Fresh Start Studio

Choosing Lighting

Choosing the host of lighting fixtures for our renovation has been the most difficult part of this project (the 2nd hardest was the paint colors!). One has to consider style, color, cost, voltage, wattage, placement, and whatever you choose needs to be in stock. There's also the question of whether you want the fixtures to be an artistic focal point or just provide ambiant light. Also, I found it daunting to be choosing fixtures before the rooms had any furnishings.

As my family happens to be in the lighting business (Hi Dad), I had some help with the exterior fixtures. Specifically, we chose specialty lighting from B-K Lighting that highlights all the features of the new screened porch. We are a low-voltage beacon in the night. No one will have trouble finding us from the water.

For the interior, I used Lighting Universe web site. I highly recommend them, they are patient, their paperwork and communications are clear and timely, and they have an amazing selection. The first group of fixtures I chose fell through because the chandelier was discontinued. Everything had to be canceled and then I started over. I ended up with the manufacturer Quoizel for all the coordinating pendants and chandelier.

When the lighting goes in, you know you are closing in on completion. We are 8 months into the project -- and almost done. Well, except for all the decorating!

Inspiration from 1950s American pottery

A few years ago, I was on a routine sortie through an antique mall and I discovered a complete set of Stangl Pottery tableware from the 1950s. This purchase was a rare "must have" -- I just loved the colors and its history. Each piece has a roman numeral painted on the back that corresponds to the artist who painted it. I have had it in storage for several years and it has finally proved its worth. I have used its design and colors -- along with a great pillow fabric from Pottery Barn -- to guide me through some design choices here at our lake house renovation. I can't wait to use it and display it -- the pattern is called Amber Glo. The colors are a green/gray, ivory, golden brown, and yellow, and charcoal.

 

rocky broome pottery -- a gift!

My friend AJ finds the best gifts! And, as it is my birthday today, I am lucky enough to be the recipient of a beautiful casserole with this cute bird motif from Rocky Broom Pottery out of Baton Rouge. Thanks AJ! Love it!

Adirondack goes modern, still a classic

It was fun to discover this lively re-do of the traditional Adirondack chair and swing. You can compare the the two with these images. The new ones are from "The Go Collection" created by Greg Benson and Jeff Taly for Loll. Made in the USA of recycled plastic with several choices for color -- bonus :)

You can read more about them here. Loll has some good looking recycled products.

Great Book: "What Your Contractor Can't Tell You"

Written by construction manager/owner rep Amy Johnston, this book has proven to be essential for me to get up to speed quickly on all the practical matters involved in remodeling/construction. This is not the pretty side of interior design; it is the competitive, sneaky, and devilish side that involves budgets, contracts, insurance, contingencies -- and did I mention budget?

Amy's tone is conversational and friendly and she tells it like it is. She covers all the phases from a successful design to getting the punch list completed. Not all of it applies to our project, but I'll be cherry-picking everything I can. I plan to post some of my favorite tips here on the blog. I also find it interesting that the book is written by a woman in this very male-dominated industry. I bet she's taken her knocks.

If you have any remodel/repair/construction project -- small to large -- that requires a contractor, I highly recommend this book! 

European Painted House Signs

If anyone reading this in Zurich knows a local resource, please let me know -- I love these little signs. Here is a resource out of Denmark that ships. These house signs are common in S. America and all over Europe. If I put one on my house in Tennessee, do you think I'll get some strange looks? Yes m'am. Love 'em anyway.

Floorplanner.com -- free and fun

I just discovered floorplanner.com -- a point & click, drag & drop, easy way to create floor plans. You can view your plans in 2D and 3D and add materials, surfaces, and furnishings. Its free to create one (good-sized) plan and keep it saved -- and they offer paid accounts as well. The next level plan allows you to save several plans for just $29 a year. I've been trying to work in CAD and I'll continue with that training, but for quickie plans, trying out options,or sharing  with someone with difficulty visualizing 2D plans -- this'll do it! For a 4 minute video tour on YouTube, click here.

Perky tableclothes from India make me happy

I'm in Singapore at the moment and one of my favorite haunts is Little India. It takes about two seconds for the smells, sounds, and heat to beam me straight to curry heaven. Oh, then there's the textiles. I cannot get enough of them and at an average of $25 a piece I can actually afford this habit. They make me happy. They are colorful, casual and you cannot hurt them after a first hand-washing in cold water with salt. After that, machine wash with no worries -- they get softer the more they are laundered. This time I focused on blues and yellows. Check out my stash:

 

Consider a cast-iron stove as a fireplace alternative

Who doesn't love a fireplace for its ambiance and warmth on a cold night? When considering adding one to our lake house, the cost was prohibitive -- especially for the masonry work for the chimney we wanted. Our architect, Clayton Rogers, suggested we consider a cast-iron stove -- brilliant! what else is up your sleeve Clayton?

For a minimal impact on the existing structure (or a planned structure like a screened porch), the cast iron stove option makes sense. They are more efficient  and clean today and installation is not a big issue (hole in the wall for a little chimney vent!). I have found some great traditional models and some surprising modern ones. It'll be a tough choice. Aren't the red ones cute?! Of course those are French :)

From the UK, Morsoe:

 

From international Jotul:

 

From France, Invicta:

Tuscan ceramics - brighten your palette and your day

As I wait and wait for spring, I can't help but think about our trip to Italy in late summer last year. Just looking at these beautiful hand-painted ceramics gives me a lift -- the colors are happy and bright and the memory of shopping in Siena brings to mind amazing architecture and markets -- and yes, wine! That's me there in the banner photo with Rosalba, the proprietor at Rosco Art, who helped me choose this bowl shown here. She and her English-speaking husband will ship their wares anywhere in the world, so you have no excuse.

The designs often tell stories, celebrate weddings and births, and even civic loyalty. These ceramics reflect the artistic Italian heritage (tracing back to the Greeks) and demonstrate how art styles changed during the Renaissance. Patterns range from geometric to scrolly, romantic shapes. And you can choose from a simple blue and white combination to the multi-color super-charged palettes.

I'm also posting a photo album of images of the villa where we stayed. It is an authentic reproduction built from the shell of a farm house. The textures, light, and colors were amazing. My favorite is the robin's-egg-blue window frames -- they match the blue sky -- an idea I will use eventually. It (almost) seems like it was a dream. I know I'll be heading back to Italy very soon.