Well I have been in my new home for about 3 years now. Still not done remodeling. Doing it all myself as extra money comes in so it takes a while. If I had known it was going to take this long I wouldnt have gutted quite so many rooms all at once lol. Its a 1950s split level ranch. I am slowly turning it into a little Italian Villa style home. The over all lines of the home are actually conducive to that style.
But needless to say things are finally coming together and starting to look like a place a human might actually live in. There is still 1950s yellow linoleum on the floor in the kitchen, couldnt rip it up and havent made it to the kitchen yet on the remodel front. The master bath is getting there. It was 2 tiny baths next to each other and is now one small bath, but trying to do some tricks to make it feel larger.
The one room that is juuust about done is the master bedroom so I thought I would share some pics of my hard work.
The master bedroom was 2 bedrooms. I ripped out the closets in between, (that is where the arches are in the pics) then the smaller bedroom was turned into a kind of sitting area and large master closet. The lattice, mirrored wall is the wall I built to split that room into the sitting area and the closet is behind that. The 2 doors that originally went into each room are now walls and the end of the hallway is now the door into the bedroom via the sitting area.
In the sitting area I ripped out the ceiling and went up as far as I could and added a dome. The mirrored wall and the dome are both used to make the master bedroom appear larger and of course add interest. I have kept the colors in this room light and monotone. I stripped the floors, replaced part of the floors where the closets were ripped out, painted them an off white, stained them and clearcoated. The walls were stuccoed, then while the stuccoe was wet a large bristle brush was scraped vertically over it, then a spatula was gently run over that. Then everything including the trim and the dome were primed, painted then had a Ralph Lauren "tobacco" glaze rubbed over it. I wanted to create kind of a soft, aged, stone look to everything. The painting in the gold frame is one I started and still havent finished lol, but I wanted the bedroom to have the same feel and tones.
I still have to do the ceiling over the bedroom area. Will put an intricate hexagon/square pattern of trim all over it. Except for perhaps an open part in the middle where I may do some artwork. Since I am going more monotone, I am using texture and patterns to give interest and depth. Excuse the little round table its a file cabinet with a round board on top and some stray fabric and such coverint it lol. The other table by the bed is a card table with a leftover curtain panel over it. Stuccoe, paint and trim are cheap. Furniture, I have to be patient with. [8D] Though that urn on the round table, thats my one splurge so far. Saw that in a clients house, had to have it, and when I found out they were moving, I sold my soul for it in labor. They got it at Harods of London. Dont ask how much it cost lol. [8D]
Been a lot of work, more than I would have thought, but sometimes ya just have to jump into it and not think about that, then just keep plugging along. I think its turning out to be worth it. Once the ceiling is done in the other part, that will finish the whole effect.
(http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/774/bedroom3yg6.jpg)
(http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/4057/bedroom1gt6.jpg)
(http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/4843/bedroom4hv3.jpg)
(http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/5975/bedroom2cn1.jpg)
I will try to get some pics of my dining room soon. Its very different. The walls and ceiling are black. The trim and large medallion are gold leaf with a large wrought iron and crystal chandelier. Kind of a classical Italian, modern mix.
It looks just like my house. We must shop at the same dollar store.
I keep looking for the little felt rope and "don't touch" signs...
Hey dude, if you need any help I know this guy who does faux finishes and kick-donkey Sistine Chapel-style murals if you can't find anyone qualified on your own...
OK, SOOOO not my style, but it is breathtaking. You should be very pleased.
So, when is the party?
I got some 40s and a bag o' Cheetos in the car...ready to go.
What are 40's? I was actually thinking about having a TN get-together at my place in December or January.
This would be a "sixty foh" and a "fohty"
(http://www.vintagegearaddicts.com/002/images/40oz_oe2.jpg)
I love the idea of a party at your house (or anybody's house for that matter).
I am good at parties and I have a nice collection of lamp shade hats to prove it.
That is amazing work! It that really real?
He's the real deal, I've seen his work in a friend's house.
My biggest problem I ever had with trying to attempt art is lack of patience.
Give the man his props, he's excellent.
I have been in the Artist's home and it looks really beautiful.
I felt like I was in Italy.
Do you live at Philbrook?[:O] Wow! That's just lovely. My goodness, we really need to have our Christmas party at your place.
Wow, thanks for all the kudos. My house is quite small. But I am doing my best with it. I figure with an income that fluctuates as wildly as mine is it was wiser to get something small and inexpensive so that I can afford the mortgage on the slow months and years, and when I get an extra penny or two fix it up myself. Live small but well is my motto.
Just last week I had to go to a past clients home and do some touch up work where they had some water damage. I took my sister who is helping me on some mural work I am doing and gave her the tour of this home. Its easily a 10+million dollar new home in the midtown area. One of the nicer infill homes if ya ask me. Very well done, very beautiful and elegant. But after I showed her around we went back to my place. I pulled up in my drive and we both looked at each other and laughed. My house seemed so pitiful after admiring that other home. We went inside and I looked around and didnt know whether to laugh or cry lol. The contrast was absurd. Their entryway was larger than my living and dining combined, their walk in freezer larger than my kitchen! lol. I told my sister. Imagine working in houses like that every day and then coming back to......THIS! lol. She consoled me and said my house is fine. Definitely an exercise in contrasts though.
Saddam would be proud......
quote:
Originally posted by Breadburner
Saddam would be proud......
???
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by Breadburner
Saddam would be proud......
???
C'mon dude, all those oppulent palaces Saddam owned while everyone else lived in relative poverty?
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
Its a 1950s split level ranch. I am slowly turning it into a little Italian Villa style home.
Being a big fan of 1950s modern home design and the preservation of same, I cringe when I read comments like that and think of all the mid 20th century modern buildings, residential and commercial, we are losing today because of the owner's taste and preferrence for more provincial styles.
Then again, there is no accounting for personal taste, and no one's personal taste is right or wrong. I admit, the photographs do look very nice, if that is your thing. Not mine, but to each his own.
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
Its a 1950s split level ranch. I am slowly turning it into a little Italian Villa style home.
Being a big fan of 1950s modern home design and the preservation of same, I cringe when I read comments like that and think of all the mid 20th century modern buildings, residential and commercial, we are losing today because of the owner's taste and preferrence for more provincial styles.
Then again, there is no accounting for personal taste, and no one's personal taste is right or wrong. I admit, the photographs do look very nice, if that is your thing. Not mine, but to each his own.
Actually that was something I thought about myself. There are many instances where I think that the original architecture or design of a building should be left the same, cared for, or even enhanced with perhaps a fresh "retro" perspective. Doing a slight modification and leaving a mixed mess, aka the downtown library is the wrong way to go imo. Doing something halfway that ends up making something worse is also not a good thing imo. But, believe it or not, I felt the lines of this house said "Tuscan" perhaps this particular ranch design evolved from that style?
My neighborhood is quite small and is already a mix of styles. My feeling was that this was a good home for a long time to a family. I bought it from the only owners it had ever had. But this was an instance where I felt it was time to move on and see a new life. She "the house" was ready for a dramatic makeover. It wasnt a magazine, stellar example of some 50s ideal. Yet, I didnt want to do something that would feel clumsy, dishonor the house and make it worse, I wanted to improve it and give it a new beginning. I know that probably sounds odd but let me start with this. When I first drove up to the house I noticed that the lines of the house very much looked like a typical Tuscan home. Also the backyard has a slope to it, the house sits at the top and the yard goes down a small hill, it is a very large yard actually and they had planted fig and other fruit trees and a garden. Further lending it to the Tuscan feel. In the beginning I was looking for a house on a hillside. But the interior... had a horrible flow and each room was too closed off from the others. The rooms are quite small. For instance the master bath probably had about 8 square feet of floorspace not including the sink or shower. There were other things that were just completely unneccissary like doors that shut the kitchen off from the rest of the house, I took them off. Placed the door that was at the top of the stairs in the kitchen, the stairs that led down to the garage, off and placed it at the bottom of the stairs. Simple and obvious thing to do it seemed for it helped open up the kitchen because now there is a small landing and a stairway adding visual space to an already small kitchen instead of a door. Removed cabinets that were placed between a space between the kitchen and the den so you can go into that room without having to go through the dining room. Walled off the hallway closet door, opened up the other side, which is in the kitchen, and slid the refrigerator into that space so that it wasnt taking up space in the kitchen. The hallway that goes down the stairs now has coathooks and such.
Again,,, it was horribly laid out and designed, 50s or not, wasn't a stellar layout. Lots of wasted space, bad flow, bad interior sight lines, very cheap fixtures, etc.
Soooo lol, instead of doing all that remodeling and bringing it back to some 50s style, which I appreciate, but is not my preference, I took the Tuscan inspiration I felt was available to work off of and went with that. She has a fresh, open, bright, new life, a new beginning and I hope she will look and "live" far better, for years to come.
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by Breadburner
Saddam would be proud......
???
C'mon dude, all those oppulent palaces Saddam owned while everyone else lived in relative poverty?
Now now how Saddam got his money and who he was as a person is not like these people. Paying someone like me is not an evil thing. I hope. It puts food on my table and a roof over my head. As with all the other people and craftsmen who worked on that home. They are fortunate enough to have given a lot of people a good living for a while and I for one am very thankful for that. I suppose some may think it would have been better if they had not spent that money that way and, I dont know, given it to me or someone else in charity? Believe it or not, I would rather work thank you. Plus that money I earned went into the local economy putting others to work as well. I suppose they could have put it in the stock market allowing other businesses or their own to grow and have more jobs. But they still invested in a job for me, for several months actually, and I earned it this way versus at a different job. Plus that "local investment" is still paying out in property taxes that they are paying into the economy. Money is money, it doesnt just vanish. It flows throughout the economy. The worst thing to do is keep it in a mattress and not spend it. Even money in a bank is being used by that bank to fund other projects, homes, businesses, jobs, etc. Its not actually "in the bank". The more a person buys, the more people they are putting to work. They no longer have that money,(until they sell the house and then it goes back into the economy in a differnt way again)and they are paying more property taxes to boot.
Thats not how it would work with Saddam. I dont think his "economy" worked the same way.
quote:
Originally posted by Breadburner
Saddam would be proud......
bwahahahahaha....[}:)]
C'mon Artist, just some lighthearted humor. Saddam's palaces were quite spectacular and I believe that was a compliment from Breadburner.
Far as I'm concerned, once your name is on the deed, you can and should do whatever you want to do to your house to your heart's content. So long as it doesn't detract from everyone else's house on the block on the exterior, like some very poorly added additions in Florence Park.
From what you've described before of the area you live in, I don't think you've committed a sin with your structural and aesthetic improvements.
Every few years I'll meet someone with a really unique talent, be it a musician, singer, writer, creative advertising type, or someone like you and ask myself: "I wonder why he/she is still in Tulsa? They could probably make a ton of money on either coast". Ah, but then you'd have to deal with the headaches of living on the coast! Tulsa is fortunate to have someone with your skills in our midst.
Pat (P.S.) Gordon was another of those. Seems like I heard he lives in NYC now. Anyone know if that's true?
Artist, I didn't realise you do this stuff for a living. Have you remodelled the kitchen yet?
I guess some people stick around Tulsa for a slower pace of life?
quote:
Originally posted by HoneySuckle
Artist, I didn't realise you do this stuff for a living. Have you remodelled the kitchen yet?
I guess some people stick around Tulsa for a slower pace of life?
Here's TheArtist's kitchen work:
http://williamtheartist.com/gal_kitchen_bath.htm
When I win the lottery, I plan on assigning him perpetual painting duties..
(http://chud.com/nextraimages/MurphyBrown5.jpg)
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by HoneySuckle
Artist, I didn't realise you do this stuff for a living. Have you remodelled the kitchen yet?
I guess some people stick around Tulsa for a slower pace of life?
Here's TheArtist's kitchen work:
http://williamtheartist.com/gal_kitchen_bath.htm
When I win the lottery, I plan on assigning him perpetual painting duties..
(http://chud.com/nextraimages/MurphyBrown5.jpg)
That is truly amazing. I am in awe. Congratulations on your talent.
Wow, I had no idea. That is some very good work. I too went looking for the rope and do not touch signs. =]
The artist wants us to think that he has actually remodeled his home...using tools, knocking out walls, putting in windows, etc. In fact, everything that you see in these photos--including the cat--is trompe l'oeil![:D]
quote:
Originally posted by PonderInc
The artist wants us to think that he has actually remodeled his home...using tools, knocking out walls, putting in windows, etc. In fact, everything that you see in these photos--including the cat--is trompe l'oeil![:D]
Actually I wish I had thought of that at this point lol. Would have been a lot easier in the long run.
And no, my kitchen is not done. Still torn up a bit. My next project is finishing the master bath. Just ripped out the last of the old tile a few weeks ago and got most of the sheetrock up. Hoping to finish it before Christmas when everyone comes over lol.
Bathroom tile work... I'd rather sit through a hot cheese enema than do tile work.
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
Bathroom tile work... I'd rather sit through a hot cheese enema than do tile work.
"hot cheese enema"
now, if the need arises, I have a band name.
Since we're showing off a little of our work, I thought I'd post a couple of projects I've been working on lately:
http://lazysud.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/sistine-chapel.jpg
http://avline.abacusline.co.uk/pictures/jpeg/pics/mona.jpg
http://richard61422.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/picaso.jpeg
[}:)]
quote:
Originally posted by Wilbur
Since we're showing off a little of our work, I thought I'd post a couple of projects I've been working on lately:
http://lazysud.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/sistine-chapel.jpg
http://avline.abacusline.co.uk/pictures/jpeg/pics/mona.jpg
http://richard61422.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/picaso.jpeg
[}:)]
Not bad, not bad at all for a beginner. Keep working at it I am sure you will get better in time. Your work shows promise. But if ya ever want any pointers I would be glad to help. [:P]
As a little side note.
In the Sistine Chapels "Creation of Adam" and other images, Michelangelo chose to show God as a bearded old man. Most contemporaries had no idea what some of the images were supposed to represent, they are familiar to us because we have been taught what they were. One problem was that the usual way God was imaged before this time and the way people imagined "Him" was as a young beardless man. So people would point up to that painting of the "Creation of Adam" and say "Who is the old guy with the beard?"
quote:
Originally posted by Wilbur
Since we're showing off a little of our work, I thought I'd post a couple of projects I've been working on lately:
http://lazysud.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/sistine-chapel.jpg
http://avline.abacusline.co.uk/pictures/jpeg/pics/mona.jpg
http://richard61422.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/picaso.jpeg
[}:)]
Your third painting was the best: "Image hosted by Tripod". That's a masterpiece, Wilbur!
How about a photo of "Wilbur's Bar"? I've been wanting to see that ever since the pepper spray incident at Napoli's.
[}:)]
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
Bathroom tile work... I'd rather sit through a hot cheese enema than do tile work.
That's a good one; I always use the phrase "ice water enema" to describe my similar feelings.
I will tackle minor maintenance issues around my house such as replacing a faucet washer or installing a new light fixture, but when it comes to major home improvement, I choose to leave that to experts who do these things for a living. (The trick is in finding competent, fair tradespersons to hire for these jobs.) I even hate to paint and my legs get wobbly if I have to climb over the 3rd rung on a ladder. I wish I were more inclined to be a do-it-yourselfer as I could save some major bucks, but I just have no desire to do so.
There are a lot of folks out there that have no business going within 5 miles of a Home Depot or Lowes; a short drive through my neighborhood will illustrate that perfectly! At least I recognize my limitations at leave these matters to professionals.
You know Artist this transcends a mere remodel. This is obviously an obsession and a site specific artwork.
You are, of course, familiar with mad King Ludwig of Bavaria and his fantasy castles.
quote:
Originally posted by Hometown
You know Artist this transcends a mere remodel. This is obviously an obsession and a site specific artwork.
You are, of course, familiar with mad King Ludwig of Bavaria and his fantasy castles.
Aaah yes. If only I had that kind of money, sigh... Perhaps I should really look into renewing an old family tradition and conquer a small country or two somewhere. William the Conqueror part deux. [:P] Or at least take back my ancestral lands in Germania. That pesky Martin Luther, danged guillotine, those obnoxious bourgoise upstarts and mercantilists,,,grumble, grumble. How dare they disinfranchise Gods rightful representatives on earth. Terrible shame what the world has come to these days.