Backwards + Forwards

We seem to be back in the backwards and forwards game again, here's a recap...

Backwards:
Remember when I said our solar shades for all the windows have arrived? Well, they did, and every single custom shade for about 20 windows - all wrong! They were manfactured in regular roll instead of reverse roll. Since we used existing older windows on our house, the lower half of the window juts out a bit and the reverse roll is the only way the shade will clear without bowing over the bottom window.

So we continue to live in a glass house until they can be remade...glad I'm not paying for that mistake!

We also found out that what we thought was "the perfect barstool" (Jesus Gasca, Onda stool at DWR) is backordered significantly further than previously estimated.

Given how much we're using the kitchen, esp. when having people over, we're going to look elsewhere for stools...

Forwards:
In good news, the wine bar countertop went in last weekend~ It's the same material as the kitchen perimeter countertops in our kitchen (below). When they installed the kitchen countertops, they wanted to seam them more than Mike, who was overseeing the installation, wanted to see the seams. As a result, we got minimal seams in the kitchen, yay, but a long delay on the countertop for the wine bar as they didn't have enough large slab material. But finally they are in and it's great to have a wine bar, which we use every night :)

kitchen

wine bar joining kitchen and den. (this will get same glass backsplash as kitchen.)

view past wine bar into den

And continuing onto den news, this room is (just about the only room!) starting to feel pulled together:

further accented by the fun gift I received this week

bowl-as-art, Frank Gehry for Tiffany

happy at home on the den bookshelf! 

The den's rug should arrive in a week or two, will post more pics then.

And on Saturday, we not-so-sadly said goodbye to the old railing leading up to the house:

before 

cutting/sanding/removal

anyone want it? sitting at 2021 norton road!

and after  ––
of course, eventually we'd like to replace the railing with something cool and stainless...

...like this...

But the brick steps are up in the air as well –– do we slate the top of them, leave them as is for now, eventually replace with stone or other, etc? –– so until plans are set, it will be bare.

for now,  the railing being gone gives a clearer shot up to the house,
showing off our new conical boxwoods near the front steps!

More landscaping to come, but getting there little by little~