Well, we finally got our Charleston weather back! Can’t complain too much, things were handled well during our cold snap, but it is nice to see temps creep back up! Things are definitely looking up… speaking of looking up… images of Charleston… looking up – I believe a few of these were taken during the last Second Sunday (when the city closes King Street to car traffic allowing people to walk in the streets. It’s a festive time here in Charleston!).
We just have the most wonderful architecture here in Charleston! Love, love, love it!
Little details like that bit of gold make things really stand out!
Fabulous old brick, and the color of that sky! Wow… it was a beautiful day!
Here’s a fabulous little plan (376 square feet) that I saw in a magazine years ago – Does this small bunk house (or boathouse) have oodles of charm or what? The design is simple and perfect. It looks like it has stood the test of time and has remained well cared for. Perfect if you don’t need a large space.
“Knights Armor” by Olympic/Painting by Ken DeWaard
It’s time to change paint color! This room has been the same color for years and years, while virtually every other room in our house has been painted different colors… numerous times. Do we have a problem? Maybe ;) Something as simple as paint can change a room so much… We’re living with different colors a little at a time… If you have a great color let me know about it! The brownish wall color is KUBA by Ralph Lauren (no longer made). The new darker color is called Knights Armor by Olympic. We were thinking about a gray… not sure if this is too blue gray for us or not… only time will tell… Note: See bottom for important update ;) from Feb. 7, 2014…
Here it is with the brown cropped out of it… What do you think? We have painted rooms a creamy white… our art work didn’t stand out to us? But we aren’t sure this is THE color… we will most likely go through a few more samples before we find the right one… UPDATE: After living with this for a few days we think that this is too blue and a bit too dark for us… hmmm, not the one… darn it!
View from Living room to Study. Paintings in living room: (over fireplace) Marlee Brown, on the left hand side, upper is Carol Marine and lower is Daniel Corey. Painting in opposite room is Betty Anglin Smith.
Here is the view from the living room (a more updated brown) to the study (the old Kuba color)… so need to pick a color that flows… as well as a color that looks great in a room that gets bright sun…
Painting by Ken DeWaard
Gorgeous painting by Ken DeWaard. This is a treasure we will have forever and ever. What an amazing guy, and just so talented. Ugh! It’s pretty inspiring to be around someone who can whip out a brush and literally paint absolutely anything that he sees.
Warm Stone by Sherwin Williams
This color (Warm Stone) looks so good in our guest room (which doesn’t get as much light as this room does), but I’m thinking it’s too washed out in this room… and even more so when the sun shines through… but later in the day it looks much nicer…
I think since we still have some walls to cover, we’ll try a few more samples… Maybe something similar to Warm Stone (above) but a wee bit darker… or something totally different like…
Do you have a favorite color for a bright room? Let me know!
Warm Stone/Sherwin Wms (guest room/long pink sticky), davenport tan or whitall brown (the two browns with stickys) or Beacon Hill Damask/Benjamin Moore? (Pink little sticky’s)
PLEASE chime in with any suggestions? What is a happening color that isn’t too cool… we’re not thinking gray any longer… I. Don’t. Think.
Am I fickle? Ugh. Probably… need help!
UPDATE: Feb. 7 (Fri)
Ok… I have gotten some cool comments, and some that have me looking back at my fan deck (that may be the death of me, ha ha)… I am intrigued by the 5th comment… what do you think of these colors? I’m leaning towards the HYDRANGEA FLOWERS (on the left) I think the CORAL ESSENCE may be a bit much for me. Actually, I’m not sure, I’m intrigued… this is not safe territory for me, ha ha… for years its been variations of brown. Let me know what you think!
Middle color on left is HYDRANGEA FLOWERS, the middle on right is CORAL ESSENCE. I’m liking HF better… if we were to go something like this… what are those freaky wrinkles in my hand!????? Good grief!
And just for a point of reference… this is the rug in the room we’re wanting to paint… I see bits of Hydrangea Flowers (Benjamin Moore) in the rug!
Ok, today is 2/8… after visiting some friends who just painted their bedroom a dark gray shade… and with a few of the comments, we are now leaning more towards the dark. Just hung a painting with a silver frame and… P. O. P. ! Hmmmm…
I. Remain. Fickle… any suggestions/comments are most welcome!
Doesn’t look too bad, especially if you’re used to a cold climate. But let me tell you… things are different in the South. We aren’t used to snow and ice (I’m from Michigan, but have lived here almost 25 years, so I do know about snow/ice and all the fun that goes along with it… as well as all the beauty!) it just doesn’t happen here very often. Maybe an occasional dusting of snow ever once in a great while (the last time it snowed was years ago, snowed and then quickly melted). But this time there was ice. I’m sure you’ve heard about it on the radio. How Atlanta was crippled by the deep freeze. We were lucky here in Charleston. Officials dealt with it well keeping most people off the roads. Smart. You just don’t mess with Mother Nature!
We took a walk in our neighborhood, Charlie’s first snow, he was thrilled… was going full speed ahead looking for every single puddle and loving it! Crazy beast.
Charlie and his beastcicles…
We headed to the bakery, well, because they were open and it was something to do! It was nice to be out, and Charlie was having a blast, but his adventures in the puddles quickly turned to beastcicles on his body… time to get back home! Ha ha…
Make the best of the time you have… make everything an adventure and it will be less of a hassle ;)
With schools out and work closed we spent a few days at home. It was nice. We just hung around, didn’t really go out except for a walk to the bakery. For a short time it was snowing HUGE flakes. This is Charlie’s first snow, and he was absolutely amazed! He just stared out the window… its beautiful and it does mesmerize you. But then the snow stopped, cable/internet went out, and I’ve decided we’re way too dependent on it. Ugh. Time to catch up on magazines, see what there is in the freezer to bake (that doesn’t count calorie-wise)! Thankfully I found some homemade peanut butter cookies that I hadn’t baked yet… If you haven’t frozen cookie dough before, let me tell you what a treasure it is to find! I’ve done it with chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal! Yum!
Walking to the bakery…
We took the long route to the bakery and it was nice to get out. All the kids were playing in the street/making snow angels. You could hear cheers of joy when it was snowing, ahhh, fun times!
Icy Palm Trees – Charleston, SC
This was right near Normandy Farms Bakery (YUM!!)… icy palm trees… the weight is heavy, look how low they are! All this will quickly pass… this weekend is supposed to be so nice, and 70 on Monday! Woot woot, I do love Charleston winters!
There is a beautiful cottage that we have rented several times in Port Clyde, Maine. It’s called the “Periwinkle” cottage and it’s situated right on the ocean. I would call it rustic (no heat), but there is a fabulous fireplace and the view is earth shattering! Truly!
Today’s house plan… is the periwinkle. We always thought it would be so cool if we could build a house similar to the Periwinkle, but a little less rustic, and a little less space. Maybe 1 guest room upstairs, a 3/4 bath and a storage room/room for treadmill… something that would still give it this overall appearance from the outside. There were a few areas inside that weren’t useful spaces… those I would love to redesign to make useful. This plan is amazing. Fred and I are no architects (trust me, ha), but we kind of drew out the plan on our last visit, here it is…
Periwinkle floor plan – first floor
The ocean is located on the side of the house with the living, dining and bedrooms… big windows, wide doors all make sure you don’t miss the gorgeous view!
You come in the house between the mud room and bathroom on the other side of the house. The mud room used to have a washer and dryer, and could be used for that again. I would also add a wash tub that could accommodate a dog bath easily. From that room you can walk into either the kitchen or the living area.
This is the door you come in… door to the right is a bathroom. Then there is built in storage for pretty much everything which is handy… if you go to the left you head towards the kitchen…
Entry door… mudroom…
There is a large wasted space that has an old furnace in this area, I would use it maybe as a pantry and eating area off the kitchen…
Kitchen
I would keep wonderful large windows in the kitchen, have drawers instead of cupboards and possibly try to do away with some of the upper cabinets (replace with windows?). I wonder, wonder, wonder if you could lose that wall on the left and have it open to the existing dining room, meaning… OCEAN. VIEW.!!!
Dining Room
You then walk down a short hallway to the dining room. Beautiful expansive windows on two sides. I would probably make this into a reading room, with my desk, some great chairs, lamps. There are built in’s along the wall to the right. I would be willing to part with that if I could have the wall gone and open to the kitchen… Could be quite nice!
Cabinets below, shelves above, useful for displaying and storing. This view of the dining room is taken from the living room…
Living room with fabulous fireplace!
Great fireplace in this house… totally makes this living room, well that and the windows that look out upon the ocean…
Wide door that goes out onto oceanside porch
Big, wide door so fabulous! When you open it you get such a fabulous breeze! Large windows throughout. One large center pane that is stationary and then two smaller windows on either side that open.
View standing near dining, looking through living towards bedroom… See stairs that go to 2nd floor…
Great floor plan, I’m telling ya!
Bedroom – Excuse the bad shot!
Bad shot… when we checked in they had not made this bed… and I didn’t take a photo after we made it, ugh. Note the 9′ wall behind the bed. This is one of the most unique features. You are in bed facing the huge window with the ocean view. That little doorway on the right side of the bed… goes to a closet/storage area if you were to walk straight ahead. If you turned after you passed the wall, you would see hooks on your left and built in dressers on your right. Brilliant!
Storage area if you go straight
Two closets with great storage…
If you were to follow the short hallway on the other side of the bed, it led to the master bathroom, but if you turned right after the wall behind the bed, you would see this:
Built in storage in wall behind bed
It was so nice. We could put our suitcases on top of the ‘dressers’ and hang stuff on hooks on opposing wall. Such useful space!
I love windows like this!
This is my mom in one of the upstairs bedrooms… Such great light comes through those windows! AND they have such character!
These windows open out (and they have screens)… fabulous!
Ocean Side View
This is the ocean side view… that sometimes looked like this…
Sometimes, all you need is a nice hot cuppa love… like this one from Black Tap Coffee in Charleston, SC (70 1/2 Beaufain Street). If you haven’t been there I highly suggest that you go. They do not disappoint. Ever! The coffee is different. It’s good, very, very good. The atmosphere is very with it and you will leave with a smile on your face!
Here is an image from their Facebook page (Black Tap Coffee) to give you an idea what a cool place it is:
Gorgeous, right? One day Fred and I were walking in our neighborhood (Windermere) and the nearby area (South Windermere), and we saw a house that was empty and on the market. It had undergone a complete restoration by a high quality builder in our area. This is the backyard… Low tide… Gorgeous, isn’t it? I think these two adironack chairs and the view may sell the house!
I should have posted this long, long ago with all this polar vortex freezing weird weather all over the country! Have you seen these before? A faucet protector that protects from freezing, as well as wind and cold. This one is from Frost King. We bought these years ago and use them year after year. They hold up well and seem to do the trick. Any time the temp is going to drop below freezing we remove the hoses and put these insulator thingy’s on the outside faucet. So far, so good. We bought ours at Lowes, they’re a couple dollars each, which is a small price to pay!
Remember to leave both your HOT and COLD water dripping when temps drop below freezing! It’s cheaper than paying to have your pipes fixed!
T H E D O L L A R B I L L T E S T & S A V I N G $ W I T H Y O U R F R I D G E !
Ok, maybe not so secret since I saw it on Rachel Ray’s Show one day when I was in the kitchen… Peter Walsh was one of the guests and he discussed ways to save $ with your refrigerator… Did you know if you pull your refrigerator out 1″ from the wall you can save 40% in electricity (on the fridge) because it will run more efficiently? ONE. INCH. I wish this was a new tip we could start doing, but ours is already out a good 1.5″ right now, so that one didn’t help… the more air can circulate the easier it is to run (and less costly).
Next tip: The dollar bill test. Open your fridge door and close it on a dollar bill. Then, with the door closed try to pull the dollar bill out without opening the door. Did it just fall out? Did you not feel any resistance? It just slid pretty easily? (This is what happened for me)… Or did you fee resistance? If you felt resistance, move on… your seal is in good shape. Mine on the other hand pulled out very easily. Sigh… fridge is only a few years old. Normally this can cost $200-300 on a service call, BUT there is something that you can do that will save you that money… Petroleum Jelly (AKA Vaseline). Yep, that stuff you can use to help chapped lips, dry feet or hands… you just put a small amount on your finger and run it across the seal (top, bottom, side, etc.) just a small amount, you don’t need a lot. A thin bead of it will do the trick. Now open your refrigerator door. WHOA, right?!! It’s much harder to open because its sealed better than it was.
The dollar bill test (demonstrated) and many more tips from Peter Walsh: Watch the video…
Here’s the link to the Rachel Ray show regarding this story.
Charleston has many wonderful hotels. Top notch. We also have beautiful bed and breakfasts. I mentioned the Wentworth Mansion last week, which is a gorgeous inn to stay at. Another is 27 State Street Bed & Breakfast. 27 State is convenient to all that Charleston has to offer. Check out their website! Remember the gas lantern from yesterday’s post? This is it!
When you’re walking around Charleston, SC you never know what you’ll see. Sometimes it’s the small details that make a place really stand out. Details like the lighting at this doorway. Gas lanterns go way back, and that wonderful warm light that glows makes everything look better! Interesting colors downtown as well. Not the typical colors you see everyday, and they look striking! Look at the detail in the woodwork. It’s not the norm anymore. If you head downtown I would highly suggest bringing a camera!!
I know I should probably have more variety from different architects. Problem is I’m stuck on Allison Ramsey Architects! I think their plans are fabulous, detailed, classy and have more of what I’m looking for. I have literally spent hours scouring other sites trying to find something that would be suitable. Ugh… so many that look the same, kind of cookie cutter type and I zip through them… Once in a great while I will find a plan I like, but then it’s hard to share because it can be difficult to get permission to use their photos and house plans, and some really make you jump through hoops. I did that a few times. However, since this is a non-paying job, (ha ha), I need to move on and work with those who will work with me. Allison Ramsey is a great outfit. If I were hiring an architect today, they would be my hands down, number one choice. They are accessible. They answer questions and… THEY. ARE. GOOD. So here goes another great plan from ARA!
Red Bluff is a great plan with 1,590 square feet. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. You’ll find it in the CAROLINA INSPIRATIONS – BOOK 1 on their website!
Red Bluff house plan by Allison Ramsey Architects
I like how there are French doors leading to the (screened) porch off the living area! That way you can open the French doors up and be bug free. If I were to build this plan I would screen the deck area off the bedroom as well so that I could open those French doors, or opt to replace those doors with a window and leave the deck. Either way it would work beautifully!
Whew, another great plan found… thank you ARA!
To see actual images of homes that were built, click HERE. (I love that they do this!)
This photo was taken on that walk that I’ve mentioned in previous posts… Fred, Charlie (woof) and I were zipping along at a brisk pace while I was trying desperately to sneak in some photos… I love this early morning light, there’s nothing like it!
The Battery is one photogenic place in Charleston, SC. There are the gorgeous old homes, White Point Gardens (park) and more beautiful homes. Right now the city is working on repairing portions of the battery… There is a slight detour, nothing major. It’s definitely a fabulous place to walk (and take photos, hee…) I simply cannot walk downtown without a camera of some sort… Here’s the info you need to know (from charleston-sc.gov):
Seawall Repair 2013
The first phase of the Battery repair & reconstruction project involves the reconstruction of “The Turn” – the portion of the High Battery that connects the stone High Battery along East Battery with the Low Battery along Murray Boulevard. This portion of the Battery was identified in the Seawall Evaluation and Study, prepared by Cummings & McCrady,Inc., as a priority due to substantial deterioration of the underlying wooden deck and pile system. More specifically, the work will include:
Lane closures and traffic control to establish a safe work zone
Installation of a temporary cofferdam and dewatering systems to allow work during all tidal cycles
Removal and disposal of the existing concrete seawall
Removal of the timber platform
Testing and removal of selected timber piles
Installation of new composite (concrete and steel) piles
Construction of a new reinforced concrete foundation and seawall structure
Removal of all temporary cofferdams and traffic control
The estimated time for construction is nine months. The Engineer’s estimate of probable cost for the project was $3,500,000. Three bids were received from seven potential bidders that were prequalified due to the complexity of this project. The bids ranged from $2,665,000 to $3,939,000. After careful review of the bids, staff is recommending award of the contract to the apparent low bidder, Crowder Construction Company, in the amount of $2,665,000.
We will commence construction on “The Turn”, which should be completed nine months from the construction start date. Design services for the next phase of the High Battery restoration are underway. This phase includes the renovation of the stone High Battery from “The Turn” to its northern terminus. The renovations will consist of resetting and repointing the existing stones to provide a more level walking surface and more aesthetic appearance. It is anticipated that the bidding and work on this phase will begin after “The Turn” is completed. Once the High Battery is completed, work will begin on the Low Battery portion.
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