I love a church conversion.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKvsitRHV7bP8MkEsEGPj8dwRmz-QJxeC2IkVXEsm3qzTdCPJnzD7GL0Q4XgAKoP5V5TtNwQCOOVD0-Fb0cEB3yNji1VjhnTtCEQQoqSiO0yl3v6PXIUH6Z_-5E3D2skWsUnUkUFD2aFB/s1600-h/ED0110_WHShops_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKvsitRHV7bP8MkEsEGPj8dwRmz-QJxeC2IkVXEsm3qzTdCPJnzD7GL0Q4XgAKoP5V5TtNwQCOOVD0-Fb0cEB3yNji1VjhnTtCEQQoqSiO0yl3v6PXIUH6Z_-5E3D2skWsUnUkUFD2aFB/s640/ED0110_WHShops_002.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br />I'm a huge fan of church conversions - or really any type of building conversion. I went on a Christmas House tour in Newburyport, MA several years ago when I lived there and there was a fantastic antique house that had once been a school house, a public house and at some point a kind of meeting hall. It wasn't huge, but had an open plan that made for a great contemporary living space. Loved it. I have a dream that at some point, I will be lucky enough to design such a space. I'd be happiest if it were for me, but I wouldn't mind if it were for someone else either.<br /><br />So, I am looking forward to the upcoming Jan/Feb issue of<a href="http://www.pointclickhome.com/"> Elle Decor</a> as they are featuring a Uppervilled, VA project.  Per the press release "Wanda Crossley has transformed a 175-year-old church into a light-filled, 1,200 sq. ft. that is now <a href="http://www.matthewshouseandgarden.com/">Matthews House and Garden</a>. The store is stocked with Swedish antiques, Italian pottery, topiaries and garden furniture. They also carry lines from BeeLine Home, Janus et Cie and Chelsea Textiles.<br /><br />Sounds like heaven. Looks like heaven too. Check out <a href="http://mynottinghill.blogspot.com/2009/11/part-2-inside-matthews-house-and-garden.html">My Notting Hill's post</a> on this amazing looking store.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHeOqma2o5v2lhP6enoX3rh3mfVYMRiwMgd13tm7VOiq_Ozx0THC13iBcBfE02pQNgQDvhG0HDHUJkHfluDvpEJZQrjpi-vU37kSD-V7ijncii9PsMn_UNnI65XuG8XiNNRefXKHzuAZA/s1600-h/ElleDecor-JanFebCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHeOqma2o5v2lhP6enoX3rh3mfVYMRiwMgd13tm7VOiq_Ozx0THC13iBcBfE02pQNgQDvhG0HDHUJkHfluDvpEJZQrjpi-vU37kSD-V7ijncii9PsMn_UNnI65XuG8XiNNRefXKHzuAZA/s320/ElleDecor-JanFebCover.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/40/61AD69B5456EE9E48D48218DA34439B1.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to ::Surroundings::</a>

I love a church conversion.

I'm a huge fan of church conversions - or really any type of building conversion. I went on a Christmas House tour in Newburyport, MA se...

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Linda's Kitchen: There's light at the end of the tunnel

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimShZSufpWzvXoC3RFf3KneMlK8ZWdn4s3moBEugbLd20Re-mbPEsRLaCEKjjLO0J4NEfIhMEWjCpOvcYboN6XsAaPi0GM6xNqEYleheZrCwvVUbQUewdpCDwulvofq7xrepiaZg99vX_H/s1600-h/Kitchen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimShZSufpWzvXoC3RFf3KneMlK8ZWdn4s3moBEugbLd20Re-mbPEsRLaCEKjjLO0J4NEfIhMEWjCpOvcYboN6XsAaPi0GM6xNqEYleheZrCwvVUbQUewdpCDwulvofq7xrepiaZg99vX_H/s640/Kitchen2.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Once upon a time, my kitchen was a dated, tiny space with nasty knotty pine cabinets and twenty-five year old appliances.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielc7Vg_5_WsDcd4LbJii_KEsKrrMV20H5qX3zglGjxPlP0Gb2H5umzenNJNuDwQNfwF6v1LyuQjZgf2am7x4s7Paq3rpVo1EljhZfPzfnJOCUBhYSHIITHKSwxgMEU6KKbZbz8GYJYfwP/s1600/100_3545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielc7Vg_5_WsDcd4LbJii_KEsKrrMV20H5qX3zglGjxPlP0Gb2H5umzenNJNuDwQNfwF6v1LyuQjZgf2am7x4s7Paq3rpVo1EljhZfPzfnJOCUBhYSHIITHKSwxgMEU6KKbZbz8GYJYfwP/s640/100_3545.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2535/4116561881_f0e037aafa_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2535/4116561881_f0e037aafa_b.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /><br />As a featured piece of my blogging relationship with <a href="http://www.nehomemag.com/">New England Home</a> magazine, my planned kitchen facelift took on a larger scale. Instead of just painting the cabinets and walls, the popcorn ceiling was <a href="http://chameleon-interiors.blogspot.com/2009/09/lindas-kitchen-dust-dust-dust.html">scraped off</a>, recessed lighting was <a href="http://chameleon-interiors.blogspot.com/2009/10/lindas-kitchen-let-there-be-light-and.html">installed</a> and beadboard was <a href="http://chameleon-interiors.blogspot.com/2009/09/lindas-kitchen-little-progress-lot-of.html">put up</a> .<br /><br />The cabinets were fully painted inside (Farrow & Ball: Cooking Apple Green) and out (Ben Moore: Black Forest Green).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4116490993_af23125bbd_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4116490993_af23125bbd_b.jpg" width="481" /></a><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.ferguson.com/index.shtml">Ferguson Appliance</a> was the source for the beautiful kitchen appliances. My contact, Paul Gillis, in their Franklin, MA showroom was great to work with. We discussed my needs, space restrictions and budget and he put together a group of appliances that fit the bill and made all the arrangements for delivery and installation. <br /><br />On delivery day, all I needed to do was prop open the door.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/4185265406_25fc2134dc_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/4185265406_25fc2134dc_b.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The very nice and professional delivery guys from Ferguson taking away my old stove. It served its purpose for twenty-five years and two owners so I'd say it didn't owe me anything. I am, however, looking forward to not burning things because it was running hot. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2571/4185266340_1ac68a6afb_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2571/4185266340_1ac68a6afb_b.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next day, Ferguson's installer Tim came out and hooked up all the new appliances.  Again, he was so professional and nice to be around.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And so, I now have all new Whirlpool appliances - refrigerator, dishwasher and double oven range. I feel like I've died and gone to Julia Child's heaven.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2544/4184458891_f35837eaba_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2544/4184458891_f35837eaba_o.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/4184458823_d2774cc6d0_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/4184458823_d2774cc6d0_o.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On the work front, there is still quite a lot of work to be done. The soffit over the cabinets has been beadboarded and painted to match the walls and back splash. I still need to paint the undersides of the cabinets, sew the roman shade for the window, frame out the door way and, finally, build the new counter top with undercounter storage that is going along the long entry wall into the kitchen. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBgCClA4x06ovUTfSb5MNUMT9xFWfnbXxss-t8umxU6Sd3AOpuC9MEYlk9ANB5yj-_Ssc6JRUUrZ1qiWrh0i5fqjn8l14KV7LgU-g0EUdqmqtz92LvhePOqc5nxjOtAMiX0cg4C-LYHWx/s1600-h/Lindakitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBgCClA4x06ovUTfSb5MNUMT9xFWfnbXxss-t8umxU6Sd3AOpuC9MEYlk9ANB5yj-_Ssc6JRUUrZ1qiWrh0i5fqjn8l14KV7LgU-g0EUdqmqtz92LvhePOqc5nxjOtAMiX0cg4C-LYHWx/s640/Lindakitchen.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br />But, first, I have a lot of Christmas cookies to bake. Let the entertaining begin!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/40/61AD69B5456EE9E48D48218DA34439B1.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to ::Surroundings::</a>

Linda's Kitchen: There's light at the end of the tunnel

Once upon a time, my kitchen was a dated, tiny space with nasty knotty pine cabinets and twenty-five year old appliances. As a featured piec...

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Pencils of Promise

<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZafJgWnRTBU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZafJgWnRTBU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Click here to go to Paloma Contreras' beautiful blog <a href="http://paloma81.blogspot.com/">La Dolce Vita</a> for more information on this very important cause. Thanks Paloma for including me!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/40/61AD69B5456EE9E48D48218DA34439B1.png" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/EQjz" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to ::Surroundings::</a>

Pencils of Promise

Click here to go to Paloma Contreras' beautiful blog La Dolce Vita for more information on this very important cause. Thanks Paloma for...

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