Simplifying Architectural Details in Connie's Living Room

When Connie and Chris bought their new Florida home, the architectural details in the living room were too ornate for our taste.

The bookcase had fluted Corinthian columns with ornate acanthus leaf capitals.

Here's a better shot that I took,

 the above one Connie took with a lower pixel camera.

This is a Corinthian Column, with acanthus leaf capitals,

 which I actually told you in the previous paragraph, but I am loosing my tiny mind.....

It had a fluted pilaster with an aged wax finish that just looked cheap to me.

I'm more of a Doric Column kind of a girl.....

A Doric Column looks like this

HOWEVER.....

I didn't want a column look at all, so I compromised with the bookshelf and had a local carpenter pull off the columns and add some simpler detailing.

I drew how I wanted them to look with a scaled drawing and cross sections to show how it should be built.

Connie left my drawings on one of the shelves,

 so the builder would have them right in front of his nose, 

 and then the guys from FLORIDUH built it the easiest way,

 ignoring my drawings.

I'm so glad I spent all that time figuring out how to do it.

At least they followed the proportions that I set out.

But instead of making the columns with recessed panels, they just applied some molding.

To spend so much time drawing an architectural detail, just to have the guy do it the easiest way

 is one of my pet peeves.

But the main thing is that Connie is happy.

It's her house, and she is fine with it.

And it still looks A LOT BETTER than it did.

The new way just works better with the style we decorated the room.

(as you will see in coming posts.......)

(do you like how blurry my picture are?????)

Next, we tackled the fireplace.

It's too was over the top with carvings, being too ornate for what we wanted to accomplish.

So, Connie had it ripped off, and a simpler one installed that mimicked the one on the other side of the wall, as this was a see through fireplace.

She didn't want a mantle shelf, as she never knows what to put on them.

I told her that shouldn't be a problem,

 because 

I ALWAYS KNOW WHAT TO PUT ON THEM!!!!!

But she wasn't convinced, and did what she wanted.....

Boy she's acting like this is her house,

 or somethin'.

Here's another side by side shot.

I'm not a big fan of applied moldings.

They definitely have their place, but I prefer carvings that are into the wood,

 not applied.

I DON'T KNOW WHY......

IT'S JUST THE WAY MY BRAIN WORKS.

I realize that I may be in the minority, but this is my blog, and this is my opinion,

 (which is the most important one in the universe....).

The woodwork in this room has had an interesting series of transformations.

The original owners, had it in a pickled wood finish.

And now we have it just white, and simplified.

I cropped the hell out of the picture below to keep from showing more of the room.

You guys will just have to wait.

On that note....

Latah, Gatah