RedSharkInteriors's Profile

Plaid - 80's jewel-toned colors in light, translucent fabrics.
Chesterfield sofas.
Tortoise-shell frames replacing the ubiquitous black.
Ironic brass stuff.
Elaborate Downton Abbey style furnishings in neutral colors.
My across the street neighbor's kid has an African Pygmy hedgehog.

Serious garage envy.

Inspiring! Was just brainstorming about a small space and considering grey walls. Thanks for sharing your home.

Perfect!

After seeing your photo I'll suggest something from Flor. I think something in a teal or blue would work.

http://www.flor.com/styles/solids-2.html?dir=&order=price&color_family=8&

I placed an oil painting, and a table, in front of mine. The table may be too much, but I liked the way the painting masked the opening without looking like I was trying to hide the fireplace box.

Here's the look:

http://web.me.com/westroc/Red_Shark_Interiors/Blog/Entries/2010/6/1_Antique_French_Map_on_a_Faux_Bois_frame.html

Great inspiration! I'm in the planning stages of a one-car garage remodel; this is how I wish I could get it to look - thank you for sharing.

Love it all, especially the croquet balls on the dining table. Nice!

I had thought about butcher block, but that doesn't accomplish the granite aspect. If it's typical 2x4 wood stud framing at the pass thru I doubt you'd have structural issues with granite. Maybe 2 or 3 black metal shelf brackets on the dining room side for support, and to tie in the black appliances - if it doesn't interfere with the dining area.
Wet sanding/polishing the sides of the granite tile may take care of the edge if you choose tile.

Our beach cottage has white wooden floors. The original floors were pine, and not especially pretty, and since there were a few dark spots left from untreated pet stains, I wanted to do something different. Here's the good and bad:

The Good
1. The walls and trim and ceiling are all painted white, so the white floors make the space feel much larger, plus all the white is a good foil for splashes of color;

2. It is bright, friendly, and cheerful, which makes getting there on the weekends something to look forward to;

3. It's different. 'Nuff said.

The Bad:
1. We intentionally do not have grass in our yard - maintenance and the fact we're at the beach made me want to have a sand yard (xeriscaping? who knew!); however, a lot of sand gets tracked in so cleaning the floors is an ongoing issue;

2. It shows dirt - badly. Hmmm...cleaning.

We painted the floors with a one-part epoxy. I clean them with warm water and bleach. Did I mention cleaning?

Conclusion for me: I love my floors at the beach but would not want to live with them every single day.

Here's the link to our cottage:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/house-tours/house-tour-mike-and-angelas-weekend-escape-kill-devil-hills-nc-091495

Hope this helps!