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By candace kramer, October 12, 2011 5:36 pm

Hello friends! I’m back! Summer was busy, busy and my time spent with family and friends was top priority! Now that Fall has come and everyone is getting settled back into their schedules, I have found time to work on my blog once more. As I mentioned in a past post, my son and I worked on rejuvenating the garden of my rental home and we were also in the process of building a storage shed. Both projects turned out brilliantly and here are some of the pics to show our fabulous results!

First up, the garden. It was so long neglected, full of weeds and completely overgrown but we brought it back to life!

And yes, that is my “new old shed” back there! Cute right?

Even though our summer was extremely mild, Peter managed to pick a ripe tomato from the vine before heading back to school!

Okay, now for my shed! As you know, I researched sheds online, in stores and just about everywhere! I wanted just the right design. Simple, funky and constructed using some of the salvaged materials from the garage remodel (soon to be granny flat) I’m working on.

Finally, I found a shed builder – Justin Marical – that had great ideas and would build to my specs. Check out his great company here. He was very open to using my salvaged materials and helped me design a 12 ft long and 3 ft deep, lean-to style shed that fit perfectly with the scale of the backyard garden.

This old window was from the main house which I had replaced with a new vinyl double hung.

Peter washed down the old door from the garage, which is now the front door to my shed.

The shed threshold was created with bricks that we found on site. Peter did a fantastic job laying these in.

The beautiful red stained cedar siding was left over from an old condo project I worked on! This siding is usually very expensive but I got a great deal on it and Justin was drooling! ha ha! I added an old flower box that had previously been installed on the main house and the lovely trellis was installed by my very talented Russian carpenter – Eli! He has done some gorgeous work on my beach house too. Even the roof was done with left over composite material. Isn’t it cute!? I’m so happy with the result and it felt good to use materials that most likely would have ended up in a landfill.

What projects did you complete over the summer?

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By candace kramer, July 22, 2011 4:57 pm

Hello! Hope your week has been going well! Right now, I’ve got sheds on the brain. You see, after much thought we have decided to renovate the detached garage of our rental home. Inspired by the many garage remodels that I have seen recently, I’ve taken the leap and started my own! Don’t worry, I will be documenting and sharing the process with you too! Turning this rather dilapidated garage into a fabulous living space will be quite the adventure but now that the picture is becoming clearer, I believe a shed will be in order.  A quaint little outbuilding with character, style and of course, functionality.

Thankfully, sheds have come a long way. They are not longer the forgotten shack in the corner of the property where you keep the lawn mower and rake. These days sheds have taken on a new importance and aesthetic, often mirroring the style and architecture  of the home. Some use them as a retreat, an office space or dining room. Check out these magical little sheds I’ve come across…via Houzz…

traditional landscape design by other metros general contractor Jo-Anne Peck

traditional patio design by seattle landscape architect Lisa Port, APLD

modern landscape design by sllasf.com

eclectic exterior design by san francisco general contractor BMF CONSTRUCTION

traditional patio design by seattle architect Bosworth Hoedemaker

{images via}

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By candace kramer, June 22, 2011 8:02 pm

Summer is finally here, so when I found this fabulous Boathouse makeover over on Remodelista, I had to share with you. Look at how Seattle-based architects, Bosworth Hoedemaker, converted this rather dull, concrete boathouse into a stunning yet simple guest cottage.

Doesn’t look like much from the outside but open up those doors…Front row seats to the lovely Hood Canal…

Building codes prevented the team from making exterior structural changes so they had to focus their creativity on the interior space.

The stairs can actually be raised so a boat can be stored here during the winter months…love the seasonal functionality here. A small space has to work extra hard to meet all your needs and this one does just that!

I really love the plywood walls – a rustic and suitably nautical touch. As for the industrial lighting – perfection!

Ahhh…my favorite spot – the sleeping loft, with gorgeous views!

I could sure spend some time here…couldn’t you?

Images via here and here.

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By candace kramer, March 21, 2011 3:48 pm

It’s been a whirlwind of activity with four pending sales in one week, which is fantastic but also exhausting. A trip to my beach house was exactly what I needed. Some downtime. A day or two to rest. Thinking that my weekend would be a rainy one, I had plans to do some creative projects around the house.  I was going to do this to my bathroom…don’t you love the vintage maps as wallpaper?

image via here

But…I never got around to this project because, lo and behold – THE SUN CAME OUT! When the sun is out in Manzanita you have to get out and enjoy it and we did just that!

With a busy job and bustling social life, the only pleasure reading I really get to do consists of short stories and poetry. Bite-size nuggets of literary goodness.

So…how perfect is it that the Hoffman Center was having a Poetry Fest!?  Without hesistation, I headed down to attend.

Four poets were spotlighted : Oregon’s own Poet Laureate -Paulann Petersen, Margaret Chula, Carlos Reyes and Penelope Scambly Schott.

image via here

All the poets were inspiring and listening to them read their work truly made it come to life, offering a personal insight to their prose. Carlos Reyes’ work struck me and I purchased his book – “The Book of Shadows“. He signed it for me too!

One poem, in particular got me thinking and brought me back to the focus of my career -Downsizing.

This poem truly speaks to the job of clearing out our belongings – our past, our memories – and the inevitable nostalgia and emotion that accompanies the task. Enjoy…

ESTATE

by Carlos Reyes

Each piece of paper

each leaf each

breath left

or scent inhaled

from a piece of clothing

in a green and yellow box

from Brazil that says

“Entrga Urgente”

“Cuidado Fragil” …

I spend the weekend

at estate sales trying

to determine if this

is how we measure

our lives, by what’s left behind

to sell to strangers – the box

marked “free.” Untouched

as though unclean…

In the end does it matter

if the prints of our passing

ends up as rummage?

We sniff the air inside

the garages and houses

of strangers, judge

their lack of taste,

their sentiments.

But when the chattels are our own?

How reluctantly we part

with these traces

This plastic bag,

the scent the piece of clothing

in it carries, we are sure we know it

before we seal it up again

in the carton labeled

“… Urgent” “… Fragile”

That scent a breath

still alive

as we take it briefly

into our lungs.

Pretty amazing right? Can you relate to these words? We’ve all experienced the process of letting go when there is a shift in our lives. Isn’t it funny how easily we can go through the belongings of others at estate sales but when it is our own possessions it’s a whole different story.

p.s. Check out this fantastic Q & A session with Carlos Reyes via the Oregonian.

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By candace kramer, August 16, 2010 8:40 am

This past Thursday we hosted a lovely supper club at my vintage Manzanita beach house…

Images via Grace & Ivy

I really love these events.  There’s nothing like a table full of food, served family style, to inspire a true sense of community. This time around we did a pig roast and celebrated, friend and farmer, Jeff from Kingfisher Farms.  It was his birthday and he turned the big 6-0!

Here are some of my favorite pics…

In this case, too many cooks in the kitchen made things all the more delicious! Many hands went into the culinary creations, including Julie DeJardin’s, who made up a decadent cheese dip while Jeff, Terri Desaro and I cooked up the rest of the feast.  Fresh ingredients straight from Jeff and Nicole’s beautiful, local farm, only added to the flavor and goodness!  Kingfisher Farms supplies several local eateries with delicious produce, including the highly regarded Portland restaurant, Wildwood.

Many local business owners and artists were our guests including, Janice Gaines from the luxurious Spa Manzanita, marble sculptor, M.J. Anderson and artists, Julie Yanko and Scott Wilson (both have their wonderful work displayed at Manzanita’s only wine bar – Vino)!

It was an amazing evening!

Have a bunch of foodie friends? Consider starting your own supper club, sourcing your feast from local farms. It tastes better, supports your community and well…it just makes for a fantastic night! Supper clubs don’t have to be formal and stuffy, simple, wholesome food, good conversation and of course fabulous wine is all you need.  Want ideas and inspiration? Check out some amazing montages from this blog. Enjoy a sneak peek below…

Happy Dining!

- CK