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Monday, October 18, 2010

The Conservatory Reveal, Or: Little Things Mean A Lot




Time for showing off a metamorphosis . . . .

This little ghostie guy is named Rudy.

I bought him many moons ago at a craft fair at my daughters' nursery school,
back when my daughters were still too young to go to nursery school.

I am not sure how it happened, but Rudy got named for then-New York City mayor
Rudy Giuliani, whose administration tidied up a City that had gotten, well, distinctly un-tidy..

Our ghostie Rudy took on the same role.
If Rudy was in a room, it meant that the room needed attention.
There was a quality of life issue to be addressed.

Well, Rudy turned up in our conservatory some time back.
Probably shortly after this, below, happened to the white plush carpet . . . in 3 places.
Yes, from a dog.  But not Dion.
Not to mention traffic patterns, oddball spots . . . .and the world's worst choice for a sunroom carpet.

Well, Rudy's word is law around here.  Our girls used to clean their rooms when Rudy showed up,
so we knew it was time to replace the old white carpet (installed by the previous owners), and on the walls . . .

. . . the gold had to go.
(Sorry -- it's hard to find a sunroom shot that shows the real wall color because the room is so light.
This one is pretty spot-on.)

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It doesn't take much to make me happy.
New carpeting, in a dirt-color textured Berber that looks like Triscuit crackers,
and a new wall color: Sherwin-Williams' Biscuit.  Triscuit and Biscuit, and crisp white trim.


These aren't earth-shattering changes.
We kept the same sconces and the oddball chandelier, kept the same furniture.
Same people.
Same dog.
 
But I really like how it turned out.

Loads of pics coming up -- you can click once, then again, to get big images if you wish.
New Blogger editing doesn't allow those nice big pictures right on the blog anymore.  Poo.


This is taken from the study, into the sunroom:

My favorite chair.  Next to the book case.  Cell phone, coffee mug, and a box of tissues.  Real life.
My nosey busybody chicken loves her perch on the old oak table in the sun. 

Look to the left of the skirted table.  Can you see something hiding?


Peek-a-Boo!  The can of Biscuit paint.  :-P  
We had dinner guests Saturday and Sunday nights, so I tucked it out of sight but close to hand;
I've got holidays still to tackle.

Howard did the upper reaches of this wall; I don't do ladders.
Oops.  Breakfast clutter on the hutch!

More oops -- a peek from the sunroom into the kitchen, still in its old gold paint.
There are Howard's shirts, waiting for me to chauffeur them to the clearer.  And more paint!
I am going to be very happy when we're done renewing the kitchen.

There are wallpaper and paint swatches all over the kitchen walls.  Its makeover starts next week.

As for the shirts, the breakfast clutter, it's all part of life, and it isn't perfect at That Old House.
Or any other house.
Look at the sign on my kitchen sink window:


It has a different sign on the flip side.  The flip side of "Good Witch."
Howard likes this side, as he's met the other side upon occasion. 

********************************************************************


So what do you call a sunroom when the sun is down?

A moonroom?
 Whatever . . . . taken last night, after our guests left:


When we first lived here, I was slightly spooked by the big expanses of glass at night -- like big black holes in the walls.  I am thinking of putting up some sort of sheer draperies to pull across at night, or on those mornings when the sun is just a little too intense . . . but I'm no longer spooked by all the glass, and I love seeing the lights reflected over and over and over again.  And again.  And it's great at Christmas!

I hope you aren't disappointed by this fairly mild makeover, but if you could see it in real life, not thru my scatty pictures, you'd see it really does look different, and pulled-together, and clean . . . oh, especially clean!


Now, since it is Monday . . . 

I'm linking up to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at her Between Naps On The Porch blog.  Click here!

At The House In The Roses, Cielo hosts Show Off Your Cottage MondayClick here!

 And then there's Mary at Little Red House, and her Mosaic Monday.
My mosaic is pretty prosaic -- groan, yes groan -- but I'm linking up anyway!  Click here!

 And have a lovely Monday.  It can't decide whether to be cloudy or sunny here today, and I wish I could cast the deciding vote on that tie!  -- Cass


25 comments:

  1. Loved it as soon as I saw it from the outside.
    Lovin it on the inside too.
    These pictures are shouting out..CHEESE...to go
    with their biscuit and triscuits.

    You did a wonderful job. :0)

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  2. G'Morning Cass!!
    love the sun room makeover!!
    would love to curl up in there with a cup and a good book.. or my brushes and paint..
    to do a picture..not the walls!
    all of that glorious light!!
    I love my visits to your house..
    also feel so comfortable and truly WELCOMED!!
    warmest hugs..
    Loui♥

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  3. It would feel like total heaven to sit in that sunny room and just zone out.
    Beautiful.

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  4. The first thing I thought of was curling up with a book, a blanket and a beverage in that room. Really great Cass.
    I do think there should be some sheers just to soften the lines a little. One on the far left one either side of the middle and then of course on the far right.
    They will look billowy and soft and elegant.

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  5. I love love love that room. I can see me sitting there doing my crochet with a glass of wine and some cheese on the table beside me.....ahhhh.

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  6. Cass, it's beautiful -- I would have loved one of those rooms on the back of Linderhof, but alas, we have our smaller breakfast room (which seems as if it was a porch that got enclosed - so it's perfect actually -- to the style of the house). But you need plants -- all that glass you need BIG plants!!!! (And you can name plants, you know!)

    A beautiful job -- I do covet that conservatory -- ours is too small to be called that -- alas.

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  7. I love that room! That chair looks like a great place to curl up with a book or laptop and something to drink, in real life. I no longer do ladders either.
    Enjoy your week.

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  8. I love your sunroom and moonroom! It is such a wonderful space and you have done a great job making it very inviting! Love all your improvements! I would spend all my time here! Love it!

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  9. It looks great! (So does your kitchen by the way...got a glimpse)
    The credo of picking carpet that is the color of the dirt or stains it will get on it is one I live by too.
    Love your sunporch!

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  10. Hi Cass! Oh, I was thinking we weren't going to get to see the conservatory! It was worth the wait - it looks so gorgeous and fresh!! I can't imagine have a wonderful room like this! Love seeing your chair and your spot!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  11. I love your newly decorated sun/moon room...triscuit and biscuit is such a classy decorating scheme :-) I would love to have a sun/moon room...

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  12. OOOOOOOOo what do you call the sun room after sundown? Swoonalicious, that's what! I do believe that dirt is the perfect color for carpet. Beeeeeeutiful! **blows kisses** Deb

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  13. The sunroom (or maybe you should call it the "noonroom") looks good, but the "moonroom"?? That is flat out spectacular! I've never even considered what a noonroom would be like at night! I will now sit down right here and patiently wait to see the moonroom all decked out for Christmas!!

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  14. It IS so fresh and renewed looking! I bet it's wonderful there on a rainy day! And yes, the triscuit and biscuit duo ... it even sounds good!

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  15. Triscuit and Biscuit works so wonderfully well together. I love all that glass!

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  16. It's gorgeous - just what a conservatory should be - full of light. C'mon now, get on with the kitchen for those of us living vicariously through your re-dos!

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  17. Love it day or night!! And I just can't help falling in love with that sweet little face on Dion. I could just squeeze that sweet baby!!

    Robin

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  18. I love your triscuit carpeting and that Biscuit wall color is very close to my hallway wall color. I love how the room looks at night. Very pretty.

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  19. I know you are so happy to have this project checked off. It is a fabulous space. I would spend all my time in this room! ~ Sarah

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  20. Oh, if I lived there, I would spend every waking moment soaking up the sun in that room!!! Beautiful transformation, Cass. :)

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  21. Love the conservatory - would so love to have one! Your new carpet is wonderful! Beautiful room!
    Kathy

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  22. I loved how it turned out. I am the same--just fresh paint and new clean flooring will do it for me. This must be heaven when it snows. Well, for one who does not live in snow like me I guess. How do you like it on snowy days? Is it a picture from White Christmas? Sigh...

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  23. love the new carpeting! dion is so flipping cute.

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  24. I think your sunroom looks great! Very nice and relaxing. I love your little "moon room" joke...made me laugh! ;D
    Your dog is absolutely too cute...I had to do an "aawww" when I saw his pic!

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