ThistleDew Farm

ThistleDew Farm
Established 2009

Friday, March 6, 2009

House Pictures

The long awaited update with pictures has arrived - it's like you've won a giveaway isn't it?

It's been so long - where to start....let's see.....
The middle of February Dan finished the trim on the windows. He stained it the same as the outside siding - thinking it would be cool to tie the outside with the inside. After he'd finished it just didn't set right with me...maybe because there wasn't any of that color on the inside - maybe it made that wall look like an exterior wall...I just couldn't put my finger on why... So the little critter in my head responsible for scheming starting working quietly in the corner of my mind. Keep your eye on the fireplace to the left in the picture - we'll get back to that later.

With the windows done and the pendant light installed it was time to remove the scaffolding and get to work on the flooring. As expected without the monstrosity of scaffolding the great room looked huge - hence the name great meaning large as opposed to the interpretation I'm accustomed to when referring to myself - fantastic!!! Ha Ha Ha!

Dan enlisted the assistance of child labor to help.

After a few lessons she was on her way!

We had a consultant
and a government inspector.

It was all very meticulous work!


Back to the fireplace. I decided that what it needed was a touch of copper. Actually I got the idea last summer when redoing my sister's kitchen at Windy Meadows. We did a venetian plaster in Sherwin Williams Sweet Cream (very light creamy orange) above the chair rail and the bottom was Chivalry Copper. I added some highlights on the copper with metallic paint. It turned out so well her husband asked me to do a treatment in blue for the bathroom....anyway I fell in love with the copper but couldn't get Super Hubby on board when I slipped it in as a color choice for our kitchen/dining area. So like a good wife, I put the idea aside waiting for a target of opportunity.

After we picked out the house colors Super Hubby agreed with me that the fireplace needed to be a darker color until we could get it stoned. Unfortunately he picked a color to close to the wall color and it would have looked like a mis-die lot. So he agreed that I could go darken it up.....I waited and thankfully I did because with the window trim a redwood color I had my inspiration to use the copper and tie it all in. This turned out harder than I thought - when I showed Mr. Sherwin Williams the color I wanted to change the already tinted can to - he shook his head. Something about that color being a light base with some black in the color made it impossible to go to the Chivalry Copper which was a dark base with some other dark color. What we got was a muddy pumpkin. That's Super Hubby applying it and mumbling under his breath that he didn't like it. I had not revealed that it was only step one! Back to the paint store portion of the story....I had Mr. Sherwin Williams open the metallic and see what it looked like over the muddy pumpkin - I loved it! So home I went with a gallon of Muddy Pumpkin and two quarts of Metallic Copper.

Super Hubby cut in the pumpkin as mentioned and then just finished it all since it was mostly ladder work. He kept hoping it would look better in the morning - boy what a shock he was in for!
He went back to tiling - our child labor lost interest after about three tiles. Which was a good thing because the pattern is really complicated - the schematic had to be posted on the wall for reference.


I woke up at 4am to put on the first coat of Metallic Copper - goodbye Muddy Pumpkin. Hello roller marks!

I started rehearsing my speech for when Super Hubby saw it. "Don't worry Dear, it's only the base coat, it's supposed to look blotchy". I got my chance a few hours later and Super Hubbies response was "but is it supposed to look amateurish?" I explained it needed a crossed brush stroke treatment on top to finish it off - it's a work in progress. He immediatly went and got the 25 foot ladder and took the quart of metallic. This was a great sacrifice on his part because he "doesn't do random" On the pych charts he's a square - everything aligned and even and centered. I on the other hand am a squiggle and do random very well. So...he's on the ladder and I'm below telling him where he needs to "be more random" add a stroke here, scruff up a pattern there.....it went amazingly fast and turned out so awesome I can't even describe how pleased I am (guess I better take a picture to show you). I immediatly went over and crafted a mirror to match.


I bought the unfinished mirrors at The Home Store for $8 each - it is sponsored by Habitat for Humanity and they sell new and used building materials. The proceeds go to building houses for low income and needy families. It is an awesome project and they have great deals. Items are donated due to overstock or contractors donate remodel unneeded items.

Sometime during all this - I painted the chocolate suede wall - what do you think?


And Super Hubby put in a tile "rug" at the entry way. It is so awesome - he is definately an artist!

Monday I will show you the cork floor in my studio.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE it all Melissa! The colors are beautiful and the tile work is amazing. I am so very pleased for you the way everything is coming together.

L~ said...

HOLY SMOKES!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Are you channeling me or what???

AWESOME! I wish I could get in the car & tootle on over to check it out in person!!! :)

LOVE the copper!
Hmmm you have a hubby like that too hugh? Good thing for us right brained, artsy girls! :)Keeps us grounded! :)

Can't wait to see more pics!!!
L~

Shari said...

Your house is so amazing! I love the great hall and the windows. The fireplace is fantastic - the copper sounds just the right touch. Chocolate suede... I wasn't brave enough for a shade that dark - but suede paint is fantastic. My husband is like yours - I had to keep telling him his strokes are too even. As long as we paint together he does ok. If I don't remind him he falls into the rhythm of exactly even. The tiles are great too. So pleased it is all coming together for you! So much hard work!!

Cheers!

Susie said...

As I look at all the work and read about it I realize I am so envious at how talented you guys are! Your home is going to be gorgeous.

Peggy said...

I love it! you have so much talent you should share some of it with the rest of us. :)

Tami said...

Wow!! It's wonderful, love the fireplace, the floor and all the windows!!!

So looking forward to seeing more!

Have a wonderful weekend!
T

Kitt said...

Wow, that looks great! So creative. I wouldn't dare experiment with paint like that, because I can't visualize how things will look. I would be terrified.

Julia said...

Things are looking amazing. I am liking the copper fire place chimney. And the windows in the great room are impressive. Thanks for sharing! We are planning to build a house in 2 years from now, allegedly...so I will be in the same pain in due time. But I can see the results will be incredible!

Connie said...

Love the tile "carpet." So cool! You are going to have one fantabulous house when you are all done. Congrats on all you have accomplished so far.

pb&j in a bowl said...

I love it! Everything looks awesome. I hope it's everything you wanted it to be.

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

That wall of glass is fabulous! Our cabin needs more windows installed...makes you wonder what the builder was thinking..thank goodness more can be added!...I love the natural light flowing in.

It's all looking great!!

Stephanie
Queen of Dreamsz