sillybee's Profile

Great job Joy. Your improvements made such a huge difference. Your placement and design really makes the home feel much larger than 375 sq ft. It's relaxing, cozy, sophisticated, organized and calming...all at once.

Faith: I noticed you bit the bullet and installed marble countertops. I've been wondering all these months what you had decided to use. They look beautiful. How do you like them so far?

Steampunk was the first thing that came to mind too. Given that the original piano was unfixable and had that ghastly paint job, the desk they created is intriguing and pleasing to look at. Great job Sarah Dodd!

We have a single lever, arched neck, pull down sprayer with flow control button by Grohe and it's been really great. Highly recommend that brand.

Five years ago, we went against all the warnings and installed a lot of white marble in our kitchen and butler's pantry. Like 7 full slabs worth. It was nervewracking because we were taking a very costly risk. I cook almost every day and I'm really messy and clumsy. We also have kids so I think our marble has been really put to the test. Here's what we found (sorry so long).

Ours is honed (not shiny). I think honed marble hides etching more.

The biggest key to keeping marble looking nice is to seal it a few times a year with a good sealer. It's not hard (wipe on, wipe off). I do it myself and takes about an hour for the whole kitchen. We use Akemi Nano Sealer and it's been amazing. Any liquid beads up on well sealed marble.

We haven't gotten a single stain, even from wine. I don't even worry about it anymore, it's been so long. However.....

It will etch (leave clear marks). I have had no problems with water etching at all, but that's probably because of the sealing. The only things that have etched are some acids and oil that was not wiped up quickly. With honed marble, the etching is difficult to pinpoint at a glance. With polished marble, you'll see it clearer because the etching will take away the shine and leave a dull spot.

We've had some scratching from dragging a huge flower arrangement across the island but surprisingly it's not visible unless you put your eye a few inches above it.

I've banged up the edges of the marble many times with heavy pots, hard enough where I wince and get ready to look for a huge chip. However we've not had any issues. I don't know if some marble is harder than others (I've read that it is so). Ours is a type of Carrera Oro.

We don't use any coasters and my children's friends would probably not use them anyway. But I do keep a large, glass cutting boards near the fridge and sink, so the kids can pour their drinks and I can set down dirty spoons and such.

As time has passed, I've been less and less careful with my marble. And surprisingly it's held up almost perfectly. It even covers our entire backsplash and I deep fry! I'm so glad we put it in and my heart sings every time I look at it. It is, by far, my favorite feature of my house. There's a great post out there from a marble owner who took the time to stain pieces of marble to show differences. I'll try and find it and post it. If you do choose marble, consider honed and remember to seal seal seal! Hope this helps.

I think this post is kind of funny. I don't get all the controversy. I'm far more traditional and conservative in style than most of the design features in Apartment Therapy. For goodness sakes, I subscribe to Traditional Home. I've never been particularly drawn to the color-coded look seeing as it leans toward the modern and bright-hued.

But one rainy day, I decided to color code the books in our library for kicks. After all I could return it back if it was weird looking. We don't have the vast amounts of books in the photos, more like 6 large shelves, so it was a quick to-do (30 min) and I don't have difficulty in locating anything. I have to report that the result wasn't as garish or offensive as I thought it would be. For our collection the colors have a softer gradient. Interestingly enough, it's the second most complemented feature in our home. That's the reason I haven't returned it back to its original state.

Ironically, for being stylishly conservative, my two most complimented design features are more controversial...the first is having white marble counters, which after 4 yrs have held up gorgeously (seal twice a year!)....and these silly color-coded books! Go figure.

Hey, nice arms!

Just tried this last night and it was a HUGE hit with the family. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

You can always use a regular pot or pan to fry and brown necessary items and then transfer it to your crockpot for the slow-cooking (or oven) part of the recipe.

Sorry that's the best advice I can think of without buying something new.

We have several of these in the house. It's great for the kids so they can reach the counters. And I use them to reach high shelves. I've never had a problem with the sturdiness or tipping over. This house highly recommends them.