Fixer Upper Floats

 

So.  Here’s my face when I realized the project

on this week’s Fixer Upper was a house boat:

What’s happened to our show??!!

Calm down.  They’ve got this.

Exhibit A:

How could I have doubted these 2?

Before:

After:

Looks like Joanna’s chosen to combine black with warm wood tones again,

which she used in their recent modern house project.

Those black boards on the house boat’s exterior were not painted or stained.

Instead, they were literally torched + set on fire,

which is a form of preservative used in Japan.

+ + + + +

The black + tan color story is continued into the house boat’s interior,

where the kitchen cabinets + windows are black:

There’s that beautiful, caramel-colored leather again, in the bar stools,

with yet more warm brown/tan  repeated

in the butcher block counters, accessories + lighting.

Exhibit B:

That black + antique brass sconce

looks like this one from Restoration Hardware:

What are our thoughts re: the window-spanning shelves?

I vote yes + in fact, I toyed with the idea for our own kitchen windows.

I’m pretty sure I’ve pinned a few examples.

Exhibit C:

This Old House

What’s not to love?

They provide tons of storage + nice perches for some pretty houseplants.

Could that small farmhouse sink be cuter?

I don’t think so!  I’d love it!

+ + + + +

There is one bathroom on the lower level.

Its mirror is framed in black, + the shower walls are clad in black tiles:

I’m in love with the double sconce over the sink.

Here’s something similar from Restoration Hardware:

Surprisingly, Restoration Hardware’s lighting can be pretty affordable,

plus, I think there’s a big sale going on.

+ + + + +

Upstairs there are 2 bedrooms,

the first of which is this awesome bunk room

for the homeowner’s 4 young children:

I’m so drawn to the beautiful, warm wood tones.

It’s kind of refreshing to see it being used now,

after so many years of painted everything.

Do we think it’s a trend that will last for a while?

(I do!)  Time will tell!

+ + + + +

There is also a master bedroom on the 2nd story,

+ it sports this beautiful natural wood feature wall:

I think that interior window awnings

are Joanna’s signature accent for this season.

Just to the right of the bed is a pair of beautiful French doors,

leading to a balcony.

So.  What’s next for Fixer Upper?

Not a TRAILER, surely!!??

Wait.  What?

I would totally watch that, wouldn’t you?

Stay tuned!

Light Fixture Fun: Mixing Metals Or No?

Well, our downstairs bath + powder room

 finally have their drywall up + running.

Powder room in progress

This means one thing:

THE . . . END . . . IS . . . SEMI-NEAR!!!

* * * *

I couldn’t be more pleased

+ will be ordering some fun stuff within the hour.

Pass me my credit card!

* * * *

First, let’s have a look-see

at some items that I’ve already ordered!

For the powder room, in old-school polished chrome**

(**which I love because it looks so vintage):

Signature Hardware
New York Widespread

+, speaking of looking vintage — honed marble for the vanity top:

Pottery Barn

Yesh, I did order something marble, sight-unseen,

which, I know, is crazy —

but the good news is that it’s perfection!

* * * *

But back to  today’s spending spree.

To hang over our powder room sink, I shall order this pendant light fixture,

(also in polished chrome):

Westmore Schoolhouse Pendant
Lowe’s
$151

Nobody loves the schoolhouse light fixture more than I do,

+ I’m fond of this one’s small scale for a small room.

* * * *

Meanwhile, for our main bath,

last summer we found this IKEA medicine cab in their “as-is” section,

at a mere $80!

Hemnes
Regularly $170

My plans are to de-fuse its IKEA-ness a tad

by tricking it out with this DIY project:

sweetsomethingdesign.blogspot.com

I want our cab to be extended all the way to the ceiling,

as that’s what I think would make it look most original to the house.

I’ve got to find something awesome for door pulls, too.

Stay tuned.

* * * *

Back to light fixtures.

This was my first choice to hang in front of the IKEA medicine cab:

Seagull Sydney Pendant
Lowe’s
in golden pewter**

(**I’ve never seen “golden pewter” before, but I think I’d like it.)

But I worry!

Is the fixture too large?

Would it overpower our small space?

Well . . .

. . . methinks that the only way to be sure is to add it to today’s order

+ give it a test-spin in our space!

* * * *

While I’m ordering/comparison shopping,

I could send for a pair of these:

Westmore 5″ pendant
Lowe’s
$101
Polished chrome

There’s my go-to metal — polished chrome — again.

* * * *

But wait!

Lately, I find myself being lured by other, warmer metals,

like antique copper:

Rejuvenation

+ antique brass:

amazon.com

No doubt about it — these are the next “IT” tones for metal,

+ I’m LOV-ing them!

With that in mind, here’s what I’ll order:

Chadwick 6″ pendant light
Lowe’s
$171.15
Antique copper

Those would make me happy every time I gazed at them!

* * * *

I worry, though.

Must I match my metals?

Or may I use this polished chrome faucet

in the same room as my antique copper lights?

* * * *

Right now, I’m leaning toward mixing things up.

That’s subject to change, of course.

Stay tuned.