Pendant Light for Den, adj to Dining Room

I've been looking for a unique pendant light to hang in my back den (visible through the window from the dining room below - soon to be a french door) Currently, there is a yellow and brown penant light which is sort of a 1982 EIK factory standard piece directly in line with the new dining room chandelier, but hanging from the den's roof pitched ceiling. I'm pretty confident that this a non-competing nod to the dining room piece. jonmarjon

The Deck

I'm not sure when we are going to get around to building the deck. I was really hoping to have it done this fall, but I think the reality will be in the spring. We plan to use cedar for durability and to keep with the look of the house. We'll stain and seal it and hopefully use something like this for the railings. Purchasing the plans for this here, but would love more similar options.

Chandelier and Rug...done

Not a great phot, but you can get the idea. The Agra Rug is also from PotteryBarn.

Alternative to Dry Stacking Stone

These veneers are made of real stone and come in panels that can be cut with a diamond blade. They are about 1" thick and they also have ready to install corners, which will make life a lot easier. No word on the cost yet, but it must be cheaper than hiring a mason to dry stack for you. Found them at StoneTrade.

Changing the Dining Room Lighting

I should really be posting the progress I've made on the bedrooms and living room, but I've burnt out all my ideas for all those rooms. I'll post those photos in the next few days. My latest distraction is the dining room chandelier. The current one is alright, but its such a focal point that it really should be the nicest part of the room. The chandelier pictured above is from Pottery Barn, and could be an impulse purchase before the end of the day.

The Answer to My Fireplace

This is my fireplace. We've repainted everything so far and refinished the floors, but we are stumped about what to do with a painted brick fireplace. It's so tightly situated on the wall and sandwiched between 2 doorways. This makes it difficult to put any kind of mantle over it, without intruding on the existing door frames. Until now, every article about refacing with tile has called for cement board to be screwed into the bricks. The thickness of these boards would not work with the existing mantle, so I have been looking for another solution. Looks like Joe Ferrante of This Old House has the answer with this how to tile over brick.




Cover the hearth with a drop cloth and remove the mantel and anything else that's attached to the brick. Go over the entire area with a wire brush to dislodge any loose mortar, then scrub off the soot with a rag soaked in white vinegar. Let the bricks dry for a day or two, then mix up a batch of white, latex-modified thinset cement to the consistency of mayonnaise. Spread the thinset over the brick with a flat, straight—not notched—trowel and force it into all the grout joints. If the joints are still visible after the first coat cures, skim on a second coat to fill in any depressions. If you do it right, you’ll end up with a surface that’s as flat as backerboard but without any seams. The next day, lay down a new bed of latex-modified thinset combed out with a notched trowel, and set your tiles into that. Don’t use mastic; it can’t take the heat. more here...

Tomorrow Night's Dinner

I LOVE making pizza on the grill. I'm also a huge fan of the arugula. This tasty little number is arugula, goat cheese and caramelized onions from a great recipe site, Pete Bakes!

For more on the recipe and how to.... click here

Thanks Pete!