Charliechomper's Step 5
Oct 15, 2010 8:23:37 GMT
Post by CharlieChomper on Oct 15, 2010 8:23:37 GMT
As my first thread started to become prather load-heavy with the images, I thought to start a new thread for Step 5 to make things easier for everyone. Sorry to anyone about the inconvenience concerning the other thread! 
As I've been kept busy for the past week or so (combined with random shutdowns--still not resolved, but it behaved enough to let me work on this room), I've been working--and sometimes redoing parts of--this room on and off during the week and just completed it.
I hope it's within the guidelines and I've tried to do my best to adhere to them. Originally, I had wanted to place a fireplace along the outer sidewall, but in keeping with the perfect symmetry rule (due to the chimney), I opted instead to rework part of the room to accomandate it elsewhere (the chimney is within the 50 squares that comprise the room). Likewise, I had not originally intended on a more or less L-shaped room--however, it just strangely worked itself out to be in such a shape.
My apologizes over the number of photos.
It's probably obvious which sister did this room...
Overview:
Room Views:
Sim's Eye View:
As Anise was away on one of her trips (having used money she originally had set aside to put toward the house--leaving her sister a bit annoyed as a result, as well as because she had left without notice nor indicated how long she may be away...), Simone opted to take advantage of the situation (and felt that given the circumstances, she was perfectly entitled to do so as Anise was not about to complain and should have known better than to have taken off without notice the way she had).
As the sisters needed a place to socialize and entertain as well as just relax for or unwind for a bit and had already discussed the prospect for one, Simone decided to do the living room next.
Using her skills as an interior designer and in having "sourced" what she felt to be some excellent pieces of architectural salvage, she went to work and opted for a formal, yet inviting space.
The malachite and marble on the fireplace were both purchased as single pieces of stone and used in combination with the mantal (which came from a client who was going to get rid of it in favor of something "more contemporary", but wanted to keep their existing surround). The artwork, lighting fixtures, and mirror are a combination of flea market, garage/yard sale, charity/thrift shop, and auction "finds" whereas much of the furniture came from auctions (as did the antique European area rugs).
As she wasn't certain of what to do about the walls, she tried an English Aesthetic-inspired wall covering, only to realize that perhaps it might have been a bit overpowering for the room (and possibly a bit too much blue...), so she tried to use it in an attempt to allow the the wall with the fireplace to "pop" instead (along with using some hand-milled woodwork to further accentuate the space). For the rest of the walls, she found a reproduction of a Victorian-era print which she used.
The non-matching drapery styles were also largely a result of the indecisiveness, however, as the fabrics matched, she chose to keep it as they were. She made most of the draperies, herself.
The overhead lighting fixture is an early American piece from the "Federal" period and had previously used candles, until a prior owner removed that "feature" and made it a gas fixture (which in turn was later, further "renovated" to electrify it). One of the previous owners had also added the rather curious, Art Nouveau-inspired decorative etching to the brasswork at some point.
The large bookshelf is also an American piece and from the Arts and Crafts movement, while the smaller chandelier (near the stairs) as well as the lighting fixture near the rear door are also American (the small chandelier is from the colonial period and supposedly handmade, whereas the lamp near the alcove is from the Victorian period, but features hand-painted English-made glass and Austrian crystals dangling from it).
Most of the furniture in the room is actually American or Canadian in origin. The coffee table was originally a tea table someone "chopped" down sometime during the 1950s or so to function as a coffee table (not an unheard of practice, unfortunately--prior to the 1920s, coffee tables actually didn't exist. So, many antique tea tables (amongst other types of tables) found themselves the victim of losing parts of their legs to become coffee tables between that time through sometime in the 1960s. Anyone who professes to sell a "genuine antique coffee table" from prior to 1920, is really selling a table that has had this surgery performed upon it--please excuse the sidenote there...)
The sofa "behind" the fireplace is also English as is the mantel clock, decanter, and smaller armchair.
Much of the artwork also is European in origin and the doors in the back of the room were originally made in France (they were converted from a gate into a set of doors sometime during the turn of the last century).
As Simone doesn't care much for modern, she opted to "hide" the flatscreen that had to be mounted (due to a lack of space) behind an old frame which was hung above the fireplace.
Given the narrow space near the mahogany stairs, she hung a round mirror to both go with the rest of the space and possibly provide a bit more of an illusion of more space.
The bookshelves next the fireplace and near the door were actually custom built as was the large window behind the loveseat by the door (I actually forgot to take a photo of it, but there is a 2-tile floor to ceiling window across from the larger floor to ceiling window next to the double doors) and the other, larger window next to the doors.
As Simone has a green thumb, she felt compelled to include plants (mostly freshly-cut flowers) which are displayed throughout the room, as she feels they help to "cheer" the space up.
At the time that Simone had completed the room, Anise still had not returned from her travels, so it remains almost anyone's guess as to how she may react to seeing what her sister had done in her absence (although, Simone maintains that it needed to be done and as her sister had left without notice--aware they had work to do--and under the circumstances she had, she was well within her right to do things the way she had to get it done. Although, curiously, the work seemed to proceed much faster with Anise away--something that had not escaped Simone's notice...).
As I've been kept busy for the past week or so (combined with random shutdowns--still not resolved, but it behaved enough to let me work on this room), I've been working--and sometimes redoing parts of--this room on and off during the week and just completed it.
I hope it's within the guidelines and I've tried to do my best to adhere to them. Originally, I had wanted to place a fireplace along the outer sidewall, but in keeping with the perfect symmetry rule (due to the chimney), I opted instead to rework part of the room to accomandate it elsewhere (the chimney is within the 50 squares that comprise the room). Likewise, I had not originally intended on a more or less L-shaped room--however, it just strangely worked itself out to be in such a shape.
My apologizes over the number of photos.
It's probably obvious which sister did this room...
Overview:
Room Views:
Sim's Eye View:
As Anise was away on one of her trips (having used money she originally had set aside to put toward the house--leaving her sister a bit annoyed as a result, as well as because she had left without notice nor indicated how long she may be away...), Simone opted to take advantage of the situation (and felt that given the circumstances, she was perfectly entitled to do so as Anise was not about to complain and should have known better than to have taken off without notice the way she had).
As the sisters needed a place to socialize and entertain as well as just relax for or unwind for a bit and had already discussed the prospect for one, Simone decided to do the living room next.
Using her skills as an interior designer and in having "sourced" what she felt to be some excellent pieces of architectural salvage, she went to work and opted for a formal, yet inviting space.
The malachite and marble on the fireplace were both purchased as single pieces of stone and used in combination with the mantal (which came from a client who was going to get rid of it in favor of something "more contemporary", but wanted to keep their existing surround). The artwork, lighting fixtures, and mirror are a combination of flea market, garage/yard sale, charity/thrift shop, and auction "finds" whereas much of the furniture came from auctions (as did the antique European area rugs).
As she wasn't certain of what to do about the walls, she tried an English Aesthetic-inspired wall covering, only to realize that perhaps it might have been a bit overpowering for the room (and possibly a bit too much blue...), so she tried to use it in an attempt to allow the the wall with the fireplace to "pop" instead (along with using some hand-milled woodwork to further accentuate the space). For the rest of the walls, she found a reproduction of a Victorian-era print which she used.
The non-matching drapery styles were also largely a result of the indecisiveness, however, as the fabrics matched, she chose to keep it as they were. She made most of the draperies, herself.
The overhead lighting fixture is an early American piece from the "Federal" period and had previously used candles, until a prior owner removed that "feature" and made it a gas fixture (which in turn was later, further "renovated" to electrify it). One of the previous owners had also added the rather curious, Art Nouveau-inspired decorative etching to the brasswork at some point.
The large bookshelf is also an American piece and from the Arts and Crafts movement, while the smaller chandelier (near the stairs) as well as the lighting fixture near the rear door are also American (the small chandelier is from the colonial period and supposedly handmade, whereas the lamp near the alcove is from the Victorian period, but features hand-painted English-made glass and Austrian crystals dangling from it).
Most of the furniture in the room is actually American or Canadian in origin. The coffee table was originally a tea table someone "chopped" down sometime during the 1950s or so to function as a coffee table (not an unheard of practice, unfortunately--prior to the 1920s, coffee tables actually didn't exist. So, many antique tea tables (amongst other types of tables) found themselves the victim of losing parts of their legs to become coffee tables between that time through sometime in the 1960s. Anyone who professes to sell a "genuine antique coffee table" from prior to 1920, is really selling a table that has had this surgery performed upon it--please excuse the sidenote there...
)The sofa "behind" the fireplace is also English as is the mantel clock, decanter, and smaller armchair.
Much of the artwork also is European in origin and the doors in the back of the room were originally made in France (they were converted from a gate into a set of doors sometime during the turn of the last century).
As Simone doesn't care much for modern, she opted to "hide" the flatscreen that had to be mounted (due to a lack of space) behind an old frame which was hung above the fireplace.
Given the narrow space near the mahogany stairs, she hung a round mirror to both go with the rest of the space and possibly provide a bit more of an illusion of more space.
The bookshelves next the fireplace and near the door were actually custom built as was the large window behind the loveseat by the door (I actually forgot to take a photo of it, but there is a 2-tile floor to ceiling window across from the larger floor to ceiling window next to the double doors
) and the other, larger window next to the doors.As Simone has a green thumb, she felt compelled to include plants (mostly freshly-cut flowers) which are displayed throughout the room, as she feels they help to "cheer" the space up.
At the time that Simone had completed the room, Anise still had not returned from her travels, so it remains almost anyone's guess as to how she may react to seeing what her sister had done in her absence (although, Simone maintains that it needed to be done and as her sister had left without notice--aware they had work to do--and under the circumstances she had, she was well within her right to do things the way she had to get it done. Although, curiously, the work seemed to proceed much faster with Anise away--something that had not escaped Simone's notice...).
