Lars, I love Kevin's painting there, and I really like the other wall hangings, they look either African or sort of Aztec to me, and they're very cool and unique.

I LOVE that hardwood floor in the living room and I didn't peek at the laundry basket, I promise. (grin)

Annie

Annie, the wall hangings in the living room are Zapotec - I bought them in Oaxaca, which is one of my favorite places to shop in Mexico. Two of the masks are African, and the one of the bird head is Haida, from British Columbia, and I bought that one in Vancouver. The African masks I bought here. I have more of them in my bedroom, as well as a tapestry that I bought in Guatemala. The drape over the sliding glass door is one that I made from fabric that I painted, and I originally made it for Jimmy and Maartje, but when they moved, they no longer needed it and let me have it back. I made it in 1992, and so it might be a bit dated, but it still covers the window!

Kevin's painting is a bit overpowering when you first come in the front door, but there was hardly any other place we could hang it because of its size. We had it in the garage in Venice because there was no wall in the previous house for it.

Lars

Love love love it! Great art, layout, yard, door cased opening corbels, drape on slider, end table lamp, pendent lighting, well, I just like everything about it. I'm so excited for you and Kevin! I love to see books lined up like soldiers. Great job!

I really like the end table lamp by the sofa.

Lars your new home looks just lovely! The art and furnishings are tasteful and well coordinated. You've done a fine job. I do love Kevin's paintings too!

Hopefully you'll show us the kitchen and back garden when you are ready.
I'm happy that you and Kevin have found such a good place to call home and one with more room as well.

SharonCb

Karen, we just got those table lamps last Sunday, and I think they made the finishing touch on the living room. They also give us an added option on lighting, in addition to the low voltage overhead lighting and torchère. I'll post photos of the yard soon also, and especially of the heliconias!

Kevin has more video to post, but he has to do some editing first, and he's been very busy at work lately. I think he might be getting a promotion tomorrow, which would be nice.

I took some photos of the dining room on Saturday, when I made migas, and I'll post those later, possibly on this thread, but I have to decide how to edit them.

Lars

Cool house!
Love the masks and the rugs and the wall hangings...
Looks like a n ice party too!
Linda C

How Beautiful!! Welcome Home Lars!! :-)

Oh so sorry I didn't see these sooner. What a pretty and charming place. I especially like the beadboard wainscoting.

Looks great Lars!

This week-end we went to an estate sale down the street (about a block away from us on our street with no cross streets), and we bought a 1950s solid teak dining set, which consists of a 42" diameter dining table with two 11" leaves and six dining chairs. The woman who owned the furniture lived on the other side of the street from us, and she was an artist, like Kevin. I had told Kevin before that we should shop for dining chairs this weekend but not buy them for a couple of months while we saved money, even though we are both budgeting our money very carefully. Last week, Kevin got a major promotion at Sony, along with a 10% raise, and so he's feeling more comfortable with spending money; therefore he told me that he wanted us to buy the dining room furniture. We haven't assembled the dining table yet, but when we get it all together, I'll post photos of it.

While at the estate sale (which we walked to - it was only a block and a half!), I sent Kevin back to our house to get my car to move the furniture while I continued to shop. There was a solid teak 1950s stereo console that the estate sellers were trying to get me to buy, but they had already loaded it into the SUV to take to Palm Springs (where they had a consignment shop), and I eventually agreed to buy it at a reduced price and use it as a liquor cabinet, as they recommended. At first I wasn't sure I would have room for it, but then I was able to mentally rearrange the dining room furniture in my head and figure it out. As it turns out, it works exactly as I had imagined it. For some reason, Kevin is not able to rearrange furniture in his head the way I do, but then furniture is my business.

I also bought two solid walnut Parson's leg lamp tables (one to use as a coffee table in the living room, and one just because it was so only $10!), and Kevin bought a beautiful bookcase for $25 that we have in the hall across from the dining room. We now have my two old dining chairs in storage in the garage, and we will have to put one of our dining tables into storage as well. We got an extremely good deal on the furniture, and now I don't have to shop for dining chairs!! I would have rather gotten some of the new dining chairs that I designed at work, but one of those chairs would cost more at mfg cost than the entire set we got at the estate sale. I still look forward to the day when I will own some of my own furniture designs.

I like the beadboard wainscoting also, but only because it is limited to one room. Kevin's bedroom and the sewing room have chair railing but no wainscoting, and so that could easily be removed, but they are working out okay with our furniture for now.

Lars

Hey I had that cat clock when i was a kid my aunt who lived in Mesquite Texas bought it for me...probably 1970! Looks great!

Lars, do you find that the chair rail makes furniture placement difficult? One of my sons rooms had it when we moved in. I clould not push the furniture against the wall and things would fall down behind. The biggest problem was his collection of Smurfs which were constantly doing backflips behind the dresser. I finally took it down.

I agree that wainscoting is fine in one room but overwhelming if there is too much of it.

I also can arrange furniture in my head although I do better if I can go to the room where it will be and use my imagination. That's when I realize that a piece might block a heater vent, or the slope of the ceiling will be a problem, or a door might bang into something.

Pam

Lars, ya done good! I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the house-warming. I sent you an email but it may not have been delivered because I got one of those automated emails about "not delivered for 12 hours, will keep trying". So send me an email with your house address again please!

Pam, I think chair railing makes sense in a formal dining room (i.e., one with four walls), but in a bedroom, I think it is relatively inappropriate. I can't imagine having chair railing in my own bedroom, but then it is much larger than the other two bedrooms. I'll post pictures when everything is in place.

Gina, you probably have my obsolete email address, and I will send you my new one along with my street address.

Lars

Lars, I love your new home and your garden also. It looks so comfortable and inviting, like you have lived there forever.

Your brother's pictures are great, I like his artistic style.

Lars your place is awesome. It must seem great to have so much more room.

Lars, you and Kevin have done a great job with the new place! I especially like the office/library space to the right when entering the living room. The masks and wall hangings are very interesting and eclectic while the overall feeling is calm and serene. I like the lamps in there is well.

I hope you both are enjoying your new house.

Teresa

It's a bit funny that you would refer to that part of the living room as a library! We have bookcases in every room except the bathrooms, kitchen, and dining room, and that includes two hallways. The bookcase in the hall by the kitchen has cookbooks (of course), but also my UFO book collection, which I obtained at various UFO Expo West conventions, which are no longer being held. My office area is in my bedroom (which is now almost completely unpacked!), and Kevin's is next to the dining area and studio.

Last week-end we went to an African Faire at Leimert Park and bought a new lounge chair for the living room, to replace the round chair that is actually an outdoor patio chair. The new chair is solid teak and was made in Ghana. It came with a matching ottoman and side table. I'll post pictures of it later. I also bought some African print fabric that I used to make curtains for the windows on either side of the front door, but I'm not sure I like them after I hung them. I'll post pictures of that as well for comments. I finally got my sewing room in shape for projects, and I will be making new pillow covers for the throw pillows and bolsters on the sofa. I have pillow forms that have not yet been covered, and I have plenty of fabric to choose from.

We are really appreciating the extra room. We have the old dining table still up in the studio, which is next to the dining room, and I noticed that if we had enough chairs, we could comfortably seat 12 people for dinner in the open studio/dining room. Too bad we can't have family dinners here, since most of our relatives live in Texas.

Lars