Best of the Web 2015!

I didn't do one of these last year, either because I wasn't sure who to feature, or I didn't have the spare time to put it all together. Although it won't show, this post is the result of multiple hours of work (I've been at it for at least 5 hours).

Here's a link to the Best of the Web 2013:
http://my1923foursquare.blogspot.ca/2013/01/best-of-web_11.html

I've found that a lot of the blogs that I follow have been much less active this year, or have become largely inactive. Some of these were favourites, like Brick City Love, who hasn't had a new post in over a year and a half. Others who had been previously featured are still active, but haven't updated very often (less than once a month). This is either because most of the renovations are done, or they simply don't have the time to post anymore. Others, like A Country Farmhouse (now under the name "In The Fields") are still active, but they have only been sharing a few occasional progress photos.

That said, you will see at least 3 returning favourites. In no particular order, the blogs featured here largely showcase the best and newest home renovation/restoration blogs that I've been following. I hope you will take the time to go have a look at them, and let them know I sent you!

Best of the Web 2015!

Manhattan Nest
http://manhattan-nest.com/


Manhattan Nest started off a few years back with Daniel and his partner Max. They purchased a large 1800s house in need of some serious renovations. In the past year or so, however, the couple parted ways, and the projects are now being tackled entirely by Daniel. I think it's fair to say that he has his work cut out for him, but that doesn't seem to have slowed his progress much. He's very passionate about proper restoration work, and he shares my love of beautiful old buildings, historic details, and he also has an eye for style. I may not share his love of midcentury modern, but all of his restorations so far have been done in a beautiful and sensitive manner, and for this he should be commended. Some of the projects tackled so far include the kitchen (restored/repainted cabinets, subway tile, vintage stove and light fixtures), the laundry room, upstairs office, the dining room, living room, the immense roof including rebuilding the built-in gutters, painting the shed, adding fencing, etc... If all this wasn't enough, Daniel also purchased a condemned house down the street, which he is restoring and either plans to sell or rent. He has also taken on a third large project, which is a cottage he is helping rebuild/renovate/redesign for clients/friends of his.


Old Town Home
http://www.oldtownhome.com/


Old Town Home continues to be my favourite blog. Since I last gave them a shout-out, they have purchased a second home as a cottage get-away near the water. It is an early 1900s Foursquare similar to mine, but with a completely different layout. They have started many projects on this second home, while also continuing to work on their house in Alexandria. The new place hasn't entirely been without its problems, as last winter there was a problem with the heating and all the pipes in the house froze while Alex and Wendy were away. This setback meant replacing a lot of the pipes, and repairing water damage. The master bathroom in Alexandria is well on the way to being finished, and at the cottage, all the hardwood floors were just recently refinished, so I expect we will be seeing a lot of wonderful new projects this year!

Little Green Notebook
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.ca/


The Little Green Notebook is a blog that I've been following for a while. Jenny, who runs the blog is an interior designer, and she is also quite crafty. Several of her DIY projects are drool-worthy. One of the newest ones she posted that really drew my eye was her cérusé oak secretary desk. Another one of her simple DIY projects that I absolutely loved was her Roman Blinds with the ribbon edging. Aside from DIY projects, she also features great thrift store finds, painting and renovation tips, and gift ideas. This lady is not afraid of bold colours and accessories either.

Brooklyn Limestone
http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/


Brooklyn Limestone is another returning favourite. The photography is always fantastic, and Stefanie knows how to decorate for the holidays like no other! The Halloween and Christmas decor are always impressive. If you've never checked out her blog, she, her husband, and their daughter live in a wonderful New York Limestone townhouse with fabulous old mouldings, inlaid hardwood floors, and nice tall windows. Although their renovations are pretty much done, the blog is still regularly updated. Whether it's recipes, decorating ideas, or small DIY projects, there's always something new to see.

Big Old Houses
http://www.big-old-houses.com/


John Foreman is a wonderful old fellow who somehow manages to plan elaborate and thorough personal guided tours of some of the most grand and opulent homes you will ever see. No rooms are left unexplored, and the posts are almost always accompanied by historical information about the homes and their past owners. This is definitely the kind of blog you want to check out if you're the type of person (like me) who enjoys getting a peek into other people's homes, enjoy old/antique interiors, or are searching for historic ideas and inspiration for your own projects (such as original kitchens, bathrooms, and butler's pantries).

The Dusty Victorian
http://thedustyvictorian.blogspot.ca/


The Dusty Victorian had previously only received an honourable mention, but her blog has continued to be regularly updated, and work on the wonderful old house continues with vigour! Just recently the entire front porch went through an extensive restoration, which included replacing rotten boards, scraping paint, and painstakingly repainting all the gingerbread trim in multiple colours. Anyes also creates an annual Countess dress and head piece using flowers and foliage. Occasionally there are also versions made in paper or other materials, and they are always fascinating and beautiful!

Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
http://victoriaelizabethbarnes.com/


Lastly, we have Victoria's blog. Oh, how to describe her blog without simply calling her a delightful crazy person?! Seriously. With titles like: "Auctions– because you can never have too many giant, antique, fancy pieces of junk", how can you not love her? She has a knack for scoring enormous "giant fancy things" much to the dismay of her poor husband Paul, who is usually the one left to figure out how to get these unwieldy purchases home. I believe she has at least a dozen pieces of furniture (or 8 foot tall antique mirrors) that need at least 2-3 people to lift/move them. She is also hilarious! Despite her love of huge ornate furniture and gold, the house is beautifully decorated. It doesn't look like "grandma's house". You definitely need to go see her blog. Go. Go now!

Lastly, I have an honourable mention for Old House Dreams, which continues to be a wonderful source of inspiration.

I would love to hear about any new and interesting blogs that I may not have heard about.

Jaw-Dropping

I rarely see a house where there "isn't a single thing I would change", but I just stumbled across one that I absolutely HAD to share.

I spotted it while doing my weekly browse through the posts on Old House Dreams.

Old House Dreams


The listing is for a 2 million dollar home, and the owners are clearly well-off. Whoever did the decorating and colour choices did a perfect job. It looks just like an old well-cared-for country home should, and I just can't stop gushing over it.

Click through and browse the full-sized photos. The property is amazing, and from what I can see, the main house is a combination of 6 different additions. You can see a log home, and a very old stone house, and they were added-onto in different stages. Yet, even with all these additions, everything seems to blend together really smoothly.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1790-Limekiln-Rd-Douglassville-PA-19518/82192825_zpid/

I'm not sure how long the listing will be up, so I'll just include a few highlight photos. The photography is also amazing.

Gallery Wall

I had quite a lot of pieces to choose from for my gallery wall (as you can see in prior posts), but I thought I'd just quickly go over the ones that I picked for this group.

As you will see below, most of the art and frames that I used were total bargains. I don't think a single piece cost me over 20$, with most being around 5-10$. I estimate the total cost including spray paint, glass, backing boards, and custom mattes at around 60-80$ for the entire group. I am hoping that this will inspire you to keep an eye out for some great pieces, and look for budget friendly options. It's unbelievable how expensive it is to get artwork framed and matted these days. Old frames are very easy to find, and can easily be spray painted to match your decor (a lot of people like to have many similar frames and paint them all black, gold, or white).

For my grouping, I liked a really eclectic mix of frames and styles, but I kept the theme fairly limited (architecture and boats). I have seen many fantastic art walls, and I've been gathering inspiration for mine for quite some time.

Things to consider: Do you want a neat and orderly arrangement (like mine, which is kept within a tight rectangular shape), or a more free-form grouping? The same pieces in a different arrangement can have a very different look.

Here are a few of my favourite inspiration photos, some of which may also get your creative juices flowing, hehe.

Here is one of the most eye-catching examples I've come across. This would be an "advanced" style, since it requires a lot of very careful measuring, and calculation, as well as additional fasteners (I imagine that each piece has 2 nails). I also like the mix of frames, crosses, letters, and plates, yet there is still a theme of browns, greens, metallics, and muted colours.



A nice orderly grouping that includes empty frames.



This is very orderly and simple (with ample spacing), yet still asymmetrical around the edges.



This grouping was one of my inspirations to go with totally mismatched frames and styles. A very cozy and inviting look. This group is also asymmetrical/random.



This is my favourite gallery wall photo. There's just something amazing about the arrangement, and the wall colour. I also adore the classical lithographs used.



A stairwell is a great place for a gallery wall. The only thing to consider here is whether your staircase is wide enough to avoid frequently grazing some frames (as would be the case in my staircase). You may consider additional fasteners here as well. Note the use of matched simple black frames.



My Pieces:



1. - This is a print of Lincoln Cathedral (UK). I found this matted print at Value Village for 5 or 6$. I absolutely love Gothic architecture, and I knew it would look great with some of the other pieces I already had. The frame was a very lucky find from Winners, and it was only 9.99$.

2. - This is a yard sale find that I've had for many years. I believe I bought it in the mid-1990s. It's a pen and ink drawing of Parliament Hill (one of my favourite places to visit, and again: Gothic architecture. Sadly, the mat used was not very high quality, and the core has yellowed and "bled-into" the artwork. I'm sure I paid under 10$ for this piece (and it was framed).

3. - This is an antique print of St. Martin's Church (aka St. Martin-In-The-Fields, UK). It is a hand-coloured lithograph, and it came with a line-decorated mat. I picked it up for 5$ from a local second-hand store. The frame was a yard sale find (I paid maybe 1$ for it?) that had been painted off-white(click to see the frame restoration). I really love this piece.

4. - This is a pen and ink of the Bluenose II. It's dated 1980 on the back, and I'm not sure if it's an original or a print. It was also a yard sale find that I've had for many years. The greyish mat is nearly the same colour as my wall, which is fun.

5. - This is a "mystery piece", simply because I can't remember how I came across it. It's an original pen and ink (you can see some nib marks on the paper and faint pencil lines), and it's signed: Dwayne St Louis 1978. I picked up the beautiful gold fame (no glass, no mat, no back - just the frame) along with a few other empty frames for 5$ at a local second-hand store. For the mat, I actually used some very thick water colour paper that was on clearance (1.89$ for a very large sheet), and I cut it myself with a mat cutter (it needed to be a custom size, and I didn't want to spend 20$ to have one cut). I also cut the glass from a spare sheet that I had on hand.

6. - This black framed print is an original lithograph from 1836(!) and shows the "Radcliffe Camera" (part of Oxford University in London). The building (which is the library) is still standing and it is jaw-droppingly beautiful. This was a Value Village (thrift store) find, and I believe it was around 5$. It is also hand coloured.

7. - This is an original pen and ink by my mother JoAnne. This is the only piece in the grouping that has sentimental value, since it's one of the few pieces that I have that my mom made. She's quite a good artist, but like me, never really finds the time to paint or draw. I believe this is a piece she did when she was in high school. I asked her if she remembered where this covered bridge was, but she said it was just copied from a stock photo. I framed it with a custom cut mat (also the watercolour paper), and I used a very simple black frame that I found at Value Village (4.99$).

8. - This was a very interesting piece that I came across at the Salvation Army Thrift Store just down the street from my house. It's a romanticized version of some sort of sail boat/row boat. The corners have Fleur-de-Lys decorations, and the main sail has some sort of horse/boar/animal on it. It's done in embossed brass. I wasn't sure whether or not I should get it, but since I love old brass (and it ties in well with all the brass on my clocks, old lamps, and accessories) I thought it might look good in a grouping or a vignette with other items. I have no idea how old it is, but the back hanger is stamped with "Made In England". I believe it was 3.99$.

9. - TBD. This was a 2$ frame (one of two), and I think I might have bought it when I went to Lac-Mégantic. I can't be 100% sure. I just remember that it was from a Giant Tigre store, and that they were on clearance for 1.99$. I will likely frame an architecture photo or print in this one.

Bathroom Indecision

BATHROOM:

The bathroom is STILL not done after living here for nearly 2 years (coming up April 30th). Most of the work was done by about the year-and-a-half mark. All that's left in the bathroom is cabinetry, a door, , fan cover, and plumbing (sink/faucet though the faucet is already bought).

I've been tossing around lots of different ideas for the bathroom for *months*. I want something nice, something vintage looking, and something that doesn't look too "perfectly built-in". I really liked the idea of using an old piece of furniture as the vanity, and putting a marble or granite top on it, but I don't like the idea of having a dead space along the wall next to the door (which will just trap dirt/dust/hair). However, I had set up the sconces and plumbing with that idea in mind (the lights would be perfectly centred over the sink, and everything would line up. So should I compromise my original idea for the vanity, and go with something asymmetrical, and built-in up to the wall, or stick with the nicer looking, but slightly more impractical idea? I say impractical, because having the vanity top continue up to the wall would give me more counter space (about 4") and I could put something like glass canisters/candles in the corner.

These are some of the ideas I had for the vanity. If I go with a centred cabinet, I would make it symmetrical (2 doors and maybe a false drawer at the top), whereas if I go flush to the wall, I would want 3 drawers near the wall, and a door on the left (otherwise the doors would be off centre from the sink and that would drive me nuts).





I quite like the look of this one:



I also haven’t decided what I want to use for the vanity. I want wood. Either birch, Maple, Oak, Ash, Cherry, or Mahogany (though the last two would be pricey). But I want dark brown or a reddish orange (like old cabinetry).

As for the vanity mirror, I had originally wanted this:



But it will need to stick out of the wall at least 4", and I'm not convinced that it will look good between the sconces. So now I'm thinking about using a flat mirror on the wall (see farther down).

If I have no medicine cabinet, I'd need another storage option, so I was thinking about making a wall cabinet (non matching) to go over the toilet, between the window and corner stack. The only possible issue there, is the possibility of dropping something into the toilet if I’m clumsy :S But as far as room (space for having a cabinet sticking out of the wall), and placement (free space around it/looks) it would work fine.

Here’s how the room looks (as a refresher).

From the hallway looking in:



Where the vanity will go:



I have this really nice antique bevelled glass mirror that I’ve been thinking of using. I even think I would leave it with it’s “shabby chic” distressed mint-green paint.



It fits the space nicely, and it would look like this (isn’t it fun to have a tripod!?)



This is the spot where I would put the wall cabinet. I would only make it 4" or 5" deep.



And here are some ideas for a wall cabinet. I could make it in any wood/veneer, and in just about any style. I would not use clear glass (if I go with a glass door). I’d use frosted glass, or a wood door instead.







I have more images of wall cabinets in this album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/100215997649394579880/HouseInspiration?authuser=0&feat=directlink

I need input.