Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Built-In-Dreams

So as most of you know, Oliver and I are looking at houses and we've found one in the outskirts of Capitol Hill that we both love. Well, actually, Oliver loves it a bit more than I do...For me there's just something missing. Very hard to pinpoint. It needs a tree in the backyard and the space itself has been remodeled to the point where most of the original magic of a 1920s house has been erased.

When I expressed these concerns to my one and only, he explained why that appeals to him: it's a clean slate. We can do whatever we feel like with the space. Rather than having to deal with the poorly placed bookshelves that are so old they can't hold more than five books anymore, we can design our own.

And so, I started designing.
This is the tiny upstairs office. I was inspired by a built in desk I saw on one of Oliver's gigs.
This is the living room with a window seat looking out to the front porch. (Do you like my clouds?)

This one is the living room with a second wall (about 8-10 inches deep) to hold the TV, DVDs, etc.

Let me know what you think!



Love,

Alex

6 comments:

ArchitectDesign™ said...

I LOVE built-ins, such a great use of space and really beautiful! Here at work I'd say designing cabinetry like this is about 1/3 of my job LOL - actually as I write this I'm officially designing a wine cellar's cabinetry! I like your designs -very practical! The only change I would make is to make sure to leave enough room around the window frames for blinds, curtains (whichever you have). The space should also balance out the gap between the 2 windows - 1/2 of that center gap's width if possible or as close to that as possible. Does that make any sense? lol
PS. I see you are a soprano -i'm a big opera buff!

Alex said...

Be the Change--Thanks for the great tips! I'll keep it in mind when I we talk to the finishing carpenter...(that's right, right?)Right now we still have to actually buy the house...it's more just dreaming than anything else...

So what's your favorite opera?

ArchitectDesign™ said...

Favorite opera is probably La Traviata (did you see it here in washington just last month?) or madame butterfly

Alex said...

So you're a Verdi...well, I have to agree, traviata's pretty ridiculously good...but if I'm going with a soprano dying of consumption, I HAVE to go with boheme. And no, I didn't get to see traviata, and I'm kicking myself for it. I came down with a migraine that day, so sound...not the best idea.

But, never fear. For I myself will be singing it in concert this winter...no, not Violetta. The much more important role of Aninna, the maid. (After all, you have to have a soprano to sing the high part after the soprano dies, don't you?)

There is something about Un bel di that leaves me utterly breathless. I think it's her utter belief in the fact that it will come true, and yet Puccini writes in the orchestra the fact that it won't. You can feel it in the music that this is something that will never come to pass.

I think that's what makes me prefer him to Verdi. They're very similar in many ways, but to me, anyway, Puccini always rings so true, and Verdi only hints at it from time to time.

I'll have to tell you about trovatore at Houston sometime...

Oh opera, why can I talk about you for DAYS...

ArchitectDesign™ said...

I LOVE anything puccini!! Thats probably my real favorite, but I tend to not say 'boheme' because it's so sterotypical! I could watch it everyday though. I listen to Puccini at home more than anything else. Kiri te Kanawa singing Puccini, for me, is pure heaven.

Alex said...

I never had a chance. The first opera I was ever in was Tosca when I was in second grad (I convinced the chorusmaster that it was sexist to only cast little boys in the boys chorus because I could sing just as well as any of them...)and I never looked back. Last spring I sang chorus in a small production of Boheme, and I had tears streaming down my face during every single curtain call. I can't help it. I hear those notes and my body just reacts.

Unfortunately (or is it fortunately), my voicetype is much more suited to my other favorites, the Bel Canto composers. Ah how I adore Bellini, Rossini (in spite of his passion for mezzos--gah!), and Donizetti. I'm covering Norina next spring, and I'm just having so much fun learning her, and letting her become part of me...Mmmm.