AND WHERE ARE THE BUILT-INS?????

WHEN WILL IT BE A NORMAL WINTER IN GEORGIA?????

MC, is working on the Built-Ins......

See? Here's the proof. He has all the materials and Goodness knows all the tools........



PROBLEM.....

It's just too, too, cold in the work shop!!!

He has done a lot of planning......a lot!!!

He has even made "Jigs" ..... He has been working on those since December!!!!!!

Hopefully, by next month, the weather will be "Normal"???? and he will be able to get working on this project.

However, the wait will be worth it ....not matter how long it takes .....
When they are finished they will be magnificent and the Great Room will be FAB with all our wonder treasures being showcased !!!!!

WORK IN PROGRESS

IT'S NOT THAT EASY.....

In this project, I am sharing how my ideas and decisions come to be! Rarely does a design fall into place, easily. It's a process of trials and errors! I am not a Professional Interior Designer, I have never claimed to be one.....I just love doing it...it's my passion, therapy ...it's just ME.

Instead of waiting for the "final reveal", I am sharing the "trials and errors" I go through to reach my vision. (and occasionally that vision changes many times) When a plan falls into place, you know it. It just "feels" right!

I generally run things "through" Erica, and we go over the different elements. This past week, Erica, has been moving into their FIRST home in Greensboro, North Carolina. Adam is now working with his Dad. Although Erica hated to leave her wonderful job in Asheville, she is looking forward to growing in different directions. She learned so much in retail, (buying, marketing, etc.) She will take all that experience with her in whatever her next adventure will be!!!

Yesterday, amid all the boxes, Erica took the time to give me some of her wonderful advice. It's always great when "new" eyes can see the design! We went over all the factors and concerns I was having. She looked at the pictures I posted and said: "Grandma, I think what is "off" is the weight of the fixture in the Dining Room. Try that fixture in the kitchen." Her reasoning ....the fixture is "light" .... doesn't appear large or "heavy" enough for the size of the dining room and the "bulk" of the table wood. From the picture on the web site, the "cool" glass shade fixture I am considering for the kitchen appears to be oblong and would look spectacular over the dining table. I called the chat line on Lamps Plus and found it's 19" in diameter. So....I am not quite sure it will be large enough for the space??? I do love it, and I know the elements in it are perfect, but.......

Erica opened up an entire new vision for me. I agree the dining fixture will look better in the kitchen and MC and I will try it there today. Meanwhile, I am looking at more fixtures that are larger than 19" in diameter for the dining room. Yes, I am back on all the lighting fixture sites......I still am considering the one I found last week....the material, color and texture are perfect.....just not sure of it's size.

I found one last night that caught my attention. It's actually designed to be used over an island. But.....our table is the shape of an island, 80" x 30"! Maybe this would work????????????????




........it's not always easy!!!! There are no rules any more in design, but it has to be right to the "EYE"

Thanks Erica for taking the time last night ...... I appreciate your knowledge and vision!

BUCKET LIST HOUSE UPDATE

"MADAM CHANDELIER" IS GOING CRAZY!!!

LOVE, LOVE, THE LARGE OPEN SPACE, OF THE GREAT ROOM, DINING , KITCHEN, AND FOYER.......BUT..................

FINALLY......after a 10 day delay, the latest....and by far, the most fabulous chandelier ever.....arrived!!!

We absolutely LOVE, LOVE it!!

PROBLEM....................

WORKING ALL FOUR CHANDELIERS IN "ONE" SPACE.

Each chandelier, in it's own right, is magnificent. My problem is "marrying" them.

Every night this week, I have sat at this new, fast and efficient, laptop and I have viewed over 10,000 different chandeliers. If there is a chandelier in this world, I have "seen" it. I am looking for the fourth one, the one over the breakfast table. I want it to work in the space, not detract from the others. I have gone back and forth with what to do. Do I find one that is similar to the dining room or the foyer, or do I look for one that compliments the new GRAND chandelier???

The foyer chandelier has a black cord shade. "Inside" are six chrome arms with crystals. It is approximately 18" in diameter. The dining room chandelier is an oblong chrome . It has six arms with clear glass globes. I have small black shades on the lights. The new GRAND chandelier is entirely different!!!.

WE LOVE THE GRAND NEW FIXTURE!

So .......which direction do I go in the kitchen area???

One night I just looked at iron styles that resembled lanterns. The next night I looked at silver and chrome. the next, shade pendant styles...and so forth. Every morning I would go through what I had bookmarked the night before and delete them all.................I thought I would go out of my mind!

MC was a big help. He was very definite on his "nos" and said so. His least favorite style was the lantern. I had originally thought that was the way I would go. He wasn't that helpful on the others. He just knew what he didn't like.

By Friday, I decided to "alter" the existing ones. I removed all the crystals from inside the foyer light, except for the one long ball that hung down the middle. I removed the shades from the dining fixture. Now I had cleaned up the situation, but I still didn't have my answer. How was I going to coordinate four fixtures into one great space?

This morning I hung back the small black shades on the dining room fixture and made a DECISION...................

I would have the GRAND new fixture the only fixture with "bare" bulbs. The black cord shade was cleaned up without all the crystals inside and the dining fixture had it's little black hats back. I found some unique black shade style fixtures that will work in the kitchen space. They are about 20" in diameter, but only 4" high. They don't take a lot of volume space. The one I like the best has a metal shade with crystals in bedded. Just gives off a sparkle. Nothing dangling or dripping.

VERY COOL

Not to confuse the whole thing, but......while I was browsing through chandelier web sites,
I figured this was a good day for MC to work on the window treatments. Way too cold for him to work on the built-ins....

We had decided that MC would not make the cornices. The fabric I bought last summer will find a home, maybe new seat cushions for the dining chairs. Not sure-- that will come in time.

MC spent the day rehanging the white panels in the dining room and great room. MC cut the 4 foot wood white poles that were in the dining room into four, 2 foot poles. He hung a panel on either side of the great room windows on the 2 foot poles. Looks great. Will do the same in the kitchen with the remaining poles. We took the rods that were in the office down to get the necessary finials and brackets for the new design. The panels in the dining room are now hanging directly under the crown molding. Did this in our other house and it worked great. The office and bedrooms will just have the panels hang from regular curtain rods on either side of the windows. Down the road we will come up with something else.....maybe......

I must admit there is hardly a dull moment around our Bucket List House......and that's the way we love it !!!!!

YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS.............

MIGHTY MOUSE SAVES THE DAY.......

MC actually is a genius .......and a little "crazy"

Here he is making it possible for us to EXIT our house. Our driveway has been a sheet of ice. Two hours of sunshine didn't do the trick......
But.................MIGHTY MOUSE DID!!!!


He is such a smart MC....Can you believe he made his ice scrapers all by himself? So clever!
and..............he only fell once smack on his belly!!!!!

WOW.....

ALL IS WHITE.....

We have ice, snow and we are HOUSEBOUND.....
It's as white inside as it is outside!!!

ACCEPTANCE

ADJUSTMENTS

Every now and then the anticipated is not attainable. It's what one does with these "Happenings" that either makes life great or depressing..

This week, two pieces to our Great Room that I was looking forward to, became unattainable.

First: The black flokati rug is no longer available.

The other piece of the puzzle was a large chandelier I ordered. I thought it would compliment the flokati rug. I received an email on Monday that it too was no longer available..

Funny how things turn out. If the chandelier was available it wouldn't have looked as spectacular as I had hoped...without the flokati rug, it would have looked lost.

So... back to square one!! Surprisingly, I am a little relieved. I was unsure of the quality of the rug. It was such a good price that I was beginning to doubt it's quality!!! Now, that worry is gone!

The chandelier, well that's a little different. I really was looking forward to it. But....now I can start my search anew.

In the last couple of days, I have looked at the space in a new light. I received the latest Ballard catalog and ....you guessed it.... an EPIPHANY .....there in a room setting was a look that I loved...and it was all built around a chandelier. Two weeks ago, this chandelier would never have caught my eye! The room in the catalog is so similar to what we have, and there in the center of it all is this steel chandelier with 12 lights, YES 12! All in a circle. Just wait till you see it! A complete different look, but I think it will work with all the pieces now in the room. The steel will be the common thread......the texture will be perfect!

But Wait....there is a small bonus. MC's library needs a ceiling light. He has two table lamps, but lacks good lighting at his desk. His desk is in the center of the room, which is great, but not great for table lamps! I had Epiphany #2 after deciding on the 12 light chandelier for the Great Room. We have a 3 light small chandelier over the kitchen table that really would look great, hung at the ceiling, in MC's library. It would give him all the needed light he needs.

You must be following me by now......yes.....now I get a third chance on getting the chandelier over the kitchen table correct!!! I will wait until the 12 light chandelier is up and then look for a complimentary one for the kitchen. That's so much more fun than buying a "typical" ceiling light for MC. This gives him a great, unique light, and gives me the opportunity to find the right one for the kitchen.

But a harder adjustment ....and one I can't fix....

As I write this Post, Steve, Angela, Isabelle and Sophia are flying back to Seoul. We are going to miss them very, very much. It was wonderful having the precious time we did, but it was by far not long enough. I envy all of you who have family close by.....
I can only hope it's not too long before we can see them all again................