Farmhouse table purchased!

So Ryan and I had a very productive day today. We stopped by Five Corners Antiques in Essex Junction...and lucked out. Sitting in the middle of the room when we walked up the stairs was a perfect farmhouse table (7 ft.) with mismatched chairs. We loved its rustic feel. And the juxtaposition of the primitive nature of this piece and our modern kitchen should be great. This is a wonderful store with a fantastic selection of antiques. David, the owner, was kind and gracious, even helping us arrange and re-arrange the chairs until we found the right level of mis-matchedness. We could not have been more pleased with the selection or the service.

Here is a recent article in the Free Press written about David and his shop.

I'll also make a plug for buying used furniture as way of going green. Any day a tree remains standing in the forest instead of being cut to make new furniture is a good day.

Here are some pictures of our beauty from the shop (compliments of David--thanks again!)

More scandinavian inspiration

Skona Hem might be one of my favorite magazines even though I can't read a word of it. Here are some photos of a beautiful apartment they profiled on their website. I heart the combo of rustic, modern and industrial.

ICF home in New Hampshire

So have we mentioned lately that we lucked out with our builder, Al Rossetto? Technically, he's not our builder. We're acting as our own general contractors and Al has been gracious enough to serve as a consultant on the project as well as the primary sub for elements including foundation, wall system, HVAC and central vac. He's incredibly knowledgeable about green/energy efficient building practices, committed to keeping us on budget and honest as the day is long. And I haven't even begun to describe the kindness he and his wife, Gail, have shown us over the past year. Case in point: we spent the weekend with them in their brand spankin' new SIP home in Lancaster, New Hampshire. They invited us over to see the house and to take a trip down to the southern part of the state to tour the finished product of one of Al's clients, Rouleen, a fellow owner-builder. We spent Saturday and Sunday eating great food, drinking good drinks, talking about green construction, laughing and telling jokes. We felt like part of the family. How many people can say this about their builder? All in all, we feel blessed to have found Al and to be under his care.

Anyway, as mentioned above, part of the purpose of the weekend was to check out Rouleen's recently completed home. She built a full-ICF home meaning both the basement and the first floor are constructed of ICF blocks (Logix, I believe). She put on a traditional truss roof with blown-in insulation.

When we tell folks that we're considering an ICF home, the response we receive is often some version of, "Why would you build a house out of concrete? Won't that be like living in a bunker?" These pictures of Rouleen's home illustrate that ICF homes, just like any other type of home, can be stunningly beautiful. The wall system doesn't dictate the feel and ambiance of the house...the owner/decorator does. You can have a colonial ICF home (like Al and Gail's), a craftsman style ICF home (like Rouleen's) or a million other options. ICF can fit any aesthetic. I didn't once think "bunker" when I was in Rouleen's home. She's done a beautiful job and was such a joy to meet. She was wonderfully helpful with little tips and hints. And she gave us confidence that we, too, could act as owner-builders and could come in on-budget.

The weekend was a blast, Rouleen and her gorgeous home rocked our worlds (as did her pork stew and homemade coleslaw--mmm, mmm good!), and Al and Gail were tremendous hosts, as usual. Our sentiments might change over the course of the next few months....but right now, this home building thing is super fun. Here are some pictures of Rouleen's beauty:

Modern barn interpretation

So we're obviously not building a barn. But we are trying to channel a strong agrarian aesthetic and the shape of our home is quite reminiscent of a barn. So why not glean some inspiration from them? Especially modern ones. I have always been drawn to this particular barn home in New York state. Dwell featured it a few months back and I've been meaning to blog about it but keep forgetting. Enjoy the photos.

Indoor fireflies

I can't help but adore these mason jar pendants. They remind me of the fireflies my sister and I used to catch when we were little. This DIY fixture allows you to hold onto a bit of summer in your home year-round. Lovely. DIY directions at Design Sponge Online.

Swedish inspiration

So as I've perused various magazines and websites over the summer, I've found myself more and more attracted to simple, Scandinavian styles. I love massive amounts of white...on the walls, the floor, the ceiling. I love natural wood, the more rustic the better. And I love spicing up the two materials with a splash of color (red, yellow and blue being particular faves). Oh, and throwing in a couple of raw industrial elements doesn't hurt. In short, I think I am falling in love with Swedish interiors. Here are some inspiration shots that I find myself drooling over...can we bring a Swedish touch to our Vermont farmhouse?

From Desire to Inspire








From Cookie Mag






From Skona Hem



From Materialicious

Updates

So it has been awhile since we've posted, we know. But it's been a busy summer. I was out of town most of July for work (and visiting my folks in Bama) and Ryan and I spent half of August in Costa Rica with Sara and Jav. Trip of a lifetime. Anyway, we're back in the game now and buckling down to make some important house decisions. We plan to meet with our primary sub, Al Rossetto, later in the month to review the four quotes we've received from SIP and ICF companies (two from each). We're leaning heavily towards going with ICFs but want to ensure that it makes sense cost-wise.

We also received word yesterday that the sofa we were so excited about from www.greensofas.com is not coming. It turns out the company is having trouble with its suppliers and is refunding our money. We are disappointed to not have our sofa but appreciate the company's professionalism in the matter. I suppose it's back to square one for our green, affordable sofa hunt. Any ideas?

Help us pick a sofa...(UPDATED)

UPDATE: Upon reading all of the research on the harmful effects of materials and chemicals commonly found in most sofas on the market today, we have decided to forgo the options we listed below (although we still really like the styles). In our search for eco-friendly furniture options, we quickly learned how incredibly expensive they can be. Imagine my delight to stumble across GreenSofas.com, a California-based company that, according to their website, strives "to positively impact the world by making safe, eco friendly furniture affordable to everyone." They are the first eco-friendly company to offer sofas for under $1500. A variety of sofa styles (including some great modern designs) and configurations are available but all are guaranteed to be made with sustainable, non-toxic, environmentally friendly materials. Here is some more information from their website...

"Did you know that over 90% of furniture is made with materials known to cause global warming, respiratory problems, breast cancer, and even leukemia over extended periods of time? As if that weren’t bad enough, the furniture industry is devastating the world’s forests with their careless harvesting practices. Eco friendly furniture offers a solution to these problems by using non-toxic glues, cushions made from natural materials (soy and latex), and hardwood frames from responsibly managed forests. Good eco furniture also replaces chemically derived fabrics (polyester, nylon, and viscose) with natural fabrics (cotton, hemp, and linen). These simple changes are vital to preserving the planet, and the health of our families. The problem is that most companies who offer eco friendly furniture are price gouging their customers. The average price for an eco sofa is now over $4,300. GreenSofas.com is not interested in these schemes. Our mission is to positively impact the world by making safe, eco friendly furniture affordable to everyone. In fact, we are the first company to offer genuine eco sofas for under $1,500. We allow you to feel good knowing that your family and the planet are protected at a fair price."

We are placing an order tonight (to take advantage of a 10% off and cushion upgrade sale) for the "Jodie" sofa in "Putty" colored natural hemp fabric. We're so psyched. Granted we'll be spending a bit more than we had planned but we know it's the safest and most responsible choice. An extra $200 or $300 seems like a small price to pay for peace of mind and for maintaining our commitment to going green.



(Original post below)

So as we continue to tackle huge things like what type of wall system to use (we're back to the SIP/ICF debate and are waiting to hear from four companies with bids), I'm keeping myself busy with smaller tasks like picking out cool furniture for our new abode. Today's quest...the perfect sofa for $1000 or less. Here are the top contenders. What's your fave?

Room and Board "Westwood" ($999)


Room and Board "Brooks" ($799)


Pottery Barn Teen Convertible Couch ($799 although not currently in stock, according to PBTeen)


Exclusively Home "Plaza Tufted Sofa" ($685 + free shipping!)


Ikea "Sater" ($399)

House plans!

At long last, here are our house plans. Lori Buxton at Buxton Drafting Services has been incredible to work with and gave us a final product that really matches our original vision. We want the exterior to reference the vernacular architecture of rural Vermont but the interior to be light, airy, open and modern. We hope we have achieved the right balance of the two. If you click on the little rectangle in the upper right-hand corner of each Scribd window, you can see the frame in a larger size.

Our favorite design elements:

The steep pitch of the roof that echoes traditional barn design (silver/metallic standing seam)
Vertical siding (James Hardie or Certainteed product in white)
The mudroom/entry, a necessity in Vermont
The way the kitchen, dining and living areas flow into one another
The bank of windows facing east that frame our most beautiful views of the Vermont countryside
The open loft area that looks out over the great room, the perfect spot for both of our home offices (mine will be on the north wall, Ryan's on the south)
The way the bedrooms (i.e. private areas) are tucked into the west side of the house whereas the communal gathering spaces (kitchen, dining, great room, loft) are all clustered where the views are, on the east


1st Floor

1st - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: 1st

2nd Floor

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South Elevation

South elevation - Upload a Document to Scribd

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East Elevation

East Elevation - Upload a Document to Scribd

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North Elevation

North Elevation - Upload a Document to Scribd

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West Elevation

West Elevation - Upload a Document to Scribd

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Modern dining chairs

What's a fabulous farmhouse style table without the perfect chair to go with it? I'm oscillating between white and metal options. Which do you think best accentuates the rustic nature of the tables we like?

I love this metal chair from the Sundance Catalog, especially paired with their tables.


Pottery Barn has something very similar. It also carries a simple white, which I like.



CB2 has these options.