It’s a long story. But it starts with this man.

Design, proportion and colour. The latter being the focus of the past 2 weeks of my existence.
Not the father of the Arts & Crafts Movement – but a very influential figure.
Gustav Stickley.
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.stickleymuseum.org/images/stickley.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.stickleymuseum.org/stickley.php&usg=__FWn4CgK5_3pngr_pLXN7_JH4nZY=&h=372&w=250&sz=40&hl=en&start=7&tbnid=1V_fsF4RSjIfzM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgustav%2Bstickley%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
Perhaps best known for his furniture.

So when imagining what our floors would look like my thought was hickory floors, (check on that one) stained the colour of a piece of Stickley furniture. Or a good piece of Mission furniture. I am not that sticky particular.

It would look something like this. It would be neither too light nor too dark. The colour would have substantial depth And it would have a glow of yellow orange that you can’t pin down. Simple.
So for two whole weeks I chased the tail of colour. The colours they were showing me were well… brown. Brown, brown brown brown and more brown.
Trying to explain the above. Showing examples. Indeed travelling with my trusty sample of Mission coloured hickory. Evoking the name of Stickley from time to time without success.
Resorting to the basics. Needs more red. Needs more yellow. Needs more orange. Needs that springy lightness. With depth mind you.
Can’t tell you how many times over the past 2 weeks I have been looked at sideways.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT WOMAN?
Reminds me of a poem by A. A. Milne ~ What is the matter with Mary Jane …it’s lovely rice pudding for dinner again….
I won’t get into specifics. Suffice it to say that over the course of two weeks at least four people had a go at it.
Finally. Finally. THEY GOT IT.
Not exactly. Not so I’d want to invite Mr. Stickley over for dinner. But good. And not brown.
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Monday, November 30, 2009
Posted in Commentary on November 30, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Almost December.
Feels like a holding pattern.
Yesterday I stopped by the Little House on my way home. It was late in the afternoon. Amazing Floor Finishing Guy (whose name is Eric pronounced Iric) had put the first coat of urethane down on the ground floor. Loverley.
Today, or rather tonight I expect, another coat will likely go on. Maybe not. Depends when it is dry enough to buff.
In the meantime I will meet Kitchen Guy briefly sometime today re this and that.
I will drop in at Goudey’s to double-check the stain colour for the downstairs vanity. I was there last week but so wrapped up in floors was I that I was not paying proper attention to the stain boards. Nor did I make proper notes.
And then there is a sample of trim board I need to pick up.
And I need to call Railing Guy to postpone his arrival by at least one day ~ so as to ensure the floors are dry.
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