that bathtub is BEAUTIFUL. and i’d really like to know where you got it, if you don’t mind my asking. :)

thank you!
so

let me start with this, i’m not sure what my job or financial situation have to do with our house, how we decided to decorate it or even our taste.

but so you know, we made the decision to purchase this home and renovate prior to the large economic slide. had i known it was going to be this bad – i might not have started. but now that i did – i’m glad we did what we did. and the fact the house looks so stark is because we haven’t actually done decorating – only some bathroom renovation.

we loved this house for its feel and style. it had fantastic bones and a wonderful layout. its a single story, built in a U, with a courtyard entry, a pool in the back, glass everywhere and spectacular panoramic views of most of LA.

there were several bidders on the house. and one of them, a cash offer, was to knock it down and build some monster mcmansion – we didn’t want that to happen to the house so we went way above and beyond our budget to get into our dream home.

when we got it, we found out that everything was still original. the hvac, the plumbing, the electrical, the fixtures – everything was just like it was in 1950s. which meant that just about everything mechanical – the stuff you can’t see – needed to be replaced.

we also asked bryan, who’s work we had seen before to help us bridge the bones of this great house but make it a tad more useable. and he did a great job of helping us make the most of our new home.

let me answer the few questions that i have seen…

we painted the ceiling because frankly it looked a tad too ponderosa. we kept waiting for hoss and little joe to come stop over for dinner.

the only other thing we did in the kitchen was paint some cheap 1980′s faux wood cabinets white so they would pop better against the floors and ceilings.

btw – we took the asbestos filled kitchen flooring out in favor of a cleaner polished concrete floor that ran over most of the home.

the bathrooms – it was tough to take the sinks out. i had a difficult time with that. but we took care to save them for a better home. the cabinets were mostly rotted, the tiles mostly cracked and frankly the showers were very cramped, closed off and dark…not at all mid-century in feel.

so – we took the shower stall walls out, put glass in and tried to keep the impact of materials minimal. subdued tiles, soft colors, shinny fixtures and a way over the top tub that is actually cheaper that you might think. the reason for the chandelier is because everything else was so muted that we wanted to have it for contrast…and yes, it is within code.

many of you mentioned a hotel look – perfect. we actually talked about a W hotel look for the bathrooms. i know some of you think that sucks. i also think victorians suck – but thats just an opinion right. we are all allowed to have opinions

in terms of the total project. we protected the integrity of the house by not demolishing it or even adding on to it. we updated, at great cost, all the stuff you can’t see so that the house is around for at least another 50 years. and yes, everything we put in had some green element – be it low flow, no flooring materials (can’t get more sustainable than that) or lights on dimmer to conserve less energy.

don’t blame this on bryan – he did what we asked. he did it on time, mostly on budget and with style.

we know our house isn’t for everybody – but its not suppose to be, it was built for us and we love it.

thanks for you input and god bless america for the ability to have free speech.

now somebody buy some TV time so i can make the mortgage payment this month – please.