For the first 50 years of my life, my perfectionist self mistakenly believed it was all about knowing more, getting it right, planning, attempting to prevent bad things from happening, and keeping all of my chicks in a row. It took me this long to discover that the JOURNEY is all that matters. This quote from Gilda Radner sums it all up:

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
"


Saturday, July 17, 2010

Renovation - July 17


AND THEN THERE WAS LIGHT! The lighting fixtures finally came and Tim from Constant Power hung them last week. He also put my bathroom mirror up for me. The fixture over the table is from Hubbardton Forge and made from wrought iron. I LOVE it!



















The mini pendant light which will hang over the breakfast bar are from Tech Lighting. They are on a dimmer switch because they are really bright.














The light fixture over the mirror in the bathroom is also from Hubbardton Forge. The back is a copper patina look, with half moon white glass bowls with a strip of black wrought iron holding them in. It looks very pretty and kind of takes the edge off the contemporary look a bit, as does the distressed mirror.






















The rooster is a new addition to the kitchen. It's home is on top of the oven cabinet.















Adam bought this picture for me for my birthday in Burlington. It is a somewhat abstract watercolor of Church Street. It looks very pretty on the wall next to the entrance to the bathroom!



















In the coat closet area on the upper shelf I added some red baskets.













And now the foyer is getting a new look too. We were not using one of the cabinets that used to be in the family room. It was newly refinished in black. When I was putting the rooms back together, I asked Adam and Kerry to carry it in from the garage for me so I could try it in the foyer. I liked it. Then Jonathan from Nutmeg Cabinets came over and said he has the perfect lamp for the top of the cabinet. He was right. It has a nice shape and gives a more modern look to the foyer. Still to come is a new chandelier in the foyer and upstairs hallway (one thing leads to another when you are remodeling!)

Still waiting on the glass bar top - hopefully this week sometime! Then we will be officially done!


Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Renovation - July 7














Almost done! The dining room table, chairs, and bench arrived today from Now Furnishings. The chairs are covered in red and gold leather. The bench will be used for extra seating when we have a larger gathering.


We got the bar stools yesterday. They are made my Calligaris. The seats are a cushiony polyurethane foam and they have a lever on the side that lifts them up or down. The seat is a charcoal color.

















And Nutmeg delivered our newly repainted oak pieces that we had in the family room. They were honey colored oak prior to the paint job. They look much better now. And they match the kitchen cabinets.
















I got the pillows on the couch from Company C. This is where I bought the area rug for the dining room. They have very pretty things! The storage ottoman has a top that flips over into a table. They are from Crate and Barrel.













I LOVE my new clock. After literally hours online searching for a clock that would make a statement, I found it. It is easy to see from the dining room, kitchen, and family room.



So the whole downstairs is coming together. I have been putting things away, trying to find a good home for everything that is efficient. The dishes are very easy to reach in a drawer next to the dishwasher. Since there are no upper cabinets, the glasses and mugs are also in a drawer right next to the beverage refrigerator. And all of the utensils and knives fit in the top drawer next to the dishwasher for easy unloading. I have a few things on the counter, but I want to keep it clean for the most part.