March 5, 2013

Staying on Track

by Stacey

We’re definitely staying on “track” in the back of the house as I continue to work on sheetrock, painting, and now installing the new track lighting that arrived recently. The lighting in this space has been a long time coming… like so many things in this house. Richie rewired this area allowing us to put lighting down the supporting beams of each room. He also replaced all the outlets and switches. I have a thing for white outlets. They can’t be off white, or tan, or “ivory”. They must be white. It’s just a thing with me. THANK YOU, RICHIE!

So for several years Richie has been bitching and moaning about how we need to order our track lighting but honestly I was always so focused on other parts of the house it just wasn’t a priority. Now that I’m finally in the studio space and getting close to completing my workout room… lighting quickly became a priority. Richie wanted black, I wanted simple, and I think that’s what we ended up with. Lets face it, track lighting isn’t all that pretty, interesting, or fabulous. It functions, it lights stuff up and it’s adjustable. I guess those are all good things for a studio space.

I ordered 3 track lines and 10 track heads. They are all WAC brand and it’s a “H” track in case anyone might be interested. Track lighting comes in J, H, and L. That’s Juno, Halo, and Lightolier.The H system is known as 3-wire single circuit systems and is the most popular track system. The J is a 2 wire-wide single circuit system and the L is a 2 wire-narrow single circuit system. It’s very confusing to me. Richie tried to explain it but honestly “who cares”! My eyes were rolling to the back of my head and I eventually passed out. All I know is mine is “H” and all the tracks in my house are. What would he say to me “that’s woman’s work”…. well, “that’s man’s work”. Just make it look pretty, sweetheart!

Shamefully the beams in the studio part of the house have had wire dangling from them for years. I’m sure we were violating all kinds of code and habitation laws. Whatever! We’re trashy like that.

First Richie had to actually install a box for the wire and then nail up rough cut boards to cover the channel. All the beams in the house are rough cut which means they are not sanded nor have a super smooth finish. We had to stay “rough” with the cap so it resembled the beam.

The board gives the beam a nice finished look and it hides the Romex wire. (always a good thing and it’s code required). It doesn’t come perfectly flush with the edge of the beam because again… rough cut means NOT PERFECT. One side might match and the other side hang over. You have to compromise and leave a small gap on each side. It’s cool.

Then the track wire gets tied to the electricity and the track screwed into the newly installed boards. Actually track lighting is SUPER simple to install. I think even I could do it if I wasn’t so freaked out over being fried with electricity. (yes, always turn off the electricity, friends!)

Once that was done I stained the boards and put the lights in. I’m still playing around with them and haven’t decided which type of bulb I’m going to end up with. I love the idea of LEDs but I’m having a hard time finding ones that will fit. Not to mention the LEDs cost almost as much as the lighting! INSANE!

oooooo, pretty! Well…. sort of. YES, it is. Okay… maybe. I’m diggin’ it. Yes, pretty works!

Richie’s studio is around the corner from my workout room and it’s a total and complete wreck but we went ahead and installed the lighting in there too. Best to get it all over with. Richie can do just about anything but gets cranky if I don’t do it in a way that makes sense to him. It all had to be done at the same time. Okay, okay…
So here is his lighting. Excuse the mess.

The lights on the wall that I have circled came with the house. They are AWESOME and we love them. They’re Lightolier fixtures. Yes, again with the word “Lightolier”. Lightolier is a company that manufactures and sells a wide array of lighting fixtures. It was founded in 1904 by Bernhard Blitzer under the name of New York Gas and Appliance Co. In its early years, the company specialized in fancy decorative chandeliers then made a shift to high-end design and architectural in the 1920s. They also happened to be the first to introduce track lighting systems. It’s all so intertwined, isn’t it. I just can’t keep “track”. These were most definitely made in the late 50′s, mid 60′s and they weight a ton. They just don’t make anything like they use to. (another reason we stuck with black… it matches) You can see I’ve started on the sheetrock too.

His studio has 2 six foot tracks and 6 heads. We’ll also add some under cabinet lighting when it gets closer to the finish line. (like 3 years from now) JUST KIDDING! It better not be. HA HA!
I look forward to him having a lovely space filled with light (track and natural) so he can get back to making art and being creative. Richie is a wonderfully creative person and he’s an amazing musician. All of this has been put on hold while we work on this house and I’m excited for him to get back in the groove. Artistic people suffer when they can’t do their thing!

So the lights are up and I’m happy about that. I’ve also been working on my storage cabinet in the workout room (below) … trying to pick out a touch of color for the sliders and I also want to paint the door the same color. Picking out paint is NOT my favorite thing to do. TOTALLY MADDENING! Another reason that white rooms have been so much fun for me. Stress and fret-free choices are becoming more and more welcome in my old age. :-)

A teaser! I’m working on it. …….

So which one did I choose? Well, I’m saving that for the next post. Lets just say that the color I’ve had in my head for years didn’t quite turn out the way I’d planned. Home renovation is such fun!

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February 26, 2013

Designer: Poul Kjaerholm

by Stacey

18 comments

Time to take a break from “working out” and talk about the things that make our homes special. Whether you’re mid-century or traditional, all of us love to fill our homes with beautiful FURNITURE!
Some of it we collect from estate sales, buy on a whim, get handed down from grandma or pick up off the side of the road. Putting a home together should be fun and for me it has and does take years. I love the look of a home that has morphed over many years of collecting over a home that gets decorated in a weekend from a big-box store. The thing I have tried to do with our home is never bring anything into the house that I didn’t REALLY want or REALLY love. Sometimes that’s hard to do… but it’s always worth it to wait for that special piece.

One of our favorite designers is Poul Kjaerholm and his pieces are spectacular. He was a danish designer born in 1929 and passed away in 1980. His award-winning designs have put him on the who’s who list of modern designers. His pieces are clean, simple, and the epitome of modern. They stand the test of time and they will NEVER go out of style. The are also, however, expensive as all hell! The funny thing is…. most really beautiful, well-made things can be … BUT sometimes are totally worth it.

Kjaerholm is one of those designers you dream about owning but know in your heart it will probably never happen. Or will it?

Designer Paul Kjaerholm / PK Flat File Cabinet / PK31 Sofa / PK55 Dining Table

The PK22 chairs below are $3,800 each. You can get his PK80 daybed for $17,000 or just swipe that debit card and get you that lovely PK31 sofa for $38,000. What are you waiting for?

I won’t go into the whole entire history of his life and work… the internet is full of info if you’re interested but I can say that although I love just about everything he’s done there are two things that Richie and I have had on our list for the past 10 years that seemed “in reach”. (especially when we win the lottery!) I’m sure everyone has a list and ours included the PK22 chairs above and the PK55 dining table. I keep hearing Aerosmith singing “DREAM ON”… “DREAM ON”… “DREAM ON”.

After watching online auctions, ebay, and scouring the internet for any kind of “deal” we happened upon an auction at the Wright Auction House in Chicago. They were auctioning a PK55 dining table. We logged on and watched the bidding. SOLD! Then months later saw another one come up and watched again. This time the item did not sell. Hummm…. this could be very good. Months and months went by and we noticed that the item eventually went into their “WRIGHT NOW” part of the auction site… which means you can buy it NOW instead of taking part in the actual auction. It was still way out of our price range but we continued to watch it.

About 6 months after moving into this house we checked again and it was still there. We decided to just take a leap and offer them what we could afford (realistically) and if they really wanted to get rid of it I figured they’d deal. You have to arrange for shipping yourself so I got on the horn and got bids for shipping from Chicago to Texas. Cheapest shipper was $525. WTF! So it was back to the drawing board. We came up with a new number that included the shipping but still totaled the amount we could spend and they SAID YES! Yes, I almost peed in my pants. (even as I write this). THEY SAID YES!!!!
I got online and initiated a bank transfer of funds from ours to theirs (before they backed out and came to their senses) and it was paid for in a matter of minutes. As I logged into the website to see my table a big
S-O-L-D banner came across the image and I could hardly believe that it was on it’s way.

So here it sits in our dining room. After 8 years of staring at this item on our list… I took a red marker and crossed it off. It is the most beautiful, well-made piece of furniture I have ever bought.
I’m so proud to own it and it was worth every day, month, and year we had to wait. Every hard-earned penny too. Additional proof that decorating your home no matter what style you love takes time, effort and patience. It’s part of the fun.

We had 6 Eames Dining Chairs that we knew would be perfect around it. It easily fits six but you could squeeze in two more.

Those bubble lamps are from the 60′s so they have that vintage golden patina. Or maybe it’s just cigarette smoke. HA! Remember the days when everyone use to smoke inside, in airplanes, in offices. CRAZY to think about. Whichever it was I think we’ll call it vintage cool because that sounds so much better than smoke-stained!

I love how the brushed stainless steel legs so gracefully cross each other at the corners. It reminds me of a woman crossing her legs. (her very thin legs!! DAMN HER!)

Many of you may have already seen plenty of pictures of this room (sorry for the repeat) but I’ve yet to talk about most of the pieces. It’s fun to share the dreams you had for your home that have now come true.

The simple top seems to float above the legs. It is by far the one piece in my house that makes me feel like a grown up. HA HA! The PK22 chairs will remain on my list along with the hope of “one day”… it could happen!

If you’re looking for a certain mid-century modern piece I suggest you check out Wright Auctions.
They have some really gorgeous stuff. It’s fun just to window shop, too. You can also check out more of Poul Kjaerholm’s designs on google.

Do you have a special piece in your home that makes you proud? Maybe something that you saved and saved to get?

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY THIS POST – DESIGNER: JENS RISOM

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February 20, 2013

Planters, Lighting, Fans and Floors

by Stacey

26 comments

I hesitated to do this post, as I feel like I’m a broken record stuck on that part of the song that drives you crazy. Don’t worry, I too am wishing I could move the needle to another part of the record and get over it! (for those of you who don’t remember vinyl… sorry.)

The thing is I really try hard to start a project and stick to it until it’s done. Inch by inch, post by post, I am still “working it out”. Last weekend was a bust and I didn’t get a chance to do much in my work out room due to a wonderful and unexpected visit from my uncle (my mom’s brother). It’s been years since I’ve seen him and so a dinner party was in order! And it forced me to give my house a really good cleaning. You know how that goes… company comes and you think “OH MY GOSH this place is a wreck” and you turn into a crazy cleaning lady. Trust me, it was a really good thing!

A few things did happen over the last week. Always the planner, I’m constantly swirling around ideas and trying to get inspiration to not only start but to finish a project. This inspiration board below has been changing over the last few weeks but I think it’s almost there.

Being the plant lover that I am I wanted a lovely planter for my space. I decided to order a case study planter from Modernica and it arrived last week. I went for the large one and I’m really glad I did. They come in two sizes and you can get either metal or wood legs.

I’m really loving the simplicity of the stand. The legs are two pieces that fit together like a puzzle and the weight of the pot sort of holds everything together. It’s so pretty. I chose the white one and it’s sitting in my den until I finish the room. I didn’t want a drop of paint on it!

The cigar bubble lamp seen in the pictures is also from Modernica. I’m probably going to buy another hanging bubble for my office space in the next month. They put out such a lovely glow it’s hard to resist.

Sorry… pictures are like potato chips for me…. I can’t take just one!

While I was picking up a plant for my new planter I spied this crazy looking plant called a Cylindrica and had to bring it home. Has anyone ever seen one of these? I’m so in LOVE! I went back the next day to get another one and they were all gone.

I also ordered the track lighting for my room and I’m just waiting for the shipment. I went ahead and ordered lights for both my workout room and Richie’s studio so it was a total of 3 strips and 10 track heads. I chose these:

Track lighting has really come to our rescue in this house as we have NO attic to run electrical wires through so all the electricity for overhead lighting is fed down the beams in each room. The tracks make it so easy to add as much lighting as you need and to space them up and down the beam allowing you to distribute light to certain areas of the room. A single pendant would have never been as useful.

After I ordered these the customer service department informed me that since I was ordering more than 5 of the same item they were not eligible for returns. WHAT!? Okay, I really do understand why that would be a “policy”, as many of these online retailers are just drop ship operations and they don’t keep stock so they certainly wouldn’t want TEN of the same item returned. HOWEVER… I am a woman on the edge. Clearly they have no idea what a policy like that does to an old lady who has been renovating for 3 years. It turns me into a cranky ass. I very politely told them to reduce the number to 5 and I would gladly go to another online retailer to get the other five. I was sure they would LOVE to have my money. Minutes later they “made an exception” for me and apologized. Okay, I know, I’m a real crankster aren’t I? But seriously, that just really got me twisted. Please tell me some of you have had to throw a “minor” fit to get what you wanted. Please.

Okay, anyway those are on the way. They’ll be here Friday (22nd) – CAN’T WAIT!

You’ll also see the coin rubber flooring in my inspiration photo. Depending on how good or BAD the concrete floor ends up looking I’m going to order some rubber flooring to either put under some of my equipment or to possible cover the entire floor with. I ordered samples and I’m really digging the coin pattern over the textured one. I’ll do either white or gray.

If there’s enough room and a decent place to hang it I will also get a wall-mount fan for the room. Having some air flow during a workout is a MUST but I definitely didn’t want a ceiling fan. Besides that I’d probably stick my hand up in it and cut my arm off. Not a good look for me. I’m digging the all metal one in the inspiration photos. They run between 300-400 dollars so I’ll see what’s left in the budget. (wink!)

The rest of the room is stuff I already have and will just work it all in. I’m going to try to squeeze in a little color maybe on the door and the sliding storage cabinet in that room. That blue/turquoise color is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.

The last thing is the Stendig calendar. I do want a really big calendar for the space to keep track of the days I work. I’m hoping it will motivate me to stay on track. Seeing it BIG AND BOLD will either make me really proud or shame me into doing what I should. The calendar was designed in 1966 by Massimo Vignelli and taken that year into the Design collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Unfortunately these calendars are so popular they are all sold out. I’m going to find something comparable or make my own. I DID, however go ahead and order one for next year. There’s a waiting list! (crazy, I know)

photo via

So although I didn’t get to actually work in the room there has been some good action going on and I’m really feeling good about how it’s coming together. Richie always makes fun of me for having a plan so far in advance but once I’m done with the grunt work I want it DONE and move on. No sense in delaying it and the internet makes it so easy!

Thanks for reading and letting me share my plans. Have you bought anything online lately that you’re super excited about?

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February 5, 2013

Design “Anatomy”

by Stacey

22 comments

Progress in my work-out room is happening. I’ve got all the walls, ceiling and windows done and now we’re working on hanging sheetrock on the only wall that needed it. I’ll definitely give an update on all this progress as we approach the finish line. When I get close to finishing a room I always start to put things together in my head and then eventually begin gathering, purchasing, or making the things I need. Decorating a room is by far my most favorite part. DUHHH, isn’t it everyone’s!! The work sucks… but the decorating makes up for it all.

This post was inspired by ONE of the really special pieces that I’m going to use in my room. It’s a piece that we’ve been saving in our stash of special finds for almost 6 years. I’m pretty excited to finally have a place for it and as CRAZY as it may seem…. it’s gonna be GREAT …. A VINTAGE ANATOMY CHART!!!!

Richie and I are NOT doctors (or nurses for that matter). Unless you count the naughty nurse outfit… but that’s for another post. (KIDDING!) We’ve never worked in a hospital and actually hate even being in them. Although I have to admit I’ve diagnosed both of us with all kinds of ailments. It seems the internet is really all one needs to be a doctor. Forget medical school…. and at our house there’s no appointment necessary. HA HA!

It seems that these charts are highly collectable and are being used in the coolest ways. Here’s a couple of images I found online. Crazy that the are both the exact charts I own. The bottom right image is another one I have but I’m not hanging it anywhere. I’ve seen the 6 chart set on 1st dibs for $4,500. Ha! Yes, I’m dying of laughter too. Who the hell would pay that much? But they are cool….

top-via, left-via,

I suppose it seems crazy but there are things in my house that might make someone think we were in fact medical professionals… or maybe just creepy as hell people. Definitely the latter. We have collected some really great medical stuff over the years so here’s a few things we love. Thanks to my friend Tamara (Scrap and Salvage) who encourages me to share this stuff!

Here’s a vintage medical cabinet that came out of one of the schools where Richie taught. The nurse knew he loved it and when she retired she quietly had him back his truck up to the back door and the rest is history. It’s in our dining room and we’ve filled it with all the little wood pieces we’ve collected.

Some of them Richie carved himself… like the airplane and the tooth. We love it! We’ve started a great little vintage top collection. I once did a post on the little man in the back on the left. His penis pops out. It’s hilarious. SEE HERE.

Of course after 20 years of estate sales he’s brought home some pretty crazy stuff. Here’s just a few more pieces from our “doctor bag of goodies”.

Lots of Anatomy books, old medicine bottles, the man with his removable organs (always fun on a Saturday night!) and the strangest thing yet.

(the display above is only for the picture… trust me, this is not how I decorate my house! HA HA!)

A plate for making teeth impressions. Those teeth our kind of gross. Richie loves them and is always on the hunt for glass eye balls. That’s all I need… more creative ways for Richie to “Roll His Eyes” at me. (NEVER!)

Decorating our home with strange and unique pieces is what we love to do. I’m really looking forward to using the chart in my work-out room.

Speaking of… the work is going well and we’re sheetrocking the final wall. I’m SO motivate to finish because this is where I’ll hang the chart. Here’s a sneak peek….

More to come soon. Until then… if you have an ache, need to be diagnosed, want to know where your liver is, or if your tooth falls out.. let me know. The doctor is IN!

An Unrelated Note:

A friend and fellow blogger, who is always encouraging to me and Richie, has nominated our blog for the “HOMIES” award through ApartmentTherapy.com We are nominated in the “Best Home Design & Inspiration Blog” category.
To find out more and vote for my blog (if you’re so inclined), please visit their site and get all the details.

From their site:
Join us as we survey the blogosphere together in the fifth annual Homies. We’re looking for the most notable home design & home cooking blogs that we can find. It’s all about sharing your favorites, checking out the ones you don’t know and being inspired. The Homies isn’t a competition as much as its about celebration and discovery.

THE 2013 SCHEDULE

Week 1:
Add your favorite home design & cooking blogs in six categories
Friday, February 1 – Friday, February 8 (until midnight EST)

Week 2:
Vote on the top nominees
Saturday, February 9 – Wednesday, Feb. 13 (until midnight EST)

THANKS!

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December 14, 2012

Love Christmas – hate to decorate!

by Stacey

26 comments

The other night Richie and I got into this great conversation about Christmas’ past. He had me rolling with laughter telling story after story. It was the kind of laughter that makes your cheeks sore and your back hurt. He’s great at making fun of me. It’s the sweetest thing EVER!

He reminded me of our first Christmas together when we didn’t have a pot to piss in. NO MONEY for a christmas tree. Are you kidding… we had to eat. My dad wanted me to have a tree so he bought me a gift certificate to go pick one out at a local tree vendor. I was so excited… but it was dark… and I wasn’t REALLY paying attention. We get home and the damn thing was BEYOND crooked. No matter what we did to try to straighten it in the stand it was just plain defective. (poor little tree!) Richie reminded me that I actually cried over it and he began to reenact the whole night in all it’s crazy glory. (we’re both howling with laughter at this point) OH MY GOD… was I really that crazy!!!?? Crying over a stupid tree!! But yes, Christmas had to be perfect and I agonized over it to the point of sickness. I did this for several years until one year it occurred to both of us (okay, mostly me, he already knew) that it didn’t have to be that way. It was time to change my way of thinking.

When we ditched our country decor and went all out with mid-century we ended up finding 3 of these fabulous aluminum Christmas trees in different sizes. Things were going to be easy… simple… less stressful and I was determined to get beyond the craziness that Christmas had become. A few aluminum branches… a color wheel… and some ornaments and we called it Christmas. DONE!

And that’s how it’s been ever since. We both LOVE the holidays, the time off, OTHER people’s decorations and the general beauty of the season… but we refuse to get all worked up about it. This year is no exception. Hello you gorgeous aluminum tree! You’re not crooked, and you’re so shiny you don’t require much else. You’re perfect!

I put it in the hallway (I know it seems weird) but there are no plugs along all the walls of windows so I needed to be close to an outlet. It worked out well, though. I can see it every time I walk down the hall. It’s visible from either side of the house and from the front door. I’m kinda diggin’ it there.

But that’s not all I did to celebrate the season. I decided to have a little fun with my chalkboard doors.
I’m a doodler and nothing more… but it was fun!

Out came the chalk and a tad bit of creativity. The really great thing about decorating this way is when it’s all over it’s SO much easier to take down. ERASE!!!! Poof… Christmas is over. (laughing) It doesn’t get any lower maintenance than that.

The colored chalk was extra fun. It goes on so bright it almost looks like it’s “lit up”. My hands were all shades of blue, green and purple. (I’m like a 5 year old)

The truly funny part of all this is that when I was done with my “decorating” I stood back to marvel at my creation when I realized that the damn tree was CROOKED! Ahhh, some things never change. At least I’m consistent. And no, I didn’t cry!!!

I normally don’t have a calendar on these doors but decided to draw one on because when Richie and I are off for so long we forgot what day it is. I certainly don’t want to miss Christmas! His birthday is the 21st and my brother’s the 23rd. This will help keep me from being stupid and clueless.

So there you have it. And yes, that’s it. That’s all I do for Christmas. No stress, no anxiety, no fretting, no crying, and most of all no drama. Although I guess it sucks for Richie because that also means no crazy stories to retell. But I’m sure he’ll figure something out. He always does.

Today is my last day of work until the New Year. I’m super thrilled to have so much time off and look forward to just doing whatever the hell I want. Sleeping late, baking, exercising, making Christmas cards, visiting with friends and family and hopefully tackling one or two small house projects. It’s my FAVORITE time of the year. And no doubt Richie will have me laughing most of the way.

P.S. Okay, I lied. I did put lights on the outside of my house. (see blog header!) Those should be easy to take down. (giggle) :-)

Happy Holidays!☃

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A Goode House

a mid-century modern home renovation

Staying on Track

Designer: Poul Kjaerholm

Planters, Lighting, Fans and Floors

Design “Anatomy”

THE 2013 SCHEDULE

Love Christmas – hate to decorate!