Ipe?

We are starting to gather information on the materials we want to use on the front porch. Currently the columns are made entirely out of wood as is the flooring that is rotting out fromunder our feet. Our plan is to remove the 2 concrete steps leading up to the porch there are 4 steps total (2 wood, 2 concrete). We will make all of the steps out of brick. The bottom portion of the columns will be brick as well. The top portion of the column will be 4 4x4s. The deck portion of the portch will be Ipe. Ipe is an extremely dense hardwood that is great outdoors, and it's really beautiful.

This is an example of Ipe.

New hardware & fixtures... and some painted windows!

My favorite place to shop (and dream) for and about fixtures & hardware is Van Dykes. I pour over the catalog specifying my door hardware, sash locks, faucets and drawer pulls. And they have beautiful farmhouse sinks.



So I am so happy to tell you I finally got my doorbell!
It is actually quite large 3-3/4" x 3-3/4"... it's a beauty






Yesterday I finished painting the porch ceiling.



All we need to do is install and paint the trim and we are done. I've picked out a fixture from Rejuvenation that has the vintage lines, but isn't traditionally "craftsmen". I don't want our house to border cliche. I want it to be a modern interpretation of the era, but holding true to the values and concepts that made the movement what it is. This is the fixture and shade we chose.

Excuse me... I'm just cutting in!

Ok, ok- here we are. We FINALLY (finally) (wooohoooo!!!) got paint on our house. The sanding and filling is over. We are no longer wandering in the desert of lead paint chips and 80 year old wood dust. We have entered the promise land and oh my goodness is it beautiful!

People have been stopping by and saying "I love that color, what is it?" I must say, I am resource guarding my color selection, unless you live in another neighborhood, in another town, in another state! Then I am willing to share. This lady with a giant red peace sign in her front yard (who lives 2 blocks from me) wanted the color name. Arrh! No way!

I am now in the process of painting all of the trim. Painting the sides of the trim boards is very tedious and needs to be done with a very small brush... turned out ok I think. The porch still looks horrible, because that is our next project. We will demo the porch and rebuild it with wood and brick. It will rock... you'll see.