Aletha and Lauren's Wedding 7-16-09

One Last Step on In the Garden Room 3

The wallpaper took longer than expected. We did get it back together in time for the March NASCAR racing weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Despite the upgrades we have not raised the price (the economy DOES have problems, doesn't it?) This is the room people choose when they want a great room, don't care about a whirlpool tub (or any tub since it has a large shower only). "Value" is what it is all about--all the same amenities as the more expensive rooms (no bubble bath, sorry!)

We are now offering In the Garden/Room 3 at a basic rate ($99/night) so its affordable to all comers. We also have a 4-day vacation special I posted just a few days ago. It ends up being $87/night plus tax if you come spend a good portion of your vacation with us sometime before Sept. 30.

It's MY favorite room. I think the decorating came together well and it's very pretty. I'm posting a photo. We took the lace down for awhile, just to change it. To see other views of this room check out this room's own web page Room 3 for views, including the fireplace.

What is the most important thing in a guest room, you may ask: good space, easy chair, loveseat, fireplace, TV, own thermostat on the heat and a/c, own ceiling fan, insulation so you can't hear your neighbors. This room has it all. The most interesting thing: you cannot hear the heat/air come on AT ALL in this room. Talk about a good night's sleep.....

Did I mention that Robert and I lived in this room for the second 6 months we lived here (during the last or our renovations.). I LOVE it.

Catching Up

For a verbal person like me..... well, hard to explain why you didn't get the end of the wallpaper story. So, let's catch up.

I'm attaching a photo so you can see how great the new raspberry colored wallpaper looks in Guest Room 3 bathroom. As to how we got there, let me just say (1) cold/cold water for wallpaper is wrong, just wrong, no matter what the instructions say (2) 30 sec. or less in the water bath (cold water see #1) is also wrong.
(1) + (2) results in paper that won't stick to the wall because the paste is not activated enough.
Therefore (3) Use warm water (feels neither hot nor cold on your body) and leave it in there a bit longer (checking to see that the paste looks like okra goop). THEN mash it on the wall.
And one more thing: for darker backgrounds and papers, paint the walls to match the paper before you paper. That way you don't have to be nearly as skilled as placing it over white primer.

If you try wallpaper: take my advice. Buy lots more than you need, have patience and use a sharp knife

Terrorized by Paper

The games began when I set to work with warm water, a sponge and a putty knife. [Wallpaper removal is so much fun!] Then I sent Robert out for wallpaper remover (apparently everyone else in town was doing the same thing). He brought home one bottle of bright blue gel. It worked "OK."

Sensing I was never going to remove a piece larger than 2 by 2 inches, I consulted friends online and got the magic potion: water and a tiny bit of fabric softener. We use Downey Ultra. I put it in a single serve size soda bottle for which I had a leftover pumper bottle top.

Then, from noon until 11 pm I sprayed and scraped. With no guests in the house I was able to blast the TV for my amusement, working by the light of a pole lamp outside the door because we removed the vanity light to paper easily over the junction box.

I made a big dent in the job, but it became obvious I could not schedule another full day of removal AND another day for spackling, caulk, clean up and touch up paint. One pair of guests were offered an upgrade because "their" room (this one) was no where near guest ready.

As I worked I decided to take down about 2/3 of the paper, above above the sink, toilet and to the right of the shower as well as over the window and door. Existing paper will remain in a corner where much of it will be behind a pair of cute little quarter-round picket fence shaped shelves.

Honestly, this is a compact room: about 6 feet x 4.5 feet with the door swinging in! This room is unique, with one wall made of 14 inch thick brick covered with horse hair based plaster, one wall of plaster over lath, one wall of plaster, lath and Sheetrock and one new construction wall of just Sheetrock. Old houses do have a history. This room was the trunk room for storing gear when friends/relatives came to visit (for months at a time!)

I'm anxious to see how it looks. And unhappy I can't spend another day stripping. The worst might be falling paper. THEN I'll have to strip the old stuff, wash the glue off the new vinyl wallpaper and re-paste it myself. I've done whole rooms that way.... I've just never stripped standard paper wallcovering before.

Dreaming of Spring (in the wallpaper)

Freshening "In the Garden" - Inn Room #3

We've always called this room's bath The Rabbit Bath. Drove our contractors crazy when we readied it for guests 10 years ago (the wallpaper border below the rail was the last item to go in....)

In The Garden Room is our least expensive room with some of my most favorite decorating--I really like the bronze bed with lacy valance. The price is based on the fact it has a a large shower and no bathtub. The room is large enough to add a twin bed for a third person.

This room was once the bedroom of the Rambo daughters, complete with French provincial furniture. From the beginning, I saw it as having a flower and garden theme. It's large (about 16x16') and has a fine, heart pine mantle with high tech (electric) fireplace, a love seat and a bathroom which might have been the Victorian trunk room (for their long-term visitors).

The bathroom is our target tomorrow...

I LOVE the 29-inch tall border around the bottom featuring a white picket fence, black and white rabbits and lots of flowers, including sweet peas. It is very sweet.

The background of this paper is vanilla, not readily available today. It also has a good bit of teal and olive in the plant leaves (have you tried to find anything teal anymore?) Besides, I want a fresher, younger feel to this room.

The bathroom's upper wallpaper tended to curl from the start so it's time to change it. My inspiration is a tea towel from the Mast General Store which has tiny stripes in a dark eggplant (purple), a limey green and a lighter raspberry. Wish there were matching wallpaper! So, with the help of Lowes I selected a Sunworthy wallpaper which is a medium raspberry color with a texture like hand-troweled plaster. It goes with raspberry touches in the sky above the picket fence.

Now, I KNOW this is my small bathroom. I've read a darker color will NOT make a small room smaller.... I hope so. Tomorrow the flowers above the rail will come down. It's only two rolls. Stayed tuned!

Let There Be Fire

Last night, after husband Robert and I enjoyed a steak dinner at The Peddler in Boone, NC, we were thinking "We're cold.".... The day never got above 37 or so despite the nice sunshine! So we dropped in to Lowes and bought a really cute, upright firepit or patio fireplace. (see picture)

Robert is delighted we'll be able to burn all the little branches which seem to keep falling out of the trees all over our three acres here at the inn. (We simply HATE the idea of putting them in the trash.)

I'm looking forward to a weenie roast, or maybe some toasted marshmallows and just hanging out by a nice, warm, crackling fire.

We once had a chimenea (which we dragged home from Atlanta stuffed in the small back seat of a sedan!) But the weather got the best of it and it cracked. This one is metal--think of it as a fireplace with four sides, able to be moved all over the back patio at the inn when the fire is out. I think our guests are going to like it even more than they did old ceramic model. This one also comes with a cover so we won't be draining icky, ash-filled water out of an open dish. It does rain in this climate.

The back patio is a great place to hang out. It is protected from the wind and tends to be a moderate temperature most of the year because the concrete pavers form a microclimate with a sweet heat sink using the paves and the gravel below as the storage mass. Still, those cool summer nights will be enhanced by this little fireplace.

Maybe there's a romantic fire in store as early as tomorrow night. I can't wait.

Let There Be Fire

It's cold out.... sunny, but cold. The woolly worm (the great winter weather predictor last October) was right: Winter was hard in the beginning and likely to be hard toward the end. I think the grace period of nearly 70 degrees is gone.... so, in honor of my birthday yesterday we bought a portable fire pit or fire box. Soon, when husband Robert has it assembled, there will be fire on the patio. Actually, I'm looking forward to a little weenie roast, maybe some toasted marshmallows and some hanging out time.

The patio--which is out the back door of the Prospect Hill Inn--has a microclimate all its own anyway. It is always warmer than elsewhere, perhaps because buildings protect it and because it is south facing with a concrete paver "floor" to act as a heat sink. Anyway, it stays nicer than many parts of the property most of the year. Still, a little fireplace action on cool nights, even in summer, would be nice.

We picked a model from Lowes which has a roof (and a cover). It rains a LOT here and I cannot imagine having an actual fire pit which might require bailing icky, ash-laiden water! So, it's an upright model with four sides for viewing--think of a four-sided fireplace, if you will.

So, that is our project for the week (assembly) as we mop up after most of the Valentine's Weekend revelers have gone home. They had wonderful weather Saturday and really enjoyed the Cranberry Stuffed French Toast. I'll leave that new recipe for another time.

Now, let me head up to the back where we have a BIG pile of little tree limbs and sticks. I think we'll have fuel for the patio fireplace for a long time to home!