonus.
The kitchen and dining room are on the lower level along with a door out to the garden - yeah - letting dogs out at midnight won't be too hard.
Charm was oozing from every nook and cranny. Add to that the super location near the Safeway, the river, the bike trail, the restaurants, it is perfection.

This morning, back in Richmond, I wrote a lengthy email to my agent with all the reasons why they should pick us as their next tenants. I guess it depends on how much "no pets" means "NO PETS".

A Bird in the Hand

2011-01-29T03:35:00.001-08:00

So, Harry's company has asked him to come back to DC to become Chief Engineer at a huge project on the Potomac River. The contract here in Richmond only has about two years left in it, while the one in DC could go on forever, or at least until we want to retire. The bird in hand is the job in DC and the two in the bush are what we would do after the work in Richmond dries up. The non-practical side of me likes the two little birdies sitting in the bush but then the practical side takes over and says, "sure, I don't mind upheaval."

Off we go up I-95 today to look at condos in Alexandria, VA. The company is giving us a living allowance, for now, as we grapple with what to do with our lives in Richmond. The housing market has only gotten worse since we moved here, however, home prices in Alexandria seem to have held steady. Therefore, what we could afford there really pales in comparison to what we have here. Not too mention that we're not finished with the renovations here at Haven that would be necessary to put it on the market. So, we're not even going to entertain selling now as we love it here and are willing, for now, to hang around in DC during the week and trek back to Richmond on the weekend. That all may change as my patience for commuting is nil.

First stop today is a garden style condominium complex, Parkfairfax, near our old home in the City of Alexandria. In 1941, as the Federal Government grew rapidly in response to the Second World War, a housing shortage developed in the Washington area and President Roosevelt asked the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of New York to develop housing near the Pentagon. The Company purchased 201.7 acres on the western edge of the City of Alexandria, for $282,150. Leonard Schultze and Associates of New York was the architect and Starrett Brothers and Eken, Inc. (builder of the Empire State Building) was the construction company. A total of 286 buildings were built containing 720 one bedroom, 863 two bedroom and 101 three bedroom apartments. The rental office was opened in May 1942 and the first tenants occupied units in October 1942. Metropolitan donated to the City of Alexandria approximately 5 acres and $50,000 for the building of Charles Barrett Elementary School. Among former residents of Parkfairfax are two Presidents of the United States, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Harry and my first home was in the same neighborhood as this condo complex so I know I can feel at home here.

Having two dogs really drives a lot of the decision making here. I don't want to live in a high rise and have to come down in an elevator at 6:00 a.m. to let them out. The neighborhood around here is great for walking and commuting to both of our jobs should (!) be fairly easy.

Parkfairfax also has several pools - I love to swim and have missed having easy access to an outdoor pool.

Next stop is Fairlington, a townhome complex in Arlington - in the same neck of the woods as Parkfairfax. Fairlington was also constructed as a garden apartment complex to house defense workers and their families during World War II. At the instigation of then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it was designed by Kenneth Franzheim and associate architect Alan B. Mills. The project was intended to remain a permanent part of the community after the war's end. The first families began moving in during May 1943. By the end of that year, 2,415 apartments were available for occupancy. It remained a rental community until 1972 to 1977 when the units were renovated and sold as condominiums.With its tree-lined streets, proximity to Old Town and walkability, I think I can find a spot here, as well.

Finally, there is one apartment right in Old Town Alexandria that we'll see today. I like the idea of being in Old Town but I think parking and the lack of pool is going to drive me back to the other two options.

Stay tuned.

Take Back Your Bed

2011-01-26T05:10:00.001-08:00

I was at the Washington Design Center yesterday in the Hines showroom and saw this photo which cracked me up. This mismatched pair reminded me of my two canine friends, a standard Poodle, Lion, and our welsh terrier, Harvey.

The ad is for Perennials Fabrics, a wonderful line of outdoor fabrics which we use for a lot of our client's who have pets and especially for places where fabrics can fade as they are resistant to UV damage. They have an amazing selection of colors and textures that one used to never be able to get in an outdoor fabric. Perennials also sells pet beds - you may want to invest in one if your pet will use it!!

I think it is too late to reclaim my bed. Actually, I like having them there. Harry would disagree. A recent Washington Post interview with a dog trainer stated that a dog in bed is "a sign the dog is completely in charge. Get the dog off your bed. It can make a bigger difference than anyone can imagine." Ahh, is that where I went wrong? I would love to have this wallpaper from Osborne and Little somewhere at Haven - again, Harry would probably have a problem with it.

This family not only reclaimed their bed, they stuck it outside. Poor Scotty - you can come live at my house.

You know these two are just posing for the camera - as soon as the photographer left they jumped up on that bed.

For your viewing pleasure on this cold and rainy day here are some shots of others in the same boat (bed).

Next Door's Project - Part 2

2011-01-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

Remember that photo from the previous posting on my neighbor's bath remodel showing the trim and the paint color? http://havenonhanover.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-comes-decorator.html Did you notice that it was kind of dark? Well, that's because the painter decided that the bad track light had to come down so he could paint the ceiling. He said he was going to go get a work light but guess what, he never did. So, the painter and his assistant worked in the dark.

Today, the electrician showed up to hang the chandelier and guess what? The light shone on the shoddiest paint job in all of the years that I've known what a paint brush is. No one patched, sanded or skimmed. The contractor said "well, they were working in the dark, you know." How do you respond to that? So, today the painters are back. I would have fired their little arses but I'm not the contractor and for that I'm thankful. I feel awful for the homeowners who are being taken advantage of. I told them not to let them touch a brush to the wall paint until the walls and ceiling have been inspected. I have a feeling this isn't going to go well.

Update: the walls and trim look much better but now the homeowners don't like how the room has been laid out. The tub and toilet are practically kissing so, guess what? The plumbing is being redone so that the toilet and radiator swap homes. Up comes the tiled floor. It is difficult to know what to say. No drawings were done, the contractor just assumed that the original plumbing placements would be okay. I wanted to cry. So do the homeowners. Where were the plans? Where was the tape measure?

I think we could star in an episode of Holmes on Homes.

P.S. No building permits in site.

Winter Hiking

2011-01-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

Late last week I heard on the news that in celebration of Martin Luther King Day all National Parks were going to be open and free to the public for the weekend That information, coupled with a weather prediction of sunny skies and a high temperature near 50 and I start dreaming of getting up to the Shenandoah National Park.

When the Haven on Hanover family lived in Northern Virginia we used to do a lot of hiking in the northern part of Shenandoah. Now that we're near the southern entrance we have a whole new set of hikes to explore.
Several years ago Harry found a Guide to the SNP on the internet. It is a very detailed and comprehensive guide to hiking in the park, divided into North, Central and Southern sections. We found a 5.3 mile circuit hike near the southern entrance. packed a lunch, camera and dog treats and the four of us (2 adults, 2 dogs) set off.

I love hiking in the winter - no crowds, no bugs, no snakes and the views of the mountains are so much more dramatic.

One of the first stops along the way was this grave site - I'm not sure we would have seen it had it been summer.
We wondered who William Howard was and why he wound up here all alone. I came home and googled his name - someone already did the research. Don't you just love the internet? Instant answers!

The hike then led steadily down hill (I couldn't stop thinking I was going to have to go uphill at some point, pay backs are hell) to a series of waterfalls all fighting to not freeze over.
This small waterfall was losing the battle.
Doyles waterfall, pictured above, looks like Old Man Winter to me. An angry Old Man Winter.

Years ago I read about a waterfall's affect on one's mood - Nature's Prozac. We sat down on the rocks and had our lunch here so that the negative ions could work their magic. I don't think I needed the boost as just being in the park was enough of a mood elevator. But why chance it? After a brief rest and lunch consumed we headed back up the mountain to where the trail intersects with the Appalachain Trail, otherwise known as the AT. If you don't know, the AT is the nation's longest marked footpath, at approximately 2,179 miles. Harry often dreams of making the entire trip. I say you'd better get started, time's a wasting. The section we were on was pretty easy - I thought about all the thru hikers who came before me. I could do it, yup, as long as there was a nice Bed and Breakfast at the end of each day.

As we were walking along, Lion, our poodle all of a sudden stopped dead in his tracks as if he'd seen, heard or smelled something. Having seen bears in the park before I started to think he was getting ready to protect us from a crazed bear coming out of hibernation. Harry laughed and said he thought the rock ahead of us was what was concerning him. Hah. Sure enough, our citified poodle got spooked by a rock. Poor thing, too many sidewalk hikes!! You can only imagine what seeing a bear would have done to this poor creature. Thankfully we didn't see any scary wildlife and only a few other humans.

I'm sure Martin Luther King would have approved of having the parks open in celebration of his life and work. It sure made me appreciate this little part of our great country and the efforts to preserve it.

Happy Hiking!

Here Comes The Decorator

2011-01-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

My next door neighbors came over to Haven last Saturday in a panic as they had gotten started on bathroom renovations with a contractor and they felt like they had gotten in over their heads. I was only too happy to do a walk through and give them some advice and have now been hired to see the project through. These neighbors moved to the Fan about a year ahead of Harry and me, purchased a house that had been subdivided into two apartments, and have since brought it back to a single family home. The wife is a very talented watercolor artist, potter and gardener so therefore, has an eye for color and scale, but just has trouble verbalizing what she is seeking in the transformation of her space. Add to that a streak of sentimentality that has caused her to carry around her grandmother's claw foot tub for years looking for a permanent home.
Above is a magazine page (sorry, don't know from where) of inspiration for the Powder Room. The contractor was given this photograph to go off of and he got it mostly right but there were some issues. For one, the top piece of molding was supposed to be a shelf so that the wife could put some of her pottery around. So, they placed a 2 x 4 all around the room, notching out when they came to both sets of radiator pipes. That just had to go. They also had made the executive decision not to put in a vent fan and to put a down light right over the sink. Ugh. Not the right kind of lighting for a vanity. So, we made an appointment for me to meet the contractor on Monday morning so that we could go over the changes.

I got the feeling they weren't happy to see me. Their faces gave that away. I know they weren't happy to have to pull out work that they felt was finished. Sometimes I think contractors think that decorators don't know what they're doing - that we're just fluff.

So, forging ahead, I asked them to change the top piece of trim - or to rip it and rout it. I had convinced the wife to not clutter up the space with things on a shelf. Then I asked them to drywall over the ceiling can opening, make two openings for sconces over the sink and put in a vent fan. Then I asked them to drywall over the built in shelf that was on the opposite wall from the door. Silence. The husband told them that I was now the contact person. I thanked them all for being so flexible and understanding and asked them to call me when the first piece of trim had been changed. To make a long story short, they did what I asked, it looks great and when I went back over there late in the day the carpenter was singing. Phew.
Here is a shot I took with my iphone yesterday while the painters were taking their turn in the Powder Room. The tub is getting a new paint job and will get placed today. The walls are Benjamin Moore Silver Lake and the trim is Benjamin Moore Decorator White.

The ceiling is getting this little gem of a chandelier and the sconces, pictured below, are off being electrified and will be placed on either side of the Pottery Barn Mirror, in the brushed finish, shown (polished below the sconces.

It is fun having a project right next door - I can pop over several times a day to check progress or answer questions. This week a jacuzzi tub is being installed in the master bath - help is needed in deciding how to do the decking around the tub as well as the apron. More on that tomorrow.

Happy Martin Luther King Day.

The Lobby is Open

2011-01-08T08:21:00.000-08:00

Harry got all excited last week when he was out in the Short Pump part of Richmond and saw a new store opening, Hobby Lobby. He thought it was going to be a model airplane kind of shop. One look in the window and he discovered he was wrong. He came home sounding very disappointed and it had the opposite effect on me. I made a mental note to get there as soon as I could. I had heard about Hobby Lobby from a neighborhood friend who has been eagerly awaiting the opening. She is from Texas and was very sad when she moved here and found out that there was no Hobby Lobby in Richmond. She even made pilgrimages to Fredericksburg on a regular basis to shop there and she was very excited about the shop opening here.

So today I ventured out to Pump land, as I call it, hoping that the crowds and traffic from the holidays had died down. Hobby Lobby shares a strip mall with Home Depot and Target so the crowds could be bad. I took my chances that the average Richmonder would be sleeping in and afraid to get on the roads as we had some snow last night. Lucky day - no traffic or crowds.

So, art friends, beading friends and decorating friends, a trip to the Lobby is well worth your time. The art supplies are varied and well organized. I didn't spend too much time in the beading aisle as the beading police are watching my every move. I was looking for pillow inserts and they had every size imaginable - even the large 18 x 36 that I'm looking to put on my Living Room sofa. I'll have to tell Harry that they do have a somewhat impressive model section. Michael's craft store has to be shaking in their boots. Hobby Lobby beats their selection hands down and also has home decor items that rival Home Goods. And it looks like they have regular coupons, too. Sorry, Michael's, my heart has been stolen away.

Happy Crafting!

First Visit to The National

2011-01-05T05:08:00.000-08:00

I'm embarrassed to admit that last night was my first ever visit to The National Theatre here in Richmond. Friends had purchased tickets to see Greg Allman and invited us along. I was never a huge Allman Brother's fan but Harry wanted to go so being game for just about anything these days I agreed to go. Gosh, we haven't gone out to a concert in the middle of the week in years - if ever. Back in the suburban days it was too hard to do it even on the weekends - the traffic, the crowds, the annoying fans, blah blah blah. But living in the Fan, you hop into your car at 7:00 for a 7:30 concert and you have time to park, grab a beer and find your seat. The concert was so much fun. We had seats about 10 rows back and could really see the musicians perform. No need for binoculars. There was a lot of talent on that stage last night.

The National is a music-lover’s fantasy land. They have a state-of-the-art V-DOSC sound system, only the sixth installed in the country and only the third installed on the East Coast There seemed to be a great view of the stage from anywhere in the venue. With wooden floors, brick walls, and seven full bars, the room’s clean design and sharp style I'd say it is one of the best concert halls I've been to. Another reason to love the River City.

I have to admit I don't know any of the other musicians coming to The National in the next month or so. I've been "out of it" musically for a while but plan to get up to speed this year. I don't want to turn into one of those people who can only listen to the music of their youth. Although, I have to admit I prefer it. It was strange to sit in a theater with lots of graying adults - I don't see us that way!!! Last month I stood in line for tickets to James Taylor (okay, yes, it is music from my youth) and was aghast to see all the old people in line.

That's enough blogging for one week. Off to D.C. for some real work and visiting old friends. Enjoy the rest of the week and weekend.

Happy Listening!

The Governor of Salvage

2011-01-04T04:48:00.000-08:00

The Richmond area has a plethora of salvage yards - a plus for those of us trying to renovate old homes. Last year we had some luck finding a door for an opening between two bedrooms in which the original door had been removed - at Caravati's. There were several doors to choose from and they made it so easy for us by taking the door to the paint stripper. After it had been stripped, and without too much trouble, Harry was able to hang the door so that the kids and the house guests at Thanksgiving had some privacy. Caravati's was also the source of a load of heart pine that the floor people needed when patching some bad spots during the first stage of the renovation.

Fast forward to the next project needing an old door. The laundry room, which in its previous life was a bunk room and before that a trunk room, had a very ugly hollow door, installed, I imagine when some previous owner removed the door with the transom (gasp) and installed the bunks.

Above is the bunk room as it looked when we purchased Haven.
In this shot you can see the hollow door still hanging after the room became our laundry room.

So, off we went, back to Caravati's, in search of a nicer door. The dimensions were funky so we weren't too hopeful. And, sure enough, no luck was had in finding the door.

I had read on another local blog, http://darlingoctopus.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/salvage-yard-heaven/, about Governor's Salvage.

Words nor photos can accurately describe this place. Have you seen the t.v. show Hoarders? I can't really watch it as I'm fearful that I'm one tube of paint or roll of fabric from starring in an episode. Anyway, hoarding is a compulsive issue in which a person continues to obtain belongings and is unable to get rid of useless items. Even the most useless items that most people would describe as junk, is unable to be thrown away for the fear that it would be needed in the future. Well, in this case, it was moved out to a yard and has become a business. Very smart.

Wouldn't you try to sell one rusty bathtub before acquiring another? Maybe they all have different charms, I'm not sure as I didn't climb up to inspect further.
This old iron scrap is pretty.
Lots of statues scattered hither and yon.
Love all the old stained glass windows. I wondered about their previous lives.
Does anyone need an old wagon wheel? Might make a cool coffee table. Harry needs a metal shop. I'm a sucker for anything with a bird on it. But I was trying to stay focused.

Ah, finally, the doors. Eureka, we found several that would work and wound up with a 15 light door that didn't need more than a good sanding and a couple of coats of Benjamin Moore White Dove. We decided to go with a 15 light door so that the noise from the machines would stay inside the room but the light from the window could come through to the very dark back hallway. Harry is working on the base trim and I'm trying to decide what sort of storage to put above the counter and machines.

I like this look from Crown Point cabinetry. I wish I had a sink in there.

In my dreams I'm doing laundry and sewing at the same time with that gorgeous thread. Hah.

I need a trip to Ikea to check out their kitchen cabinets. Anyone have any suggestions?

Happy Laundering!!

Back in the Blogosphere Again

2011-01-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

Hello again blog friends. I took a very long break from blogging - reading and posting. Here it is 2011 already and so I'm going to try to get back up in the saddle again to reconnect and get inspired by all those great blogs out there. If you remember, I posted last January on what I wanted to accomplish in 2010. The first thing was to get out from behind my computer and get to know Richmond. I got on my bicycle almost every day this past summer and fall. Found some great coffee shops on my ride.....

What an amazing row of ginkos.....Heard some great music at the Cathedral Joined the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Rode around in circles at Byrd Park... I could go on and on. I love this city now more than ever.

The second goal was to paint more. Two of my paintings were in a show at Crossroads Art Center
My paintings are in the second row from the left - the Ibis and the landscape. Thanks to Adele Castillo, my instructor, I feel like my art has improved immensely. No sales yet but it was so much fun to be a part of a group show.

My third goal was to run the Ukrop's 10K with Harry and I amazed myself that I was able to finish. I still don't love running - I'd love to know when that will kick in. Both of my parents have had triple by-passes in the last couple of years so I'm trying to get more exercise and avoid that whole heart surgery scene! We start training for the 2011 race next week.

The fourth goal was to start the research for our master bath project. Research, unfortunately, is all that did happen. More on that later.

Richmond really does feel like home now. We've made some wonderful new friends and have shared some great times together.

Now that Richmond is feeling like home, Harry has accepted a job back up in Northern Virginia. We're not sure what to do about Haven so for now we're going to rent an apartment and drive back and forth.

I hope to post about trying to live in two cities at the same time on this blog in the next year. I can't make any lists for 2011 right now except that I'm going to try to reconnect with my old blog friends and make some new ones.

Happy 2011.

Left to My Own Devices

2010-05-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

The acrylic painting class that I'm taking at Crossroads Art Center is on hiatus until June. I've been trying to paint a couple of times a week in between work, graduating children and baseball games.

I seem to be obsessed with marshes. Painting them and being in them. I need to figure out how to do both at once. I wonder if it is possible to paint while kayaking. People fish while kayaking so I don't see why not.

I love to take my kayak through marshes in search of birds and fish and any other creature that might be lurking. For mother's day Harry and I kayaked at Dutch Gap nature preserve. Although the day was windy, the area is protected from the elements. As we paddled, the area gave up her most precious secret: her own ghost fleet of historical barges and tugs. Years and years of barges and tugs have been abandoned here, and here they remain. Some have been here so long that trees have actually grown in their hulls. This creates a happy habitat for nesting birds and spawning fish.There is a heron rookery in this preserve - they've counted 80 active nests. Vultures hang out close to the nests - kind of creepy.

Often while paddling I get the sensation that I'm in the middle of a painting. So, while painting I try to get that feeling back again. The painting above was done after an afternoon in my kayak. I sent it to my mother for mother's day. It brought back some of those kindergarten days when you spent the day in art class making something for mom or dad. Mom loves the painting but then she's my mother - she has to. I've been experimenting with the palette knife - I think it is my favorite technique.

Now I'm working on a large marsh scene - this is it in its very rough beginnings.
I'd like to be in my kayak in this marsh today but I guess I'll just paint it instead.

Poor Harry. He is surrounded by paint and canvases. Our son, who graduated this past Saturday with a BFA in computer animation sent us home with all of his paintings. On the way home Harry said, "I have too much art in my life". I think he was sort of kidding. But this hobby does take up a lot of space. Most of them are still in the front hall waiting for a permanent home. I did take one piece and put it in the Dining Room. The ginger jar hides the part that no one wants to look at while eating. At least I don't want to.

Babes in Squirrel Lane

2010-05-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

Now that the house tour is behind me I have more time to hang out with friends . Yesterday some of the neighborhood gals headed over to the Diamond and took in a Flying Squirrel Game. If you don't know, the Flying Squirrels are Richmond's new double A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. There is often a 10:30 a.m. game -- we left the neighborhood at about 10:15 and at 10:30 we were in our seats watching the last of the warm ups. Another reason to love living here. We sat, thanks to my friend with season tickets, practically on the field.

In addition to great baseball, there is a steady stream of entertainment from the mascot, Nutzy, as well as people in large plastic bubbles playing lawn bowling, dancing contests (we won a pizza for a spontaneous dance routine - I think we won as one friend was on crutches and she was twirling her crutches around) and several opportunities to catch t-shirts and hot dogs being thrown into the stands.

It was a glorious day for a ball game and the Squirrels beat the Altoona Curves after several extra innings - very exciting. I'm a new fan.

Tour Day

2010-05-02T06:02:00.001-07:00

We're ready.

Above are some before shots of the yard - waiting for mulch.

Here it is this morning - what a glorious day for a house tour. Harvey doesn't realize he is about to go to his dog sitter for the day. The critters get a reprieve from his constant patrol.

Harvey - get down off the table. Jeez.

I made a quick trip to the wholesale florist yesterday.

Except for me.

We need to get out of here. Enjoy this gorgeous day.

Countdown to the Kitchen and Garden Tour - Part 2

2010-04-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

A few posts back I mentioned that I was going off to the paint store to buy turquoise paint for the shed's door and shutters. Harry loved the old crusty paint but it was a little too rough for my taste. I fell in love with a shutter color of a house I admire on Monument Avenue so I've attempted to put a little of that in my garden. Painting the shed's opening was first on my "to do" list for this weekend.

This was my first attempt:I knew right away it wasn't right - way too light and bright for the crusty shed shutters. Then I decided that I didn't want the door and the shutter all the same color so - back to the paint store again. This is not a chore - I love the paint store and all the people that work there. I've also been influenced by my next door neighbor's screen - I love to look out my kitchen window at it (and my Westie plant bracket which reminds me of my first dog, Lambchop). Here's what I wound up with:Ahhhhhhh - much better. I did the gecko mosaic in a class at my friend Bonnie's studio in Vienna Virginia - Maverick Mosaics.

Another fun chore was hanging the flag pole bracket so that the flag that advertises the event can go up and hang there this week.

I need to make a couple more trips to the nursery for more potted plants. That really could go on forever - I need to decide where to stop.

Our very nice neighbors gave us a load of hostas. Hostas don't really like being transplanted so late in the game - hopefully they'll perk up before Sunday.

Countdown to the Kitchen and Garden Tour - Part 1

2010-04-22T05:37:00.001-07:00

The annual Fan Woman's Club Kitchen and Garden Tour is a little over two weeks away and it seems like every time I turn around I add something to the "to do" list - which is only in my head - I'd better start writing it down. One thing I checked off is to get a new light fixture for the Living Room. When we purchased Haven there was a charming 1970's track light with several huge cans hanging from it. I think you could have gotten a tan sitting under it. Back in December while painting that room I got Harry to take it down - leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling.

But what to put there? I've been holding on to this shot of a Darryl Carter room for a while. Darryl Carter, Photo by Simon Upton for Elle Decor

I've been trying to make my Living Room feel more contemporary - not an easy task with great grandma's sofa and chairs, Uncle Dan's secretary and a marble top tea table cut down to make a coffee table. But the basic bones are there - sofa (reupholstered in white linen last year) between two tables, and a fireplace on the adjoining wall with contemporary art over the mantel. Now I just need to find some great old shutters and have Harry make me that table (that's on another "to do" list). Darryl's space doesn't seem to have a light fixture in it so I'm on my own. I went off to Shades of Light to see what they had that could be cash and carry.

Immediately upon entering I see a possibility.
I love a beaded chandelier - but is this contemporary enough? Am I seeing it coming and going too much? Never mind, it's a Niermann Weeks fixture and even with my trade discount I can't go there.
I love this one, too, but guess what - its another Niermann - and here's another:I'm beginning to see a pattern. After walking around and around, trying to ignore the Niermann's, I kept coming back to this fixture: I loved the finish and the shades were growing on me. There is just enough whimsy to make it contemporary without looking out of place with great grandma's furniture. If I grown tired of the shades I can remove them down the road.
Then the sales person told me that a woman who's house is on the Garden Tour was in earlier and was thinking about purchasing it. That did it. It was probably one of those sales techniques that they use on people like me and I hate to say it but it worked. Has this ever happened to you? She told me I could take it home on approval so if buyer's remorse kicked in later I could bring it back. The electrician came last week to hang it so I guess it's mine.

The rest of the interior of Haven is ready except for flowers and a good last minute cleaning. Now the outside - that's another story. Better go write my list.........................

More on Why I Love Virginia

2010-04-20T05:43:00.000-07:00

After a long week of traveling for work and cleaning the house in preparation for a big dinner I needed a day with nothing to do but walk with my best buddies, Harry and the dogs. I pulled out our trusty volume of 60 Hikes Within 60 miles Richmond and picked a hike in a state park not too far from here - Chippokes Plantation State Park. Chippokes is one of the oldest working farms in the United States and is located in Surry County right on the James River. The pastoral environs of Chippokes Plantation State Park are positively evocative. It’s easy to imagine Native Americans paddling a canoe through the lush wetlands where Chippokes Creek meets the James or to imagine early settlers tending the nearby fields of corn and wheat

We started out on the College Run Trail which is a paved 1.5-mile trail that connects the recreation area with the historic area where you pass by the River House and mansion as well as some Guinea Hens on the loose. The James River and Lower Chippokes Creek trails are dirt farm roads that connect with College Run Trail. This part of the trail led us down to the creek - I wished I had my kayak with me.
The poodle got some off lead time - sorry Harvey - you're not to be trusted.
After a return on the creek trail we headed out on the James River Trail and had about a mile walk along the beach. Millions of shells are scattered in the sand on the shore of the James. I can't ever resist the opportunity to pick up a few.

We only saw six other people the whole time we were at the park. Just what I needed. We thought briefly about returning via the Jamestown Scotland Ferry which is a free ferry service across the James but were fearful of running into all the tourists that stay on that side of the river visiting Jamestown and Williamsburg and therefore causing traffic headaches on I-64. We returned via Route 10 and hardly saw another car. Before leaving Surry we stopped for a country ham sandwich at Edwards of Surry. Here's an except from the New York Times. It was deeelishous. And I'm sure I've now had my salt needs met for about a month.

The Week of Wisteria

2010-04-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

When we purchased Haven I was so excited that there was a very mature Wisteria vine on the trellis in our back yard. However, when spring came around there were very few blossoms and I was very disappointed and not sure why it didn't really bloom.

About a week and a half ago Harry said - "look at the wisteria" - so I glanced out the window and saw hundreds of blossoms about to burst. According to a neighbor, the previous owner had whacked the heck out of it before putting the house on the market and it needed a year to recover.

Here it is about to burst - the azalea gets the short shrift.
The poodle likes it, too.
Here it is at peak.
Wish I could post the fragrance - it was very strong.

This photo was taken this morning - the petals are dropping and the color seems to have faded. So has the fragrance. I really wish it could stay around longer to keep us company. I love almost everything about it. I love the word, "wisteria". I love its soft shade of lavender, the aroma it lets off is intoxicating, I haven't tried to eat it but the bees sure love it. HOWEVER, how could something so beautiful also be so deadly? Its next door neighbor - the crepe myrtle is being slowly choked to death. Harry is going to have to get up there and save her so that I can enjoy her blossoms later in the summer. Another item on the "honey do" list.

I can almost hear Myrtle gasping for air.

So Neighborly

2010-04-08T03:18:00.000-07:00

Last night the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts invited their neighbors, i.e. people living in the Fan and Museum District in for a preview of the galleries before they re-open their doors after a long renovation.

When Harry and I moved to Richmond last year the museum was getting ready to close for a long period of time, and, unfortunately I never made it in before they did. We had, as a family, years ago come down to see the Egyptian traveling exhibit that they had - never thinking for a minute that some day I would be a neighbor.

So, Harry and I walked the seven blocks down to get a sneak peak. The director gave a slide presentation about the renovation and then turned us loose into the new spaces. Many of the rooms haven't had their art hung yet - the official opening is May 1. I can't wait to go back and take my time in each of the galleries.

Hi Elvis - I'll come back and see you later.

This is a view from above the new entrance. Wow.

Wow again.

This is a view through huge glass windows to "Grove House" - this building will be for research staff.
It is so open and airy - just the kind of space one needs to experience great art.

I hated to leave last night - but I will be back very soon. Admission will be free and they're going to be open every day and some evenings!!

History of Haven

2010-04-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hollywood Cemetery

One of the questions I've been asked by the committee that heads the Fan Woman's Kitchen and Garden tour is if I know anything of the history of my house so that they can pass that information on to the people on the tour. Who built the house, who were the first inhabitants, etc.? Gosh, I have no idea - but wouldn't it be fun to find out? I was told I could get started at the Virginia Historical Society and so one morning I walked over to start the research. Richmond published City directories nearly every year from 1870 to the present. Beginning with 1879–80, all directories contain a section devoted to street addresses arranged in alphabetical order by street name and then arranged numerically by address. The previous owner left a plaque that states that the house was built in 1905 so I started with the 1905 directory and went to Hanover Avenue but didn't find my number - the numbering stopped in the previous block. So I grabbed 1906 and found my address and learned that it was inhabited by Lucy O. Michaels, widow. J.E. I wasn't sure what the J.E. stood for but hoped that it was her deceased husbands initials. I pulled directories from 1906 through 1920 and Lucy continued living here. In 1921 it transferred to Sarah Tyler - another widow. Hmm. What's happening to the husbands??

The VHS didn't have much more to offer in the way of Richmond building research so I walked back home and got onto the computer to see if I could find out anything more about Lucy. I was hoping that I'd find her at Hollywood Cemetery. Hollywood is the cemetery in Richmond where everyone who was anyone was buried. Not only that it is one of the prettiest places around. Overlooking the James River, it is a large, sprawling spot characterized by rolling hills and winding paths and it is the resting place of two United States Presidents, James Monroe and John Tyler, as well as the only Confederate States President, Jefferson Davis. It is also the resting place of 25 Confederate generals, more than any other cemetery in the country. Included are George Pickett and J.E.B. Stuart.

Its name, "Hollywood," comes from the enormous holly trees dotting the hills of the property.

Hollywood Cemetery is one of Richmond's major tourist attractions. There are many local legends surrounding certain tombs and grave sites in the cemetery, including one about a little girl and the black iron statue of a dog standing watch over her grave.

That's Harvey the Welsh terrier keeping his distance.

I logged onto their website and used the search engine. Not only did I find Lucy but I found her late husband and some other members of the Michaels family. I made note of the plot number and headed back out the door.

My next stop was to the Library of Virginia. The Library of Virginia was created by the General Assembly in 1823 to organize, care for, and manage the state's growing collection of books and official records — many of which date back to the early colonial period.

I sat down at a computer and used their subscription to Ancestry.com to look up the Michaels family in the U.S. census records. I first checked the 1880 census and found Lucy and Robert E. living on West Clay Street. She was 22 and he was 32 and it stated that he was a grocer. Also living at that address were Erwin P. - aged 4 and Robert E., Jr. aged 4 months.

In the 1900 census I found her living on 112 Plum Street - it seems Mr. Michaels had passed away by then.

The 1910 Census showed her in my house on Hanover along with Robert E., Luette, Edward, Mary and Lucy Taylor (aunt) and Pellam Johnson (servant).

Now, on to Hollywood cemetery where the nicest gal in the office gave me a map and a xerox of everyone buried in the plot as well as information on the funeral home that handled Mr. Michaels funeral in case I want to find out how he died.

I followed the map and soon found the family plot.

Poor Lucy was a widow in her thirties - did she continue to run the grocery? She had some kind of income in order to support a large household and a servant.

The room that I currently use as my office/studio I'm sure was Pellam Johnson's room. It is close to the back stair case which leads to the kitchen.

The family lived here at Haven until 1920. I hope they were as happy here as I am.

I've contacted the Valentine History Center to see if I can find out anything else about Lucy and Robert Michaels but haven't heard back from them. I would love to know more...........

The Year in Review

2010-03-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

I guess there could be some readers out there who are wondering where I've been of late. In case there are some inquiring minds, I've neglected this blog as I've been busy with a new project at work and I took last week off to help my parents move from their home in Sarasota, Florida to their "independent" living facility in Georgia. Ironically, my parents move was one year to the date of our move to Richmond, Virginia. Lying awake at night, unable to sleep because of all the unexpected stress of the move, I was able to reflect on how hard it is to change one's living arrangements, especially as one gets older. I wasn't prepared for the range and depth of the emotions that were cast about. Sadness, anger, confusion reined one minute and in the next we were doubled over with laughter. In the end, they got where they were supposed to be with only a few bumps in the road and I'm glad that they have each other to lean on as they navigate this next and possibly final phase of their lives. It making me think about what I would want for Harry and me when we get to that point - hoping that we do.

It has been one year now that we've been living in Richmond. Looking back I have to say that I'm glad we sold our suburban home and are living the city life. As we age I think it is important to keep people of all ages around you. And, one should be able to get around without a driver's license (Georgia issued a license to my father - he was as surprised as I was). When and if I can't drive, at least I'll be able to get to the convenience store for a package of hot dogs and a bottle of wine, oh and dog food as I'll no doubt have several.

This weekend I went on a tour of downtown Richmond lofts with a friend. I had it in the back of my mind that the move to a loft would be a great next step as Harry and I get up in years. That is, if you can pay the doorman to walk the dogs when its raining, and early in the morning and late at night.
The first loft we went into was the in the building known as Vistas on the James. Vistas is located right on the banks of the James River and Canal Turning Basin. This isn't what I think of when I visualize a loft in my head - it really is just a condo. Words aside, the view from the balcony was breathtaking. The owner had moved here from the Fan neighborhood. Hmmm. I'd have to get rid of a lot of stuff - I think I could do it.

One thing that this place has that I don't is tons and tons of light. Oh, another thing - they're almost right on top of the railroad tracks - you'd be rumbling in your condo about 20 times a day. I'm not sure if, over time, that would drive me nuts.
You could almost reach out and touch the tracks.

The next stop (the tour, which cost $20 included a bus ride too all the lofts and free parking) was across the James River in the area known as Manchester.

This is more what I envision when I hear the term "loft" as it as an adaptive reuse of some warehouse space. There are fourteen residential lofts in the open style. This was the first residential rehabilitation project in the Manchester Historic District. The developers pioneered Downtown Richmond’s expansion to the Manchester area with the conversion of this building formally known as the Cheek-Neal Building. I love the old windows, old exposed brick, the columns and the creative use of space.
I like the way the owner displayed her photos on this old ladder.

I think I'd have to rent here first before making a big monetary investment. It could be echoey without a lot of walls. For more information on historic Manchester and its transformation go to:http://www.venturerichmond.com/downtown/projects-manarts.html

The next loft stop that is worth a mention is River Lofts at Tobacco Row. These rental units are close to the Shockoe Bottom district of the city and the James River and the units were very cozy and had amazing views.

I'm not ready for this lifestyle yet but I can see a day when it might work. Right now I'm enjoying my back yard too much and the ability to dig in the dirt when the spirit moves me.

I've got a long list of things to do before Haven opens its doors to the Fan Women Kitchen and Garden tour. http://www.fandistrict.org/anonftp/incoming/fanfare.pdf

I'll try to post as I go along. I'm off to the paint store now to buy some turquoise paint for the shed's door and shutters.

Making Hay While the Snow Falls

2010-02-07T11:11:00.000-08:00

Most of the people I know ran to the grocery when they heard the big storm was coming. I headed over to the closest Benjamin Moore store to stock up on paint. What else is there to do but indoor projects when you can't venture out? Okay, maybe that is a dumb question, but with the house tour coming up in May I'm motivated to getting the first floor ready for prime time.

Living in the city during a snow storm has many advantages, one of which is that shoveling only takes about 10 minutes. In northern Virginia we had about a 150' long driveway that took hours and hours to shovel. And then once you got to the street you still couldn't go anywhere as it took days for the plows to show up. In Richmond we have several stores and restaurants within a few block radius and they are open for business and hopping during snow storms. So, once we're shoveled out, we still have the whole day for the "to do" list and the energy to complete some of it!

In my last post I mentioned that we were going to get started painting the foyer and the upstairs hallway. Here are some "before" shots. Above is a shot of the foyer before we purchased Haven. We have since pulled up the laminate to expose the original heart pine floors. The track lighting is gone and has been replaced by a chandelier. Many more tracks exist upstairs - I can't wait to yank those out, too.

The walls and trim were all the same color when we purchased Haven - well, not really a color - sort of a dirty beige. We opted to leave painting out of the contractor's scope of work as we could save ourselves a few thousand dollars. A few thousand is now looking like a bargain. Look at all of those pickets! Never mind the doors, chair railing and base trim. If I never see White Dove again it will be too soon. Just kidding - I'll never tire of White Dove. Harry worked up top, doing the ceiling (White Dove, what else) and I worked below doing the trim (White Dove, satin impervo). Then he started cutting in the Wickham Gray and I met him in the middle from below. We had to buy an 8' ladder as the ceilings are 11'.

I love Wickham Gray and it looks so pretty coming off the Pearl Gray in the Living Room and the Stone Harbor (all Benjamin Moore) in the Dining Room.

What you can't see it that the paint only goes about halfway up the stairs. Harry is going to have to engineer some way of getting up to those places - perhaps next weekend!! In the meanwhile I have 9 doors, chair rail and base to keep me busy in the upstairs hall.

Other items on the "to do" list:

1. Put hole in ceiling and climb up to discover where the roof leak is located.
2. Make sure snow hasn't collapsed in the window in the basement, making it so cold that it freezes the pipes again. It is going down to 8 degrees tonight.
3. Dig car out - one negative of living in the city - no huge two car garage.
4. Walk to store to replenish beer and wine supply in time for the Superbowl.

Haven to be on Kitchen Tour

2010-01-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

Harry and I are honored to have been asked to put our house on the local Kitchen and Garden tour this spring. A local photography duo, GiammarinoDworkin Photography and Styling came by on Tuesday to take some shots for the publicity. They generously give of their time to the Fan's Woman's club and were kind enough to forward some of the shots to me. Now that the kitchen is complete and I have some decent shots, I can give you the complete tour.

Above is a shot taken toward the east. Lovely morning light comes in and floods the sink area while I make coffee for Harry and myself. The dishwasher is hidden behind a panel to the right of the sink. It is a Bosch and is so so quiet. To the left of the sink is a double trash bin, again hidden behind a panel.

The counter tops are Carrera marble, honed. This choice was made despite several warnings but I just love the way it looks. It is not for the faint of heart, though - it is showing some wear and tear already.
Here is the "before" shot facing in the same direction. The configuration of the kitchen pretty much remains the same - sink, range and dishwasher are in the same locations. We added a window in the northeast corner to add light and for balance. The wall to the right was removed.
The shot above is taken facing north toward the back yard. The range is a duel fuel Wolf and I have gotten used to the convection feature. On either side of the range are drawers - so much easier to use than cabinets! The island is made out of alder to coordinate with my Welsh dresser.
I purchased this Welsh dresser at Urban Country in Bethesda years ago for the Living Room in northern Virginia mainly for books. When we moved to Haven I made finding a place for this in the kitchen a priority. Now it is home to my Portmerion collection and hides all other bits that I need at my fingertips. The table is a gate leg that was the first antique that Harry and I purchased together in Seattle at an antique shop right at the ferry landing. The set of eight chairs were purchased at a flea market at the Meadows race track south of Pittsburgh many moons ago. The chandelier has followed us around since we lived in Alexandria, Virginia - it has sentimental attachment and helped to set the color palette for the other light fixtures in the room and the wall tile behind the range.
And speaking of wall tiles, they are glass subway tiles, purchased from my brother-in-law's company, Villi USA. In the original kitchen, to the right of the refrigerator was a powder room/laundry room.
The door above led into that space. All of that was removed (laundry moved upstairs and powder room moved to under front stairs) to open up the space and eliminate bathroom activity right next to the eating area. Here is a "before" shot of the wall where the back stairs are. That gas heater was a sign that things were probably pretty chilly back in this part of the house. Luckily, with insulation and our new heating system, we are always comfortable. That light fixture mysteriously disappeared before closing - it was supposed to convey. I was sure I could make a bundle on ebay. Now that wall houses a double row of shallow shelving where I keep all the kitchen staples and dog paraphenalia. The back stair railing was changed to open it up more to the room.

Here is a shot taken toward the family room.

The original heart pine floors could not be salvaged from under layers of asbestos and carpet. I've blogged about that here and here.

And lastly credit and thanks go to the awesome team at Reveal Build, LLC for helping me to design and build the kitchen and family room of our dreams. They were in my house every day for about 5 months and they and all of their subs were extremely hard working, professional and fun to be around. I miss having them here. Strange, I know--but true.

The kitchen and garden tour is in May. I'll send further information about it as time nears. In the meantime I have a lot to do to get ready. The foyer and upstairs hallways and stair case have yet to be painted. I counted the pickets the other day - 77. We're expecting snow this weekend so I'll have a project to keep me busy. The back yard has great bones but needs a spruce up. I love a project and having a deadline.
This shot was taken from my office window last April. It is truly a haven and I'm so lucky to be the current caretaker.

Bead-less in Richmond

2010-01-11T05:32:00.001-08:00

One of the things I miss most about my former life is my beading group. I joined Northern Virginia Bead Society several years ago and through that organization, and several classes at Star's Beads in Vienna, got hooked on beads, wire, silver, etc. I was also part of a group that got together on Fridays and we would help each other on projects, learn a new technique or go on a field trip. Lasting friendships came out of that group and I try like heck to keep them going. One of the highlights of the year in the Bead Society is the challenge bead project. The membership is given a bead or set of beads and the directive is to create something with them and show up at the Christmas party for a show and tell. It isn't a competition, just a fun show and tell.

This year we commissioned Lisa St. Martin to make a glass bead for each of us. This is what we all received: Photo courtesy of Anji Johnston

This year we arranged to have the pieces in a show at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center.

This is a wire bracelet that I created using the focal bead and other lamp work beads created by Lisa.

Susi DuPuis creates beautiful flowers with old plastic containers - recycle art!!
Beth Eltinge combines her talents with peyote, Russian spiral and brick stitches to create this lariat.
Alison Lovitt-Reinfeld creates amazing multiple strand necklaces.

Denise Rivers combined her talents in wirework, bead crochet and bead stringing to create this masterpiece.

A gorgeous creation by Janet Flynn

And last but not least, Raye Ann Fife combines bead embroidery with semi-precious stones - just incredible.

There are several more pieces not pictured here. The show is up until the end of January so if you find yourself on I-95 near the Lorton exit you should pull off and see the show and visit the other studios. What a great re-use of an old prison. If walls could talk!!!

Here are some of the talented crew - I miss you guys!!!

Thanks to Julie Glixon for letting me use her photos.

Is there a bead community lurking out there in RVA? There are a few great shops but they don't seem to offer the same caliber of classes that I had access to in the northern part of the state.

That's okay - I'm thoroughly ensconced in my acrylic painting class right now.
I think this painting is done - how does one know when to stop??

Painting Peonies

2010-01-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart

as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers

and they open —
pools of lace,
white and pink —
and all day the black ants climb over them,

boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls,
craving the sweet sap,
taking it away

to their dark, underground cities —
and all day
under the shifty wind,
as in a dance to the great wedding,

the flowers bend their bright bodies,
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise,
their red stems holding

all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly,
and there it is again —
beauty the brave, the exemplary,

blazing open.
Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?

Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of their dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?

from New And Selected Poems by Mary Oliver

I know it is a strange time of year to be writing about peonies but I started a painting last week of a peony - my favorite flower. According to ancient folklore the moon goddess created this flower to reflect the moon’s beams during the night. Many artists before me have put brush to canvas in an attempt to capture the flower's allure.

For Christmas Harry gave me a subscription to The Artist's Magazine and on the cover is an oil painting of an arrangement of peonies. I thought, "hmm, I wonder if I could paint like that."

The medium I'm currently using is acrylics. So, last weekend I pulled out an old gessoed board and got to work. I did a rough sketch and then did the under painting and in class on Monday I started blocking in some true color.

I need to go back in and do some more drawing of pedals in the center.

I got some new brushes for Christmas. I'm stuck between not wanting to use them as they are so pretty and hovering over the paint with them!!

I also received a box of soft pastels. Watch out Wolf Kahn.

I'd love to stay home and paint today but I'm off to Charlottesville to meet some friends for lunch. I wish I could visit Monticello today as I just finished a great book Saving Monticello by Marc Leepson about the Levy family's involvement in the home. I highly recommend it. I think I'll go to Charlottesville again in the spring - it is way too cold today to venture up that mountain.

Have a great weekend wherever you are.

Baby it's Cold Outside

2010-01-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

Radiators. Objects of art or things to hide? I grew up in an old Tudor outside of New York City that had radiators. I remember the oil man dragging his hose up to the house and pumping the tank full. And I can remember curling up on the bathroom rug in front of the radiator, trying to get as close as possible without burning skin on those frigid New York mornings.

Aside from their ability to gently and evenly heat a room, radiators can dry wet gloves,warm bath towels, and, topped with a pan of water, they can even humidify the air. Late Victorian–era ones with embossed scroll work and floral motifs are also a reminder of a time when even the most utilitarian fixtures featured high-style design and fine craftsmanship. I'm lucky enough to have a couple in Haven. The one pictured above in the entry is too pretty to hide and we need the full exposure to knock the cold back that comes through the front door. The poodle knows where to hang out.

Detail of Living Room radiator

The radiator pictured below, from the guest bath, for some reason, never was renovated. I'm hoping that there is someone in town that specializes in this as I do not want to paint this thing.

The one in the Dining Room had to be covered up as it was messing with my need for symmetry on that wall. I had a cover made and painted it the same shade as the walls.

I love the banging and hissing noises they make - signaling heat is on the way. That combined with the train whistles and sirens harmonize into a city symphony that we listen to when we're all tucked up in bed.

One of the first things we did when we started to renovate was install a heat pump system that also supplies central air conditioning. Heating specialists tried to convince us to lose the radiators. After much thought we've opted to stick with a dual system. The heat pump keeps us warm (and dried up) when the temperature isn't so bad out and the radiators kick in when the heat pumps can't keep up. Gas prices in Richmond, for some reason, are high compared to other places we've lived. We heard nightmare stories about $400 a month gas bills - the heat just goes right up to the high ceilings and out through the uninsulated windows.

I hope no matter where you are right now that you're as warm and toasty as I am.

Looking Forward and Back

2010-01-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

I, for one, am glad it is over. I felt a bit melancholy this year - I guess because I'm in a new city and, although I loved all the Richmond festivities, I missed my old friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. I also lost a beloved uncle on Christmas Eve which, although not unexpected, still sent us all reeling and trying to figure out how to get to Erie, PA and then deciding not to go as they were having yet another snow storm thanks to that lake effect situation that they are always in at this time of year. I did snap out of it from time to time thanks to a visit to my older sister's house outside of Baltimore and a visit to the in-laws in Reading, PA. A stop in Reading is not complete without at least one pint of beer and a Reuben sandwich at the Ugly Oyster bar in downtown Reading and a visit to the Vanity Fair outlet for some new sneakers and the after Christmas wrap and card sale. After a stop in D.C. to get a few days of work in and a visit to my friend Loi and his new home, I was ready to come back to Richmond and put all of the Christmas decorations away.

I'm trying to look forward and not back so, although I don't make New Year's resolutions, I think this is a good time of the year and my life to make some lists.

1. Get out from behind the computer and get to know Richmond better.
2. Paint more often. I started an acrylic class last year and I am enjoying it and hope to make major strides this year with the help of my teacher, Adele Castillo. Credit goes to Anji Johnston for her suggestion that I pick up a paint brush. This blog is likely to become more of an art blog as decorating funds have dried up. This painting of pears is in progress.And here is an under painting of some peonies that I will take to class tomorrow. Depending on how it goes I'll post more photos of it Tuesday.
3. Jog the entire Ukrop's 10K. I haven't lived in Richmond long enough to have gotten attached to Ukrops grocery store but most long time Richmonders are in mourning after the sale of their beloved grocery to the same company that owns Giant (Washington, D.C.) However, I have lived here long enough to know the Ukrop's family is extremely generous to charities and the 10K is one example of that. The race goes down Monument avenue - a few blocks from Haven. Harry and I are in training.
4. Start doing the research into materials for renovating the Master Bath. Here is a before:

The space itself is quite large and it has a gorgeous Palladian window that lets in tons of natural light.Welshie soaking up the rays on a 20 degree day.

Lots of issues need to be resolved - like - lose the linen closet and install a shower? Heat the floors? Take the tile way up onto the 10' walls? Double vanity or single? I'm not sure when we'll get to this but hopefully in 2010. I can't stand the gray carpet much longer. Another "before" shot.

I could add a zillion more things but will spare you for now.

Happy 2010 from Haven on Hanover!!

On the Streets Where I Live

2009-12-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

With the big "thank you party" to the contractors and neighbors behind me I feel like I finally can sit back and take in the sights, sounds and smells of the holidays as celebrated in my new city. With camera in tow I set out to report to the blogosphere about the unique way that Richmond decorates for Christmas. It is sort of a blending of Mardis Gras and Christmas - lots of pink, purple, feathers and huge ornaments. And the all of the lights make it so magical. Add to that a foot of snow and all we need is Currier and Ives to come down and do some paintings.Beautiful Monument Avenue lights.

Last Christmas Harry and I could barely bring ourselves to decorate. We knew we were moving and we were trying to minimize the amount of work that is involved in decorating so as not to offend any potential buyer. Turns out that we took it off the market anyway, for a few weeks, as selling a house and celebrating Christmas don't mix. But we still couldn't bring ourselves to put lights out front. The big challenge this year was finding all of the decorations. We stored some in the garage and some in the closets above the clothes closets that are impossible to get at. Lights were in one place, ornaments in another, a centerpiece that I had searched high and low for turned up under some draperies in a box marked "draperies". I wouldn't have found it except that I gave my sister my old Living Room drapes at Thanksgiving - they are too short for Haven't tall windows and I was going to put the box in deep dark storage!!

I felt a renewed urge to decorate the outside of Haven as I not only have a huge magnolia out front but several mature boxwoods in the back. In addition to that, most of the neighbors were out on Thanksgiving decorating the fronts of their homes. Peer pressure and keeping up with the Joneses in full force.

I was feeling especially crafty so I made a magnolia wreath. The waxy texture of the leaves is so different than any other greenery, and grouping them together, I feel, makes a pretty big design statement. However, after taking in what the rest of Richmond does, my wreath is looking pretty conservative and plain. Next year I'll know better.Haven's front door.

Trumpet vine gone wild.

You might find your lost hubcap here.

Typical of Monument Avenue Decorations

In the tradition of Williamsburg but taken to a new level
Photos don't do this house's decorations justice.

In addition to decorating the house, these Monument avenue residents park an old caddy out front with Santa in the driver's seat. There usually isn't enough snow in Richmond for Santa to use his sleigh so we get our presents delivered via Cadillac.

Those are my presents on top.

Who wouldn't want to ride along with this gang?

I've also made it a goal to get to hear as much free live Christmas music as I can this season. This is easy as there are a plethora of churches within walking distance of Haven and I think they are all secretly competing to see who has the best music. First was a visit to First Baptist at the corner of Monument and Boulevard. They had a 100 person choir in addition to a small orchestra, bell ringers and dancers. The music included pieces I had never heard and were beautifully performed.

Later that week I walked down to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for a lunch time concert featuring local soloists. Divine. I'm not a big church goer but I could sit in this church and listen to the music forever. Except that the Catholics don't pad their pews like the Baptists and the Presbyterians do so I can't sit there too long.

Then on Sunday Harry and I went with some friends to a Carol service at the Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church on Monument Avenue. The highlight for me were the children's choirs. All three of these churches are gorgeous on the inside and delight not only the ears but the eyes. I know there will be more this week - I'm on the prowl. Maybe the Lutherans will be next. Or the Methodists - not sure.

The only thing left on the "to do" list is to bake some cookies that the boys look forward to every Christmas and to make everyone take a walk after dark to see all of the lights. Oh, and I haven't even begun to wrap. I like to save that for Christmas eve.

Yesterday I purchased a big hunk of tenderloin at Belmont Butchery. Can I tell you how wonderful it is to have a butcher in the neighborhood? They are so nice in there and helpful and that little slab o' meat cost a small fortune but, hell, it is only once a year and every bite is worth the money spent. Besides, the red wine cuts the cholesterol down. (Hah! - just kidding - don't send the food police over here). Today, I went to Jean Jacques French Bakery in Carytown and purchased a Buche de Noel. It was pricey but I've made one of those before and it took me quite a while to recover. I hope it tastes as good as it looks.

If I don't blog again before Christmas, I hope you all have a peaceful and healthy celebration. Talk to you again, soon.

Merry Merry

Shades of Gray, or is it Grey?

2009-12-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I've added a post to the Haven blog. Life is crazy at this time of year!

So, to bring you up to date, the first phase of the renovation of Haven is complete. The floors in the Living Room and Dining Room were stripped of their lumber liquidator look and we sanded and sealed the original heart pine floors. They are a little rough due to all of the nail holes from the lumber liquidator mahagony but I prefer that to the slick dark floors that came with the house. Once the floor people were gone, we were able to move all of our family room furniture down stairs and place things back in the living room and dining rooms.

It took me a while to feel the inspiration of how to decorate the dining room. My parents gave me their dining room table and china cabinet when they retired to Florida but I couldn't decide how to treat the walls and ceiling. I bought a chandelier from Currey and Co. long ago but that is as far as I got. The room is dark - there is a set of French doors leading out to a dark space between my house and my neighbors and then a window which looks out at another dark part of the front yard. So, it finally came to me after hours of pondering -- why not just embrace the darkness - it will never be a light filled space so why try? In addition to being a dark space, the fireplace surround is a dark slate.

While browsing through the books at the Benjamin Moore store a few weeks ago, I came across a photo of a room by Samuel Botero (see 5th Avenue house in portfolio section). It has a very "barely there" damask stencil applied to the walls. Aha.

My good friend, Anji Johnston, who did my kitchen checkerboard, was enlisted to come back down to transform the room.

Dining Room "before"

First I got Harry to paint the ceiling Benjamin Moore Pearl Gray and the crown Benjamin Moore White Dove. While he was up on the ladder, I was working on the base for the walls - Benjamin Moore Stone Harbor.
Then Anji arrived with her bespoke stencils and we worked to get the right paint color for the image itself. I wanted it to be very muted so Anji took the base paint and added black artist acrylic to it. She also kept a bit of the ceiling color handy for some light contrast.

The first "test" of the stencil - perfecto!

I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. The next week I had 18 people for Thanksgiving dinner - we put the kitchen table at the end of this table . A couple of people at the end were in the hallway but it was so nice to not have to stick the children at a kid's table in another part of the house - it was so nice to be all together. Onward towards Christmas.

By the way, the radiator covers were made by Tim McCready of Bankston and Bailey and were painted by Anji and me the same color as the walls so that they would recede. The funky valances were done by previous owners - I believe as a way to hide some pipes as the ceiling is lowered behind them. The sisal followed us down here from northern Virginia and fits fine in its new home.

The last thing we were waiting for before we could call the project complete was the fireplace insert. I didn't have it in time for Thanksgiving but the week after Mike from the Victorian Fireplace shop came out to install the gas insert, mantel and hearth. We ran it all weekend as it was rainy and cold here in Richmond and we were out in it a lot as we went by foot to Fox Elementary to get our Christmas tree. The fireplace unit works by remote control - and although I love the smell and sound of a "real" fire - there is nothing like sitting back on your behind and pushing a button for some instant ambience and warmth. I had a party here on Saturday to thank the contractors and neighbors and worked like a fiend to find the Christmas decorations and get them up. The party was so much fun and so now I can sit back and enjoy my home and the moment I am in. Richmond has a special way of decorating for the holidays and I will try to capture the feeling in my next post. Best wishes to you and yours at this time of year.

What a Week

2009-11-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

Actually it has been a weird couple of weeks. It started out with a 3:00 a.m. visit to Retreat Hospital for Harry Homeowner. I went to dictionary.com to look up the word "retreat" as I wasn't quite sure why this hospital was named that. I thought of retreat as a place to go for peace and quiet. But, I found out that it also means "an asylum, as for the insane". Okay - makes sense now. Poor Harry has had a history of kidney stones, so often that it is almost routine except that it happens in the middle of the night so it isn't really a part of any one's routine around here. So, off we go to the hospital which is only about 6 blocks from Haven. I had taken our younger son there on our first day in Richmond so I was thinking that we might want to go a little further afield the next time. But Harry was in a lot of pain so off we went. The scenario is pretty much always the same - they check him in and then he writhes in pain as they try to find a vein to put a port in for that all important pain medication. His veins like to hide. Then, as he goes off to his happy place I sit and stare at the cinder blocks hoping that someone will come to take care of him. All he needs is a pain prescription and time to let it pass but they insist on all of the tests known to man first. As he went off to his happy place I felt a panic attack coming on. The beeping of machines and retching of all the other patients was making my skin crawl. Right before Harry went off to that zone he told me I could go back home. Nice wife - I took him up on his offer. I crawled back into my cozy bed and then he called a few hours later and said he was walking home. I forgot to mention it was raining. The good news is that he passed it not 24 hours later. It looked like a peppercorn (too much information?). In the meantime I had this dull ache in my cheekbone that I was trying to convince myself wasn't teeth related. I finally cried uncle and went off to the dentist. Paybacks are hell. I had to have a root canal. It wasn't all that bad - thanks, Dr. Londrey.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that I discovered that both dogs were covered in fleas. I thought I had dodged a bullet and didn't put the frontline on them as I assumed that we were into the winter season and that the fleas were done, or that Richmond maybe doesn't have a flea population. I can't thank Patricia at Critter Wash enough for coming to my rescue - she took them that morning and while they were being de-flead I came home and threw everything in the wash and tried to de-flea the house. According to Patricia the fleas are really bad right now.

And then the torrential rain started and so the Honda wouldn't start and water started pouring into the brand new kitchen from one of the recessed lights.

UNCLE

The only "safe" way to get up to the roof is to put a ladder on the balcony off of the guest room and climb up from there. I held the ladder (pouring down rain) while Harry climbed up to see what he could see. I kept wondering if the ambulance crew would take him to Retreat. After throwing a few leaves over the side of the house he came safely back down with no real diagnosis. I guess we need to call in a roofer.

I tell you all of this because sometimes I think my blog sounds a little to sweet - like everything is rosy all of the time. I don't like to whine but this week just got the better of me.

The week came to a lovely end with a visit from one of my favorite bloggers, Michele from My Notting Hill and her adorable daughter. I first "met" Michele when she blogged out the interior design firm in DC that I work for and she has been really helpful to me in starting this blog and also had one of the most enjoyable parties that I've been to in quite a while. The new range got fired up and I made my favorite tomato tart with the last of the season's tomatoes.
The first layer of Heirloom Tomato Tart - YUMMM

We did a quick tour of some of my favorite Richmond shops: Sunny's Good Time Paint, LiVing, a new shop on Grove Avenue featuring talented artist and craftsmen from the area, Fraiche, and U-fab. It was great having some time to get to know Michele and her daughter (in person!). Off they went to their final destination, Williamsburg, and I made my list of which galleries I wanted to visit during First Friday's Art Walk.

Normally we head down to Broad Street to take part in First Friday. However, this month I was sent an invitation to an opening to a gallery closer to the hood, as there are several galleries out this way that participate. Our first stop was to Reynolds Gallery on Main Street. The current exhibition features the work of James Prosek

His watercolors of fish on tea-stained paper knocked my socks off. I have just the wall, just not the budget.

Then we walked down the street to Glave Kocen - another favorite.

Santa, if you're reading this I'd like one of these dogs for Christmas. The current exhibit features the work of Steven Walker.Beautiful depiction of one of Richmond's train trestle

Our next stop was the Page Bond Gallery for the Sanches, Scurlock, Crumb opening. I fell in love with Mary Scurlock's trees.
My photos don't do these encaustics justice - get over there and see them in person. Maybe I need to sign up for an encaustic painting class. First I'd better learn how to draw trees!!

After the gallery openings I came home to plug in my camera battery in preparation for the Urbanna Oyster Fest. Any festival that celebrates a slimy colorless crustacean has to be attended. Unfortunately, I woke up with a raging sore throat and headache so I stayed in bed.

But I hate to whine - there is always next year. The good news is that in the midst of all of the above we hired a charming VCU student to come help us move the upstairs Family Room furniture down to the new family room and to move the guest room furniture (stored in the Dining Room) up. Now we just need a cable hook up for the television and we'll be spending more time in the newly renovated spaces. More on that to come.

Have a great week - I'm hoping for a peaceful, healthy one.

Hanover Halloween Part Three

2009-11-01T04:02:00.000-08:00

Words can really not describe what Halloween was like on Hanover last night. So, I'll let the pictures do the talking.
We started out with 45 bags of candy at 5:30 and they were gone by 7:30. There was a constant line of trick or treaters at my porch so I had no time to take pictures. When I had about 5 pieces of candy left there was a slight lull so we ran inside and turned out the porch lights and then headed back out to join the party.

Right across the street the neighbors created a cemetery for the night. All night long this boy kept jumping out of the coffin with his chain saw. The screaming crowds could be heard well into the night. I'm sure he scared the you know what out of a lot of toddlers.
The block between Meadow and Granby is closed to traffic. This block is where most of the action was.
On the left you can see that Elmo came down from Sesame Street to be at the party.
This string duo played jazz for all of us from their front porch.

Rumor has it that over the years this pirate ship has conveyed twice with the sale of the house.
I couldn't believe it when I saw these gorgeous chandeliers hanging outside this home.

I love this huge black cat - look at the line-up of people waiting their turn for a snicker bar.

Scary witch with a bowl of eyeballs
Great silhouettes
Scary silhouette.

This neighbor not only had the skulls in the ivy but also several awesome paper mache aliens.

I can't wait until next year's party. The renovation will be way behind us and we can focus on how we can keep up with the Joneses in the Halloween decorating department. In the meantime, I have 17 people coming for Thanksgiving dinner (5 staying here for 4 nights). Yikes.

We finally moved some furniture downstairs this weekend and have livable spaces - more on that later.

Hanover Halloween Part Two

2009-10-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago that I was swimming in the Atlantic Ocean? Summer has let go of its grasp and Autumn is in full throttle. I'm working on getting out of my "goodbye to summer" funk and trying very hard to get into the holiday spirit. Living on this street makes that pretty easy. I was out walking the dogs this afternoon and the decorations have really gotten ramped up. The feeling of anticipation is especially apparent in the next block. In addition to all of the trees being lit, the street has now been invaded by ghosts. This neighbor was hard at work putting the finishing touches on his display. Very impressive.

I love these jack o'lanterns.
And these, especially the one with just holes. LOVE! I'm going to copy that for next year.

This is going to scare the "you know what" out of some trick or treaters.

So now the decorator in me is wishing that I had done more to adorn Haven. My excuse is the renovation -- I promise to do better next year.

So, in my continuing self-appointed role as ambassador from Virginia to the blogosphere, we went in search of changing foliage in the mountains this weekend. We're about two hours from the Blue Ridge Parkway so we headed out, dogs in tow, to climb up and look out from Crabtree Falls.

Some time last year my very favorite pair of hiking boots gave out after ten years of faithful service. They were Asolo's. My feet never got blisters, nor wet, and my ankles were supported through miles and miles of hikes here and abroad. I really missed them Sunday on this rocky and slippery trail, especially being pulled along by the mush dogs. Despite being obsessed about falling in my sneakers, the hike was amazing. The trail was a bit crowded and for good reason - the views of the falls and surrounding mountains was worth the price of admission ($3.00).
Some time ago I read that waterfalls are nature's Prozac. Something to do with the ions being released into the air, I think. I'm the ambassador, not the resident scientist, so someone else can explain it. However, I believe it to be true. There is something about being around rushing water that soothes the savage beast. Except in the case of terriers.

He's looking pretty calm here but don't let it fool you.
The pay off

We always judge a hike based on what we call the pay off at the end. In this case, the climb was worth the effort. I think we're nearly at peak color.

Here are some more views of autumn in Central Virginia.

I am always so sad to see summer go but somehow this makes up for it.

I've recently enrolled in an acrylic painting class. After this hike I ran out to buy a tube of orange paint. More on that another day!!

The renovation is probably at 98% completion. I have to say it makes me sad. I've grown accustomed to having a crew in my house every day and loved having most of them around. Here is a quick update. In another posting I'll get more down and dirty with the details.Above is the Living Room before the renovation. Shiny mahogany floors - just not me.

The pre-finished mahogany flooring was removed and we all held our breath to see what kind of shape the original floors would be in. After all, who covers up perfectly good heart pine with another flooring? I don't have an answer for that so if you do, help me out. Other than the nail holes from the mahogany installation, the floors are beautiful and can now breathe free. A oil sealer was put down and now we're waiting for them to cure before placing rugs and furniture. In the meantime, we've painted the Living Room Benjamin Moore Pearl Grey. The swatch on the left is Wickham Gray and the one on the right is Pearl Gray.

Here is it completed with White Dove trim. How to decorate the shelves is keeping me up at night.

I'm also losing sleep over what to do in the Dining Room. I need to get crackin' as my entire family (17) is coming for Thanksgiving. I wonder if the neighborhood decorates for that holiday as well.

Hanover Halloween - Part One

2009-10-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

Waiting for Trick or Treaters

I think it was the day we moved to Richmond (March) that a neighbor asked us if we had heard about Halloween on Hanover Avenue. It sounded ominous, as if it should have been in the disclaimer documents. We admitted that we had not heard of it and this neighbor was all too happy to report that, for what ever reason, Hanover Avenue is the "go to" street for Halloween. I can not get an answer from anyone as to why this is, all I get is "you need to start buying candy now". Estimates vary from 1,000 pieces of candy needed to 3,ooo pieces. I don't know where all of these children come from as I only see one or two on a regular basis!! Someone told me that they are bused in - from where?? No one can say. It is all a mystery and I'm sure I won't have any answers until November 1st.

What happened to the simpler days when all I had to do was hang a cardboard skeleton on the door and carve a pumpkin and dress Matt like a cowboy (that was easy - he was a cowboy everyday!). As you can see from the image above, I was very ambitious that year and hung an ear of corn on the door. And we had one too many trips to the pumpkin patch. It looks like I didn't even bother to carve that year!! And I think I debated about whether I needed two or three bags of candy.

Now I live in a neighborhood where people light up all the trees like it's Christmas.
You wouldn't think of carving a pumpkin without a stencil. And I need 1000 pieces of candy.

Sometime after the youngest child left for college I lost any love I had for Halloween. It just wasn't the same without them. I didn't know too many of the neighborhood kids and I was too busy trying to sell a house to really want to celebrate. While going through the basement storage area I came upon a box of disparate costume bits and threw them all away. I was done with Halloween. We even turned out all the lights and went out to eat last year, returning after we were sure it would be over.

I don't know what happens in the universe between Washington and Richmond but these folks really like to celebrate the holidays. Maybe it is all the artists and musicians living together in close quarters or maybe its the water. Not sure. In any case, my friend, Beth, and I set out to start hoarding bags of candy late last week. We were given advice to go to Price Club for their big bag of candy but can I tell you that it costs $12.00 for 100 pieces? I suggested we head over to the dollar store (Dollar Tree) to see if we could do any better. Phew. I bought 40 bags of candy for $40.00 Deal. So each child will get one roll of smarties. Or maybe one little box of Sugar babies. When I've given out the 999th piece of candy I will hang a sign on the door "Candy is all gone", take a roll of smarties and head inside for a large glass of wine. And don't forget, Halloween is on a Saturday this year. I hope the Richmond police have thought of that.I did buy a couple of decorations and I'm hoping to get into the mood between now and then.

Stay tuned for Part two.

The New Loo

2009-10-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

I know exactly where I was when adopted the word "loo" into my vocabulary. It was the early 1980s and I was a starving museum working living in Pittsburgh when my mother called to invite me to accompany she, my sister and my father on a business trip to England, Wales and Ireland. I had no vacation time and no passport and as I said earlier, no money. I slunk into my boss' office and asked for some time off without pay and he not only said I must go but gave me all of his tour guides. He was my first real boss and I was so lucky to have him. My dear mother whisked my sister and I off to DC the next day to stand in line at the State Department for our passports and the next thing I new we were flying off to London.

It seems as though through our country's short history that there have been times when our admiration for all things British sort of gets out of control. It is funny that as hard as we tried to sever our connection to England, we still go back to them for inspiration. I grew up in Scarsdale New York which grew up around the Metro North rail line in the 1920s. Tudor architecture was all the rage in that decade and that is where I must have gotten British architecture into my blood. Downtown Scarsdale - one of the prettiest little towns I know.

The early 1980s was one of those times as well. Princess Diana had just married Prince Charles (a wedding that I got myself up in the middle of the night to watch), we all tuned our TVs to see Alistair Cooke on Masterpiece Theatre every Sunday night and Laura Ashley stores were popping up all over the place (Pittsburgh even had one.). We couldn't get enough of that English country look in decorating. I had all of Laura Ashley's decorating books and poured over them endlessly, dreaming of the day that I could have a home that resembled those in the photos. I was still single and living in a efficiency apartment. Laura Ashley's products were way out of my budget so I decorated with sheets found at Kaufmann's department store and tried to get the look without the price tag.
The Frontenac - my apartment building in Pittsburgh.

You can only imagine my excitement at being able to visit Laura's London store.
My mother bought me a dress for my birthday very similar to this one (image found on the Internet under "vintage 80s dress - Jeez!). I wore it until it was thread bare. Later on when I could afford it, I purchased two jumpsuits similar to these. I have them in storage - maybe they'll come back
in style some day! When we moved to northern Virginia in the early 1990s, I plastered the kitchen and family room with Laura's Melrose wallpaper and curtains, bought a sofa when she opened her new home store at Tyson's Corner and loved those rooms up until about a year ago when we knew we were moving and our real estate agent said it all had to go. She was right, of course, and my taste has evolved over the years to a more tailored look so it wasn't that hard to part ways. I cried the day Laura Ashley died though, - I felt like she was a old and dear friend.

The British still have my heart when it comes to fabric and wallpaper. I always start out at Colefax and Fowler, Cowtan and Tout and Farrow and Ball when searching for inspiration. Which brings me back to the new loo. I mentioned in a post a long time ago about using Farrow and Ball paper in the loo. I got a recommendation from a local reputable paint store for a wallpaper hanger. I have had so many unfortunate experiences with wallpaper hanging for clients that I wanted to find the best person around. The man came out and gave me an estimate and I scheduled him for two weeks down the road when the contractor said the room would be ready. When the scheduled day arrived I went down to give the room one last inspection and realized that the room really wasn't ready enough and called the hanger to cancel and reschedule. He never called me back. My fault for not giving him more heads up but I'm not going to beg so I went out onto the Internet and searched for "wallpaper hanger Richmond, VA". The first web page that popped up belongs to Steve Boggess. Steve came out the same day and gave me an estimate and then came back later that week to hang the paper. If you live in Richmond and need a paper hanger - he is your man.
Can you use the word "pretty" to describe a toilet? In this case I think you can.

I painted the ceiling Farrow and Ball "Chemise" which is the background color of the lotus paper. Brian, the electrician, hung my star burst and sconces and now I just want to sit in there for hours and not let anyone use it for its intended purpose. It is so nice to have one room that is finished.

That trip to London made a huge impression on me. I adopted the word "loo" into my vocabulary when seeing it and hearing it used many times on that trip. To me it sounds so much better than rest room.

To update the rest of the project: we are chomping at the bit to use the kitchen but little things keep causing delays. A mistake in figuring out how much tile to order was made and so I had to order more - the tile installer is due back today to finish the wall by the sink and grout. The green dots are spacers.

The plumber connected the sink and dishwasher to some of Haven's existing pipes and now it is leaking onto the floor in the basement. The microwave and refrigerator are working and so now we have ice and can nuke Lean Cuisine dinners. It is so nice to have cold beverages and warm food again.

We spent the better part of the weekend moving everything that was being stored in the Living Room and Dining Room into the Family Room to make way for the floor refinishers to come and remove the prefinished mahogany installed by the previous owner to reveal the existing heart pine floors. Your guess is as good as mine as to what condition they are in. More on that later.

Have a good week.

One last day at the beach......

2009-10-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

When Harry and I moved to Richmond we thought it would be so easy to just pop over to Virginia Beach whenever we wanted for a day at the beach. We went to Chick's Beach (bay side) once in June and decided to not bother again until fall. The drive over is easy as we're early risers and can beat the rest of the world, but coming back is a nightmare. Whatever good kharma you get from the beach is destroyed in a matter of minutes as you fight your way back home. So, we promised ourselves that we would return one day in the fall. We finally made it back on Sunday. I wanted to see the ocean this time instead of the bay, so we went all the way into Virginia Beach and headed north into the residential area. Parking is readily available on the side streets and it was a quick hop over to the sand. The rest of humanity is off doing fall activities so we had the place almost all to ourselves. I brought a book but didn't even open it as I was entertained all morning by this catamaran that was out in the surf with a family of dolphins. I wanted to swim out and ask if I could hop on and share in the fun. The dolphins swam all around them for hours - popping up out of the surf and making a racket with their blow holes. We must have been at the surfer beach, too, because as the day progressed we had that entertainment as well. I must have been a sea creature in a former life as a day at the beach delights all of my senses. The sounds of the waves and the birds, the sight of sunlight on the water, the feel of the sand and the water (I did go for a swim - according to my mother, salt water is the cure for everything), the smell of the salt air and Coppertone and the taste of salt water and soft ice cream on the boardwalk all combine to put me back into alignment for a while. Virginia Beach has acquired a very impressive sculpture of Neptune since the last time I was there. The statue was dedicated to the City of Virginia Beach on September 30, 2005 during the Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend.

Artists from around the world were considered before Virginia-based sculptor, Paul DiPasquale was commissioned to create Neptune's statue. DiPasquale has created numerous permanent public installations, including the bronze statue of Arthur Ashe on Richmond's famous Monument Avenue - just a mile or so from our house. I'll have to blog about Monument Avenue another day.

We headed home around 2 as I was feeling guilty about leaving the dogs home alone and thought we'd get ahead of some traffic - Hah! There was a five mile back up on I-64 and so we ducked into York and went up the Colonial Parkway through Williamsburg - another place to explore now that we're so close.

I know I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love living in the state of Virginia. I could be her ambassador. Ocean, bay, rivers, mountains, cities, farms, great climate - enough gushing for one post. Virginia is for lovers of all of the above.

A Wolf in the House

2009-10-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

Last week the Wolf range was delivered and it is sitting in the front hall waiting to be installed. I can not believe that very soon I will be frying up some grub on this monster appliance. We got the 36" duel fuel range with a griddle in the middle. As excited as I am about cooking again (it has been six months), I am sad that my eating out days are soon to be over. So, I'm dedicating this blog to all of the Richmond restaurants that I've been frequenting since March.
At least once a week we get pizza from 81/2. They named this restaurant after Fellini's movie - I'm not sure why and I don't care because all I care about is the pizza. It is probably the best pizza I've ever had in my life and I've lived in a lot of places, including New York, where I always thought the pizza was not to be compared. We will probably continue to haunt this place on Friday's as I will never be able to replicate the crust and won't even try.

Our second most frequented spot is Shield's Market. This isn't a restaurant but a place where we pop in for a soda, a bottle of wine or a take out meal from Joe's restaurant across the street. Shield's used to allow dogs inside . My dogs should try out for the Iditarod race as their pulling abilities have greatly improved since we moved here. They know the word "Shields" and even know which block to turn onto if they even get a hint that we are going over there. I guess the health department caught wind of the dog policy and so now we all have to tie up our dogs up outside. The owners always have dog treats by the door so the pups don't mind waiting for me to run in for some Chardonnay. Here is a photo of Joe's - across the street from Shields Market

I frequented Joe's this summer when they started serving their famous Country Greek Salad which is made with local Hanover tomatoes. I couldn't get enough of it. They hang a sign on the door when the tomatoes come in season - and serve the tomatoes with feta and onions and some thick homemade bread. The sign came down recently so I probably won't be back again until next summer.

The buzz in the neighborhood is about this new restaurant - Baliceaux. Harry Homeowner and I walked down there last weekend for our anniversary dinner. The place was hopping with activity and has a cool urban vibe and the food was really good.
Fu Jian and European Market Bistro are right next to each other on Main Street, and are both take out places. Both are excellent and I will miss them. Fu Jian is Chinese take out and our boys, when they're home from college, hit this place pretty hard. European Market Bistro's menu often looks like this: Caramelized Balsamic Duck Breast w. Ginger-Rhubarb Apple Compote, Served Over Wilted Summer Greens & w. Truffle Roasted Potatoes... I guess I'd better locate the box that those cookbooks are in.

A little farther afield but worth the walk is Little Mexico. I love the mural and when the craving for Mexican food hits, they are our go-to spot. The atmosphere is a little lacking but who cares - the quesadillas are really tasty and the margaritas ain't bad either. Walking home afterward helps aide digestion!!
There are several other restaurants that we've tried in the last six months but I'll save them for another posting. Thanks to all of them for feeding us while bringing a new kitchen to life.

There is a big push here at Hanover this week to finish up Phase I. I've got an electrician, painters and a wallpaper hanger here today. I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (it's lighting up recipes).

Have a great week.

Decorating Mecca - Atlanta

2009-09-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I flew down to my favorite town for interiors shopping - Atlanta - to shop for some clients (oh, and for Haven on Hanover). Yes, Washington, D.C. has its share of great shops, especially along Wisconsin Avenue and O Streets in Georgetown, but Atlanta has it, hands down, for the design obsessed. We started our quest at Atlanta Decorative Arts Center - fondly known as ADAC.

Washington, DC, where the firm I work for is based, has a Design Center but something about ADAC makes shopping so much more fun and easy. We know we will always hit the jackpot. We started at Smith Grubbs, right inside the door and found a great variety of lamps and side tables for our client who lives on Long Island.

Isn't the hammered finish on this table divine?

I've been searching for the perfect bar cart for a client in Georgetown and this one hit the mark.

This table lamp would be very happy at Haven.

And this table lamp we could sell to several different clients.

We had so much luck and the fun had just begun. Off to our favorite rug source, Moattar, Ltd. A client in Georgetown needed a runner for her front hall and we had searched in DC and New York all summer. We walked in to Moattar, showed Andrea Moattar a swatch of fabric and a photo of an existing rug and a few minutes later we had a couple of options to send to the client back in DC.

Bingo!

Next we blew through Travis & Co. and shot some photos of some lovely acrylic tables and more great lighting:

Then we happened upon Bradley Hughes who used to be on Miami Circle but just recently moved to ADAC. There we found some pendant lights for a client looking for a "funky" fixture for her stair hall.

After a quick bite in ADAC's cute luncheon spot, we zoomed over to another pair of favorites, Mrs. Howard and Max and Co. Much has been written in the blogosphere about these two shops so I won't go into a lot of detail, but suffice it to say if this is the first you've heard of these two shops, then google them and then get yourself over there pronto. You won't be sorry. Here are some images:

I could have crawled right into that bed. Or this one.

Hating to leave but knowing that time was getting away from us, we popped over to Bungalow and found some great accessories and ended up at Bill Lowe gallery to peruse the latest art in his collection. Feeling very inspired, but tired and hungry, we checked into our hotel and called it a day.

The next day the cab showed up at 7:30 to take us to Scott's market. Shopping at Scott's is so much fun and exhausting at the same time. There is so much to see that one's eye can not take it all in. It is a bit difficult to shop for clients there as it is "cash and carry" so we typically buy things and put them into inventory knowing that down the road we'll be able to place them. We purchased some prints from Prints Charming and then stumbled upon a vendor with some beautiful lighting that had just come in from France. I purchased this ceiling fixture for my powder room and after I take it to be electrified it will be installed here at Haven.
I also picked up these sconces which will find a home here at Haven - probably in the Dining Room. Someone got carried away with gold paint but that is easily rectified with some artist's acrylic and a paint brush.

Some more images from Scott's:

I thought these angels would make awesome lamps.

Very nice crusty trumeau.

My partner in crime, Beth, had to run for the airport to make a noon flight back to DC but I was staying for one more day to shop some more and visit with my younger sister, Kelly, who lives with her family in Dunwoody. I taxied up to the Mart in downtown Atlanta to visit one of my favorite lighting showrooms, Currey and Company and to see who else might be open. It turns out not too many showrooms were open - it was like a ghost town. Rats - but I'll be back another day.

The next morning I took off from my sister's house in my nephew's car feeling ultra confident with his tom tom on the dash. I wanted to visit Ballard Designs outlet store. Tom Tom gets confused in Atlanta and I wound up in some one's town home driveway. Luckily I had printed out mapquest directions as well. Ballard's outlet was very lean - maybe a sign of the times - hard to say. I guess my shopping success (and navigation success) was at an end. I mapquested my way back to Dunwoody and hung out with my family until it was time for my flight.

There was progress at Haven this week. The base trim which had to be custom made to match the rest of the house is slowly going in and being primed and painted. All of the kitchen cabinets are in place and the templates have been made for the marble counters.

The refrigerator was ordered over the Internet long ago and seems to have gone down the black hole. I've learned a lesson there - better to buy from your local appliance guy - I've spent more time on the phone trying to track this than I care to admit. We purchased a washer and dryer from Lowe's on Broad Street and they were delivered the very next day. Now I'm feeling the need to wash everything in sight. That can't last for long.The gas fireplace insert has been selected and this mantel was brought over on approval.
This is where in a renovation it gets down to the details and they say that is where the devil is.

However some say “God is in the details,” meaning that opportunities for discovery and creativity come from digging into the details - I think both are true when thinking of a renovation.

One more thing - today is my 27th wedding anniversary - Happy Anniversary to Harry Homeowner of Haven on Hanover - you've made all of this possible and I love you.

Checkers, anyone?

2009-09-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

My dear friend and talented artist, Anji Johnston, came down last week to turn my kitchen floor into a big checkerboard game. You may remember that the original kitchen floors could not be rescued from their life under three layers of laminate and one layer of carpet and had to be put to rest. The replacement, 5" wide yellow pine boards were laid down with not a flaw in sight. Most people would think that is good. I was afraid I'd made a huge mistake. Because there was no way to make the transition from antique heart pine to brand new yellow pine with stain (to my liking) I decided to have the floors painted. The color palette was chosen - brown (to help transition from heart pine) and gray - to be happy with the white cabinets and gray wall paint.
In the photo above you can see how the old heart pine and new flooring come together. We struggled a while to get the brown color correct as every brown that went onto the yellow boards turned green. The final solution was to squeeze a tube of artist's acrylic crimson red into the bucket of Benjamin Moore Lenox Tan. The grey squares are Wickham Grey on top of the Lenox Tan.
Poor Anji's knees will never be the same. The paint really couldn't be rolled on and still have the grain show through so she ragged it on. Above is a photo of the Lenox tan (doctored up) going down onto the raw wood. After we were happy with the first coat the taping began. Do you remember much about geometry? It was the only math class that I did well in. I loved my teacher, Mr. Black, and drawing all of the shapes and doing the proofs. So, I loved watching this floor evolve and helping to figure out the pattern. Then the taping began.
We could only tape one row at time, then pull up the tape and lay down the next row. After all of the squares were done and the tape removed, Anji sealed it with three coats of Coronado sealant. My fingers are crossed that it will withstand the antics of the two dogs. Stay tuned. In any case, I could not be happier with the way it turned out and can't wait for the rest of the kitchen to be complete so I can go down and start living with it. The sink is being installed today and tomorrow the stone folks come to do a template for the Carrera marble.

After Anji finished the floors I high tailed it up to northern Virginia to attend a party in honor of Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar at the home of Michele Ginnerty of My Notting Hill. I never imagined I could have so much fun at a party where I literally knew no one. I met so many fun and interesting people in addition to Eddie, Jaithan and Michele. Bob of Homer's Odd Isn't He was great to chat with as was Pat of Pat's Addition and Lauren of Pure Style Home. Terri of WindLost was so nice to meet as was her boyfriend, David. I know I'm leaving someone out so I apologize in advance. Of course, we all have so much in common so there was no lull in the conversations. In addition to the fun attendees, Michele's husband whipped up some delicious food and the wine never stopped flowing. Eddie and Michele

Home again home again jiggety jog. Many projects were waiting for me when I got back including painting the powder room ceiling in preparation for the wallpaper hanger to come this Friday, painting the window trim in the laundry before the washing machine and dryer show up, painting some chandelier chain to match the fixture before the electrician wrings my neck not to mention grocery shopping, playing with the dogs, oh - and doing some work to bring in some cash to pay for all of this fun.

Right Up My Alley

2009-09-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, it isn't technically my alley but I walk in it everyday and so it is a little bit mine. It is a secret garden, a little bit of heaven in the city. I don't know who did all of this work but I'm very grateful for the daily pass through.There are hundreds of perennials and shrubs.Even their old garage doors look charmingThey even decided to place all of their rubbish bins together out of sight.
Most of the alleys in our neighborhood look like this -
There isn't much you can do to beautify this long row of garages - the abandoned sofa lends a homey feel, though, don't you think? It does look like they're trying to keep ahead of the graffiti, though, which is a hard job in itself.

Another alley that I enjoy visiting is Mule Barn Alley. I can only imagine that this is where the mules lived - now it houses a cool condo. Also in the alley is the workshop of Nicholai Smith of Spartan Metalwerks. The interior design firm that I work for, Elizabeth Hague, Inc. uses his talents for custom lamps, tables, and bar stools. The statue of Lady Liberty is for sale. You can contact Nick for pricing.

This is the entrance to the alley behind our house. I fell in love with this gate the moment I laid eyes on it. Our alley isn't as bad as some. It is funny that people don't devote as much effort into the backs of their houses as they do the fronts. A few plantings and putting the rubbish bins away would go a long way in making this alley lovely.

I guess we could set an example by painting the mismatched garage doors and ripping out those horrid bushes. Another project for another day.

Lots of progress was made on the inside of the house this week. the walls in the Kitchen (Benjamin Moore Classic Gray) and the Family Room (Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan) were painted as was the trim throughout (Benjamin Moore White Dove). The floors except for the Kitchen were sanded and coated with polyurethane.
To refresh your memory - here is the "before"

Doors previously used as dining room doors and back hallway doors have been repurposed as closet and powder room doors. Tomorrow the kitchen cabinets arrive, but, unfortunately I won't be here to welcome them. I'm off to Atlanta on a buying trip (will post on that next week) and I'm hoping to return to see the cabinets and appliances all in place. I love having something to look forward to!

Sleepless in Richmond

2009-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Does making decorating decisions keep you up at night? Let's just say my new best friend is Simply Sleep - a little blue over the counter pill that helps me stop the swirling thoughts in my head concerning the house. The latest obsessive thought stream has to do with the kitchen floors. When the decision was made to give up on the original floors (seen above) we had to quickly decide what material to put down in its place. Since these old houses have no sub-floor under the hard wood (hello basement) (they didn't have plywood back then, poor souls) any thoughts of having limestone floors went out the window. I didn't want a change in elevation as the rooms are fairly open to one another. So, knowing that there was no way to match the existing heart pine, we opted to lay down a wood floor and make the finish completely different than anything else in the house. Below is a shot of the floor right after the raw goods were installed. After hours "googling" painted floors I have decided that I can no longer live without a checkerboard floor. I love the checkerboard in this photo from the myhomeideas.com
I hope that our kitchen can feel like this one does - light and airy and happy. A friend and talented artist from Northern Virginia is coming down in a few weeks to lay it out and paint. Here are a few more checkerboard floors that I also adore:

The above image is from myhomeideas.com

This image is from Canadian House and Home.

Also keeping me wide eyed and bushy tailed at 3:00 a.m. is what counter top material to select. Being married to a perfectionist engineer has its upside and its downside. Many years ago we split kitchen duties - I cook and he cleans up. He is obsessive about the counters and I am a messy cook. Not a great match in the kitchen. Add to that the fact that I LOVE honed marble. Sort of a recipe for divorce court. So, I threw caution to the wind and selected two slabs of honed Carrera marble at Marva stone yesterday. I wonder if anyone has ever gotten divorced over counter tops.

Photos from the last week of renovation:

I painted the laundry room floors with Benjamin Moore Floor and Patio latex paint - Cape Hatteras Sand. Here is the before: As soon as the base and window trim go in its off to the appliance store.
Above is one last shot of the kitchen floor - my poodle has already made himself at home.

One of my most favorite places on earth..............

2009-08-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Many summers of my youth were spent vacationing on the island of Nantucket. These vacations were very meaningful, inspiring and certainly formed a love of early American architecture that, I'm sure, influenced my choice of major in college (art history), my career (interior decorator) as well as the purchase of Haven on Hanover. The cedar shingles and morning fog is what caused the color gray to get into my blood. I didn't put all of that together until I had the fortune to visit the island again this week. It has been twenty years since my family has been back to Nantucket to vacation. The coordination of the house rental with the ferry tickets and the hike in the price of living out there all caused us to turn to other geographical areas to vacation. While out for a long walk with my camera on Monday I was bombarded by the sights, smells, sounds and tastes and textures that I have always loved and longed for. The fog rolled in and brought with it the smell of the salt and the sound of the fog horns and seagulls.

This house on Main Street was one of our most favorite rentals. I didn't recall that it had a blue door - but it must have stayed with me as I painted my door in Northern Virginia (photo below) the same shade years later.
This home on Union Street was a rental for a few years. The lanterns of Nantucket certainly has influenced my choice of lighting for our renovation here in Richmond.
The lantern pictured above came from a consignment shop here in Richmond. I was told that the fixture came from a house nearby so it seems only fitting that it come back to the neighborhood.

Now all I need is some hydrangeas. But the southern magnolia tree that I have in my front yard probably would object. I always knew Nantucket was in my heart - I guess I just didn't realize to what extent!!Here are some more shots of Nantucket:
The view down Main Street
Early morning fog at the ferry landing.
Steps Beach at dusk.

Brandt Point Lighthouse. No words can describe this accurately.

The view of town from the passenger ferry.
Charming home.
Hydrangeas everywhere.

So, speaking of Richmond, I came back to more progress on the renovation. The Kitchen and Family Room windows have been trimmed out, the walls and ceilings have been primed and I had a date with the laundry room counter top installer.
The next step is to paint the floors (Benjamin Moore Cape Hatteras Sand) and get those laundry machines in there. I'm actually looking forward to folding laundry on that slab of marble.

When I look out my window, Many sights to see. And when I look in my window, So many different people to be

2009-08-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

Those lyrics are from and old Donovan song and I'm singing it today because I have four new windows in my kitchen. Light beams are pouring in at all different times of the day but especially early morning - I can just see myself sitting at the future island with a cup of coffee and the sun streaming in. The dogs will fight over the sunny spots. Harvey (terrier) will win. Right now I can't imagine putting any window coverings in these openings - privacy is really not an issue. However, my addiction to textiles will probably get the better of me.

One great thing about the new windows (besides the fact that they open and close and have screens - unlike the rest of the house!) is the amount of depth created by they way the contractor framed and insulated the openings. The display options are endless. Hopefully they won't get cluttered up with the necessities of daily life like keys and leashes and mail.
Today all of the old trim - which was salvaged during demo - has been sorted and readied for tomorrow's activity - trimming out windows and doors. We were able to save old doors and will use them for closet and powder room openings. Speaking of the powder room - I had a wallpaper contractor come out to give me an estimate. I am going to use this Farrow and Ball paper. It is a lotus-flower design drawn from 19th century French archives.

My friend, Susan, who came down from Northern Virginia last week to visit, said that the lotus could be used as a metaphor for the renovation and sent me the following information - "The lotus flower starts as a small flower down at the bottom of a pond in the mud and muck. It slowly grows up towards the waters surface continually moving towards the light. Once it comes to the surface of the water, the lotus flower begins to blossom and turn into a beautiful flower." I might have to have someone write that in calligraphy and hang it in the loo.

The contractor is calling for paint specifications which is, to me, when the fun begins. I've got the paint fan decks spread open wide and will make selections very shortly.

The laundry room is also approaching completion and I'm hoping that date night soon can take place other than in the Strawberry Street Laundromat.

A wall in the laundry had to be built out around the ceiling above the back stairs so we've designed a cabinet to hold laundry supplies and it requires some sort of top.

I hate the thought of spending a lot of cash on a custom fitted counter for a laundry room, but on the other hand I want it to be a spot that I'm happy to be in (yeah, right). This is where Craigslist comes in so handy. I went to the "for sale" section and typed in granite remnants in the search bar and wouldn't you know there was a posting for a company very close to me that sells remnants. I went over there yesterday and a gorgeous piece of Carrera marble jumped out at me. The price was right so I yanked out my credit card (hoping it would start smoking when put through the machine) and made an appointment for them to come out to make a template next week. I never thought I would see the day when I had Carrera marble in a laundry room - I'm sure it will make the task ever so much more fun.

Things to look forward to this week:

1. The Second Annual Jonny Z Festival on Saturday- just a few steps from our door.
2. The Carytown Watermelon Festival on Sunday - a decent walk but one wouldn't want to drive.
3. Window trim and priming of walls.

A few days ago we removed the 70's track lighting from the foyer - things feel better in there already . My next post will address the lighting changes being made around here.

Orange for the Day

2009-07-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

In my quest to see all of Central Virginia before I have to start cooking again, I drove to meet two friends for a day in Orange, Virginia. We met at Montpelier, once home to James and Dolley Madison. A very enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide took us through the house and then we had a picnic and hiked the grounds. The highlight was coming upon a barn that houses retired thoroughbred horses - Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation - operates from a restored barn on the grounds.
I highly recommend Montpelier and the town of Orange for a day trip. I'm reminded daily of the amazing historic events that took place in Virginia.

Back to the renovation. Yesterday a new crew arrived - the dry wall gentlemen. With each crew a new radio station is tuned in to. This week I am getting a break from country music and the "harmonies" from those who like to sing along. I much prefer this sing along group and I'm pretty sure they are hammering to the beat which is most appreciated.

Drywall has a way of making it seem like a house again. I'm day dreaming of paint colors and plan to take a trip over to see Benjamin Moore today to get some sample pots. To jog your memory, here is a shot of the kitchen as it was when we purchased the house:
And here is the same space with new window openings and drywall.
Under the window in the center of this shot will be the farm house sink.
The photo above is a shot facing toward the back yard. The Wolf range will go between the two windows. The flooring is still a wreck - every day they try to reveal a little bit more of what is under the 1920's tile.
Here is a shot of the back staircase. A large pantry unit will be installed up against here. The poodle is always wanting his picture taken.

After the dry wall is sanded, the next step will be new window installation and all the base trim will be put back (we saved all of the original) or replaced.

Have a great day!

Gorilla Spotted in Tree on Hanover Avenue

2009-07-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

A gorilla has been in this tree for days and it cracks me up. A few days ago it was joined by his friend the white bear, however, when I finally remembered to take my camera on my dog walk today, I see that the bear has disappeared. Today the gorilla is sporting a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket as a hat - fetching, don't you think? This sort of thing would never fly in the old northern Virginia neighborhood. There would have to be an emergency meeting of the home owner's association and no doubt the gorilla would be ordered down from his perch. In the Fan, no one seems to care and it just seems sort of normal. The writing on his stomach says "Got art?" Yes, I think we do.

Today a van pulled up in front of the house and the workers got out and started spraying yellow insulation. It looks like the blob has invaded and brought with him a very odd smell. So, with insulation done, can we be far from drywall?
The other excitement of the day is that my friend, Loi Thai, was featured on the front page of the Home Section in today's Washington Post. Loi has the most incredible shop, Tone on Tone, in Bethesda which you should pop into the next time you're any where near. You will want to go home and throw everything out and start over with some of his inventory.

In my next post I hope to have shots of drywall or windows. Either would make me so so happy.

From the mountains to the bay and back to the city

2009-07-14T08:54:00.001-07:00

One of the things I love most about living in this part of Virginia is that I'm able to hike on Saturday in the Shenandoah mountains and on Sunday take a ferry ride out to the middle of the Chesapeake Bay and get back to the city by dinner time. The above shot is of Chimney Rock at mile marker 90 in the Shenandoah National Park. My husband and I did about a 5 mile hike with the dogs and it was beautiful but hot and buggy. The best part was stopping for lunch in Charlottesville on the way back to Richmond.

The photo above is of Tangier Island, an hour and a half ferry ride from Reedsville, Virginia. The island feels like is has been frozen in time - what time I'm not quite sure. We rented bikes for $2.00 each and rode all around the island (no cars allowed out there - only golf cars and the occasional ATV). We discovered a beautiful deserted beach and then headed back to the little town for the required lunch of crab cakes. The ferry ride back was not for the faint of heart as we motored through a thunderstorm. My husband and I stayed up top under the canopy and loved every minute of it - most of the other passengers ran for cover and I was ready to as well as soon as I saw lightning. I'm anxious to go back to that part of Virginia for more exploration but the real world was calling us back to Richmond.

Since my last post I'm so happy to report that we now have air conditioning on the upper level. Central air has a way of adjusting every one's attitude around here (mine). I can now sit at my desk without air blowing at the back of my neck and the quiet is most appreciated. The units are sitting on top of the roof as is customary in this part of Richmond. I wasn't around with my digital camera when the crane came to lift them up there. Maybe that was good.

This week the house is getting openings for the new windows for the kitchen. The mason is out there right now chipping away at bricks and mortar.
So, back to the kitchen design:
Above is a scaled drawing of the back of the house (thanks to the prior owner who is an architect) as it was when we purchased the home. Below are plans for the new kitchen.

The new window that is being cut is is to the right of the range to allow for more light in a north facing rather dark room and also to be symmetrical with the current window to the left of the range. We've eliminated the bathroom from the kitchen area and have relocated it to under the front stairs - also typical for these row homes. The laundry hookups are gone as well - moved upstairs.
Just about every house I've ever lived in and loved had a white kitchen. When I go back into the archives of magazine pages that I have torn out over the years the vast majority are white - I especially love this one pictured above and have kept is as my inspiration for our new kitchen. I"m sorry that I didn't keep the name of the designer or which magazine this came from. If anyone knows, please fill me in. In any case, it has all the elements of what I feel a calm and cozy kitchen has - simple off white cabinetry with glass fronts, honed granite counters, bleached beams and pendants hanging over the island. The backsplash is also simple and elegant. I could move right in.

My budget does not allow for custom cabinets so I've narrowed our selection down to Medallion Cabinetry. It was difficult to find a white finish that didn't look baked on and that would go with the existing exposed brick wall on the back stair wall. We've chosen the Park Place door style for the wall and base cabinets and the island will be in a rustic Alder wood with possibly a butcher block top. There won't be that many wall cabinets in our new kitchen as we've elected to add a window. I can't have glass fronts on the few that I will have, except on the higher units, as I don't want to look at my mis-matched collection of coffee mugs or my spices. Not that I don't love those coffee mugs, painstakingly collected in our travels over the years - I just don't want to look at them all the time.

The final decision on counter tops has still not been made. Harry the Homeowner has done some research on honed absolute black granite and the results are a little disturbing. From what he reads, they stain easily and are a maintenance headache. There is another stone that is quarried here in Virginia that apparently holds up better - I need to go slab hunting soon. I also love Carrera but I don't think it will work in this scheme.

The back splash will most likely be glass subway tile from Villi tile. I've selected a soft gray color that will sing with the brick and the 36" Wolf range. Other selections are a paneled front dishwasher from Bosch, a Whirlpool refrigerator (stainless) and pendant lanterns (verdi gris finish) from Cape Cod Lanterns. We brought a chandelier from our old house with us that also has a verdi gris finish. This will hang over the farm table in the eat in area. The microwave is going to be installed in the island - a Sharpe microwave drawer. I could have lived without a microwave as all I usually use it for is reheating my coffee but we always have to think about resale as we never know where the wind will blow us. Reheating coffee in a drawer might be a spill waiting to happen - time will tell. The flooring selection is still an unknown until it is determined what lies under that last layer of linoleum - the contractor is very hopeful that we can salvage what's there.

Today the electrical inspector from the city is coming and I'm sure we will pass with flying colors. Next week we get some insulation and then I think I heard someone say drywall. I almost don't want to write this down but we are ahead of schedule. So far everything is going so well and smoothly. Right now I hear a vacuum cleaner - the workers have been so considerate and tidy.

It is supposed to be hot here today - I'd better get on my bike now before I talk myself out of it. Have a wonderful day.

Home Again, Jiggety Jog

2009-07-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to spend the last week on Figure 8 Island in North Carolina. For those of you who have never heard of it, the island lies just to the north of Wrightsville Beach. My extended family (mother, father, three sisters, two brothers in law and several nieces and nephews) rent a house for a week on the sound side of the island and it is my goal to only leave once to go to the market when it is my turn. We all take turns cooking and even the kids took a night this year!! It was so nice to be in a dust free, quiet zone with a functioning kitchen. I wanted to do nothing more than kayak, read and swim and I turned the blackberry off for days at a time - quite a feat.

So, while I kayaked with the dolphins and the sea turtles the crew here on Hanover were very hard at work. All of the duct work for the upstairs air conditioner is now in place. The unit is to arrive this week and will be lifted by crane onto the roof. Fortunately the weather here in Richmond has been cooperating and we seem to be able to get by most of the time with window and ceiling fans.I never thought I would so love to see a vent in a ceiling. This will blow cold air on my side of the bed very soon.

Before I left for Figure 8 the contractors discovered that the original hardwood floors lay under all of that Euro laminate that was in the foyer and soon to be family room. The floor contractor believes that the kitchen floor can also be saved, even though it is covered with a thick mastic and laminate flooring from the 1920s. This I am so happy about, as adding another flooring material to the budget was going to be painful. I have it in the back of my head that, if needed, I can have the floors painted. The possibilities are endless, but I'm keeping it under my hat for now.
Here is a view from the front door (just got back from a bike ride!). The floors are in remarkably good shape, probably because they've been covered over for so long. I can hear the house sighing with relief to be back to its original design.

A lot of framing took place as well in the last couple of weeks. It is hard to capture that with a camera but here are a couple of shots:

The image on the left below is the old "trunk room", soon to be laundry room (upstairs back hallway). I've never had the laundry upstairs but I'm told it is the only way to live. Right now we're walking a few blocks to the Strawberry Street Laundromat every Monday night (I call it our date night), so any thing will be better than that. The floors in this room were painted and so I will most likely be doing the same. I have visions of stencils swirling in my head. The large structure to the left in the room is to frame around the ceiling of the back stair case which leads down to the kitchen. We'll be turning this into a counter for all of that laundry I'll be folding. We'll add some cabinetry down the road (phase 2) so we can hide the cleaning supplies, etc.

The image below the laundry room is a shot of the new powder room's framing. The old "loo" was right next to the kitchen which we feel is a most unfortunate location. Many of the homes in the fan have powder rooms under the front stairs and so that is where we have elected to place it. It will be a tiny space but in a much more private location. The electrician and I marked the location of the sconce boxes before I left - here is a shot of one of the sconces - ready to be hung.

I purchased these sconces from Aquila Little at Scott's Market in Atlanta, GA a year or so ago before I knew that we were moving, but knowing that some day they would find a good home. If you get the chance, stop by to see Aquila in the North building - she has an amazing collection of lighting and other decorative accessories.

This week the plumbers and electricians are due to finish up in preparation for inspections. I've been working with our architect on the kitchen design - details to follow on my next post. Have a most happy 4th of July. We're off to the Dogwood Dell for fireworks and some patriotic band music!!

The Calla Lillies are in bloom again

2009-06-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

Such a strange flower, suitable for any occasion. These famous lines in the film about "calla lilies" were taken from the unsuccessful 1933 Broadway play The Lake, in which Hepburn had starred (the dialogue became parody material for Hepburn impersonators for the remainder of the star's legendary career).

I just discovered these flowers blooming in my garden and whenever I pass them I think of Katharine Hepburn and wonder who it was who carefully planted my back yard. It is very exciting to see the garden unfolding for the first time for me.

In the rear of the yard is a very old wisteria vine and in the foreground are some ancient English boxwoods. There isn't much more for Harry Homeowner and I to do except fill some pots and relax in the Adirondack chair with a glass of wine.
Look at that poodle pretending not to want to chomp down on that quiche!!

The most wonderful thing about yards in our neighborhood is that they are all fenced in so now my dogs can be let out at any time of day or night and I know that they are safe and unable to roam. Of course, any Welsh Terrier worth his or her salt, will attempt to breach any and all borders.
This is the gate that keeps them in.
It is tiring trying to escape all day. The Welshie, Harvey, has successfully breached the eastern border and entered my neighbors house and went promptly upstairs. Luckily for me that neighbor is a dog lover.

Interior framing has started this week and I have learned that we're ahead of schedule Photos don't do it justice quite yet so I'll wait a few more days to shoot their work.

The chicken or the.....

2009-06-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

fruit? Which wallpaper came first do you think? I wish I had time to research it. There was another beautiful wallpaper which had seaweed and coral but I couldnt get a shot of it as it was really a dangerous place to be at the time. Most of the plaster is down now so maybe the taste of it in my mouth will go away.

Other discoveries this week:
1. The window to nowhere. This is a window in the kitchen on the west wall which is about 1/2" away from my neighbor's exterior wall. The window must have predated their house. Another research project.

2. The full fireplace in the Family Room was exposed and it looks terrific. Now the question is, do we leave the brick exposed or make it more formal with drywall? Someone is going to have to take a wire brush to it to see if it can look a little less distressed. Also, the euro laminate was pulled up and the wood floors look pretty good except for a plethora of nail holes.
3. There were pocket doors in the walls between the Entry and the Living Room at some point. It is sad that they aren't there anymore. A trip to the local architectural salvage place, Caravati's, is in order to determine what to do with these openings now.Next week framing begins and after that whole house air conditioning can't be far behind. The window units are holding up well in the heat of Richmond's summer. We're off to explore the beaches in Virginia Beach this weekend. Have a great weekend.

Baby steps

2009-06-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

I awoke this morning to the sound of workers downstairs - the asbestos abatement gentleman - back for day two, or so I thought. They took down all the plastic and warning signs and said they'd be back on Monday and I was too out of it to find out why. Maybe it had something to do with the horrid weather here today or maybe they took one look at the crawlspace and decided that it was Friday and they were in no mood to crawl in there to suck out asbestos. Who could blame them either way. In any case - that is first of many delays I'm sure. We now have access to the hazardous area once again and so I was able to inspect the progress. They peeled away three layers of flooring - one layer of carpet and two layers of asbestos tile. What is left is yet another layer of floor tile (non asbestos) that is, unfortunately, glued to the hardwood floor below it. My contractor is not too encouraging about the ability to resurrect the original floors. I need to wait until the hall and Family Room floors are demolished next week before I can go into Plan B for flooring.

Then, of course, there are the random holes in the floor that give one a great peek into the crawl space. This entertained my Welsh Terrier for an hour this morning. If only floors could talk! The good news is that we have access to the back yard and the garage for the weekend which is supposed to be glorious here in Richmond. Our neighbors are putting on an alley party tonight and I'm looking forward to meeting the folks that we share the alley with and yet never see!!

Demolition has begun

2009-06-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Fast forward to June. We've been living in the house for a couple of months and have worked hard with the architects to come up with a plan for some changes to the first floor. This is a shot of the entry taken before we moved in. The flooring is some sort of industrial strength laminate. Hardwood floors, are you under there? We'll soon find out. To the left of the front door in this photo is the Living Room . It gets wonderful morning light and I adore the fireplace and the built-ins. Most of the fireplaces from this era were built for coal fires so the fire boxes are not deep enough for use today unless gas inserts are installed. I won't publish a photo of how the rooms looks now as it is filled to the rafters with the possessions that we don't need right now (anything to do with cooking!). These floors were installed a few years back - we're hoping on top of the original heart pine. Again, this is to be determined later on down the road.

The next room in the row was a second parlor. On the left you can see the pocket doors. We believe that there is a set on the right as well under the trim. That and the french doors that lead to the back yard were a huge draw to us as buyers. We believe the fireplace to be original and again, not usable. This room is to become the Dining Room. I've ordered up a chandelier from Currey and Co. and can't wait to get to the painting and window treatment stage. The rugs in these pictures belong to the previous owner.

This room was used as the Dining Room by the previous owner (his chandelier and furniture). The flooring is that same laminate used in the Entry only the colors have been reversed!! We're hoping to find the pine floors under this as well. Behind the china cabinet is a walled up fireplace. We found out today that we can resurrect it for use as a gas fireplace.
The drywall was pulled off yesterday and revealed that the fireplace opening had been merely bricked up. I've heard that many of these have had cement poured into them, and in that case, are not salvageable. And now, for you're viewing pleasure --- the kitchen.

Sorry, but you had to see the "before". I'm not sure of the vintage here but I do know that there is a lot of:

Moving Out

2009-02-22T09:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first post of my blog. My dear husband and I are moving out of this charming Colonial after 14 years of raising two boys (now in college) and living the suburban lifestyle of PTA volunteering, carpooling to soccer practices and raking leaves (we even cut down many trees over the years) to the empty nest lifestyle in the city. We have purchased the Greek Revival town house that you see pictured here (bad shade of pink, I know) and will soon move in and hunker down for a long period of renovations. Although I look forward to the new adventure, my heart aches to leave behind a house that I have loved (and cursed) over the years as well as dear friends, co-workers and neighbors. I won't miss the yard work nor the snow shoveling nor the septic system, but I will miss long walks in the woods which are just steps across the street. We've thrown out the lawn mower and the roto-tiller as we won't be needing them any longer.

On the left is a photo of the back yard taken from through the kitchen window. I really can not wait for the day when I can open the door and send our two dogs out instead of having to leash them up and walk them up and down the street in hopes of, well, you know. And yet, the woods. Oh how I will miss the early morning walks with my two lovies, the deer sightings, the sounds of the pileated woodpecker pounding away for his love, the crunch of the leaves (only curse the ones in your yard) and the occasional fox sighting. I'm not sure how the dogs will like city life. More on that later, to be sure.

The standard poodle, Lion, is two years old and the Welsh Terrier, Harvey, is seven.

The new yard is full of beautiful plantings which I could never get to grow in the land of oak trees - wisteria vine, crepe myrtle and various other mature trees and shrubs whose names I will come to know.

The interior of the house has amazing bones - eleven foot ceilings on the first floor and nine foot ceilings on the second. There are several fireplaces (and several others covered up by drywall), a front and back staircase and beautifully proportioned rooms. My husband and I started watching This Old House on PBS 25 years ago when we were first married and always dreamed of owning an old fixer upper. I know, careful what you wish for. He is extremely handy and loves (?) having a project. I'm an interior decorator by trade and am good at telling him how I want it to look. He renovated two bathrooms in our current home as well as finished the basement and added moldings and wainscoting to the builder box of a house that we purchased 14 years ago. I'm sure it is because of his handiwork that we were able to sell our house relatively quickly in this horrid real estate market.

We've hired an architect for our new house because Harry Homeowner really can't take on many of the issues on the list, i.e. lack of central air, funky electrical wiring and a total kitchen renovation. So, that is the beginning of the story of the next phase of our lives. In future posts I will have pictures of the interior so you can get the feel of the "before". I hope you will follow along.