A first-rate gate!

Work is beginning on our new gates, and we could not be more excited! The design includes pup-holes (rather than portholes :-) for the dogs to see out and hopefully only bark at nefarious types rather than everyone.

Our old gate is the only remaining piece from our original house except for our address and a lot of reclaimed wood that will be repurposed as interior trim. The gate will be iron and redwood, with Bill choosing the wood to be used.

This gate's time has come, let the process begin for a beautiful new entry. #squeeeeee

No, it will not be curved. Just the paper is curved. :-)

Bringing color and energy to smooth out a rough week

Let's face it, adulting can be tough sometimes. Some weeks at the office and in the news are tougher than others. In the midst of a rough one, our new couch arrived. Seems like a small thing in the overall scheme of our world, but it feels like it already is a place of refuge that is comfortable and comforting. The splashes of color that we chose are just perky enough to help us reset when we need it. And, coincidentally, the little desk that my dad built for me eons ago fits right in, and Kyro loves her new nesting spot in the morning sun. We may never leave the house again, HA!

Nailed it

This last week, we were so happy to host our friends Mardi and Jon all the way from Maine. Jon is a master carpenter with an amazingly eye-popping shop where he creates cabinets, furniture, and more.

On their last evening with us, Bill and Jon brainstormed a bit on the design for our dining table that Bill will be building. The design includes a live edge down the middle that folds over to create a more narrow table for everyday use. When we have guests, we would fold it out for more seating. With the live edge down the middle, the boys wanted to think through how the hinging would work and what the legs would need to accommodate with the table both folded and unfolded. Math, geometry, and physics, oh BOY! All play a role in carpentry.

The kraft paper covering our temporary table makes a perfect sketching area!

Enduring inspiration

Yesterday, we had a lovely visit with our friend and Bill's client, Maria. Many years ago, Bill helped to build her home in Palo Alto and has returned many times to help with adjustments and repairs. As we walked around her home to talk about possible future projects, I immediately saw some things that have inspired Bill's decisions for our home, including the metal facing on the stair risers. We will have something similar but different on our stairs. Since he sees her much more frequently than I do,  I don't remember the details of her house, and it's fun for me to walk around and discover the seeds of his ideas for us.

Maria is an amazing painter and is now learning carpentry so that she can do more of her home projects herself. She is taking classes and learning to use power tools to create cool stuff. Lifelong learning is so inspiring.

The three of us (plus Riley the Dog!) also visited a stone place in Palo Alto to look for materials for our respective bathrooms. We didn't find what we need, especially since all of the dramatic slabs that we saw won't work for small-ish bathroom vanities. They do draw us in, though!

The metal facing on the stair risers

The texture that was created for the metal risers

Stunning, but not right for a small-scale application

Sequential slabs must be tracked carefully.

Wow.

Whoa.

Drama!

We'll be the judge of that.

Yowza.

I found a ducky!

Incredibly beautiful blues, grays, and more. These are individual pieces affixed together somehow and sliced. Unique!