Just In Time For Spring

 The roof deck has been a huge project, taking a couple of weeks to complete, but I can happily say that it is 99% done--just in time for spring.

The first step was to determine which plants would give the most privacy.  

After traipsing around the wholesale nursery with Martin and Jesus, I ended up choosing Thuja bushes for their height and deciduous quality.

Here they are in my courtyard--all 26 of them!

Getting them up on the roof was quite a task.  

They were one by one hoisted up with a rope and pulley system devised by Martin.

All the trees and all the bags of soil.  

In the pouring down rain! 

I love how they look in the planters, all lined up.

No they don't give complete privacy, but they offer greenery which is seriously lacking in the City.

After the trees were planted, the furniture had to be hoisted up next.

Martin came up with a plan to get the heavy wicker furniture on the deck.

I could barely watch!

It took four men.  Two down below and two on the roof to lift the sofa.

I question a little my decision to reuse the old wicker sofa and chairs.  After all, once the furniture is on the deck, it will probably be there forever!

A more modern look would be a sectional on the deck, but after a year of remodeling this house and hemorrhaging cash, I will make the old furniture work.

 

The wicker will get a fresh coat of paint and maybe new cushions down the road.

(See its transformation a few years ago, using Rustoleum spray paint here.)

Oscar loves being on the deck!

And so does Bear.

I'm really excited to have a new place to hang out too!

Stay tuned for the official roof deck reveal.

Wishing you all a happy Spring!

Blue Velvet Is Not Charcoal

 I've resisted posting lately about our house, simply because it's still a work in progress.

Take for instance the living room.  I thought I had it all figured out ahead of time.

Charcoal gray velvet Chesterfield sofa with two caramel leather club chairs.

Turns out, there really are 50 shades of gray!

 When the charcoal gray sofa arrived, I knew immediately it was wrong.

Does this look charcoal gray to you?

It's blue!

 I tried living with it for a few weeks, but there were just too many things wrong with the sofa besides the color.  It is on wheels--front and back, so that when you sit in it, it rolls backwards and dents my new hardwood floor!  Little cups under the wheels didn't work.  It was like sitting on a skateboard!

Also, it had been wrapped so hard that on one end, the velvet was permanently dented.
Oh, and did I mention how uncomfortable it was to sit on?  Like sitting on plywood!

To make a long story short, the sofa went back.  

And am I lucky that they took it.  

The living room will be empty for a while until I decide what to replace the sofa with.

I'm leaning towards a Chesterfield from Restoration Hardware in a true charcoal gray velvet.

The best part is that it's not on wheels!