DAILY DANNY

Real Simply Green

There's an interesting story in the April issue of Real Simple magazine called "How Green Are You?"   Instead of a Cosmo-like quiz, it breaks down real daily eco-habits and the one-year effect it has on the planet.   It's definitely worth checking out. 

Here are some of my favorites:

1.  If you recycle newspapers and magazines, one person's one-year effect is 581 pounds of CO2 emissions saved.  Recycling paper saves trees and saves energy to make new recycled paper products.

2.  If you wash your laundry on a cool setting, you save about 349 pounds of CO2 emissions a year.  Even moving washing from Hot water to Warm water can make a difference.

3. If you stick to the speed limit when driving (65 MPG vs 75 MPH), you save about 1500 pounds of CO2 emissions a year.   Going a bit slower not only saves you around $200 a year in gas savings, but it really gets you to the same place in about the same time.    I have one of those GPS devices in my car, and whenever I'm running late to a meeting, I noticed that driving 10 MPH faster only gets me to my destination about a minute sooner.  So what's the point?

4. If you drive a hybrid car that gets at least 46 MPG, you save about 3660 pounds of CO2 emissions a year.    That's pretty cool.

5. If you plug major electronics into power strips so you can shut them off when not in use, you save 1608 pounds of CO2 emissions annually.   Just flipping the switch on the power strip effectively TRULY turns off power.   

TOTAL SAVED: 7698 pounds of CO2 emissions a year. 

PB Green

I am so on the fence about this: Pottery Barn's reusable water bottles.

First the positive:   They are well aesthetically designed, a fair price point, and it's great that a store like Pottery Barn is doing something green.

Now the negative: The totally knocked off Sigg, the original makers of the reusable water bottle.

What do we think?   Here's another shot of another design that I think is a bit more less effective:

 

Two Decorating Ideas

I'm looking forward to the twice-annual Renninger's Antique Extravaganza outside of Kutztown, PA this Spring.    I always try to make it to this flea-market-on-steroids because you never know what amazing things you can find.   And with a new home in dire need of furniture and accessories, I have a more immediate need than ever before to go.       This year, it falls during the week of April 21st---Earth Week---and I am doing everything humanly possible to keep at least one day that week open so I can scavenge the market.    Earth Week, you see, is probably my busiest week of the year.   

Anyway, what I want to do for the hallway in the new house is do an eclectic mismatched gallery of different types of artwork: photographs, pencil drawing, oil painting, etc.    I love the one-of-a-kind look and I think I can achieve this by slowly picking up inexpensive flea market art here and there.     The above shot is the staircase in a Ralph Lauren store in Atlanta, GA.   

And here is a simple idea in taking mismatched vases, compotes and other dishes and doing a grouping of cut flowers.   Even floppy tulips look elegant by having them stay enclosed inside of vases.   Glass and crystal containers are SO EASY to find at flea markets, so I will defintely be stocking up.   Can anyone guess where I took this shot?

Water Smart Showerhead

I was recently in New York City for a party sponsored by Kohler and actually got to meet family members who actually had the last name Kohler!    I thought that was pretty cool, because you rarely meet people with bear the last name of the namesake company.    It would be like meeting someone named Fred Starbucks, if the company was started by someone with the last name Starbucks.  And you say, "oh, i Love Starbucks!"     So, here I am meeting a Kohler family heir and professing my love for (of all things) bathroom sinks.

In the gift bag was something I actually needed: a super water efficient massaging showerhead.   My showerhead that I've had in my bathroom was terrible; sure, it was water efficient and looked nice, but the water pressure felt like the shower was just spitting on you.      Before that, I had one of those inexpensive aerating showerheads that pumped lots of air into the water; it felt like millions of tiny aquatic nails were attacking you in the shower.     It had to go.

This WaterSense approved one from Kohler is amazing.   It uses just 1.5 gallons per minute, has numerous settings (although, I prefer just one setting), and it took just 20 seconds to install.   I wish I had grabbed extra gift bags at this event, so that I could give away extras as prizes on this blog.    But if you're in the market for one, look for Kohler WaterSense approved showerheads.   I definitely approve.

Good (Hardworking) Friday

Last Friday was a very long day.   It started with a 5AM wake-up call where I was walking down a quiet Fifth Avenue in New York City with a giant box of Easter props: dyed eggs, baskets, candy boxes, decorations and much more.  With the new set at CBS, we have to dress the set way before the 7AM show start, hence the super early morning rise and shine.    It was Good Friday and I was doing a segment on CBS The Early Show about throwing an eco-friendly Easter.    By 830AM, the props were boxed up and I was on my way back home to Pennsylvania.

I drove straight to the new house where I was met with crews on top of crews working on the house.  I like it when it's very busy at the house because I feel like a lot is getting accomplished.   And it also reminds me to remember who has keys to the house as well! 

It's so exciting that the kitchen floors are set and grouted.   I love how the faux wood grain pattern on top "warms" up the floor and gives it interest.   Here's a tighter shot:

   

A few blog posts back, I asked for some help in choosing a kitchen countertop.   Even though the overwhelming choice was to go with an apple green color, I decided to keep it simple and go with the Manhattan Gray in a microfine finish.   These countertops are from IceStone in Brooklyn and are made entirely out of recycled glass ands concrete.    Here's the undermounted Kohler kitchen sink and countertop!   

Now that the floors and countertops are installed, all I have to do is wait for my amazing plumber to come and install the water lines throughout the kitchen.  I can't wait to see the faucets installed and ready to go.    I love this very deep kitchen sink. 

Today, I'm going to start tackling the kitchen cabinets.  It's been my goal to refinish them by painting them myself and lining the inside with cork.   I think it'll take just one day to do this.   Somehow, I think I'm underestimating the this project...

Metal Firewood Cart

Internet shopping can be a dangerous thing.    Say, you want to find an all-metal, industrial cart that could long and deep enough to hold firewood.   So you google it and nothing come up.   So you try different variations, look at Google Images to see if the photo of something looks right, and then lo and behold, there it is.

I'm going for a pure, simple, straightforward design with the new house.   I'm going to have modern elements mixed with totally bohemian/eclectic elements to create a home environment that's totally comfortable modern.   I like the idea of stacks of organic firewood resting in an industrial cart.

I got this cart from a company called Gilmore Kramer.  I don't know who they normally sell to, but it may not be a residential market.     The reason I think this is because you can't just order things off their website; you have to fill out a form and a sales rep calls you to quote a price.    See, that should've been warning sign #1 that this may be an expensive venture.

But when the truck pulled up the other day with this large metal cart (I have no idea what it's SUPPOSED to be used for) and a small one for the kitchen to hold my kitchen supplies, I swooned.   I like them.   The driver of the truck asked me if there was a restaurant inside my home.    Ha!    Off I got to stack some wood in the cart now...

Martha Radio

I've been doing a lot of Martha Stewart Living radio on Sirius Satellite Radio lately.   I had a show on Sirius for two years called "Simply Green with Danny Seo" on the now defunt LIME channel.   That was a tiring experience, because the only times I could tape my show were at weird hours like 10PM at night.    You can only imagine what it was like to book guests to come to a studio in NYC at 10PM at night.

Anyway, I'm on Martha Stewart Living radio today at 2pm (EST) discussing the feature story shot at my house in the April issue of Body+Soul magazine.    Feel free to call in with questions at 866-675-6675.

Here are some pics from the Body+Soul feature:

 

$4000 Patchwork Rug

So, I was recently down in Atlanta, GA for a lecture and some meetings and I decided to stop by the Lenox Square Mall right across the street from my hotel.   I needed some post-it notes for a project and decided to pop in.   Okay, wrong kind of mall to look for post-it notes.   It's a very very high-end mall.

So, to make the best of the situation, I decided to look around and window shop.  I stopped by the Shabby Chic store and to my surprise, I found something I liked.    I am not a Shabby Chic person at all (which the sales person seemed to agree with my dark jeans and gray t-shirt and camo baseball cap) and said this rug was not "very Shabby Chic either."   Must be why I liked it.

Anyway, I need a big area rug for my new living room and was told this rug was hand-stitched together in Turkey using vintage carpet remnants.   Cool!    Not cool:  the $4000 price tag.

I am going to be shopping flea markets and buying 3-4 vintage rugs that are worn out and well loved.  Then I'm going to cut them up into random squares and handstitch them together myself using hemp string and a large needle.   Sure, it's going to take extra work.   But then I'll probably save $3500 in the process, too.

I'll keep you posted on this project...

New Lighting

Today felt a little like Christmas at the house: I went through the many boxes of lighting that showed up and began to unpack and sort through them all.   I used the large table in the (future) craft room to sort and inspect the lights.   It was pretty fun, actually.

I chose really classic and timeless pieces made with bronze casings and milky glass finishes.   These are from a company called Visual Comfort from the Thomas O'brien collection.   

I chose a milky glass finish for the fixtures because this is a great way to use energy efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs, but without seeing the harsh, white glare from them.    So I can swap in the lights and literally forget about them for many, many years.    I chose a CFL bulb from Sylvania that has a 1000 lumens rating; that's pretty much the closest "color" light output you can get with a CFL to mimic the light output of a traditional incandescent bulb.    Basically, it's not a clinical harsh white.    And with the milky glass cover, it'll be even softer and more pleasent. 

I can't wait to see this all installed.    It'll be like Christmas all over again!

Recycling Scrap Metal: Cash for Trash

Today, all the heating baseboards throughout the house---- correction: all the bulky baseboards---were gutted out of the house.  The new super efficient heat pump heating/cooling system is up and running and I couldn't be happier.  Ripping out the baseboards gives a much cleaner and bigger look to all the rooms.   I've been waiting patiently for this day!

All of the scrap metal that was gutted out is quite valuable.  Inside the steel and aluminum framing is a ton (not literally) of heavy copper piping.    Hundreds of pounds of it, in fact.

So, knowing the value of scrap metal, I called my friends over at 1-800-GOT-JUNK to come and pick up the last remaining demolition items and recyclables.    To my surprise, they agreed to work out a deal to reduce the cost of my pick-up by the money they received in return for the scrap metal.

So, up showed two trucks this morning: one for trash, one for recyclables.   

This entire truck filled up with scrap metal from the house, where it will be brought to the local scrap metal recycling yard to be sorted, separated, weighed and paid.     Hmm.. I like that: weighed and paid.    The total amount I was paid for the scrap metal?  $405.00.    NOT. BAD. AT. ALL. 

The old boiler used for the house will be cut out and taken away.   I've already gotten several people asking for it to use in their own home.  Like I said: One man's trash is another man's treasure.

New Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are great for any home, since they use very little energy to help cool the home in the hot summer months, and can help draw down heat in the cool winter months.    When shopping for a new ceiling fan, I wanted something that was simple, straightforward, a tad industrial looking and not terribly expensive.   I can't tell you how excited I was to find these ceiling fans at Lowe's.   Correction: I found them at Lowe's for $64 each.    Eco Bargain!

I had them installed in the living room and love the contrast of the cedar wood ceiling with the real, stainless steel blades.    It feels modern, yet appropriate at the same time.

Here's another shot.   See the balls on the ceiling?    Yeah, I wondered, too.   Turns out they are rolled up balls of wax in a variety of colors.   Back in the day, cheese was wrapped in real wax.   When they threw parties at the house, they would roll up the balls of wax and toss them on the ceiling.  Over time, there was a collection of these waxy balls.     I've been asked CONSTANTLY if I'm going to scrape them off.   No.   It's part of the house and I plan on finding some waxy cheese soon to add to the collection come this summer!

Recycling Scrap Metal

Thought this breakdown was interesting.  The good folks at 1-800-GOT-JUNK broke down what was recycled from my house recently and how much it was worth.   Who knew scrap metal could be so valuable?

900 lbs steel @ $.05 = $45
209 lbs alum fins @ $1.45 = $303.05
42 lbs alum @ $.60 = $25.20
11 lbs copper @ $2.9 = $31.90

Eco Heating & Cooling

It's the small things in a home renovation project that can be really exciting.

I've been installing a major eco heating/cooling system throughout the house called Acadia from Hallowell Systems.  It's an all-electric system that provides super efficient heating and cooling throughout the house, at efficiencies around 70% savings compared to traditional systems like oil heat. 

With the major fluctuations of heating costs and the ease in getting wind-sourced electricity for the home, I think this is a smart investment in the long run.

I love this digital thermostat.  It feels so high tech!

I'm just excited to see it coming to fruition.   Yes, it's the little things like heat pumps that make my day.

Tiled Tub

Here's a before shot of a bathroom at the house.   It looked like a scary demo zone.  I had such a hard time imagining anything but tears and rips in a wall with a giant Kohler tub plopped right in the middle.

Here one of the showers are totally tiled and grouted!   It just needs some hospital tracking on the ceiling and a PVC-free nylon curtain (oh, yeah, and faucets and drain covers and, um, plumbing):

When I was away in Palm Springs and San Francisco for work, the tile guys came in and set the mounting boards and tile in place.   I used dark green glass tile from Shaw for the bathrooms and I am having them tiled from floor to ceiling.   It is so fun to come home to see something totally completed.

Red, Hot & Green

I was just in lovely Palm Springs, CA (soaking up the warm sun as much as I could), to give a speech and film segments for HGTV's new eco-living show that I'm co-hosting called "Red, Hot & Green."   It debuts later this year.

Originally, we were planning to fly the crew out to Pennsylvania and film right at my house, but because I was already on the West Coast and they crew is based there as well, it just made sense to film in Palm Springs.  Smaller carbon footprint!

But onto a sneak peek at one of my favorite projects:  Recycling old plates and cups into a functional tray.

First, I stopped by the Palm Springs Goodwill shop and bought this wine crate ($1) and a bunch of mismatched plates and cups.

 

Here's what I settled on: some floral printed plates, a porcelain bathroom cup, two different glass goblets, and a bird figurine of some type.

And here's the finished tiers.   I used a very strong craft adhesive glue to keep all the layers glued together.  It's such a strong glue, that you can pick it all up by the bird on top and it won't break or fall apart.  REALLY.  I swear!

Anyway, I had a great time filming segments for the show and webisodes for HGTV.COM.   I'll keep you posted on the premiere date.  Can't wait!

Eco Bar

I was having some fun wrapping bottles of wine using materials from around the house.   During some down time in between shoots for my new HGTV show "Red Hot & Green," I would keep myself busy by doing crafts.   Yes, I admit it.

The martini shaker is gift wrapped with shiny black tape from inside an old VHS tape.  I bought the VHS tape at Goodwill for about a quarter.   To get the tape out, I just stood on top of the tape and stomped my feet.   Out came a spool of black ribbon equaling about 30 yards of black, shiny tape!   To get the curls, just run a sharp scissors across the tape and it curls right up.

One wine bottle is wrapped in two layers of newspaper.   This is a project from my book "Simply Green Giving."  Using scissors, I cut strips of newspaper down to the top of the bottle and curled them up with scissors. I used some of the VHS tape to tie a bow around the neck of the bottle.

And the other bottles are just fabric wrapped using the sleeves from old shirts.  How cozy!

Priuses for Rent

I was in San Francisco recently to oversee a photo shoot for Method Cleaning Products for an upcoming issue of KIWI magazine, a fabulous eco-friendly parenting publication.

Whenever possible, I try to rent hybrid cars wherever I am in the country.  It always isn't the easiest, but it is getting easier.  Maybe with San Francisco being such a green town I shouldn't be so shocked, but here I was at Hertz rent-a-car renting a Prius.   As a Gold member, it's really convenient to just show up at Hertz, look for your name on the board, go straight to your car and drive right off the lot after showing your photo ID.  It saves me soooo much time!

The only funny thing about the experience was that my car was wedged in between two giant SUVs.  The Prius was so hidden, that I walked by it twice.   I kinda chuckled when I saw it dwarfed in size in between the gas guzzling behemoths.

One giant perk in renting a Prius: even with the constant driving to and from Mill Valley, CA from downtown San Francisco, the car kept reading FULL in the gas tank.   That's pretty great...

Global Organic Fruit Basket

This is one of my favorite photos from my book "Simply Green Giving."    And the idea is so simple, yet so perfect to give all year round.

Take an old tabletop globe (the kind that spins and is made from cardboard) and find the equator.   Use a blunt knife (like a butter knife) and pry the globe apart at its seams.   You'll end up with two halves of the globe that can be used as the bowl for this project.

Fill the globe halves with organic fruits from around the world---kiwi, oranges, passion fruit, apples, oranges, etc---and use shredded paper or natural fill fiber to cushion them inside.    Wrap with cellophane and tie with ribbon and give.

Two Simple Ideas

Here are two simple ways to dress up a bedroom.    Find a small tray and load it up with sterilized moss from the craft store.    Place small glass bottles on top and insert sprigs of wildflowers or fern clippings in.  Evolve it and let it change and grow over time. 

Shop flea markets and antique stores for inexpensive, non-descript wooden baskets.    Then print out your initials or a word on 8 X 11 1/2 copy paper and tack it onto the basket.   Use a push pin to "dot" the outline of the letters onto the basket to create a stencil.   Then use a pen knife to carve out the letters right into the basket.  The more rustic, the more handmade it looks!

(The above basket is from Serenbe in Palmetto, GA.  I know I know... I keep blogging about that place... I promise, I'll stop!)

More Serenbe

Last week, I blogged about my visit to Serenbe Inn outside of Palmetto, GA to be part of a photo shoot for my new eco mattress line Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo.   I was going through my digital camera and found just one beautiful shot of the property after the next, and thought I'd share them.   

Above is the main "check in" guest services building on the property.   The wood is painted black and looks so striking on the farm.

In my guest room, this armoire looked so charming with the galvanized metal inserts.

One of the main guest cottages was used for the photo shoot.  Here's the outside of the house with the gleaming red metal roof.   I love metal roofs and especially love A: how they look and B: that they never need to be replaced.

Right next to the reflecting pool was this very comfortable outdoor seating area.  The porch swing was so comfortable, that I could imagine falling asleep very easily on a warm, summer afternoon.   The green painted wicker furniture looked so fresh and appropriate for the property.  I love how it "pops" against the dark walls.

All over the property, they really did pay attention to design and function.   In the pine forest, this long trail begs to be hiked, doesn't it?

And my favorite part?  The galley style country kitchen in my guest room.   This was so nice to make up a pot of coffee or hot tea in the morning or at the end of the night.    On the last day of the shoot, I invited the cast of folks working on the shoot back to my room for drinks.   It was a nice way to toast a successful shoot!   

New Dining Room Table

I'm on the hunt for a new dining room table for the house.   I want something old and antique, but not too country and not too fancy.   Something, well, different.

I stopped by a store in Lambertville, NJ that specializes in British import antiques.   I've driven past the store a million times, but never stopped in... and I am glad that I finally did the other day.

I ended up with two different contenders for the dining room in the house.   I am installing that giant Design Within Reach pendant light (it's at least 36" wide), so I thought the contrast of a beat-up wood table with a clean, retro light and a mix of different chairs could look inviting, comfortable and cool.

So, here are my contenders:  A very very long pine table or a heavy circular one right behind it.

The cost for the table is around $2300, which is pricey I have to admit.    But if you shop through different furniture catalogs and stores, it's pretty comparative.  Plus, an antique is eco-friendly since it's not using new wood...definitely one of a kind....and the quality (we must all admit) is much better since it's solid wood through and through.  Plus,the store offered free delivery, which meant I could get it right away into my house.

Thoughts?

My Mattress Photo Shoot

I was recently down in Palmetto, GA participating in a 2-day photo and film shoot for my new Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo mattress line.     It's so exciting to be part of the creative process and to be on-location at this incredibly gorgeous farm.    It was all shot at this eco-friendly farm/inn/community called Serenbe.   If you need a place to go visit and unwind, I highly recommend this place.

Above is a fun shot I envisioned in my head in several conference calls with the talented art direction staff.  I thought it would be fun to shoot the eco-friendly mattress on top of bales of hay.   Doesn't it look pretty?

A film crew also came from Los Angeles.   When I wasn't busy working with the still photographers downstairs, I would run upstairs and film webisodes eco-tips on how to have a healthier sleep.   Here are some props from one of the shoots; the crew was off taking a break when I took this shot.

Each morning, we met for breakfast in the Inn's main dining room.    I seriously put on weight during the shoot because the food was absolutely amazing.    This morning, we had organic eggs, potatoes, fresh squeezed orange juice, warm biscuits with homemade jams and jellies.   This was one of the most talented crews I've ever worked with and I am sure I'll be calling them really soon to work on some other projects!

A fun shot of the mattress outdoors... not practical, but pretty!    As we shot this, I got distracted by all the animals on the farm....

All she wanted was the hay under the bed to much on....

And really adorable baby goats as well...

And something I was so excited to finally see!   The Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo bed pillow.  It has all the great eco qualities of the mattress, but in a standard size pillow.   The natural latex blend inside makes it dust mite, mold and mildew resistant... all equals a healthier sleep.  I loved how cushiony the pillow felt.

Totally Random Updates

I've been on the road so much lately for work, that I sometimes feel like a negligent parent when it comes to renovating my new house.   But I come home whenever I can and give the house as much attention as I possibly can.    I will say it is kinda fun to go away for a few days and come back to see progress.  What's not fun is not seeing progress....fortunately, I haven't experienced that yet!

Above is my shipment of beautiful ceramic tile from Shaw Flooring.    It's a large tile with a faux wood grain pattern embedded into the ceramic.    I love this tile and will be laying it down in the kitchen in a brick pattern.   

The new Hallowell Acadia heating and cooling pumps are here.  Man, am I glad I wasn't here when they delivered these heavy systems!    They were made right here in the US in Bangor, Maine and they are truly one of the most energy efficient systems for heating/cooling a home built today.   This was a major investment on my part for the house, but it's one that I thought was important and will ultimately go a long way in saving money.    I've already elected for wind energy from Peco Energy for the house, so that's one step closer...

This is 4,530 pieces of glass tile.   Holy moly.    I decided to stick to one simple color palette for the whole house: one type of engineered wood floors, one type of wood grain ceramic, one type of recycled nylon carpet and one color and shape of glass tile.   This tile will be used in all the bathrooms, in the kitchen backsplash and anywhere else down the road that needs tiling.   There's a small bathroom in the craft room that I haven't included as part of this remodel, so perhaps that's where I can have some fun down the road.

The 600 pound Kohler cast iron tub is in and ready for the glass tile.  I am installing shower doors and water-efficient showerheads in all the bathrooms; day-to-day use will be showers, I suspect, with the occasional soak in the tub.

 

New Lighting

My new house is starting to come together from torn-up war zone to the point that I can start to see the light beyond the horizon.   

Some big boxes of new lighting just showed up and I can not wait to see them installed.   I chose new lighting with a few goals in mind: timeless design, great quality, and an ability to conceal compact fluorescent lightbulbs well to help diffuse the light as much as possible.

Above is the living room BEFORE photo.  Right now, there was a simple paper lantern light fixture by the fireplace.    I decided to replace it with a Thomas O'brien designed Hicks pendant light:

In the dining room, there was a similar paper shade light, too:

 

I shopped around for weeks and weeks looking for the right chandelier.  Everything seemed too country, or too traditional or just too wrong.   I was poking around online at the Design Within Reach website and saw this light and fell in love:

I wanted something big, dramatic, clean-looking and modern.... so, this was the winner.  I like the fact it's made entirely from recyclable steel, so it's totally easy to recycle, too.  But I am hoping that day will never, ever come....

I have to say I did invest a lot more money into lighting than I thought it would cost.   But since permanent lighting fixtures are something you see everyday and are such an important part of the room, I felt it was key to invest.   At least that's what I'm going to say to myself repeatedly when the Visa bill shows up....

New Heating & Cooling

I know renovating a home is a long process and something that just doesn't happen with the flip of a switch.   I know that... and I was prepared for that.   But there's so disturbing to come home and see giant holes in your floors.      Ugh...   I know it's temporary, but here they are: big 'ol square holes all over the house.

I'm having a super efficient, super eco heating and cooling system installed.  Pricey, yes.  But I think it's worth the time and energy to replace the aging oil heating system and get something clean-burning and super efficient.   Did I mention it was efficient?

I'll do a whole blog post about the technology behind this new system, but for now... some lovely demolition photos.

New Beds for the House

As the flooring in the new house is about to be installed, I'm faced with the new dilemma (well, not dilemma... maybe "to do" list is better) of now decorating this brand new home. 

I always love to scour flea markets and antique shops for new pieces, but I still find new furniture here and there that I think will still work with the one-of-a-kind furnishings I drag into the house.

The above bed is from Viva Terra and is called a Gustavian bed because it's inspired by Swedish royalty King Gustav who favored ornate, neoclassical design.  It's made from reclaimed wood, so it's eco-friendly and I think it has such classic, timeless design that it will last forever in this new house.

So, that's that for one of the bedrooms.

Now, onto the living room:

I feel love with this bamboo "inspired" (I quote that on purpose) from Restoration Hardware.   It's a day bed that I think could work great in the living room as a sofa.   Can you imagine curling up in it and watching a movie?

My only problem is that A: it's bamboo inspired and not made from real bamboo and B: it uses mahogany veneer which means lots of glue and rainforest woods used to make it.    So, off I go to find an antique or eco version of this day bed.   But I can still swoon over it.

New Craft Room Countertops

I recently had a large countertop installed in my new "craft" room at the house.   It was exciting to see an instant transformation of the old countertop to the new one; it was literally just tearing up the old, stained wooden countertop and sliding in the new one.  (Well, four guys lifted the very heavy countertop and put it into place).

Here's the before photo and demolition shots of the countertop:

Demo'd by my trusty contractor JB Myers:

When the countertop was demo'd, some hidden art was discovered.  It was tucked away and left behind by the previous homeowner.  I was so thrilled to find signed illustrations.  How charming are they?

I'm planning on getting them framed.  There are a few dozen of these lithograph prints, so I'm going to give them away as thank you gifts to everyone who worked so hard on this house.   Hmm...I just hope they aren't reading this blog because that would totally take the surprise away!

And here's a shot of the finished countertop in a more detail-y way.    I chose Zodiaq countertops from Lowe's Home Improvement because they are very durable, are made from quarts and are---this is key- non-porous.  All the paint, stains and other crafting stuff that will get all over this countertop needs to be wiped off easily. I think Zodiaq will be the best choice for this room.