molly irwin

house tour: outdoor spaces + landscaping

 

 As Paul educated himself in traditional masonry techniques our property became the beneficiary, a studio in his apprenticeship of books.

Was this passion fueled by interest or was it a result of what the house desired? A bit of both, but mostly the latter. There was an organic process going on where one decision spilled from the last. We were in the habit of saying, "It's the right thing for the house."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

" Stone walls are beautiful because even when they are new, they are very, very old. Theirs is a beauty of continuity with the ordinary work of people throughout history."

-- Excerpt from Kevin Gardner's, The Granite Kiss

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taking great satisfaction from the fireplaces he earned confidence for the landscape. First came an enormous boulder -- affectionately referred to as "Whaley" by the kids for it's distinctive shape -- set in place with a crane. This was followed by hand work: dry masonry stone walls in front and back, inlaid cobblestone steps at the side entry, a celtic brick circle under the treehouse, (we called it Dash's patio for a beloved dwarf hamster who rests beneath) and a herringbone front walk.

 

 +++

  

"The walls have many things to tell me,
And the days are long. I come and listen:
My hand is upon the stones, and the tale I fain would hear
Is of the men who built the walls,
And of the God who made the stones and the workers."

- Excerpt from Helen Keller's The Song of the Stone Wall

 

The paint color above the stucco is Martha Stewart's Wrought Iron.

When we think about the amount of work now, it's crazy! Considering a historical perspective though, it was always the New England farmer, the homeowner himself who built and maintained his own stone walls. Remember Frost's Mending Wall? 

+++ 

+++ 

The bricks are re-purposed from old sidewalks in nearby downtown Annapolis, MD. We found them on Craigslist. Using worn material provides instant age. There's no morter between the bricks to allow for groundswell of the changing seasons, and in time little tufts of grass will rise up between.

 My contribution was merely an unending enthusiasm for Paul's ideas and overflowing praise along the way.  I suppose I did suggest (somewhat insitantly) brick. The color and worn substrate was the contrast needed.

 +++

 

 The house tour home page is here. 

 

 

House tour: master suite

The master bedroom would benefit from softening with upholstery. A linen headboard or cushioned bench at the footboard would finish the space warmly, but it was spacious and cozy at the same time. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I think that's why I liked it best with an unmade bed. It just felt understated, humble, lived-in.

Off the hallway to the right is an ensuite master bath. To the left is the wet bar with a mini-fridge below (shown above, at right). It was handy for little ones waking in the night, wanting a drink. It's nice to have cold water on hand after everyone's tucked in.

Bedding is Thomas O'Brien and Fieldcrest for Target with a heavy down comforter. I'm hopelessly drawn to classic white hotel-style bedding. The pinstriped tufted chair in the corner is Pier one, with a brown wool throw also by Thomas O'Brien.

Once a local realtor told us that adding a second fireplace in the bedroom would price our house out of the local market. We did it anyway. We were guided by our own standards, not with market demand in mind. Paul cut the hearth from a large flat boulder, the other half of which is in the garden being overtaken by a rosemary shrub. (More on landscaping later this week.) 

 

Thin stone mosaic for the fireplace surround comes in sheet form, by Porcelanosa. A piece of douglas fir serves as a mantle for a mix of meaningful treasures: the cow bell and goat's bell from my great grandparent's Pennsylvania farm, an original piece by Heather Smith Jones, entitled 'Hold On', a Waterford crystal clock we received as a wedding gift, and a tiny acorn trinket dish from Anthropologie. (Acorns and oak are a recurring theme.)

The ceiling fan is powerful and [I thought] sounded like an airport at times. Paul installed a dimmer switch to adust the speed and the sound. Across from the fireplace wall is a pocket door to the closet/dressing room.

Paint color on all the walls is Behr's pensive sky.

A large built-in dresser has some shallow drawers in the middle to add tiny dividers for jewelry and small accessories. Two large fixed mirrors were framed in white.

The room was well planned and constructed with his and hers built-ins on both walls.

My Mom's vintage Samsonite luggage -- a source of wardrobe inspiration -- and a vintage plaid cosmetic case I bought second-hand are stored up high. Shelves for purses, sweaters, and shoes make everything easy to access and coordinate.

It was pretty much a dream. Is it too predictable to say that I think I miss this closet the most?

 

 

house tour: third floor flex space

The second floor hall has an open staircase leading to a large, third floor space that saw several uses over time.

The inside of the eyebrow dormer facing the street is just above eye level.

Exposed timbers are structural; the very framework of the house. I apologize if that is remedial, but we did have a drywall crew in here who needed constant guidance that those aren't supposed to be covered. (And to please stop marking them with pencil!) 

Yes, that's our TV, in case you've been wondering if we had one. We did have another TV in the basement (which is also finished) but once the upper levels were done we realized we seldom went down there. Having movies once in a while in an out-of-the-way place made it a special occasion for the kids. We didn't want it to dominate or infringe on our lifestyle.

Here they are watching Millions. (Highly recommend!)

This was an ideal slumber party room. Sleeping bags were spread out on the floor, and I brought up popcorn and oatmeal raisin cookies. I could hear muffled laughter from my room below so I always felt the kids were supervised or could ask if they needed something.

The carpet is a flat industrial grade weave in a marled mix. It's easy to vaccuum and to roll over with a desk chair.

My desk was on the opposite wall under a skylight, with another table not far away to lay out things in progress.

When packing this was one of the last spaces to be cleared as I wanted to wrap up a few lingering memory keeping ideas.

At one time Paul had his drafting table and office up here. Just try to keep the kids away! (Well, we actually didn't want to try very hard.)

At that time the opposite end of the room was used for works of any creative nature; drawing colorful houses was (and is) a favorite. Above, the kids and I were making homemade gift wrap with potato stamps. The second floor laundry sink wasn't far for rinsing paint brushes.

Sometimes guests slept on inflatable mattresses up here. There was talk of adding a couple of armoires to use it as a bedroom. We appreciated the flexiblity depending on our famly's changing needs.

 

 

house tour: the girls' room

I feel like I've shown glimpses of the girls' room before. Don't ask what shade of pink this is - all I know is that it didn't turn out to my liking several years ago. We never repainted it because I knew it was a matter of time before pink was no longer a favorite, particularly this shade.

To embolden the space, I added a strong dose of red in the form of the Ikea duvet covers and brought in the Marimeko print that used to be in their basement homework/play space. The white Ikea expedit holds everything.

This room is on the other side of Marty's and has the same short (but deep) closet. The closet rod hangs at a standard height to accomodate adult clothing as well, but the door is only about 6' tall.

The mirror above the dressers is an old piece that's been in my family. Hard to tell from this photo, but it's a dark walnut with a detailed edge. The teal/turquoise lamp is from Pier 1.

I find these prints from The Black Apple so fascinating. There's something of mystery in the girls, and the rabbit and bicycle just spoke to us.

Of course most of the time the room wasn't half as orderly as these pictures suggest. I didn't know it at the time, but I like to remember it fondly as full of play things and action. 

There's no question this space was geared toward younger children. We're at a point now where they're ready for, and I'm thankful that we're able to provide, their own rooms.

I'm developing mood boards for the teen and the tween rooms on pinterest. A conversation with the owner of a beautful local rug store had me thinking I should use more mature rugs and finishes than I've thought about. The space we create now will be the room they visit when they come home from college. Crazy to think that we've arrived at this point. It comes around so quickly.

No more ballet-pink walls for them.

 

House tour: kids bath + laundry

Let's head back upstairs!

The kid's bath would be austere without its colorful accessories. Bright handled baskets from the dollar store contained each of their personal things, and monogram mugs from Anthropologie held toothbrushes. A rainbow of RE  towels from Target meant everyone could choose a favorite.

The girls painted the canvases a few years ago. They wanted to "finish" them someday, but I told them this piece represents their version of finished work at that age. I like them just as they are.

Our sink counter is a slab of Ceaserstone, in blizzard with an undermount Kohler sink. Boating motif towels are from Lands End. The blue mosaic and coordinating white tub tile is from Porcelanosa.

Hallway walls are Benajamin Moore's Rosemary Sprig. This space got such soft afternoon light washing in from windows on both stair landings above and below. Often I would sit in the middle of the floor there with baskets of laundry sorting stacks in a circle around myself.  

I know the sewing machine looks pretty well situated in this spot, but in fact it got more use when it was in my bedroom. There, with plenty of space to spread out patterns on the floor and have the ironing board nearby, is where I made most of the projects featured in the blog. This spot made visual sense as part of a clothing care area in the laundry, but I found myself not starting projects as a result. Lesson learned.

The laundry room also has Porcelanosa tile of Ferroker, in large format 17" squares. Again, this room like all tiled spaces in the home, had radiant under-floor heat which made all the difference in how much I loved the tile. There was absolutely no chill underfoot and, as I mentioned in the kitchen, it's so smooth.

The cobalt blue utility sink is by Kohler. It has a rounded section on the right side deep enough to bathe small children. One of ours was small enough for a tiny bath there which was great fun. Across from the machines is a folding counter with a shelf above for some of my sewing and craft books.

 

 

House tour: living room + fireplace

Since our first visit to Fonthill, in Doylestown, PA, with my Dad years ago, Paul and I have been enamored with the beauty and science of the Rumford fireplace.  In contrast to other designs, the taller shallow firebox proportions and narrow exhaust, the Rumford directs more heat into the room. There was never any doubt that we would put one in our home.

One year for Christmas I bought Paul a book called Stone by Design, the Artistry of Lew French, a Nantucket-based classical stone mason, which further feuled our collective imagination.

A large piece of metamorphic rock from the Acadian orogeny was selected and delivered. Using age-old masonry stone splitting technics book-matched pieces were cut for each side; a third piece to form the mantle.  

Forming a fireplace surround was a hands-on learning experience for the family.  "Paul does love his stone." Our neighbor, Mike, was fond of announcing with each delivery that arrived. 

A structural ceiling timber was used to create a temorary pulley system to hoist the enormous boulders into place. Relief of stone cutter marks on either side are traditional evidence of handcraft.

Danish chairs by Selig belonged to my parents, and Mom gave them to us. The large recliner (below) had been Paul's Grandfather's. We had it recovered in a cream leather with lugage tan contrast piping. You can tell I like moving the furniture around frequently. 

Being in Maryland, just outside DC -- a mostly warm climate -- I selected light window treatments and area rugs. Nothing too serious or heavy. I favor natural materials. The jute rug is from overstock.com. The window panels from West Elm.

My Mom also gave me the Eames chair in the corner, and the teak lamps with inset ceramic tile. I had new linen shades made. It's comforting in a way to have pieces that I had in my home since I was small. 

My favorite furniture in the living room is the sheer key and spline joinery in the frame itself.  Wood flooring throughout the home is American Cherry. 

life on flower: moving day

Never suppress a generous impulse.  It made me think of Paul and his acts of service for neighbors over the years. Even at times for strangers. He’s been this way since we met and I suspect long before.

This was our farewell party. Neighbors gathered down around the corner on Rebecca and Steven’s deck overlooking an expanse of grass surrounded by thick towering oaks. “I think it’s bad luck to move your liquor cabinet,” teased Steven with his cheerful Irish wink the week before. So it was decided that a party was essential to our fate and well being.  

With the west end of the great room piled with boxes (most still flapping open) and our mattresses laid out in front of the fireplace for a final night sleep ahead, we forced ourselves to interrupt the work to shower and change. Nathan and Lia (the new owners, and our new friends) came to collect us to walk down the block together. You’d think that would be strange, but no. In some ways Paul thinks maybe the house was always built for them. I believe they think so too.

Bowls of hummus and pita were set out on the long table; another had wine and lemonade. Coolers below held beer and soda. Kids climbing fences quipped up from the yard. An occasional warm dog nose pressed into our knees for attention. It was like any other summer kick-off but for being on the receiving end of everyone’s bittersweet smile. Each voice and form became a mental picture. This would be the last night of my life on Flower.

It’s the street, the house name, and the life we built for thirteen years. It was a place where bonds formed with a paced, storied substance: power outage barbeques, lost cat reconnaissance missions, vegetable garden weeding, and shared tools and snow shoveling.

“These are your memories!” shouted Alison as we huddled close for photos at dusk. Nikita baked chocolate cupcakes with Ready-whip to squirt into the centers, and the deck was tested under a line of kids squirreling them away. Latonya said she felt like she was losing a sister. I escaped my own emotions for a drink in the kitchen.

Admiring the fabrics, landscape paintings and mixed woods of Rebecca’s home, I looked forward to layering elements of personality into our new place. That’s when I thumbed through her tiny book: The New Interpretation of Epictetus, landing on the passage: Never suppress a generous impulse.

Friends trailed off and kids ate hot dogs as our circle grew smaller. Talk turned to the renaissance of our neighborhood, the importance of craftsmanship and building community, and our contribution. We were the last to leave.

The next day was clear, golden and warm. The kids climbed the tree house while Paul loaded the truck with precision and I scrubbed down the refrigerator. Brian, Hetty, and little Clementine next door, came over with arms full of freshly dug strawberry plants from their yard for ours. Rebecca and the kids came by to send us off and to give me a card.

With every inch of the rental and my car completely crammed full, we took a final walk through the empty house. It had never been empty before. I felt something was left undone. It still needed something that I could give.  

It wasn’t ours anymore. We left the keys on the kitchen counter with a bottle of champagne and well wishes.

Helen bolted back inside, up to her room and closed herself in the closet. I wrapped myself around her on the floor. “I understand. I feel the same,” was all I could think of to sooth her. I said a prayer aloud for all we’d been given in this home and for what would come.

Joan ran around the side yard to collect a few rocks for them each to keep. Marty, not fully aware of the significance of the moment, was ready to co-pilot the rental truck.

Before starting the car I opened the envelope from Rebecca. It was the little book from her collection: A Manual for Living – a new interpretation of Epictetus. She had sent us on our way with a memorable generous impulse of her own.

 

House tour: kitchen & dining

Everyone says the kitchen is the heart of the home and in this case it's absolutely true. The center bay of three timber sections is the kitchen and stairs. Being in a city with neighbors on either side, there's not a lot of direct sunlight. With all the wood and dark tile white was the choice to brighten things. We contrasted sleek contemporary cabinets against the warm natural timber. Traditional beadboard against sparkly tile backsplash. Classic built-in bench seating with contemporary granite table top. This space is all about contrast.

Tile backsplash is Velas, from Porcelanosa. Stainless appliances are a mix of Viking, Bosch, Thermador, and Fisher & Paykell. Cabinets are Ikea's Abstrakt line. The pull-out pantries on either side of the fridge are my favorite - so convenient.

Ordinarily I prefer cabinets that rise to the ceiling, but in this case there was a structural timber beam to be worked around, and we found it best to tile the wall space above the tall cabinets and display my large platters and white ware up there.

The little counter stool is from Pier 1. Under the bench seat (above) there's a small strip at the floor. It's a handy dust pan for the central vac system.

We ate nearly all of our meals here. I'd pull that counter stool around at the end for myself, because - let's face it - I'm constantly up and down from the table anyway.

We considered making upholstered cushions for those benches, but this is a huge crumb collecting spot, so in the end I would have just been creating more work for myself. The pendant and coordinating light fixtures above the sink are Murano glass, designed for us by a Venician glassmaker while visiting Italy a few years ago. The new owners wanted something else (also lovely!) and they were kind enough to mail them to us. Not sure how they'll be re-imagined here yet.

Tiny framed watercolors are by an Italian artist from Siena, from the same trip.

Flooring is Ferro by Porcelanosa, and there is radiant heat in the floor, which makes dark winter morning walks to the coffee pot so much more comfortable.

Having two dish drawers on either side of the sink was pretty handy for running two small loads of dishes a day vs. one large. They're water efficient, but the best part is that they're incredibly quiet. The counters are Black Pearl granite with a textured, leather finish.

Our home was (and is) all about togetherness. If someone was reading in the living room it was so good to have them nearby while I prepared or cleaned up a meal. 

Steps away across the open hall is a small dining area that I made a point to use for holidays and special occasions, or for adults when we had friends over and kids monopolized the banquette.  The linen chairs, sisal rug, and drum ceiling fixture are all from overstock.com. I priced drum fixtures in a few places, but all things considered liked this option the best. (And I could easily return if needed.)

Most often that table was used for games and puzzles. Especially in the winter. 

 

House tour: mudroom, playroom, entry

Even though a tiny cottage stood on the back property line when we bought it, we considered this a building lot.  To build a new home in the craftsman tradition and honor the historical style of the neighborhood was always the plan.

Three trees came down in the process. We didn't intend to remove them, but a couple seasons of gpysy moths had weakened the large, old chestnut oaks and they were deemed unsafe by the arborist. One of those trees was given new life milled into large thick sections for mudroom built-ins. 

Using local materials is a hallmark of classical residential construction, and the romance of that tree overlooking its original spot out the side door didn't get by us either. Paul used a large single section to create book-matched wood grain across the front drawers. 

Large Spanish porcelain tile, from Porcelanosa, covers the first floor hall, powder room, and spills into the kitchen, abutting American cherry elsewhere for contrast.

Across from the cubbies is a built-in bench seat with flip down back just deep enough to house walkie-talkies, flashlights, and bike locks. 'Simplicity is the Key to successful living' poster by Nick Dewar, framed locally by Takoma Picture framers.

Admittedly the floors were rarely this clear even with all that good storage. Shoes, backpacks, coats, sweaters, jump ropes, and basketballs for five people can overtake a room faster than I wanted to keep up with it. I went through periodically to edit the clutter.

Speaking of clutter, our playroom was in the front of the house setting the great room apart in the back for privacy away from the street. That large closet in the corner was fitted with deep floor-to-ceiling shelves for board games, bins of Legos, Littlest Pet shops, and Kid-craft stuff -- that's where it all lived.

Details like the solid pocket doors had visitors questioning the age of the house.

 

Often that floor was covered, but that's life. That's why I chose a cozy tufted wool rug for warmth and softness. 

So when you enter the front door the playroom is on the right; to the left a circulation foyer we always referred to as the library.  We thought one day we'd put some built-in shelves there or maybe a piano. We never got that far, but the new owners are doing just that.

Down the hall just a bit to the left, through the glass door, is the mudroom. The original watercolor, entitled The Road Home, by Molly Kugler Dickinson, had to be mine.

Paint color on all the main walls is Duron's Burberry Beige. The playroom is Ralph Lauren's Rhodes Point, which reminded me of menswear Kakhis. Beadboard on the hallway ceiling between the timbers is painted one of the old discontinued Martha Stewart/ Sherwin Williams colors.

Powder room walls are tiled in bone subway by American Olean with complimentary moldings. The baseboard was special ordered from a custom Spanish tile company. Natural slate mosaic underfoot in that little shower was great for hosing off sandy kids after the beach, or muddy feet from the yard.

The oval mirror frame was made by my Grandfather in his cabinet-making days. Heavy beveled glass from a local fabricator was added after years of hanging it empty. It seemed to fit the finishes perfectly.

 

 

House tour: Marty's room

The timber frame set a mood of story book appeal in every space of our home, perhaps no where more than in the bedrooms. Keeping decor clear and simple was intentional to let the architecture - art in and of itself - shine. It just plain felt good to be around the natural material, like grand, but humble furniture.

To my mind kid's rooms should be inspiring spaces that feel cozy and personl, encourage self-reliance, and are easy to clean. We used broadloom in the bedrooms for savings and warmth. One of my favorite things was to wake up in the morning and hear Marty (the early riser) playing with knights, or legos, singing along to himself. This creamy burber was perfect for him to just plop down and pull a toy out of the basket, or from his shelves.

I did my diligence on the bed; a Craigslist find. It had been in the same family for three generations and has spaced holes in the footboard for a rope to be passed through. (I'm adding that in our new home.) I knew I wanted a classically low frame. Have you seen box springs lately?  With a good mattress set the box spring is at least 8 to 10" in depth, add the mattress and you've reached princess-and-the-pea-porportions. That just won't work on a vintage frame; the mattress would rise above any headboard allowance.

I asked (and Paul indulged me) to have a 4.5" framework constructed to use in place of a box spring. We wrapped it in this contemporary ticking stripe from Ikea. And ... Voila! The right scale with no unsightly polyester mattress cover in view.

The striped duvet cover is Ikea. The green cotton fleece blanket (color is discontinued) is a favorite piece that I know he'll use for years, from Garnet Hill. His dresser and nightstand are from Overstock.com. Orange lamp and frames also Ikea. The framed numeral print on the left is from Green Chair Press. For the photo on the right, I enlarged a flickr mosaic of macro automotive details. He thinks it's pretty cool.

As all boys do, Marty loved having his collections - coins, tiny animals, little cars, even beer caps - on view and within reach. Expedit is perfect for that. His tiny desk was picked up at a flea market store on North Capitol Street, in DC for $10. The little Italian green chair is from Pottery Barn.

Marty wanted a green room, but I know myself and I like bright white and neutral spaces, so I used mixed greens liberally to add personality. His lamp is from Target. The vintage MCF race car poster is from PosterCorner.com, framed locally at Takoma Framers.

Some of our read-aloud paperbacks fit neatly in the vintage metal toy trucks that belonged to my Uncle Michael as a boy. He would love to know that they are still loved and appreciated. I think Michael would get a big kick out of Marty. They share the same natural love and enthusiasm for life.