cheap thrill – The Artesian Project

Around Chicago, Events/Sales, Just because

(happy h&o-ween!)

The Artesian Project | www.theartesianproject.wordpress.com — (no fear, it’s a candy cig)

Happy Halloween to all five of my readers out there (hi mom!). We are taking a break on the house stuff this weekend to get into the holiday spirit. Last year my plans to go as Wendy Peffercorn from the Sandlot were crushed by the frigid Chicago temps; as was my plan this year (sorry Wendy, but it’s snowing). Instead, we went as Chicago’s very own Smokin’ Jay Cutler and the Black Unicorn aka Martellus Bennett. Don’t know who Smokin’ Jay is? Check this out, but just know that Smokin’ Jay DON’T CARE if you don’t know who he is.

This year, we are going as only the greatest musical duo of ALL TIME: Hall &

Oates. {please turn on “you make my dreams come true” whilst reading remainder of the post}. Matt will be taking on the role of Mr. Oates with his thick mustachio and I will the hot blonde that is Daryl Hall. So far a mullet wig has been purchased and (sadly) the rest of the costume is in my current wardrobe (knew those electric blue acid wash jeans would come in handy!). I will also be wearing my badass H&O earrings – which coincidentally, I am also wearing right now at work – that I picked up at the Renegade Craft Fair from Leroy’s Place (awesome stuff; they have that Rick Ross keychain you have been looking allll over for). Matt is going to work on the brooding stare while I will be mastering the mid-air jump and point for the evening.

Hall & Oatmeal Stout | www.theartesianproject.com — (hall & oatmeal stout)

Fun fact: one the beers we brewed for our wedding favor was Hall & Oatmeal Stout because I love to love them so much. And the label I designed won label of the week on GrogTag. Big day for the Wagners.

And here is the full wedding brew line-up just in case you were curious.

Around Chicago, Construction, Houzz, Inspiration, It's all in the Details, Kitchen, The New Digs

(get the look for less: counter tops)

Now that construction has actually started, we thought it might be time to get our ducks in a row and start nailing down some finishes. On our contractor’s recommendation, we ventured out to Stone City in Humboldt Park after a deeelightful breakfast at WHISK (those salty caramel pancakes – omg!).

Upon entering the warehouse, I felt like a kid in a candy shop. Marble! Granite! Quartzite! Galore! It was so cool to see and touch these giant slabs o rock. It was a very educational trip and Lizette, of Stone City, was an absolute gem to work with.

Here is what we learned.

If you want Calacutta Gold Marble look, consider:
1. White Mystery Marble
2. Eureka Danby Marble

Calacutta Gold is currently the most in-demand marble on the market for its obvious good looks and warm tones, so unfortunately, that also makes this Italian marble the most expensive. We wanted to use this slab for our kitchen island – which is rather large at 4’x11′, so any type of savings would help. With that in mind, we discovered Mystery White Marble, which also had the same characteristics as CG, but with a whiter base – and here’s the kicker – half the price tag. Mystery White is also sometimes called Misty White. Eureka Marble (sometimes called Danby) has a more dramatic, darker veining, but also the same warm tones as Calacatta Gold, at also half the price. We also learned that the largest slab we could get would be ten feet – so in order to achieve the seamless, one slab look we are going to resize our island to 10′. These stones are also sourced in the US – Vermont to be specific.

Our kitchen finish design has a darker, contrasting counter on the perimeter. I wanted something a little rougher to contrast with the smooth marble, so I was thinking a soapstone would do the trick. Here is what we learned.

If you want the Soapstone look, consider:
1. Honed, Virginia Mist Granite

Soapstone is a very porous material, which means that it would quickly absorb stains into the stone itself and require a lot of maintenance. I, personally, am a little of tired of the granite look, but the Honed version is so different. It has a matte finish and really looks more like a soapstone or concrete. Granite is also one of the most durable materials on the market – with a much smaller price tag than the soapstone. With the Virginia Mist (also sometimes called Jet Black) we can achieve that same look with more durability and spending less. Honed granite FTW!

Here are some real kitchens found on Houzz using these materials for your perusing pleasure.

Mystery White Marble

Forest Ave Rye, NY - residence contemporary-kitchen

Contemporary kitchen design by new york tile stone and countertop Rye Marble Inc

Misty White Marble Bar contemporary-basement

Contemporary basement design by philadelphia tile stone and countertop Stoneshop

Eureka Danby Marble

_DSC0002-Edit.jpg contemporary-living-room

Contemporary living room design by boston photographer Mary Prince Photography

Mamaroneck Residence traditional-kitchen

Traditional kitchen design by new york tile stone and countertop Rye Marble Inc

Honed, Virginia Mist Granite

Traditional kitchen design by new york kitchen and bath Kitchen Intuitions

Highland Park Kitchen Remodel transitional-kitchen

Transitional kitchen design by chicago design-build LaMantia Design and Remodeling

So what have we really learned? Don’t take some stones for granite. Sorry, had to.

Cheap Thrill, DIY, Lighting

(make a chandelier look expensive on the cheap)

Last week I mentioned that light fixtures are like jewelry for your home and can sometimes be an affordable fix to an otherwise dull space. Well, here is your step guide on how to take a cheap-o light fixture and make it look mighty ex$pen$ive (© Ke$ha).

1. Find your chandelier. I found a brass chandelier on Craig’s List for $20. Chances are, there is already one in your house/your parents’ basement.

2. Set your chandelier in a box that can support it during the painting process. It should be able to slightly rest on the sides and not touch the bottom so you can paint all the angles without sticking to the box. Then either use painter’s tape on the candlesticks or remove them completely and tape up the sockets so that no paint seeps into the electrical parts. Then give the fixture a quick wipe down with soap and water to remove any old dirt, dust, etc. so you have a clean surface.

3. After drying the soap and water off, prime the fixture. I used Rustoleum Ultra White Primer. Rustoleum is great on metal surfaces and comes in a spray can, so it is super easy to use. You can find this at your local Home Depot for about $4. Once your first coat is dry, flip over the fixture to hit the areas that were previously on the box and another areas you may have missed. BE CAREFUL: remember the method “less is more.” If you overspray, you run the risk of having hard to see drip marks harden onto your fixture. Have a rag handy to wipe up drips.

4. Time to add your color! I chose a light teal color as this light was going to be a focal point in my family’s beach house. I would also recommend using a Rustoleum product in this step. Spay the first side, let dry, then flip to spray the bottom and let dry. And again, remember: less is more. You may want to add a very light coat of spray polyurethane to make sure it is sealed.

5. Step 5 is the last – and optional – step. Adding some BLING. Since this fixture would be in a cottage, I wanted to add some shabby chic-ness to it with some crystals. I found a lamp supply dealer online who happened to be in my neighborhood. I bought varying size prisms for each tier and a string of garland to drape around the center. The tricky part was attaching these pretty babies to the light. After some serious brainstorming, I ended up using very thin earring hoops from Hobby Lobby. They were the perfect finishing touch to this beachy glam chandelier.

Et voila! You have a custom chandelier in the wheelhouse of $30.