Friday, February 28, 2014

Our Lounge "The Stable" is furnished


The furniture for our lounge, "The Stable" has arrived. We chose this name as a salute to Jeff's many years (27) with Anheuser-Busch and the Clydesdales.

We put in a cherry bar with matching pub tables
Also in The Stable  are two cozy chairs to relax in (below):

Our goal is for guests to be able to have a complimentary drink when they check in (beer or locally produced Defiance wines).

The final touches to this room will be a medallion in the center of the floor and a 60-inch tv on the wall with Directv and Netflix. This makes the perfect gathering space.

Bedrooms & Baths are painted

Choosing paint today can sometimes seem overwhelming. There are so many different shades, brands, finishes, etc., that it's easy to just go with the first swatch you find that looks close to what you want. 

We looked at numerous colors and three different brands over the span of several months. We also watched paint trends, went to upscale home showings by builders, looked through many magazines, and talked to people in the paint stores.

We finally selected Sherwin Williams and went exclusively with their products for painting the Inn.

Below are some of the colors we used. To see all if the color names, go on our Pinterest page to check it out. My cell phone doesn't take the best photos, but you can get an idea.
We painted Norton's Nook in Koi Pond (above). The bathroom has the coordinating color of Curio Gray (below).
For Cab's Corner, we choose Bagel for the bedroom and Copper Wire for the bathroom (see below):
For our Riesling's Retreat we selected Steely Gray for the bedroom and Monorail Silver for the bathroom (see below):
For The Vidal Blanc Suite we used Humble Gold and Jersey Cream for the bath (see below):

Monday, February 24, 2014

Online Reservation System is Operational

We have an amazing online reservation system called Reservation Nexus. Learning all of its features and how to use them have been an experience, to say the least!

The best part? We've booked two reservations so far prior to our opening!

Friday, February 21, 2014

Cab's Corner bathroom with vanity

The bathroom for Cab's Corner got a fresh painting and the vanity and lights were installed. We're waiting for the plumber to finish the fixtures and the backsplash to be installed. We used Copper Wire Sherwin Williams paint in this bathroom, and the lights and fixtures are oil rubbed bronze.

Flat Screen, Smart TVs are in!

All of the flat-screen, smart TV's have been delivered and are awaiting wall-mounts. The three bedrooms will have 32" sets; the suite will have a 40" set, and the lounge will have a 60" set. All locations will have Directv and Netflix.

Http://thedefianceinn.com

Friday, February 14, 2014

Shower tile patterns

Shower tile patterns come in so many different styles. We were so very fortunate to have Ed Hausner doing the tiling for us and guiding us in selections.

We had bought quite a bit of one tile pattern (an almond porcelain tile -- porcelain does really well in wet environments like bathrooms). In two of the bathrooms we used this as the base tile, then mixed it up with glass tiles to give it a reflective sheen in spots.
This (above) is the shower in the Vidal Blanc Suite. There will be a coordinated tile to the right of this arounded the jetted tub area (not shown -- still in progress).

This (above) is the shower tile in the private bath of Cab's Corner. The dark squares shown are varied pieces of glass. Since this bathroom also has a window, it really reflects well.

The shower above in the private bath for Riesling's Retreat consists of plank tile in a weathered barnwood color. Tile imitating wood is a very interesting trend right now. Ed took it and created this shower to look like a barn door. We all joked that it sort of looked like an outhouse! The guys laughed and wanted to incorporate a half moon in the tile, but we thought that might be a bit over the top - ha!

Overall, the best thing about these particular showers are that today's grout protectant allows you to clean with ease, and that was a big draw for us. We all want clean showers. Having interesting patterns in there is a bonus!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

New kitchen tables

One of the things about staying at a bed and breakfast that appeals to people is being able to sit at breakfast and visit with other guests. Oddly enough though, that's something some people want to avoid, preferring to keep to themselves.

The original furniture in the building included an eight-person, custom-made table. To accommodate those who would rather dine alone, we purchased a four-top table and two drop-leaf, two-top tables. That combination allows people the option to eat alone, with others, or with a large group,
The four-person table and chairs.
The two-person drop-leaf table.

There were already twelve chairs when we bought the house, so we decided to keep those and use them with the drop-leaf tables.

Sitting area in The Vidal Blanc Suite

When you stay in a suite, you really like to have room to spread out.  For this reason we decided to put a sofa with a coffee table in the room to create a sitting area.  This sofa is actually a sleeper as well, so that way an additional guest can be accommodated in the room.

This sofa was truly comfortable, cleans easily, and just had a very warm look about it.



We haven't decided upon the color scheme for the room yet, so not sure on the pillows in there.  We really liked the coffee table, too - and there is a matching end table.



It's funny when you are furnishing a house, but it's not furniture that you are going to get to use yourself.  You want it to be functional and nice; and at some point you wonder if you are going "too nice" on things.  Our goal was to furnish the Inn with things we would like to have if we were the guests.  After having stayed at numerous Bed & Breakfasts over the years, we just went for what we liked ourselves. So... it's slowly coming together.  This furniture will be arriving the first week of March.  Yippee!!



Getting furniture for the lounge -- "The Stable"

It's a little hard to decide what to put in the lounge and several factors come into play -- how much room, how many people you want to be able to relax in there, etc.

After looking at furniture at several different stores, we found the perfect pub tables, bar stools, and a portable bar (unfortunately my photo of the bar didn't turn out so well) at Watson's.  Our goal is to have guests enjoy a complimentary beverage in the lounge after they check in.  We'll have a flat screen, wall-mounted television in there as well as a comfy chair or two.

The stools are pub table height, two to a table.  They are REALLY comfortable!


The table is wooden, with a roped trim around the edge. 

We really think guests will enjoy sitting here, relaxing and unwinding in the room Jeff has nicknamed "The Stable", as a "nod" to the Clydesdales.  After 27-years with Anheuser-Busch, he had to do something AB related with the lounge.  And who doesn't love the Clydesdales??!!  Our hope is to have them all ready by the first week of March.



Friday, February 7, 2014

The wood floors are going in today!

Yep, another cold, single-digit day; and another installation at the Inn. The hardwood flooring is being installed. My cell phone doesn't do it justice, but it really gives the kitchen and master suite a warm look. Ed and his crew have done a great job helping us with the selection and installation.
In the kitchen
In the master suite

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Kitchen backsplash installed

Today after yet ANOTHER snowy and cold day, our new tile backsplash was installed! Ed and his crew did a wonderful job.  

The original kitchen had white cabinets, white countertops, white appliances, and white tile backsplashes with a brownish ceramic floor tile.  All of that was a little too much white for us. 

We kept the original cabinetry (which was custom-made by the previous owner), and changed up the countertops. The new backsplash is primarily 2x2-inch tumbled marble tiles, a decorative strip with a pewter design piece, bordered by darker tiles. This color scheme really changes the look of the room.

The cabinet hardware consisted of clear acrylic knobs. We've selected some new hardware that are brushed nickel/stainless pieces to install once the appliances are delivered.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Kitchen Countertops Installed

Yep, during that nasty icy rain yesterday our countertops were installed in the kitchen. The guys at Aphrodite Granite were awesome!

For the L-shaped part of the kitchen, we got granite in a Venetian Gold pattern. We liked this color/style because the brown veining with the small garnets throughout give it a warm feel, and the color easily blended with the ceramic tiles and cabinets (which were already there).

For the kitchen island that houses a downdraft cooktop, we selected a different color of granite to set it apart as you would with a centerpiece of furniture. The color, unfortunately, escapes my mind at the moment; but it has a beautiful dark pattern with a great sheen. Since the room was so light, using these two separate colors we were able to bring a depth to the room. We chose an ogee edge - we like the finish and the way it looks.

Next up is new hardware for the cabinets and new appliances, then tiled backsplash.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Vanities are arriving


The first of three vanities has arrived. This 72-inch antique cherry, double-bowl vanity with dark granite top gets installed in the master suite bathroom today.