Oranges

Whew - we haven't had our computer up this whole week and a half - so no posts -- but plenty of stress! The babies are having a fabulous time - the oranges are a big hit! I just have to keep the black ones swarming with gnats out of their mouths...

More to come once we setttle in a bit more. My brain isn't functioning yet - it is still boxed up I think...

PS - Notice the giant felled tree in the background - Doug and Jesse's handiwork with the excavator!

Intimidation

Reality really sunk in after the walk through yesterday. Holy crap.
The house hasn't been cleaned by the seller yet - the yard unmowed as the crew is coming today to tidy. It's a big, crazy mess and we are definitely having one of those "what have we done?!" moments. The pool is emerald green, the trees, numerous, many dead and all needing trimming, the cracked, peeling concrete, the missing balconies, the general sense of neglect over the last few months -- wow -
SO - now you can see what we will be doing for the next decade or two!

House Eve

We are signing tomorrow morning - with the final walk through midday. We should have keys by the end of the day. I am scared - freaked out - wondering if we made the right decision - terrified we won't get our stuff out of this house in time for the renters coming March 30th - nervous about all of us bumping around in that big space -- aaaaa!
But at the same time I can't wait to finally see it blank - with all the previous owner's things removed. There is a cleaning crew coming Friday morning and after that we can start the move itself. I really want to get photos of it empty first - to remember it as a real "before".

Front Gate

This is the view from 7th St. The house is set way back on the property - thankfully! We want to have a block wall built and stucco it to match the color of the house. I am currently shopping for giant old elephant doors from India to install as the front entry. We will have to manually open and close them for cars to go through - but since we can access the house from the street behind the property that's fine. Just imagine these big doors propped open with a long row of illuminated lanterns leading the way to the house the night of a party...

These are two of the doors I am considering - I love the little secret entry doors inset! I think I am leaning toward the gray ones - but all resored and waxed - they would be incredible!

Yet more kid room fun

The hanging chair with the open macrame type weave I am officially saving up to get for Harper's room as well. I had a hammock in my room in high school - and I think every kid should have a fun place to hang - ha. This one in particular is so cool - Anthropologie does it again! And while the new house has tons of great kid areas - there aren't any that can quite accommodate the overhead hideouts like in the images here -- too bad - looks incredibly fun!

Kid bedroom nook

Another one of my kid room obsessions is to build a bed nook. I am thinking of Harper here - and the first image in particular. That arch with the curtains all swagged back -- lovely!
I have always been charmed by the idea of a bunk room too - stacking kids like cord wood to the ceiling!

Kid's room art

I have been thinking what kind of art I can put in Harper and Finny's rooms - I love the wistful girls and the princely critters - and the Land of Imagination...
PS - Just learning the ropes of this blogging stuff - figured out how to "link" photos to their sources - so now if you click one of these photos it will take you to the Etsy page where I found them - yea! I will hopefully get the sources right on all the photos I post in the future!

Outdoor staircase

There is an outdoor stair that leads to a balcony outside the kids' living room. We have to replace the wood pretty much as soon as we move in as it is severely water damaged. Doug wants to put down Saltillo - which is nice and affordable but I dream of doing some interesting risers. It is a classic Spanish application and certainly goes with the house. Since we most likely can't get this together in time - money wise etc. - perhaps some kind of stencil could be used... The gray staircase is a stencil as is the (a bit too) glossy patio in the last pic.
I'm not sure - the real tile is so much more true to the spirit of the house...
But there is a back staircase inside the house! Perhaps a subtle stencil on those! I will post a photo once we are in the house...

Kitchen Island

Kitchen islands are a challenge. I have never had one and I didn't realize they are so tricky. The new house kitchen is the first image - the real estate image from the online listing. The owners spent a ton of money in there and the cabinets really are lovely - and I like the simplicity of them - some new, less modern door pulls will make them just fine forever. The counter tops on the other hand... I am sure the granite was a fortune - and some people (don't let any husbands read this!) would cringe at this - but I will eventually have to replace them. Imagine soapstone - a nice dark color - thick and solid. The backsplash will be an easy way to liven it up - I will post on the separately.
If I get my druthers someday the island will be reshaped - more of a rectangle. The cooktop is back there - so it will have to stay and can't all be open like these ideas - but there must be some hybrid we can achieve. It is hard to even find pictures of what I truly like - it's going to be hard to figure - which is good since it sure isn't going to happen any time soon!
I love open shelving but I think I will save that for the little house in Coronado - the dark countertops are lovely with all that white. Perhaps it would be too dark with the caramel colored wood in the new house? I like the industrial style stools in the next two images - but I think they will work best in the "art room" I am going to make upstairs. The tile backsplash in the fourth photo is the style I like for the outdoor balcony floor! The last image is my favorite - so gorgeous. It reminds me of the farm table we had as out checkout counter at the Acoma store - I always wanted that piece. I think Billi Springer bought it - at least it went to someone with good taste.

The actual staircase is the first image, of course. (I cannot wait to walk in and have that little curly iron table base gone!) I think the Moroccan lantern in the previous post will really give this area some drama.
I am starting to like the idea of a painted white stair riser and a darkened wood tread.
The Elle Decor image is a stunner. Martyn Lawrence-Bullard is pretty incredible at the eclectic, subtle ethnic thing. And the iron work in the next image, wow. That style of chandelier is just incredible. We have a candle only - non-electrified tiny version of that at the store - might be good on the semi covered patio I have planned for across the pool!
And the little niche under the stair in the last image is just too cute. I love the iron work here too - like all of our Indian jali.

Obsessing

It is almost impossible to stop obsessing about all the details of the new house even though we are not in it yet. I suppose it is only natural considering the alternative is to slowly and methodically finish the packing... much more fun to pour over images of light fixtures, fireplace concepts and ideas to make over the kitchen island, (which I may possibly get to do in about a decade considering there is nothing actually wrong with it except for the fact that I don't love it as is...)
SO - ideas abound!

The pendant fixture is Moroccan brass - I am thinking of hanging it in the front entry so the light plays over the stairs and gives the house some immediate drama.

The fireplace is currently a generic stacked stone that does not go with the Spanish roots of the house. I think the most faithful style would be the first image here - stucco with a simple wooden mantle and arched insets. I love the European stone surrounds, however like in the next image. These are so pricey if actually done properly, however and I am afraid it may be a little formal for the house. The simple surround with the zellij tile, however - well, no surprise that I like that one!

Finally I have a basic open kitchen island photo here - I have always liked these. I don't think I can get away with this in the new kitchen - the range is in the monolithic thing now... but we will see!