Imitation is the Best Form of Flattery

I find inspiration all around me, and quite often I imitate it.  The Tyler Florence Store in Mill Valley had a huge influence on my remodel.  The dark gray exterior of this wonderful store stopped me in my tracks.  I fell in love with it immediately and as luck would have it, when I compared a swatch of my Hardiplank pre-painted siding ("Iron Gray" color) to the store's exterior, it was a match...or close enough to deliver the same feeling in my exterior.  

Outside of The Tyler Florence Store in Mill Valley

Then, I searched high and low for the perfect powder blue color of those entry doors to the store and finally figured that out-- Benjamin Moore "Sheer Romance" (837).  

After obsessing over this color for weeks, my painter talked me out of painting the doors to my deck altogether.  Since my doors are a pre-painted composite material, he was afraid the paint wouldn't stick.  I'm still searching for a place in my home to apply Sheer Romance (no pun intended :).  Even the name is wonderful.

The back of our house.  

Next on my list is finding black and white striped Sunbrella fabric to hang on the wires at the top of these posts. The fabric will gather in the corners and when we want to create an outdoor "room" we can draw them out. Interestingly, I didn't even realize until now that my choice in fabric also coincides with the Tyler Florence Store decor with their black and white awnings covering the windows. Hmmm...

Pottery Barn Sunbrella Awning Stripe Outdoor Grommet Drape

I found these Pottery Barn drapes online, but they are sold out of this sophisticated and stylish drape.  The name is interesting-- "awning stripe"-- Could I be any more of a copy cat here?


The other big influence the Tyler Florence Shop had on me was the bathroom.  I had finished the tile selections for our kid's bath, choosing an oversized but very traditional looking handmade subway tile from the UK as the field tile.  I was happy with it, but when I saw the tile in the store, I immediately snapped a photo and ran to Galleria Tile to ask my girl, Joy, where I could find it!

Tyler Florence Shop bathroom

As you can see, this field tile is a little more modern than what I describe above.  I am drawn to mixing modern elements with traditional ones and these field tiles felt more like me than the ones I had picked.  Lucky me, Joy knew exactly what I wanted and told me that they were significantly less expensive than the handmade ones I originally chose.  It's not often that I favor the least expensive option so this was even more reason to celebrate.

The tile shown here is from Heath Ceramics

There are so many fabulous vignettes in this lovely store.  I can't possibly imitate them all but I certainly admire them when I'm shopping there.

Love the chalky black backsplash

...And so does Mick!

So many cute displays

In addition to the fab decor, I also love the ever changing assortment of lovelies for the home.  I always pick up something when I come in-- a little burlap bag, a new glass bottle for my olive oil, a dish towel, some teeny spoons.  My favorite old fashioned timer is from here and I love that I can place it on my magnetic board with my spices.  I never lose it!

My kitchen with the best spice rack 

Lipper International Soho 20-Piece Stainless Steel Container & Large Board Set 6520

There's always something new in store, and on occasion there's Tyler. (Our last siting was when my mom was in town visiting.  She cackled when she saw him.  Icing on the cake).

I am drawn to the texture and the color of this wood

Such a cozy library. 

Beautiful

I'll take it all!  Look at this gorgeous pottery

Customers sip fruity water while we shop

I wouldn't mind delivering laundry to my kid's rooms with this clever little reproduction

Even the umbrellas have a cool place to stand

This leather is so inviting it probably isn't even cold to sit on.

A melamine twist on a classic

I always need a touch of black in every room.  This  smart bookcase would be fab in a home office

Grrrrr...Funny how these are so stylish now

If I had to choose a hunting trophy...I guess it would be this one

I hope you enjoyed my tour of the fabulous Tyler Florence store!

Style & Taste Don't Require Money

My friend Amy told me about a wonderful NYT article on September 1st called "Gifts from the Sea, and The Landfill Create a Stylish Home" by Joyce Wadler.  This charming story reminds us that style and taste don't require money.  

Michael Fleming, an artist, made the farmhouse table out of 100-year-old pine bought for about $60.

Here is a clipping from the article:
Fleming and Wurst are a couple with a talent for living and for furnishing a home stylishly on a budget. Their annual income these days is about $17,000, now that Wurst has stopped teaching to spend more time with their son, and Fleming is concentrating on his artwork and home-furnishings business, Designs Adrift.

The living room furnishings shown here total $828

 I love this!  Definitely worth reading this inspiring piece.

Remodeling is Like Childbirth...You Forget the Pain & Do it Again!

...At least for some people-- like myself.  The before and after photos of my current house always raise an eyebrow or two.  But, when I look at the before photos, I think of how fun it was to transform the house, not how intimidating the before was. I have a knack for seeing beauty underneath tired and sometimes dreary fixer uppers, and an unusual interest in (and love of) the process that brings them to their full potential.

Before our house was banana yellow

I mixed my own paint to get this espresso brown color with a hint of purple.  Sashes are Benjamin Moore's  "Deep Space" 2125-20

I wanted our house to stand-out but not in the Haight Ashbury stand-out kind of way that many San Francisco homes do.  I wanted it to look like it fit with the neighbors but also had a look all its own.  I love deep color for exteriors and took a chance painting our house dark chocolate.  The hint of purple makes it a little more interesting.  I didn't want it to be brownie brown.  The trim color has a hint of yellow.  I really like the contrast of the green plants and trees against the rich brown.

A big section of the front porch tiles were missing, the door was on its last legs and the windows were painted shut.  Not a welcoming entrance to our home!

We added a new front door, Waterworks tile, operable windows and fresh paint to our front porch.  The flower box was made from old fence boards.  Still looking for the right plants to put in them.

Large Hicks Pendant shown here is from Circa Lighting

We hung the new door and left it raw-- no stain or paint and re-used the aged toe kick.  This was doable since the door opens to an enclosed porch.  The light fixture has a fabulous patina.

The tired blue carpeting and Holly Hobbie wallpaper were the first to go!

The original opening to the kitchen was to the left of the back wall.  We used that space to carve out a coat closet that opens to the hallway and a narrow pantry that opens to the kitchen. This is the first San Francisco home we've owned with a coat closet!  In the past, either the closet didn't exist in the space, or it was sacrificed for something else like a bathroom or a walkway.  Coat closets are important in this town.  My grandfather refused to move to San Francisco 50 years ago because as he said, "I'm not moving to a city where you have to wear a damn jacket every day of the year!"  


We moved the opening to the kitchen to the right so you can see straight through as you walk in. This is a typical SF shotgun style house where you can see all the way through from one side of the house to the other.

This is the new entrance to our home.  

The living room is on the left, the kitchen is straight ahead (facing the dining room), and the family room is beyond the kitchen.  We squeezed a powder room into a former closet under the stairs and found space for a coat closet in a hallway nook.  

Walls are Benjamin Moore's "Deep in Thought" AF-30

We took a chance and painted over the wallpaper with oil based primer and latex paint. Hopefully it will last!  Camouflaging the ugly wallpaper and removing the tired blue carpeting gave the home air to breathe.

The living room before reminded me of a mountain lodge.

This Old House Magazine received several complaints from historic preservationists about the removal of this original, craftsman style fireplace.  Honestly, it was so unattractive that I didn't even think it was original. When we took it out along with the awkwardly sized bookshelves, the entire room opened up and felt like it doubled in size.

What do you think?  Did we make the right decision?  

The white fireplace tile is "Repose" by Waterworks. The antiqued mirror tiles are also Waterworks. Library lights and pendant are from Circa Lighting.  Ottoman is Restoration Hardware.  Sofa was re-upholstered and painted by Vargas Restoration.  Roman shades are "Dawn" from The Shade Store.

The maximum capacity for our old "kitchen" was ONE!

It's still a mystery how the majority of the kitchen was moved to this tiny nubbin of a room off the back of the house.  The sink, all the cabinetry, dishwasher and only counter space were housed in this tiny 35 square foot room.  The room next to it, which housed the former actual kitchen, contained just a refrigerator and range.  My son's friend Taylor Belle said it perfectly, "Why did they put the kitchen in the pantry?"  It will always be a mystery!

We moved the kitchen back to its original location and opened it up to the dining room and family room.

I debated going bigger with the kitchen and expanding it into the addition, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted to preserve as much of the original feeling of the house as possible.  Our kitchen is the perfect size for us.  It's big enough to do all the cooking we need, but small enough to clean up in a snap.  If I made the island any bigger it would just become a magnet for homework, keys, mail and other irritating clutter.

The dark stained woodwork was tired and sloppy.  We think they tried to make it look like gumwood but it clearly isn't!

What a difference paint makes!  The built-ins have a hint of gray while the wainscot is Benjamin Moore's  "Frostine" which is a crisp white with a bit of gray/green in it.

The back porch was leaning over and barely standing on its spindly legs when we moved in

We replaced the nubbin with a bigger addition and added a roof deck.  The posts shown here will be covered in vines by next year.  The siding is pre-painted Hardiplank-- Colorplus "Iron Gray"

I am really excited about the Hardiplank siding.  It's a fiber-cement siding that I purchased already painted in what they call a "multi-coat, baked-on finish at the factory."  It looks great and I'm hoping it will withstand the San Francisco fog and all that ocean salt water.  The backs of houses in our neighborhood practically start peeling right after they're painted because of the elements.  Owning a 100-year old home, I never thought I'd go for a product like this, but the look of the siding is really clean and crisp, I liked the paint color, and I didn't see a huge difference between what I originally had and this product. Only time will tell if it will in fact outlive the traditional redwood siding, which requires a new paint job every 5 years or so. 

Before the yard was choked with blackberries, wild fennel and weeds

We added a cement patio with recycled glass surrounding a firepit. We also built a playhouse with leftover remodel materials.  The 4X4 posts will be covered in vines and the wires will hold fabric...eventually.

We haven't spent much time in the backyard lately.  We're all waiting for the summer fog to lift so we can celebrate our true summer which is supposed to start today-- September 1st!   I heard someone walking down the street mumbling about this being the foggiest summer in 30 years. I believe it!  My vegetable gardens agree.

Our raised edible gardens are made from old fence boards.

Hopefully, our gardens will perk up with some sunshine.  Next year, we're going to specialize in cool weather greens!

Ageless Update by This Old House Magazine

A month after my living room was shown in This Old House, the magazine called to ask if they could feature my entire home in an 8-page spread!  I gasped and then chuckled because that same day I  read Joni's blog on Cote de Texas called "Coveritis Wannabe." (The story pokes fun at house-obsessed people who are "constantly fluffing one's home to make it worthy of a magazine cover-- at a moment's notice" versus people who want-to-be photo ready at any time.) How ironic!  I definitely fit into the "wannabe" category!

Ageless Update by Deborah Baldwin-- A determined DIYer's use of salvaged materials helps her family's eclectic 1911 rowhouse get a new lease on life This Old House Magazine

Of course I was thrilled (and terrified)!  They asked me if my yard was blooming because if so, they wanted to do the shoot sometime in the next 3 weeks.  Yikes!  I immediately ran into the yard and spruced it up, then sent in the scouting photos with my fingers crossed.  

Outside the playhouse

I was afraid if I didn't act fast, they'd suddenly realize my house was NOT magazine material, and cancel the whole thing!

They approved the blossoms, confirmed the shoot date, said it would take two full days, and sent me the phone numbers of the photographer and stylist.  Then, just as Joni describes in her story about getting her house ready for a photo shoot, I started flipping out about how I was going to make my house picture perfect for a magazine!  Was it even possible?  

Hard to believe, but this is where it all began just two years ago

My first thought was there is no way our family could actually be living here during a magazine shoot.  We will need to stay in a hotel!  Then I started making a honey do list-- patching nail holes, getting rid of clutter, finishing shelving projects, pulling weeds, moving mulch, and on and on.  Normally, this list would go unchecked by my husband, but with the thrill of a looming photo shoot, I had his full attention and cooperation.  No easy feat!

Honestly, I had no idea how these things work.  All I knew was that homes in magazines are perfect.  They hardly looked lived in and we do a lot of living in ours.  I spoke to the photographer, James Carriere, who put my mind at ease.  He explained that we could sleep in our beds, eat meals in the kitchen, and even take showers. (I was afraid of getting the tile wet!)

The stylist, Caryl Eagle, arrived on site a couple days before the shoot with a punch list from the magazine. The main task at hand was to throw in bold pops of color.  I can't say all the blue accent colors were my taste but I did learn that what looks good in a magazine is not necessarily what looks good in real life.  The pops of color look lovely in print, but I still prefer my muted linens and washed out toiles at home.

Flowers everywhere & new shiny objects (untouched) sparkled in the kitchen

The day of the shoot, my house was filled with huge pieces of equipment.  

 The photographer and stylist went one-by-one setting up all their gear and making the rooms look precisely how they wanted them to look.  

Giant lights traveled from room-to-room as they studied the natural light and compensated where needed.

The shots were instantly viewable on the big screen pictured here so they could get the precise photo they wanted every single time.  

The foggy summer day provided the perfect light for a shot of the playhouse and garden

It was fascinating to watch them adjust the room for each shot.  Tiny movements of objects, a slightly different angle, changing art on the wall, a blanket peaking through a corner all synced up to form the perfect shot.  Really, my house was only half the picture.  The placement of the perfect objects, the perfect colors and the angle and position of the camera (which I learned cost as much as the new kitchens it photographs!) all work together to make a magazine photo.  I think some of the rooms look better in print than in real life!  Later, the photographer would edit the blemishes like nail holes and other real life imperfections.

The nail holes in the wall will vanish along with the photo of Granddad, if the editors say so

I still  pinch myself when I see my home in print.  The article itself is a funny, honest portrayal of the ups and downs we (and my contractor's crew) went through as we overhauled our 100-year old home.  The pictures unveil the sense of calm I sought after in the design of my home, and the story reveals the protests I endured to create the home I desperately wanted.


The September 2011 issue of This Old House should hit the stands any minute. Once it goes online I look forward to sharing it with you here on my blog.

Slippery Slip

I love slipcovered furniture.  Two of my dining room chairs have slips and both of my sofas do and they're all white.  White works the best for me because I can bleach or Oxyclean anything out.  They look as good as new!

My Quatrine slipcovered sofa is 8 years old!

Our hand-me-down reproduction settee was given a fresh update with newly painted legs, a comfy seat cushion and a white slip.  Vargas Restoration did a great job!

I came across these beauties last month in Mill Valley at Summer House @ 57-- leather slips!  I have two leather chairs in my living room but they aren't as pretty as these.  The slip definitely warms up the cold leather, as least visually.  I still struggle with the coldness of leather furniture.  Hmmm...heated, leather, living room chairs anyone?

Leather slipcovered chairs from Summer House @ 57

DIY 1-2-3: An Old School Chair Gets a Fresh Seat

Last month, I spent a day in Berkeley hunting around some of favorite remodel haunts-- Urban Ore, Ohmega Salvage and for sustenance and fresh produce galore-- Berkeley Bowl. 

I found a pair of these cute, vintage schoolhouse chairs at Urban Ore for $8 a piece.  I scooped them up right away along with a lab beaker and some other prized trinkets for a fraction of what they would cost me at a vintage shop.

Before, It just needed a good scrub and a light sanding

Post 30-minute sand-down with my Palm Sander

Plus a coat of Briwax paste-- my favorite!

Voila!

I refinished two chairs in an hour.  These will make great desk chairs for the kid's desks when they are older.  For now, they are at home in the dining room for extra seating during parties.  Cute, fun, and inexpensive!

Laurie b "Housewares"

I was at a party recently and met someone new.  She asked me what style my house is.  Before I could answer, my friend's husband stepped in and said, "Her house looks just like she dresses."  I looked down at my outfit and noticed the muted colors, ripped jeans and flowing top.  It did remind me of my house. Magazines often feature turning a room into an outfit or vice versa.  I never really thought about the connection.  I guess I dress myself like I dress my house.  It makes sense.

One of my favorite designers is Laurie b.  Some of my prized knitwears from her Spring 2011 collection, which fills my closet, are shown below.  What do you think?  Can you see the translation?  

"Forward thinking...vintage inspired...finest yarns...natural fibers...fun, flirty and anything but basic."  These are definitely looks I strive for in my home and my wardrobe.  Does your wardrobe match your home?

http://lauriebknitwear.com/

From Laurie b's website....

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico, Laurie Brazeau became enthralled with the fine-gauge knits while living in France. Infinitely more glamorous, elegant, and diverse than the pervading sweater knits of America, they opened her eyes to the possibility of reinterpreting fashion usually showcased in woven styles through comfortable, wearable knits.

After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, she founded her first label, Brazeau Tricot, in 1991. Five years later she debuted Laurie b., her current line of women’s knits, which features styles that are simultaneously forward-thinking and vintage-inspired. As luxurious to the hand as they are to the eye, each of Brazeau’s pieces are made from the finest yarns and natural fibers, including fine Italian combed cotton, linen, cashmere blends, or baby alpaca.

Because Brazeau believes that fit makes all the difference, each of her creations is designed to complement a women’s body and her varied wardrobe. But equally important is that they feel fun, flirty and anything but basic.