Inspiration For My Renovation
Hello! It's been about three months since I wrote one of these posts. Here is a link to the entire series of posts that I have been writing for over a year now. As a quick recap, my family moved into our current home with the understanding that it needed a fairly major renovation and since we were new to the Columbus, Ohio area when we moved in, it took some time to find someone to do my renovation plan for the house. We then had to put the entire process on hold because the company my husband John was working for was being sold and we did not want to start a major renovation project if change in ownership of the company led to job changes for John.
As of now we are back on the renovation track, albeit scaled back a bit, so my hunt for inspiration has started again. (It never really stops!)
I'll dive right in!
Family/Great Room Inspiration (link to original design plan for the room)
I have a box of antique blue and white tiles that I have been carting around from house to house since I renovated the kitchen in my second house. I planned to use the tiles behind the range and ultimately didn't use them because I found out I was moving. Do you notice a theme here!?!
Nevertheless, I think the time has come (I hope the time has come!) to use them. I am planning to use them around the fireplace in the family room. This is inspiration for that!
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This image is inspiration for me to find an awe striking, statement light fixture to replace the ceiling fan that is currently in the family room. It needs to be something that sprawls out close to the ceiling, not something that is hanging.
Library and Circle Room Inspiration (links to initial Library design and Circle Room design)
I have decided to have wall to wall sisal type carpeting in the Library and Circle Room to save the cost of installing hardwood and then purchasing new sisal type area rugs for the rooms. I will layer rugs I already have on top of the wall to wall carpeting - an antique rug from my maternal grandmother in one of the rooms and a cow hide rug I purchased at an antique show years ago in the other (I'm not sure which will go where yet).
The following images make me see that I will be very happy with the end results!
Kitchen Inspiration (link to original kitchen design)
When I was at The Farm over Christmas break I grew tired of cleaning the range multiple times per day. Picking up the grates, cleaning the range around the burners, cleaning the grates, putting it all back together again was giving me pause. When I came back home and was doing the same thing on the cooktop at home, I decided that I did not want a gas range in my own kitchen anymore. As beautiful as they are, cleaning ranges has grown old. I decided that I want an induction cooktop that is sleek and easy to clean. Hallelujah!
Today's kitchen inspiration is basically brought to you by deVol Kitchens, based in England.
Here is a sleek looking cooktop...
You can have ovens directly below them if you want....
Or you can place ovens in surrounding cabinetry...
My plan is to have a cooktop with ovens in the cabinetry to the right and left of the stove, not directly below. I will have cabinetry beneath the cooktop.
I have also (almost) one hundred percent decided on honed absolute black granite countertops in the kitchen for the same reason - ease of maintenance! They are also quite attractive :-)
I also really like the look of these furniture "legs" for the cabinetry.
Lastly, I love the idea of using tongue and groove paneling for the back of the built in bench under the windows in my kitchen. I would only go to the height of the windowsill in my kitchen though because the windows begin about six inches higher than countertop height and end at the ceiling.
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Dining Room Inspiration (link to original dining room design)
I really want to have wallpaper in the dining room. The opening between the kitchen and dining room is not cased though and that has me on the fence about the practicality of ending the wallpaper at the edge of the walls. This image inspires me to go for it!
Mud Room/Powder Room Inspiration (link to original design)
Overtime I have moved from wanting a brick floor in the mudroom/powder room area to a stars and cross tile pattern on the floor and now I'm inspired by a checkerboard tile floor in the space. I also have my eye on some reclaimed terra cotta tiles on Etsy so the wheels are still turning on this one! One thing I can say for sure is that my heart has always wanted a brick-ish or terra cotta tone on the floor in there and it still does.
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I really want to have paneling on the walls of the powder room too and these images are indeed inspiring for that!
Library Inspiration (link to original library design)
I'm loving the look of these little picture lights above the shelves!
Also, I'm always keeping my eye open for how people style the very top shelves of their bookcases!
Ceiling Inspiration
There are textured ceilings in every room of my house and it is not in the budget to give them all some type of wood treatment or replace them with drywall so I am trying to get myself excited about painting them! Yahoo! I toy around with the idea of painting them a different color than the rest of the room and lately I have been drawn to painting them in a glossy finish, like this room below. I know that my ceilings are not ornate and special like these - let me believe a glossy finish will be beautiful though - I actually think it just may be!
Basement Inspiration (link to original basement design)
John and I are in the process of renovating the basement ourselves right now. I love the idea of having a work table down there since I am creating a little (very little!) office for myself as part of the renovation. It would be wonderful to have some extra space to spread out plans and materials. This image inspired me to look for some plug in overhead, oversized pendant lighting to put above the table in place of the canned lights in the ceiling. Love this idea actually!
Random!
This chair is for sale at a local furniture consignment store near me. This chair speaks to me! I check to see if it is going to go on clearance on a regular basis. I do not want to pay what the store is asking for the chair, even though it is at its lowest markdown, knowing that I will need to have it reupholstered and the cost of fabric and craftsmanship would make the chair very pricey - aka John would say, "why don't we just buy a new chair?" I see it in a toile fabric in my head and am in love.
Then when I saw this image, I thought "my" angular, unusual chair could make a statement just like the chair in the corner of this bedroom. I remain forever hopeful that "my" chair goes on clearance!
Outside Inspiration (link to original exterior plan)
John and I did a lot of work on building the front porch in the late summer/early fall. It is not entirely finished though and this is inspiration for the finishing touches.
And, I love the relaxed look of these weathered chairs around the fire pit. This is major inspiration for the back patio at my house.
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That's it for today! I plan to write a post with an update on my house next week and share the current state of the basement and the exterior. Brick by brick, inch by inch, the Sixth House will become a shining star!
Thank you for checking in today,
Kerry
