This post is part of series called “31 Days to Rebuild Your House and Heart” and I’m writing it to chronicle our rebuilding process after we lost everything in a house fire last December. You can start here and read the whole series.  Also, a hearty thanks to my friend Rhoda for hosting this little shindig!  Thanks for visiting!

Today, I feel just like the Nester. I’m tired of blogging about rebuilding.
I did want to show you the screen porch because she’s not gonna be the star of the show next week.
The adorable garden stool? That sweet Nester sent that to me about a week after the fire. I adore it and her.
The ‘All you Need is Love’ sign? From sweet Melaine who blogs at the stellar My Sweet Savannah. There are no end to the blessings at this house!
Thanks girls, you make a screen porch look bahyooteefull and a girl feel special 🙂

Oh and I almost forgot the ceiling!  It’s painted my own shade of ‘haint blue’ which is common is Southern towns, especially Charleston.

Folklore is full of stories about haint blue—-that it wards off evil spirits and even mosquitoes.  I’m even hoping it could help ward off the calories of coffee treats I consume out here?

At any rate, I love the sky blue ceiling and all the coziness it creates.

(We used 2 inch pine boards.)

(The pillows and lantern and throw are from Pier One and the wicker is Lloyd Flanders Nantucket.)  The tables and chairs are from IKEA.  (Thanks Sebastian!)
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And it’s Stevie’s birthday so I thought I’d humor you with his antics.
He got the new iPhone4s and now has been drawn into a love affair with  ‘Siri’–the voice controlled personal assistant.
He talks to her all the time.

Here are a few things they talked about today.

Stevie: “Will you set a timer for 7 minutes.”
Siri: Sure. “Timer is set.”
Stevie: “Thank you.”
Siri: “Your most welcome.”

Stevie: “Email my brother Jeff.”
Siri: “Is that Jeff Schwarz or Jeff Wadsworth?”
Stevie: “Jeff Wadsworth, that’s my brother.”
Siri: “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that.”
Stevie: “Jeff Wadsworth.”

Stevie: “What is the chemistry behind ashes.”
Siri: “I’m sorry Steve.  I do not know.”
Stevie: “Well, you should.”
Siri: “Noted.”

Stevie:   “Siri, I love you.”
Siri: “STEVE (in a very motherly voice), you haven’t known me that long.”

I’m not even kidding.
These two could go on like this all day.
Twice, I almost answered because I thought he was talking to me.
Nope, it’s Siri he’s interested in.
Until dinner that is.
She still can’t cook for him.
And that’s why I win, Siri.  And besides, I was tired of looking things up for him anyways.

He also confessed to having a midlife crisis.
But instead of a sports car, he got a Big Green Egg.
It’s the most amazing grill EVER.
Stevie said it goes from 0-700 in less than 10.
Boys and their toys 🙂
I’ve leased him some real estate on the screen porch for the grill. THAT, my dears, is true love.

And Happy Birthday to my dear husband. Here’s to many more long days by the fire, grilling up steaks, watching football and chasing our dreams!
Love yous,
edie

This post is part of series called “31 Days to Rebuild Your House and Heart” and I’m writing it to chronicle our rebuilding process after we lost everything in a house fire last December. You can start here and read the whole series. Thanks for visiting!

I may be the luckiest girl in America when it comes to cabinetry.
My builder introduced me to Gary Keith, owner/designer/artisan of Keith’s Custom cabinets.
I was leary of custom cabinets because I’m a down to earth girl who likes thrift stores and flea markets (okay, and crystal chandeliers but whatever) and I was just sure that I could get exactly what I wanted from Home Depot or Kraftmaid or whathaveyou. But because my builder was so fond of Gary, I met with him and dreamed my dreams of perfect cabinets. I also, simultaneously, went to Home Depot and got an estimate on their Martha Stewart line of cabinets, which I ADORED.
First, let me say, that Home Depot was not too excited about making a rolling cart.
Gary made this one himself.

Second, let me say that Home Depot charges $300 for EACH corbel. Did you catch that?!?!?!? EACH ONE.
So these, shelves would have had $1800 in corbels alone.

And working with an artisan cabinet maker is like talking to an artist about their art.   He LOVES what he does.   He seemed just as invested in my cabinets as I was.   It was a wonderful experience all around.

He didn’t flinch when I said I wanted a nine foot tall open pantry shelf, backed with beaded board.

And perhaps one of the best things about the process was that I could choose the colors and was not limited to stock color options.

I chose Fieldstone for the main kitchen cabinets and am so happy with them.  (I will give details of the marble, the pulls, etc next when in the kitchen tour post.)

I asked him to make a buffet inset slightly from the rest of the cabinets, with a walnut top, and it really looks fabulous.   Love the bun feet!

Oh wait, this isn’t a cabinet photo. But isn’t she beautiful? She’s always glimmering and glistening and stealing the show.

I showed him this picture

and he made this…..

I showed him this picture…..

and he made this (minus the mirrors per my request)

I say all this to say—don’t give up on your local artisan cabinet maker.
They are going out of business like gangbusters thanks to Lowe’s and Home Depot.
And the kicker——Gary’s quote came right in between two others. He was cheaper than Home Depot!!!!!

And almost everything he made for me was custom height or depth and would have been impossible to get any other way.  I am most certainly a convert to custom cabinetry.    I would highly recommend that you at least price it in your next building project.
I think, in all honesty, Gary is  probably undercharging for what he does and one of the ways we were able to afford it was to forego some of the built ins that we originally wanted in the workroom and in the basement.   We will try to add those as we can.
The other upside to custom cabinets is that their price INCLUDES installation and they are actually the ones who will install the cabinetry.    When you go with big box stores, the price will NOT include installation and you may or may not get a good installer.  Gary and his assistant were  absolute masters at installation and were fun to watch.   They  installed my kitchen in less than two days. Amazing, I tell you.
And I’m so happy to have had the privilege of meeting someone who still makes top notch products the old fashioned way and who has the expertise to look at a picture, design a beautiful product and deliver the whole package with integrity and humility.  I worked with him personally every step of the way.
It was a pleasure that cannot be matched by the big box stores.
Who knew that there were still craftsmen like him in the world?!

This post is part of series called “31 Days to Rebuild Your House and Heart” and I’m writing it to chronicle our rebuilding process after we lost everything in a house fire last December. You can start here and read the whole series. Thanks for visiting!

I’ll show you some of the high*lights* of this building project and then you can see the rest when I do the room tours next week. My favorite chandelier is this one that I saw first on Sara’s blog.   It’s unbelievably beautiful and decently priced for a large crystal chandelier. This does not make electricians happy but lucky for him, my girls, my sister and I were at the lake house when it was installed so we put the crystal puzzle together. I used these library sconces in my kitchen in stainless and in the girls’ room in dark brown. They are perfect in every way.   I ordered them from Bellacor and they shipped quickly. My second favorite lighting purchase were these pendants from Circa Lighting.   I also ordered these myself online and they shipped within 2 weeks. I ordered antique brass and hung them (2) over my island.  They are show stoppers! You may think it’s overkill and indeed it may be but I also chose crystal for my master bath. Here’s the fixture that hangs over the claw foot tub. And these little cuties flank each side of my dressing vanity along with this beauty that hangs down in the center of the vanity It occurs to me that my master bathroom is like the old lady that wears way too much jewelry and a hefty dose of perfume and colors her lipstick outside the lines.  That will indeed be me in 30 or 40 years.  You’ll want to room with me in the nursing home though because I’ll be the only one with 14 shades of red lipstick, Loretta Lynn playing full blast on a continuous loop,  and stylish house dresses which I will of course wear with cowgirl boots.

But I digress.

One last fixture to prove my diversity.

It’s a completely different shape.

And shouldn’t all master bedrooms have crystal?

Love,

Your friend, The old lady with red lipstick who had too many crystal chandeliers.

I crack myself up.   Goodnight:)

This post is part of series called “31 Days to Rebuild Your House and Heart” and I’m writing it to chronicle our rebuilding process after we lost everything in a house fire last December. You can start here and read the whole series. Thanks for visiting!

One thing I’ve learned as lover of creating cozy spaces is that lighting is everything.
Perhaps I overstate the case but lighting can transform a good solid space into a dreamland.
Lighting is like jewelry for your house.
(Which may explain my proclivity for crystal chandeliers.)
This is the *necklace* my dining table wears.

Lucky her:)

And lighting decisions must be made early, while the electrical circuits are being created.
Most of the spaces in this house were defined by the lighting.
Like buying shoes and then trying to find an outfit to coordinate.
I think it’s a mistake to let the lighting be an afterthought. BIG mistake.

If you’re involved from the beginning, the lighting can transform your spaces.

Most builders will work with a local lighting company to help you make your lighting choices.
Because I’m slightly insane, I thought I could handle it myself.
I started out organized with my lighting orders and watched the rental house garage fill up with boxes.
I ordered from online sites such as Bellacor and Lamps Plus and even Restoration Hardware.
But then I realized that unless I was gonna make ordering and tracking orders and lighting spreadsheets my full time job, I needed to get help.
I worked with Angie at Hardwood Specialties (also the place I bought my hardwood) and she came to the house and helped me finish the work.

I’m glad I was very intimately involved in the ordering and placing of the lights but I’m also thankful for the help. I think it makes all the difference in this house.
Tomorrow, I’ll show you some specific lights and sources.
So, what do ya think? Am I just partial to light?

xo,
edie

p.s. Stevie just informed me that all my *heat lamps* are keeping the house warm. That, and Larry’s stellar insulation.
I do have a whole lot of lights in this house—that ain’t no lie.

I love this floor–partly because I hauled it  from Knoxville in my own car and helped the framers unload it.  I may or may not have a hernia. There’s something to be said when you add your own sweat to something. {It’s 18×18 porcelain tile that I bought at Stover’s in Knoxville for $4.99 per sf?!??!?!?!?!  I know, I know.  I should have put it in every room, which would have made this post VERY easy.} And the fact that this is my *workroom* tells you that I need lots of visual inspiration to do work.   I do.   It’s no lie. And that zebra bench?  It was sitting at the end of my bed until yesterday when I came to my senses and moved it to its’ rightful place in the world. Come back in an hour for more floors.    Right now?  I’m being summoned to read Anne of Windy Poplars.    And I fear that all too soon a certain two girls will think it’s no fun to be read to by mom.   For now, they beg and plead and I come running. Just sit and enjoy the workroom til I get back. Okay, I’m back….. I took this picture today number 1) to show you my hardwood—which is Somerset random width unstained white oak.   (Steve and I had the light and dark wood fight. He won.  They’re light.  I love them.  They don’t show dirt.  We all win.  Amen.) And number 2, because of all the old pictures I’ve lost,  my precious husband had this one on his phone…. Emme at 18 mos with our beloved Jake-y.   Oh how I loved that dog.   And that little curly haired sweetie pie makes me scream  WHY DO THEY GROW UP SO FAST? Here’s a large span of hardwood for your perusal. I chose octagon and dot tile for the master bathroom.   After pricing it at several online sites and through a reputable tile company in Knoxville,  I ended up buying it at Lowes. My very meticulous and perfectionist tile artisan (he’s truly an artisan) advised against that because the dye lots are often different and even the sizes can be different.   For a difference of $10 per sf, I was willing to take my chances and it turned out perfect.   They’re were several different dye lots represented but they were, thankfully, all exactly the same size. This tile runs around $4-5 per sf at Lowe’s and Home Depot.   And the splurge——you may want to sit down for this—–

I’ll wait.

It’s heated 🙂

So the money I saved on the tile went for the heated floor.  I must tell you that heaven will most assuredly have heated floors.   Amen. In the girls’ bathroom, I chose 1 inch hexagon tile.    After consulting the internets,  I found the best price on Overstock.com. I ordered it in 3 batches to qualify for the $2.50 shipping.  Brilliant, no? Again, they may or may not have been slightly different dye lots but they look fabulous. Three cheers to internet shopping!  I paid less than $5 per sf.   (The quote from the hoity toity tile place was $14 per sf.   It’s the thrill of the hunt, ya know.)

Last but not least—the stained concrete floors in the basement.

Please ignore the dog hair/dog slobber and general dogginess of this floor.

In real life, it has an perfectly imperfect patina.   I love it and although it’s not cheap, it’s cheaper than most flooring, about $4-9 per sf depending on where you live.  In the boondocks, it’s more reasonable.   Ours was done by a concrete company called Anderson Poured Walls and we love how they turned out.   In the downstairs kitchen, we had it scored and grouted to look like tile and we used the color  on the concrete sample sheet called ‘mocha’.

In the rest of the walk-out basement, we used ‘bronze’.

And THAT my friends, is the post that took me two days to finish.

Sadly, it’s now time to start the lighting post.  Y’all are killing me 🙂

xo,

edie