Relationship Building Through Home Remodeling

Renovating home and garden is challenging no matter how you do it. The real question is how do you arrive at remodeling solutions pleasing to both parties? The drawing above is a winter rendering showing some proposed iron gates so we can see how they’ll look in place.Early in our marriage, we chose to undertake a complete home remodeling-against most common sense. It was a ride…and a huge success, ultimately borne of a willingness to discover a creative process that worked for us.

Now eight years later, I’ve learned that we’ll probably finish each new project more content with the results when we work this way. Warning! The process can be stressful because not surprisingly it’s more challenging making decisions together as opposed to operating unilaterally. And it takes longer.

Once we’ve identified a need, Larry begins searching online for ideas, visuals and resources. Together we select solutions we think will work. I take pictures along the way, and usually create mock-ups in Photoshop to show Larry how the finished piece might look.

A new removable iron gate on the left is for winter use when the Indonesian doors are moved inside.

When we moved our front door to the end of the house several years ago, we also began a garden wall to close the side yard from street exposure – using bamboo and wood fencing. We love it but it’s really high maintenance.

Recently, the concept of metal fencing struck me as just the ticket to complete the enclosure. As we’ve always enjoyed pairing old and new, the addition of antique iron gates to bamboo seemed interesting. How might that look? The new gate on the left still needs to be mounted to a base so we can move it in Spring. I already have another location for its use in the summer garden.

So much to see in Savannah. Forsyth Fountain is stupendous.

Savannah

Our visits to Savannah were inspirational for its integration of antique building materials. Such a beautiful city of walled gardens. There are shady squares throughout town full of red brick and wrought iron. It’s no wonder that General Sherman ended his march of destruction through the south at Savannah, presenting it to President Lincoln as a Christmas gift.

Albany here we come…

So, last week my friend Dorothy and I trekked up to Albany to purchase the English Victorian gates Larry and I had found a couple weeks earlier. Now that they’re in the garage, the reality of the metal prep work before the blacksmith can re-purpose them is a little daunting.

The gates are only 41” high. Originally, I was looking for really tall gates you could hide behind. Larry convinced me along the way to use the gates more as a line of demarcation to allow line of sight. (Now I’m pondering how I might introduce tall fir trees and climbing vines as the garden matures.) See how these projects evolve?

Alt Country

The Be Good Tanyas are an alt country music group formed in Vancouver BC in 1999. They first played at tree planting camps in the Kootenays region of British Columbia. I enjoyed their music video of the Purple Rain song, When Doves Cry. Lead singer Jools Holland left the band and is now a solo artist. Great voice. The band gained US exposure when one of their songs was chosen by a Showtime series. You just never know where a creative process will lead. Lovely harmony on this song: Littlest Birds Sing Prettiest Songs.

In New England, we can all benefit by tropical colors to get us through. I find Paola Pillows make me happy just looking at them. Perfect is happiest when paired with her sister pillows on a comfy couch.