I'm jumping on the band wagon

I know that ombre products have been all the rage for awhile now but I'm just now getting on board.  ("Ombre" - when something fades from dark to light, or one color to another)

 
 
I love the concept.  It's fun and unique and interesting.  That's probably why I was also set on my yellow ombre fireplace idea.  Remember this from way back when:

But I've ditched that idea in search of a better opportunity for ombre.  And I've found it.

Ben came across a company called Hakatai.  They are a small tile company out of Ashland, Oregon, that will do custom ombre glass tile design.  Once we started playing around on the website's custom design tool, we were hooked.  Here are some ombre tile installations that we like:

Not sure exactly where this will end up but we're currently working with Hakatai to create something fun, something unique... and something OMBRE!  Just saying the word "ombre" makes me feel like drinking a margarita.   

Railings

Love, LOVE this look, but particularly interested in the railings...

I know glass can be a huge PITA to clean but it looks so fabulous and creates more openness.  I'm a big fan of the glass railing without a wood rail on the top.  It looks fragile but I've been assured that an adult can lean up against the glass or knock into it fairly hard without any problems.  It would be commercial-grade glass.  Although we're waiting to hear back from the fabricator, our plan is to steal this idea.  The "posts" are more squared off too which creates a modern look.  Per code, we will need a railing... it will go on the opposite (non-glass) wall.

I'm curious about the corrugated steel over the fireplace.  I like it.  Antlers... very cool (!)... but it's been done.

Progress... and more progress!

I hadn't been inside the house for a week, and wow, a lot of progress was made.  I kept driving by waiting for the roof to go up... but as it turns out, the roof was delayed until next week and so they took a hammer to the inside.  More like a sledgehammer.  No bathroom, no kitchen, no bedrooms, no walls... just memories and dust.   

The wall is now gone between the kitchen and Jules' bedroom.  Our kitchen will be located in the same location as before but the dining room will be moved to the back of the house where Jules' bedroom was located.  With the walls gone, it feels much more open.

This photo is looking from the living room into the new dining area.  We removed the original brick fireplace to create flow and openness.  Finally, the house doesn't feel like a 1940s box house - it's starting to feel like it was built in this era.

Here is a photo of the former main bathroom.  The tub (and everything else) is gone and it will be converted into a funky powder room.  IMHO, powder rooms are the place to go nuts.  So we will.  Pretty much anything goes.

This is a photo looking from the new living room/entry area across the home and into... the powder bath.  (Yuck.)  I really REALLY did not want a floor plan where you could see into the bathroom from the main living space.  We originally created a little "nook" off the powder bath so that you could not see right in, but at this point, we're not sure that the nook is the answer.  We're brain storming ideas so that we can keep the open floor plan without a line of sight into the bathroom.  Hmmm...

Overall, I am very pleased with the work.  The team of 6 is working hard and gettin' it done. 

Fireplace: In Google SketchUp

I've already written a bit about our fireplace design in a prior post but I thought I'd write again to illustrate the capabilities of Google SketchUp.

Here is Ben's original hand drawing of the fireplace wall:

We (and by "we" I mean Ben) then transferred our ideas into Google SketchUp (a FREE software program) so that we could get a clear 3-D vision of the space.  Everything can be drawn to scale.

The other nice thing about using Google SketchUp is that you can save the designs and email them directly to your contractor so that everyone is on the same page.  It's a great tool!

Fireplace, check.

We knew we wanted a linear (read, long and skinny) fireplace.  In general, linear fireplaces shouldn't sit on the floor.  Ben and I are in "discussions" over how far off the floor it should sit, but we know that the fireplace will be raised similar to this one. Also, we don't want a mantle... although maybe a ledge so Santa can still find our stockings?

We want ambiance, not heat.  Our living room is small so 20,000 BTUs should be more than plenty.  Hold the logs, please.  We'll also pass on those super shimmery pieces of glass that remind me of a (wannabe) cool outdoor bar scene from Miami Beach or Cancun.  Just simple black rocks will do.

So putting all of this together, the fireplace decision is made.  Drum roll, please: Heat and Glo Cosmo 32 (see picture above).  It's sleek, simple and black with a 32" linear shape.   And, best of all, it is actually affordable!

The design of the fireplace wall was a bit trickier.  After much Houzz-ing (definition: viewing photos on Houzz.com), and much debate, Ben sketched a simple design that we both like:

There is a large window on the left.  The fireplace will sit in the middle of the wall, off the floor.  There will be a small ledge above the fireplace (maybe just 6" or so), but Ben has reminded me that it is "to give definition to the space" and not for knick-knacks (except during the holidays).  The TV will be to the right, set back a bit.

We have decided that we do not want the TV to be the focus of the room.  I'd really prefer not to have a TV in the room at all, but let's be honest, I have two kids under 4 years old, so Miss TV is a part-time babysitter (at least while I'm cooking dinner).  And I do like to unwind in the evenings with some Jeffrey Lewis and Chelsea Handler, and a glass of wine.  Oh, and I'm somewhat addicted to Fast 'N Loud.

You can see a bit of texture in Ben's sketch in the form of horizontal lines.  These are wood panels and are inspired by this yellow wallpaper.

Yep, it's bright yellow.  Although we won't be using this wallpaper, it is the inspiration behind our design.  We're hoping to use actual wood to create a similar look on the fireplace pop-out.  Not sure about bright yellow, but we haven't ruled it out!  Yellow and gray with some pops of turquoise (definitely my favorite color right now) would look fantastic.