Yes people, here I am FINALLY putting some photos of the house on the blog. My planets must have aligned the other day because we were finally able to have the photographer in to take some photos, and I've taken some myself lately, so here are the results:
First, the front of the house. You've all seen this before on other posts, but here it is, finally finished:
It's funny how the little features of the house are my favorites, like these custom made house numbers that were designed by our architect and fabricated by the contractor that did all the railings in the house, so they're totally unique. I love that.
Here's the view from the backyard. I thought I might feel a little too exposed because I didn't want to put any window coverings on these amazing windows, but it really doesn't bug me. We did put some shades on the master bedroom, but otherwise the trees surrounding the house give us a good filter from the neighbors.
The view from the deck looking out to the backyard. I am so happy to finally have a yard I actually WANT to hang out in, that has plenty of shade, mature trees, and is truly a beautiful place for the kids to play. We're going to be adding a lot of landscaping that will fill it out and make it feel more green and lush, but we've got that whole living in Paris thing coming up, so it will have to wait until next year.
And did I mention that I love the railing that our contractor made that matches the staircase railing inside. I didn't? Well I LOVE IT! The trellis part will have a custom made shade cloth for the afternoon sun and eventually we will grow vines up to block the sun naturally and add to the lush green of the yard.
The view as you walk in the front door. There's a cool office off to the left, but it's still in a bit of disarray, so I will have to add photos of it later.
The dining area. I love the
faux Eames chairs and the great light fixture from
Gus Modern. I ordered a lot of Flor Tiles for area rugs, and really love them; They're as cool as everyone says. And those windows above the table are one of the coolest features of the house. They're high enough to give us privacy, but have an incredible view of the mountains. Genius. Unfortunately I couldn't get a great shot of the effect, so you'll have to take my word for it.
The main living area. I love this room and all the natural light. I've had a lot of people tell me it feels like living in a treehouse, and I have to agree. All the huge trees are beautiful (especially now that they're changing colors), and it almost feels like you're sitting outside. I can't wait for the snow to come. I love the snow, and I know I'll love the views of it falling outside while sitting by the fire in this room. Bring on winter.
And I know you've seen it before, but how cool is this staircase?
The half bath. Funny to add pictures of a powder room, I know, but I love how the tile turned out. It is so beautiful, and I adore the color. Actually, the tile is
Lush 1/3 x 3 in Moss from modwalls, and you should check out my most recent post on their blog for more photos of the tile. Awesome.
Also odd of me to include the laundry/mud room, but I love it. There's so many cabinets that I can actually keep it clean and organized, and I love the bench that holds all our shoes so they aren't in piles by the front door. And why the closeup of the cabinet, you may ask? Well, my friends, remember how I said it's the little things that make a house? That's a laundry chute that comes from the master closet. And I love it a little too much.
The kitchen. Oh, the kitchen. I love it, especially now that it is FINALLY done. It took our cabinet guys FIVE MONTHS to finish the cabinets, and they still aren't exactly right, but I love them anyway. And that tile. Love the tile. I think I'm putting modwalls
in my will for making this new
Lush 1 x 4 tile in Cloud just in time for me to use it for my kitchen backsplash. I love it that much. And the stainless steel countertops? They are a major pain to clean and keep streak free, but if I had to do it all again, I'd do it. They just look so cool that they're worth the extra time to clean them. I think. I'll get back to you in a year and let you know if I still feel the same way.
The master bedroom is awesome. I love it for a few reasons: 1) It feels like you're floating in the treetops when you look out the window, 2) I love all the natural light that comes in and makes the space feel huge, 3) I love the sliding barn door that closes it off or goes into the wall to make it feel completely open 4) I love that it is on it's own floor so there is a kid free area for us to retreat to at the end of the day, 5) I love the skylight that's tucked into the corner and gives us a view of the mountaintops while we're lying in bed (another one too hard to capture on camera). I'll stop there, but there's really a ton to love.
And the love continues into the master bathroom. I love the blue tile (
score another one for modwalls with their Lush 3 x 6 tile in Vapor), and we had to wait three extra months to get exactly the color we wanted (they were out of stock), but it was well worth the wait. And those windows above the shower and tub add to the feeling that you're living in the clouds because you get a view of the sky as you bathe. Clear and sunny or cloudy and stormy, it's a beautiful thing to look at as you get ready in the morning. And those rocks on the floor of the shower were a bit of a sore spot with Steve. He thought they might be uncomfortable to stand on, but they warm up and give you a foot massage as you shower, so he's been converted.
And finally, the Orange Candy Bath, or so it has been dubbed by my kids. I love these
ModDotz tiles from modwalls, and I love how it made it youthful, mod, and a little bit retro. Everyone loves this tile the most, and I can't blame them. It's pretty cool.
So, there's most of it. I didn't add the kids rooms and the media room because they're still being sorted out, but you get the idea. I'll add more pictures later.
So, now you have the photos, what do you think?
Maybe this is true in every house of children, but in our house, it's all about the blue plate. When we visited Portland, Oregon about a year ago I found these cute robot plates by French Bull at a gift shop and thought they would be a fun gift to take home for the boys. I bought one in blue and one in yellow, and thought I was the coolest Mom in the world.
It reminded me of one of my favorite books to read to him as a kid, Let's Paint A Rainbow, by Eric Carle. It goes through all the colors of the rainbow, in the magical way Eric Carle does everything, and then on the last page it says "Imagine That, A Rainbow Cat," with a line drawing of a cat with all the colors mentioned in the book. It was so random, I loved it. Max loved to point to all the colors as I read about them. It seems like so long ago when we just had time to spend over books like that. I need to do more of it, except now he can read them to me.
It's funny how the little features of the house are my favorites, like these custom made house numbers that were designed by our architect and fabricated by the contractor that did all the railings in the house, so they're totally unique. I love that.
Here's the view from the backyard. I thought I might feel a little too exposed because I didn't want to put any window coverings on these amazing windows, but it really doesn't bug me. We did put some shades on the master bedroom, but otherwise the trees surrounding the house give us a good filter from the neighbors.
The view from the deck looking out to the backyard. I am so happy to finally have a yard I actually WANT to hang out in, that has plenty of shade, mature trees, and is truly a beautiful place for the kids to play. We're going to be adding a lot of landscaping that will fill it out and make it feel more green and lush, but we've got that whole living in Paris thing coming up, so it will have to wait until next year.
And did I mention that I love the railing that our contractor made that matches the staircase railing inside. I didn't? Well I LOVE IT! The trellis part will have a custom made shade cloth for the afternoon sun and eventually we will grow vines up to block the sun naturally and add to the lush green of the yard.
The view as you walk in the front door. There's a cool office off to the left, but it's still in a bit of disarray, so I will have to add photos of it later.
The dining area. I love the faux Eames chairs and the great light fixture from Gus Modern. I ordered a lot of Flor Tiles for area rugs, and really love them; They're as cool as everyone says. And those windows above the table are one of the coolest features of the house. They're high enough to give us privacy, but have an incredible view of the mountains. Genius. Unfortunately I couldn't get a great shot of the effect, so you'll have to take my word for it.
The main living area. I love this room and all the natural light. I've had a lot of people tell me it feels like living in a treehouse, and I have to agree. All the huge trees are beautiful (especially now that they're changing colors), and it almost feels like you're sitting outside. I can't wait for the snow to come. I love the snow, and I know I'll love the views of it falling outside while sitting by the fire in this room. Bring on winter.
And I know you've seen it before, but how cool is this staircase?
Also odd of me to include the laundry/mud room, but I love it. There's so many cabinets that I can actually keep it clean and organized, and I love the bench that holds all our shoes so they aren't in piles by the front door. And why the closeup of the cabinet, you may ask? Well, my friends, remember how I said it's the little things that make a house? That's a laundry chute that comes from the master closet. And I love it a little too much.
The kitchen. Oh, the kitchen. I love it, especially now that it is FINALLY done. It took our cabinet guys FIVE MONTHS to finish the cabinets, and they still aren't exactly right, but I love them anyway. And that tile. Love the tile. I think I'm putting modwalls in my will for making this new Lush 1 x 4 tile in Cloud just in time for me to use it for my kitchen backsplash. I love it that much. And the stainless steel countertops? They are a major pain to clean and keep streak free, but if I had to do it all again, I'd do it. They just look so cool that they're worth the extra time to clean them. I think. I'll get back to you in a year and let you know if I still feel the same way.
The master bedroom is awesome. I love it for a few reasons: 1) It feels like you're floating in the treetops when you look out the window, 2) I love all the natural light that comes in and makes the space feel huge, 3) I love the sliding barn door that closes it off or goes into the wall to make it feel completely open 4) I love that it is on it's own floor so there is a kid free area for us to retreat to at the end of the day, 5) I love the skylight that's tucked into the corner and gives us a view of the mountaintops while we're lying in bed (another one too hard to capture on camera). I'll stop there, but there's really a ton to love.
And the love continues into the master bathroom. I love the blue tile (score another one for modwalls with their Lush 3 x 6 tile in Vapor), and we had to wait three extra months to get exactly the color we wanted (they were out of stock), but it was well worth the wait. And those windows above the shower and tub add to the feeling that you're living in the clouds because you get a view of the sky as you bathe. Clear and sunny or cloudy and stormy, it's a beautiful thing to look at as you get ready in the morning. And those rocks on the floor of the shower were a bit of a sore spot with Steve. He thought they might be uncomfortable to stand on, but they warm up and give you a foot massage as you shower, so he's been converted.
And finally, the Orange Candy Bath, or so it has been dubbed by my kids. I love these ModDotz tiles from modwalls, and I love how it made it youthful, mod, and a little bit retro. Everyone loves this tile the most, and I can't blame them. It's pretty cool.
I just became friends with a cool eighteen year old named Mary Rose who is in my French 101 class. She and I have been talking about music, and come to find out she studied jazz at a performing arts high school in Washington State. I figured since she studied jazz she would have heard of Blossom Dearie, but, alas, she hadn't. I chalk it up to her age. But then I got to thinking that there are probably a lot of other people who haven't heard of her out there too, and I admit, I didn't discover her until my early thirties. She has a voice that sounds like she's been sucking helium (in a good way), and she is just the essence of cool mid-century jazz. I love, love, love her. I mean, check out that photo. I have a lot of favorite songs of hers too, but I really love her song "Blossom's Blues," which is where I got this post's title. Way too cool. A few years ago when Steve and I were visiting New York City I found out she was still performing regularly at a club in the village, but was off the week we were there. And then, in writing this post, I found she died in February, so my chances of seeing her live are gone for good. Oh well, the woman was 85, I guess I can let her go. I wish I could have found a video on youtube, but I couldn't, so I'll just add another favorite for you to check out:
