Kate Maura is an artist I truly fell in love with. Her work evokes the same emotions I have when at a ballet. Beautiful, flowing movement. Her use of colour, both heavily saturated and muted, combine to draw you in and balance in such a way as to be both harmonious and striking at once.
Architectural rendering of the proposed library for Morgan by McKim, Mead & White, ca. 1902.
Watercolor over pencil. Acc. no. 1958.24.
In the vast expanse of literary wonders, some books stand out as shining gems, illuminating stories that deserve to be shared and celebrated. One such gem is “The Personal Librarian,” a captivating historical novel that delves into the life of an extraordinary woman whose achievements have long remained obscured by history’s shadow. Co-authored by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, this novel has breathed life into a remarkable tale of empowerment, resilience, and the love for literature.
Continue reading “Unveiling Hidden Treasures: Exploring “The Personal Librarian””
How are you? The sun is out right now, makes for a better day. It’s been gray for a month and the sun feels like a welcome old friend.
Continue reading “A Designer’s Renovation – Part 8 – Preserving History”
HI!!
Sorry, am very behind on blogging regarding the renovation. We took a 2 week hiatus from online stuff over the December holidays, and have been so busy upon our return that social media has basically been the last thing on the schedule.
Continue reading “A Designer’s Renovation – Part 7 – The Chaos”
SO this week I was supposed to write about the den. And although that’s fun, to be honest, I haven’t really finished that design, and many more interesting things have happened during this renovation.
Let’s talk about the time we tried to put in the beam in our kitchen…
Do you love to cook?
I LOVE to cook. I LOVE to bake fancy cakes. I LOVE to eat (which really explains it).
I have a LOT of kitchen stuff. Pots and pans, machines of all sorts, rolling pins and buckets of fondant, cookie cutters, crockpots, you name it. And I want more. It’s my sanctuary, second only to my master bathroom (which doesn’t even exist more than a stud outline at the moment.)
Ever planted a time capsule? Grab a newspaper, maybe a hockey card or a note you wrote when you were 10 and along with a few timely treasures, stick it in a box or tin can, then bury it in the back yard?
I did. I must have been around 10 at the time. My friend Maral and I found a little box and put some tokens into it. I can’t remember what, and we buried it in our “fort”, amongst the trees at the end of our street. I wonder if it’s still there…
The Renovation REALLY starts!
The day after we received our permit, we set out to get things done. As a result of my neighbour and the permit process, we had lost over two months of precious time.
The first thing on our list, was to dig out some footings in our basement, to support the opening we created on the floor above. My kitchen was to open up from a tiny 11’ x 12’ space to a 22’ x 12’ stunner. But to do so, meant a big beam, and some supports.
Permits
Before the renovation could begin, we had to do what’s called a “site plan application”. Basically, if you are trying to do something that doesn’t conform with your site’s by-laws, say trying to build too close to the street or too high, you must amend your site plan. The steps we had already taken, included the design approval (you read about that last week). We also had to get an updated survey, grading plan and submit our final drawings.
Good morning!
How do you like the title? There’s No Place Like Home. It’s true, isn’t it? And not just for Judy Garland, but for all of us. Our home is a safe zone. A place where after a long day of work, we go to throw our shoes off, eat our meals, hug our families and hide from the reality of our stresses. I say this in jest. I have 7-year-old twins. You get it. A renovation feels like it might just threaten that safe zone.
Continue reading “There’s No Place Like Home – A Designer’s Renovation”
