We continue to move along. The living room is nearly done (at least for this stage of the game). I’m so pleased with the clean, modern look of Collonade Gray in the walls. We have our World Market basket weave lamp shade is up in place of the already-here chandelier.
When I walk down our hallway I see this focal point.
New pillows are on the way. Our centerpiece pillow from Pottery Barn and the accompanying pillows are from Pier 1, all referencing Art Deco to honor our new chandelier for the entryway (!).
Here is a closer shot with better lighting.
The chandelier is original Art Deco beauty. With it came the original glass for the fixtures. We’ll take down the ceiling mounted light and move it to the hall bathroom to replace the purely utilitarian (although it doesn’t work) ceiling light fixture. With my father’s help I’ll rewire this treasure piece and she’ll be up before the end of the week. Genevieve Gorder of HGTV calls these sorts of pieces the jewelry of the room. And I agree!
I’ve yet to post any photos of the exterior of our new home. Here she is!
The house faces east so the living room has tons of light. The orientation does make it warm in during the day, however, the excellent layout, plantation shutters and ceiling fans in every room limit the discomfort we might have had. Our previous home faced west, had no ceiling fans (except a large on in the tiny master) and the layout provided little opportunity for circulation.
Gardening has begun!
Here is our starting point:
The tall shrubs are on their way out. I’ve been gradually trimming down the large round shrubs as well. The previous owners featured a dolphin water fountain which we look forward to selling. For now we’ll have to plant around it as it has been difficult to schedule muscular friends to help my muscular husband move it. My feeling about this landscaping is that it is entirely too busy and that the proportions create a visual dissonance. I’d like to see more balance and visual flow. I like shrubs, but when their size is controlled.
So, we’ll clear out the clutter and begin the process of growing an edible garden, focused primarily on perennial herb plants. The color scheme will be purples and “fire” colors (yellow, orange, red). I love crape myrtle trees but I’m not sure if this one will stay. We’ve talked about planting fruit trees along the side of the yard and possibly adding a short iron fence to keep our wild children safe. Time will tell what we have in store.