Well, as I've mentioned, I recently went back to school. This quarter, I've taken on a much heavier course-load, and I'm working a ton! So, I haven't had much chance to write.
So, I've decided to share a little of my favorites of what I've been doing with my history of furniture class. Approximately two-thirds of the assignments involve drawing out furniture from specific time periods, and there are definitely some images that I am excited to share.
Greek Klismos Chair
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Gothic Canopied Bedstead
| On the left is an ancient Greek Klismos chair. This was one of my favorite designs to draw, and I really liked how crisp this drawing came out when I input it into the computer. It highlights a lot of the classical elements found in these furniture pieces: rosettes over the joints, saber legs, woven seat, concave back, Greek key... It's such a cool piece!
 Spanish Curule Chair This Gothic Canopied bedstead was definitely one of the most challenging drawings I took on over the course of this class, Overall, I think it went really well, and was a very successful drawing.
The pointed arches and flamboyant tracery reflect the time period's relation with the church and the overlap of tradespeople working with church and residential projects.
The Spanish curule chair was very common throughout the renaissance period, and similar styles were found all over Europe.
These were normally made of fabrics with wooden frames, though these were also adorned with fringes, ornate finials, and structural runners.
While there were no purely upholstered pieces of furniture, these were the predecessor to all of the upholstery we have in furniture today. These were also the main ancestor to the modern day director's chair, as this one also folds through the middle.
 Louis XIV Console The Louis XIV console is an iconic piece of Baroque furniture. Its style directly influenced many of the furniture styles prevalent throughout Europe and the Americas, as these styles set the standard for luxury in the French castle: Versailles.
The features of this console: the ornate carving, gilded in gold ormolu, its marble top, the cartouche motifs on each side, and flat back to be set against a wall are all features that have been interpreted and reinterpreted through the Rococo and Neoclassic Periods.
Though I truly wish I could have been more productive with my creative pursuits, I can't help but be glad for the improvements I've made in my drawing and artistic capabilities over this class. I do have a few more things form this one that I can share, and I certainly will if I am able. While this is definitely not a knit mitten or a crocheted shark, I am still counting it with interiors. With my degree pursuits in Interior Design, it seems to fit.
I hope you enjoyed! If you'd like to see more of these kinds of posts, please let me know either in the comments or by email! Thank you.
 For the past several months, my mom, sister, and I have been anxiously working on some kitchen renovations. While the vast majority has been done with contractors, we've completed yet another phase in the process, and we have had a new backsplash installed. This one is quite a bit different than the glass tiles that we were considering here, but they definitely work well with the rest of the house. Click "Read More" to continue after the break!
After several weeks of using a hybrid kitchen/bathroom system to have a functional kitchen, the counters and the sink are finally in!  The new counters have now been installed complete with an under-mount sink and a new faucet! They turned out completely gorgeous!
The main hold up with getting the new counters in was a problem with gapping around the back corner behind the sink. Since most of the delicate cuts for that piece of stone could be edited, that piece was taken and trimmed to be more flush with the wall, and the joining section of counter (above the little strip of white for the dishwasher) was completely recut and installed. The installation turned out beautifully, and the single small seam between pieces is almost impossible to see.
 I honestly wish my photos did the overall look of the counters justice, but I'll try to get some during the day when we have everything completely done: backsplash, paint, etc.
The new faucet is one of my favorite parts of the kitchen. I love that the spout is set at the base facing the front: I've been caught in the past turning the water on with my left hand on a spout to the right - which is fairly typical placement - and having my arm soaked. My mom and I are both lefties, so this kitchen is set up a bit more for either someone dominantly left or right handed. The central placement wasn't a hard decision at all, but definitely makes the whole kitchen flow better no matter how you'd want to use it.
The spray for the faucet is also integrated into the spout: it pulls out and with the flip of a switch, it switches to a wider spray. There is also a "pause" feature that turns the water on and off directly from the sprayer. It's really an amazing piece. The retraction is made differently from a normal retracting hose: it is weighted to help pull the hose back into the rest of the assembly and locks in, so even after prolonged use, it is designed not to fall out and hang down. The weight system is also adjustable in case there is ever a problem.
I'm definitely excited to see how the rest of this kitchen comes together! Next up: installing the backsplash. Then the last step is a very large painting project: what hasn't really been shown is how large this kitchen/entry/dining area actually is, so the new paint is really going to take over a large area. It's been a long process, and a long time coming for this kitchen, and I am very glad to see it start winding down! We're past the functional parts, and the rest is all for fun!
 Despite the best laid plans, there is frequently something out there that puts a stop to the flow of change. For the kitchen, it was having the piece for the sink cut just a bit too small. So, a new counter is being cut for the back corner of the kitchen. But with an undermount sink, that puts the kitchen out of commission for a little while.
Still, with some luck the counters have started going in with little other issue. The island itself is completely done, and looks wonderful. There is a seating counter on one side, and with the unfinished areas underneath, I hope to be able to paint it to flow just a little bit better.
The consensus was Silestone Mahogany, which looks extremely rich in the space. It has a lot of browns and reds with just a touch of gold in there as well. It's the perfect element to ground such a light space. With the oak cabinets and creamy yellow walls (which will be painted a little richer down the line), and light wood floors, it's good to have some richness put back into the space.
 For the edges, I love that she chose a beveled edge that is clean and simple instead of doing something more square. The simple round lines also highlight some of the upper cabinetry in a very classic way. I can definitely see how the whole kitchen is going to come together seamlessly.
I am very glad to see how these are coming in, and I'm ecstatic for the other planned changes to follow: the backsplash, new sink, great faucet, and a much more modern kitchen.
In other news, all of the proceeds raised in my marketplace will be matched dollar for dollar by PADI (one of the international organizations for diving)! I'm very excited to see what happens with how much we can donate!
Whew. Yesterday was quite a day! We got a lot of great progress done on the kitchen remodel! Since the cabinets are staying, the biggest challenge was getting the countertops out without damaging any of the cabinets.  One of the biggest obstacles was getting the sink out - aside from clearing the counters, this was definitely the first big step.
Water has been turned off to the kitchen, and the old faucet was disconnected. The sink was disconnected from the counters and lifted out. Sounds simple enough, but all of the plumbing does have to remain in tact for the new sink.
For the most part, the counters were just lifted out of their spaces: the old glue that previously held them on had dried in such a way that they could just be lifted right off. So, that part was made a little easier.
 The biggest unexpected challenge was in removing the console to the security system. It was wired through two different panels and the phone line. So, the whole assembly was taken apart piece by piece. All of the wiring and installation was done behind the wall, so getting to it was extra challenging.
Once that was out, the holes in the wall were patched. Once dry, it'll be sanded, sealed, and backsplash ready! The real kicker to that: once dry. Hopefully, it will be dry enough soon!
The cabinets have been cleaned, and the kitchen is now shut down until Friday when the new counters come in!
The counters are coming in Silestone Mahogany. There is a decent enough picture here, otherwise, I'm sure I'll have some pictures of the whole project up by next week! Complete with the new faucet and sink configuration!
The island counter is down, and it looks so darn cool! Having the section one level makes the kitchen look twice as large.  Overall, having the counter down means that for the next week the house is almost without a kitchen. I'm very glad the appliances are all still there! But in the meantime, a lot of changes are getting started.
I'm happiest to see the new outlets coming in: one can be seen easily on the side of the island: these had previously been two outlets instead of four, and there were two on the island itself between the counter height section and the bar height section. Happily, these have been successfully moved and replaced.
The island is also set up now to be just a little taller than the rest of the counters: a change that was not completely expected. There is an additional two inches of height that have been added to these counters: making cooking and preparation a little easier for the taller members of my family - mostly my mom. After spending some time cooking yesterday, I can see how those couple inches will make a difference.
 There have already been a few changes since these pictures were taken (forgive the slight mess, it is still a functioning kitchen, after all!): The outlets are now completed, and the putty on the island has been sanded. The island is primed, and it is getting closer to time to get paint done. The two inch height addition on the island has been stained on the cabinet side to match the rest of the cabinets. It is truly amazing just how many small steps there are in these larger projects!
The whole kitchen is going to be magnificent. Part of me can't believe it is finally happening! But, I'm definitely glad to see just how the whole project will come to in the end, and I will continue to share the progress here as well!
It seems that I have kitchens on the brain lately! With my mom getting ready to do a complete kitchen makeover, I have been thinking about my dream kitchen and what to do to make that happen, or what steps to take now to get me there. While I don't have an ideal layout quite yet, I do have plenty of ideas for how I'd want it to function.  The first picture isn't even close to what I would want... but it's a good jumping off point and has a lot of elements that I want to incorporate. First: the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling. This is a must for me. It helps to accentuate the height of the room, no matter how high the ceilings, and makes even a small kitchen feel larger. I also really want white cabinets!
I have this picture because of the backsplash. I love the square tiles, and that is something I will definitely have. My mom's parents have a glass tile backsplash that I cannot get out of my mind. I have always loved it. The other great thing about this kitchen: KitchenAid stand mixer. I have one in red. It is amazing.
The white cabinets are fantastic, but I would do them a little differently. I would do all drawers on the bottom (they are harder for the cat to open and easier for me to retrieve things from), and glass front cabinets on top. Though I have no guarantee that my cat won't try to jump through them when I'm not looking. The circular knobs are cute, but I would do cup pulls on the drawers and handles on the rest (and if my mom does read my blog, she'll be thrilled that she won me over on the cup pulls. She's been trying to do that for years).
 I have read that when the cabinets are white, the countertops need to be a warm tone. I can agree with that. But I will always prefer something dark to something light for counters. I love this Silestone one in Rainforest. It has been my dream countertop since before I liked cup pulls on my cabinets. Expensive, but since I'm handy I figure I can splurge a little here and save with performing my own installations.... Except price doesn't matter in a dream concept kitchen.
 My backsplash is really a cross between the subdued one at my grandparent's house (I really should get pictures of their kitchen, it's adorable) and the ones we've been looking at for my mom's kitchen. I can't help it, there is some familial influence there. But this Amber glass tile from The Tile Shop is very cute! I really like the reds and the oranges, and they would help to warm up the space and pull the warm tones out of the counters.
A little subtle warmth would be needed in the kitchen as well. I've decided that if I were to paint my dream kitchen, it would be purple. I would paint it more of an eggplant purple than a cool purple, so the warmth isn't sucked out of the room. But I would also be able to take it dark with the white cabinetry.
Appliances: I would definitely do stainless steel. With a more traditional looking kitchen, the stainless appliances would give it a bit more of a modern industrial feel. I want my dream kitchen to be classic, but I would also want modern conveniences.
I have plenty of other desires, dreamings, and thoughts, so I'll save those for another day.
As for my current kitchen - which is white - I'm going to do a little DIY on some of my smaller appliances to tie them in to my KitchenAid mixer... It all comes back together with the empire red. So, stay tuned!
In my family, there is always something in everyone's house that the people who live there want to change but don't seem to get around to tackling. In my uncle's house, it has always been his attic. In my in-laws house, it is their kitchen, and in my mom's house, it is also her kitchen. But she is now finally ready to go for it.
My mom has been talking about remodeling her kitchen for years. I mean years: possibly even a decade. It has been an ongoing process for her to pick things, budget, and find the time to actually do it. Now it seems like she is!  She has been making small changes gradually for years. She got rid of the beige and painted the kitchen yellow, and has already replaced nearly all appliances for something more suiting to her style and needs: She switched the refrigerator for one with a freezer drawer on the bottom instead of a freezer on top model. It makes it a lot easier to get to what is needed instead of having to reach down to the bottom shelves. She got a microwave with a convection oven, and she got a new dishwasher. All of these are white and match the stove too.
The first thing she's been wanting to change - and has explored with all of the appliance switches - is the counter tops. Right now, she has four levels to the counters: a small desk, a counter height island with a bar height section, and a space behind her sink that is just a few inches higher than the rest of the counters. She plans to bring the island down to one height and to shorten the section behind the sink - keeping the desk area.
She's always leaned toward quartz for its glossy finish as opposed to the hardness of granite and for its softness so things don't break on it as easily as with granite. She's decided on this Silestone Coffee Brown. She's probably realized this, but she has decided on these counters before. I can't wait to see them in!
 One of the other big changes is going from an over-mount stainless steel sink to an under-mount stainless steel sink. That will make getting any spills or drips a lot easier to keep in the sink as opposed to dripping behind it or onto the floor. She has a very traditional kitchen, so it will help it be a bit more modern too.
That means she is also going to need a new faucet. She has a very nice one right now with a high profile which makes filling things a lot easier (at my place, ours is a low profile, so we have an aquarium vacuum to fill things that don't fit underneath like our water jug for the dog and cat). This one, Brantford by Moen, is my current favorite. It has a spout that can be mounted on the left or on the right side, it has three spray functions, and it has the integrated spray function within a single spout. The hose is weighted to keep it secure as well. And it comes with a limited lifetime warranty. I have nothing to argue with on this one. And it's pretty.
She hasn't decided on anything for the faucet yet, but this one seems promising. Aesthetically, it's a favorite. With the weight system and the warranty I love it. Add in the three spray functions, and I'm thinking we might have a winner.
 The last big change in conjunction with the new kitchen is adding a backsplash. This is turning out to be the most complex and requires more decisions than the others. She really enjoys this glass tile from the Tile Shop, and she has already found some that are similar but a bit more local. The colors in this one are nearly perfect, since she has decided to try to keep the backsplash and counters dark. Honestly, I'm thrilled and surprised at how dark she is taking these surfaces in the kitchen.
The bigger decisions come in how to do the borders around the tile. We've both seen capstones on the backsplash where it meets the wall instead of the cabinets, but I've also seen borders along where the backsplash meets the counters. Personally, I love it. Done well, it can add just a little interest and visual separation between where the patterns in the tile meet the patterns in the counters. I like it both ways, so we'll see how that decision goes.
I would love to see all of her handles and knobs get an upgrade, but with 31 throughout the kitchen, there are a lot of handles to consider. So, that decision will have to wait for now.
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