Comforts of Home/Kim Fancher Design

Classic Kitchen With a Twist < 5-Star Beach House Kitchens - Coastal Living

2011-08-26T09:05:00.000-05:00

Check out these great kitchens. Clean, fresh and lots of light. Some great ideas also. Classic Kitchen With a Twist < 5-Star Beach House Kitchens - Coastal Living

Re-do Butcher Block Island

2011-08-13T18:08:00.000-05:00

Here is the pitiful butcher block prep table that we bought as newlyweds in Leadville, Colorado and hauled with us on our move to Granbury, Texas. Not being familiar with the elements in Texas we placed it outside thinking it would be a great table by the grill. Not a smart move by us. Three years later it was a mess! You do not want to know what kind of funny things grow in this climate!

I had been looking for about a year for an island to place in our kitchen. After much looking, sticker shock and becoming a fan of Re-Do I decided to replace the old top with a new butcher block top. I am so happy with the results!

Thanks to Steve with Lively Cabinets in Granbury, TX. He ordered me a new top and after cleaning up the metal, he installed the new butcher block top. I am thrilled with the results, glad to have a big new butcher block island, and happy that the cost was only $260.00 for the top and install. It is much nicer and larger and less expensive then the islands I was looking at to purchase. Guess I better go cook something now so that I can break it in. Happy Saturday!

The Almost new re-do patio Furniture!

2011-08-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

Here are two before photos of some very weary wrought iron patio furniture. It was yellow and then cream colored. The paint was peeling and rusting. I had 17 pieces of furniture and to replace wrought iron was not very cost effective on a budget.

Here are two photos of the dining set and one of the chairs. I hauled all the furniture down to Granbury Welding here in Granbury Texas and had them sandblast and repair joint welds on the furniture. 17 pieces cost about $530.00.

Here are photos of the occasional chairs. I found these cushions on sale at Lowes. They were about $50.00 for the seat and back marked down to $35.00 for the set. I decided to go with these cushions instead of my original thought to recover the exisiting ones because the cost of outdoor fabric is very high! The cushions are a little large but they work and they are comfortable and substantial.

After the furniture was all sandblasted they hauled it over to A1 body and paint and I had it all powder coated in a dark brown. The cost was $605.00 for 17 pieces.

I did splurge on a piece of granite to replace the wood on this shelf. I now have a nice place for outdoor service.

The entire cost of the project ran approximately $1500.00 We looked at buying new patio furniture and found a set that we liked at a store in Fort Worth. For 5 pieces of outdoor wicker and cast aluminum the price tag would have been around $3000.00 and that was the sale price!

I am thrilled with the look of my new-old furniture and am planning on adding an outdoor rug as soon as I can find one. I will do final photos when the rug is in place and I have everything set up for an outdoor gathering.

Between Naps on the Porch

2011-08-09T09:34:00.000-05:00

This is a great blog! Lots of fun ideas, pictures and more. Check it out! Between Naps on the Porch

Hambone Folk Art 602-721-7778

2011-08-01T20:34:00.000-05:00

If you are in the mood to smile. Check out the artwork by Hambone. His folkart of the deep south in Louisiana where he grew up is delightful! The colors and life portrayed are vivid and fun. I hope you enjoy his work as much as I do! Click on the link to go to his website.

Hambone Folk Art 602-721-7778 folk art crafts primitive folk art print americana folk art halloween folk art

Patio Furniture

2011-08-01T20:01:00.001-05:00

I am so excited! My patio furniture has been airbrushed and is now at the body shop getting powder coated. Should be ready later this week. As a teaser here are some photos of the furniture before. Can't wait to show you the after!

Bring New England to your home with this recipe

2011-07-26T16:58:00.000-05:00

I Love Clam chowder and this recipe looks really really good. Can't wait to try it!

A New England Favorite – Clam Chowder

Posted on July 26, 2011 (Edit)
By Lynda

UNION OYSTER HOUSE CLAM CHOWDER (RECIPE VIA THE FOOD NETWORK)

Ingredients

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
4 pounds fresh or frozen clams, shelled and diced
1/4 pound salt pork, diced
2 small onions, diced
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
10 cups clam juice
2 pints half-and-half
Salt and pepper
Dash hot pepper sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Bring the potatoes and the clam juice to the boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the clams and any of their liquid. Cook about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add the pork to a saute pan and cook over low heat until rendered. Add the onions and cook until transparent. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the flour and cook until slightly colored. Add a bit more flour if necessary if the mixture is too soft. Bring the clams, juice and potatoes back to the boil. Gradually stir in the cooked roux. Bring to a rolling boil to thicken. Stir continuously while cooking. Beat the half and half and add to the soup. It may not be necessary to use all the half-and-half; the soup should be thick. Adjust the seasoning and add a dash of hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce before serving.

Cottage and Bungalow’s Marblehead Chowder Set is perfect for serving chowder in classic beach style. Our classic blue and white chowder set consists of four chowder bowls and four saucers custom made just for you.

Interesting bit about the history of monograms

2011-07-22T07:33:00.000-05:00

THE HISTORY OF MONOGRAMS
Today, monograms are a lovely way to adorn everything from fine linens to home accessories. Once strictly used to boast one’s position in society or to declare ownership of possession, the use of scribed letters by people of nobility and wealth dates back as early as the 14th century, when law prohibited the same privilege for the middle class. Two hundred years passed before the general public could freely use the technique for identification.

Although often found on metal, wood, and stone objects, most early markings were worked with needle and thread on fabric. In recent years, the needlework skill required to create ornate letters on a variety of fine lines, tablecloths and napkins, and garments has been replaced by the ease and speed of sewing machines allowing quick embellishment for decorative items.

Today, decorating with the personal touch of monograms is limited only be your imagination and style preferences. By selecting favorite letter styles, an array of fabric items, and a specially equipped sewing machine, you can personalize your décor in record time.

The Wicker Experiment

2011-07-20T14:07:00.002-05:00

So, I decided that my white wicker furniture was beyond shabby chic, very tired looking and the white was not really working for my patio. Thought it would be a good idea to paint it a nice chocolate brown. I learned a lot and also learned that it is a multi-step process but I am very happy with the results. The picture above is my white wicker after it had been dry brushed, hosed down and then blasted with my leaf blower.

This is a photo of the finished product! I found out that this process works best. I primed the furniture with Rustoleum spray paint in brown leather. The wicker soaked it up and gave it a "crackled" look. Not exactly what I wanted. So after that dried I used a Krylon product. It was called Universal gloss coverage in Expresso Brown. It covered very well!

I recommend wearing a mask as the Krylon product has quite an odor and having plenty of ventilation. I used 1 and 1/2 cans of the Rustoleum spray paint to prime and 2 cans of the Krylon product per chair to get good coverage.

After everything is dry and in place give it a day or so and then you can see any areas that might need some "spot" coverage. Now that the wicker is done and I have the new cushions in place I can hardly wait for the wrought iron patio furniture to come back from being powder coated but that is a story for another blog. Stay tuned!

New/Old Name

2011-07-17T19:28:00.000-05:00

I have decided to go back to the name I started by business with. If you see Comforts of Home that will be the new name for Kim Fancher Design. I think the name better describes and encompasses all the passion I have for the home design business.

Summer Heat

2011-07-16T16:02:00.000-05:00

So my house has been cleaned and recleaned. Even organized the pantry. It has been so hot outside for about 3 weeks now that venturing outside is not for the faint of heart. The grass and plants are brown and crispy and it makes my heart hurt to hear everything crunch when I walk on it.

No relief in site at least as far as the 10 day forcast goes so I will have to make do with this picture of my dog Pearl enjoying the snow on one of our last hikes in Colorado.

Hope you are all enjoying the summer and I will pray for rain at least for Texas!

A Don Quioxtic Quest??

2011-07-14T19:20:00.000-05:00

http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/other-coasts/beachcombing-basics-00414000069728/page10.html

The one in the middle is petrified lightning. Now I must admit that I spent a lot of time on the beaches of Long Island New York as a child before we moved to Colorado and even I never found lightning I could hold in my hand. Interesting concept.. I have a lot of treasures from the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, Sea of Cortez and the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera and now I will be on a quest to find petrified lightning to add to my collection.

2011-07-13T19:57:00.000-05:00

How cool is this! A fun and easy idea for summer entertaining. You could use any shells and regular votives but with the battery operated votives now available how easy is that! No mess, no wax and no need to worry about the breeze blowing them out! Stay cool in the summer heat!

View All Photos < Sailor Chic Interiors - Coastal Living

2011-07-12T10:05:00.000-05:00

Check out the great photos of decor for your beach or lake house. One of my favorite styles of decorating. View All Photos < Sailor Chic Interiors - Coastal Living

Victoria Magazine - The Charlotte Inn

2011-07-11T20:35:00.001-05:00

This is a vacation just looking at the pictures of this beautiful Inn on Marthas vineyard. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did! Victoria Magazine - The Charlotte Inn

2011-07-10T21:15:00.000-05:00

‎"Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind" Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Sleep well friends. Have a great week ahead.

Historic Huff / Lamberton Home, Winona, Minnesota - Historic Homes & Property for Sale @ PreservationDirectory.com, PreservationDirectory.com - Historic Preservation and Cultural Resource Management Resources and Research Tools for Historical Societies, Organizations and the General Public -

2011-07-10T19:35:00.001-05:00

I am fascinated by old and historic home. The stories they have to tell and the often beautiful architecture speaks to me. Here is a beautiful old home in Minnesota. Enjoy the pictures and the narrative on the history of the home.

Historic Huff / Lamberton Home, Winona, Minnesota - Historic Homes & Property for Sale @ PreservationDirectory.com, PreservationDirectory.com - Historic Preservation and Cultural Resource Management Resources and Research Tools for Historical Societies, Organizations and the General Public -

I can picture myself spending the weekend here!

2011-07-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

This picture popped up today on my facebook page and I immediately saw myself spending the weekend here. I love pictures that make you stop and speak to you. If and when I ever have a pool I can picture having a pool/guesthouse just like this. But, in the meantime I can dream as I sit inside my airconditioned house in 105 degree heat in Texas.

2011-06-20T18:50:00.000-05:00

Found this happy sunny arrangement at Decor and more today. I did not have a location for it but thought maybe someone out there had a home for the happy yellow bird. Only $48 and change. I thought that was a great price!

Time to Decorate

2011-06-18T09:57:00.000-05:00

After attending a talk about media marketing and social networking I came home with all sorts of ideas fired up in my brain. I thought that I could get myself going with "tweeting", facebook, blogging, websites, texting, photos and the list goes on. I spent my friday night setting up all new accounts and updating old account and cross referencing, tieing them together and basically turning my brain to mush and making my eyes burn but..... I have done it and am very excited about getting my interior design business really active and incorporating my side branch of a staging business called "Raging Staging Divas!" I am working on this with a friend of mine and we are having a lot of fun. I am really fired up and feel ready to attack design again after a 2 year hiatus. As for all the technology I am learning and having fun with all of it. I hope to become more proficient and savvy with everything. First off is to commit to being more active with my blog. I am aiming for 2 times per week with a picture. Not sure how that will work but I am ready to give it a try. The photo is of a living room update I just did in Fort Worth. I love the fact that red was the dominate color and the homeowner was happy to use it often!

Getting going

2010-06-21T16:54:00.001-05:00

So look for big changes and updates on my poor website. Met with the web designer who will spiff up the site and tie in the blog and facebook pages. Now I just need clients to pay for it all! Hopefully this will all come together. Strange to be starting over after doing design for 15 years in Colorado. Any way I hope you enjoy this next column from me.

Since today is the first day of summer here are some more ideas for summer decor. Since we live by a lake here in Granbury summer decor by the water becomes more relaxed and casual. Part of the country where it is warm most of the year can influence trends in areas with a short summer season. To create a California feel use slipcovers in heavy cotton, duck or linen in colors of white or beige. Set the table with damasks that are textured for the table cloth and napkins. From the south use big tropical prints in faded colors that are reminders of the 1920's and 30's. Use them on furniture and tables. White plates layered with turquoise, coral, bright green and orange are great for a fun table. Green and white checks are a nice change from the blue and white checks for summer. Add splashes of yellow and bright florals in the form of cushions to furniture. Mix florals, plaids and stripes together for a great look. Don't be afraid to bring your wicker furniture inside. This creates a fun and airy look. Turn a room into a temporary atrium.

remove big heavy rugs and put down several sisal or natural grass rugs, or just enjoy your wood floors for the summer. Don't forget the plants, candles, and lots of fresh flowers to keep things light and airy all summer. Have Fun!

New Colors

2010-06-20T07:59:00.000-05:00

I seem to be seeing a lot of bright bold colors coming on board. Oranges, corals and turquoise. I personally have not had a client brave enough to try them for paint colors but I think they are spectacular and very fresh looking.