Posted: April 23rd, 2010 | Filed under: To Do List | Tags: Modern treehouse | 1 Comment »
The Minors have been very patient. We thought we could get this going last summer, but the siding took so much longer than planned, and then the rains came, and came…..and next thing we knew, that window of opportunity had closed.
No worries though. The delay actually worked out well, because we saved all the good lumber when we rebuilt the front steps and back deck, so now we have a nice cache of salvaged materials to recycle.
We’ve been sketching out ideas for a year now…and we keep changing our minds/design!
We like the open feel of this house (think MUCH simpler) and the horizontal slats would tie in nicely with the new slats going in the front.
Photos via Inhabitat
Which will look much more like this budget version….
Photo via a Prefab Project
But, because it will be built on a slope, we plan to have 2 levels on the ground like this…but screened in with a roof, like above.
Photos by Laurie Stubbs via Dwell
My dad built me a treehouse when I was a kid…and spending the night out there with my friends, in our sleeping bags, with popcorn and flashlights was a seriously wonderful thing. I want that for them!
The roof/screening aspect is important for being able to hang out for sleepovers. The bugs here are too plentiful to sleep out in the open. (Remember Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever?!)
We (currently) think the best spot is to the left of the trail we made last year.
The bottom level will be accessible from the bottom of the trail, and the top level will be entered at the top of the trail.
So now, we just need to finish with all that staining, dirt and gravel so we can get started. Phew.
Posted: March 23rd, 2010 | Filed under: To Do List | Tags: bat house | 3 Comments »
Because you know what I’m like..I’m already planning another project before I’ve finished the ten I’m currently working on. Today may be rainy and cold, but the glorious Saturday that had us all out and lovin’ life, also had mosquitoes. ALREADY. I thought the harsher than usual winter would give us more time….but NOOOOOOOOO.
We needs bats. Last year, the bloodsuckers got so bad I had to take some (technically illegal) action on the adjacent parkland. There is a spillway that fills up in spring and becomes a stagnant mother of all breeding grounds. It’s about 100 yards back in the woods from the mailbox, and last spring, while getting the mail, I was seriously swarmed. I trotted out to the Depot immediately and bought a supersize pack of those floaters that kill the mosquito larvae and hiked back through there and hurled all of them in the “pond”. That seemed to help, and I replenished again before summer dried out the area. We can do better.
If we build it, will they come? I’ve found some good info here and here, and I think we can make a good looking bat house or 2 in a weekend…no? I wonder if it’s better to have many smaller houses or one Batmansion like this?
photo via batroost.com
This pitifully plain looking thing can hold 300 bats and comes in a kit for $95. Ouch!
If we really want to freak out the neighbors…and our own children for that matter….we can make one of these…..
photo via Greayer.com, via Gritty Kitty
A naval officer built this shrine to bats in Iraq. Impressive.
Now this is what I call a wee bit extreme….
photo via ecotality
In the end…I envision a dark stained simple bat house…like so…
photo via bsdhome
If successful, we can build more. Apparently there are about 15 species of bat living in this state, so which ones actually come will be interesting to see. Their poo/guano can be used as fertilizer, but we’ll see about that. They may be nasty looking things, but anything that can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes an hour will be my new best friend.
Posted: March 22nd, 2010 | Filed under: Copycat, Furniture, Shoppin' and Junkin', To Do List | Tags: cb2 igloo | 5 Comments »
The new springlike weather has us trying to grab every dry and warm moment to spiffy up all the outdoor furniture. I still have some more sandblasting to do, and some additional coats of paint on other pieces….but that’s what happens when every single piece you own is scavenged and worn.
I hope I don’t regret this, but I decided to hit my faux Salterini hoop chairs with a splash of orange. All the other pieces are getting painted a dark bronze, and these needed something special.
Speaking of hoop chairs….On the copycat front….The new CB2 Igloo is certainly more affordable than those Acapulco chairs I’ve been wanting. While certainly not as groovy, these could work. Has anyone sat in them yet? What’s the verdict? No CB2 store in Nashvegas, so no test drive available for me. $149 v. $400.
Posted: February 25th, 2010 | Filed under: To Do List | Tags: Barrie Benson's cabinet | 2 Comments »
We need to build some storage, either flanking the fireplace or the french doors in the living room…and I’ve been waiting to use these.
They need replating, but I also like their worn appeal. I’ve envisioned building something like this, from Barrie Benson’s fab house via the late Domino.
The pulls are really too small to pull off that effect, but it could possibly work. Somehow, we will, we MUST use them in this house.
Posted: February 16th, 2010 | Filed under: DIY, Our Projects, To Do List | Tags: refinishing outdoor furniture | 3 Comments »
Well, in addition to finishing the gravel patio and staining the new deck/stairs. All of which are STILL covered with ice/snow so I can’t make progress there until the temps are much warmer. I CAN, however, put on a coat and use the sandblasting attachment to clean up and prep my collection of aging vintage patio furniture. Once the weather cooperates, I’ll be ready to paint and can knock it out.
On a freakishly mild day before “snowmageddon”, I tested out a chair and was pleased with the results. Sometimes the paint isn’t paint, but old, flaking powder coating and that’s tougher to deal with. This just has lots of layers of paint. Easy peasy.
Just a few passes with the sandblaster took that paint right off. Now if it would just stop snowing, I can finish the set!!! (I never thought I’d say that living in Nashville.)
I’m also trying to find a deal on some swank outdoor fabric for these benches.
My HOPE was that when those fabulous Trina Turk fabrics came out last year, I could get them at a serious discount THIS year. I’ve been trolling E-bay and I’ve come up empty thus far. Has anyone used LA Design Concepts? 20% over wholesale sounds good….I’ve requested pricing, but I’m not holding my breath that it will still be affordable enough.
All 3 are Schumacher, bottom 2 are Trina Turk’s 2009 line. Don’t you think that crazy Peacock is just meant for the Regal Beagle? The CC also has that bit of welding he promised for our Woodard pieces….
Posted: January 13th, 2010 | Filed under: Our Projects, To Do List | Tags: half bath before | 6 Comments »
I warned you I had some heinous bathroom action going here…and I haven’t had the guts to show the master bathroom in detail yet…it may take some time to muster the courage. The best bathroom in the house by far, was the upstairs jack and jill used by the Minors. Probably because no one used it for the past 10 years or so.
The half bath is actually our kind of project. This will really happen this year, because we can do it ourselves, and do it inexpensively. The Crafty Counterpart has some pretty good plumbing skills, so that always makes it easier/cheaper. The half bath will also take priority since it’s what our guests use, and its proximity to the playroom makes it the most used bathroom in the house. The beige potty doesn’t flush unless you hold the handle down, etc..even the Minors have been asking when we’re going to “do something about that bathroom.” The color in here is that shade of beige that looks dirty all the time. No matter how many magic erasers I use on the walls, it still feels dirty.
I had debated keeping the floor in here. It’s a groovy tile, but if I keep it, that means I have to keep the vanity cabinet. The cabinet is actually decent, paint job, new countertop and sink/fixtures…it would look great, but since it’s such a small space, my vision was to have a floating countertop with freestanding storage underneath. It will certainly be faster and simpler to rehab the cabinet. I’ve brought home about 30 swatches and can’t find a color that I like to use with that tile. At the end of the day, busy tile means no busy walls, so methinks the tile floor goes.
For the walls, I really wanted a groovy 70′s inspired wallpaper, but I have stripped too much wallpaper in my life and I can’t do it. It’s a shame, since there are SO many beautiful papers, but I refuse to put it up in my houses. It’s too big a commitment. (I can hear the collective gasp of horror now…sorry.)
So, my plan has been to take a page from Kellie, who I saw featured on this Design Sponge post last year. Brilliant! All the wallpapers I had been eyeing were metallic patterns on a rich color, so I could do something like that in the half bath! If I screw up, I paint over it and start again. My kind of project.
photo via Kellie/Scraplog
photo via Scraplog via Fossil catalog
Problem is, one day this summer, when it looked like we might get started on the half bath any day, I grabbed the paint pen and started doodling on the walls. Just testing some ideas..you know…6 months later, it’s still there. Kind of embarrassing when guests are over, but hey…it is what it is.
You know you’re jealous of my fancy hardware and faux marble laminate countertop. So, should I rehab the cabinet or go floating like this one we built in our last house?
