Fireplaces and Color

My new home has a fireplace. I’ve wanted one forever. I’ve given a lot of thought as to what makes a stand-out fireplace. In terms of intricate, carved, period fireplace surrounds, they can be wood, marble or plaster, for instance. They grace homes of every imaginable style. The mantle is a prized location to add an ever changing array of bibelot to match your season or your mood. But three styles really inspire me in a fireplace. First- modern, almost austere in their simplicity and clean lines, I like low fireplaces on plaster walls which have no surrounds or mantles. Using the ancient Moroccan technique called tadelakt creates a surface with subtle texture and color and a slight sheen from the beeswax used in the tadelakt.… Continue reading...

Colorful Barn Exteriors

Living in the country it’s impossible to ignore the variety of colorful barn exteriors around. But I’m often zipping by at speeds way too fast to stop and take a photo. Who doesn’t love the iconic red barn with its endless variations of that red hue. The origin story for that comes from many angles. It’s hard to know which is the true cause. In the Great Plains and Mid West Scandinavian immigrants with a history of painting “Falun Red” buildings back in Sweden brought this tradition with them. In the earlier days of US history it was discovered that iron oxide mixed with Linseed oil created a sealant for the barn exterior that helped preserved it.… Continue reading...