Sunday, September 17, 2006

Carpe Diem!

Is it just me, or does everything happen for a reason? Aunt Irene and Lia invited Dad and I to spend the day with them, and as most of you know, I need LOTS of "Gina Time" but agreed to go even though I was in the red! While we were in San Antonio, we stopped to see Michael to see what's new, and to introduce Aunt Irene to our wonderful store! Even Dad found doors he liked!

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After exchanging friendly greetings and pant hikes I found the perfect door hardware set! It had chipped white and sage paint with a keyhole and working springs! I LOVED it, but it did not have the post that connects the knobs! I showed Michael, and after some rummaging, intense sparks, frankensteinian adjustments, and lots of WD40, we had a perfect match! SWEET! He even gave me a demo on adjusting antique hardware, fascinating! The price? Let's just day cute goes a long way, Thanks Dad!

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Buzzing on my great new find and WD40, we headed to Wallpapers To Go (2 thumbs up!) to browse for my new kitchen wallpaper! YAY! Man, there are still some fugly papers out there! Anyhoo, I am looking for a French Country style paper, very fresh, whimsical, and light! As luck would have it, I found a wallpaper book entitled, "French Country, Fresh, Whimsical, and Light! Ok, just kidding, but it might as well! I found some great paper, but this one was my favorite! Grab a spoon for some beans!

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It's fresh, but not squeaky new looking, with the bursts of floral color throughout! The background has a subtle chipped weathered finish and blends well to the kitchen pallet. They were kind enough to break me off a piece to take home! I liked this design because;
A. The lighter color will make the room feel better
B. It's not American (chickens, apples, hearts) country, as it is French Country
C. The scale is appropriate for my small space, and the floral whimsical touches are subtle rather than the existing slap yo' mama bold stripe!

Now there is one downside to the switch, although not much of a concern, The strong vertical element does make the room seem taller, so I will loose that, but the larger fresher feel will more than compensate for that!

Upon lying on my kitchen floor planning the room, I realized the wallpaper stopping at the back door was limiting the visual definition of "kitchen" to that area. What if I carried the wallpaper around the kitchen to the opening of the den to further define the kitchen and make it bigger! SWEET! I went up to hug my walls, and I realized the walls are .....(insert dramatic telenovela music here) TEXTURED!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Aye dios mio!! I backed up slowly, shielding my eyes from the horror! Lying back on my floor curled up in the fetal position of defeat, it hit me! What if I used a wainscoting at the same height of the counter to visually continue the counter proportion around the kitchen! I would paint it buttercreme, and the top of the wall willow green, and the chair rail, baseboards and trim white! GORGEOUS!! The colors go so well together, and it will add depth, texture and color variety to the room! This is even better than my original plan! Thanks Gods of creativity!! Check out the new pallet!

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At Rojo's the next day I explained my new plans for the kitchen to my usual crowd. Lia "3rd eye" Guerra was fully on board, and Dad "Blank" Garcia, couldn't visualize his way out of a paper bag! Lia also had the spectacular idea of painting the vaulted ceiling in the living room baby blue like the back porch, genius! I'm thinking I really can not carry that color to the kitchen with the willow green walls, that might not be very cohesive, BUT I could bring in a ceiling surprise with beadbord paneling on the ceiling in white to match the trim! This way there is a color surprise in the living room, and textural surprise in the kitchen! Hubba-hubba! With the green light, I thought....hmmmm, by the time I paint my entire house, it's going to be a while for me to get to the kitchen! I was also disturbed at the fact that I have changed my mind so often. What if I paint the rooms, and then am confined to my color choice to dictate the design for each space? Would it behoove me to take this project room by room, or assembly style the house? After discussion with the crew, I am going to go room by room, but there is no commitment in interior design, it's not a person you let down or disappoint, that's the beauty of it! I also know I will fair better with some instant gratification of a finished product than to spread it all out. So...Ready for another ghetto rendering? Check back soon, view 2 is in the works! Enjoy your beans!

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This room has 3 full length walls in full view, and because of this I want to install wainscoting throughout the room in the same colors of the kitchen. The opposite wall of the bed is large and there is no room for furniture, so as an alternative to art, I plan on hanging various sized mirrors with different colored ribbons to the wall. The ribbons will have a Trompe l'oeil technique that will look as though the ribbon runs through the mirror, and these will balance the headboard. My good friend Maria "Where's My Check" Mendoza had graciously submitted this artist's rendering of said mirror.

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I also want to install crown molding in the room to add some more architectural "frosting". The headboard as you know is going to be my new old doors, and I will have an antiqued chest next to the bed to hold guest's books, personal effects, and perhaps a cup of tea. I will use antique door hardware to replace the existing, and I am on the hunt for a corner whitewashed curio with a recessed light for the opposite side of the bed to house guest towels, soaps, and his and her toiletries. An antique style fan will replace the small dated one, and new bright light window sheers will bath the room with natural light, and finish the room. I want to wallpaper the closet to really capitalize on the cottage feel, and bring a pleasant surprise to guests! Accents like wood hangers, candles, and light dimmers will further enhance the ambiance of the room, and make it feel cozy! Damn, I could rent this bitch out!

All this would not have been possible if I had "Gina Time" eating cookies in my PJ's, and napping the afternoon away! Not that I will ever replace THAT, but still, a small lesson for me none the less!

Armed with my new game plan, Lia and I headed to Austin to shop for backsplash tile and bedding. We went to Bed Bath Beyond, and I was on the hunt for king pillows and sheets. As I browse through clearance, I find the exact same quilt set I purchased from Wal-mart in a queen for $19.99. I didn't think much of it, but after no luck looking for sheets and pillowcased, it dawned on me! I could buy the queen set, and use it as fabric to make king shams and throw pillows! Ironically, I was JUST telling Lia how disapointed I was that I could not purchase additional shams and such from walmart, and now I have the same thing, for less than if I went out and bought substitutions! Gotta go to grandma's to get that sweat shop started! Tipsy from my super genius idea, I found hypoallergenic fluffy king pillows for only $9 each! God loves me! (sniff) In regards to tile backsplash, I found a bulbous ceramic tile border I really like, it is uniform in color with a shallow bas relief of a floral pattern that will surround "to be found"
tiles. I also found a more simplified version. This will frame the back of the range, and I am quickly coming to the conclusion I need to do something about my dated countertops....well see!!

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