How Sconces and Logs Come Together

There are two large logs at the perimeter of the great room that will each have a sconce. The holes need to be drilled right now for the electrical so that the carpenters can move in sequence. This is why I always want to have the actual fixtures chosen by this point.

We have sent the client, Karen, a picture of the placement of this sconce on the log, because this is a topic that she wants to have input on. In general, she likes her sconces low. I am suggesting the bottom of the sconce be at 74", shown as the bottom of the tape, but Karen prefers 69"which is indicated by the black line on the post. Not a big difference, but 69" is as low as I recommend going.

The fixture is very large - 33" high and 12" wide. It will project 12" and I do worry about people walking into it. Mainly, the scale has to work in relation to the high ceiling and the other elements in the room.

The most important information for the electrician is the location that the wire needs to be placed so that the holes are drilled in the right place. On this fixture, the backplate is at the bottom, NOT in the center. This is why we give him a notebook at the beginning of the job that has a picture of EVERY fixture, where it is located indicated on an electrical plan, the dimensions and every pertinent note. This has proved to be an invaluable tool on every large home that we do.

First SNOW! Better Hurry and Finish the Siding.

It snowed about 5" on Sunday, the 4th. At least the house is almost all buttoned up. Even so, I just don't know how the guys do it - it will be really cold in the house for the next several months. They do have propane heaters in a couple of spots, but I never love the October, November, December site visits!

Kitchen Design as A Driving Force

The kitchen may be the room most representative of the combination of styles that Karen would like to express. The clean and functional aspects will be represented by countertops, appliances, perimeter cabinets and dining table while the rustic will be prominent on the cabinetry of the island, the hood over the stove, the rockwork around the fireplace and the antler chandelier over the dining table. Black and honey colored painted perimenter cabinetry, with wood panels painted red for the splash, instead of tile, will add dimension and warmth.
The island is a very strong feature and we would like to use this walnut slab for just the lower counter that will be the eating area for the children. The light and dark tones could play off the aged white oak timbers used as corner posts and the dark barnwood used for the cabinet face and doors. Karen is worried about the children leaning up against this rough, also termed "live", edge. The cabinetmaker is sure that he can make it soft enough to work. We shall see where the controversy lands us.

There will be three pendant lights over the island, which will be fairly large cylindars made from rawhide leather. The shape is contemporary but the material is rustic. I believe we need more contemporary elements and that may come about when we consider the cabinet pulls.

The other surfaces on the island, which is shown above, will be a maple butcherblock at the vege sink and Caesarstone or Silestone, which are both man-made quartz tops, in browns and blacks.

I have also found a product called RICHLITE which we are investigating for use on the countertops. It is made from hemp and is very heat and scratch resistant. I like it for the matte finish and depth of color. There is a deep golden color that I love for the perimeter cabinets. Samples of all of these are being sent to Karen and we hope to meet in person within the next two weeks.
We are thinking of having Henry Means create a hammered black iron panel for the back wall at the stove.
List of Materials; rough white oak timbers, dark barnwood, possibly walnut slab, quartz, butcherblock, cabinetry painted black and honey colors, wood paneling painted red, black iron and slate on the flooring with stainless appliances. Decisions for the kitchen, once made, will really set the tone for the interplay of textures and tones throughout the house

Nailing Down the Exterior Lighting

Karen feels that exterior lighting is extremely important and has chosen to place 19 sconces: 4 at the front of the house, 7 at the upper back deck and 8 at the lower back deck. She has selected this sconce from Originals 22. The company is sending us samples of the mica and an acrylic lens.The acrylic lens would offer definite compliance with the "Dark Skies" ordinance, set by the Town, although the mica should comply, per the letter of the law. However, I would hate to install them all and have the Town say the mica is not dark enough

There will need to be one pendant hanging under the entry roof, at the front door. Although this Hammerton Fixture would coordinate well with the Originals 22 sconces, Karen was worried that it may be too small even with a height of 24" and a diameter of 15".


So, we are instead proposing this larger Hammerton fixture.
It is similar to one used at a neighbors home, but not the same! It is 52" high (not incl. the chain) and 36" wide. We will get their mica samples to make sure that this coordinates with the sconces. It does not have to match.


The contractor needs to know all of the particular specifications of these fixtures within the next few weeks, as the electrical is all being run for the exterior and the logs need to be drilled before the roof goes on. We have made this final decision a priority and will be constantly prodding at Karen to sign off on decisions and order the fixtures. I think that it is easier for the client to order as we go along, spreading out costs, rather than have extremely large purchases all grouped together.

CLIENT INPUT; Windows, Roofing, Stain

On the same day of the electrical walk-through, the clients also went to the glass shop to review the window choice, then to the roofer to look at the asphalt shingle sample and we all looked over stain samples for the exterior.

They did change their window choices and have opted to use sliders instead of french doors. Since the house has a contemporary/rustic aesthetic, I think this can work. We were considering a black color for the exterior cladding on the windows and this really makes a crisp and contemporary statement, to me.

We set the black window color next to the stain samples and a picture of the rock to get a feel for the combination. The Iantuanos just let us know that they prefer to go with the safer option of a very dark brown color instead of the black. They knew the brown would work and were nervous about the black. It would be awful if they had done the black and then regretted their choice forever. I have to respect that.

Electrical Walk-Through Done!

The clients came into town last week to go through the process of confirming and choosing the placement of every electrical item in the house. The client does not have to be present, indeed, for the last project our blog followed (Baumer) the clients chose to let us go it alone. Every project is a little different and with this one, the client is enjoying the process of visualizing what the house needs as it comes into being.After we had done about three rooms, Karen was exhausted and contractor joked that we were less than a quarter of the way through, so she better buck up! After five hours we were all bleary eyed but we had a good list of every fixture that will be placed and the electrician, Jeff of JB Electric, has a handle on the entire project.

We usually do the walk-through with the General Contractor (in this case Jeff Masters), the electrician, the AV person (Rod Bergman) and the client, if they choose to be there. Sometimes we discover that a ceiling is just too low for a certain type of fixture, that some beams or logs may be interfering with the previously planned placement, that there are potential dark spots that need to be addressed or that a particular vanity feels better with a pendant than a wall sconce. If we were working just from the plans, and had never stood in the house, we probably would have made several mistakes. It is also helpful to work out the switching. The locations indicated on the plans were really not the most logical option, once we were standing in the space.

Since we already had most of the fixtures chosen, we are re-working the power-point presentation to go over with the clients, inserting new fixtures for areas that we just identified and re-working a few previous choices. I also created notes on every room going over how many recessed cans there are, along with the decorative fixtures and notes as to locations. The electrician will receive a notebook with a copy of these notes, along with a set of our furniture plans that have the decorative fixtures placed and indicated and the power-point presentation of the actual fixtures. This will become a often referenced and dog-eared book by the end of the project.

BLOG INTERRUPTED: Tips On What to Bring to Rug Sale Event

We are having a rug sale event at our studio on July 2nd, 3rd and 4th and would like to invite everyone! We have a few tips on what to bring to help make finding the perfect rug an easy experience:

1. MEASURE for the sizes that you need before you come. You can see here what a difference the right rug makes!















2. Typical rug sizes are 2' x 3', 2 1/2' x 4', 3' x 5', 4' x 6', 5' x 7', 8' x 10', 9' x 12', 10' x 14', 12' x 15', 12' x 18'. This information will help you decide what will best fit your areas.

3. Bring a FLOOR PLAN, FABRIC SAMPLES, WALL COLORS, AND/OR A PHOTO OF THE ROOM to assist in your purchase.

4. In a dining room, both the table and chairs should sit on the rug, even with the chairs pulled out from the edge of the table. Typically, the rug should be at least 24" wider than the overall table width and length.

5. In a living room, we often like to have the feet or leading edges of our main furniture, especially the sofas and chairs, on the rug to create an anchored feeling. This may allow a space to feel larger. However, there are times when "floating" a rug more to the center is appropriate.

6. In a very large room, more than one rug can be used to separate the space. The rug designs should be different enough in pattern and/or colors to prevent a "matchy" look, add interest and visually create an identity for each area. The type and quality of the rugs, however, should be similar.

7. Consider the SCALE of PATTERN that would be most appropriate in the room. If all of your fabrics on pillows and drapes are a small scale, or very busy, a busy rug pattern may only confuse the eye. A larger scale pattern with more open ground may set off furnishings better than a busy print. Then again, more intricate patterns tend to create a nice backdrop, allowing other features to grab the attention first. Your PHOTOS will be invaluable in allowing us to assist you with this decision.

8. Plan on having rugs that will be placed in heavy or medium traffic areas hand-washed at least once a year. Never use methods such as dry cleaning, machine washing or steam cleaning. Rotate once a year.

9. When buying a handmade rug, make sure that it does not have a cloth backing. Generally, this means that the rug is not knotted but tufted and then glued. This type of rug tends to give off an odor and also will deteriorate over time and during cleaning.

10. If you have an old handmade rug that seems worn, don't just throw it away. It may turn out to be valuable. Bring a PICTURE to the event and we can review your options with you.

11. Area rugs are a great way to START or FINISH your room. We don't follow any rules here. Both work well and we design using both techniques.

Built-In Bunks That Fit the Space, Not The Original Vision

Bunk rooms seem to be standard in most vacation homes. The goal is usually to sleep as many children as possible, in this case, six. This is the plan drawn by the Architect. Unfortunately, the beds shown reflect only the mattress size. Once any type of framework is added, the beds will extend into the entry door.

The clients had a vision of bunks similar to these created by the contractor, Jeff Masters, on another project. While it is a great simple look, the wall with the entry door is not long enough and the wall on the other side has a window which would create an awkward arrangement.

So, we came up with a couple of alternative plans that will be able to accommodate the framework involved in the bunks:


This plan, to the left, will create it's own, cozy niche in the room. There would be shelving in each corner that can supply a space for books and lights for each of the beds. There would necessarily be a small dead space left in each corner, but with the shelving in place, no one would ever know.


The plan to the right allows for two full size bunks, with a twin bunk on the wall. The twin bunk could have that great built-in feel, with cabinets on either end, or shelving that faces into the bunk. Even the full sized bunks could feel built-in, by integrating the nightstand with the bedframes. I do feel that this arrangement could feel overwhelming in the space. I will strongly suggest the plan on the left. Once the arrangement is chosen, we will place a decorative light fixture on the ceiling to best advantage, and locate the reading light for each bed. Since we are doing the electrical walk-through at the end of this week, this will be important to nail down.

Bathroom Lighting Possibilities

While I cannot recommend specific fixtures for the bathrooms until we have a better handle on the cabinetry design, I want to give Karen a few suggestions and build our own catalog to work from, when the time to design comes. In our effort to blend the rustic with the contemporary, it is hard to say whether the light fixtures will be very rustic with other contemporary elements in the room OR whether the light fixtures will be more clean in line with a rustic vanity. We shall see......

Bunk Room Lighting Choices

Lighting choices are still being refined and the bunk room is important because the lights at the beds will need to placed "just so". The wires can be placed and run wild until the drywall goes in, but then we are committed. The contractor hates it when we have to relocate six fixtures.

We are sending the client five different options to work with the ceiling fixture shown at the top. The first two have articulated arms, which is always handy. The third would give a good strong downward directional light and there are no sharp corners that could be dangerous. I prefer the fourth one that gives good directional light downward, as well as out. Aesthetically, it is the most pleasing and makes the most interesting statement. The last one is probably the safest in terms of playful children. We'll see what Karen thinks.

Multiple Media Lay-out Options

In looking at the Media Room the way the architect has drawn it, and placing a "sectional" in front of the entertainment area, we find this just does not work. Karen had envisioned a big comfy sectional with a chaise, but this looks more like a weird loveseat. The arrangement of doors and the fireplace make this unworkable.

The fireplace can go bye-bye, thank goodness. This room is a media room and there are already fireplaces in other areas of the house. We also do not require a large entertainment center as a flat screen TV no longer requires a cabinetry event.


A large sectional with two chaises could now fit across the back wall, with either a table and chairs in the niche or two more comfortably sized chairs from which to view TV.

We usually use these handy magnets to do as many initial layouts as possible, before taking the time to enter dimensions into CAD.



We try to hit every possibility, so there were several more versions than what is seen here. However, one idea that I think is worth considering would be to remove one of the entries to the room. The one that I think could easily be eliminated is off of a stair landing. We could then play with other possibilities on the big wall. Depending on the size of the TV, this could be the best solution. Also, we could niche into the space that exists because of the planned fireplace to create a home for the components. In the other plans, the components would likely be housed in a piece of furniture to the left of the orignal landing entry.

On The Search For Personality

Continuing with our effort to find distinctive items for the Iantuano's mountain home, I came across the Danny sconce by MOTH DESIGNS. The mix of contemporary with a rustic reference seems like the perfect item for one of the guest bedrooms. I love how fun and playful this is, without being overly cute or typically nature themed.

INSPIRATION FOR THE KITCHEN

Magazines are wonderful things. They expand our visual vocabulary and allow us to expand upon our own ideas.



These are two of the inspirational magazine pictures that the client, Karen has brought to me. They may seem very different, but both homes have a simplicity that is appealing. The rusticity of the one can blend with the black cabinetry and comfy red upholstered chair of the other to create the perfect environment for Karen.

Time To FInd The Unique

The project is moving along and there is nothing pressing that the clients must decide at the moment. We can continue to look for special pieces. Small items can give a lot of bang for the buck.

These petrified wood sinks are very unique and this could be a possibility for the vessel in the powder room. Placed on a contemporary base, we can have the interplay of modern and rustic within the smallest room of the house.

Framing Takes Shape - Clients Can Visualize

The clients were in town last week and able to walk through the house. Now that the roofline is more apparent and some of the rooms have actual definition, Karen began to visualize her antler chandelier in the dining room and feel where she may want to place other light fixtures. But space can still be deceiving at this stage. Many of the ceilings will drop from where they are now in framing, as sprinkler systems and other plumbing will need to be installed and a new ceiling will be framed to enclose these elements. It is very nice that the house will be heated hydronically so that no FAU ducting will need to be run through the ceilings. This also means that there are not going to be any unsightly air return grills.

Primarily Picking Pendants

This Moroccan light fixture was an early find by Karen. She purchased three, planning on using them in the hall, the entry or the stairwell. I will also suggest using these in the living room, possibly over the coffee table. The hallway ceiling is only 9' high, so that area is not a candidate. I can see the three fixtures staggered at different heights.


In meetings over the last year we have identified several other fixtures that Karen would like to use. The large iron lantern with antlers, seen to the left, is a fantastic piece from Originals 22, one of my favorite custom lighting companies. It could also be great in the entry.

Along with the iron and antlers, we will mix in mica and twig elements. The pendants below especially help to tie everything together. The mix in this house will be wide ranging, but there is a vision that holds it together!

How to Communicate Long Distance

We create notebooks for everything! Karen has a copy of this room-by-room notebook to update as we go. There is a tab for every room with the floorplan attached to the front of the divider page. Inside will be the final space plan once decided, then pictures and information on pieces that she owns, and later, a power point presentation page showing the new pieces that will fill out the plan. A sleeve pocket is available for fabric samples.

Karen can take this on shopping trips, because she loves to find items on her own. It is also incredibly helpful to have on hand if she decides to look at tile and granite and to discuss the project with us by phone. Distance is not a limiting circumstance if we are organized.

Laying Out a Cozy Living Room

COZY is what Karen craves. She likes a room with a lot of furniture, a lot of interest and a lot of togetherness. I am striving to keep two access routes into the seating area. The fire place will undoubtedly grow larger than shown on the architect's plans, due to the rockwork, so I think we need to be flexible with the size of the console tables behind the sofas.

We have decided to work on the space plans room by room, emailing scenarios back and forth with Karen. I like to start with the living room as it seems to set the tone for the entire house. Karen already has several pieces that she would like to include. I made sure to get photographs and dimensions of each piece.

We Always Start With The Plumbing

Throughout the winter the client was able to contemplate plumbing suggestions. We put together power point presentations on each bathroom and the kitchen, based on previous meetings, so that the overall style could form.

Because the contractor will need to install the shower valves soon, we like to have all of the plumbing decisions made ahead of time.

Karen likes to mix the traditional with the contemporary, as can be seen in choices for the powder room, above.

Framing Has Begun

All of the planning that we are doing right now will put us in a great position to be ready. The major steel and framing is progressing through the winter. The very first thing that the contractor, Jeff Masters, will want from us when the framing is mostly done will be the shower valves, so, we make sure that all plumbing decisions are made before that time. The selections are almost done and will be discussed in the next blog entry. The next item on the agenda will be the electrical placement and we have been going over lighting styles for the last several months in preparation. Concurrently, we have discussed cabinetry styles with David Kuznitz, one of our favorite cabinetmakers, who is online for the project. He has had a preliminary meeting with the clients and has their project on his always busy schedule.

Starting From the Outside.....

How were the exterior materials chosen for the Iantuano home? Often, the architect specifies everything, but when we first started our relationship with the clients, these decisions had not been made. They had developed the general theme with the architect, but now the specific materials needed to be identified, at least for the materials board. Once the contractor, Jeff Masters, obtains cost estimates on the various materials, the clients may choose different options. To get the process started, we sent a few pictures of other homes in the area to try and help them understand what certain materials look like on an actual house.

They liked the idea of using a reclaimed wood for the siding, seen here on a home being remodeled a few miles away. This particular product is from Crossroads Lumber.
This rustic element would be great to carry inside the house. When juxtaposed with clean lines and contemporary accessories interest is immediately created.

Cor-ten steel roofing has become very popular in mountain areas, as seen here on another local home. It is an unsealed steel that weathers over time. After about five years, the roof appears to be a uniform rusted color. While this roof would seem to fit their aesthetic, the orange color was just not a part of the Iantuanos vision. They opted for a high quality asphalt roof instead, the Presidential in Autumn Blend by Certainteed.

Montana Moss was used on this home in the same neighborhood (left). It is very distinctive because of it's terra cotta and purple tones.

The Iantuanos prefered a more gray tone, with a little green coloration and stones that are more rectangular in shape. The final choice for the board was the Prairie Fieldstone from Select Stone in Montana (right).

Other materials chosen were Loewen Windows in Chestnut Brown and a mesquite front door from Craftsman in Wood. It will be interesting to see what all of the final materials will be, compared to the initial materials represented on the board.

New Beginnings With a Different Style

With the Baumer's home finished, many people have contacted me wanting to follow along with another project. Just as people are different, so too the process and outcome will be unique within the same sequencing, for the Iantuanos. To go along with the style of their home, we have changed the look of our blog to something a little more contemporary. Where the Baumers were very classic and traditional, the Iantuanos may inject a little more ethnic interest into the clean rustic identity that they would like to establish.
Over one year ago, we created a presentation board for the architect, Tomaro Architecture of Manhattan Beach, to have the project approved by the local town.They supplied us with photo-realistic renderings of the house on the actual lot, front and back. We obtained samples of the exterior materials, attached and labled: Front door, siding, log features, stone, windows, trim color and roofing material. A lot of clients get very scared at this point because they feel committed to so many decisions so suddenly. Realistically, any of these materials can be changed down the road, so this initial "stage fright" should not be taken too seriously.

Master Bedroom

The bed for this room was the very first item that the client, Mollie, brought us a picture of when starting her project. She loved the distressed wood finish, traditional lines and pinecone finials on the bedposts. This was a perfect starting point for the room, and actually, the style of the entire house.
The bed is from Harden Furniture, which makes a wonderful product. Because I don't like to match up my furniture in a master suite, the Woodland trunk is in a painted finish and the Antique Designs bookcase nitestands are in a darker finish than the bed. Although each piece of furniture is unique, we decided to use matching bedside lamps as a form of punctuation. Various forms of leaves became a theme as we put the room together, starting with the embroidered ferns on the bed shams, the artwork found in Yosemite and finally on the Objet Insolite lamp beside the chaise.
Just for fun, the two white throw pillows on the bed are a fluffy sheepskin, which appears again over in the sitting area (unseen) as a rug at the fireplace.
As the room came together, I did not like how close the two end posts on the bed came to the light fixture in the ceiling. I had Henry Means cut down JUST the two posts at the foot and create a copper cap on which to place the original finials. Now, the custom light fixture, from Originals 22 can have as much impact as the bed, in the overall scheme.
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Master Bath

The bathroom may not be big, but the tall ceiling with the over-size light fixture from Richard Ray, really gives the impression of spaciousness. Interesting light fixtures add personality throughout the house, avoiding recessed cans wherever possible.
The freestanding MTI Linda-Soaker tub is also a good alternative to a built in tub, which could not have fit into this narrow space. The steam shower is off to the side of the vanity, out of the frame of this picture, but it is niched into the corner, adding more personality to this compact, yet full featured bathroom. All of the plumbing fixtures are done in an Tuscan Bronze finish from Rohl and the cabinetry in this space is by Peter Grisdela of Hollywood Sierra Kitchens. The heft of the cabinet hardware, from Rocky Mountain Hardware, keeps the cabinetry from feeling overwhelmed by the scale of the light fixtures and the interplay of light and dark finishes keeps the eye moving.
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Double Guest Room

While three of the other guest rooms have king size beds, this one has two double beds. This could accommodate different possible combinations of visitors or the client's three small children can stay in this room which is on the same, upper floor as the master bedroom. The bunk rooms are two levels down, so, it is important to have rooms grouped together that the family can occupy when it is just them in the house. The leather headboards, from Harden Furniture, are actually queen size, but we attached bedframes to hold double mattresses. Queens would have fit, but it would have been extremely difficult to make the beds and not even the very small nite table would have fit. All of the fabrics used in this room have some aspect of embroidery, including the drapes and the bedskirts. The light-hearted yellow continues on in the cabinetry of the adjoining bath.

Cozy Den Under the Eaves

Every floor has a social spot and this den, on the uppermost level, is tucked in between two of the guest rooms. There are two steps down upon from the hall coming into this space and the bi-level entry adds to the cozy feeling. Figuring out how to fit the cabinetry in with the roofline was a tricky experience, which David Kuznitz solved perfectly. The cabinetry continues around the room and there is a TV opposite the Charles Pollock down sofa. We decided to bring in some geometric elements to this room to give it it's own personality. The stripes on the roman shade and the checks on the Tufenkian area rug, along with the spheres on the table lamp do the trick. One of my favorite textures, mohair, covers the two wing chairs, which are also from Charles Pollock.
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Bedroom of the Infamous Lamps

The Lamps in this room had their own blog entry back on 9/8/08 because they caused a lot of problems! Since they are a very strong feature in the room, I am glad that everything worked out. This room is intended to be more masculine in feeling and the details play to this aesthetic. The headboard is done in brown suede with nailheads and is from Hickory Chair. The striped pillows also have suede flanges and the throw pillows have a twig design that is similar to the lamp. You cannot tell from the photo, but the fabric on the roman shades is a faux bois print, which is a pattern that looks like woodgrain, from Brunschwig & Fils. The bedspread is a textured chenille fabric that also has a faux bois look. For this woodland themed room, the artwork that I found in Yosemite fits in perfectly and I am encouraging the client to fill remaining wall space in this room with vintage sepia photos of the Mammoth Lakes area. I also wonder about using a burlap type wallpaper in this room to add another layer of texture, but this is something that could be done at any time.


This room is has a relaxing simplicity that is continued in the adjoining bathroom. Vertical copper tiles from Ann Sachs create lines that repeat on the floors and walls that add interest in a a very clean and simple way. More texture is added with the sheepskin shades on the sconces and the mica in the ceiling fixture.

For more backstory on the tile selection, see the blog entry on 6/6/2008.
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Guest Room Done in Toile

For this guest room, located on the lower floor along with the bunk rooms, the game room and the media room, the feeling is a little more on the feminine side. Mollie wanted to do one room in a toile fabric and we searched far and wide for one without little french farm people. Finally, we found this one with birds done in sepia on cream from Brunschwig & Fils. The bed, from Hickory Chair, has the fabric upholstered on the headboard and footboard and it is also on the three euro shams, done with a contrasting suede flange. The mirror, a lucky find from Guildmaster, has an almost identical toile design. To keep the room from becoming too feminine, we used a woven stripe fabric on the drapes and a plain, matlesse bedcover. As in other rooms, we used a few repeating motifs. The birds from the toile design show up on the corner lamp and on a coatrack and the geometric designs of the bathroom tile can be found in the picture over the bed and the seat cushion of the Palacek chair. Although the guest rooms are not overly large, they each have a king size bed, a chair and table and a dresser or an armoire. I think any guests will be very comfortable
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Girl's Get Bunks, Too!

Not to be forgotten, the girl's needed a bunk room too! For a more feminine touch, the bunks and trim were all painted and glazed ant the polka-dots and embroidered flowers on the pillows tie into the tiles used in the attached bath, to continue the theme. We wanted to accommodate four children in this room, and the unseen trundle bed allows for the extra sleepers. Although this room is lucky enough to have a closet, we also included drawers under the bunks and had room for a small dresser. Even a custom table and chairs were able to fit into the corner. To see a little about the design process, visit the post on 5/1/08.
Each room has at least one piece of artwork to tie to the personality of the room. For this space, I found a cute needlepoint with a forest scene, in an antique shop. The round shape ties again to our polka-dots, one of the repeating motifs used the bedroom and bathroom.

Boy's Bunk Room

Most people just want to crawl right into these fun bunks.
Although the clients only have three children, they plan to share their home with lots of friends and family and it was important from the start of the project to be able to sleep six children in this room. There are actually two more beds not seen in this picture, which fold down from the wall. To view the layout, visit the post on March 10, 2008. Unfortunately, to fit everything in, there is no closet. To make up for this, there are hooks across the empty wallspace, placed low for little children, and drawers under the beds.
The bunks are made from alder, instead of walnut, for a more rustic look. They involved a lot of intricate detailing with the cabinet maker, David Kuznitz. We are very lucky to have access to such a talented and meticulous craftsman. The mattresses were custom made to be slightly more narrow and they needed to be only 7" thick, rather than the typical 14" mattresses found in most stores, otherwise, there would be no headroom. This also required custom sheets and bedding. The red flannel sheets and plaid covers only needed the additional touch of the campy, embroidered pillows from Yosemite to convey a sense of fun. We always like to include lighting for each bed and it is critcal to place this correctly very early on in the project when the wiring is going in. There are so many details to consider when doing a compact room; even the ceiling light fixture from Hammerton presented a challenge in terms of placement. The weight of the fixture even became an issue at the last minute, but everything finally came together.

The Game Room

Going all the way down the stairs, the visitor is greeted by the fun colors and themes in the Game Room. Maybe it is the colors of the balls on the pool table that pull it all together, but we started with the great, distressed leather sofa with the American flag stenciled across the back. Stars on the backs of the Lorts barstools and on the sconces from Paul Ferrante continue our theme, along with a lot of other fun touches. The copper bar and walnut paneling create the warm and cozy feeling that John was after from the start, for the room that was his main focus at the start of the project. We have quite a few previous posts for the interested viewer.
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THE KITCHEN

While this Kitchen is not located at the heart of the home, it will probably be the most popular spot to gather. It is right next to the Dining Room and steps away from the Living Room, so gathering and visiting can flow easily from space to space. Because the Kitchen is seen immediately upon entering the home, the prominent island needed to relate comfortably with the rest of the house, which is why we used walnut, instead of painting it the cream color of the perimeter cabinets. We did bleach the walnut, however, so that it did not become a dark mass at the end of the hallway. I am glad that Mollie fought to keep the other cabinetry light, which makes the Kitchen especially welcoming. The charming Kitchen table chairs are from Woodland Furniture and are upholstered in an F. Schumacher fabric. For more information on the kitchen, be sure and visit earlier posts, as quite a lot of thought went into the complicated design.

The Dining Room

Continuing on the tour, the Dining Room is located off of the Living Room and is one step up. The large, 78"x 78" square table is by Mill Creek Furniture. The single pedestal base allows for the maximum number of chairs to slide in. Nine chairs can be arranged on three sides, with a bench at the far end that could accommodate as many as four small children, in a pinch. The chairs are from Hickory Chair, upholstered in an F. Schumacher fabric with bronze nailheads. The Bench is from Woodland Furniture. The chandelier is a spectacular combination of antlers and iron oak leaves with amber crystals dropping from the branches. We designed it with Originals 22 and a life size blueprint was sent before the fixture was produced, to make sure that it was perfect.
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Living Room

After entering the house and walking through the entry area, the living room opens up on the right. Although the windows are very large and take up the entire wall, because the view mainly focuses on just the trees, the house feels very inwardly oriented. What little wall space there is, is paneled in rich walnut and the entire fireplace wall is rock. The furniture is all very warm, and the tones are consistent. The lighter rug and drapes help to float the furniture inside of all the dark walnut. The feeling is decidedly warm and cozy.
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As You Enter the House.........

I think this shot of the Entry is my favorite one, because it conveys the feeling of walking into the house for the first time and knowing that you have entered a warm, interesting and welcoming home. The trim work, beams, wainscot and walnut flooring, by Hronesh Hardwood Flooring, offer the perfect setting for the articulation of the lanterns, the detail of the railing and the beautiful furniture. The bench and table are both from Woodland furniture and their soft lines are a nice counterpoint to all of the strong features of the house. The lamp on the entry table is from Charles Pollock and it's over-size scale will be repeated by the large lanterns that would be seen as the visitor walks further into the living area. There is also a great oil painting by Silvestri over the table and a leather stitched bowl holds the colorful pomegranates

Professional Photos, For the Record

I do not have every project photographed, as it is an expensive proposition. This one certainly warrants it, however. I primarily use such shots for my portfolio and we have many wonderful images of previous work framed and hung throughout our office. I have a couple of photographers that I work with and I chose Leslie Allen for this job as she does a superior job lighting each shot, which I knew that this house would require. The natural light is not abundant and the house is definitely more inwardly oriented as a cozy retreat, rather than one that focuses on the exterior views.

Here she is shooting the kitchen, which took several hours. While she is taking shots and checking the lighting, I am styling the scene with vegetables, flowers, napkins, etc.
What is fantastic is that each shot is immediately shown on her laptop computer, which you can see her assistant, Janet looking at next to the ladder. She used to take polaroids that we would then examine with a loop, so this is much more efficient. We spent two very full days to get about a dozen shots and it was grueling cleaning up after each shot and preparing for the next, trying to catch just the right time of day. There was a little fiasco when a lampshade was damaged, and a few desperate moments when items went missing but everything turned out well in the end. Leslie has already sent me the shots digitally and we are refining a few little things, but they may be done tomorrow. I will start posting them one at a time, as I know that more than a few people cannot wait to see the results!

Loose Ends, Fixes & Repairs

Well, the Baumer's came for Thanksgiving and they were able to enjoy the house with their family. There were even able to ski and brought up a few more personal items for the house. We met to tie up the loose ends and we have a few furniture pieces that we want to re-order and exchange for them, such as a dresser in the girl's room that should really be less wide. I am happy to do this because I want the house to be right.

We will continue to address loose ends, which can fall by the wayside once a client moves in. We all have little things in our homes that we mean to get to someday and it is annoying! It is our intention to take care of whatever we need to, so that the Baumer's do not have to worry while enjoying their vacation time.

This light fixture had the glass broken during the move-in, but none of the sub-contractors would admit to having done the deed. So, we ordered the glass and will pay for the repair. The small things are not worth arguing over.

The drapes in the living room will also be coming down, as I was very unhappy with the way that the trim was applied. Ben will make a special trip up to take them down and have them back before the Baumer's arrive for Christmas. At least they were up when the professional photos were taken of the house.

It's a good thing that he is coming back for this because we discovered, thanks to the concern of th client, that the cafe curtain in the master bath was mounted too low! I had the caretaker next door look across and into the house at night with the lights on, and, sure enough, she could see more than we would have liked. So, we have re-ordered more fabric and these can be taken care and returned in time for Christmas.

The Unruly Bedposts

After everything was in place, it was apparent that we had a conflict, of sorts, in the master bedroom. I immediately had a fix in mind, but I let the clients see this on the first visit and asked them if it would be all right to change the bedposts at the foot of the bed.


Once again, Henry Means, the greatest of ironworkers and craftsman came to the rescue. He cut the post and created a copper cap, re-installing the pinecone on top.



I think the client's will be very pleased. This was just in time for the photo shoot, which makes me very happy!

Could YOU Be A PERFECT Client, Too?

I am very lucky to have had such wonderful clients throughout the years, the Baumers being at the very top of the list. They make my job, the complexity of which many people fail to understand, much easier. Any person that decides to work with a Designer, should also decide to keep the right attitude throughout the project, to achieve their own best result.

Most Designers, and I know quite a few, want their Clients to be happy more than they want to see their own visions realized. We do have the experience born of many past projects and have learned countless bits of information that a Client, who may have built less than a dozen houses in their lifetime, could possibly amass. Although we are usually right brained people, our companies always have a lot of left brain participants to keep us organized. The Client that is comfortable relying on us will move more quickly through the process than one that is constantly wary and unsure of our advice.

Choosing a Designer that you are comfortable with and whose basic taste you admire is the first critical step. Reputation is everything, not just as to design, but as to business practices so definitely ask for references and ask around. Make a stong committment to a business and personal relationship in your mind. Then, as a Client, your job is to communicate your taste, we are good at 'getting it'. When you are shown suggestions and options, don't panic if they are not right on the mark, your comments hone the next suggestions and in a fairly short time you should have a cohesive vision laid out for you. Be open to that vision. It may not be exactly what you had thought - it should be better. Communication is everything, so be prompt with responses to emailed questions and querries. Don't waste time grinding over your decisions. Don't ever panic. Don't ever get angry; you should not have to if you have received good documentation on costs and you personally approve and place a deposit before any item is ordered. Trust, but don't be blind. And understand that Designers DO and WILL make mistakes - there are just too many details to always be perfect. The good ones will admit their mistakes, take care of everything and treat you fairly on the price. You should have a contract with the Designer that spells out more than you want to know (mine is eight pages long), but you need to understand it and this will save everybody time and aggravation. Also, be aware that as a human being with a lot going on, you - the Client - will forget or misunderstand aspects of the project, so don't be too quick to place blame, which will undermine the basic TRUST that is essential. That is the nutshell version. I believe that it is the Client that drives the best results on any project, and that is why this particular project turned out spectacularly well.
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WELCOME HOME!

The Baumers arrive today to see the house for the first time in months. Of course, we sent pictures and there is the blog, but they have not actually been in the house since well before drywall. They are bringing towels and personal items to stock the house for Thanksgiving. We have given them a list of items that are not done now, such as a few knobs, seat cushions, a drape, a roman shade, etc. but that will be done in time for the next visit. I also would like to swap out a couple of pieces of furniture that don't really fit well, as the house became slightly smaller once built. The good news is, that the house looks great upon first blush and I think they will be thrilled. Only the best clients get such great results. Working with them has been a pleasure!

The Move-In Was Successful

For the big push on the fifth we brought in a pizza lunch for everybody in the house (don't worry, there were lots of handi-wipes available!). DeAnna and I were the last to leave, although DeAnna had been the on-site supervisor for the entire two days, while I took care of putting out a few fires back in the office.
Fires happen. Diane, our seamstress called, because, as she rolled out the fabric for one of the last bedcovers, she found countless flaws. The fabric is a dicontinued style. I had to choose something to replace it that was available to rush ship. I chose three fabrics, without having time to run it by the client. Luckily, my favorite was available and we received it two days later, which was yesterday. The seamstress just called me today to let me know that when she rolled out this fabric, it was short by 1/2 yard. Rather than cutting down on the length, we decided to use the backing fabric for the contrast flange, which may look even better. That was just one of the fires. We are coming right down to the wire and there are still a few finishing touches that I want to discuss with the clients when they arrive next week. Thanksgiving will be the grand finale.

This Is NOT a TV Design Show

Well, it was not snowing today, but we had enough on the ground to make the move just a little difficult. With four guys, orchestrated by my husband, Allen, the items are all moving in carefully. Allen likes me to point out that he is freakishly strong and an inspiration to all of the young guys. DeAnna is on site to make sure the pieces find their spot and has taped up a floorplan in each room. She has a book with pictures of every item, just to double check that the items are correct and then marks them off as installed.

There will be another full day of moving in pieces tomorrow with three guys and Sue and Daryl will help to remove packing, wash dishes, put together the beds, attach bedskirts and I will come up to place the artwork.

The cleaners are coming in again on Thursday, the painters will do a final touch-up on Friday, the drapes are installing on Monday of next week and the pool table should come on Tuesday. I would say that eight days to move in and set-up a house of this magnitude is about right. The TV shows that do it in a day really give the wrong impression to their viewers. I get stressed out just thinking about it. I want it right, more than I want it fast.
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Wallpaper Up - Literally

The Ralph Lauren burlap wallpaper was going up on the ceiling of the billiard room yesterday, just in time to be out of our way for the furniture that will be moving in today. Chris and Sean Johnston make it look easy and the seams are invisible - this was my greatest concern. I am SO GLAD that we decided to do this, as it makes all the difference, but in a way so subtle that visitors to the space will not even realize it's importance. If we had not done the wallpaper, however, I think any visitor would have not felt the room to be as comfortable.
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OPENING DAY ON MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN!

Before the big install, I had to get out and ski for OPENING DAY on Mammoth Mountain. It was great, and I was done by 10am (that's me on the right and Sue Jamieson on the left). It looks like this will be a fantastic Thanksgiving for all the skiers, and the Baumer's will have a perfect first Holiday to celebrate in the house.

We plan to take over one load today and then have the truck packed for another load to go first thing in the morning. We hope to have the bulk of the furnishings done tomorrow, but it is supposed to snow again! It is not fun dealing with a large move in a snowstorm, but we have done it before.

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Repeating Motifs

Throughout the house, areas or rooms have different motifs that repeat in subtle ways. At least I hope it is subtle, because I would actually prefer that the details are not immediately noticed, but rather that the overall effect is harmonious.

In Bath 4, for example, the tile has a little deco detail that is a bead of dots. We found a knob with the similar detail, as well as a mirror.



You will have to follow along to see the final pictures and you can be the judge as to how well this works.

HORRORS on HALLOWEEN

While doing a walk-thru last week, a horrible sight jumped out at me! A strip of drywall in what should be an area of the house covered in rock was just glaring out. While each sub was in the kitchen, various areas had been papered over for protection and I had not noticed that this area did not receive rock until the final paper was removed. It was on the cabinet plan as being rocked, but, it is a confusing spot where many elements come together and someone made a decision at the time to go with drywall.

I pointed this out to the contractor, Jeff, and he was not happy with me. He said NO, it is too late to change , but I was not going to give up that easily. I knew the masons were coming back to do some other finish work and, so, I charged on. The main problem is the depth; the rock would have to be very thin, so they would have to hand split the pieces. But, they had done this in other areas and this is a really small amount, right? Jeff said that it was a good thing that he likes me, because he would tell any other designer to go take a leap off a cliff. But, I knew he saw it was the best thing for the client and, of course, he took care of it. I am really thankful and thrilled with the result!
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DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?

To the untrained eye of a visitor today, this did not seem like a project within hours of having a final clean and furniture installation. It is hard to believe, but I have been through this on a few projects with Jeff Masters, and when he says it will be ready for me, I believe him. The last finish carpentry details are happening today, the last cabinet installation details and mostly the electrical finish.


I walked the house today looking at the all of the lights when turned on. I asked the electrician to place a few 'eyelids' on some of the small recessed cans and to change out the bulbs in others. The halogen bulbs in the master, seen to the right, are just too harsh, so I asked him to replace them with a soft white and to put everything on dimmers.
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CARPET TODAY!

The carpet installers have been at the house for the last two days, floating small areas of the floor at the thresholds to obtain a level surface and dealing with any other imperfections before laying the pad.
Today they are cutting the carpet and beginning the actual install.

The installers are NOT happy about the backing used on the Fabrica carpet as it is very stiff and they are worried about marring the walnut paneling in the billiard room. This particular installer refuses to ever lay Fabrica carpet again! But, the high-pick latex backing is part of what gives Fabrica the best durability and longevity in the market. The carpet itself is of such high density that the new felt backing, used by Shaw and Mowhawk, cannot keep the stitches down. According to Fabrica, if the felt was a superior material, they would use it, as all of their materials and processes are the best in the business. They recommend that the carpet acclimate in the heated house for 48 hours so that the backing is as soft as possible. Hopefully, when they begin the actual installation, the carpet will have softened up for them, as it has been laying on the heated floors.
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Bathroom Mirrors and Last Details

The carpenters are taking care of the last details this week. They are installing the door and cabinet hardware and hanging all of the bathroom mirrors, so I am making frequent trips to check that placement is correct.



We chose to use framed mirrors for almost the entire house. In several baths, I chose the moulding at Paisley Gallery and had frames made with beveled mirrors. This is one of my all time favorite mouldings, as it looks like embossed leather. I liked the way this worked with the copper topped vanity and oil rubbed bronze Rohl fixture and the Paul Ferrante light fixture.

Ever on the lookout for the last pieces we need, I found this plate stand in an antique store this last week, while in San Juan Capistrano, working on another project. I think it will be just right in the space to the right of the powder vanity. This little space was not planned, as we had to move the vanity to the left, due to the compact nature of the bathroom and the fact that the door would hit the vanity, as it was placed by the architect. I like the way this worked out however, as the light fixture is more interesting hanging slightly to the right of the mirror and now we have an opportunity to add a character piece.

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Almost Everything is Custom, Even the Sheets!

With all of our decorative bedding finished, we need to complete ordering on all of the sheets, blankets and mattress pads. While I do work with several companies that produce beautiful sheets, such as Legacy, I seem to turn to The Company Store for the majority of our needs. Although this is a mail order company available to the public, they also assign representatives to designers and offer us a discount. We have had the same rep, Paul, for as long as I can remember. Best of all, they make custom sheets, which we need for a few of our bunk beds, and their delivery times are excellent.
We like to coordinate the sheets with each room. For instance, the boys bunk room will have red flannel sheets to go with the plaid bedcovers. There is a wonderful cashmere blanket that we will use in the master and possibly the washable wool for the most of the other rooms.
Once all of the sheets are here, we will take them to the Laundry to have them washed, we will label everything as to location and be ready for the install.
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Lanterns=PERSONALITY

Light fixtures are going up everywhere and this adds a huge punch of personality to the house. Mollie just loves lanterns, and we have all kinds. the Dana Creath lanterns going down the entry hall are placed in lieu of those recessed cans that I try so assiduously to avoid.



The lanterns outside may look a little funny because they have tin plates behind each pane of glass. This was a custom adaptation as all exterior light fixtures have to meet a strict local building code, commonly referred to as the 'Dark Skies' ordinance. If this seems extreme it is; the Town of Mammoth Lakes has a written code that does allow for an obscured glass and lower wattage light bulbs, but in the last house I worked on, they demanded that the glass be painted dark, in fear that the homeowners may use a higher wattage bulb. So, I thought we would comply completely and when they become more reasonable, or if the Baumer's decide to fight for their right to lower wattages, the tin plates can simply be removed.

RAILINGS IN PLACE

Henry has been waiting for the last of the stair treads to be set and is currently installing all of the interior railings. They area a strong and impressive feature in the house.

After this, he will move to the copper bartop and panels in the billiard room, the plate rails on the island in the kitchen and can take care of some custom iron corbels in the muddroom. He hopes to have all of his work completed by the end of next week and has spent 16+ hours almost every day this week to keep on schedule. No matter how hard we try, it seems as if these large, new homes always come down to a mad crush at the end, and I am just grateful that everyone working on the job understands the importance of their part and feels such a responsibilty to the success of the project.

Why Custom Sew, When There's Bed, Bath and Beyond ?

Because the fabrics chosen earlier on in the process were so critical in driving the entire palette and character of the house, how they are used is very important. In many new homes, this is the point where the owner may just run out to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy all of the bedding and pillows, but in a well planned interior this is a critical element in the design that is addressed at the front end of the project, not the back end.

Although many designers order their custom sewing items through workrooms, I have always used local seamstresses . I have two wonderful people that I can communicate with to get what I need. We use our own worksheets to calculate yardages and separate ones to explain the design and construction. Where the fringe is applied, how the stripes are turned on a flange, where to place the decorative trim is all spelled out.

Two items that deserves specific attention are usually the bedskirt and bedcover, because every bed frame is different and measurements need to be precise. I like to put the actual bed together to get the accurate information. For this bed, we had a choice of where to mount the slats, determining where the box spring would sit and, so, how long the drop should be on the sides of the bedcover. Of course, we also need to know the depth of the boxspring and the mattress.

The drop on the bedskirt is also critical, as is where the skirt is mounted; with velcro from the underside of the rail or sewn onto lining that drops over the boxspring. In the latter case I always have a 3" deck sewn at the top of the skirt, so that if the mattress shifts, you do not see white lining. The skirts are always lined and sometimes have contrasting trim. They may be gathered or pleated and there are many other possible details. Skirts should always be a custom item, as the ready-made versions do not have any of the details that make them fit correctly and hang beautifully.

So, as all of the pieces are finished, we bag them and tag them and put them into storage. These will be some of the last items to go in to the house, and they certainly are a Finishing Touch.

YOSEMITE TRIP FINDS ARTWORK

I took a quick inpirational trip to Yosemite Valley this weekend, which is about 2 1/2 hours away. I stayed at the Ahwahnee Hotel and took about a hundred pictures of the painting, woodwork and many details. I even did some shopping for the Baumers. I found these great limited edition prints of woodcuts by Della Hoss at the Ansel Adams Gallery, that I am going to float on a dark brown matt board and frame with a distressed black frame. They will be great in the bedroom that has a dark brown suede headboard and the infamous twig lamps (see earlier post).

I also loved the simple clarity of this Western Redbud limited edition print by Sally Owens. I am thinking that it will work very well in the master bedroom and have framed it accordingly.
This pottery piece has what looks a lot like the willow leaves that are common to our area. I think this will be showcased nicely in the plate rack that is on the side of the kitchen island that faces entry. The calm neutral tone will be offset by the walnut of the island and tie to the perimeter cabinetry that is a cream color.



The embroidered pillow from the Ahwahnee gift shop is very fun and campy and four of these will be great on the boy's bunk beds. The bedcovers are a brown and red plaid and the sheets are red.





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Agony in the Details

The saying that 'God is in the Details' is something I truly understand, but, there is a lot of agony that goes along with working through all of the details. Take something as simple as installing this faucet, an act that required the input of several people.

When Martin, from Southland Marble came to install the splash for the master vanity, he found that the faucet could no longer fit where the hole was drilled. The problem was that while the sink, which is certainly not overly-large, was cut into the counter as closely as possible to the front of the vanity, there was still not enough room on the backside for the holes the marble splash and the wood piece that is part of the cabinetry. We are talking fractions of an inch, here. I was called. The easiest fix seemed to be the removal of the wood piece, but the mirror had already been cut to fit the existing situation. We discussed notching the backsplash but decided that would not look right. Then, we decided to remove the marble splash completely, but Peter, of Hollywood Sierra (the designer of this particular cabinetry) brought up the point that this would eventually become water damaged. So, I dragged the plumber in and had him really look at the situation much more closely under the sink. He decided that we actually could get another 1/16" and so the hole was drilled out an 1/16" closer to the sink and, Voila!
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BRIDGE COLLAPSES, BUT WE'RE OK

This weekend I got a text from the client, John, asking me about the bridge collapse that happened just past the entrance to the Greyhawk neighborhood, on the Lake Mary Road. I was out of town, so this came as a surprise. Luckily, no one was hurt and it will not effect this project, but a lot of homes under construction in Juniper Ridge are going to have a hard time of it. The ski area swears it will all be repaired by Thanksgiving, otherwise, nobody will be able to ski into the Juniper Springs Lodge area. It sounds as if the road construction that went on all summer may have weakened the foundation, but, maybe the engineering of the original bridge was not up to snuff.
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SNOW again in October

We had about 8" of snow over the last weekend and this is what it looked like today.

WHAT COLOR WILL MY RINGS BE?

Rings for recessed cans, that is. I am truly bothered when I walk into a nice house and look up to see white rings (or another inappropriate color) on the trim of the recessed can lighting. There is such a simple solution and, although we are in a hurry, I can never let this detail slip by. Although I try to minimize the number of recessed cans at the outset of the project, they are often the best way to functionally illuminate many spaces. Even with the MANY decorative fixtures in this house, there are quite a few can lights.

So, I like to have the painter lay them out and spray paint them in either the same color of the drywall ceiling, or a color that I select to "go away" if the ceiling is wood or wallpapered. The painter can have the paint put into a spray can at the paint store. I created a separate paint spec, just for the rings and tried to minimize the number of different colors of paint, winding up with only four. We have several different colors of white used on some of the drywall lids and I was able to use just two white's, overall, for those areas. There are no excuses for ugly rings!

Gender Specific Bunks

The girls bunks have been primed and are being sanded, ready for paint. The color will be Pittsburg Paint Olive Sprig. The crown of the room and the window are all integrated with the bunks and so, all of the woodwork in this room will be painted the Olive Sprig Color. The electrical locations were carefully located early on so that each bunk will have it's own switched reading light. This was one of the reasons that we designed the bunk rooms very early on in the process (see posts on 3-10-08 and 5-1-08). This room will also have a trundle bed and a small game table with a great pendant light dropped over it.

The boy's bunks were done in knotty alder and stained a color slightly lighter than the rest of the woodwork in the house. The window and crown details in the room were treated the same way. This room has two murphy style wallbeds that pull down into the room, sleeping six in this fairly small area. We chose twig style pulls from Rocky Mountain Hardware for the murphy beds and the light fixture is from Hammerton and has a rustic flair for this more masculine room.

ARTWORK & ACCESSORIES

These are just a few of the pieces of artwork and accessories that we have suggested for the house. I love the antique reproduction lithographs, which I took and had custom matted and framed. While in Vegas at the World Market, I found a few prints, such as the pine in the bottom left, which I thought were very well done and the fun game pins are from a company by the name of Guildmaster. There are many other pieces that we found to start things off, although, I know that the clients will collect through the years and add personal photos, as well. That is the best way to make a house a home.

How High the Chandelier?

I like to be present when a chandelier such as this is hung, to get it right where it should be. Once in, I would incur the wrath of the contractor and electricians if I decided I wanted it a "just a little higher" or " just a tad lower".

This chandelier came with a certain amount of chain, as well as four of the hanging pieces, seen below. This gave us a few different ways to adjust the drop.



If we had used all of the chains and arms, the chandelier would have been 2' off the floor. By eliminating the chains, it was still too low. I decided to also take off the shorter arm and the center ring on the hanging pieces and that took the chandelier to the perfect spot. It will be seen through the upper window at night and will not conflict with artwork hung over the fireplace. It feels right whether viewed from the vantage point of the loft or from the seating area in the living room.

WINDOW OUT, CHANDELIER IN

Taking windows out to get large items in, even in new construction, is more common than you would think. This house does not have any french doors and there are no large openings that would accommodate this chandelier from Hammerton. We had been planning on this event for some time, but had to wait for all of the stain and lacquer work to be done on the ceiling and the wood floor to be installed and covered. We especially wanted to do this before the snow - it can be a real nightmare in stormy weather! At least we didn't have to use a crane, that is often necessary when the item needs to go to an upper floor.

Occasionally, we can bring in a large light fixtures during framing, before the windows are installed and then the contractor has to work around it. However, if you look at some of the previous posts, you will see that this house had so much masonry and woodwork going on, that there was rarely any room for anything to be added to the picture.
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Kitchen Masonry Done

From the last post to now, the masonry has been done!. The rock in the kitchen and the dining room really balances all of the rock used in the Living Room on the fireplace wall, but, what I really love is the feeling of substance given to the house. The character of this house is beginning to shine through.

Small Amount of Tile acts as a Big Link

The tile in the kitchen is minimal, yet it adds a homey detail. The subway tile is from Mosaic House and is a very irregular and handmade product. The subtle color variations are part of it's charm and also part of what will link together the stone masonry, which you can see is being prepped for installation, the honed seagrass limestone on the island (seen below) and the brown leather granite on the perimeter counters.

The hood has been installed and you can see why the front panel had to be removable (discussed in an earlier post) to access the ductwork. I should be able to make a post in the next week, or so, showing the masonry installed and the cabinetry glazed. The appliances were delivered from Standards of Excellence in Reno, this week and installed by the contractor. The kitchen is definitely the most labor intensive area in the house because of the many different components and layers. The scheduling of the different trades needs to be exact to keep the schedule of completion for this project on track.

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Quick Fix for an OOPS!

The electrician called me to ask where the light fixtures were for the back wall by the jacuzzi area. OOPS! Way back in August of '07, when we did the electrical walk-thru, this area of the house was not accessible and we missed these two (actually, there are three) locations in our count. My first thought was a little tinged with panic, as our other exterior light fixtures are from Dana Creath and took almost six months to get. But, the fixtures for the back of the house are not seen, from any vantage point, with the other exterior fixtures.



So, I thought about the fixtures in the Spa Bath area. There is this one from Ainsworth Noah that Mollie loves. I remembered seeing a similar design in our new TROY LIGHTING catalog, which would be great, because their fixtures are usually in stock.








A quick check found that these fixtures were in stock. The next step was to send a picture to the clients to see if they like the fixture. The fixtures were approved, ordered and are on their way.

HUNDREDS DELIVERED!

Hundreds of pieces of door hardware were delivered yesterday! Doorstops, thumbturns, escutcheons, slide pulls, handles to the left, handles to the right, etc., etc. Every single one has to be checked against the order and examined for the correct finish and properties. Then, they were separated into boxes and everything was tagged as to location and who did the inspection. After delivery, these tags are filed so that there is a trail if there are any problems later in the process. This is just one of the many reasons why to hire a designer! Would you want to do this?

COPPER Enters the Scene

The kitchen hood had to be a custom piece, because of the way that it integrates into masonry surrounding the cooking area. Since Henry Means can figure out how to make anything work, I was not worried.

The front panel slides up and can then pop-out so that the flue can be accessed. The hood is built around a unit from Vent-a-Hood. He knew how important this hood was to the schedule and spent three 16 hour days to get it done.


Henry will use several different acid washes to patina the copper, which will end up looking more like the panel from the billiard room bar, seen here, to the right. The bar will have several panels of copper across the front and the top of the bar will be copper, as well. We plan to use nailheads around the apron, a motif found on several pieces of furniture in the same room. Henry will start work on that in the next few days. We decided to use granite for the lower section of the bar, where the sink is located, as we had plenty of material left over from other areas of the house and it will be an interesting combination.

Bathroom Finishing Touches

All of the Mirrors, cabinet hardware, towel bars, towel rings, hooks, etc. were put together in a Power Point presentation, arranged by bathroom, and sent to Mollie. Each bath has an individual mirror, based on the size available, which is often determined by the placement of the lighting (such as side sconces). We chose mirrors that have the character associated with each attached bedroom and the cabinetry in the bath.

The hardware is also different in each bath, based on the character. Bedroom 5 is planned as a more masculine room, done with black iron, bronze, the infamous twig lamps (from an earlier post) and generally strong features. For Bath 5, seen here, we chose an oval mirror to fit between the sconces, but it is chunkier and more masculine than the mirror that is in the 'feminine room'. The Rocky Mountain Hardware fixtures have a strong, square motif, rather than the round or more highly decorative items used elsewhere.

We like to present these elements together to make it easier for the client than just receiving a proposal with the items listed. So, everything has now been ordered and can be installed in time for the move-in.

Choosing The Mattresses

Mattresses are tricky. Either a client knows exactly what they want and where to buy it and can get it from that place to Mammoth Lakes, OR, they have to trust me. The styles of mattress, even if from the same manufacturer, are sold under different names at every store. There is not a good way to compare "apples to apples".

So, while in Las Vegas last week, I stopped at the World Market Center to meet with my rep from Five Star Mattress, who flew in just to meet me to go over their new, improved line. Five Star is a line made by Serta and they ship out of Southern California. That, and the fact that their high end mattresses are very good and that they will work with me, has made them my mattress of choice. I spent about an hour there, with another designer, laying on each bed, sitting on each bed, bouncing around and comparing one to another, while taking notes.

I know that the client wants a soft top, but a firm- not hard- overall mattress. The top of the line pillow top seemed just a little to soft for me while the Euro-top shown here, seemed just a little less so. We will order five Eastern King sets, 2 double sets and 4 twin mattresses only for the bunk beds. We will have to order custom twin mattresses from another company to fit our odd-sized bunk beds. I am initiating the order now so that we have time to work out the shipping and delivery, often a chore because of our location.
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Something is Wrong.......

Besides the mountain of paint cans, what do you primarily notice about this room? For me, it has been the ceiling and I eye it every time I am in the house, until I decided that something had to be done. This is the billiard room and it is at the bottom of the house with a fairly low ceiling that is massively overbearing. Normally, we would have a great billiard light fixture over the table in the center, but, this was eliminated early on so that the billiard table could be converted to a ping-pong table, in which case, a fixture would be in the way.

I sent Mollie several textured wallpaper options. Some had a pattern of squares, which I liked for their ability to really break up this mass. But, Mollie really does prefer the subtle effect in all things and we arrived at a simple burlap by Folia, Ralph Lauren in a Khaki color. This will soften the look of the ceiling by reducing any glare, as well as minimizing the contrast between the darker, paneled walls. While subtle, the texture is identifiable and I think a cozy effect will be achieved for the space.

JUST DO IT

Things are getting serious. Jeff has signed his name on the calendar with a finish date of October 31st and added a check list of the items left. The "JUST DO IT." sign greets every person upon entry.

WOOD FLOORS GOING DOWN

Hronesh Hardwood Flooring is installing the wood floors this week. Seen here, is the master bedroom, and the flooring moves out into the hallway area and also into the den/library which is on the same floor. On the main floor, the hallway, living room and dining room are all wood, as well as all of the stairs. On the lower level, only the hallway is wood. The billiard room and all secondary bedrooms will have carpet. The wood is distressed walnut and we chose this very early on in the process.
The area rugs that will be used throughout are fairly light in tone, which will draw the eye to certain focal points and create light pools within a space. Seen here, is the strike off that we had made for the living room rug. This was done almost a year ago, as soon as we had the fabrics selected, after our first meeting. The strike off took three months to get, so I like to get right on this. We had a light and a dark version made and this prompted us to decide on going with the lighter rugs throughout the house, as a theme. The rug itself is made in Tibet, by NEW MOON, and took another six months after date of order. We JUST received it today - good timing!

Of course, even further back in the process, the hydronic heating system was installed throughout the house. Most of the new construction projects that we work on have gone to hydronics for heating. There are quite a few areas where the controls come together that need to be accessed, and we help to coordinate the placement within areas such as closets and often have to consider how to configure cabinetry around these areas. I do like the fact that there are absolutely no air vents throughout the house, as would be the case with a forced air system. Dean's plumbing is responsible for installing and maintaining the system. From what I understand, the initial cost of this heating system is higher and takes about five years to pay for itself.

COMPLETION ON THE HORIZON

When the calendar appears, you know that time is getting short! The countdown has officially begun as Jeff, the contractor, has committed to being done and cleaned up by the end of October. I am scheduled to deliver the light fixtures tomorrow and then all of the furniture the first week of November. The clients intend to bring up a lot of personal items that week to get the house ready for Thanksgiving. They may also want to ship boxes to me so that we can arrange their items in the house, depending on their schedule. Mollie plans to buy all of the kitchen items and towels, but we will be more than happy to wash everything and put it away, right down to the toothpaste in the drawer.

Shower Enclosures: The Compromises Continue

We thought the shower enclosure decisions were made, but, things happen. Now that the tile is finished, Rick from Perry's Glass came to do a final measure and immediately called both me and Jeff, the contractor. The compact nature of some of the bathrooms does not allow for a glass door to open into the room without hitting the toilet. By code, the opening does need to be 24". Any smaller and it would be difficult to maneuver. We could change the toilet, in one of the cases, to a shorter bowl, thereby gaining two inches, but the ADA toilet is preferable, in this case. This is a case where just a few inches makes a difference! This was a big concern for the bath that is on the main floor and intended for use by people who may need assistance. Any assistance would be impossible and dangerous with the glass, so, after discussing this with Mollie, we have decided to go with a shower curtain in just this one bathroom. We will use a Rocky Mountain Hardware grab bar and shower curtain rod. We will choose a great fabric for the exterior of the curtain and hang the plastic one inside, with a cut-out for the seat area. Tie backs can keep the look neat when the curtain is not in use. Unfortunately, two of the other baths will have to have sliding doors. The only reason that is unfortunate is the track required at the top of the glass, but it will be done in an oil rubbed bronze finish and tie in nicely.

Granite is Delivered and Installed

Southland Marble is here from Van Nuys to install the granite and marble countertops. The templates were made several weeks ago, requiring that all of the sinks be on site. Now that the prepared slabs are here, the holes for the faucets are being drilled and the cabinets are taking on more character.



We have a mix of marble and granite, honed and polished, depending on the tile in each area of the house. The kitchen has two different edge details. One is a very simple bevel with a butt joint apron on the honed, brown leather granite.

Then, the island has a very plain feather miter with apron for the edge, although there is a a mix of wood counters and honed seagrass limestone. Using different materials with different edge detaisl on islands can be a nice change of pace in kitchens. Everything does not have to be the same! In this case, since the island has so much going on (see previous blog entries), the simple edge seemed more appropriate.

In fact, several of the bathrooms have different edge details from what is seen here. The master bath has an ogee edge detail and the house has about five different types of material, overall. We still need to pick a material for the billiard room bar and I am calling Mollie as soon as I sign off here to discuss the choice. The area has been templated and will be ready for install in a couple of weeks, so Southland will return to do that counter and finish a couple of bathroom splashes. Or, we could still choose to do a wood top or even a metal type of top, such as copper. The front of the bar will have metal panels that we are in the process of designing now. Mollie and John can think about it over the weekend and we can come to a decision on Monday.

The Better Practices Network and How to Deliver a Lamp

There were no blog entries last week as I was at a conference in Las Vegas for The Better Practices Network. I am privileged to be a member of this select group of Interior Designers from across the nation that share a commitment to excellence and honor in all business practices. We share ideas and procedures openly, as well as warnings about vendors and showrooms to be wary of or avoid.

This project was a topic, unfortunately related to a horror story about the lamp seen here.

Would you believe that the cost of shipping for two of these lamps was almost $1,000? Well, it must have come from half-way around the world, that may explain it. No, actually. It came from San Francisco, about 350 miles away, in the same state of California in which I am located! We purchased these Ironies lamps from the showroom of Kneedler-Fauchere.

Unfortunately, the invoice was paid by my bookkeeper. We have never had to warn her to be on the look-out for obscenely extreme shipping charges. Then, the client was invoiced. Now, the client is no fool and when he saw this there was an immediate e-mail to STOP the lamps. Too late, they were here. Apparently, some guy associated with ENB Express Delivery, Inc. drove them here from San Francisco in a gold plated car.

Now, the client will not have to pay for this and I did not bother him with the list of excuses such as I received from Kneedler-Fauchere. There is no excuse for this. I am pursuing the matter with Kneedler-Fauchere, who should pay me and then, in their turn, pursue the matter with Ironies, who should pay Kneedler-Fauchere. Ironies should pursue the matter with the company that they chose and contracted to deliver; ENB. The chain may end with me, if Kneedler-Fauchere does not understand the concept of customer Service, but I understand the power of customer satisfaction, referrals and reputation. Unfortunately for Kneedler-Fauchere, they did not only lose a single designer's esteem and business, but potentially at least one hundred - the number of members in The Better Practices Network. However, they may yet save themselves and choose to act honorably, I'll let you know.

Kitchen Cabinet Paint Choices

With all the wood in this house, I am glad that Mollie stood firm on the painted kitchen cabinets. She has always envisioned a cream color or a mossy green. We chose a green that I particularly like - Pittsburgh Paints Bamboo Screen - and used a soft, caramel color glaze on top. It is likely that the desk, which is in a far corner and separate from the other cabinets will be the green color.

The main, perimeter cabinets will be the cream color. I like the lower sample, as it will be a softer contrast than the brighter one. The color is Pittsburgh Paints Sand Dollar and we will use a very slight caramel glaze on top, mainly to catch in the detailing and add depth.

The dilema is whether to paint the beadboard backs of the cabinets green. We don't want the look to be busy. One option may be to use a lighter version of the bamboo screen so that the difference is very subtle. We will have to have Chantal make a sample to see how that looks.

Landscaping Before Fall

Although we only get a few months of summer, the landscaping makes a huge impact for those few months. There is just enough lawn to contrast with the house, otherwise, native bushes and trees fill out the area. Most of the trees were planted around the back, right side of the house to surround the hot tub deck - a mix of pine and aspen. Bravo Gardens is responsible for this latest addition the 'almost' finished home.

STONE FLOORING; The Light and Dark of It

The stone tile for the entry, mudd room, kitchen, laundry and a couple of the bathrooms is a travertine with chiseled edge detail. Rather than using the usual lighter, cream color, the chosen stone is a light brown mottled version that will create less contrast with all of the walnut wood in the house.

The architecture of the house is cozy in nature, without a lot of natural light. When very light, bright colors and white are used next to darker areas, the level of contrast can actually strengthen the perception of darkness and make some elements seem more ominous. For this house, softening the contrast, whenever possible, rather than accentuating strong outlines and edges, will engender a feeling of warmth, especially in the snowy winter.

Paint Color Adjustment

I chose the color for the Powder Bath walls, based on the extremely interesting tile. The Vanity is an off-white color and we thought a copper color on the wall would really pop it out. Powder rooms are the one spot in the house where I think a little extra drama can be employed. But this has been bothering me and, after meeting with Richard Baldassi to choose the grout color, I decided that the copper should probably go. It is just not in keeping with the client's taste. So, I created a change to the spec and called the painter. I am changing the color to Pittsburgh Paints 'Spiced Vinegar' which is actually about the color of the grout -Custom Building Products 'Summer Wheat'. Choosing these colors was best done after the tile was installed - seeing it in place really made a diffence for me.

I had sent some update pictures to the client, Mollie, including this one and got an immediate call back - she did not like the drama at all! I think it a good idea to push the boundaries with some clients, but, I do always remember that the house we are working on is theirs and I really did know better in this case. The second coat will be more appropriate for this home.

Windowcovering Dilemas

I met with Ben, my windowcovering fabricator, to go over the smallest details before we order. There are some very tricky spots where almost any type of treatment will be difficult. On the window in the master sitting area, an arched roman shade would be bulky and akward, having to be mounted above the line of the bookcase. We obviously cannot do a drape on the left side, as the window cuts in above the base of the bookcase. Luckily, there is enough room to the right of the window to stack the entire drapery, creating a one-way draw drape.

Another situation requiring a solution: the windows located inside two of the showers are wood and they have very little room to mount any type of treatment because of the operating hardware and interior screens. We can mount to the interior if the screens are not used, so I will let the contractor know. We plan to use PVC blinds in a neutral off-white color. They will be 1" louvers that look like wood blinds. The contractor could have ordered obscure glass, but the view is too good to give up. Unfortunately, some of the neighbors may have a different view if something is not done.

DOOR HARDWARE - A TOUCHING EXPERIENCE

The first thing you touch when entering a house is the door hardware. It you touch something that feels insubstantial or uncomfortable it can set the tone for the entire experience of that home. In fact, when you think about it, the door handles are a 'touch' experience throughout a home. That is why we became a dealer for what we consider to be the best quality hardware available - Rocky Mountain Hardware. They are hand-cast bronze with a hand applied patina. The finish is unsealed so it does react with the environment to create a unique patina. The handles feel important and look interesting and individual.


The doors at the Baumer's are now ready for hardware, since they have been installed and stained. They were ordered 'undrilled', so the correct holes will still need to be drilled, based on the hardware chosen. The contractor gave us a list of all the doors, noting which side the hinges are located. From that list we created a specification for all of the parts required.


The style for the interior doors chosen by Mollie several months ago, at one of our meetings, has a handle, rather than a knob. This will require specific ordering of left and/or right hand levers. We are also ordering separate thumbturns on a separate escutcheon for the doors that need to lock. This is a high end feature, as opposed to having a small pin located on the escutcheon of the handle to lock the door. The actual handle will be the Beaver Tail and the finish will be medium bronze.

Nicole and I scheduled a meeting to walk the house with Mike, a carpenter on the project, to verify that we had an accurate list . During our walk through we did make several changes from the original list we were given. We also identified several areas that were not properly specified and doors that we were not sure if the client would want to lock or not. We cannot be sure what a client may want, as second homes will be used by friends and family and the client may have specific ideas about how areas will be used. After going over this with the client, I altered the list accordingly.

Rocky Mountain has a lead time of eight weeks, but we have been recieving product in less than three weeks. We did order the front door hardware a few weeks ago, since we want to be able to install the front door and have the ability to lock the house. We will also be ordering all of the cabinet hardware from Rocky Mountain and that Proposal is in process. There is something to do every day!

Final Stain Application

Getting the stain the way I want it to look has been a challenge. The first applications were too dark, although the painter used the stain we specified and used to create samples. We found that the walnut needed to be sanded with 220, not 180 and this made all the difference. The wood needs more of a polished finish so that it does not accept the stain as readily. Now, the beautiful grain of the walnut can be seen and there is a feeling of warmth rather than overwhelming darkness. The doug fir post, seen at the right of the stained walnut strip, will receive a glaze coat allowing some of the lighter color seen here to come through.

CABINET SAGA CONTINUES

Choosing the cabinetmakers early on in the process was a big priority, as this is a major element in any house. This is the subject of one of my initial posts. The installation of the custom pieces, such as the cabinet/bench in the spa room, take a lot of tender loving care by David Kuznitz and his craftsmen. The sequence of the paint, flooring,tile and masonry all needs to be coordinated with the installation and timed just right. Then, the pieces will need to be finished carefully in a dust free environment. The completion date of the house hinges greatly on the cabinet schedule. The contractor, Jeff Masters, plans to have this house ready by the end of October so, you can see how much needs to happen in just a few very short months.

Because of David's workload, the decision was made early on to bring in Peter Grisdela of Hollywood Sierra to do the bathroom cabinetry, as well as the cabinetry in the master bedroom. This product comes pre-finished but the look and quality is great. These master cabinets had to be installed before the masonry on the fireplace, otherwise the side of the cabinets would have to be scribed to the rock which would cost in terms of time and money.

Progress on Stairs and Fireplace

The stair discussion mentioned in the blog last week resulted in this change to the architects plans. Much Better.

The masonry on the fireplace is almost complete.

WINDOWCOVERINGS: A Finishing Touch

For me, a house is not done until the windowcoverings are installed. More than almost any other element, this signals that a house is a home. Unfortunately, because this is an expense realized at the end of a project, and because to do it right can be costly, many people choose to leave the windows bare or put up inexpensive blinds. The rationale usually being that the view is preferable to fabric. I don't agree with that line of thought because drapes can be held off the glass with tie-backs and roman shades can be mounted above the window.

That said, the details of this house present me with a few challenges in terms of keeping off the glass. In the living area, seen above, there is very little space between the windows and doors in which to stack the drapery panels. A little glass will have to be covered, although the tie backs at each juncture will keep the windows in trim. The tiebacks, pictured at left are from Ralph Lauren/Folia. They fit the rustic nature of the house and are not overly formal.

By limiting the fullness of the drapes, further encroachment upon the glass can be minimized. The drapery rods will be iron with rings - I almost never use a traverse rod or pinch pleated draperies. Besides creating a larger drapery stack, I don't like the style. The rustic finish on an iron rod fits this project and the decorative finial appears as a stylized pinecone. For the Living Room, the plaid, wool Ralph Lauren fabric seen below will make up the draperies. They lining will be a lightweight ivory fabric

There are many windows that will function and look better with roman shades. I may use a few that are the soft style and a few that are more tailored, referred to as flat-fold. The problem with these is that the screens of the windows all open in to the house and the blinds can only be mounted just above the window in the flat face of the crown moulding. With a strong crown on the trim such as these, it would be ridiculous to cover the element over with fabric. We knew there would be a trade-off when we designed the window trim. Usually, knowing this, I make sure that the flat face of the crown is very large so that I can mount to it and have more space. However, most of the windows in this house have very little space between the tops of the window and the ceilings. I let the style of the house guide me on the compromise.

So, since the majority of the windows are now trimmed, we have measured and can determine yardages and labor costs to put together the quote for the Baumers. The majority of the windowcovering fabrics were chosen several months ago in conjunction with the furnishings and bedding fabrics. We have been checking stock and availability on a regular basis and have had to purchase the fabric needed for a couple of the rooms, as the patterns have been discontinued and there will be no more stock available. Once we order all of the fabrics, my fabricator will have to return for a final measure. Ben comes up from Southern California and we schedule him about once a month for measures and installs. We are very lucky to have a good and long standing relationship with him, to supply this most important element

One Complicated Island

The kitchen island is being installed before the other cabinetry. Like many islands, this one will have a sink, requiring the correct placement of plumbing early on in the project. However, this is one complicated island, requiring the attention of many different people. The electrician is wiring for the dish drawer, microwave, pop-up television, toaster and coffeemaker, while we go over the ironwork details on the attached kitchen table and the cabinet installer fits intricate mouldings.

It would be impossible to achieve this result working with stock cabinetry. The hours of design required were well worth the investment for the client. This kitchen, which is relatively small for a house with seven bedrooms and which has only two short walls, will have every possible need fullfilled through the creative use of space and design.

STAIRS: Topic of The Day

Today was incredibly busy at the house. When I walked in, it seemed almost like a party. I was able address items with the painting, tile, masonry, flooring, and electrical contractors although I was there with the General Contractor, Jeff Masters, the ironworker Henry Means and cabinetmaker David Kuznitz to specifically go over the railing design.

Henry brought a mock-up of the post for us to approve and to see how it would interact in the design. On the lower level, seen at left, we decided to flare the stairs out to create a more spacious feeling of entry. The posts will be set out to each side, on the bottom tread. Dealing with the intracacies required input from all of us. I want to make sure the overall vision is achieved, David's artistic sense was especially helpful and Henry's eye for detail solved problems with how to turn corners and marry the skirt on the sides, moulding detail and railings. Of Course, Jeff has the final say on what will be done, ever tempered by thoughts of fiscal responsibility.

The corner on the main level, seen at right, was especially difficult to deal with. Henry and Mike Owens were able to come up with a very specific solution.

The railing will be entirely iron, although the posts are actually sleeves which will drop right over a wood post that is set first into the floor.

As you can see in the picture on the left, there should be a pony wall built on the right side of the stairs for the railing design to make sense. This was built per the Architects drawing, but everyone agreed it was not working and needs to be addressed. Once the stairs are extended on the lower level and the pony wall is built on the main level, Henry can take final measurments and put together all of the parts before installing.

EXTERIOR: Railings in Progress

The exterior railings are installed but they look a little stark. Once the rust finish is applied, the appearance will be more subtle. We will take a picture for comparison and feature that in a later blog. For a closer look at the detail, see the blog posting on 4/4/08.

Interior Masonry, As Promised

Right on schedule, the masonry is going up on the fireplace wall.


The floor of the entire room is covered by a pile of rock as the masons select what they need and chisel away at each rock to arrive at the perfect fit.









Once this is done, they will move on to the dining room walls. Before they start in that area, wood plates will be inserted in the area that the drapery brackets will attach to. If we had not addressed this issue, once the rock was in, there would be no way to attach and support the drapery hardware.

The Front Door; How Many Steps Does it Take to Get One?

One simple element to a house involves so many decisions and steps to completion. Take the front door, for example. First, we had to design the door; working with David Kuznitz, we came up with some basic design concepts, based on the style of the interior doors and cabinetry. DeAnna created images using the 3-D software, Sketch Up so that the client could visualize the differences.

We wanted the front door to have a distinct identity, but still relate to the other doors in the house. Although the other doors in the house are walnut, as well as most of the stain-grade cabinetry, we decided to use doug fir for this door, which can relate to all of the posts and beams in the house. Doug fir will also stand up to the elements better than the walnut would have. The area for this front door is not large, but we needed to consider how the rock work would meet the wood trim, whether there should be a transom window above the door and whether the top of the door should follow the arch of the beams in the niche above. After sending many of the drawings back and forth to the Baumers, via email, of course, we arrived at the decision to arch the door, eliminate any transoms and keep the panel design as simple as possible

After the carpenters installed the jamb and trim, which David milled, the door that David built was installed to make sure that everything fit correctly. The trim then needed to be stained to protect the wood from the stone masons, who could now begin to rock the interior of the niche. Meanwhile, the door was removed and stained, antiqued and finished by Chantal and it awaits rehanging in the nearby guest room. Choosing the stain and method to obtain the look we wanted was another step, addressed in a previous blog. We are in the process of specifying the Rocky Mountain door hardware and once it is here, the door can be installed in a finished state.

Preparing for Fire Place Masonry Next Week

Chantal is spraying away with a protective coat of laquer, after staining the walnut mantle and adjacent cabinetry with Zar's Teak Natural stain. This was yesterday at 4pm. The entire area has already been well covered in brown paper to protect it from the rock masons which are following behind at the beginning of next week. At 4pm the carpenters have all left and she can create the toxic cloud, that you can see in the picture, without endangering lives. There is also no chance of dust being kicked up and landing on her project. Unfortunately, I had to enter the toxic cloud to discuss the stain on the interior of the window frames with a paint contractor from Best Painting. Best Painting is doing the majority of paint and stain work on the house, while Chantal is concentrating on the cabinetry and final glaze coats for the posts and beams. Best Painting will be completing their portion of the window and door trim, ceilings, posts and beams next week.

IRONWORK as Functional Beauty

Ironwork is an element that I make use of on many of my projects, to add a level of craftsmanship, communicate style and address functional needs. Luckily, I work with Henry Means who is not only an ironworker, but an artist. I am able to accomplish all of the above goals in the most beautiful way possible.

Henry has just delivered the exterior railings and we have moved to the inside of the house. The beams have all been 'boxed', meaning the structural glue lams have been covered over in a finished wood to coordinate with all of the other finish work in the house. Unfortunately, this means there are seams, as can be seen in the picture. I don't consider this to be terribly unfortunate, however, because we have an opportunitty to add a level of detail with iron straps. Since all of the attached light fixutures are iron, as are the railings, this is an element that is natural to the house. We are conscious of the fact that the Baumers do not like a lot of complicated detail or design so the straps will be kept simple, strong, clean and somewhat elegant.

Henry will also be addressing the kitchen hood, which we have already designed within the kitchen cabinetry phase. Because of Henry's design ability, I am always open to his creative thoughts as to the finer points, so there will be future posts on this subject.

Glass Shower Enclosures and the Art of Compromise

After being in New York last week, I returned to find the majority of tilework completed. I have been to the project site two or three times a day all this week as this is the time that much of the actual 'finish' is being addressed. Yesterday, I was there with the ironworker to go over his agenda and was flagged down by the tile contractor and glass guy, Rick Perry of Perry's Glass, to go over the decisions required to order the shower enclosurs.

Rick knows that I prefer to use the high end, frameless European style with very thick glass. Of course, the master shower, shown to the right, will require a special, sealed set-up since this is a steam shower. I will get him a list next week of the finishes required for the brackets and handles for each bathroom.

There are always little issues regarding where to stop and start certain tile elements to accommodate the glass, as shown in the shower above. In this case, a decorative crown moulding runs through the middle of the field, so the question is; how will this integrate with the glass enclosure? We could choose to stop the moulding before the glass, or carry it all the way across the wall, cutting the moulding to 'slot' the glass inbetween. I chose against this last option as the glass cannot be polished in the area right around the slot and it would always look like like a defect, whereas, to stop the crown short, it will appear to be a part of the design. Neither option is perfect, but, this the type of small compromise that is constantly required on any project.

Tile Setting Begins

The tile has been arriving over the last couple of months. Baldassi tile started floating the bathrooms about two weeks ago and now the actual tile installation has begun. You can see that there needs to be space for the tile setters to set up their saw, tools and all of the boxes. The layout drawing is taped to the wall so that the setters can refer to it as necessary. Since the Finish Carpenters are done with the window and door trim, the space is ready to accommodate the tile contractor.

We often choose the tile with the client here in Mammoth or through ordered samples and then I do the layout with Richard Baldassi. However, this project was handled in a different way, which worked out spectacularly well. Peter Grisdella of Hollywood Sierra Kitchens in Los Angeles accompanied Mollie to choose tile in the L.A. area, where Mollie lives. Peter is the cabinetmaker for all of the bathroom cabinetry, as David Kuznitz was not able to contract to the entire house due to schedule conflicts (he is doing the kitchen, den, bunk rooms and billiard room).

Peter is another of our favorite cabinetmakers and he was a great choice for this project. I know him well, having worked on his own homes, so I completely trust his eye for design in choosing the tile and slab material with Mollie. We had given Mollie a book with all of her fabric swatches, which is what she depended on heavily for their choices. The majority of the tile chosen comes from Ann Sachs. Peter brought up samples of all the tile and granite slab (used for the tops of the vanities). He went through the house with DeAnna and I, going over layouts and confirming all of the choices. Working with Peter is a pleasure and he is a great addition to the team of people working to bring this project together.

Latest Exterior Shot; Chinking Completed

By looking at past blog entries, one can see the difference that the chinking makes. There are actually about a dozen different chinking colors to choose from. We chose a color referred to as BEIGE. The house is blending well with it's surroundings, especially with the trees on the hillside.

The copper was recently installed on the top of the chimney, along with copper flashing on the edge of the deck. Once the railings are installed all that will be left is the landscaping.

Samples, Samples and More Stain Samples

I have been working with Chantal Hodges creating stain samples for the different wood throughout the house. Today is our third meeting and we think that we have found formulas for almost everything. I drag out the carpet, paint, fabric and furniture samples to see how everything is working together. We have decided to do more samples on the doug fir, which comprises most of the posts and beams
throughout the house, as well as the front door. Doug fir has a tendency splotch when stained, so we want to create a large sample to see how our formula works. We plan to condition the wood first, then stain it with a light color for the base. Chantal will then use her artistic eye and talent with the glazes and some light antique effects on top of this base color. The doug fir posts will act as an interesting contrast to the walnut wainscoat on the walls. We would like some of the lighter color to on these posts and beams to relieve the heavier effect of the walnut.


In the den, we plan to bleach the walnut cabinetry and then stain it to achieve a different look altogether. The furnishings and fabrics are all a little lighter in this room and we are going for a slightly monochromatic effect.


The kitchen cabinetry on the perimeter will be painted a creamy white with a slight glaze on top and the island will be a medium toned walnut, just slightly lighter than the walnut floor.


You can see by our collection of samples that while some stains are light and others dark, all of the tones work well together. Some of the samples of the walnut went a little green, as walnut stain itself tends to do, and we eliminated all of those options, as well as the samples that were too red in tone. We are using a variety of manufacturers; Zar, Minwax, Gemini - whatever works best. It is very easy to work with an artist that has an eye for the underlying pigments in stain color and can make the necessary adjustments to obtain our vision. I highly recommend this step to achieve the best results.

Carpet Choices

Now that the paint colors have been chosen and the first coat is up, the tile install is beginning and the wood flooring (walnut) has been ordered, it is time to choose carpet. When it comes to carpet, I don't get terribly excited over the usual choices found in our local carpet stores. To solve this problem I searched for and found FABRICA, a high end, high quality manufacturer. They have been a pleasure to work with, are located close-by in Los Angeles and have fantastic and, to me, exciting choices. I went through our sample books and chose my current favorite, Sabba, which is a wool, textural pattern, Abbash a nylon strie low cut pile, and Opus a wool, chunky cut pile that has two yarn sizes. Samples of each in my chosen colors were sent to Mollie and she just called me to go over the selections. We have decided to use the Sabba, pictured above, in the game room, media room and the bedroom that is located between these two areas. The Opus will be used in all of the bedrooms, except the master, which is wood. Because the wood flooring separates the rooms, having two different carpets will not feel disruptive to the house.

Where's the Fabric?

Enough can't be said about the importance of fabric choices. They drive the style, energy and palette throughout the project. The second and third meetings that we had with the client, Mollie, were mainly devoted to choosing pieces that appealed to her from our large library of fabric samples. This is where I get a feeling for the client's taste and the project moves in a definite direction. Next we choose furniture pieces and from there a communication using power-point presentations sent via email refines the placement of the fabric used on various pieces and in various rooms. We keep the samples filed in an accordian file, organized by room, and refer to it on a regular basis - to pick tile, paint, etc.




You can see by the fabrics chosen that Mollie's taste is very classic. She appreciates a mix of textures and when patterns are used, they tend to be smaller in scale with a geometric element. We have used a lot of Folia (Ralph Lauren), Brunschwig & Fils, F. Schumacher, Pindler & Pindler, Kravet and Duralee.

Just because this is a mountain home, the interiors do not have to be overly rustic, have lots of bears and animals or typical Adirondack wools, checks and Indian blankets. The mountain aesthetic is communicated by the use of wood, stone and the warm palette, even while the taste of the clients leans to traditional, classic and cozy.

TIME FOR PAINT...

Once the drywall is ready, the wainscot is installed and prior to the window and door trim going up, the house is ready for the primer and first coat of paint. We already had in mind the colors to start with; warm, slightly earthy colors, mostly from Pittsburgh Paints, such as Golden Ecru, Soft Suede, and Applesauce Cake. To pull the detailed spec together, we begin with all of the tile and fabric and fininsh samples for each area.

The tile selected for this room highlights the fabrics we chose perfectly.

This is the main field tile for the bathroom, with a black accent. For this particular area we liked the Pittsburgh Happy Trails (lower paint chip) for the walls in both the bedroom and the bathroom. We selected Pittsburgh Bone White (upper paint chip) for the ceiling in both rooms.

After choosing the colors in the studio, we take all of the pieces of the story, along with full page color samples, to the jobsite. We feel that the colors MUST be seen in the light of the area that they will be used. Different exposures can really effect the way a color works. We also evaluate how to handle the ceiling in each space. Particularly in small bathrooms, we often take the wall color onto the ceiling, however, in bedrooms we often prefer to define the architecture by painting the ceilings in a lighter, or sometimes, a darker tone. We create a very detailed paint spec; one list gives the painter the name of each color with the areas that it will be applied. This makes it easy to order the correct amount of paint, while the second list breaks down the house by room or area, as to what color the walls are, the lids, doors, trim, etc. This list is usually taped up at the house for the painters to refer to as they work. We also take photographs of difficult to describe transition areas to show the painters exactly where colors start and stop. For this house, there is a total of ten different paint colors used. For bathrooms we specify a low-lustre acrylic (eggshell) finish and for all other areas a high-quality flat-washable paint. Walking through after the first coat, we are very happy with the results.

WHO KNEW INTERIOR DESIGN INVOLVED SO MUCH WOOD!

DeAnna and I are at the jobsite several times a week to work out some of the fine details of the finish carpentry with Jeff Masters, the contractor, Mike Owens and his crew of finish carpenters and David Kuznitz, the cabinetmaker who also is milling all of the wood. Although most of the details are worked out on paper and a lot of the pieces have already been milled and are on site, there are always little areas where posts finish at strange angles or rock meets wood, or complicated scenarios need to be mocked up for a dry run. This all needs to be accomplished quickly, as the time schedule is becoming very tight. Having a contractor, such as Jeff, that knows the right way to do things is helpful, because he could push for the easiest and fastest choices, or yell and scream, but the end result is even more important to him than the schedule (which is VERY important).

Because our windows in the lower bedrooms are so close to the ceiling, once the window trim is up, there is not enough room for crown. We had, therefore, planned to go without a ceiling crown. However, seeing it now, Jeff and I both felt that this does not look right. Because the windows and doors are so well appointed, to go without delineation at the ceiling line leaves the room feeling unfinished. Using walnut, may call out how low the ceiling is, so we decided on a simple two step trim that will be on the ceiling (instead of the wall) and painted out the ceiling color. We made this decision on site, as well as how to handle the crown in the billiard room. David actually mocked this up in several versions until one was agreed upon.

The coffered ceiling in the kitchen required a more involved mock-up, because sections of it will meet the rock wall and some of the corners at the walls require multiple compound miter cuts. This ceiling alone could easily take two weeks for two carpenters to finish. They would like to find the most sensible way to accomplish their work in the least amount of time. Sometimes, drawings and plans need to be looked at in real life to determine what works best.

Rod on the Roof

After a meeting at the house today, I received a phone call from Rod, the AV guy. He was on the roof, locked out of the house and, luckily, had a cellphone. Apparently, all of the carpenters left for the day and locked up, not knowing he was out there. I called Mike and he went to rescue Rod. Funny things do happen occasionally on the job.

Rod was at the house to place a TV in the master bedroom, over the fireplace in the sitting area. We need to determine how much depth is required to properly hide the arm and what height to place the TV over the fireplace. There are codes about how far the fireplace needs to be from the bottom of the mantle (11"), so everything has to be placed exactly right. We did create drawings of this area, however, the need to be exact and the unknown factor as to how much depth we could grab because of the flue that is in the wall, and exactly what this aparatus needed, required a site visit. I was also glad to see that when extended and turned to face the bed, the TV could be easily viewed. Flat screen TVs have changed the way we design almost every room. There is no more need for huge armoires or akward furniture placement. By placing TVs on the wall, using arms and lifts we can easily accomodate almost any desire. The components can even be on the other side of the room, if need be.

Latest Exterior Shot

Here is a picture of the house a few days ago, in beautiful 70 degree weather. The staining is done and you can really get a feeling for what the final outcome will be. For the past several days it has been snowing and the caulking cannot be done until the warm weather returns, hopefully, later this week.

You can see the palettes of rock lined up in front of the house. Most of these are the quartzite, in Buffalo Brown, that will be used for the exterior decks. We are limited in our choices, as the stone used must be able to withstand the freeze/thaw cycles that we have. I particularly like the choices available with quartzite. I chose this stone about two months ago and the contractor ordered it according to his schedule. Also awaiting placement is the rock that will be used for the fireplaces and some of the walls in the kitchen and dining room. Although it is the same stone as was used on the exterior, it is only 2" thick, instead of the 4"-5" thick used outside. The landscaping contractor is taking a look at the property and scheduling his work, too.

Gathering the Furniture

Furniture is arriving almost daily as most of the orders were placed in January. This latest shipment from Woodland furniture, with 17 pieces arrived in large crates and took several hours to uncrate and inspect before being moved into our storage unit. Because their packing is superior, we rarely have any damage with Woodland shipments. Finding and developing long-term relationships with reputable companies that create an excellent product is one of the best services we can offer our clients. While we have access to many different furniture manufacturers, and can usually find the exact item that a client may have seen and fallen in love with, we know that obtaining the item can often be a difficult and protracted process with an untested source. Quite often they will not stand behind their product and then the designer has hours of phonecalls and paperwork to deal with the problem. Even with large, seemingly reputable companies this can be the case.

We happen to love Hickory Chair furniture, and have purchased from them through the last six or so years. However, they have absolutely horrible packing technique and almost every shipment arrives with damage. Unfortunately, their customer service is almost as bad. They do not return phonecalls and often will not stand behind their product. On one project I had severe damage to a $5,000 dining table, because of the lack of protection during shipping, and they absolutely refused to do anything about it. It cost about $1,000 to deal with the repair and inconvenience. We did actually order several Hickory Chair pieces for the Baumers and, true to form, one of the tables had no protective packaging and the drop-leaf of the table rubbed the table base, chipping it badly, as seen here in the picture. After many phonecalls, we have received an RGA, meaning a "pick-up" for the table and it has been re-ordered. Luckily, we have time to get the new one before the move-in date sometime in October. They had also sent a bed upholstered in the wrong material, so that will have time to be remade, as well. Sometimes, we do balance the inconvenience with desire.

How We Blend The Different Species of Wood To Achieve an Effect

There is a crew of finish carpenters led by Mike Owens working on the house to speed things along. The ceilings have been finished in the Living Room (pictured here) and the Dining Room. The cofferred ceiling of the kitchen is next and we are working out a few of the smaller details before that begins. The beams and posts throughout the house are all Douglas Fir and the ceiling is Cedar. All of the wood will be used smooth side out. We will need to create stain samples for these, as well as the walnut doors and wainscot to make sure that all of the elements work in concert with each other. Since the different species of woods will all stain differently, I will not be trying to achieve the same color throughout. There is so much wood that to have it all be the same would create a tomb-like effect. There should be areas that are highlighted and this feature can help to move the eye subtly while in the space, thereby creating a feeling of warmth and comfort. I have also intentionally mixed up the finishes on the furnishings to sustain this effect. Additionally, the house will feel as though it has evolved over time, which is my preference in a traditional interior.

Girl's Bunk Room Detailing

We continue to work on the interior millwork details with David Kuznitz. Following the design of the boy’s bunk room, we addressed the girl’s room. In this room we wanted a more feminine feel, and we needed to sleep 4 children in this space.

Furniture Plan

Due to the size of the room we decided to create one bunk bed and a trundle bed. This allowed for more open space in the room for the children to play and we were even able to fit in a small table and set of chairs in the corner. We decided to give this room more of furniture feel versus the built-in look we created in the boy’s room. The decision was also made to have David do the trundle & bunk bed in a paint grade wood which will give this room a lighter feel than the boy’s room. We started designing this space by establishing the maximum size of the pieces. The bunk bed in particular could only be a certain length as there is a bathroom door that shares the same wall. We also wanted to allow adequate space for the table and chairs while trying to keep the mattress as close to a standard size as possible.
In the drawing below (on left) you can see how the bunk bed is integrated with the doors, which will also be created by David for this job. The front of the bunk bed also has a softer more feminine look. We echoed this design on the headboard of the trundle bed. The bunk bed was given storage drawers to further maximize our available space. We are all pleased with the design and layout of the space as all criteria were met.

Drywall Texture

The drywall is being hand textured and I was called to the house to approve/change the work that has begun. I asked the lead man to sand down the textured areas so that there would be less relief to achieve a more subtle look. If this house was more rustic, the rougher texture might work, but in all aspects, we are striving for subtlty and grace. I went over the desired effect with the contractor so that he could make sure that the texturing would continue along the desired lines. I had sent these pictures to the client as they are anxious to feel that progress is actually being made. The wood is going up on the living room ceiling today and the finish work will begin in earnest next week.

Corinne

Exterior Railing Design

Design of the interior millwork has been pre-occupying us lately and we have developed a vocabulary for the details we are addresssing throughout the house. We can apply this vocabulary - strong but not bulky, clean yet rustic, tailored with interest, easy distressing - to the exterior railing, as well. Working with one of our favorite craftsmen, metal worker Henry Means, we came up with a design for metal railings that will be captured between the rock posts. Henry mocked up a section, as seen above. We sent the picture to the Baumer's for approval, which they happily gave, and the project continues to move along.

Interior Architectural Design Continues...

Work continues with David Kuznitz on the custom cabinetry as well as a few furniture pieces for the home. One of the biggest areas we have addressed are the two “bunk rooms” for the children. Due to the size of the rooms this process required several meetings to gain the best layout as well the feeling the clients want to portray. We addressed the BOY'S ROOM first.

According to the architectural plans the client felt we could fit 3 bunk beds comfortably. This however left very little space in the room for children to play or even for clothing storage, as you can see in the original floor plan above. We needed to get a bit more creative with the solution for this room, as the clients did require this room to sleep a minimum of 6 children.

In the initial meeting with David we began by laying out floor plans to verify required space for each bed. David suggested doing a wall bed (or Murphy bed), thus opening up more floor space in the room when the beds are not in use.

We placed a double “bunk style” wall bed on the door wall. David then created two built in bunks on the back wall. This was the best configuration for many reasons, it kept the beds away from the window, allowed for floor space for playing etc, and allowed for clothing storage built into the bunk beds.

From the floor plan we moved into elevations and millwork details for this room. The bunks were raised enough off of the floor to allow for storage underneath. We also wanted the beds to have a built in look versus looking like purchased furniture. We achieved this by running a continuous crown detail all the way around the room and around the front of the bunk beds.

We also designed the Murphy bed wall so that when the beds are closed the wall just appears to be paneled with a chair rail. The beds cleverly open from the seams.After several meetings and close attention to detail we do feel we met the clients expectations for this room; its fun, masculine, and sleeps the required amount of children.

Work Continues Through The Holidays

The street is packed with cars from all of the people working away on the exterior of the house. The paver installation is almost finished, the siding has been pre-stained and is going up quickly. I am very pleased with how the house is looking and I think the Clients will be, as well. The contractor, Jeff Masters, has asked me to choose the color of the chinking next. Meanwhile, we continue working on the interior architectural details with David Kuznitz. We are currently dealing with the den and the many interesting, low roof pitches that make the cabinet design a serious challenge in this room. I think that everyone will take off tomorrow, for Thanksgiving, but we will be back to work on Friday.

Initiating Orders

Over the last month, we have made several site visits to verify locations for specific items before the interior walls have been closed up. Where is the best spot for the thermostats that are associated with the hydronic flooring? The wall switches? One of the most annoying thing that designers have to deal with in existing homes are the often mis-placed thermostats floating in a wall making the placement of artwork difficult and akward. New construction allows for the hopefully correct positioning of these necessary evils. We have also gone through the house, door by door, with the contractor, Jeff Masters and the cabinetmaker, David Kuznitz. David will be making the doors and all of the associated trimwork and we need to determine the exact placement and width of each door. Many of the doors are impacted by our cabinetry designs so, working with David allows for extremely accurate detailing. Also, the architecture does not allow for standard door trim dimensions and we are able to address the most minute details back at the office, working on the computer in CAD.
We have amassed the most hours working through the tiny details with David for the doors, cabinetry and the design of the two bunk rooms. The rooms are technically way too small to accommodate two to three bunk beds, but we have managed to make it work. DeAnna will post some of the pictures and discuss this effort in our next blog.
We also had a day-long meeting with Mollie to go over all of the furnishings chosen to date. All of the lighting was approved and ordered. Since many items are custom and have a 16 week lead time, it was great to get this initiated. The furniture items that were approved will go out in a proposal next week and we will have a good start on that aspect. This is important as many of the fabrics may become discontinued if we wait too long.

PAVER SELECTION

Choosing the exterior colors and items such as the rock and pavers used for the driveway may not seem like something the Interior Designer would be involved with, however, these are choices that have to do with the overall concept and style of the house. The Client is not here, the Contractor does not usually want this responsibility and, although these decisions theoretically fall within the realm of the Architect, I find that specifications are rarely available from the Architect and that she/he is so far removed from the project at this point that any interest level in participating in such matters is almost zero. I am happy to coordinate the options and samples, narrow down the choices that are the best fit with our concept and present them to the Client. While some Clients prefer to have more active participation in the process, I have found that the initial choices presented to the Client are almost always the ones that end up as the final choices. I can offer several options and the Client can agonize over their decision, or if they feel the Designer has the concept in hand, they can delegate the decision and relax. The pavers seemed to be an easy item to delegate. I chose the Pacifc Cobble paver in the color Heritage from Orco Pavers. The cobble finish and the pattern makes it look more rustic than the Antique choice. There may be areas that the Client feels more strongly about, which in the Baumer's case was the masonry and the particular rock used. Through pictures in magazines I tracked down the exact rock they desired, through Montana Rockworks: Chiefcliff Oversized Ledge in the castlerock color. This will be used for the exterior as well as for the interior fireplaces and on walls in the kitchen and possibly the dining room.

Exterior Stain Colors

Yes, it is snowing. This picture was taken on October 4th. This is the perfect illustration of how brutal our environment can be and why the stain used on the exterior will be important. This is a decision that had to be made this week. The house has been wrapped with a paper barrier and the windows are about to go in. The siding and facia have been ordered and the contractor wants to stain the material immediately, before it goes up. I was asked to choose the color by the contractor. I again referred to the architects orginal digital rendering and contacted the Client, who asked me to look at another house on Mountain Living Magazine's website. The desired result is a subtle and muted, almost weathered looking brown. The color is indicative of the overall concept for this house - understated, classic and timeless mountain design with a warm and easy, welcoming feel. I chose Pittsburgh Paints Sunproof semi-transparent stain in Dark Oak, #725. This product has performed well in our brutal high altitude environment, although my favorite painter, Chet Baker, has always maintained that a new house built in this area should be re-stained the following year because our climate has an incredibly low level of humidity and the new wood quickly absorbs the product, after which it is assaulted by heavy snow and winds.

Although the facia on many homes is often a different, darker stain or painted a contrasting color, we have decided to stain everything the same color. There is a lot going on in terms of the type of siding, windows and rock; the siding on the lower half of the home will have chinking between the planks and their will be shingles on the upper half. With all of the textural changes, the green windows and the front door being stained a different color, the single color of stain will make the house feel more unified, if not dignified.

Refining the Lighting Choices

Two weeks ago we sent the power-point presentation of the decorative light fixtures to Mollie. There was a total of 91 fixtures! Every room has a decorative ceiling fixture, rather than just recessed cans, as well as every hallway and bathroom and there are many sconces and chandeliers. All of this imparts personality and interest to the house, making the Baumer's home just that much more unique. Many of the fixtures are from Dana Creath Designs, Richard Ray Custom Designs, Ainsworth Noah, Paul Ferrante, Hammerton and Originals 22.

Mollie went over the presentation and liked almost everything, with just a few items that she wanted to re-work. I made new selections and re-sent the presentation with a few explanations as to why certain fixtures may not work in certain rooms due to ceiling height. I think we will have a couple of more revisions before we are ready to send the Baumers a proposal on all of the lighting. Meanwhile, we have been creating a "skeleton" within our software program, identifying and numbering every piece of furniture that is laid out on the floor plans. We will then create a new power-point presentation with suggestions for all of the pieces that had not yet been identified. Once the Baumer's have gone through the furnishings and made firm decisions we will create proposals for everything. I would like to be ready to order by the end of December so that we can hit our move-in time frame mid-winter and not have to store their furnishings for too long a period.

Info in the Mail

The power-point presentation of the light fixtures was sent off two weeks ago, complete with 91 fixtures. Mollie has reviewed it and sent it back with comments. I then made new selections, last week and have re-sent the presentation, and am waiting for he