Lighting: By Ballard Designs

I absolutely love this lighting fixure from Ballard Designs.  I have kind of already committed myself to polished nickel/chrome through the house, but I wish I could find a place for this light. Its $399, but so unique.

Actually I was shocked to see how many cool fixtures Ballard Designs has.  I also like the Chase collection.  It has a large assortment of styles.  Sadly, the shade on this light is also in cream, which won’t work with my white scheme.  I could definitely see it in the Den though.  These are $179 and 159.

I think this one is also fun, though not sure where I would use it.   It is the Palencia collection.  They are pricier at $209 and#309.  So unique though.

(photos Ballard Designs)

Filed under: Lighting , ballard designs, chandelier, Lighting, semi-flush

Architectural: We have blueprints.

(click to enlarge)

It was so cool to finally get my hands on a copy of the blueprints this week.  Makes it seem so official, and it also means I can see all the details we have changed recently and the official measurements.  I took a copy over to the subdivision board for their discussion and hopefully approval.

The original plans had the measurements as:

1st floor at 1441 sqft

2nd floor at 632 sqft.

(sorry for the sloppy photo)

In the new plan we lose that porch off the kitchen, which gained us approximately 200 extra feet.  It looks like when doing the roof and adding the bay window, we gained some there as well.  Upstairs, after making the garage a realistic size for todays vehicles and finding a way to get a decent window in the girls teen suite (the room with a lake view), we ended up with an additional 152 to the upstairs. Our goal was really to make it as small as we could within the subdivision rules, which meant it had to be 2000+ ft.  The original house was 2073 ft. and it ended up being 2428.  SO, we gave up finishing the bonus room.  It will be left in a state that will make it easy to finish later, but that is an additional 200 sqft, that we really don’t need.  I am much happier to have put sqft. in the kitchen and the girls teen suite. In four years, there will only be 2 people living in the house … and that upper floor will go virtually unused except visits from the girls and company.

Filed under: Architectural , blueprints, construction, home design, Kitchen, new home, Teen Suite

Girls Bath: Lesson learned…grab it when you see it.

Yesterday as I was browsing in Home Goods, I came across an amazing pair of vanity sinks.  Very similar to this one, but without the back splash and more solid black.  Concerned it was an impulse buy, I took a picture of them and went to pick up my daughter.  I realized about 5 o’clock, I should have bought them when I went on pottery barn and saw the price tag on the one shown below, $1499 (with a faucet).  The one at Home Goods was …. $299.  I called first thing this morning to find out another couple must have grabbed them right after I left.  I called two other stores and could only find one in the area.  I am so bummed.

The only glimmer of hope is that the couple who bought them are still looking for something else to match them … they told the lady I spoke with though if they cannot find it, then they will return them both.  They even paid for them and left them in the store so they won’t get banged up if they don’t get them.  Say a little prayer… I should know this afternoon if they decided not to keep them.

Morale:  Buy it when you see it… you can always return it.  Especially when dealing with TJMAXX, marshalls/Home goods.

(photo from Potterybarn.com)

ADDENDUM:  I guess the couple decided to keep them, as I didn’t hear back from the store this evening.  Very sad.

Filed under: Girls Bath , pottery barn, vanity

Kitchen: Looking for Granite

Today I took a little field trip up to the “Stonery” to look at granite, marble, etc.  We had been to one place and the only black they really had was Black Ubatuba Granite.  Although I like it, I didn’t fall in love with it.  I know that whatever way I go with the countertops is going to make an impact on the “design scheme” of the big open space which is the family room- dining- kitchen space.   I have to say I was much more impressed with this business.  Lots and lots of pieces to look at.  They had quite a huge selection in there and they say it changes as different pieces come and go.

GC and I had originally been talking Ubatuba.

Its a black base with sage green swirls, hints of gold and silver flecks.  It pretty without being too busy. I think the good thing about this granite, is that it is very neutral and timeless.  It doesn’t really lock a homeowner into one color palate as I feel some of the more veiny granites and marbles do.   The best thing is the price tag, $36 a sqft.  which is the most reasonable of all the ones I looked at.  I also liked Black Pearl and Absolut Black (which I guess is one that changes with each batch as to how dark it is and isn’t a true dark black, the piece we looked at was a good dark piece though), it is the one with the very least detail in it though that I saw and looks pretty cool when the hone? it, or take the gloss of it.  It feels like the natural stone.  Another reasonable one was:

Verde Peacock, which is only 39, has a lot more blue in it, but also the pretty sage.  In addition in area it has almost like a oyster shell royal blue splotches.  They are stunning when they light hits them, but I am not sure if its too busy or not for me.  For the price, it is a stone you look down and go … wow…thats cool.

But the one that caught my ideas was this one … Coast Green.  It is much prettier in person and to me has the other design aesthetic I am torn between — either traditional/Pottery Barn with the black and white.  Or more of a calm beachie cottage look.   This is some mellow/calm granite.  Of course, I am a big fan of green.  However, I worry … is this color to specific?  Would it date?  I mean, green is kind of a new neutral, but… who knows.

I also found this on their site, which looks stunning, but also very expensive, I might drop the rep an email and see how expensive it is:

Costa Smeralda — which is actually a real place I guess, named after their waters off the beaches.  I can’t find any price quotes on it, but… I am guessing its not in the budget.

Lastly is this stunning blueish piece, which I would also guess is $$$.  But… isn’t that a tranquil piece of stone? Sadly, now I don’t know where I found the photo from.  EEK.

So, what do you think?  Black?  Green? Is there another really classy countertop option that isn’t granite, that is less expensive?

Filed under: Kitchen , countertops, granite, interior design, marble

Accessories: What’s in your head?

I know many people will either Love or Hate this idea, but after seeing a design show with this done with wheat grass, I have got to have one of these heads in the kitchen.   The wheat grass is hilarious because it looks like a mowhawk …or a buzz cut.  But if you want fresh herbs, isn’t this a really fun, whimsical way to plant them.   In the design show I saw it on, they had a monkey head, which was much cooler, but this face from Z-Gallerie will do. Its 99$, but I think the conversation piece aspect of it and laughs would be worth it.

Filed under: Accessories, Kitchen

Girls Bath: Working on a color scheme

When the GC and I were done meeting with the electrician Saturday, we stopped over to Lowes to see what kind of simple sink consoles they had for the girls bathroom.  The girls are going to have sort of a modified Jack and Jill bathroom where they each have a 36 inch space for a vanity on each side of the bathroom.  No more fighting over time in front of the mirror or counterspace.  They both will have 31+ inches of their own vanity to do with what they please. Then, they have to share the toilet/shower, which are in the adjoining room. This is my idea board so far for their bath.

We will start at the top… the lighting.

They will each have a 3 light chrome fixture over head.  However, the GC wanted to stop there and I told him, no… with two teenage girls and no window in that bathroom, we have to have another source of light.  Has he seen girls’ makeup when they don’t have good light?  Yep, you know what I mean.  So, we went for an overhead light.  The lady at the lighting store knew I was loving Hudson Valley fixtures and took me right to the one below (flush).  It looks really cool in person, and was probably my most ridiculous light purchase of the whole day, $200 dollars before discount. OUCH, but I love it.  I might be persuaded to give it up though if I find another one that is a bit more feminine.  The three light combos are 76 or so a piece.

Next, the very simple stock black cabinets with sink/counter combos from Lowes.  They are only 198 a piece.  But… you know what, they fit perfectly with my theme, and I love the matching medicine cabinets.  I like the two sided doors.  These are both 31 inches.  (the medicine cabinet is 118).

The color scheme is one I am playing with for the entire upstairs, I want the upstairs and downstairs to have many similar colors and I love the ways these colors pop with the black and white we are using some much of.  The color scheme is from 100 cakes blog. She does the most amazing inspiration boards and color schemes.

The shower curtains are both from Anthropologie.

Filed under: Girls Bath

Master Bath … finally chosen

So, this was probably the hardest space to design in the house so far.  I wanted something unique… not a typical builder’s master since we basically had a huge 12′9″ x 18′ space from which to arrange the master bath and closet in.   Originally I wanted to split that in half making a huge 12′9″ x 9′ closet, but we just couldn’t work out how to fit everything in.  My requirements were:

1. The toilet be enclosed.
2. A big shower with lots of jets.
3. A large closet.

I soon realized that even though I don’t ever use it, a bathtub was going to be necessary if we wanted a good resale on the house….so we had to fit that in as well.  Finally the builder came up with a few more designs for me and because I was so fried from trying to come up with an amazing design, I let Tracy and Tony pick which one they liked most and we went with that.  This is the one that won out — the one with the obscene shower.  Still wondering how that shower fits into our budget, but … the builder gave me the option, so I have faith he thinks its feasible.  I am going to switch the vanity and the linen closet… our last house had the vanity right by the door and I really don’t like it.  Feels very cramped.

This is the inspiration bath that we tried really hard to recreate, but unfortunately, we just didn’t have enough width in the house to make it happen.  However, I still love the bead board, the mirrored cabinets and sconces, so I will see how I can try and work those in.  The sink console is similar to one in Pottery Barn and I thought there was a renovation Hardware version, but I can’t find it anymore on their site.

This is my other inspiration bathroom, which is actually in the palate of my master bedding, etc. More bead board and another pottery barn console, which probably would be more for me since I need storage.  I really liked the way the enclosure above the sink. I could see lighting that up with overhead lighting and really giving a daylight feel above the sinks.  Ironically I saw those sconces on sale at Pottery Barn Outlet (yes, we are lucky to live about an hour from one and they are amazing) and they were on sale 30%+ off.

Though the bathroom doesn’t look as unique as I had envisioned … I think the decor and whatever direction the “obsene” shower goes, will make up for it.  We also live near an Ikea and I will have to do another post about their Pax line of closet fittings.  They are amazing.

Filed under: Master Bath , bath, Master Bath, pottery barn

Front and Rear Renderings

Having made a few adjustments to the den (by adding a bay window instead of just a bumped out one) and adding more closet space to the upper bedroom, the front rendering has now taken on kind of a different look with the middle section being wider than it had been previously.   We also enlarged the windows in the master bedroom so it has three windows because I conceded on not having any windows on the side facing our only neighbor to the left.  On this rendering, the shutters are missing on the garage (far right) windows which I am going to ask him to add back and I also would like the eyebrow shutter on the top window.

Filed under: Architectural

So, the fun begins …

So, after having a meeting with the bank, it seems like all systems are a go, minus the getting in the building specs for their appraisal and a few other details.

This is the house we ended up chosing, which shockingly, my husband was the one who found this plan.  I searched and searched forever, and he finds a book in a store, notices this one and finds our best fit for our lot in a day.  We have a very small footprint to fit into, which also needed a master on the left side and a garage with a side entry on the right.  Furthermore, due to the subdivision restrictions, it had to be at least 1400 sq ft on the ground floor.  We were shooting for the smallest size our convenants would allow, and this plan (before bonus room) was the right size + 73 feet.

Originally we had wanted a bungalow home, but … it just didn’t seem to fit in with the other house in the neighborhood (I say all this, but we still have to get this house through final approval with them as well). The builder thinks it won’t be a problem though. The one next door looks like this:

We would be to the right of this house … and I think they would look rather cozy by one another, though ours will be done in a darker brick than that (as in the picture I hope).

That driveway looks like it might be distortedly long in that picture, but that really is a 100 foot long driveway, as we have to be 100 feet from the road.  I am so glad we don’t have to do a drive from the front.  That had to be one pricey driveway.

We tried to go by and introduce ourselves yesterday, but I don’t know if the new family has moved in yet or perhaps an investor bought it and is sitting on it.  We shall see.

Keep checking back as I plan to use this blog to help share my ideas with my friends and family to get an idea what they think as the house progresses.

Filed under: Daily Life

A little slice of land …

So, we bought the land for the site of our new house…. We have chosen and plan and now its time to start all the fun stuff!! Its a really long lot (about 300 feet deep).  The little tree filled area is where the house will go.   More to come.  I am thinking I will probably do a companion blog for all the house stuff.

Filed under: Daily Life