Freeoples Thread 343

[Mo1]

T h r e a d ... 3 4 3

[Mo1]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/817272/posts?page=1#21

[LisaAnne]

Hi Prentice. My house is small, about 1500 sq ft. Consisting, downstairs of guest room, sewing room, and one bathroom, a utility- workroom. Upstairs; living, dining, kitchen, masterbedroom and bath and my office. It was built as a mountain week-end retreat in the 1920's. Since then it has been renovated some. The upstairs has french door leading out to the balcony deck with a view of the trees. I want to keep the country feeling inside and out. My project currently is building retaining walls in the backyard. The first level was 70 feet of wall, the second level up is going to be another 50 feet of wall and so on all the way up the back of the property.

Inside, my kitchen and dining room are the main project. I have thought about installing the old pine planked flooring, or tiles, or cork( I ordered samples and they are pretty interesting)... lots of choices. The kitchen has white cabinets and a skylight. I have to decide on counter tops, floors and backsplashes. The color scheme I think I will be using throught the house will be earthtones with punches of color maybe a terra cotta......

Well, you asked. *lol*

[Mo1]

The first level was 70 feet of wall, the second level up is going to be another 50 feet of wall and so on all the way up the back of the property.

WOW .. they are HUGE walls

[LisaAnne]

Yeah, tell me about it. lol The run the width of the yard.
I have to tier the back yard because it is so steep. So it's wall, flat area... wall... flat area... all the way up the slope. They are 3 feet hight, made of redwood and pressure treated lumber.

[Mo1]

My mom and dad had to do something similar to the backyard when the first bought their house .. but they used the rocks from the area and built a retaining wall, then a hill, then flat, the another wall with a smaller hill

Mom use to have a rock garden and fruit trees but over the years they aren't there anymore .. I remember one of the apple trees got stuck by lightening and spilt that baby in half .. the other apple tree we built a tree house in it .. we eventually had to cut it down .. we had a peach tree also, but I forget how that one came down ..

[Mo1]

Oh I forgot able the crab apple tree .. that is the only dang one that survived and it attracks all the deer

Here is picture of the back year .. look really close and you can see a family coming for dinner.. and this is in Philly

[Mo1]

DANG!!!

back year = back yard

[LisaAnne]

Using materials native to the area is a great idea. Unfortunately I cannot cut down any of my redwood trees for material without being thrown into "crimes against nature prison". It's CA, ya know.

I hope to have some fruit trees in the backyard, tho I will have to check to see what will grow up here. I do want to have a vege and herb garden. It will have to be done little by little. Of course, I could put Swervie to work when her gets here in April. *fotfl*

[Mo1]

Now there's a plan .. LOL

[LisaAnne]

Yeah, it's a plan. A plan that won't work. lol
Gotta go take my Christmas stuffs down. I worked last at the office last weekend, so I had better do it now. Otherwise, I won't get it done until after April 15th.

[Canadian Outrage]

Do you follow ping pong too??? or is that a stupid question?? Linda needs to get you a hobby. pssst. Canada won a hockey game against the Amuricans didn't they?? How could I help but hear about it? I had to go up 2 floors and shut the door.

[Windshark]

Great description...sounds nice. You have quite a project there.

Is this a bungalow style? Mountain rustic? Or some of the bungalow cottage style softened with fancier stuff? Don't know how to ask that better without pics or a ten page post....

Those are the styles that are used a lot right now around here and most everywhere once again. Springs from a lot of early to mid 20th century stuff from California amongst other places....which is why I'm asking.

Most of those styles go well with lighter or amber colored wood style on the floor because it brings warmth as a background to whatever you're doing with the kitchen. Pine is nice, but a little soft and you have to be willing to let it go a little(pets, doggies in particular give it a hard time). Natural red oak is fairly common, but done in wider boards can be a great background for what you're describing. A little wilder wood grain with a simliar hue that works with country styles is hickory. Parquet is nice for the same amber hues but gives a fancier look and if you don't mind it drawing attention to itself. Tile can be nice in the same way, but can be a bit hard and loud. I've never worked with cork, so I'm pleading ignorance with its durability and installation. I have seen it though, and it works really nice visually with what you're describing.

The floor types you are looking at will all work decently, since the floor provides more like a secondary background that brings color and hue into the kitchen via reflected light up. In that sense we have discovered that choosing simple, nice, and functional first is best on floor decisions for the style you seem to have. I wouldn't sweat that decision as much as the others. The details for counters, backsplash, trim, colors, etc. are where the most difference will be made visually in what you want the kitchen to look like.

And you didn't even ask.......sorry about that.

:-)

[Windshark]

What was this...wimmins hockey? What are you talking about girl?

You must have been watching a re-run of the Canad/USA olympic hockey final from last year....btw...Canada still wins that one even in the re-runs....Heheheh...

No hobbies needed here thank you....particularly ping-pong.

You're just jealous cause your son likes the Red Wings....our favorite local team....and they consistently crush your hubby's favorite team sending him into deep Canadian depressions......you Northers do take that sport as religiously as catpuppy takes roller derby...

I can't help you with that one....although you could try paying off a few players.

[Windshark]

They're pretty to watch...

But they sure can go on search and destroy missions in your gardens.

Like very destructive rodents of unusual size.....

[Windshark]

I really think you need to bet with Maureen on next week's game. Did you watch it? You must be in Hotlanta heaven.

If Philly wins you get to install her kitchen floor.....

If they lose she gets to send you the wimmin for a week....

This bet is recorded here for all time....so get ready to come up North with your installation tools.

[LisaAnne]

Thanks Prentice, I appreciate all your input.
I'm just soooo indecisive. lol

[ValerieUSA]

Here's a picture of Lisa's house

[LisaAnne]

Thank you, Val. That was very nice of you.

[null and void]

It's even prettier in real life...

[ValerieUSA]

Thomas Sowell writes:
"General principles, such as justice or equality, are often passionately invoked in the course of arguing about the issues of the day, but such terms usually go undefined and unexamined. Often much more could be gained by scrutinizing what we ourselves mean by such notions than by trying to convince or overwhelm others..."