today...

Twenty three years ago today I married my best friend!

(where does the time go??)

Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband!

I love you Dan, and love being on this adventure with you too!!

My favorite photo of my favorite person in my favorite place...

Dan fly fishing in the Tetons.

ten "house things" I can't live without...

I am a list-maker.
I love lists. 
I love making lists, I love reading lists,  I love crossing things off of lists (I always cross things off- even if I'm getting ready to throw the list in the trash I cross off 'accomplished' items first ;)  At any given time I have at least 5 lists going:  one for me, one for Dan, one for the yard, one "to do today", and a Costco/grocery list!  They give me a sense of freedom- I can write things down and then forget them!   (Please do not ask Dan was he thinks of lists;) 

I love when bloggers write those lists of ten, or so, things about themselves.  Love reading those.  Several years ago a blogger (the blog no longer exists) did a list of ten household things that he couldn't live without.  I loved that post and learning about the household items that he valued and used- some I was familiar with and others were new to me. 

So, I thought I would make a list of my own ten house things I can't live without!  This is a miscellaneous list, but I've thought long and hard about what to include, and these are clearly my favorites!




Ten "House Things" I Can't Live Without:


1.  Screw-in Light Socket Dimmers- 
99.9% of all lights in my house are on dimmers- even exterior lights.  I think lights on dimmers are one of the most valuable (and inexpensive) design features you can put in your home.  Most of our lamps have dimmer sockets that are hard-wired into the lamps, but for those that don't I use a screw-in lamp socket dimmer.  In Dallas I even used this dimmer in our vent-a-hood to give some ambiance to the range at night!  I like this GE dimmer since it is smaller than other brands.  I purchased this dimmer at Walmart (approximately $10), but you can find them here.   Oh, and it saves electricity and is thereby "green"!
Dim those lights people!!

2.  Halogen Light Bulbs- 

Hand in hand with number one... as nothing is worse than a light bulb that buzzes- 

drives me crazy(ier ;)!  After years of extensive research (i.e. buying every bulb on the market) this is the only bulb I have found that will not buzz when fully dimmed.  I love these bulbs (all wattage), and  "halogen bulbs" will continue to be made even "if" the light bulb act banning incandescent lighting is enacted.  here.

3.   Plastic Wedges/plastic shims/plastic plumbers shims/wobble wedges-

no matter what you call them I couldn't live without them (especially in this antique house!)   I use them to level furniture, to level lamps, to level vases (they also come in a half wedge size which is perfect for large vases, but those are difficult to find.) 

You can find these at Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart or here.

A half wedge under vase on the back porch, barely visible...

When I use them under furniture I will paint them to match the floor, using No.4...

4.  Burnt Umber Paint- 

This is my "go-to" fix for more projects than I can name!  I buy many different burnt umber colors/brands for different projects, but this Delta "Dark Burnt Umber" appears to be my "favorite" brand/color as I have three bottles of it!   I use it to paint:  plastic shims,  a bright shiny socket on a lamp, or soften a brand new terracotta pot, etc., etc. ! A diluted mix of this (a wash) will tone down many things.  I use a burnt umber wash over many painted surfaces to give some patina (newer things- not antiques;)  I used a "wash" of burnt umber to tone down my found painting in the master bedroom as it was just a little "too bright" when I found it. 

5.  Spanish Moss- 
I tuck it around grocery store/Home Depot orchids or potted plants on the porch.  It hides those ugly plastic pots from view!  here

6.  Small Cup Holders- 

I use these to hide the lamp cords underneath tables.  I simply follow the leg closest to the electrical outlet to secure the lamp cord in place so you don't see it when standing in the room.  I think it is so distracting to have a beautiful room, and then to see lamp cords dangling in the wind!

7.  Old Beach Towel-

I've had mine for a good 20 years and it is the perfect drop cloth.  The size, thickness and absorbency makes it ideal in so many occasions.  I find real drop cloths to be too thin to absorb much.   I use them for all sorts of messy projects, but my favorite use is covering the hardwood floors when I am cleaning the windows.

8.  Overflow Drain Cover for Tub- 

If you like to take tub baths with a tub FULL of water you want to own one of these!  Placed over the over-flow valve you can fill a tub full and not have that annoying constant draining when you get in!  (here)

9.  Swiffer Duster-

I used to swear by my feather duster until I tried this.  I keep one upstairs and one downstairs, and my house has never been cleaner!  here

10.  Bar Keepers Friend -

When I first became aware of Barkeepers Friend several years ago it was in a television commercial and was being used (in paste form) as a window cleaner on a very expensive car!  I use this to clean stains in the sink, dried spills on the range, heel scuffs from stair risers, coffee stains in coffee cups,  spots on soapstone (recommended by my stone fabricator), etching spots on my honed marble (not recommended by my stone fabricator, but works fabulously for me- use at your own risk;), and most recently- yesterday I used it to clean some "red berry" bird poop (the kind that instantly stains) off of the front porch newel post.  It is great at removing all sorts of stains.  here

and one bonus...

 Dish Washing Nets -

I have used these net dish washing balls my whole life (I remember my mother making them as a "how to" in Brownies when I was in First grade!)  In exchange for decorating services several years ago my sister, Susan, made me a box of these (in white:).  [Note to Susan:  I am almost out, hint-hint!!]

(what do you use to wash your dishes?!)

Would love to hear what would be on your 

"house things"

you can't live without list!!

what I'm reading: Patina Style

It arrived in the mail yesterday. 

I took it out of the mailing box, but couldn't bare to open it... it was just too lovely-

 a gift to be savoured. 

I wanted to open it in a quiet moment with a glass of wine.

I watched it all day today, and smiled each time I walked by it knowing that I was in for a treat.

I opened Patina Style tonight, and was a bit emotional as the soulful photographs jumped off the page and landed in my reading room.  I have admired, coveted and studied the work of Brooke and Steve Giannetti for almost three years now, as Brooke- of the famed Velvet and Linen - was the first blogger I "met." 
It is one thing to look at their gorgeous creations online and quite another to have them in my hands in large, beautiful photographs. 

This is a gorgeous book.

Stunning, really.  A book I will spend hours reading and studying.

"Life isn't about the things you own but about the experiences you have with them.  Patina Style embraces the life in things:  the newel post worn smooth where hands always land, the leather trunk that bears the rubs and scratches of global travel, velvet that is faded, silver that is tarnished, or a flowerpot embedded with moss.  This is the essence of Patina Style, a design philosophy that has evolved through our own lives, both personal and professional.

...
Patina Style also grew from a desire to add meaning and calm to our surroundings.  It was born of a palette of warm neutral colors- soft creams, gray-greens, and calm blues - that create serenity.  We gravitated towards materials that felt real and that age gracefully over time - pine or oak floors, plaster walls, and natural finishes.  We chose objects that showed the artist's touch and the creative process at work.

...
Objects also carry the history of the people's interactions with them and the effects of nature on their surface.

...
Throughout the book, you will come to understand why we believe personal expression and style are so important.  We will show how we do things like repurpose salvaged objects, bring outdoor furniture indoors, turn something old into something better than new.  We hope it will inspire you to do things your own way, to follow your heart, to seek beauty in your life.  When you follow your own unique perspective, you will love the results."

You will love this book. 

to get a copy....   Amazon,

 or to receive a signed copy contact Giannetti Home. 

summer mantel

I wanted to keep the mantel light, clean and crisp for summer.

It just wouldn't say "summer" without coral and shells!






My favorite pair of antique mercury glass candlesticks with an antique English sterling and crystal matchstrike,  a small Chinese earthenware ginger jar, and a fossil shell.  The white Texas-clay pot holds an orchid just starting to re-bloom.

I love that the orchid's first bloom is looking at itself in the mirror!

Fan coral with pair of antique Chinese double-happiness vases and another small Chinese earthenware ginger jar.  Since moving into the farmhouse I've been having a renewed love affair with all my antique blue and white porcelains  (I had them stashed away for several years in Dallas.)  I think blue and white is such a classic design element.
   Antique American herbariums flank the fireplace.

And though not on the mantel;) I love the sunlight hitting the forestwod in the antique iron urn that sits beside the fireplace.

Hope you're having a wonderful summer!

renovation photo-story: the kitchen

While researching "before and in-progress" photos for our Renovation Style magazine feature I realized how much of the process and the pain I had forgotten ( blocked ;) and if "I" had forgotten, then I was sure you had too!  I know there is a wonderful, crazy;), amazing, crazy;), lovely, crazy;) bunch of you who have gone back and read through each and every post (I really need to send each of you a merit badge :), but I also know some of you have only seen the finished photos of rooms.
So, in case we've made this appear too easy, or made you think renovating an antique farmhouse is fun and romantic I thought I'd show a little reality check!  I have decided to pull the "photo-story" of each room together in one post and I'll start with the kitchen.  Having over 10,000 photos of the renovation (literally) this is no small feat- this post took me about 7 hours to research and compose!

If you have a weak stomach I suggest you look away in the middle of this post, or maybe just come back next time;) cuz... it ain't pretty!  Some of my posts are a sentence, some a paragraph, .... this one is a novel ;) 
So... grab a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or maybe some Pepto Bismol.....

here we go!

The farmhouse had been for sale (and vacant) for 4 years by the time we purchased it.  For a brief couple of months there were renters in the house (later evicted for not paying rent) and they decided to stay at the house during our showing.  As I recall they were making.... meatballs  - lovely.  These first photos are from that very first walk through in the house.  (please note the built-in cabinet seen in this photo for reference throughout this post)

We combined the original small kitchen in the farmhouse and the ell (the connector between the farmhouse and the barn) to make our new kitchen.

When we found the house, the whole kitchen (except for the refrigerator) was in what is now our kitchen dining area.  The original room was too small for the frig, so that was in the ell as you can see in this photo.  This transom would one day be moved to over the pantry door!

View standing in the original kitchen looking into the ell.

These original (very steep) stairs came down from what is now our master bath (specifically the shower) into the ell on the first floor.  They were removed in Phase I of the renovation.  The countertop area you see in this photo is where the range is now.

Behind the closed door was an oddly placed full bath on the first floor in the ell, right behind the kitchen.  The radiator is where my kitchen sink is now.

The original kitchen after the renters moved out- view from kitchen into the ell.  While they might "look" okay in the photo, the cabinetry was extremely flimsy and cheaply made.  I think the granite was an attempt to put lipstick on a pig!  To recap, we took this room with the cabinets, knocked down the wall the cabinets are on and included the space (the ell) behind it to make our new kitchen!

Through the doorway where the range is in this photo will become the see-through fireplace from the kitchen into the formal dining room.  You can see a hint of the hardware from the built-in cabinet.  The wall to the left of this door is approximately where the kitchen island sits now.

Directly behind the range is the fireplace for the formal dining room.  (Ironically I had this very range in Dallas (which I loved;) , I took it as a "sign" when we found the house, even though I knew I would be replacing it!)

This is the kitchen to the entry (looking into the reading room).  I show this photo as I love the painted piece of plywood wall on the right;)!  Are you starting to think we must have been crazy yet?!

We take possession (or maybe, more accurately the house possessed us;) and the very next day the walls between the small kitchen and the ell start coming down.  Notice all the plumbing and pipes which are now in the middle of the new room and must be moved.  The two windows on the left will be replaced with french doors.

The other side of the room facing the barn.  You can see the stairs that we removed in the left corner of the photo.

The kitchen "mock-up" before plans are given to the cabinet maker.

My future windows over the sink are outlined in blue tape.

Future Sub Zero corner of the kitchen.  The door that is covered up is then moved to "kitchen mud room" that is directly behind the refrigerator.  The 6' x 7' mudroom and the half bath (photo to follow) was the only square footage that we added to the original footprint of the house and barn.  The mud room square footage is two-storied, housing the master bathroom washer and dryer closet and toilet upstairs.

But, first....
due to structural issues the whole ell was taken down and rebuilt on the original foundation.  Windows are being removed for demo.  Photo was taken from the now courtyard!  You can see the foundation footing for the half bath in the left corner.

Demo...

That upstairs closed door on the left is the door from the master bedroom into the master bath.  The opened door on the right is the door to the guest bath.

Note the built-in cabinet in the corner.  Are we having fun yet?!

It's gotta get ugly, really ugly before it gets pretty!

Gone...

The re-build begins.  Oh- and don't forget the snow! Doing a full-house renovation in the middle of a New Hampshire winter is, well.... crazy.

Then, to make it really sporty- right in the middle of the project there was the little event known around New Hampshire as "the ice storm of the century."  
This is our drive up to the house.

We were soooo grateful that our one hundred-year-plus maples that line our drive were spared.  The hole on the upstairs of the house is where the electrical lines were ripped off after a tree fell.  Electrical lines have since been buried;)  These photos still make me cringe.

The ice melted.. work continued.  View from the courtyard.

View from the back of the house.

Framing for the new kitchen facing towards the barn.

The range has been removed and the fireplace has been taken down.  Originally the fireplace only opened into the formal dining room.  There was significant damage to the fireplace, so we decided to remove it thereby opening the space to fit a see-through gas fireplace.  This decision also allowed us to take down the chimney upstairs that sat in the middle of  two rooms allowing us to then open the master bedroom into one large room.
Having a fireplace in a kitchen has always been a dream!

The original bricks were then reused to face the fireplace on the kitchen side. The original mantel on the formal dining room side remained intact.

The hunt for countertops began...  Stone fabricators partner with other fabricators who carry different stock, so there is a network of locations to visit to find your perfect piece of stone.  We even made several trips to Boston to look for marble. This is a daunting task since you can't compare them side by side when they're in different states and I'm one of "those" people who want to look at every single "X" the store has to make sure I'm getting the best one!!

You can see the framing for the kitchen mud room in this photo (right side.)   The mud room has a downstairs washer and dryer.

Here you see the added half bath for the first floor. This is the other square footage (along with the kitchen mud room) that we added to the original footprint of the house.  This bath is accessed from the barn room.

The new fireplace.

Fireplace being faced using the original brick.

Shingles being applied to the exterior.

The courtyard shingles are next.

Custom kitchen cabinets sit in the dining room awaiting install.

The wood ceiling going in, or rather "up";)

Cabinets being installed.

The farmhouse sink has arrived!

Electric going in.

My bianco Venatino marble at the stone fabricators with the template I placed for cutting.

Installed!

I designed the custom french doors- signed off on the spec sheet to my exact measurements, only to have them show up wrong (left side....bottom panel way too small for scale.) They remade them.  You can see how the door on the right has much better scale.

Wood beadboard backsplash and brackets added.

The top pull is original to the house, an antique iron pull from the built-in cabinet.  After much searching, I found the exact reproductions, only in brass.  I painted them matt black to match the iron of the originals and used them on the island.

Cabinets had board inserts for glass until the cabinets were painted.  My cabinet maker always sprayed the cabinets for a "perfect" finish.  I didn't want a perfect finish- I wanted the cabinets to look original, so I had them hand-painted on site.  We used antique glass for the kitchen cabinets that came from original windows removed in the renovation- one hundred and fifty year old wavy glass!  love!

Eastern white pine floor boards stained and with first coat of tung oil.

 The Wolf arrives! 

The fridge arrived about two weeks later as it was on back order.  Renovation fun!!

First occupant in the Sub Zero.... a bottle of Veuve Clicquot!  Cheers!

The freshly painted kitchen.

The unpacking.

The finished kitchen:

details of the finished kitchen

the end....

or rather,  the beginning!!