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SF Painted Lady: Chateau Tivoli

SF Painted Lady: Chateau Tivoli published on 3 Comments on SF Painted Lady: Chateau Tivoli

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We took a trip to San Fransisco a couple of years ago and I just found my photos on a card I haven’t used since. Hmm, never did that with a roll of film. Anyway, I remember taking hours and hours to search for the perfect Victorian B&B. We decided upon Chateau Tivoli in the Alamo Square district.

Built in 1892 and operating as a fully restored B & B by 1989, the building has seen alot of history pass through it’s doors. But the restoration is what fascinates me. The exterior features 17 colors of paint. Inside, the wood work is to die for. And then there’s the wallpaper and hand painted molding and medallions. The restoration took 4 years to complete. But I’m sure Craig and Yvonne could’ve done it in a few months.

Here are a few vacation snappies I took. Please overlook the unmade bed and low resolution. I was on vacation!Continue reading SF Painted Lady: Chateau Tivoli

DIY: Rocking

DIY: Rocking published on 10 Comments on DIY: Rocking

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6’4″ guy and shorty husband

Our Bed Stuy bedroom is coming along! It’s only taken us a year to get to get some walls up. Ok, to be fair, we did put in a laundry room and bathroom in that time, but I know…still pretty lame. To be fair, it took a while to get the structural work done. Lots of repointing and sistering of joists, leveling floors, yada, yada.

Anyway, figure we might as well do a DIY post on drywall.Continue reading DIY: Rocking

Brooklyn Farm Table: Salvaging History

Brooklyn Farm Table: Salvaging History published on 2 Comments on Brooklyn Farm Table: Salvaging History

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Ralph Gorham has been crafting tables in Red Hook, Brooklyn for years. The one time general contractor started out using common and exotic woods, but soon became aware of all the beautiful antique wood that was being discarded during demolition of old buildings in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

The reclaimed wood is mainly from the beams of these old buildings. Species range from Douglas Fir to Long Leaf Heart Pine. Since salvage and sustainable building have become more popular, the beams are harder to come by. Once the wood is acquired, there is much preparation before building the tables. All nails (as many as oh, maybe…500!), bolts and lead paint must be removed before remilling. The boards are then aligned to make symmetrical patterns of the wood’s knots and grain.

A basic farm table, finished in tung oil, starts at $400 per linear foot, which translates to a few thousand for a table. Each peice is a one of a kind heirloom that weighs 300-400 pounds. There are a number of tables in stock. Custom tables, counter tops or cabinets can be ordered. Everything is 100% recycled. Even the scraps get used for smaller projects.

Brooklyn Farm Table

Woo-Hoo, Help Has Arrived!

Woo-Hoo, Help Has Arrived! published on 2 Comments on Woo-Hoo, Help Has Arrived!

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This is how I envisioned blogging.

Since starting this God forsaken blog in September, my goal has been 4 posts per day (weekends and holidays don’t count). Well actually, it was 5 posts, but that lasted about a week. I’m sticking to my goal even though I no longer have time to exercise, shower, feed my pets or earn money. Fortunately, I found a sucker friend who is willing to help out.

Brett to the rescue! I shot Brett and Andrew’s wedding a few years ago and we’ve been in touch ever since. She actually knows how to write, unlike myself, and she’s looking for her 15 minutes of blogging fame without having to be responsible for her own site. It’s a win-win situation.

*Brett and *Andrew sold their Manhattan apartment and have been looking for a home for the last 2 years. Crazy, huh? She’ll be filling us in on various neighborhoods and pitfalls of home buying. Ideally, we can follow their journey to an actual home and renovation if she doesn’t get sick of writing within the first week.

Somewhere along the way, a pair of twins came into the picture. Hopefully they won’t distract Brett from writing, like my starving cats’ crying out for some morsels of food or the stench of my own fat, decaying body.

*Names have been changed to protect the paranoid.

Craig and Yvonne, Why Must You Taunt Me So?

Craig and Yvonne, Why Must You Taunt Me So? published on 8 Comments on Craig and Yvonne, Why Must You Taunt Me So?

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I first discovered Our Victorian House shortly after we went into contract on Our Own Victorian House in Beacon. I visited the site frequently for inspiration. When I showed it to my husband, filling him in on my intentions, he felt the need to send an email to Craig and Yvonne…something to the effect of “How dare you give my wife these crazy ideas? Thanks alot, buddy!”

Three years later and sidetracked by a totally different restoration, I just checked back on their site. They’re, like, finished.

I hate them.

Hate them because they had the focus to stick to one house and finish it.

Hate them because their house is so friggen beautiful.

Hate them because they were able to afford massive amounts of Bradbury wallpaper when they said they’re not rich.

Hate them because they used real artisans for detailing I attempt to do myself.

Hate them because they even finished the exterior! Oh, how I hate them for that!

Hate them because of that green eyed monster we call “Envy”.

So, you think you’re so great, Craig and Yvonne? Well, why don’t you come to Beacon and show us what you can do with this house? I dare you!

Yeah, I thought you would back down. Losers.

Hudson Valley Materials Exchange Needs Your Help

Hudson Valley Materials Exchange Needs Your Help published on

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Hudson Valley Materials Exchange, a not for profit environmental organization, is being evicted. The building surplus and craft supplies warehouse located at Stewart Airport is getting the boot due to airport expansion. Although personally, I’m happy to travel a traffic free 10 minute drive from Beacon to Jet Blue when I visit my folks in Florida, I hate to see them being displaced. They are a great asset to homeowners and artisans in the area.

The Exchange will be closed for the winter and they’re currently looking for volunteers to help with everything from sorting and packing to renovations to getting the word out (hey, I just did that while sitting on my ass!). You can also dig into your pockets and make a donation. They’ve set up PayPal so you can donate online.

We hope to see them back in action soon!

Related article

This Is What Happens When You Leave Brooklyn

This Is What Happens When You Leave Brooklyn published on 2 Comments on This Is What Happens When You Leave Brooklyn

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As I waited for my coffee and bagel at the corner deli on Friday, I got to check out some headlines. The NY Post read “Groom and Doom in Dream Home”. Ah, house related….I was intrigued.

Newlyweds Kelly and Michael Forbes moved to South Merrick, Long Island in September. It took Kelly all of 2 months to go crazy in the suburbs and murder her husband. Not that I’m trying to make light of it. It’s a tragic situation, especially since Kelly has a 7 year old daughter. But there’s just a little part of me that understands what Kelly was going through.Continue reading This Is What Happens When You Leave Brooklyn

The Antique Furniture Vandals

The Antique Furniture Vandals published on 2 Comments on The Antique Furniture Vandals

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Jimmie Martin sideboard

I’m a total preservationist when it comes to antiques, yet I get this. It’s groovy baby. Yeah. Quite a few London designers are giving antique pieces a new life by vandalizing them.

German, Dutch trained designer Martin Baas is burning chairs, Burke and Hazelden are painting graffiti on armoires and Le Tramac is upholstering day beds in high gloss colorful PVC.

I hope they are only working with pieces that are beyond restoration, but I have a feeling that’s not always the case.

I paint furniture sometimes. My criteria is:

1. The wood has to be so severely damaged that most of the piece would need to be faux painted.
2. Ugly wood. Never a nice piece to begin with.
3. Parts missing that need to be replaced with new wood. If it’s an otherwise perfect and valuable piece of furniture or home detail, I’ll find an antique piece of wood to match.

Sustainable Hudson Valley

Sustainable Hudson Valley published on

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Sustainable Hudson Valley promotes “an economic strategy that is based on environmental and community revitalization as industries in their own right, and as conditions for healthy development.” They provide tours, workshops and community based learning circles as well as encouraging local marketing, import replacement and cluster development.

The SHV Green Pages is an excellent resource for sustainable living in the Hudson Valley. This site is set up as a wiki where you can share information on everything from appliances to education. Very handy!

World’s Most Energy Efficient Fridge

World’s Most Energy Efficient Fridge published on

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Sunfrost claims to manufacture the world’s most energy efficient refrigerator. I’m not disputing that. I’m just not going to be the one to do the research to prove it. Whether or not they are the MOST energy efficient, it’s clear that this is a green product. Sun Frost refrigerators can be used with solar, hydro or wind power. All models are available in 12 or 24 volt DC, or 110 or 220 volt AC.

They are not inexpensive and on top of the price, there’s the shipping from California. But they are nice looking. Customers can choose handcrafted finishes ranging from wood to laminate to stainless.

Check out some of the other cool products on their site such as the energy efficient shower and the sleep genie.

Review and Surprise Quiz

Review and Surprise Quiz published on 7 Comments on Review and Surprise Quiz

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If you think I’m not going to take advantage of the holiday to get a couple of days off, you’re wrong. The readership for this blog has been slowly climbing since we launched in September. That means many of you weren’t around since day one. Take this opportunity to catch up on everything you’ve missed.

If you do not know the answers to the following questions, you haven’t been paying enough attention.

Happy Thanksgiving! See you Monday.

1. What 2 places do we call home?

2. What is the term used for letting grout or concrete sit awhile after mixing?

3. In what country is The Hobbit Home located?

4. What is Bitter Apple?

5. Name 2 companies that offer high efficiency toilets.

6. Who are Eddie, Stan and Ken?

7. Who is Peter Wing?

8. What company makes countertops out of shredded counterfit money?

9. During which war did Alpine and Jasper share a romance?

10. What type of essential oil keeps the mice away?

11. True or False. You should wear a paper dust mask when stripping lead paint.

12. What ISO is recommended when photographing an interior?

13. What is the name of the Zero VOC paint made in Brooklyn?

14. Name 2 must have tools for your home.

15. Why is Zinc often used for oyster bar countertops?

16. What should you ask for before accepting an offer on your FSBO?

17. What is Nyctohylophobia?

18. What is smudging?

19. True or False. To fix a plaster crack, just spread some joint compound over the crack.

20. Where did the wainscot siding for our trash bin enclosure come from?

DIY: Antique Glazing Cabinets

DIY: Antique Glazing Cabinets published on 2 Comments on DIY: Antique Glazing Cabinets

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Previously, we did a DIY on repainting cabinets. We didn’t go over the faux technique we used on these cheapest of cheap Home Depot jobbies we salvaged from the house. Our tenant who inherited the cabinets told us that everyone who comes to visit asks about them. So, we figured we’d share.Continue reading DIY: Antique Glazing Cabinets

Corrugated Cardboard Wall Covering

Corrugated Cardboard Wall Covering published on 1 Comment on Corrugated Cardboard Wall Covering

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Via CribCandy, via Craftster

Jonathan Fong has some amazing designs on his site, but what I like most of all is that many of them are DIY projects. He offers step by step instructions for some of his creations.

This corrugated cardboard wall covering seems pretty easy to do. Jonathan’s is not recycled, but how much cooler (and more time consuming) would it be if you used recycled cardboard? It would give it a whole new look because no two pieces would match. It might look terrible…but it would be recycled! Try it….lemme know how that goes.

How To

Period Home Decor

Period Home Decor published on

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The hubby won’t let me do pink.

If you’re a sucker for old homes like we are, you probably want to keep your decor historically accurate. It’s not easy and it’s a bit frustrating at times. As much as we love Victorians (so much that we needed 2 of them), sometimes I wish we were converting a garage space so I can do all sorts of funky things. But that’s the next project.

Actually, we’ll be more creative with the Beacon Queen Anne than the Bed Stuy brownstone. We were inspired by the former owner’s style, which is more Nouveau/Deco than Victorian. We’ve continued with that style in wall coverings and lighting and we’ll also throw in some Gothic splash just for fun. The exterior, which we’ve been promising to do for 3 years, is going to be total crazy color San Fransisco painted lady. Or the closest we can get away with being in a historic district.

Here’s some help for narrowing down your home’s period and decor.

Identifying Your Home’s Style
Architectural Styles
Period Decor

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