Tag: Great Room
More Chairs
What I didn’t mention in the previous post is that, on that same trip to World Market where I scored the cute chair for the…
New Doors Acquired
Since buying this place, one of the tiny, yet annoying, issues was the large gap between the front doors. The gap was unsightly, but more…
Another Ottoman
A while back I picked up an ottoman cheap from an auction along with a bunch of other stuff. While I had actually made an…
End Table Ending (with Lamps!)
As detailed in the last two posts, I had some tables and lamps shipped out from my parents’ house in late 2021. A little over…
Another Eagle Landed
A mini-story. Back when I first started buying stuff from auction houses, I found a gorgeous steel wall sculpture. It went for more than I…
Even More Auction Finds
I’ve continued to find bits and bobs from auction houses for the house. Over the last year I picked up some great bargains. Like this…
Round Table Tale
Early last year I found an interesting auction listing at a house in Connecticut with whom I’d done business in the past. When the item…
More Custom Pillows
The lovely vintage couch I picked up at auction for the Great Room was a bit plain, but I had some leftover fabric I had…
Craft Break
Finally back to writing new stories about old stuff here at the ranch, but as a starter post to get things re-rolling here, it’s time…
Being Creative with a Fireplace
When we were in escrow, we had the chimney inspected as part of all the other inspections (well, septic, house, etc.). The inspectors told us…
The Blue Eagle and Friends
Or “how to find interesting art for your home.” Auction houses haven’t been just a good source for interesting furniture and giant steel birds. I’ve…
Sunday Panorama
The Foyer
Extra Foyer Bits: “Custom” Shelves
Just like the walls and chimney in the great room, the foyer needed something on the walls on either side of the front doors. I…
Extra Great Room Bits: Fun with Mirrors
It seems I’m still fine-tuning the decor in the Great Room. When we had the awful yellow paint stripped off the chimney column, the pretty…
Sunday Panorama
This is what it’s like to lay on the floor of the great room.
Unifying with Circles
Carrying on from the last post and finally finishing the super long tale of the redesigning “process” for the look and feel of great room……
Great Room Note–Outside Design Service
During our random discussions about what to do paint- and furniture-wise in the great room, Agent Smith pointed me to a website that promised to…
Making the Great Room Great–Footnotes on Molding
Perhaps my favorite detail in the great room is the very subtle change in the molding. Backing up a bit to tell the story… For…
Making the Great Room Great, Step Nine: Ambient Lighting
In addition to deleting the sconces in the great room, Agent Smith got creative and ordered some color-changing strip lights from superbrightleds.com and controllers. Unfortunately,…
Making the Great Room Great, Step Eight: Wall Lighting
When we had the main electric panel redone, we decommissioned the monument outlets in the great room and outside areas. We knew there had been…
Making the Great Room Great, Step Seven: Plants and Bits
I always intended plants to be the main decorative ornaments in the foyer and great room, instead of random knickknacks (although we do have a…
Making the Great Room Great–Step Six: Finding Art
In addition to finding furniture for the great room, over the last two years we’ve managed to find interesting items to hang on the walls–mainly…
Making the Great Room Great, Step Five: Finding Furniture
During the first few years we lived here, there was much discussion about any furniture we wanted to purchase for the Great room. We wanted…
Making the Great Room Great–Before and After Painting
Some before and after shots of the foyer and great room, once the painters were done but before any furniture was put back. Even sans…
Making the Great Room Great, Step Four: Painting
As anyone who has painted a room (myself included) knows, prep work is what takes the most time. Once everything was prepped and primed, the…
Making the Great Room Great, Step Three: Priming
Once the dropcloths and plastic sheets were taped into place, the painters got busy. The four interior doors were removed from their frames for painting,…
Making the Great Room Great, Step Two: Paint Prep
In mid-August 2019, our regular house painter slotted some time to paint the great room. There was much prep work to be done–the old furnace…
Making the Great Room Great, Step One: Deciding on Paint
Once the great room floors had been refinished and the chimney column stripped of paint, it was time to make the room our own. I…