Fireplaces & Finishes

I'm torn between showing messy, half-completed rooms or waiting for the shiny end result.  But messy pictures convey the state of work and atmosphere in the house.  Below is the living room fireplace.  The tiles are 18th Century Dutch that I bought before I moved here.  My fingers are crossed that I can find the rest--they're packed somewhere!  You'll notice the photo of my Palo Alto living room leaning above.  They're going to copy the mantle I had.  Below this is the dining room fireplace.  I bought it--along with fountains, tables, etc.--in Carmel from a French gentleman who sold old French limestone pieces. 

The kitchen backsplash is almost completed.  These tiles were handmade in England.  It was fun picking out the vignettes, border designs, glazes and colors--then putting them together for the overall affect.  I had a less sophisticated (tones and designs) version of this in my Palo Alto kitchen.  Notice the beam over the space where the range goes.  The photo below this shows the beams we had made.  The thought of hunting through genuine old beams was daunting; and I probably like the ones they made even better.  They distressed them beautifully and I got the exact color I wanted.  And they're much lighter to install.

Here's the family room fireplace at the other end of the room--ceiling beams installed.  The surround is leathered granite.  I had purchased an antique German mantle, but it didn't work out.  I was initially very disappointed, but I do like the mantle they built.  It will be stained--probably to match the beams.  A television goes above.

Below is the master bedroom.  I found this antique Portuguese tile and copper mantle in San Diego.  It was another I bought without thinking through how it would work in the application.  After much discussion, we finally left it as is, and it resulted in a very petite fireplace.  It's wired for a TV above, but I'm going to start out with a mirror instead.  

This is the master bath.  I'm very pleased with the tile pattern I came up with--and they did a great job.  This is the only vanity in the house that I had made.  The color is a light blush--embracing my feminine side. :)  The wallpaper is a William Morris design I've always loved.

These next two photos are the baths of the guest rooms--and a stark contrast in style to each other.  The antique dresser was originally white and needs another coat of black paint and a quartz top.  The simple blue and white bathroom will have a free-standing old French double porcelain sink.  The small blue room is the toilet room.  I decided to paint all the "water closets" instead of wallpapering them.  (I didn't notice the random piece of tape when I took the picture!)   

I hadn't considered decorating the basement bathroom until I came upon this wallpaper.  I love nasturtiums, and I think this captures the abandon of the vines.  This room will have a pedestal sink with an old green framed mirror above.

The cottage is almost complete.  The floors are finished and the lights are in.  The plumbing and appliances are last.  The backsplash is antique English Victorian tiles I collected on Ebay and elsewhere over a couple years.  The bathroom wallpaper is a fun departure--I wanted something mural-like.  The vanity will be a faux bamboo-style dresser I had converted.

P.S.  For those of you who follow my ramblings, I should clarify: Even though these blogs come as emails, responding to them goes to blog never-never land.  I don't receive the emails.  If you want to comment--and I do love comments--you can either write me an email at moffb2@gmail.com or go to https://billiesfolly.blogspot.com, click on the blog you wish to comment on, and you'll find a space to comment at the bottom of that post.