MyORC-KITCHEN

Awwww the kitchen...the heart of the home!

in all our previous homes we just "made the best of" so many things

but Mr. P.V. , if he could educate himself again, would be a chef

so we wanted to spend a large part of our budget on a kitchen that he will enjoy for years and years

The cabinets were ok enough, than rather than rip them out

we gave them to a couple who came and took them in a neat manner

I loved then, and still love, that you can see all the way to the end of the house

and even down the block

This is one of the many doors at 822 that we closed up

it is now the chimney to the pizza oven

Love the idea of the cocktail bar but his had to go

see that orange carpet?  I love that color, I really do!

The kitchen had all the space in the world and I'm not a spoiled person and could have made the best of this too....but that wasn't the plan

Here's the pantry that now encloses our time capsule to be opened in

2060...I'll be 100

the other side of the pantry now has a wine cabinet which will help me to get to that 100!

This is how the kitchen looked when it was all empty and I can't tell you how glad I was this day!

the stairs have been moved, the cabinets taken away, which left the space into the den wide open

this is when you begin to have some sense of hope again that you've done the right thing.

What you can't see is the new plumbing...the new wiring is hanging out all over the place!

OK...here we go with the how it looks today

the kitchen window today

again...this is one of the many places we just used double insulated glass rather than a window

so much cheaper!!

The window outside...gosh I love the mix of  a lingering summer sneaking into the fall

see what I mean about orange?  I love the vibrancy of the color

this is the view into the kitchen...see what I mean about hope?

we used a local master cabinet maker and this is our new island

all the electricity and gas were here as was the fan vent..this Bertazonni stove has the vent built in on the back side and you raise it when you burn the pudding

this was a door and is now a pizza oven

and this corner is the baking station that no one bakes at

this is where we removed the wall of cabinets that had the 1970's bar

we moved the bar into the laundry closet..who wants to do laundry in your den?

In the bar is an old credenza, Baboo's octagonal mirror and lots of vintage bar ware on glass shelves

we left the folding doors and they look equally good closed

this is the former pantry closet and stairs that we created a cubby for a wine cabinet

an art niche, the door goes to the wine cellar...relocating the stairs was in fact a good idea after all

the door to the wine cellar is rescue wood from the cedar closet in the garage apartment

this niche became our time capsule

it was open for a very long time during the reno and contains all kinds of fun things the workers and others left in it..."if walls could talk!"

they will tell a tall tale in 2060

this is the view looking all the way down the house

this is the outside view of the pizza oven chimney where the door/window used to be

(not so crazy about the random rocks here and there....probably a language barrier issue with the brick mason...but you can't even really see it)

~~Inspiration~~

My own personal chef and his wishes

~We~

• relocated the stairs, pantry and laundry room
• removed the wall of cabinets opening the space into the den
• replaced the flooring
• had custom walnut cabinets built (natural wood sealed with a semi gloss)
• got new stainless appliances
• splurged on a rough cut quartz farm sink
• painted
• the light fixture over the stove was custom made from a Pottery Barn photo...we would have purchased the fixture from Pottery Barn but it hung down too low over the stove

~~Favorite Thing~~

My kitchen window and the view I see every day

~~Biggest Challenge~~

cooking with a microwave and hibachi grill for a very.long.time.

• Pizza Oven
• Bertazzoni Gas Range
• Quartz sink eBay
• Red wall is Cinnabon, all other walls are Carriage Ride on #2 knock down texture
• Rugs are from Santa Fe/Taos
• Granite is Crema Bordeaux and baking station is Crema Marfil Marble

MyORC--UPSTAIRS BED & BATH

When we purchased 822 in October of 2010

we agreed that we would be patient for Miss Mike to leave her home of many years and move when she felt ready....that was part of the purchase agreement.

So we made plans to live with our daughter down the street

~and there we lived until January of 2011

Miss Mike actually moved out in late October so we began the renovation about then

the very first thing we did was create a place for us to be comfortable because we knew

we were in for a loooooooooong hard cold serious task

These are the original stairs that led up to the master from the den

 the stairs were moved to create the entrance at the front of the house

 believe it or not all we really did was paint and get new carpet

the fireplace was there

the beams were there

the huge walk in cedar closet was there

I was pretty crazy about those covered wagon lights but I did eventually part with them

and that precious man of armor now lives in the wine cellar

guarding all the wine we store whatever

dormer window facing the back yard

(I am missing that macrame for real! and I used the wonderful brass curtain rods)

this cute little bathroom was the main reason we decided against the master being upstairs

we still had no idea where the master would be, we just knew it wouldn't be here

The large mirror was painted white and relocated to the living room mantel

the wallpaper was removed easily (love 1974 vinyl wallpaper!)

and to replace the faux marble double sink we put in a pebble tile

JUST LIKE DOWNSTAIRS

only pretty and new

those deco lights?  I STILL love them!!!

~~we~~

• moved the stairs
• painted
• carpeted
• tiled the bathroom floor
• painted the bathroom cabinets with new sinks and counter top
• put a pebble floor in the shower

and this is where we would retreat to for many many months

~~inspiration~~

• the huge painting of the hunter and his dog is an original oil on board by Mr. P.V.'s Aunt Lucille who was 13 when she painted it in 1906.  A gift from Mr. Grandad PV
• Son Charles loves animals and hunting so this became his room-like an old hunting lodge 
• We knew a sweet precious lady would join us soon...so I added some soft feminine touches

the stairs are gone but we left the stairwell open so we can eavesdrop on our guests

a few coats of paint and new carpet

seeing this photo also makes me want to paint the spindles

I toyed with and am still toying with painting this brick

the dormer window could be someday.. double French doors that lead to a 

walk out balcony...wouldn't that be cool overlooking the backyard?

the 3/4 bath  looks so much better all in white

still loving those swag lights!

see the pebble counter top?  Ironic that I chose the same thing that was "in" in 1974 

can you see that I painted the cabinets white and then 

I painted a swirly design with the same color after letting my paint thicken.  

When I was considering living in Anthropologie in South Lake Mall, I  spied these awesome crystal handles that jumped right into my shopping bag and charged themselves to my Visa.

lots of fluffy down feathers and toile with a man and his dog and his lover

vintage bedding purchased from estate sales and the mink pillows were sewn from a stole from

Baboo..Mr. P.V.'s great grandmother

I'm not all that much for feature walls but this room did need some deep color

aww...look at my little Charles in New Mexico...he's my nature boy

 the stairwell was left open to the kitchen below

hmmm....maybe the guests eavesdrop on us? 

this budget makes me smile

every room was included in my notebook

• Paint (almost every gallon purchased locally) Black Forest and Muslin
• Crystal hardware splurge Anthropologie
• Bowl sinks eBay
• Pottery Barn dupioni panels (eBay) Blue Smoke
• Pottery Barn smocked cotton sheers
• Lowes blinds
• Bedding custom sewn by the Quilt Lady in Fritch & estate finds
• Poster bed Mathis Bros. Oklahoma City
• Rattan chairs World Market

~Favorite Thing~

the old painting for sure

~Biggest Challenge~

This was the easy part...trust me!

MyORC--THE OUTSIDE ENTRY

The entry to 822 was probably 

the major change we made as far as structure goes

after we cleared the wild growth

you could see the charming front porch and door (which I promptly painted blue)

but it was just too small!

Personally I could have lived with this because I loved it 

but the mister wanted a grand entry and finally won me over to the idea

You can't really see them, but those old lead glass and brass porch lights have a wonderful patina and  turned the most lovely shade of lavender...they are spectacular!

~~we~~

• took out the old sidewalk and poured a new larger one keeping the curve
• took out the old front door and replaced with stain glass windows
• put double doors where the dining room window was...the large peak was already there
• added the round porch and heavy rough cedar detail
• changed the windows on each side to include diamond bevel windows
• there are 3 other rock homes on our block with very white stone...we chose to leave ours aged

~~inspiration~~

• lots of ideas on your blogs and pinterest for doors and windows
• door catalogs
• googling photos of homes in Normandy and Cotswolds
• again..the home just lends itself to how it should be...bones are bones don't you agree?

The entry today

the old entry today

one of my neighbors told me the lead windows were the jewelry to this house

I have to agree 

The mahogany doors are from Borano

The windows were custom from Doors by Decora

The stain glass windows are from eBay

All the cedar has been left raw

The porch stain is from Lowes (and I don't like it)

The knock out roses are from Lowes and I love them

I'm not sure why I was so not for this re-do...I certainly wasn't the one up on that scaffold in the cold winter snow with my butt crack showing!

I can hardly believe this project has long been over and will last the rest of my life no matter how long I live.  

I can't wait to invite you in!

~Favorite Thing~

the diamond bevel windows and the symmetry 

~Biggest Challenge~~

living with a front door that was two pieces of plywood in the winter

THE CHALLENGE

I have searched and searched to find if the 

One Room Challenge

is sanctioned, juried or a professional organization

 to make sure I'm not infringing on 

what I'm about to do over the next few months.  

Please let me know if you know this challenge is meant for anything other than 

!!fun!!

This is the first week in many many many

that I find I'm kind of out of stuff to do

(W.H.A.T.?)

and it just so happens that we are about to celebrate 

October 19, 2014

the day we purchased 822 in 2010

which is also Mr. P.V.'s birthday...

I always tease him by telling him I bought him this house for his birthday that year!

Here's the challenge (to myself)

• Post one room at a time, including outside rooms
• Before photo
• After photo of as nearly the same view as possible
• A list of supplies/colors/ideas/inspiration
• Naming my favorite thing or worst struggle about it and trying to keep that simple

Let's begin shall we?

This is what 822 looked like

October 19, 2010 the day we purchased it

Here it is today

The biggest challenge was to be able to see the house and keep as many trees as possible while  maintaining the integrity and charm of this 1921 Luder stone home.

It has been such a labor of love and the hardest thing I have ever done

but I would not trade one single splinter

~~we~~

• Cut back trees
• Relocated front door and sidewalk to center the house
• Connected the old garage apartment to the house
• Planted trees to replace the dead ones (we lost several due to drought)
• Put in sod, roses, marigolds and spring bulbs

~~inspiration~~

the house itself

I used to ride by this old house on my bicycle when I was 8 and wish I could live here

proof that because your dream doesn't come true right when you wish it

 doesn't mean it won't!

OCTOBER FIREBALL

Listen...I know you guys are all busy...probably much more busy than I am

so away with the excuses...but I do have a plan

AFTER THIS WEEK!

It seems impossible that I have been to wine country twice in the past 3 weeks

but it just worked out that way

Trip with our kiddos was planned for months and months and months

and then the banking industry offered a seminar that just so happened to be

two weeks after we'd already been...turn it down? NOT!

 travel weary?  zzzzzzzz!

*but*

I can sleep when  I'm 90

This weekend is our 3rd Annual Barkley Street Art Walk

oh man what a great event !!!  I so wish you could come!

If you could make it on Friday you could dust the inside of my piano or wash my champagne glasses

today I have 10 kids (for regular Tuesday art class)

we're studying color 

busy busy busy

but I just wouldn't trade how inspired I get 

to see other places

like the bathroom at Scribe

or the old truck at GunBun

(our short name for a German wine we couldn't say)

and to be with people you've loved for a very very long time

after this week

I have a blogging plan that I'm pretty excited about

but until I get this week behind me

I don't have much time for much

until then just gotta keep 

my guns up!