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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Ranch Renovation -- Midweek Update

Day by day, the ranchburger has been undergoing a transformation, and I have almost fallen behind with the updates. Medana has faithfully sent photos, and we have been sourcing items via email, searching for the best prices on cabinet knobs, a free-standing tub, and other items. Next week, the painters will arrive, and I'll have more news to report. Let's see what's been going on this week.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Ranch Reno: Master Bath Update

The master bathroom at the ranchburger has been updated several times. More recently, it received wallpaper, sconces and mirrors from Restoration Hardware, new hardware, and new vanities from Lowe's with quartz counters. Sadly, the mirrors were taken by the previous owner.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Ranch Reno Diary--March 14

Medana has faithfully sent photos of the ranch, and she said it was perfectly fine if I shared them with you all. The kitchen now has a beadboard ceiling, and I love it.

Monday, March 2, 2015

The Curious Case of the Fake Chimney: Reno Diary

No one knows the history of the ranchburger's faux chimney. Has it always been fake? Or, once upon a time, was it a working chimney, hooked up to wood burning fireplaces? If so, what in the world happened? A fire? Water damage? A remodeling decision?

Friday, February 13, 2015

Split Personality: Adding Curb Appeal to a 70s Split Level

Before we bought the ranchburger, it had languished on the market.

I guess people weren't drawn to a squatty, 70s era home: 8 foot ceilings and a low pitched roof. Buyers flocked to the hottest subdivision in town, a golfing community that was tucked into a majestic hillside. But I saw potential in the old split-level.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Ranch Renovation Diary -- Redefining Interior Space

Welcome to a mid-week update on the Ranchburger Renovation.

Way back in the early 70s, when the ranch was built, it didn't have a foyer. A dedicated entrance space was carved out in the 1990s, and it was remodeled again in the mid-2000s. Last summer, when I looked at the house, I thought the foyer had lots of potential, but I decided to take my time and come up with a solid plan. Months went by. Then, just two weeks ago, I figured out what to do: remove the smallish foyer walls and create a gallery-type entrance, with three French doors.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

The Ranchburger's Dining room

While the renovation is moving along in the rest of the house, I'm working on the ranchburger's dining room. The previous owner used it as an office.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Ranch Renovation Diary # 4

Construction has slowed on the ranch while I wait for new kitchen doors and cabinets.
But the activity will soon pick up, because another project is in the works:
A foyer makeover.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Renovation Diary # 2: The Ranchburger's Kitchen

Traditional Kitchen by Long Beach Architects & Building Designers Sennikoff Architects

Ever since a Ranchburger came into my life, I've wondered how to enhance its most striking feature: the view. I also wanted to brighten the rooms, especially the kitchen.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Foodie Friday--April 25th

If you've followed my kitchen adventures, then you know about my saga with the clock.

Oh, what was the problem?

Some people liked it, some were neutral, and others shared my opinion.

Nice clock. Wrong kitchen.

It was time to take a breath.

My carpenter made a prototype out of leftover wood, and when he propped it on the hood,

the kitchen had a completely different vibe. It was calmer with cleaner lines.

It's tall. But a small amount of trim on the hood will break up the long expanse.

(I'm looking at you, Will. Small, honeybunch. That is all.)

After much thought, I'm painting the wood BM's Simply White.

Hand's down, my favorite part of the kitchen is the view.

Featured Recipes from Last Week's Foodie Friday.

(Note: Pinning has been disabled on the following photos; please click on the links to visit the featured blogs. Thanks!)

Sea Salted Rosemary Focaccia by I Thee Cook is one of those recipes that you will
hand down to your children, nieces, and grandchildren.
Focaccia doesn't get any better than this.

Balsamic Chicken Pizza by The Scent of Oranges is fresh and tangy,
perfect for Spring meals and picnics.

A free, printable meal planner from Crystal and Co caught our eye.
What a great way for a busy household to plan meals.

Maple Bacon Fudge by Meg Made pushed all of my culinary buttons.
As many of you know, I think that bacon should be a food group, so it's little wonder
that I went gaga over the recipe. If you love bacon, you will love this fudge, too.

Are you contributing a recipe to this week's Foodie Friday?

If so, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

You can read a complete guide to this linky party HERE. It's pretty simple: there are NO RULES. You don't need to "like" our Facebook page or be a follower of this blog to participate. Nor do you need to include a backlink or Foodie Friday button in your post. Add as many recipes as you wish, old or new. If you love food, we love you.

If you'd like to share your food photos--or photos of other FF participants on Pinterest, join the Pinterest foodie board, Consuming Passions. Leave a message on the most recent "pin" if you'd like your name added to the list.

Every Friday, we are joined at this big, virtual table--thank you for stopping by today. I'm grateful to all of you who spend your days cooking. I'm grateful to old and new friends who contribute recipes every week. I'm grateful to friends who leave a comment. I'm grateful for the silent folks, because you are brought here by your love of all things culinary.

We are food people. And that's a marvelous thing.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Renovation Diary: Mantel Makeover

Just a quick update on the mantel.

I hadn't planned to tinker with it, mainly because I love painted brick.

But one thing led to another, a sort of viral situation known as "The Creeping Project."

Anyway, here's a "before" picture:

At first, I had planned to install the mantel over the bricks. The mantel was propped against the masonry. I thought about it a long while and decided to drywall above the fireplace and on the sides.

It's not a "biggie," as viral projects go, but I love how it turned out.

Mantel Makeover

1. Sheetrock covered the bricks. There was a big discussion about codes

between Mike (my GC) and Jimmy (cabinet maker). The bricks that surround

the firebox were not covered, of course.

2. A mantel was made. (First, my husband met with the carpenter/cabinet maker and chose the "legs" of the mantel.)

3. Carrera marble was installed inside the firebox area, where the bricks are, and on the flat surface (on the top) of the raised hearth. Fireworks in Nashville, TN installed the marble.

4. Trim covered the bottom of the raised hearth.

5. A coat of paint: BM Simply White (satin finish).

The FP is set up for gas or wood logs. So that's another decision to make.

Decorating will come last.

Speaking of decorating a mantel . . . here's my FAQ on Mantelscaping:

Decorating a mantel can be a challenge. So I developed a helpful glossary to explain the various ins and outs of "mantel-scaping."

MANTEL PAUSE -- A mantel in a middle-aged house; the mantel can experience mood changes and hot flashes.

DOCUMANTEL -- Decorating a mantel with books.

ADJUSTMANTEL--An adjustment to a mantelscape. It can be tiny--moving an accessory one eighth of an inch--or it can involve major tinkering.

ALIMANTEL -- Decorating a mantel with food.

DETRI-MANTEL -- A mantelscape that is so horrid, so detrimental to your overall design scheme that you want to cry, brick up the fireplace, or move.

DETRI-MANTEL can also be used as a condition to describe plasma TVs over a fireplace.

ENVIRONMANTEL -- Decorating a mantel with "green" or recycled items.

EXPERIMANTEL -- The act of adding and subtracting various accessories. This can also describe the use of unusual or outlandish objects on a mantel.

FRAGIMANTEL -- Decorating a mantel with breakable knicknacks.

FUNDAMANTEL -- the "411 Basics" of mantelscaping, which include visual balance and an uneven number of accessories.

FRAGMANTEL - A mantel that's decorated on one end.

INSTRUMANTEL -- Decorating a mantel with musical instruments.

INSURMANTEL-ABLE -- A mantel that cannot--and will not--be decorated.

MANTEL ABUSE -- Rearranging accessories on a mantel more than 500 times a day.

MANTEL BREAKDOWN -- a condition that arises after many hours of rearranging accessories (see MANTEL ABUSE)to no avail. Nothing looks right. Shopping trips end in failure. Extreme frustration results. The mantel is stripped bare.

MANTEL CONCEPT-- See MANTEL IMAGERY.

MANTEL ILLNESS -- Occurs when mantelscapes are not touched for years. The accumulation of dust results in a condition that can cause sneezing and hives. It can be reversed by tearing down the old mantelscape and replacing it with a new one. By using MANTEL-IMAGERY, one can save time and money before going shopping.

MANTEL IMAGERY -- Imagining how your mantel will look with objects that are not sold in stores. These accessories might not exist--but if they did, your mantel would be perfect.

MICROMANTEL-ING -- When ADJUSTMANTELING is taken to an extreme. It can also refer to a mantel that features minature accessories.

MON-U-MANTEL -- A mantel that is so hard-to-decorate, it turns into a monumental task. Also, this can refer to an over-sized mantel.

NON-JUDGMANTEL -- The wisest approach for family members when the decorator of the mantel (spouse, friend, mother) asks for opinions on the latest mantelscape. (Similar to a situation involving Itty Bitty Lies--this occurs when you ask your spouse if an outfit makes you look fat.)

ORNAMANTEL-- A highly decorated mantel.

PREDICT-A-MANTEL -- A Predictable way to decorate a mantel. Associated with an extreme case of NOAH'S ARK SYNDROME.

REGIMANTEL -- The process of putting the mantel into order. Organizing a mantel. Also, the type of decor preferred by Generals.

RUDIMANTEL-- This word has two mantel-meanings. It can refer to basic mantelscaping. It can also refer to an incompletely decorated mantel.

UN-ORNAMANTEL -- a Zen mantel.

SENTIMANTEL -- a type of mantel decor that appeals to the heart, if not always the "eye."

TEMPERMANTLE -- A moody mantle, prone to outbursts.

Contributed by Carol Edwards:

MICKEY MANTEL -- A type of mantelscaping that is associated with a Disney obsession and features Mickey Mouse whatnots. It can also refer to a baseball themed mantel.

Contributed by Susan/Between Naps on the Porch:

GOVERNMANTELING - Furnishing a mantel with priceless artifacts, causing the IRS to freeze your bank account, conduct an audit, and/or visit your house in person.

Example of DETRI-MANTEL, DOCUMANTEL, and MANTEL BREAKDOWN.

See you tomorrow night at Foodie Friday. Stay warm!

Note: Before embarking on a DIY fireplace makeover, check the building codes in your region.

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Friday, January 10, 2014

Renovation Diary: Potting Shed Update

The holidays are long gone, but I haven't gotten back into a blogging rhythm, Lord knows why.
However, the renovation is moving quickly at Rattlebridge. One project is almost finished: the potting shed.

Do you remember how this part of the yard looked "before?"

By late December, the potting shed was 85% finished.

We ordered the plans online and asked the framer to make the shed taller and wider. He also modified the roof so that it wouldn't be top heavy. Then he followed the plans perfectly, which called for lattice windows, herringbone bricks, and a "witch hat" roof. The windows will eventually be fitted with Plexiglas. Right now, we're debating whether to paint, stain,
or just let the shed "weather" naturally.

Inside, we'll probably seal the wood (clear, no stain).

We decided to cover one window because I'll need a place to hang tools.

My GC, Mike Cox, put up a board and moved it from window to window, so

we could study the light.

I love the "Stay Out" sign (below). Here's the history behind it: Mike had propped the sign on the garage door, warning folks that the interior floors were being refinished. I ended up taking the sign home and using it for a paint sample. Quite a journey for one little piece of wood.

We talked about the electricity and lighting, too.

Mike had a few suggestions for the floor. We could stain the concrete, leave it alone,
or do a brick floor (pavers or just fill with sand rather than mortar), etc.

But first, we needed to eliminate a window.
It wasn't easy. Sunlight looked so pretty as it streamed through the lattice...which window had the least light? The North. But this decision was complicated by the placement of the shed. The door is at an angle, facing the potager and the driveway. Wouldn't it look odd to cover one of the "front" windows?

We made Bandwidth walk around outside the shed, holding a board up to each window.

We finally chose one that faced the backyard.
A word about the lattice. From the outside, you can't see
inside the shed. When you're inside, the view is clear.

What a joy to look up and see rafters.

I've never had an opportunity to play with vertical decorating,

but it'll be fun.

A barn pendant will provide the main lighting.

Source: Restoration Hardware

I couldn't resist string lights--they'll add a touch of whimsy. (This type of bulb won't be

made anymore, so I bought extras.) I can totally see these lights in the shed.

Source: Ballard Designs

I'd had my heart set on a Dutch door.

I showed the framer a photo of a JELD-WEN Dutch door. Over the holidays, he made one

just like it in his workshop.

A view of the door, shaker shingles, and a copper weather vane. We're looking for a stone slabs to use as a door step. Meanwhile, the garden sleeps under a snowy crust.