From our house
to yours.
Showing posts with label dream house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dream house. Show all posts
Merry Christmas 2024
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Saturday, May 15, 2021
Take a tour of the interior of my dream sunspace with details about location, windows, window coverings, flooring, and connection to a French Country inspired post-and-beam home. Read specifics you can use in the design of your own dream sunspace.
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| April |
This is part 2 of three articles about the design of the breakfast sunspace at the heart of my French Country style home. Previously, part 1 was about the design of the exterior of my dream sunspace. If you missed reading Part 1, there is a link at the end of the post. Part 3 will have beautiful photos and details of the purpose and use of the sunspace I dreamed about and planned for years before we built our post and beam house in the country.
Friday, May 7, 2021
Where do you begin designing a dream sunspace for your home after your initial daydreams? You have collected photo clippings, pinned images to your Pinterest boards, drooled over sunspaces in tours of design houses, drawn rough sketches on the backs of paper napkins while dining out, and have some overall vision of what you would love to build.
What should you consider to translate your sunspace daydreams into reality?
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| April |
Take a journey with me in the design of the sunspace in my French Country inspired dream home to get some practical design ideas for your own dream sunspace. Everyone's dream sunspace is different, but read about what to consider including in your own variation of a sunspace.
Part one of the journey in my dream sunspace is this post about the design of the exterior. Parts two and three in the sunspace design journey will be 2) sunspace interior design and 3) sunspace purpose/uses.
Photographs used to illustrate information are over several years and for different times during the year. Look at the caption below each photograph for when the photo was taken. Note the sunlight in each photograph.
Sunday, May 5, 2019
Growing a rye grass meadow in the backyard is easy and looks good through three seasons of the year in north Texas. See how to begin and to grow a grass meadow with no pesticides, with no fertilizers, and with little supplementary watering.
The backyard meadow shown is part of a two-acre lot in the countryside outside any city limits in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Where you are located has a major impact on what your yard must look like. City codes regulate yards, and close neighbors in housing subdivisions expect lawns to look uniform.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Where to begin?
When your deck is over twenty-five years old, it has problems. Like pulling away from the house. Like rotting boards with gaping holes. Like substructures tilting. Like U G L Y!
However, one of the most important issues could be a design that has many levels that creates a significant problem for aging legs.
When your deck is over twenty-five years old, it has problems. Like pulling away from the house. Like rotting boards with gaping holes. Like substructures tilting. Like U G L Y!
However, one of the most important issues could be a design that has many levels that creates a significant problem for aging legs.
So, what do you do to upgrade your old, tired deck? You completely remove the old deck, and replace it with a new redwood deck that has an improved design. This is how the new east deck looks this sunny October morning. I love it!
The new deck includes many upgrades and design changes from the old deck.
1. Upgraded support system
To securely attach the deck to the house, a new ledger board was added to the house. There had been a ledger board, but it was old and needed replacing. The deck dropped about 2" away from the house last spring during the heavy rains. (Technical deck builder term... ledger board, new to my vocabulary.) A new pressure-treated pine substructure insures long-lasting support. Beautiful redwood decking fits right in with the woods around the house.
2. Raised level of the deck
The new deck is at the same level as the French doors' threshold so that a wheelchair can easily roll out of the house onto the deck. There is still a slope away from the door for water to drain away. The deck also has a slope of 1/8" per foot away from the house.
3. Added safety railing
For decks more than 30" off the ground, a railing with no more than 4" openings is required. The old deck did not have a railing which was a constant concern. Raising the deck level higher caused even greater concern for safety. However, no railing meant the views were clear, all the way to the ground when you fell off. Fortunately, no one has ever fallen off.
4. Installed utility wire panels
A dilemma... safety railing with open views. Here is a solution! Welded galvanized utility wire panels (4" openings) fade away from sight and allow the view to shine through. Remember those railings at the Whisper Mountain house? Another bonus is the wire panels cost less than traditional redwood spindles.
The view of the greenhouse and garden shed from the living room French doors is not blocked by the wire panel railings.
In Texas, the local Tractor Supply store keeps in stock all the things needed for farming, for ranching, and for raising animals for the annual stock show. You may not have visited your local Tractor Supply because you do not farm, ranch, or show stock, but you should check out the sturdy supplies that can used around the house for other reasons.
5. Applied water seal
To help keep the deck beautiful, Thompson's clear water seal was applied. Periodically another coat will need to be applied to protect the deck.
6. Added solar lights
Copper solar lights designed to cap 4" square posts are the perfect color for the redwood. Perhaps they will age to a faded green patina. You can dream, can't you?
Talk about easy to install. They just popped right onto the post and are secured by two small screws that were included. These came from Home Depot and can be used so many places. What about on posts along a walk way, or at the end of the driveway, or in the garden?
The solar collector needs about 6-8 hours of sun to recharge its battery, and the deck may be too shaded for the lights to work well. There may be only a soft glow at night which still will add a coziness to the setting.
The little copper tops are beautiful and will protect the posts whether or not they shed much light.
7. Relaid the existing walkway
Rather, re-laying the existing walkway. A work in progress, the paver walkway has to be raised also. Having the walkway and the deck come together without a level change allows easy maneuvering for a wagon, garden cart, or hand dolly. Moving plants from the greenhouse to the deck will be a breeze. (Is that a new ant bed being built in your sand? Where is the spray?)
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When you have a part-time handyman and you do the contracting work yourself, projects can seem to take forever. You need a 2x8 redwood board as the final board on the deck edge, but only have 2x6 redwood boards. There is only one supplier of redwood decking in your area. You call the lumber yard that is an hour away in Dallas, and they only have 2x8 redwood boards that are 16 feet long. Plus, they close in an hour, and it is rush-hour traffic time for Dallas commuters. A 16-foot board will not fit into your car. Then you remember you have hauled 8-foot boards before. Call the lumber yard back. Yes, they will cut the 16-foot boards into 8-foot lengths, at no extra charge, but it is Friday, less than an hour until store closing. The lumber yard is only open Monday through Friday. No boards for the handyman to use this weekend to finish the deck border.
Yes, a work in progress. There are decks on three sides of the house, and you need to replace all three. One down. Two to go.
The new south deck will be raised about 24" to be at the same level as the new east deck. There are no promises for when you will see photos of the new south deck. Who knows how many times you will need to go to Dallas to get more boards? In your car, during rush hour.
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No compensation from any source. All the information is provided for readers who want to know details.
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Sunday, August 3, 2014
Is it Christmas?
Something I have been wanting for years
is about to happen.
Summer 2014
has turned into the year of projects,
BIG projects that have been a long time coming.
Maintenance, refresh, update projects
required to qualify for house insurance renewal...
No, the house has not gotten that run down,
but maintenance does have to be done or eventually,
a house will not qualify for insurance.
Most of the Summer 2014 projects fall into the
maintenance category, but one project falls into the
a-dream-come-true project.
One of those projects that fosters afternoons whiled away
with wistful dreams of beautiful spaces in wooded surroundings.
Of a place that could be a photograph in Victoria magazine
or could be an artist's retreat in France.
A place made from old-world materials with substance
and quality to last a lifetime, no, to last several lifetimes.
While this project may never be in Victoria, and it
is in Texas, not France, it is the fulfillment of
years of daydreams inspired by those lovely places.
Another fulfillment of my dream house.
Another fulfillment of my dream house.
Here are just a couple of peeks at what is coming.
White Austin Stone is in the yard.
When the project is finished, super glossy 8x10s
will show up here.
You can count on it.
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SUNDAY
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Saturday, July 12, 2014
Looking out at a spreading oak tree
from the second-floor loft window
allows my mind to wander and
allows my thoughts to drift away
from everyday life.
This is my creative space,
where Botanic Bleu is created.
Join me on a tour of my tree-top loft
as part of
Sitting in my office loft is like
being in a tree house that
looks down into the living room
and looks beyond to other big oaks in the east yard.
The tree top loft is
an office space for working, writing, and
dreaming in my dream house
that we built by doing much of the work ourselves.
And, twenty-seven years later, we are
still updating and maintaining by doing work ourselves.
For years, this is where I
wrote lesson plans, typed tests,
printed six-week assignment sheets, and
graded tens of thousands of mathematics papers.
(No exaggeration; I taught math for 29 years,
then became a school administrator.)
(No exaggeration; I taught math for 29 years,
then became a school administrator.)
Now,
visions of new ideas,
of rearranging spaces,
of creating vignettes and tablescapes,
of composing blog articles, and
of finishing old projects
take hold here.
The space has transformed from a teacher's at-home office. . .
. . . to a blogger's creative loft.
The little loft is only 8' wide by 14' long,
open to the living room below,
open to the stairs leading up to the top floor bonus space,
and ends with a small closet at the enclosed end.
The tall mauve-colored cabinet is made from
old recycled doors and
holds reams of paper, computer manuals,
and office supplies.
It is on the list for a make-over inside
to transform it into a more creative space.
The small three-shelf wire basket on wheels
stores the paper cutter on its top and
holds left-over teaching materials.
It, too, is on the make-over list to reorganize
the drawers to hold supplies that I now use.
The work space is two pieces,
an old communion table and a folding wooden table,
positioned to form an L-shape.
The wooden folding table is easy to move around,
is large enough to spread out projects, and
is convenient for using the paper cutter
that is stored beneath it.
The old oak communion table came from the
church I attended in Alexandria, Virginia
while I was a young single working in
Washington, D.C.
Years of neglect had left it in sad shape.
The finish was marred and had a big black spot
that looked like an ink stain.
One of its legs had been broken and repaired.
It was in such sad shape that the elders
of the church would not accept any money,
just gave it to me.
After stripping it with a chemical stripper,
sanding it, and refinishing it with a fruitwood stain,
the little table regained most of its former beauty
and became my office desk.
A few years ago we removed the drawer
and installed a slide-out shelf to hold a computer keyboard.
that was a sale item from Pottery Barn about five years ago.
Wouldn't you know I didn't like the industrial-looking
drawer pulls that were on the cabinet.
No problem.
Buy new iron pulls from Lowes, spray paint them white,
and replace the industrial pulls.
Behind the door is a small walk-in closet not ready for its close up.
The antique pine armoire came from Forney, Texas
and holds wrapping paper, ribbons, tissue paper,
bags, and craft supplies.
Some of the bags have escaped to the top
where I can see them every day.
Look closely behind the lit lamp.
See the rolls of fabric?
How about the old wrought iron floor lamp?
Projects in the making. . .
France has long been a love.
The framed pastel printed French map
shows the locations of gardens
all over France.
The old chair once had cane inserts in the arms,
had a fruitwood finish, and had green damask upholstery.
Long before I knew about blogging,
saw all the remade old furniture, and
joined the current "love white" trend,
I transformed this old chair using white paint
and the rose/trellis print fabric.
You know, I think I've been a blogger for years.
Just didn't know about blogs.
But, within a week of discovering my
first blog to follow,
I began blogging.
awaiting some inspiration.
The tree top loft is a great place for pondering,
planning, and creating.
At least some of the time...
When I switched to a laptop computer,
I began creating everywhere.
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Don't miss out on all the other
fabulous spaces where bloggers create.
Where Bloggers Create 2014
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Don't miss out on all the other
fabulous spaces where bloggers create.
Where Bloggers Create 2014
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
SUNDAY
MONDAY
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WEDNESDAY
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Lavender
soothes and calms so well
herbologists often recommend
a sprig underneath your pillow for
a restful night.
Enjoy a tour of a lavender infused master bath's
layout.
When the house was first built,
the bathroom was a basic bath with no extras.
Over the years, we added all the beadboard,
did all the painting, added the whirlpool tub,
and upgraded the sinks and shower
by doing most of the work ourselves.
Through it all, we incorporated
ideas to use materials and designs
for energy efficiency.
Periwinkle blue walls in the master bath
include painted beadboard walls surrounding a
Koehler whirlpool tub that also soothes and calms
tired, aching muscles after a day of working in the garden.
Sprigs of dried lavender are framed
in a 3-D picture frame above the tub.
More lavender, a fresh living plant,
sits on the large vanity opposite the tub.
The mirror above the large vanity
reflects the white northern pine beams in the ceiling
of the post and beam house.
The mirror also reflects the windowed-wall
at the other end of the room.
Along the left wall are a large walk-in closet and a linen closet
that are separated by a full-length mirror.
The door at the end of the wall is the entrance
door to the bathroom from the master bedroom.
All of the solid six-panel pine doors are
white-washed using an oil-based interior paint.
Just to the left of the linen closet is an open door
with just a peek into the shower-toilet room.
The full-length wall mirror reflects light from
the large window between the tub and vanity
in addition to providing a quick look to see
if your slip is showing.
Outside the shower-toilet room is a second
small vanity just visible to the left of the door above.
Several energy conscious features were included
in this area of the bathroom.
The northern facing window is small to help conserve energy.
The beadboard wall below the window also
adds a layer of insulation to the northern wall.
The shower is directly behind the vanity wall.
Both the sink and shower water pipes are located
inside the interior walls which helps prevent
pipes from freezing.
More beadboard white-washed pine lines the walls
inside the shower-toilet room.
When we added the beadboard, we added storage by
installing small wall cabinets above the toilet.
The wooden shelf with towel bar was built
long enough for several towels.
Structural posts and beams were often left natural,
instead of being white-washed, to match the ceiling beams.
A half-wall at the end of the tub allows the
large window to provide light throughout the room.
Natural wood tends to make rooms dark.
As much as I would love to have
French-designed trumeau mirrors over the vanities,
I have left the builder-grade large sheet mirrors
and overhead cam lights to add as much light as possible.
The mirrors reflect the natural light coming in the windows
as well as the light from the overhead cam lights.
Wooden shutters help control
the amount of heat from light entering the room.
In the mornings, top shutters are opened,
but after lunch the shutters are closed
since the window is west facing.
The room is 14' long by 16' wide.
There are two walk-in closets, a large linen closet,
two vanities, one double wall cabinet,
a jetted deep bathtub, separate shower,
two windows, and three large mirrors.
More changes and updates are planned
for the future, but for now I am focusing only
on decor changes.
To see details of the room's lavender accents,
see the upcoming post titled
Lavender Infused Master Bath Decor.
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