Schnickel Fritz- Reused Sign

Sign Reused in Home

I have not shared the finished pictures of Schnickel Fritz.  This is a project where I took an old sign and had it redone to be used in my house.  It took a lot of work to get a sign built in but its the greatest nightlight ever and the way it is done we can switch out the face if we ever get tired of it.

Front Stairs Flamed Granite

Flamed Granite Stair Installation

Finished Granite Stairs

The front stairs of the building have been deteriorating for years.  I have worked actively for 2 years to come up with a solution that does not break the bank.  We looked at tile, bluestone, pavers, brick, recovered concrete, aggregate- really anything you can imagine outside. I met Cezar of Grespo Granite and showed him the project.  He suggested flamed granite- you see this all the time on hi rise buildings on their plazas.  After looking into cost- it was less money than really any other solution and gave a great look.  I am bit concerned about keeping the joints properly caulked but that should be the only maintenance. 

Waldorf Astoria Chicago- Elysian Tile Grout!!!

This place is my style plus some real money I do not have!  If you get the chance check this place out.  It is worth the time to just walk around the interior spaces.  The outside of the building is a bit Disney- made up but the interiors are very well done and all black and gray!

In their public restroom on the 2nd level the mens restroom tile is the same as the tile in my bathroom except the grout is black... Its 100 times easier to clean and it looks awesome.  I have to research how to change the color of grout.

Comfortable Bar Stools

Before- Knock off  Bertoia Chairs

When I moved into this apartment I purchased 6 Bertoia Style counter height bar stools... They were exceptionally uncomfortable.  Where you can get a knock off for about $125 a real stool is about $1250 and honestly for the difference in comfort it is worth it.  They really sit nothing alike.

I had the opportunity to get rid of the 6 knock offs so that left me with no seating- I loved the way they looked but even the real stools are not comfortable- they just hurt a whole lot less.  I shopped every possible bar stool.  It is a lot like ceiling fans in that none of them are that good looking.

Real Bertoia Chairs

Resolution... I purchased two real Bertoia stools for the bar- I got a bit of a deal because I purchased them from the DWR Outlet store.  You can get on their mailing list and they offer about 30% off after you add on shipping.  Condition of produce it generally pretty good.  You can also check their stock a bit by looking at e-bay.

For the table- I really wanted comfort #1.  I found a stool at Room and Board that is the same color as the cabinets and is quite comfortable.  That left me with awful Room and Board fabric-  I looked and looked and finally went back to Maharam and for the colors I wanted and style Sarah Morris's Agency was it.
http://www.maharam.com/collaborators/34

Maharam Agency Fabric

Sarah Morris Agency Bar Stools

At about $300+ a yard... I had to do an all out search for remnants.  Silverstone Fabrics came through!  They even cut a larger remnant for me and the chairs turned out awesome. I also did pillows for the couch in the same material.  I love the fabric- the chairs are cool and most of all comfortable. For deals on fabric- check out Silverstone Fabrics at http://www.silverstonefabrics.com/ 

This project took longer than most people look for a house but I am quite happy with the outcome being exactly what I envisioned.

SO... I tried to order custom frames online....

I used framesbymail.com... It sounded like a good idea- I had 6 things that were all the same- not gravely valuable- and I was not in a hurry.  I looked at the samples online and found one I liked and when it came I liked the frame as much as I could have done in a store.  The size was correct and the only problem is that once the frames got here ALL of them had one little nick or scratch.  I saved 75% but the product was about 50% good.  I had to send some back and just lived with a couple.  All in all- I am pretty much a wash on it because I did save a ton of money but am not thrilled with beat up frames.

Backsplash and Magic Pencils

I thought for several years about what to do for a backsplash in my small kitchen with black cabinets and white counters- it had to be simple and timeless- I really hate the way slabs look with plastic or whatever plate covers so I researched ways to make them blend in once I settled on marble.  I ordered the exact marble as was going in for the backsplash and when it came it looked nothing like the marble.  The installer was like- no problem get a pencil and we smudged some graphite into it and in seconds it looked perfect.  It is crazy how you can change the color of marble with just a little pencil.

Jonathan Adler Custom Rug

I really am not cool enough for Jonathan Adler... Its just too wild and whimsical.  I love the rugs and in this small hall I did a custom rug in a chevron pattern to sort of pull people through the space.  The cats like it.

Check out http://jonathanadler.com/ to see the custom designs area.  

Completed Closet!

Closet has been done for some time now and I am very happy with it.  Learning points... Fluorecent lights are done- do LED.  In a closet- the more light the better.... Other than that I really think its the most efficient closet possible for the least space.

Closet Creation Starts

The wall is gone and all material is in the place. The plan seems off by about an inch but it's 99% right. It will be OK.

PLANNED PROJECT 3

I already have black wood floors but the floor is not level and the floor is really thin and creeky.  After Project 1 (Add Closet) and Project 2 (Rework TV/ Add Washer and Dryer) we will then be to the point of redoing the floor.  I want to keep black wood but level and thick and all.  I also want to do herringbone in the living room and entry so I do not need rugs as big.  I am torn on plank width- I feel like 3'' or 5'' or whatever is popular now but I feel like 2'' has been popular forever and I like things to wear if they are supposed to and hand scraped is all over but I feel like if you get tired of that you are stuck with it.  Pefinished in general is sort of lame to me.  I like the way it looks when the wood floor is in it for the long haul.  This below is a waxed floor black herringbone. 

My Place when I purchased it...

The woman who lived here before me was an alcoholic and drank herself to death at 40.  These pictures were taken after weeks and WEEKS of cleaning out trash and bottles and EVERYTHING else.  She smoked inside and the walls were so dirty you could put water on them and it did not run down- it fell off.  It was like hitting a ball against the wall.  The pictures do not look as bad as it was and the pictures do not show the smell.  We used GALLON AFTER GALLON of bleach and there was no running water.  After this we ripped out all of the bathroom and kitchen to the studs.  Redid all of the electrical and put in 40+ new light fixtures and cans and then started on everything else.  Then HVAC and ducts and on and on.  The place had amazing bones of windows and trim but as I have found matching and fixing up to match is very expensive and time consuming BUT worth it.  I said in another post I wish I could have lived here before I redid everything but this is why I could not...

 

So here is the issue.  The house has about 1400SF and about 30SF of closet space and there is an HVAC in there!  I have been fine with this but it needs to be addressed before I redo the floors in the whole house.  The plan is to take 16'' out of the middle bedroom to make the closet for the master bedroom and bump another 15'' into the master bedroom just in the middle to make enough room to hang clothes in that part.  It gives room for 2 bars 5' long in the middle and two shelving areas floor to ceiling on each side.  I will Elfa it out and think it will provide enough storage for 2  normal people.  The middle bedroom has a nice closet- there is a nice hall closet and the front bedroom... it still has no closet but I am thinking about that... 

The idea is that it really does not ruin either room by taking 30'' out of it and I will use all of the space in the closet.  You have a 1' shelf and you do not use the 24'' of the closet for the 1' shelf.  It does cost a lot more because it is more work to build walls and all and it does take more doors which costs but I think in the end it will look more like something that would have been done when the building was built and more in keeping with the place. 

Laundry TV Cabinet???

This is another situation where if I could have lived here before I had to redo the place I would be so much better off... Hind site is 2020 I guess.

Built in TV Cabinet that should have covered a W/D

Idea of how to enclose W/D

I was always thinking I would put my W/D in a closet by my bathroom but now I see having a closet by my bathroom is very nice and having space above my TV is pretty worthless.  My idea is to raise my built into the wall TV and take out a few cabinets and put in the washer and dryer.  This butts up to an outside wall and is right by the kitchen sink and drains.  I really just missed this when I was planning.  Now it seems the only way.

I like the Bosh Washer and Dryers best because of price and depth.  The Miele is clearly the best but a 4K it does not make sense.  There are other nice options but the sizes get big quickly.  Also I was surprised how much more space a gas dryer took up VS an electric one.

This is the next project I am planning to get working on.  I am tired of lugging laundry up and down...

My other idea is to work in a fireplace between the two and do a gas log and gas fireplace but I just think 2 fireplaces in the same house is lame.

Can Pottery Barn Shelves Really Hold LBS?

I wanted these shelves for some time because they exactly match my cabinets and you can always use more storage.  They say they will hold 70lbs or so and they actually do.  The installation process was very easy and all you do is level a cleat and screw it to the wall- you can put as many screws in it as it takes to hit a stud and "engage" the shelf over it.  I thought that was funny wording but it was really how you did it- you slid it over the cleat but it would not hold any weight until you really pulled it down over the other side.  I am very happy with how easy they were to install and how well they have held items and held up.

Check out Pottery Barn Shelves

What can be done with this mirror...

This is from Z Gallery... I am not the biggest fan of that store but this mirror is only $600 and I am thinking if you had 2 or 3 of these on a wall or a ceiling made into one big mirror... The mirror is about 5' tall and looks like a ceiling panel to me.  Like you would see in a 1920's mansion or lobby.  It would be amazing and look like it cost 1000's and 1000's.  It is not exactly my style but it is awesome.  I am seeing it like trimmed out so it looked built in. 

Charis are Done!

After a couple years of thinking and looking... I have the chairs recovered and in the house.  I am very happy with everything about them and the table I had built to match my kitchen table.  Now I need to get an end table or two...

Hidden Ceiling Fan finally done!

 This is what it actually looks like...      This was my idea of what I wanted it to look like

Light from Underneath to Hidden Ceiling Fan.

I am so happy with the work of Benko Lamps- The shade turned out exactly as I wanted and on time.  I really like how I have a ceiling fan but you cannot tell unless you are laying in the bed.  All around this was not an inexpensive project but I am very happy with the outcome.

Custom Framing- Probably my favorite thing to spend $$ on!

My first rule with framing is to let the piece of art or whatever I am framing drive the boat- not what I need in the room.  Beyond that I also decide before I frame it what the end product is worth then back into it at the shop.  I  think another rule I have is to spend my money on each project smart.  I do not have work done at Michale's but their off the shelf frames can often be jazzed up at a store where its a bit of art.  I am a big fan of  Four Sided in Chicago  http://foursidedonline.blogspot.com/  its in Andersonville and the people who work there are the best I have found.  Jessica is great.  

 

This is an off the shelf frame where I had 4 Sided matt the picture then mount the post card on a block giving dimension.

This one is a pencil drawing of Miesian Yellow Brick so I used the pencil graphite look in the metal frame and inner mat and yellow in the main mat to tie back into the brick which is not in the picture but I know is...

 This is a custom frame and instead of mat- I dry mounted the flyer on a colored board- it makes it less formal that cutting it into the mat.

This is one where a black frame was just too bla.  I did a black mat to give the more standard look but a bronze frame to keep it weirder.

These are pictures of all of my friend's tattoos all duatoned out.  The frames are all from Urban Outfitters just record frames and I had the mats each done a little different because people put these crazy pictures all over different weird parts of their bodies.  My favorite is when people ask why about these weird pictures- I put why would people I know put this on their bodies!

 This is a large piece with a Michael's shadow box frame and it came with plexi- I added this fillet and nice glass.  It gives a super custom look but was about 1/3 the price of the whole deal.

 This is a stacked frame- a basic black frame with a basic silver frame around it. 

 This is a wall with a bunch of weird mechanical items on it- air return- thermostat- fire alarm- so I chose a weird enamel frame that came in a lot of colors and then used the color and the colors of the mats to sort of mock clothes in family pictures.  People look at this and not the mechanical stuff we have to have somewhere.

This one I did at a framing shop and the woman almost freaked- I wanted to use a linen liner and a frame and no glass.  The artwork is a picture and the linen and rattan frame make it look a tropical.

This is my great grandpa's razor and I wire mounted it to a red board then double framed it- the one frame picks up the color and the other picks up the detail in the razor.  I think the red is fun for a razor. 

Barker Metal Craft- Custom Vent Covers

The people who installed my HVAC did not want to cut the baseboard to install the air return.  The air return was about 14/16 and the cover was 14/24 and it went WAY above where the hole was.  Obviously this drove me insane.  I used Barker Metal Craft- http://www.radiatorcover.com/  they are local in Chicago and fast...  This cover cost $114- totally custom and a cool pattern that looks old with covers on the screws.  I am very happy with the outcome but if I had my life to do over- I would have had the people installing my HVAC use a normal size air return and a normal size standard cover.  I would recommend BMC but be aware its not a cheap project.

Mr and Mrs Benko!! Benko Lamps

I am working on a couple of projects that need lamp shades repaired or built and I have been all over the city looking for a company that can do this work.  Benko impressed me because no matter what I asked she said she could do it.  Every other store from Chicago to Winnetka was afraid to take on the projects and these people were like SURE- WE CAN DO IT.  I have to wait a few weeks to see the final product but these people are clearly artists and perfectionists.

Ceiling Fan that does not look like a Ceiling Fan

I live on the 3rd floor of a Pre War building that has great AC and Heat but the duct work is only in the core of the house so ceiling fans are important to me to get air around the rooms.  I have some cool ceiling fans but I cannot imagine having another in my house and this bedroom I am finishing up needs a fan.  I have Googled ceiling fans that don't look like ceiling fans over and over.  I have searched every price range...   Then I found this...  You say Kearby that looks like it has been wrapped in metal vines anoud I know this but I am planning to take that shade off and do a big drum shade over it...  So in the end it will look like a drum shade with dark trim.  The horrible looking light/fan is about $250 so in the end I will have quite a bit of money in it but I think it will be exactly what I want.

UPDATE-- I got the fan and took it all apart- it came apart easily and using about half of the light and fan I am really thinking it is going to work out great.  I am meeting with the shade maker on Saturday!

Modern Fabric on Traditional Armless Bergere Chairs

I found these great armless chairs- I am pretty sure they are Henredon at least the woman I got them from said they were.  I have looked about 2 years for a fabric that seems to be fun enough and not too crazy.  First off I was obsessed with O&L Marinetti Velvets.  http://www.osborneandlittle.com/osborne-&-little/marinetti-velvets/fabrics/  I love them and they are simply beautiful but they all have brown under tones.  This room just calls for black and gray.  So I have looked all over and I was looking at DWR for inspiration and started looking at Maharam- Textiles of the 20th Century.  http://maharam.com/vl.html  I came across this Dagobert Peche pattern.  The pattern is very muted and has awesome textures but still fun and totally wild. I read this Mr. Peche  is an Austrian designer who is known for over the top ornamentation and I think this pattern will add a sense of softness but still be my style.  I had the chairs recovered and they are done but I have not gotten them to my place yet.