hitherings and ditherings

Now is the winter of our disconcert. . . . and all that (to further bowdlerize poor Willie Shakespeare) when we second-guess all the choices that have been made so laboriously [and blindly] over the past few months. For a week or so, everything that was going into the house just sang as it came together. The wood; the stone; the stucco; the fireplaces and herringbone and more wood of the windows and the apses on the outside and the green woods glowing beneath.

The first hint of a sour note was in the matter of the colour of the cedar trim. A dark ebony is what was chosen - after repeatedly admiring it on our last trip to Eire - but now I worry it might be too stark. I've grown accustomed to the softness of the rich wood. Repeating to myself that that colour will not stay (but will weather to a silver) has not helped, especially since it continues to show that colour on the front of the house, punctuated rather vividly by the bits that were ebonized before the painters inexplicably stopped some weeks ago.

The wide-plank wood floor looks great, but - again - what colour? Back to the swatch board for me, and another couple of little sample cans to purchase and stroke onto waste wood. . . .In the bath, what is called travertine looks an awful lot like Carerra marble, and has a whole lot more gray in it than expected. In addition, the brushed finish (the bigger Luther gets, the harder slick surfaces are for him to get a grip on!) is considerably slicker than the sample board led me to believe. . . . I'm not sure I like it, much as it pains me to admit.I do like the shower tile pattern, though, I must say. Thank you - yes - my design. Wait'll you see it when it's done! Unless it - too - gets derailed, somehow, and (crap!) maybe it's going to be too busy? sigh. . . . Well, that's Chris with the question mark on his back, putting it in. Take a deep breath, queenie. It's gonna be ok. Moving on, the slate I've been so delighted with for the "dog bath" I now worry is too dark. Yes, "dog bath" is what the guest bath has taken to being called, as that's where the walk-in shower for wet and muddy doggie purposes has been placed. I wanted it to be rustic, but now it's feeling a bit too cave-like. . . . Surely a bit of light in there will help - oh! - but I don't want to second-guess the light fixtures just now! That will bring up questions of towel bars, faucets, and finishes, and you don't want me to go there. Trust me on that.

Anyway - here's the mosaic slate that will go on the shower floor, up against the big slate, which will also go on the walls. . . . The dark cut-out bit there on the top right is the entrance to the 'shower cave'. sigh.
You know what? I think it might be time for a 'big picture' here. (ah. you can see the natural wood trim - and the bits on the far right that have been stained the ebony. It reminds me of the time I decided to cut my hair, and the hairdresser took a phone call after having cut just one side. I sat in misery and regret. . . . Note to contractors and designers: "Do not do this to your clients." It's too hard on them.)
You know? This also reminds me of the story in the Old Testament, where Nehemiah is overseeing the re-building of the walls around Jerusalem. At one point, they just kind of got overwhelmed with all the junk and the 'rubble' all around them. I think it's time to take my eyes off the rubble and refocus on the big picture, even as I keep my head down and keep working.

Minus eleven, and counting 'til moving day.

Today? The kitchen counter goes in. Yes, I'm apprehensive. This creative visualizing stuff is nerve-racking. It's never quite what you imagined.