shoot-scoop, the laura bruen photography blog » the farm

jimmy’s “green” pond project

laura bruen — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:28:35 +0000

I’ve been seriously slacking on the renovation posts, and I got a bit of slack for not posting Jimmy’s fabulous pond project quickly enough, so here we go!

Some of you may remember my Earth Day Post last year, when I spoke about the new planting bed beside the pond.

I am especially proud of this particular project as it is our first true “green” project! Meaning, we used almost 100% recycled materials found on the property!

The photo of the pond itself below is pretty much “as is” the day we moved in. Well, it was dirtier (of course) - but you can see that the waterfall is artificial rock with rust stains on it. This waterfall was always the reason for needed change for Jimmy (my fabulous husband. He tried to paint it to match the rock, but it didn’t really work well. I’ll be honest, if this pond wasn’t already here, it wouldn’t have been very high on my list of things to do, well, ever. But the way it is now, I can’t imagine not having it. Jimmy really did a fantastic job.

Without further delay…

Pond, April 2008 – we are in the process of adding outer rim of rock and planted some hydrangeas. You can see how small the hydrangeas are here! Just starting to get their leaves.

THIS year I filled up and cleaned around the pond only to find that it lost 2 feet of water overnight. Bad liner. Needs replacing. Ugh. Pain in the rear but needs to be done. Jimmy and I begin taking things apart and discovered the WEALTH of materials underneath a few inches of dirt surrounding the pond.

By the time we were done, we had found SO MANY. It was like a treasure trove!

I realize that this looks like I sat around and did nothing but take pictures, but trust me, I helped with this part, dismantling, that is. The rest was all him.

New liner.

First levels.

Hydrangeas starting up

Isn’t my man talented? Finishing touches on the waterfall

Waterfall done, planting beginnings.

Here is what my hydrangeas look like, pre-bloom!

Bloomed hydrangea!

Another time of day.

Spearmint for Mojitos!

Transplanted moss

I just really love these slate stones

Jimmy-rigged (pun intended) chandelier for dining alfresco!

Isn’t it just fantastic? I’m so proud! I can’t wait for everything to fill in.

we won! we won!

laura bruen — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:07:16 +0000

I haven’t won anything in a very, very long time. I won a Samsonite when I was 10 while away for my late grandfather’s business trip for Potash Company of America. I did, for a few nights in a row, win NY’s pick 3 numbers about 15 years ago – don’t know what happened after that, I lost my winning streak…until now.

I’m proud to announce that the Bruen household won the Blissfully Domestic FIRST EVER Holiday Lights Contest! We are now the proud owner of this:

it snowed today…

laura bruen — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:48:04 +0000

It snowed today. During my “working” lunch break, I had the opportunity to hop outside and take just a couple of shots! Also, if you were by recently for the Holiday Farm House Tour, you’ll now see some new photos of my tree and some additional photos of the foyer as I added to the post. Check it out.

Snow. Not quite as much as I would’ve loved but serene nonetheless!

When it started.

Gwen

Hat was a bit big I guess.

Wanted to take a photo during this time to show you those placemats in daylight (albeit cloudy weather). Silver, not gold, but they look gold with the holiday lights on at night.

Here’s what it looked like when it stopped snowing:

I need at least 2 feet this winter people, give me 2 feet of snow please?

holiday farm house tour

laura bruen — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:22:55 +0000

I love the holidays, and the most favorite part of it all (aside from the blatantly obvious family and eating part) is decorating. In the spirit of the Season, I wanted to preset the Farmhouse Holiday House Tour at least, what’s been completed thus far.

These last few months have been crazy, the holiday rush is super crazy, and I really, really needed to get a house post up as it’s something that’s fun for family to see, especially those that have been able to visit during the 3 years we’ve lived here. It’s great to show our progression. Since Jimmy and I do the work ourselves, it is especially rewarding to be able to blog about, and see, our handiwork.

I took this weekend “off” by shooting around the house, pushing myself to be able to enter Brooklyn Limestone’s Giveaway! I’m just barely making it by posting this 1 hour before the deadline. Monday, BooMama’s,
Hooked on Houses, Southern Hospitality and Tip Junkie, Muse Swings’ “Christmas In Bloggyland Tour“- all having amazing Open House tours and Kimba’s “A Soft Place to Land” blog is starting on Tuesday – and some others as well, and finally check out Pretty Petals too! Hope on over to the Inspired Room for some design inspiration, and for the Holiday Link Exchange. Be sure to check them all out if you’re into interior design and holiday decorating. The blogs are pure creative eye candy.

I’ll start off with the daytime shots.

Quite a few things I want to change next year, but this is how it looks presently.

Sup internet.

Admittedly, I didn’t spend ample time on this tree, but it looks great t night.

The Foyer has not changed much since last Christmas but I’ll post a few details.

The Foyer, Entry View

From the living room

From the opposite side.

A Vignette in the Foyer

Fantabo Idea – Eco Chic wrap!

I wish I could take credit for this great idea, but it actually came from my friend Hope (who has no vehicle as of yet to translate her great ideas to the web), who suggested to me that everyone should use their magazines for wrapping paper in an effort to recycle. Considering this house is completely “plugged in” over the holiday season I try to do whatever I can to help out the environment in other ways.

So, I did it this year and think my presents came out great! I have so much more to wrap this week and will certainly post them all when completed. I love the way it looks!! As a confessed I’m such a magazine junkie, (I have a home and garden from 1995 or so, I love the cover and simply could not part with it), it makes me feel much better putting them to good use somehow, and I get to pay tribute to great editorial photography in doing so.

Heaven! Well, maybe not “heaven” but it certainly beats keeping them under my bed forever.

{Finally…the Tree}

Truth be told, my husband and I didn’t decorate this fabulous tree. {AND, the lights just went out on top today}. This beautiful tree is my mother-in-law’s tree, which she decorated for my foyer this year with her beautiful vintage ornaments.

This one was a gift from a client. Resembles her daughter (future post for that).

My uncle makes these. He’s a carpenter.

I’m a real-tree person, I love the tradition and pretty much everything about having a real tree, so we will be going to get a real tree for our living room, it will not be until next Saturday morning before I go shoot Nicole & Robert’s Wedding in the evening.

——————-

From here we move on to the (drumroll please…) The New Dining Room. This room has been three years in the making. I will save the remodeling details for another post at another time, but for now, here it is, in all it’s glory minus new furniture, which we need. This set we bought with the house since we didn’t have a dining room set, it is solid wood and really great furniture but not “us”, especially since we took this room from a country feel to a more glamorous feel, at least for me.

100% ambient light.

Ralph Lauren Metallic Paint.

Jimmy and I designed the wainscotting from scratch, using several pieces, and then Jimmy did the wainscoting entirely by himself (I am so proud). Quite the feat…here’s from the opposite angle.

OK, so let’s all take a look at my absolute favorite thing in this room.

This would be my new Schonbek! Does anyone hear angels singing or is it just me? I cannot tell you how much I love my light fixture. We did so much manual labor on this room, 3 years worth of wallpaper removal, painting, repainting, repainting again, custom mill work, caulking, priming, painting the beams (8 coats to get them white, mind you). After all of this labor we deserved the chandelier that we wanted, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Love the light that is cast on the ceiling in a brilliant pattern. I need to paint the medallion, haven’t decided on a finish.

And a light dusting of Benjamin Moore’s glitter glaze makes the light in the room dance at night – see ceiling detail below.

Candles do amazing thing to this paint. Lights off…

A beautiful gift from my friend, Chris, who’s late father used to weld iron sculptures.

I need to find some different fabric for this chair.

You’ll notice I have prints and enlargements of my work everywhere. This is only because I have no idea what I’m going to put on the walls in here, and I had these prints done for my office (I rotate my session displays) so I filled them. Although in posting this I am realizing the way these are displayed eerily it looks like a shrine, but it’s not meant to show that way. Yikes, must change that or figure something out for this table immediately!

Moving on to the Living Room, we received our new slip covered sofa that we ordered like 6 months ago. Finally. But two days ago and I was completely unprepared with what we’re doing in this room. The color right now is just NOT right. The three colors on primer you’ll notice in the very back corner have been there for a lonnnng time. None of the colors are the right choice, I am sure of that now. A friend of mine recently said “you should slap a frame around it at this point – a Laura Bruen Original”. Hilarious Jeanne, thanks :=)

The magazine article on the far wall with the yellow lamp – the color of the fabric in that that ad is the one I think I’m going with. Steel gray blue…I think it will pick up some of the blue from the rug? Thoughts?

Of course I was expecting guests the day after I got the couch and needed to get some throw pillows.

Like a wild animal I am running through Pier One to find throw pillows and found these:

I suppose with these pillows, what happens after the holidays remains to be seen. Think I can keep the snowflakes around a bit? Also, I’m not sure my current tables match my new look…

My attempt to pull some blue into the room, and I love it!

Thoughts on this new color?

Sigh. Decisions decisions.

And, finally, I’ll backtrack out of the door for the night shots. Next year, we’ll have to add to this garland. They only had this one left. Stores are all cleared out already.

The porch at night.

On the bistro tables. The ambient lighting casts a warm glow everywhere, but these place mats are actually silver.

Thanks for visiting.

With the fence in focus, from last year.

Wishing you Happy Holidays from our house to yours!

dining room teaser…

laura bruen — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:26:07 +0000

I can’t give away too much right now except that this fabulous Schonbek has made it to my dining room. 3 years and 4 paint colors later – this dining room is finally on it’s way to getting the finishing touches.

With all of the manual labor that went into this room, it deserved some glamorous lighting. I will not show it in all of it’s splendor just yet, but even dimmed it just looks…sexy I cannot get enough of it!

Stay tuned.

Protected: the farm: the bathroom, take two

laura bruen — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:19:25 +0000