It appears I’m in a bit of a painting frenzy. Not the artwork kind of painting, but the “what needs painting next” kind of painting. Paint is one of those home improvement items that is rather affordable, easy to use and makes a significant impact. Since the front porch is looking a bit tired, I…
Building the Pool House Welcome to Chapter 4 of The Restoration Chronicles! I love a good Before and After story and we have many of those here at Bella Terra. I hope you have read the previous chapters where construction of the kitchen/basement, back terrace, and master suite additions to our historic 1912 home have…
Do you like an open floor plan? According to Google, an Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan which makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms. Are open floor plans going out of style? I’ve never lived in a home with an open floor…
We have a butler’s pantry. We do not have a butler. I would LOVE to have a butler like Mr. Carson from Downton Abbey, wouldn’t you? So, what is a butler’s pantry? According to Google, butler’s pantries are usually located in transitional spaces between kitchens and dining rooms, and used as staging areas for serving meals….
Our Italian stone fountain, which is located in our front yard, was beginning to show signs of deterioration. The iron spouts had completely rusted and the stone was covered with crusty lime that was leeching from the stone. You may recall, this project is on my New Year’s list of home maintenance needing attention (see…