Wanna See The SE Corner?
For the last two months I have posted many updates on the completion of the parlor in the 1894 Cross House.
But the south-east corner, the corner with the mantel and over-mantel, has been conspicuously absent from these many posts. This is because there were big holes in the SE corner, created to snake in wires so that the 1894 gas/electric sconces, which had been plastered over and long forgotten about, could be resurrected.
So, while I worked away at the other three corners the SE corner was…ignored. Also, I felt kinda overwhelmed at the task of repairing the big holes although I don’t understand why. I have repaired hundreds of such holes over the decades. The job is not hard. Yet for some reason every time I would look at the SE corner my mind would go numb.
Weird.
Finally though, with the SW and NW and NE corners done I had to face up to my inexplicable procrastination and get the damn holes repaired.
And repairing the holes proved effortless. Gee. What was I so freaked out about? All I can say is that the human psyche is really strange.
As of today, the painting of the parlor is finished.
WHOEE!!!!!!!!
WHOEE!!!!!!!!
WHOEE!!!!!!!!
I now have to do some work on the base molding. And install electric outlets in the base.
Then I get to BRING IN ALL THE FURNITURE AND CURTAINS AND RUG AND PICTURES!!!!!!!!
NOTE: The parlor is now a bit…vibrant…but it will calm down after it is furnished. For example, the wall medallions, which are now highly visible, will recede after everything is in place.
27 Comments
Leave a Reply Cancel Reply
Your email address will NEVER be made public or shared, and you may use a screen name if you wish.
Gorgeous!
Wow! Gorgeous. And I am so envious of your original fireplace tile. Just beautiful, Ross. Congratulations.
How exciting! How awesome! Way to go!!
WHOEE!!!!!!!! is right. Glorious!
I love it.
Hurray!!! Ross you DID IT!! I love it!!! Beautiful and what must be a sense of GREAT accomplishment!!!! Yay Ross! I am so happy for you!
Oh dear! I completely forgot about the stri-ped (two syllables please) floor! Just wait until those stripes come out from under their covers to play with the walls. I can already see that those wall medallions will recede. I think though that ceiling is going to shimmer and become a highlight (no pun intended) of the room. And the wine colored, curved couch will have found a perfect home. I. can. hardly. wait. Please hurry, patience is not my long suit.
It’s been a long time coming, I am very happy for you. I think it would do you a world of good to have a few friends over and entertain them in your great new parlor.
So very happy for you, Ross! What an accomplishment!
Looks amazing!
It is absolutely gorgeous! But in my opinion, you are not quite done. My eyes were drawn to the upper right corner where the wall seems bare to me. I wonder if a dark (blue?) medallion, curving around the corner near the top, might balance the wall better. Of course, the photo might just be obscuring your balance of colors. I am in awe of your decorating sense! And your energy to get this done!
You have a good eye.
And there IS a medallion in the upper right side. It just doesn’t read in the image, but it is visible as one walks around the room.
The medallions are done with metallic paint, so they “change” as one walks around the room, and depending on how much light hits them.
In the morning the room is kinda dark. In the late afternoon the room is very bright. At night the room is artificially lighted. So, during the course of the day all the medallions change in visibility. The effect is kinda neat.
I thought it might be the lighting, but I wasn’t sure! The room is gorgeous and totally not what I would have planned, but off the wall gorgeous!
I love it! The room will be a shining jewel of spring when it is all lit up at night during the winter.
Did anyone else spy the tasseled picture cord hanging from the picture rail to the right of the south window? A sign of things to come! 🙂
I noticed. I figure ‘someone’ is just toying with us.
I have to tell you this, Ross! I am so excited. This afternoon we were driving to a weekend family reunion in Little River, KS, and I had completely zoned out that you and the Cross house are in Emporia. As we were coming into Emporia from the east, we were admiring the lovely old homes. All of a sudden we saw one with scaffolding on it, and I said, “Look, someone is working on this one.” Then I saw the colors and yelled, “That is Ross’ house!” I made my husband drive around the block twice,and we turned around in your driveway in the back. So if you saw two weird people this afternoon in a dark blue and white Mini Cooper gawking at your house, it was us. Your house is even more beautiful in person. The stained glass windows on the north side were just sparkling. You and the Cross house made my day!
I can only echo all the other comments: It looks fab. The colours come together well and the ceiling looks just amazing. As for the fireplace and mantel, I am so envious, having a bit of an obsession over these! Now to see the furnishings and all the other elements come together to complete it. Well done Ross
I’ve been very quiet throughout this whole process, hoping that it would all come together better than I was thinking it would, as you fed us little bits and pieces…but Ross, man, it’s STUNNING. I would be waaaaaaay too chicken to even attempt such bold colors, but dude, it just WORKS in your parlor! I love it Ross! Love it love it love it!
Couple questions for you, though:
-Do you intend on returning gas service to whatever sconces you decide to install?
-Have you actually been able to locate a pair?! YOU HAVE TO SHOW US!
-The mantel looks….off, to my eye. Has it not been de-shellac-ed and refinished yet?
Thank you, Cody!
I will not be returning gas service to the sconces or chandelier. I plan to place votive candles where the gas jets were, and will light them for parties.
No, I have not found any gas/electric early 1890s swing-arm sconces yet. And I need a LOT for the house.
The mantel retains its old finish. It needs to be refinished, but I will not do this till winter. The mantel is actually varnished wood. But all the trim in the parlor has a faux wood finish. So, the mantel never did exactly match the trim in the room. And it never will. But it will look better come winter!
Kerri mentioned that she had found some fixtures on eBay so I looked, and are these what you are looking for? They are gas swing arms…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-Solid-Brass-Authentic-Gas-Lamp-Sconces-Converted-To-Electric-Circa-1890s-/262986693422?hash=item3d3b3a7b2e:g:rSoAAOSwB09YH~OU
I need gas/electric combination sconces.
The sconces you mention are only gas (converted now to electric).
Also, have you considered blue shades for the fixtures in this room too? I think electric blue shades would make a HUGE statement! Just a thought!
Oh yes. I have SO considered.
Blue? Or yellow? Or red?
But finding a matched set of eight will be extraordinarily difficult, and could easily run about $1,000. So, yikes!
I have run across far more yellow shades than blue, I’ve noticed, so that would be the EASIER option, but personally, I would totally opt for blue if they can be found! I absolutely ADORE my blue shades, but they would look even better in your parlor! Maybe you can do yellow ELECTRIC shades, and stick with clear gas shades, or vise versa, until such a time where you have a full matched set of 8 to make it complete? It just takes time.
You are getting sleepy, sleepy.
Your eyes feel heavy.
You are getting SLEEPY.
You are now…asleep. Deeply asleep.
Now, it is important that you remove your blue shades and send them to Ross.
Nod if you understand.
Good!
Now, at the count of three…
If you tell me every time you have something that you know you can do, but dread, I will say,” I bet you can’t do just one.” Then you can try, fail, and the job will be done.
–
Or you could follow Mary Poppins advice:
–
In every job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job’s a game