More sunshine?

I have been contemplating some embellishment over the garage portico and my thoughts have turned towards something like a sun plaque or wall art. I am not 100% sure about it yet, but I was wondering what your thoughts are on this. Tacky or not?
The place in question:

My ideas:

Or this perhaps:

Or that?

What's your take on it?


xoxo



All images via Google image, no credit taken.

Material men

Old copper and dried hydrangea

Seeing all the different materials around the house, in their strange settings, or shall I say unfamiliar to me and yet intriguing, made me wander around to take some pictures. I love salvaged materials, or the ones used for building, like wood or copper. It's like jewelry for the house, decorative and useful at the same time. Poetic and dramatic.

And this is what I found:

Old half round dental molding from over the front door

 

The tree reflected

Roofer's toolbox

The roof is taking shape and the porticos are almost done, it looks certainly beautiful, even in this unfinished stage.

My trusted contractor and his crew on the roof are
doing their work above and beyond my expectations! 
Thank you, guys!

All images V.Zlotkowski,  copyright 2013

Snowy morning

Detail of an old piece of dental molding, found under the half round detail, covered with siding, over the front door.

Not quite unexpectedly we were woken rather early this morning by another call from school: There will be a delay, due to inclement weather... and while my kids turned around and dreamed another sweet dream of dodging yet another test... I was thinking of our half stripped roof and the delay it would create there. But I love the pristine white and my husband took a few great shots before the workers came and removed the snow to work on the details inside the garage and moldings. It is cold, but the men are used to the outdoor work. I supply them with hot tea and they are unfazed by any obstacle.

8 AM

You can see a little of the newly created molding, details, which I designed with my trusted contractor.

Unfinished detail inside the portico, there will be a small lantern hanging in the center.

Today will be no roof work, obviously, but I was told they might continue tomorrow. So I am looking forward to more emerging details on the house front. A happy day!

Wishing you all the same!

xoxo

All images by V. Zlotkowski and lightingdirect.com

The new year

The new year has started without much fanfare, we spend New Year's eve quietly at home. We all miss our oldest, who had been with us for the holidays. Has it been almost a month since his arrival was looked forward to it, with so much excitement? I can hardly believe it.

Now he is back with his brother in Berlin and I wish the city would be nearer....
But there is so much to plan ahead, we are already thinking of the summer months! And being closely connected always helps us bridge the far distance.
Until then we also have a few new projects at hand.

Do you remember the remodeling of our drive way and front entrance? We had created a new walk way and added the small columns with the lamps atop. But the roof had to wait then. That was two years ago and now, due largely to hurricane Sandy, we are again building in the front.
A large town tree has had hit our garage and broke through the support beam and also damaged the wall along the side of the house, back to were the addition to the house (our family room) lies.

We needed immediate action and work had started already before Christmas. Of course this was the perfect time to get a new roof and while we were at it, we thought to finally fulfill a long hoped for wish. We are adding a portico over our entrance. As you can see, the old one, below, does nothing in respect of protection from the elements and architectural does not fit in with the portico over the garages, which had been added in the 50's by previous owners.

Something I had planned for a long time, but as you can imagine, it was never a priority. Now we took our chance a made our move...

My idea went along these lines....just instead of the balcony roof below, we will add a portico with two square columns and a lantern.

It is still a work in progress, an old house is always good for some surprises and so our bill has gotten longer as the work weeks pass. Now the portico takes shape...

A rotten beam, nicely hidden under layers of paint, a completely clogged up drainage pipe from the gutters to the ground, too old wiring for future light fixtures, you name it, we find it.

This is the original roof line, just fixed already...new beam!

But as with all renovations, we had something like that in mind when we started a few weeks ago. These are not truly surprises.
Our contractor is a man of integrity and craftsmanship, something we highly appreciate and value and together we will manage just fine! 

As I write this a huge dumpster has been delivered to the drive, to receive all the junk and the old roof, which will come down tomorrow.

This is all so exciting!

I have been ill with the flu over the last days, today is the first day I feel somewhat better and it has been now, that I feel compelled to write in my blog, for the first time this year!
I have been reading on and off your lovely posts and I am so happy to be back in business!
I hope you are all off to a great start, I cannot wait to catch up with all of my blog friends!


xoxo





All images by V.Zlotkowski