On the inside

It's Saturday -- I made the most of the past week and now depart for France in relatively good shape. Friends have been supportive, dropping their plans to go with me to the light fixture store, holding up endless variations of paint chips for me to look at in various degrees of light, holding tile samples up to paint chips up to cabinet stain samples, and just generally reassuring me that the inside of the house won't look like a Barnum and Bailey clown exhibit (or, "Who cares if it does? YOU like it.") I carry around what I call my "color bag" with me everywhere just in case I'm swept with a sudden urge to hold up a paint chip against something. I have tile samples in the trunk of the car -- you never know. One must be prepared at all times.

So - I think I'm finished. I took a big chunk of time off work this week and immersed myself in Sample World. With Doris (whose husband builds houses - she picks out the interior elements and has all kinds of contacts) and Kim (my New York friend who tells no lies) in tow, we descended upon the light fixture shop and the tile shop and had at it -- a blazing conflagration of opinions all in the service of burning away the chaff to get at the nub of Lot 65's look. They are good about letting me pick, but giving me an honest opinion when asked. I had no idea what would be involved in picking light fixtures. Wall sconces, pendants, ceiling fans, chandeliers, flourescent closet lights, the garage, front door floodlights, door chimes, ceiling huggers for hallways, etc. -- each item needs to be chosen with the room's look in mind. Geez. The sales rep at the light shop had already done a "walk-through" of my house so she had a list of every single element that needed to be picked out. It's not that easy! Rubbed bronze or brushed nickle? How wide should the fan blades be? Black, brown, or white? Pendant or ceiling hugger? It goes on and on. I picked up a few cool things that someone else ordered and then didn't like -- I suspect they had good reasons, and you might agree when you see some of the more colorful elements.

Then immediately to the tile shop to pick out tiles for all three bathrooms, laundry room, kitchen backsplash, and tub/shower surrounds. I'm so glad I had Kim and Doris with me because I would have collapsed into a timid heap. As I've heard, "Remember, you can change the paint color but tile is forever..." This is why most tile jobs are some shade of whitey/beigey/grayey. People get scared -- you don't want to deviate from what everyone else does. I do! Hence my recurring worries about being the Tacky Clown House in the Neighborhood of Taste.

Yesterday, I went to pick out my granite. By that time, I was so tired that I just waved at a couple of slabs out in the warehouse yard that looked okay next to my tile, cabinet, and paint samples and said "whatever." Then I needed to pick out my edges -- bullnose, ogee, 1/4 something or other...the granite guy could tell I'd had enough and made some helpful suggestions which I gratefully accepted.

What will it all look like together? Who the hell knows. You know what, though? I'll be so thrilled to be in this thing that if something doesn't look quite as good as I'd hoped...oh well. Go look at some spec houses built by contractors if you are looking for beige walls, brown cabinets, and cream-colored backsplashes. When you're in my clown house, things will definitely look better after a glass of wine or two.

If you are interested...

Paint colors: Sherwin Williams/Duron -- Butter Up, Bracing Blue, and Coastal Plain. Isabelle has chosen pink and blue for her room, and Wyatt wants candy-apple green. Kim and I will be painting those rooms ourselves, since our paint contract only includes three colors.

Cabinets: Maple, Shaker style, dental trim -- Honeycomb, Gunstock, Cambridge, and Pecan Shell finishes. Kitchen is honeycomb with gunstock island for contrast.

Tile: Master bath - "verde" resin tiles - greeny/beigey/hard to describe, kid's bath/laundry is same type of tile but in orangey/yellowy/hard to describe shade. Kitchen backsplash is neutral but with one band of terracotta/golden glass tiles that sparkle and change color as you move to different angles. This will complement my crazy gold/yellow/orangey pendant lights and my colored glass fruit chandelier in the kitchen. Don't ask - you just have to see. I fell in love.

Granite: Blue Pearl in kitchen, Venetian Gold in master bath, and Giallo Ornamental in kid's bath. Pretty crazy stuff. Sorry, guests -- your upstairs bathroom is plain whitey tile with run-of-the-mill cultured marble countertop/sink.

Floors - red oak stained a mid-tone shade - haven't picked the exact stain out yet. NO CARPET!!!