The Artful Dwelling

Jewelry Box Powder Room-Oak Hill Renovation

People often pass by all those ugly red and orange brick ranches in Forest Hills, Green Hills, Oak Hill, and also in Williamson County. This powder room was in one of those orange brick ranches on a huge lot in Oak Hill. Today, the same house is now a historically correct South Carolina Low Country Home. This powder room is one of my favorite rooms in the house. I had dreamed of how this powder room would look for a very long time.

From the very beginning of this renovation project in Nashville, I wanted this room, the powder room, to be like a little piece of jewelry. Why put so much emphasis on a bathroom you ask? You can put a lot of different materials and textures into a space that small and it will amplify everything. It is one of the best places in a home to make a statement and create something really special. Your eye doesn't have to travel far to see the next piece in the puzzle. You take in a lot of images and textures really fast so it everything is overemphasized. If you were to put these same materials into a larger space you would lose some of the WOW factor.

In doing this, you need to be extra careful as to what materials you use and they all better coordinate well. If you are a little off in a small space, there is no forgiveness! A couple of things in this remodel I did hold my breath on, waiting to see if was going to be exactly like what I pictured in my mind. This was even better.

In this powder room is a custom iron and marble vanity, custom floating stainless steel mirror, custom stain glass (the other side of the stained glass is in the bar area), cross-hatched textured wallpaper that blends perfectly with the irridescent tiles on the feature wall, custom carved door, and a very sparkly light fixture that reflects this gorgeous pattern on the ceiling.

When I finally saw the end product, I sighed with relief then, jumped up and down and squealed like a little girl. It was perfection in a tiny space.

Custom Stained Glass by Heidi Hyatt, Glass Design Studios.

Property Vision

I have heard this a lot lately, "people don't have any vision" when it comes to buying an older home or foreclosures that have damage or aren't finished. I've heard this from clients and realtors. I've offered my "vision" services to several realtors. I am gong to start a new blog posting real estate that is for sale in the Nashville area that I see huge potential in, and in the Atlanta area where I have a second home. I look at real estate that is for sale all the time. I have said before, all I need is an investor! I dream up renovations from what I see that's for sale. This is fun for me, I'm a little quirky like that. I am The Property Chick. 

Cerused Oak

Staying up late tonight and watching DIY Network. Some of these shows on the network are just fascinating from a bad standpoint, homeowner's remodel projects gone bad. This episode on Million Dollar Contractor is about a Manhattan apartment remodel and it actually taught me something. I do like this contractor, he started out as a cabinet master craftsmen. Fine craftsmen are really hard to find today. I am lucky to have found a master craftsman to assist me with custom interior and exterior finishes. It took months to find him and a LOT of phone calls, but I did find the right guy who has saved me a couple of times now when no other person could do it right--Nick Besaw.

I've known about pickling oak, or a lime wash, but I just learned about the origins of that process and how to do it as if it was done long ago. It's called cerusing or cerused oak. It's beautiful. You use a heavy steel brush to expose the grain on oak. Apply a dark stain, then white paint, and then use steel wool to rub off the white. It stays in the grain and makes a fantastic finish that shows off the grain.

Here is another post about the process: http://bungalowblueinteriors.squarespace.com/home/2011/4/22/cerused-oak.html

Amazing Swivel Chair

Until recently whenever a client mentioned they wanted a swivel or recliner chair, I would cringe! I sold a lot of these back in the 80's and they weren't so good looking. Now, I have found a few fantastic swivel and recliner chairs. Lay-Z-Boy has very tasteful recliner chairs in great looking fabrics at a reasonable price. My favorite however is by Pearson.

Pearson Upholstery Company by far has the best looking and most comfortable chairs I have found in a long time. When I worked in North Carolina, my go-to brand for upholstery was Sherrill. You can't easily find Sherrill here in Tennessee to sit in. At market last fall I did sit in a few Pearson pieces and I was hooked. For a client we recently did Pearson swivel chairs upholstered in a brown and white, velvet zebra fabric by Kravet. I am now in love with these chairs. Most people cannot afford Kravet fabrics, but these chairs are the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in for a family room. I am going to order some of these the next time I buy family room furniture because I am tired of my children manipulating the furniture on the wood floor to get in the best viewing spot.

http://pearsonco.com/Furniture/Upholstery/Chairs-and-Ottomans/i320541-Chair.aspx

Custom Light Fixtures

So excited to see the custom Ironware International chandeliers i ordered for a client about 7 months. Custom design, custom size, and custom finish, made by a master ironworker in France.It's also one of those panic moments when you think,"I really hope they are right!"

The finising of all their work actually happens in Nashville. I got to tour their factory a while back when we were picking out finishes. This is one of those unique companies that is truly a gem.