Dining Room Reno, Part 1: Duct and Cover

It began as an idea.

How could we affordably manage to upgrade our HVAC system and deal with the resulting alterations to our dining room, living room, master bedroom and daughter's bedroom? The answer turned out to be relatively easy to design, but difficult to execute.

Our heating and air conditioning layout, for the most part, was as old as the 1940 house. Like most systems installed during that era, the returns were not designed to adequately handle the supply airflow, resulting in a poorly balanced system that barely heated and cooled the first floor. Forget the second floor.

Our HVAC savior proposed installing a new mega-return from the basement through the dining room, and on up to the blog daughter's bedroom. Great, we thought. Now how do we deal with this ugly metal box in the corner of these rooms?

This was just the excuse we needed to integrate the new chase with a built-in bookcase. Yes, friends, the bookcase dreams could potentially become a reality. Although the end result is not what we initially intended to build, it turned out to be exactly the right solution for our space, and we couldn't be happier.

The story started nearly a year ago. The first weekend of October 2010 in suburban Washington, DC was especially mild and lovely. We should have been outdoors enjoying ourselves. Yet what were we doing? Demo, baby! It was a down and dirty, noisy, painful dust-up. And at the end of the weekend, we succeeded in prepping the spaces for the contractor to come in and begin installation of the new system.

Cutting up the floor and gouging out holes in the wall is really quite scary. But we forged ahead and finished the demo on time.

Fast forward to November. The new ducting and equipment were installed. Now we had to start the hard part:  putting it all back together.

Next time:  Time to Rebuild

My Favorite Room, Part 3: Free Standing Bookshelves

Judging by the popularity of my posts on bookcases and libraries (here and here), there are clearly a lot of bookcase enthusiasts out there. While I fantasize about bespoke custom built-ins with yards of moldings, mounted brass library lights, and artfully placed bibelots among the stacks of weighty books, it's obvious that I (and probably most of you) don't have a sufficiently large budget or carpentry skills to make this a reality. Of course, it helps to be married to someone who does have carpentry skills, but that's another post.

The inspiration for this post is the soaring San Francisco dining room of designer Steven Volpe, which just so happens to be the cover for the September 2011 issue of Elle Decor.

This example shows the versatility of free-standing bookcases. It also points out the fact that you don't necessarily want to build in shelving if the conditions can't accommodate it. In this case, the metal shelves from Martin Szekely fit beautifully between the rough-hewn pilasters and play off the vibe of the vintage chairs and modern custom table with metal legs.

Bookcases don't necessary have to stand on the floor to function well and look beautiful.

This example from Virginia McDonald in House and Home has the same vintage modern aesthetic as the Volpe room, above. But without the soaring vertical proportions, the wall-mounted horizontal shelving makes a lovely sculptural statement in addition to handy storage for books, without interrupting the clean lines of the fireplace.

Sometimes, however, you just want a wall of books. The boxy cubbies formed by these store-bought bookcases in a room by Tracy Garret Design, also shown in House and Home, offer lots of opportunities for displaying a variety of objects alongside books of various sizes. The repetition of the openings makes it look orderly rather than a haphazard jumble.

Many types of case goods accommodate books. I think it's time to resurrect the poor TV armoire, this time as a cabinet for books, wine, table linens, or what have you. These examples from Rue magazine show creative use of vintage cabinets that could be picked up at just about any corner antique or consignment shop.

If you don't want to go the vintage route, and instead opt for something sleeker and more modern, here are some low and high (budget-wise) retail versions of free-standing bookcases that could be useful in many spaces.

Ikea's Stockholm bookcase comes with a black-stained oak veneer and oak solids, and has more heft and styling than their usual model. It also has been designed with an add-on left or right unit that cleverly attaches so that you don't get a double side rail, giving it a custom look. I love the simple finish on this unit, but you could also personalize the finish. Paint the back before you install it for a punch of color. Wallpaper and stenciling also work, but remember that designs will be partially covered up by your books and objets.

West Elm's Flat-Bar Bookcase coordinates with a desk, storage desk and printer caddy in graphite/barley or chocolate finishes. I think these would look best on their own, rather than placed side-by-side, but they would work great as a pair flanking a window, doorway or fireplace, as you see here. Again, home design these days is all about versatility, and you could make a terrific living space cum library/office with these because they won't overwhelm the room but clearly will hold a boatload of stuff. They are also deep (15"), and therefore don't suffer the problem that lots of mass-market shelving does; mainly, meaner proportions that result in a cheap appearance.

Finally, let's take a look at two more modern classic "off the shelf," um, versions for your consideration.

This is Blu Dot's Chicago 8 Box Bookshelf Storage Unit, available from Velocity Art & Design in maple, graphite-on-oak or cherry (example shown above). What's great about this piece is that you can use the tops of the alternating boxes for display such as flowers, sculpture or even a nifty bar. I also like the way the open spaces give a bit of breathing room. 

I've saved the best for last. The Herman Miller Eames Storage Unit, also from Velocity, is one of the earliest examples of a modern free-standing bookcase and is notable for its rich variety of colors, textures and materials. While it is usually thought of as piece for the office, this could just as easily work in a dining room, living room or library on its own or with the two smaller versions shown below. It also comes in a more colorful version, but I'm partial to the soft natural finishes shown here.

I hope these examples inspire you to look beyond the custom built-in ideal, even if you really can afford the design and construction of a traditional English library. Even die-hard Kindle owners must surely acknowledge the obsession with a beautifully displayed book collection. 

How do you display your books? Let me know!

Erdbeben!

Pretty exciting day in the nation's capital today. I was in the bathroom in my office when the quake started. Most of us thought the contractors installing the new boiler on the roof of our building dropped a heavy piece of equipment. Or maybe it was just the Red Line train running by (our office is right over the metro tracks).

We did sustain some seismic damage here in the Sawrey Village, although to be honest, it wasn't terribly dramatic. Our front steps were cracked in two places, along the seams where the sections meet.

A few things on my desk were knocked over.

The biggest casualty seems to be our daughter's cat. Tyler fled to the basement during the quake, and except for a brief, stealthy reconnaissance mission upstairs to view the [potential] damage, he bolted for the basement again. He sits there still, six hours later. People, he has not eaten dinner yet tonight. Clearly, something is terribly wrong. Maybe he knows something we don't? More to come?

ETA, 25 August 2011:  The Washington Post has an article this morning about the reactions of many animals at the National Zoo moments before, during, and after the earthquake. "Zoo mystery:  how did apes and birds know quake was coming?"

Surveying the Damage

This has been another tough summer for Washington-area gardeners.

We have just completed the hottest recorded July ever for our region, based on average daily temps. Even worse, we are also trending away from August as the rainiest month of the year, on average. Our gardens look as though they've been baked, roasted and and broiled.

I have gradually added tougher, more drought-resistant plants over the eight summers we have lived at our Chevy Chase residence. But I still have a soft spot for astilbes, hostas, actaeas, and ferns, none of which do particularly well in anything but a shady, damp environment. So, I try to at least give them shade. And I try to focus hand watering on those groups of plants. Even so, I can't help them shake off the grip of heat so fierce that it only "dropped" into the mid- to upper 80s at night. Also, nearly every shady spot received at least some amount of direct or filtered sunlight, which is bound to wear down the shade-lovers by midsummer no matter how much water I can give them.

One decision I have made regarding garden design:  I want to increase the number of echinacea 'White Swan' and decrease the number of e. purpurea. Probably in something like a 3:1 ratio. This means giving away a whole lot of plants. I shouldn't have too much trouble finding new homes for them. Once again, they have proven themselves to be real troopers when it comes to summer survival.

How has your garden fared this summer? About as expected?

Primitive Thoughts

Hello, Poppets. Here in the Sawrey Village, we are feeling rather anxious today about the state of world economic affairs. It's enough to make one want to pull up stakes and hide out in a remote Polynesian village. At any rate, these signs from the Ben Pentreath shop do seem to sum it up nicely:

How about you? Which direction are you turning towards these days?

Thoughts of Blue

As we say goodbye to January and welcome February, the days are feeling a bit longer and the sky a bit brighter. At least six more weeks of wintry weather are still ahead of us, so thoughts of blue are on my mind today. While many people favor more saturated hues of crisp blue with white, I prefer softer shades mixed with neutrals that remind me of sand and sky.

Cooler shades with pale grey show the Scandinavian influence. The yellow really makes it sing.

Sky blue works in just about any room and any locale. It is truly universal and adaptable.

Even a hint of blue, as in the inside of a cabinet, elevates a neutral palette. Notice the bright yellow bird cage in the corner. Just as in the image of the hallway above, it adds a further bit of sunshine to blue and neutral.

My Favorite Room, Part 2: More Bookshelves

Apparently, many of you are just as obsessed with bookshelves, particularly in a proper library, as I am. As a New Year's gift, here are some more of my favorites. I hope they prove to be as inspiring to you as they have been to me. Enjoy!

An early favorite from Domino. I love the sage green mohair armchair, Saarinen coffee table and funky brown/white rug. And those shelves just soar!

From Kate and Andy Spade's apartment. The contrast between the luscious red and the peacock blue leather chair makes my mouth water.

 An Ashley Whittaker media room in saturated in blue.

Who didn't drool over this Nate Berkus/Anne Coyle library in Elle Decor? No shelves in this image, but I had to include it anyway. It's a great reminder that art is integral to the success of a library, and this collection looks so relaxed and comfortable with the furnishings.

A masterpiece by Phillip Gorrivan from Elle Decor. This one in whites and neutrals, but just as effective as the more colorful examples, above. The coral lamp bases anchor the whole scene.

Who doesn't love a window seat integrated into a bookcase wall? I'm particularly fond of this image, as it shows our Milo leather armchair!

I don't have a source for this image, but it's a great reminder that artwork can look terrific mounted right on the shelves. I really like the way the rustic frame contrasts with the contemporary leather office chair and desk.