Before and After: Time to Harvest

"After" three years of waiting for the peach tree to grow. It is now a very happy tree and producing like crazy.

Many of you who have followed katiedid for awhile know we have been working on our house for some time. We have most recently been trying to get the back yard in shape. This summer is the first year our yard has felt like a relaxing beautiful place to be vs. a place under construction. 

We had begun planting a couple of years ago after amending the hard packed clay soil. The idea for the garden is to make it as edible as possible. We started citrus trees in pots and planted fruit trees along the back of the house: peach, plum, apricot, nectarine and apple. There are herbs everywhere: rosemary, thyme, various sages, and lots of lavender. We have potted a couple of pomegranate bushes and blueberry bushes fill in between the trees. There are also pots of beans and tomatoes. Tim just finished another raised bed so we can put in a few more vegetables.

You may remember this post right after we had planted the peach tree. Ahem....we had not painted the house yet after the house remodel, and it is still in the same state. Somehow pecking away at planting the garden does not seem so expensive as compared to getting the house painted. And yes, we rationalize the garden is paying us back.

"Before". The year we planted the peach tree. It seems like yesterday our tree was just a little twig.

Well....we have been very busy picking peaches for the last week. Tim had covered the tree with netting so the birds and squirrels would not get the fruit. We harvested enough peaches to stuff ourselves into a fructose coma, and enough to pass out to all of the neighbors. We have made two delicious peach cobblers and plan to try our hand at peach preserves. It has been a bountiful harvest.

But those squirrels are pesky little critters and have found a way in through the netting. We are harvesting as much as we can before they get the rest. I guess I can't blame them. There is nothing quite like a peach direct from your own tree. And nothing quite so satisfying as the realization that we had a hand in making it happen.

Harvest Time

My morning ritual of the paper  and breakfast has a whole new flavor. It is decidedly juicier.

 Have a wonderful Monday and a beautiful week!

Master Bath Before and After

 Design projects always looks best when photographed professionally, but I was so pleased with how a recent project turned out, I had to share a little "before and after" peek. I am blessed with really wonderful clients, and the young couple who own this house are no exception. We are working together to refresh all of the interiors while the exterior is also getting a facelift. The Master Bath is the first room to be completed.

The house was built in the 20's and the original bathroom was in need of an update. The goals were to add storage, expand the shower if possible, and create a fresh, classic, and pretty bathroom. I was also asked if two sinks would fit.

I created more storage with a custom made vanity, and also by fabricating medicine cabinets using twin mirrors from Restoration Hardware. I chose antique brass sconces and ceiling mounted fixtures from Circa Lighting, the finish picking up on the gilt detail on the mirrors. There was even a little drawer in between the tub and shower. Classic Polished nickel plumbing fixtures, Calacutta Marble Counters, and marble mosaic floor finish off the design. Thanks to a very talented contractor, Eloy Tapia of GTO Construction, everything came together beautifully!

  

 Here is a little peek at the "before", actually very nostalgic and cute (check out the sweet little vanity!), but very "dysfunctional":

 By relocating a window to over the toilet, I was able to grab more wall space for the medicine cabinet mirrors.

 We were able to reuse the tub, which was resurfaced. The shape was irreplaceable and actually left room for a larger shower, as well as room in the budget for the beautiful finishes!

 The wall around the shower was replaced with frameless glass and enlarged, making the whole bathroom feel much larger.

Best part? Very happy clients!!

There are a couple of details to finish up: art and accesories, and window coverings. When it is all done and photographed by someone who is better with a camera than I, I will give you an update!!

Master Bath Design Debut on Bath Crashers

The Vanity Close-up for Bath Crashers, designed by Katie Denham Interiors

The last year has been a very busy one for me and my design studio. The results are coming to fruition, and it has been very exciting!

I had the opportunity to design a Master Bath for Bath Crashers, a DIY Network TV show all about bathroom remodeling, and it airs for the first time tonight at 9:00.

The methods for designing for a residential client and designing for  television show were quite different. Even though there is a real homeowner who gets to enjoy the final result, my real clients were the producers of the Bath Crashers episode. There was a whole different set of criteria to consider, which made for a very interesting experience for me. I will be blogging all about it tomorrow....before and after photos and all!

I hope you all have a chance to catch the show! It will be my first time seeing it as well, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. (Thank goodness my participation is behind the scenes, or I would be a nervous wreck!!!) 

A Day in the Life

4:45AM - Faint stirring when I hear Tim get up for his morning exercise routine. Still think he is crazy to get up so early.
6:00AM  Faint stirring when I hear Tim get in the shower.
6:30AM  Our Australian Shepherd jumps on the bed for a morning cuddle. I feel wet dog hair and turn on the light and see muddy paw prints all over the bed. March downstairs to put dog outside. Scold Tim for letting dog in when she is all muddy.

She looks so innocent when she is asleep, doesn't she?

6:45AM Throw on clothes and tell daughter  to hurry up or she will be late for school.

7:00AM Warm up car to take daughter to school.
7:15AM Back home, shower and dress.
7:30AM Eat breakfast and read the paper...."Local Mall Burns Down!" Oh no! Were Crate and Barrel, PB and Restoration affected?
8:15AM Check emails and respond to clients. Yes, we can get marble remnant for Powder Room Counter.
8:45AM Strip bed and put muddy sheets and duvet in the laundry.
9:00AM Take dogs to the groomer for a bath...it has been too long anyway.
9:30AM Make plan for the day. Check Voicemail: "You too can benefit from Government Mortgage Bailout", Very excited client message about her kitchen that I designed published in Sacramento magazine!
10:00 AM Blog Post about One King's Lane Tag Sale
10:30 AM Order bed from Serena and Lily for Client's Master Bedroom. Order Kravet Windsor Smith Fabric for Pillows....same client.



Meanwhile, Tim is painting new wall in basement added to make room for Mom moving in.

Disaster....but work is calling

 11:00 AM Put together design for another client's Master Bedroom: furniture additions, lighting, area rug, bedding.
11:30AM SureWest guy comes to put in new TV hook up for Mom's new space. He also moves my computer hook up to "my" side of the basement.
1:00PM Work on tile re-selection for episode of Bath Crashers (DIY Network) that I am designing. What I thought would be a pretty quick process...not so quick.
1:30PM Start putting presentation together for Client Master Bedroom I was working on earlier. Keep researching for more items.
3:30PM Eat "Linner"....grilled cheese and chicken and stars....sometimes comfort food is the only way to go.
4:00PM Check emails
4:30PM Move office furniture, equipment and supplies to other side of basement into my "new" office. This may take awhile!

New Wall with Paint!

Moving Office to This Side of the Wall...still have a lot to do, but getting there! I am back in action.

4:45PM Pick up clean dogs from groomer.
5:15PM Keep on moving office stuff....hours more to go.
8:30PM Pay Per View movie: "Agora" about 4th century Greek woman philosopher Hypatia in Alexandria. Watched it while moving office. Not a bad rent! I had never heard of Hypatia before and never would have known women were revered as teachers in this era.

10:00PM pick up daughter from friends' house.
10:30PM Take a break and finish watching movie.
11:00PM Bed and read a bit of my book: "Velva Jean Learns to Drive". Velva Jean knew who Hypatia was.....so I am very glad I saw that movie! Very eerie to have Hypatia show up in two places in one day.

11:30PM Fell asleep and dreamed about little elves wearing togas finishing my office in the middle of the night....sigh...if only....

My Kitchen Pendant Lights

Pendant lights. They are like the icing on the cake, the last piece of jewelry to make the outfit perfect. When I was designing my kitchen, I wanted something simple, classic, and a bit on the casual side. I was going for a vintage farmhouse with a little commercial kitchen and Napa Bistro thrown in. We love to cook and spend a lot of time in our kitchen, so I wanted really good light. With the EPA standards in California, 50% of the wattage in a kitchen must be Fluorescent or comparable. This made it a bit difficult to put in any incandescent fixtures, but one must have something with some character! 

I found just the thing when I was picking out lighting at Lumens Light and Living here in Sacramento. These Pendants from Roost had just what I was looking for. They look a little industrial with their beaker shaped hand-blown glass, and I love the long filament bulbs. I also like the way the glass is held in place with the hand tightened screws.

I have received many emails requesting information about these pendants and if they are still available.I decided I should check and see! And YES! Lumens can still get them for you. They are not shown on their online catalog, so give them a call at their Sacramento showroom HERE and ask for Sean. Tell him you are looking for the glass cylinder pendant from Roost....he will know all of the information.

Thank you for all of your emails!

East Sacramento Home Tour

Dean and Dean Tudor Revival

Last Sunday, the East Sacramento Home Remodeling Tour was the hot ticket....hot as in the high 90's hot. My designer friend Leanne and I were planning on walking the tour through this lovely Sacramento neighborhood, but the air conditioned car was calling our names.

But the houses were beautiful, as expected.

The first house was designed by architects Dean and Dean and constructed in 1925. A beautiful brick Tudor, I was excited to get to see inside! We swept through the interior to the backyard which had been redesigned by Landscape designer Michael Glassman, a Sacramento mainstay. I snapped one picture before I was told that this home was off limits to photography. Rats...I was caught in the act. So unfortunately, no interior shots (which was an "Old World" style in keeping with the architecture).

Michael Glassman Garden Design

East Sacramento is home to a neighborhood known as the "Fabulous Forties" one of the most desirable and upscale neighborhoods in the Sacramento region. This area is so named because the streets are all numbered in the forties.... this particular street being 45th Street. The architecture in this area was highly influenced by the architecture company of Dean and Dean which was immersed in the popular Revival Style of the 20's, 30's and 40's. Tudors, Arts and Crafts, and Mediterranean are all styles that can be found in this area. I snapped a couple of pictures of some of the other houses on this street to give you a feeling for this beautiful neighborhood:

The Tudor house next door

A Mediterranean across the street.

The next house on the tour was one I have had the pleasure of working on over the last few years. It is a classic Monterey Revival built in 1927.

I redesigned the back portion of the house a few years ago, which originally housed a maid's room, small den and kitchen, into a larger kitchen and family room combination. Here is just a peek at the kitchen:

Kitchen

And this is a little of the Guest Room we just finished recently:

Guest Room

I will have better pictures before too long of the whole house, so stay tuned!

Next on the tour, we moved to another neighborhood in East Sacramento which was developed a little later in the 40's and 50's. There are some very cute craftsman houses here, as well some Ranch Style homes. This next house was very cute:

Remodeled Cottage

This 1941 cottage had the front porch remodeled, and the owners incorporated craftsman details into the new cabinetry on the interior. My friend Ted Smith was the architectural designer here.

New fireplace mantle and built ins

I think we all like a pretty white kitchen, and this new kitchen was no exception.

Cottage Kitchen

I liked the Caesarstone Blue Lagos counters, and the grey limestone back splash with the white cabinets and the wide plank floors.

Caesarstone Counters

The owner had the greatest idea to show off her collection of vintage kitchen tools:

Cute Display

Next up was a house that was built in 1895, an original farmhouse style. These owners transformed the 1,305 sq. foot cottage into a 2,906 sq. foot family home.
This photo is of the new addition which is at the back of the house:

The kitchen was the highlight of the remodel with it's red AGA stove. The feeling was bright and happy....the great windows let in so much light and yellow, white, black and red color scheme was charming.

The last house was originally intended to be a remodel, but the structural constraints led the contractor/owner to start over. I must say the new facade looks very much like the original, in keeping with the neighborhood style. I was not able to get a good shot of the exterior, but I did get some interior shots:

This kitchen also has a farm house sink and white cabinets like the last two houses, but these home owners went a little more contemporary with a glass tile and Carrera marble back splash. The cabinets that had glass doors had a pretty apple green painted in the back. The counters were a honed black absolute granite.

The owners created an open plan with a large Family Room adjacent to the kitchen. I liked the school house light fixtures over the island.

The house is occupied, but still in progress. I think a TV is slated to be put in above the Family Room cabinetry.

So that's it!

One of the things that interested me on this tour was the architectural diversity in East Sacramento. The houses were built from the late 1800's to the 1950's, and that accounts for much of the variation. People that live in this area have an appreciation for older homes, and for the most part try to maintain the architectural integrity of the area. I like that.

East Sacramento Home Remodeling Tour

I love a Home Tour, and what better way to kick off Fall than the East Sacramento Home Remodeling Tour? I have a remodeling project on the tour, so I am especially excited about it. The East Sacramento Fabulous Forties neighborhood is most definitely one of the most beautiful in the Sacramento region. Homes were built from 1910 on, and there are homes designed by such notable architects as Greene and Greene, Julia Morgan and Squeaky Williams.

So, get out and about this weekend....take a stroll through historic East Sacramento and enjoy the day!