I Love Upstate

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2

Can A Countertop Be...Romantic?
2007-10-31 15:36:00
The woman who runs ReclaimedHome.com lives to torture me. I'm kidding. She and I have many of the same house/design passions. Because we have similar mindsets, when I read her blog I usually say outloud "hey! hey! - I wanted to do that!". Then I secretly hope that she'll show up at my door with tools since she's more well-versed in DIY. Recently she (what the frig is your name, by the way?) did a post about pewter and zinc countertops. I of course insisted that she did this to continue her torture of me since I am in "countertop hell". Here's a recap of my countertop hell:granite - Very pretty, really like it, very expensive. I have a fear that I will chip a tooth on it. Yes, really. I am that much of a clutz. corian 'and others' - It's ok but it doesn't make my heart beat faster.pewter/zinc - Not only does my heart beat faster but I might need to change my pants. It's so...romantic looking!I started looking more into pewter. I called a place in Austin and they were very ni...
More About: Romantic

I Bought Fabric For The Chairs!
2007-10-30 02:08:00
Yes, I finally settled on some fabric. Kinda. Sorta. Well, for part of the chairs. I want to use this fabric on the seat cushions and back pillow. What color to do the rest of the chair? I kinda like that bluish (I won't say teal-ish) color...but I think it'll be too many colors in one room. Thoughts? Suggestions? Shot of tequila?The living room (not at the house) has 2 brown velvet chesterfield sofas, a large maroonish Crate & Barrel book cabinet and this creamish yellow china cabinet/hutch that the tv is on. Now, we're adding in the chairs...and working on reupholstering them. Summary:--velvet brown--maroonish red--butter cream yellow--new chair fabric...Speaking of tequila, we spent last night watching Big Bird In China on the projector. That's what technology is for, right? We were laughing our asses off. I really think Barkley has worms and/or is related to George Clinton.Back to the chairs...I ran the fabric through 2 different palette generators...copyright 2007 iloveupst...
More About: Chairs , Fabric

Too Many Expensive Decisions --- All At Once.
2007-10-29 16:32:00
Matt-the-contractor came by and we mapped out a plan, hoping he will start in the next 10 days. That means I need to make a million or more very expensive decisions, like practically…now. Slide One: I tried to prime a section of the beams in the kitchen. I had primer in the garage but it wasn’t working out so well. I went out and bought a new gallon of Benjmain Moore’s latex primer. After four coats of primer, it was only marginally better. I’m thinking that maybe I need to use some really harsh chemical cleaner to get the kitchen grease off of the wood so that the primer can adhere. I don’t want to sand. I probably need to sand. I don’t want to sand. Grrrr. I don’t have a pic of the 4th layer of primer – believe the bottom-most pic is 2 layers. All that said, I agree that the beams/kitchen will look much bigger/better once those beams are painted “into” the ceiling. Upstate Joe had an amazing surprise for me. He attacked the dreaded “dirt pile”. It’s gone!...
More About: Decisions

Electrical Help? My Creativity Has Hit A Roadblock
2007-10-28 13:45:00
I thought I was being all slick when I picked up a big drum shade at Home Goods for $16. I want to put a drum shade hanging light in the living room (or maybe the den). Does anyone know of an online site where I can get the hardwire portion and also a diffuser for the bottom (so that you won't see the blaring bright bulb)? The hardwire part will need the long piece that hangs down that I can attach the diffuser to with a finial. I've been googling like a mad woman but I just keep coming up with alluminare.com which is crazy expensive. Here's the Restoration Hardware lamp I'm trying to quasi-replicate:Resource (online) suggestions? Maybe I should just bring it down to the lighing place in Saugerties that's working on my chandelier?HEY!??!??! Remember 'Jimmy the Midget" who's not really a midget and "not an electrician" because he's a plumber? Turns out that he's the plumber for Upstate Mom's boyfriend!! I just found out this morning. I'm so jealous!! Upstate Mom's beau re...
More About: Creativity , Electrical

Countertop Woes And NYC Home Depot Versus Upstate Home Depot
2007-10-26 16:19:00
Countertop shopping makes me…uneasy. They are so frikken expensive…and I’m afraid to make the wrong decision. So, I’ve had my house for, oh, five years…and still have the countertops that the previous owner installed…that I hate. It’s probably the one thing I hate most in the house. Perhaps the only thing that really makes me cringe – and that’s from day one even when the house was wall-to-wall wallpaper! Anyhoo, we’ll get back to the countertops later. Slide One:My bulletin board at work has that calico corners fabric that I love that isn’t appropriate for furniture but they taunt me with it ON a chair. A picture of a nautically upholstered chair with Ralph Lauren fabric, a pretty chair in striped Lee Jofa fabric and last but not least…an un-working magic wand. While I was in LA last week I stopped by the LeSportsac store and picked up this groovy backpack. I love the chicks! They make me giggle. Yesterday, picked MORE tomatoes from the garden. Sure, they wo...
More About: Home , Upstate , Versus , Home Depot

Greene County House Porn.
2007-10-25 04:05:00
Sigh, I need to win the lottery. copyright 2007 iloveupstate.com
More About: House , County , Greene

Yay!
2007-10-22 22:07:00
They finally moved me into a BIGGER office and it has a WINDOW. Now I will know when it's raining. The sunlight has made me damn giddy today. And since I haven't discussed fabric in almost 72 hours (hah!) here's some very David Hicks-like fabric I found on the Ralph Lauren rack at Calico Corners. Will start trolling ebay for a deal on this fabric, maybe. copyright 2007 iloveupstate.com

Out Of The Closet And Into The Kingdom Tinkerbell!
2007-10-22 04:04:00
The Fiance, as you may recall, can't keep a secret to save his life. Our 7 year anniversary is on Halloween (ahh yes, Halloween in the Magic Kingdom ...10/31/00 where Prince Charming got lucky...and so did the Fiance). Wow, that kinda sounds like I doubled up that night, huh? Just to clarify, I only slept with the Fiance. There, now that that's clear. Anyhoo, the Fiance spilled the beans last night and gave me my anniversary gift. He got me a copy of Unbuilding! Yay! It's all about *how to* architectural salvage. Speaking of the Magic Kingdom. We purchased a copy of Queens in The Kingdom today. Queens in The Kingdom is the gay guide to Disney World. No Mom, we're not gay. OH My gawd! This is the best travel guide - EVER! Maybe it's because we're both NYC, pop culture freaks (and the Fiance is a hardcore Disney Park Nazi) that it truly speaks to us. If you ever need to purchase a travel guide to the Magic Kingdom, I can't suggest this one enough. It's completely accurate and f...
More About: Closet , Tinkerbell

Home Again, Home Again. Jiggity Jig
2007-10-20 23:17:00
My Mother, without fail would always sing "Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig" whenever we had gone anywhere and were on our return journey. So, I'm home again. Got in around 2AM. I am cranky and jet-lagged. I have a list of complaints:1. It took over 45 minutes for American Airlines to unload the luggage last night. We were standing at baggage claim...FOREVER. Cranky and in the middle of the night and some dipshit was wearing an enormous crown and a beauty pageant sash and 4 inch heels. I really wanted to trip her. I think Christina Ricci was on the flight with me...and I think she was laughing her ass off at the tiara wearing chick too. 2. American Airlines showed the same exact episodes of Cheers & Fraiser on the flight to LA as the flight back to NY. Thankfully I had my laptop & some dvd's with me. 3. I hate Avis. I left my BRIGHT ORANGE portfolio in the backseat of the car. Yes, my fault. My error. While I was on the Avis shuttle to the airport I called them to report it. I ...

Well, I hit the Hotel Surplus Outlet...
2007-10-19 03:16:00
I swear, LA gives my eyes a sunburn even though I wear my sunglasses constantly. After I was done trolling around the convention and meeting the peeps I needed to meet...I went to the Hotel Surplus Outlet . I have been curious about this place for so long. I wasn't that impressed to be honest, perhaps they just had a lull in their inventory. Much of it was a bit sad and...expensive for what it was. I didn't take any pictures inside, I probably should have...sorry. It just didn't seem like the kinda joint that welcomed cameras. Later, I got all kinds of lost on Mulholland Drive. It was so pretty and I enjoyed every lost minute of it. I've been to LA a dozen times but this trip has a couple of "firsts". First time I ever got to the Hotel Surplus Store and first time I ever saw the Hollywood sign (yes, really). I'm usually driving and trying to pay attention to street signs when I'm here so I never get to gaze at the hills --- today --- actually saw the darn Hollywood sign and I ...
More About: Well

Hurray for Hollywood...
2007-10-18 07:17:00
After 5.5 hours in the air…I landed in LA. I was hoping to hit the hotel surplus store up in Van Nuys…but my flight was late. Argh!!! I have been wanting to hit that place for years. Maybe I’ll be able to find a couple of spare hours to zip up there. The Fiance is at home holding the fort down and wrestling the sub-q fluids into the cat. Anyhoo, the hotel is – as the kids would say – off the hook! I’ve been to LA a dozen times and typically stay at the Chateau Marmont or the Mondrian but the travel agent stuck me in the Sofitel. I didn’t realize that it had recently been done over…in full on Hollywood Regency-Dorothy Draper regalia. Heaven. Did I mention the French soap? Heaven. I scored 2 pairs of the cheapo disposable slippers. The Fiance loves them so I always drag them home. LOL The linens and robe are Frette. Heaven. Grey glass tiles in the shower. Heaven. I took pics of the opaque sliding bathroom door especially for Debbie. I really love this reddish brick lac...
More About: Olly

I Am So Excited!
2007-10-17 15:12:00
I'm going to a place...that I have been drooling over...for many months (years?). A place I could only glimpse on the internet...till today...it *might* just be the salvage o' my weirdo dreams. Yay!copyright 2007 iloveupstate.com
More About: Excite

Painting The Kitchen Floor!?!?
2007-10-16 22:37:00
I talked to Matt-the-contractor. He didn't get my cellphone/voicemail messages. I believe him. Isn't that weird? I'm going to make a long list w/ pics and email it to him since my schedule is completely nutty. We're set to meet on 10/27. One of the things we talked about is insulating the kitchen floor from below, ripping out the super-fug linoleum...and sanding it down to the boards and then painting the floor. Now I have to pick out a color. Oh boy.1. The kitchen has a LOW ceiling. 2. The countertop will be replaced so no worries on matching to the fug faux marble green. ick. 3. I'm thinking BLUE. Nauticual Ralph Lauren Blue. Is a dark blue floor going to zap the life/light out of the room and make the ceiling feel even shorter? Hmmm. Should I play it safe and go for a putty color? Here some inspiration pics...Current State of Affairs:EDIT:Damn that Carol. She and I were emailing a few weeks ago and it turns out she's a super-fab decorative painter. And, she's done lots of ...
More About: Kitchen , Painting , Floor

Farrow & Ball - My Little Pot O' Dreams
2007-10-16 15:02:00
My co-worker picked up a sample pot of Farrow & Ball 's paint (#31 Raleigh) for me this weekend. Leave it to me to fall in love with paint that costs $85 a gallon. Anyhoo, their "colours chart" is so pretty, I am kinda tempted to frame the sucker for my office. Who says a paint chart can't be art?I'll try to slap this on the Crate & Barrel Rojo cabinet (the back) to get a feel for it this weekend. Course, that requires moving couches and a few hundred books. Ick.copyright 2007 iloveupstate.com
More About: Dreams

Exposed Ceiling, Roast Chicken & More Architectural Salvage
2007-10-15 16:57:00
I get quite a few emails and google searches based on my living room ceiling so I thought I’d toss up a few more (better) pictures. We ripped out the lovely drop ceiling (mmmm…not!) and found these groovy old beams. I had bead board installed between the beams to lighten up the darkness of the beams and also to help keep the dust & debris down to a minimum. You wouldn’t believe how many people were horrified that I was planning to leave the beams exposed. Umm, screw you people. LOL I love the way it turned out. We had the room framed with simple molding like a picture frame. I have to fix that hideous electrical wire. The placement is terrible – that’s what happens when you aren’t always on site when work is being done. You leave copious notes and talk on the phone and well…you end up with a cord running down the center instead of flush against the beam or even UNDER the bead board where it should be. Que sera sera. Pick your battles. We’ll fix it when the French (or...
More About: Chicken , Roast , Ural , Architectural

Semi-Weekend Recap!
2007-10-14 16:15:00
My Mom (aka Upstate Mom) and I stopped in Saugerties to drop off the chandelier at Burning Lights. Super nice owners! They think the chandelier is Italian not French. Well, I bought it in Paris so perhaps it has a mixed accent? They will call in the next week or so with a formal estimate to fix the old beast. Mom spied this berry tree and had to pose for a picture. She also gets a bit goofy till you feed her and had to pose with the brass statues outside this antiques shop. I always wondered where I get my goofiness from. Mystery solved. After dropping off the chandelier we headed to Zaborski’s Emporium (salvage joint) in Kingston. Mantles? They have at least 30 of them. Claw foot tubs? There are 3 aisles of tubs. Street lights? Got them. Must have been 300+ chandeliers in this place. Brass beds. Old boat motors. Old stoves. Everything. We also hit the Salvation Army in Kingston. They had a faux bamboo dining room set but it was super-cheesy. After Zaborski’s it was back to Saug...
More About: Weekend , Recap , Semi

Commute From Hell
2007-10-13 16:05:00
Last night it took us just over 4 hours to get to the house. We left NYC at 9PM thinking that the bulk of the traffic would have left before that. WRONG. The Xavier chairs are now very happily residing in the dining room. They seem to be settling in quite nice and Upstate Mom loves them too. Will upload pics later, right now I'm a pile of jello on the couch. This weekends To Do List:1. unearth the sewing machine. 2. take out screens and put in the storm doors.3. take out the a/c units.4. chandelier to fixer guy in Saugerties?5. architectural salvage in Kingston?6. Sams Club - the Fiance loves that place7. sweet talk Upstate Mom into making roast chicken, broccoli & mashed potatoes. 8. find extra sidetable topper in guest bedroom. 9. meet with Matt-The-Contractor. OK, further proof that Matt is the contractor that totally gets me? I called him yesterday and he said "Hey, there's a sign up in the pizza parlor, they are looking for you!". To which I responded "What? Huh?" and he said...
More About: Commute , Hell , Mute

Extreme Hollywood Regency? Holy Moley.
2007-10-12 16:36:00
copyright 2007 iloveupstate.com
More About: Hollywood , Extreme , Holy , Trem , Olly

Green Demolotions = Cheap & Uber Fab Kitchen
2007-10-11 15:29:00
I puffy heart Green Demolitions. Per their website:GREEN DEMOLITIONS —Recycled Luxury Kitchen s, Estates, and Surplusat 50-75% Off Retail Price New Green Demolitions sells luxury commercial surplus anddonated kitchens, appliances, bathroom fixtures, home decor, etc. from houses being demolished and renovated in Greenwich and New Canaan, CT, Scarsdale and Bedford, NY, and beyond.Donation proceeds benefit Recovery Unlimited, the operating name of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting a highly successful addiction recovery program established in 1964. Truly, some of the kitchens they have look like they came right out of a spread in Elle Decor or Metropolitan Home. If I could wolf-whistle, I would. They have a few locations and are opening a NEW one in Norwalk, Connecticut this weekend. LINK. They also have stores in Bethel, NY and Honesdale, PAHere's some pics of currently available and "coming soon" kitchens:copyright 2007 iloveupstate.com
More About: Cheap

Anthropologie + Dinner + Pedicab = Carnegie Hall
2007-10-11 05:28:00
Oodles of fun tonight. I stopped at Anthropologie to pick up a few more knobs for the storage doors (on sale, $2.95 each - yay!) and then met the Fiance for dinner. After dinner we had to race up to Carnegie Hall and the only available cab was a pedicab. Scary! We had fun and I took dorky pics, what could be better? The show at Carnegie Hall was a tribute to the work of Elton John & Bernie Taupin. Sitting in Carnegie Hall is like sitting in a wedding cake. It's just so beautiful. It's all white and gold leaf and just stunning. The seats are mohair for Christ's sake. We got to see Shawn Colvin and Jill Sobule and Phoebe Snow and Aimee Mann and several others. There was a band (think they are unsigned) called Fools for April that had such a warm/lush sound. Was happy to get a free cd from them when I left, looking forward to checking them out tomorrow. Walking down the stairs I realized that Zach Braff from Scrubs/Garden State was walking next to me. Meow. He's cute on television/...
More About: Dinner , Polo , Logi

Rolling Stones Apron = Chandelier. Right?
2007-10-10 22:29:00
copyright 2007 iloveupstate.com
More About: Rolling Stones , Rolling , Deli , Chan , Tone

Excuse Me, Lulu? David? Won't You Be My Friend?
2007-10-09 21:51:00
I'm in love with the Lulu DK and David Hicks fabrics. WAY out of my budget and (I think) they only sell to the trade. Just moanin'.copyright 2007 iloveupstate.com
More About: Friend , Excuse