Finishing the Floor

When asked what color stain we would use on the floor, I would always answer, "We're not sure, but it will be something dark." And then I would usually get that, "Please no, not dark" look. But we had done our research and I had looked at literally hundreds of photos and I knew a dark floor could be pulled off with the right stain and the right colors in the room.

We decided on Jacobean stain color by Minwax. This is only one coat with a matte finish. The camera flash makes the floor appear lighter than it actually is.

The landing at the top of the stairs gives a better representation of the color of the floor. 

The bookcases were not in the plan and I spent many agonizing hours trying to determine exactly how to fill this space. I was fortunate enough to receive some good advice on the space and the bookcases. 

We substituted railing with the bookcase on the right. Not only do I like the look, but the bookcases will be very useful and soon will be filled with The Boxcar Children, Encyclopedia Brown, and Dr. Seuss books.

The window seat at the other end of the loft opens for storage and will need a cushion for comfort.

The entire house is red oak and has the same Jacobean stain. 

Oh by the way, the chicks are getting big and still hanging around. 

An Overdue Promise

Sarah started piano lessons when she was around 5 years old. At that time, we were living in a 1000 square foot condo with barely enough room for the 3 of us. We purchased her a good quality keyboard and kept it on a stand in the kitchen. A few years later her instructor told me Sarah would really benefit from the sound, feel and size of a real piano. Even though we didn't have any room for a piano, there were a few occasions where my guilt over her not having what she needed almost resulted in a piano replacing the couch in the living room. So when we started planning our build I made a promise to my daughter. I promised her, that if the entire house had to go without furniture, she would get a piano.

Sarah sitting at her new Yamaha B3. Sarah, don't ever stop playing and singing. Sorry it took so long. I Love You.

Exterior Lights & Porch Fans

 My wife and I made a deal that I choose the exterior lights and porch ceiling fans and she choose the interior lights. There are hundreds of styles, colors, shapes and sizes of exterior wall sconces. When I began my search I knew I wanted a "lantern look", but I didn't have a particular light in mind. Lantern and Scroll have some lantern style lights that I really liked but I knew they may be a little pricey. So after checking Lantern and Scroll prices and weighing the consequences of yet another discussion with my wife to justify the cost, I decided to continued my search.

The lights I chose are 19" outdoor wall sconces from Quoizel. These lights are from Quoizel's Trumbull Collection and the color is Mystic Black.

It's a good idea to know early on what height you want your exterior lights. Plans must be made before you begin "roughing in" the electrical. With a tall porch ceiling, we wanted the lights a little higher than normal.

The side porch received a matching Quoizel pendant lantern. The pendant is 19" long and 9" square.

The fans are Raindance Tropical outdoor ceiling fans with 52" wicker blades. If your fan is going to be outdoors, you should buy a fan that was made to be outdoors. Have you ever seen indoor fans mounted outdoors? You can usually recognize them by their drooping blades. An outdoor fan is manufactured to be exposed to the elements. Some features of these outdoor fans are a fully enclosed motor, water resistant housing, stainless hardware and non-warp blades

The fans are from The California Fan Company and they're matte black with a 12" extension.

The upper porch received identical  porch lights and fans.