Archive for the 'Furnishings' Category
This Old House Magazine
The magazine version of This Old House arrived in the mail yesterday. It was a very good day.
There are only 2 magazines that I immediately sit down and read cover-to-cover, and this is one of them (the other is Wired). It is a perfect mix of interesting stories, tasteful design ideas, and moderate skill project suggestions. Each issue is full of useful tips and addresses issues that relate to me, since we actually live in an old house.
This month I learned that…
1. We can grow purple shamrocks (four-leaf clovers) in our yard since they require indirect light. We’ve struggled to grow something other than hostas in the part of our yard shaded by the ginormous maple trees, so this might be a way to add some color and interest to the area.
2. After looking at pictures of kitchens both in the ads and in the articles, I’m more comfortable that darker knobs will look good on our white cabinets. Although Amy found some interesting crystal knobs yesterday afternoon, so it may be a moot point.
3. The article about “the best place to buy an old house” really shows how interesting and diverse residential architecture was throughout the country 100 years ago. One of our clients actually commented on this yesterday after we showed him a very unique brick tudor within walking distance of West Hartford Center. We were sitting in the car debriefing and he pointed out that all the houses would have looked nearly identical if the street had been developed since 1960.
4. Spring comes early in the This Old House world. There were two articles about tidying up outside which will need to wait at least two more months for those of us in the Hartford area. Even our friends in the warmer climates are getting slammed with winter this year, so I’m not sure if there is anywhere entering spring at the moment. Washington DC is a mess, and apparently it’s snowing in Atlanta today.
I picked up all of these tidbits in the first half of the magazine. But wait, there’s more! Secrets to Curb Appeal … Reader Remodel of an American Foursquare… Garden Junk … All About Wood Windows. This Old House is terrific for homeowners interested in learning about little things they can do around their place, inside and out. And there are ideas on just about every page for those who aren’t likely to pick up a hammer themselves.
Now, about those wood windows…
Refreshing Our Dining Room
Kyle and I have settled into our house fairly well in the 5 years we’ve lived here. We’ve done lots of projects, but always have a running list of renovations and improvements we’d like to make in the upcoming years. The priority of the list is always shifting, it seems to keep things interesting.
The latest project we’re tackling is “refreshing” our dining room. There are some features that we really like about the room and others that we loath. Our “likes” tend toward the original aspects of the house; the fireplace, built-in hutch, and ornate windows. Our “loathing” is directed towards poor choices that go against the character of the house; popcorn ceiling texture, modern style chandelier, and questionable wall colors. After 5 years of living with it and prioritizing other projects, we’re finally getting around to redoing the dining room.
The scope of the changes are going to be removing the popcorn ceiling texture, replacing the chandelier with one that’s more period appropriate, changing draperies and window seat covering, repainting walls, and maybe purchasing a new rug. This is going to be one of those projects where the cost exceeds any type of return we would ever get when we go to resell. It’s more about being happy with the room and wanting to spend time there, rather than looking to make a buck. And we’re okay with that.
We purchased the chandelier on a whim during a trip to New York City this past weekend. Now we’re on the lookout for drapery fabric. We’ll give you updates as we progress. Here’s a peek at how the room looks currently…
I Want That!
Today I saw the best yard ever. Large, level, fenced and sunny, it had everything I look for in a yard. There were flower gardens and vegetable gardens. The patio had covered and open areas – both large enough for a table and chairs. And of course there was an area for the grill. I want that yard.
This sort of thing has happened to me before. One of the interesting aspects of working in real estate is that you see different versions of the standard features. Sometimes the features are basic elements of the property like the home style, topography, or view. These features cannot be reasonably replicated elsewhere. In this case I can’t have the yard unless I buy the house.
Other times the interesting features could be replicated. For example, I could use the ideas of a particularly well done kitchen in a different house. It wouldn’t be exactly the same, but close enough to capture the feel and functionality of the space.
The ultimate in collecting unique features is to build your own home. You get to make all the decisions (not always a good thing) and set the priorities for the design. I’ve always thought that it would be really interesting to work with a professional to design a home that brings together a collection of my favorite features into a single cohesive property.
My home wouldn’t be over the top. It would have relatively common features like a kitchen with built-in electronics, a master bath with heated floors and towel bars, second floor laundry, and an entertainment system with projector in the family room. I would also want some less common features like a rooftop deck, elevator, and rainwater collection system. All of this would be wrapped up into a traditional design with historic elements. I think it could be done, but I would certainly have to save my nickels.
Now if only I could build it on that yard…