Cedar Benches!!!!

So here are some sneak peek photos of the new cedar benches.  Zach has been working on these for the last few weekends and they really are starting to take shape!  I was able to find rough cut cedar boards from a mill for about 1/5 of the price of the cedar at our local lumber stores and box stores ... and if you're in Vermont I'll be happy to give you their info.  They were super nice and the price was definitely right.

The three planters for one corner planter bench.

Zach really liked the look of the bark on some of the boards so we decided to keep the rough side out.

Zach, hard-at-work and Sagus, lounging.

Sagus, Dog-In-Charge

Rough Cut Cedar Boards

 

I'm so excited to get these done.  I'm already researching some great mosquito/bug repellant plants that smell GREAT for the planters!  It's a little more modern than we expected, but I've got some great plans to spiff up our old patio furniture to match!  And as a bonus, since our office it just off the porch, the whole room smells like cedar.  Bar-b-que at our house when we're done?!

Works In Progress

So it's been a little while since my last post and I wanted to assure you that so much is still in the works!  We've painted the front porch and stained the front and back decks (a nice dark walnut), laid a brick patio with salvaged historic brick from an old chimney stack in Richmond... AND have started work on some cedar planter benches for the back porch.  I just haven't organized the pictures!  Which is pretty lazy on my part, but... we've also been traveling and celebrating weddings and going on canoeing adventures... and well... completely failing at gardening (although the planted beds in the front and side of the house are doing very well... in spite of me).  Zach wanted me to make sure you knew he was making progress on the lawn... which has seen at least two! sod replacements... :(  So some success is better than none, right?

This is sorta the idea, but ours is made from cedar and much more streamlined than this version from projectplans.net 

We're also planning some changes inside the house, which I'm thrilled about.  We're finally putting in the all important fan in the little bathroom (condensation has been completely ruining our paint job) and we're designing the finishing touches to our stairway, including a faux linen wallpaper paint finish, some salvaged newel posts, and gorgeous brushed nickel brackets that I found at a restoration store.  We're thinking a walnut stained handrail to keep with the pine/walnut contrast.

Essentially this is the faux finish we're shooting for, but in shades of gray and blue. (This image taken from http://theexprocrastinator.blogspot.com).

So all that said, pictures to come!  Happy Summer!!!