Paint Prep

Paint Swatches

A - Guest Bath

B - Master Bedroom

C - Master Bath

D - Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen

Masking off the Cabinets

Nail Holes are Filled and looking like a bad case of Measels

Windows are All Masked Off

Misty Memories

Benjamin Moore - 2118-60

Like a long-ago memory, this light, misty shade of gray-lavender is soft around the edges.

The above from the BM website - Who thinks of these descriptions?

Colors from My Perfect Color

Silver Lake

Benjamin Moore - 1598

This color is part of the Classic Color Collection.
Is that like a Classic Car? And who names these colors?

Rockport Gray

Benjamin Moore - HC-105

Steeped in tradition, the refined, elegant colors of the Historical Collection deliver timeless color that can be used in traditional as well as contemporary spaces.
When I think of Rockport, I think of fishing. And fog.

Collingwood

Benjamin Moore - OC-28

These timeless, elegant, Classic Colors guarantee beautiful, usable color all the time, every time.
In their other job, they write for Hallmark.

(These colors actually have more color than the gray that appears above. Not sure why I can’t get the true color.)

The painting prep has started with the nail holes being filled with putty to be sanded smooth later. Last minute electrical outlet additions have been installed and popped screws and random holes in the sheetrock are being filled and sanded. Also,windows have been masked off and the kitchen cabinets have been covered and taped off.

Paint choice can be difficult particularly in a new house. Having never spent a night or a full day there as the sun shifts through the windows we decided to play it safe. Not to mention the fact that the builder gave us up to four colors (not counting the white trim) to choose from made it a little difficult. Each additional color was going to be an additional cost of $250. I’m not sure if they do that to keep it from getting too crazy with colors or just a way to make additional money. I’m guessing it’s probably a little of both.

So we (OK. Really? Like I had any say at all.) decided to go with Benjamin Moore’s Rockport Gray for the Master Bedroom, Silver Lake for the Master Bath and Misty Memories for the guest bath. For the rest of the house we decided to go with a neutral Collingwood. I don’t think the fact the same color will be used throughout the remaining rooms will be as noticeable given the different levels of lighting in each room and hallway. Plus the dining room will be white on the bottom half with the wainscoting. 

Once we get settled in we’ll most likely repaint the two front bedrooms and perhaps the dining room and/or kitchen. We’ll see how it looks once we’ve moved in. Whenever that may be.

Enjoy your week.

Chandeliers

Niche ModernTerra Pendant with Plumen 001 Light

My better half and I (OK, mostly me) have been looking for months for the right light for our dining room. We have a beautiful hand blown light picked out from Niche Modern but it’s a bit more money than we want to spend at the moment. We noticed though that they have factory sale in April so our plan is to do a road trip.This means driving about 5 hours, spending money on gas, food and a hotel, and then saving some money on the light. Ya, it will probably even out, but it will be cool to go to the factory to see how they are made. And save some money.

So in the meantime, we need a light. Now I’m a Craigslist hound and have been able to discover some pretty good finds along the way.  Unless you type in the word “chandelier” in the Craigslist search bar. You’ll get thousands of chandeliers. Most are ugly which is why they’re being sold to begin with. So in the interest of sharing, I’m posting the pics of a few of the special ones. If you find them attractive, don’t be insulted that I don't. 

Crystal Chandelier from Prague for Sale-it is gorgeous and very unique. 
I no longer have room for it. Call xxx-xxx-xxxx. New price - great gift for Christmas

$300

I think it needs to go back in the box. And sent back overseas. And fall off the boat...

$65

Based on the date on the picture, after over a year of trying to sell it, I think they need to just wrap it up in that cloth. And  throw it away.

$175

Antique Oman Chandelier

Rewiring needed

Cash only, thanks

I'm not sure I would want something that looks like a cremation urn hanging over my dining room table. Put it back into storage. For another hundred years.

Free Chandelier with frosted glass. You can also have two matching sconces not pictured if you want. All free.

There is a reason for free. I wonder if it will fit in the trash can behind it?

I think I'd be taking that little gong hammer and plinking away at each one of the crystals until it was all gone.

Gorgeous Beveled Glass Panel Chandelier Price just reduced - $310

This is a huge gorgeous beveled glass panel chandelier.The picture speaks for itself. Make your home look like a mansion.

Oh good the price has been reduced! And it's "Gorgeous"! Um, no it's not.

 Showstopper Chandelier - $600

Unforgettable chandelier is made of brushed nickel with frosted glass shades.

Showstopper? Unforgettable? There aren't enough words in the dictionary to describe this one.

 Ships Wheel LED Chandelier - ONE-OF-A-KIND - $125

Signed and Numbered (1 of 1)

There is a reason why it's 1 of 1.

The One

After lots of searching this is the one we found and are going to put up temporarily. It's a heavy brass chandelier with six lights and it's not at all like the pendant that we want but we need something in the mean time for lighting. I like it and I think it will look good until we get the Niche Modern pendant that we really like. And for $100, it was a "good find". 

Although Mrs. OSH really did not want a brass one, I think she half believed me that brass was making a come back. And I convinced her it will work until our road trip which I promised to make. 

I'm sure she won't forget that promise.

Enjoy  your weekend.

Kitchen Granite

Our base Kitchen cabinets are all installed and ready to have the countertops brought in. It was exciting to have the cabinets installed but now they just seem like boxes until the counter tops are added. With the backsplash between the countertops and window we're a little concerned about how the outlets (sideways with wires sticking out), which are required by code, will look.

The stove will go in the middle with a granite backsplash going up the wall behind it. The drawer microwave will go in the opening in the center. 

We looked at the different types of countertops that are available such as quartz, concrete, silestone and even the ones made out of recycled material but found that we kept going back to granite.

So off to the granite place, with my better half in search of the perfect piece. While there are many places to buy granite from, after receiving high recommendations we decided to go with StoneTek in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

My better half had already made one visit and brought me along on the next one to get an idea of what was available. What a place. Slabs upon slabs of hundreds of varieties and colors of granite and marble from around the world to pick rom. If you're thinking of granite or marble, the choices can be overwhelming. Plan on numerous visits and bring your paint cards...

As would be normal for me, it wasn't enough to just look at slabs and or the types of edges; I wanted to see how they were cut. I got a chance to go into the cutting area and was fortunate to be there when they were cutting a large piece.

We (OK, she) decided to go with a type called Tobacco Brown which comes from Brazil. It's mostly flecks of different shades of brown with flecks of black and clear providing just enough contrast. The large white specks in the picture are actually scratches where somebody (OK, me) dropped a heavy sharp tool on the sample.

A very close up look. While there are tons (literally and figuratively) of granite to pick from, each comes at a price from affordable to you'll need to up your mortgage not so affordable. Don't be afraid to shop around to find the right piece at the right price.

They brought in a template person (templator?) to measure the exact cuts using a laser. This was different then my last house where when I redid the kitchen they came in and made wood templates using strips of 1/4" board and a glue gun. That fit perfectly so I can only expect that this will be even better.

They put little doo dads (I can't find the name of the part and of course, I don't have a picture either) around key points on the cabinets and used the laser to obtain the exact measurement.

From the Laser Products Industries website. This gives you an idea of how the countertop is measured.

So, it been a long winter with the snow and cold and contractor doldrums but it looks like with spring on the horizon, finishing our house is too. It will great to have the counter tops installed and see what the kitchen really is going to look like. While they're cutting the stone, we have a few other things coming up such as adding some additional electrical outlets and paint should be starting soon as well.

Enjoy your week.

Banksy & Happy Valentine's Day

Yes, I know I owe an update on the counter tops but…

I was in Fairhaven (Massachusetts) the other day heading to my favorite place at any time of year, Fort Phoenix. I was sitting at a red light waiting for it to turn green when I looked across the street and saw some art work on the traffic light control box across the street. I immediately thought ”that’s a Banksy.”

Now if you’re not familiar with Banksy, he’s a world re-known graffiti artist from the UK that has left his work all over the world (I guess thus the world re-known). His work includes both paintings and sculptures. The paintings are often found on sides of buildings where they take advantage of the background and parts of the wall itself. His works are usually social statements that make the viewer think. And they do. These works of art have been known to sell for many thousands of dollars. That’s if you can get it off the wall.

At any rate, I found a place around the corner to park my car, walked over and was able to see the artwork up close and I thought it was fabulous. It was like finding an old master in a yard sale. And yet, thousands of cars had driven by and drivers and passengers probably didn’t even see it. If only they slowed down. If only they stopped and looked around them. I took my pictures, chuckled about my find and moved on.

So here it is. Maybe it’s not a Banksy, but who cares if it isn’t. It’s a great piece of art work. It makes you think. And it’s just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you.

I’m Beginning to Really Dislike Snow

 Rescued Trash & Recycing Bins

This is So Much Fun to Shovel

Iced Upped Stairs and Downspouts

After the Super Bowl Blow out we had a big storm on Wednesday. Now in Rhode Island they have this thing when it looks like it’s going to snow. Everyone runs to the store to stock up on bread and milk. You would think the entire population exists on bread and milk. And nothing else. Now the panic sets in even days earlier. After everyone up here watched last week’s ice run in Atlanta, they’re running out buying it days before the storm.

So the storm that hit us started with snow, then sleet, then rain and then snow and then hail. It sucked to put it mildly. When storms like this come you have to get outside and remove the snow before it turns to a huge block of ice. I almost made it. The snow I was moving was like a big heavy ice sponge. And then a few hours later it was an inch of frozen sleet which the snow blower just won’t work on. I can’t begin to tell you how much fun it was shoveling with the hail pinging off of your face.

There’s a little game we play up here with the snow plow drivers. We try to time removing the snow from the driveway after the plow drivers come by and leave a two foot high wall of ice at the end of the driveway. I swear they sit down the end of the street waiting. And once all the driveways are done they come by like the mailman in that Chevy Chase movie laughing maniacally while burying the end of your driveway in more stuff to shovel.

This week there was a bonus event. It was trash day. So the plows had to dodge around the trash cans and not “hit” them. Instead they’d take them out with the five foot high wall of slush leaving them in disarray up and down the street knocked over and buried in the snow banks.

And to think on Super Bowl Sunday it felt like spring was just around the corner…

On the house front, things are starting to come out of hibernation. The kitchen counters were measured for the countertops. Yay! I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.

Enjoy your weekend.

We've moved the Blog...

Yup, we’ve moved. To our new blog more aptly named for the area where we live. The old blog was named after my impatience of having our home built. It started in 2011 with our purchase and has followed us all the way to 2014 where we hope to be in our new home by April. Of this year.

So as we get closer, and in celebration of Ground Hog Day and Super Bowl Sunday (as a good a reasons as any), I’ve moved everything over to Ocean State Home. I hope you continue to read my blog and comment freely. And I’ll keep you updated as things progress.  

In the meantime, here are some pics of where we’ve been.

Enjoy your week.

The Orginal House

Demo Day

Foundation Footings

Foundation

Framing 

Ready for Siding

Winter 2014