Friday, February 14, 2014

You asked...

This is a first, here on the blog....two posts in two days...the weather outside is frightful (couldn't resist) and I am in a total hibernation state of mind!! Attached to my iPad with copious amounts of tea are whiling away my winter mornings.... A few questions have been raised about the TV...where is it ?? Do we watch TV?

When I was designing the fireplace and mantle, I knew I didn't want a TV over the fireplace....I have always felt a beautiful fireplace would be compromised with an unsightly flat screen hanging over it...but, necessity dictated that it was the only place it could be installed and be viewed from the sitting area and kitchen island..

When we renovated, we took down all the walls to make one, large open concept, kitchen/gathering room...

Here, you can see the layout of both rooms fairly well...

I decided on a stacked stone fireplace with bead board accents, and since we live in the country, I wanted to keep it simple and natural..I searched Pinterest and other sources for hours looking for just the right solution to the problem of the disappearing TV flat screen! Sources ran the gamut from a roll up art canvas to hinged doors to mirrors that camouflage the screen, mirrors that are the TV screen...the possibilities seemed endless, but nothing was really working for me....

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....until I saw this, on Houzz.com. The shrine to home building and renovating!! I loved the concept, but felt the hinges were too bold and large for the decor I had in mind for my home...so, I adapted it...instead of bolting the hardware to the front of the sliding doors, I had them installed behind the doors...this still provided the look and functionality without the " horse shoe" look...



My husband loved the "horseshoes" , but I won that battle!!

The only downside to this application is that the mantle cannot be decorated !! I can still add framed prints to the doors....a possibility?

The iron screen is an antique from England, which I had purchased from an estate sale several years ago...



The other question is about the counter material...it is honed, Carrera marble....which everyone dissuaded me from using...another battle I won....I have absolutely no regrets..I would encourage it's use...born Italian and having travelled to Italy several times, I have seen first hand the beautiful patina that worn marble acquires over time...it was the look I was striving for here in my kitchen...with sensible use and care it will not disappoint . Honed marble has had the shine taken off, sanded and it is sealed...I chose pieces with a soft green running through it....

The serving island, taken this Christmas, as well as all the counters are in honed marble....so there you have it! Thank you for your interest and kind and encouraging comments, always....they mean so much to me... still so much to do, but it is coming together, as the budget allows...

A visitor this morning, munching on my oak leaf hydrangeas !! Stay warm, N.xo



13 comments:

  1. Be still my heart! I love your kitchen. So perfect and dreamy.
    xoxo
    Lisa
    leeshideaway.blogspot.com

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  2. You have come up with a beautiful solution. I do not like a television in our Living Room. We have a TV in our Library and one in our upstairs bedroom. Most people prefer not to have a TV in their bedroom either but it suits us because we have a sitting room as part of our bedroom. .

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  3. I love your kitchen and the honed marble is gorgeous. You convinced me that is the way to go with my kitchen. I have never seen such pretty marble as you have in the kitchen - it's so elegant.

    Great little visitor at your back door. So sweet.

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  4. What a treat....to see all of this home and nest, then to see one of my favorite hooved creatures!

    NELLA, you rocked my boat this week! I have got to share this post with my husband because though I LOVE his beautifully made TV cabinet, I think I prefer the idea you have going on here, with the sliding door. We currently have what looks like a wooden valance above the large screen TV, but we have a curtain that closes and hides the TV. It looks too much like a puppet theatre, but THIS looks just like a book case, which is more suitable.

    Your home, OH MY! And we too are nesting and I can't wait for spring, although yesterday, it was a sweltering 20 ABOVE zero, and I almost felt spring!

    Happy weekend! Anita

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  5. Nella, Your home is so pretty! We are getting ready to do a major downsizing and remodel (knocking down walls and basically taking it to the ground) in a second home we own. It's exciting but nerve wracking at the same time. I like the way you made the great room and the television is covered with the beautiful cabinet. We all have those big flat screens now and it takes lots of wall space! The marble.. yes! its the best isn't it? I have marble/granite mix now and will have ALL honed marble in our new place. People keep telling me I'd be sorry if I used it;) not so!

    Thanks for sharing snippets of your home and enjoy your weekend! xxleslie

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  6. Gorgeous countertops...I am assuming they are stain resistant due to the sealer used? I figured the TV was behind those wonderful doors!...the entire area is just so beautiful...

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  7. Everything is beautiful. I have loved following along! I hope you have a wonderful weekend

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  8. Dear Nella, I can just say, love everything you have done. Infact this is just beautiful,
    and what a way to top off an afternoon with a visiting soul eyed neighbor in your yard..
    I always get such a thrill when a deer comes to visit.
    yvonne

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  9. I love the way you hid the tv. Everyone with a tv over the fireplace needs to see this!

    It's encouraging to hear how much you love your honed marble, also. I checked on having marble installed at my house a while back, and you should have heard the "fit" the installer threw about how they wouldn't honor the warranty if I had the marble honed, that polished marble was more durable & how it wasn't a good choice for a kitchen where someone actually cooks, & on & on. Of course, I rolled my eyes since we were talking by phone. Someday, I'd still like to have it!

    Another treat seeing details in your home!

    Keri

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    1. Keri, it is sad to hear honed marble getting such a bad rap...I heard it too from everyone...I'm Italian and cook every day...my two grown son's show up at any given moment...hungry! It takes a lot of use and is not just a pretty kitchen...actually by honing the marble you create more depth and shadows, and any marks or stains are less visible than granite or polished marble...plus it is sealed...this is my dream kitchen and It was a long time coming...I encourage you to follow your heart on this one, Keri, N.xo

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  10. Aha! That's where the TV is hiding :) I kinda suspected that. Great job, Nella. I love it: so clean and looks very easy to use. I also love our marble counter tops. Your home is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing more.

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  11. It all looks so beautiful - we put honed marble in our Beaufort house and like you, no regrets - there's nothing quite like it!! Love seeing your home!!

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  12. This is very educational content and written well for a change. It's nice to see that some people still understand how to write a quality post!
    superior granite tallahassee

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Thank you for visiting my blog..... I love to hear from you and appreciate every comment received! N.xo