Stanfield is Completed!!

Stanfield is completed and will go to the new owners tomorrow. I hope they enjoy it as much as I enjoyed designing it. I created a little rendering of the family room and placed it on the fireplace mantle with a thank you card.

I am busy finding my next house to design and already researching the latest trends in finishes and colors. My creative juices are flowing and it is exciting to be excited!

Wallpaper

I wallpapered two of the walls in the entry on Friday. It had mean about five years since I had wallpapered and now I remembered that it is fun, but a lot of work. Climbing up and down the ladder is literally a pain. Wallpaper adds a lot to a space. It gives it texture, color and a visual pattern. I choose a pattern that is a modern baroque with a gray background and silver print. I choose this fancy pattern to offset the stainless steel and marble finishes in the kitchen which have a smooth tactile appearance and although the wallpaper is smooth, the pattern adds just the right amount of texture. The silver color contrasts nicely with the wood floor.

Thank goodness Brian helped me. I would still be wallpapering if it weren't for him! Afterwards we were both pleased with our work and we had fun.

Interior Completed

The interior is completed and it looks beautiful. I am happy with the finishes selected and everything has come together nicely.

Landscaping

Landscaping should be completed this afternoon. Arrived at 7AM and placed all the plants around for Victor to plant. Gotta love that Stockton dirt! After about 20 minutes I had a inch of dirt stuck to my shoes and they weighed a ton!! Several yards of bark and decomposed granite were delivered and should be spread around and finished by this evening. I love the smell of fresh bark and the granite in place of gravel looks so nice. I am putting decomposed granite in the walkways in the backyard and on the utility sides of the house. It is softer and cheaper than concrete, but is just a durable for these purposes, plus it is an unexpected, but special touch.

Wood floors have been installed and it looks wonderful. The fireplace is getting started this afternoon. Victor is tackling the landscaping. The appliances will be picked up tomorrow and carpet is scheduled for later this week. Whew, it is all coming together. I have to get busy with all the fun stuff - like wallcovering (entry), window coverings (wait till you see the drapery), mirrors and towel bars. It makes me happy.

My Favorite Things

Marble and Granite!! This week the cabinets were re-painted. Now they are just plain white - the antique paint finish will be attempted on the next project when we perfect the process. The countertops and shower surrounds are going in today. The kitchen is Ice Blue Granite - so beautiful. The master bath is White Flower Granite and the hall bath is Oyster Marble. The fireplace stone veneer was deliverd for installation next week. I don't think we will meet my Halloween dealine. Oh well, we are close.

What's The Mood

How does this make you feel? In my Presentation Techniques course, our assignment this quarter revolves around an artist’s retreat that we are designing. To articulate our concept we prepared a mood board. So how does this “collage”” make you feel? My instructor loved it and wants to frame it. I didn’t think it was that inspirational, but I am very critical of my own work. So how does this “collage”” make you feel? Can you guess the famous artist the design is for?

Recycle Glass Slabs

I went to an ASID luncheon this week at Moreno Tile whose warehouse is in Sacramento. They have this fantastic recycled glass slab countertops that are gorgeous. These photos don't do them justice and they really need to be seen in person. I am definitely going to keep this in mind for future design projects.

Lost in Translation

I wanted to apply an antique paint finish to the paint grade cabinets. The first photo is the prototype and example provided to the painters. The second photo is what I got!!! Not exactly what I was looking for. I thought I explained it well enought, but apparently something was lost in the translation. After a few tears and hours of disconcertion I have to figure out if I am going to go with it or start over. Sorry painters _ but it just is not right and does not look good.

I am wondering what I could have done differently or how I should hand this going forward. What do you thing?

Painting of Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets and doors getting primed and ready for paint - Jenco Painting’s crew Sebastian and Lalo are doing a fantastic job. We are going to finish the cabinets with an antique stain, Brian did a test on one door – love it!!

House is rocking today. Cabinets went in and painting was started. The back fence was "refurbished." We were able to salvage the boards that were still good and mix in new boards - looks kinda cute. Belco Cabinets in Lodi made the paint grade cabinets and installed them. What a great job at a terrific price point!!!

Here are some of the finishes selected for Stanfield. The countertops are beautiful granite and marble. I know I am on a budget but I got these on a close out deal from a warehouse that gave them to me at cost. My years of nuturing my network has its benefits. The downstairs floors are all laminate wood. The wallpaper will go on two walls in the entry to just add a nice designer touch.

Larry Wray at Inland Paint mixed up my color selections and the painting is moving along. I visited the house today to check the progress, but when I started taking pictures the battery was dead!!! Darn!!! The tile work was also stared. More pics to come after the battery charges. I took intermediate AutoCad this last semester and practiced by drawing the floor plans and elevations for Stanfield. It was a good exercise measuring a real house and then translating it to paper. It also helps my carpenter and the other subs "visualize" my concepts. Oh, goody - UPS just delivered my wallpaper bolts.........................

Tile is going in today and is looking very nice. The guest bathroom is going Italianate with silver, cooper and black tones. The hall bath is simple in shades of cream. The tiles I choose are 20x20in. We cut them in half to create the pattern. The master bath is a vanilla color and I opted for the simplest pattern. Scouted out wrought iron again today – whoa – it is expensive. I might consider refurbishing the old stair rails – reuse is the buzz word these days – right?

School started today – my first class today was Business Management and we learned about the various types of business formations – gee I think I will do ok in that class, he he!!! Also signed the paperwork to get my painting and decorating contractor’s license.

Here are some of the finishes selected for Stanfield. The countertops are beautiful granite and marble. I know I am on a budget but I got these on a close out deal from a warehouse that gave them to me at cost. My years of nuturing my network has it benefits. The downstairs floors are all laminate wood. The wallpaper will go on two walls in the entry to just add a nice designer touch.

Inland Paint mixed up my color selections and the painting is moving along. I visited the house today to check on the progress, but when I started taking pictures the battery was dead!!! Darn!!! The tile work was also started. More pics to come after the battery charges.

I took intermediate AutoCad this last semester and practiced by drawing the floor plans and elevations for Stanfield. It was a good exercise measuring a real house and then translating it to paper. It also helps my carpenter and other subs "visualize" my concepts.

Oh, goody - UPS just delivered my wallpaper bolts...............

Wrought Iron Stair Rails

Today we visited two ornamental ironworks shops on Wilson Way. It was so funny, at both places the owners where not in. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon - they were either at a wrought iron convention on on siesta!! Too funny!!