resurrection

an appropriate title i think. just when you thought the blog was dead and gone, here she comes. on christmas day!  also, coincidentally, the name of a delicious, strong baltimore brew from the Brewer's Art.  

and now it's catch up time: while the blog's laid low for the last 8 months, the house work has not! Here's a sampling of some major projects since the last post.

tile

this one was a biggie. just choosing the damn tile and pattern took way longer than the actual work. adam, the consummate perfectionist poured extra tlc into this one. it shows and came out GORGEOUS.

for the front entry way, we chose a blue slate 4x4 tiles that adam cut/placed into a pattern.
before...

and after...

for the fireplace, we bought randomly patterned squares of marble and glass, bordered by 4x4 black marble. adam actually cut and placed the first row of small tile to have it with align with a straight edge. here she is before...  

 and after...

the ceiling


in order to cover exposed plumbing, absorb sound and to provide a visible border between living room and dining room, we covered the dining area with tongue and groove cedar planks.

 and in its current state...

 you can also check out the new monorail lights. we'll soon have an identical set running through the dining room as well.



















shutters

long gone are the days of a sheet covering the front window (a style we rocked for nearly 8 months, including in this photo from jan 2010).

we now have shutters AND trim!

upstairs

while upstairs typically gets little attention, we've added some color to brighten it up, give it some style, and remove the hideous light blue that infiltrated every room.

here's the hallway. the LAST (i swear) of three recent incarnations.
all involved me on a paint color time wasting frenzy- first a waaaay too bright turquoise (think tropics), backing up to a light grey, and then going color again- a two-toned blue and grey with white trim. very happy and will never paint this area again. 

here's the color creeping down the stairs. love.

the master bedroom got painted a reddish/dark grey two tone.

even the bathroom got a splash of color, along with perfectly suited artwork we brought back from nicaragua

coat hanger

few people know what it took to see this vision into fruition but i am so excited about this one little accent- the coathanger.

made with metal decorative knobs i found and old wood we picked up in a parking lot, this gorgeous piece of art now holds our coats and scarves just in time for winter.  

 

in addition, we put up our artwork! the gansers also brought us- via leises- gramps' desk which has a central place in the main room. ahhh... cozy home

 

i think that about sums it up. looking forward to a new storm door, storm window for the transom and... the FLOORS being redone mid-january. these three are actually scheduled (as to take advantage of 2010's tax break) and one can only hope my floor drama ended in 2010 and 2011 will bring floor peace. 

also on the plate? finishing the trim, baseboards, new stair railing, carpet in the bedrooms upstairs, wood flooring in upstairs hall.

then...
dare i say it...
start on another room?
looks like transforming the back porch is next. until then, happy holidays everyone. Cheers to 2011!