Fencing the Issue
I live in what could be called an "up and coming" neighborhood. In 5 years or so, it'll hopefully be a hub of artists and progressive families--now however, it's still a wee bit sketchy. My next door neighbor is a really cool, 30-something architect who I've befriended. Down the street is his friend, who matches the same description. Conversely, the duplex behind me is inhabited by very a large family who enjoy parking their 9 cars on their front lawn and playing "oom pa" music (on 11), at all hours of the night. We also have a resident schizophrenic who when not pacing the street, finds my front yard the superb place to sit down for a smoke while watching the same two-tone, primered Nissan drag race down the road every day. So, to provide my kiddos with a backyard and safe area to ride their bikes, while also creating refuge from some of the above aforementioned, I decided to have a huge fence built arounbd what I now refer to as, my "crafty compound".Lately, I've been really into the corregated metal and cedar fence combo, so I hooked-up with this local designer, Eric Billig, to see what we could do with the budget I had. It was a big job, since the entire place was either surrounded by a 1' picket fence (what could have possibly been the purpose in bulding that?) or cement embedded chain link (ick). See below...
After the boys demolished our old fence...
Eric and his trusty side-kick Sam, built this one, including a gate to enclose the car port:
Oh, and since my neighbor and I thought it was a bit sad to completely seperate our two properties, we had an adjoining bar built so that we can share afternoon cocktails.
Now, we just need to go outdoor bar stool shopping--T.G.I.F!
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 8:44 AM
19 Comments:
Haaaaa. That's awesome. I love the adjoining bar!
Do you get the magazine Dwell? They';ve had some cool things in it lately and one was a fence made out of license plates. Veddy cool!
Great idea on the adjoining bar (glad you have at least a few cool neighbors to offset the "not so cool" ones) Love the corregated metal and cedar combo! Very cool. -Pam
how cool is that??!
That is amazing, and the outdoor bar, well how perfect could that be. Have some lovely cocktails. Oh maybe you could make some knited felted cocktails to sit on that bar, when your not having real cocktails.
I mean after all you did make knitted bowling ball/pins.
You are just the Coolest little thing! I should SO adopt you! :o) I could use yet another daughter! I have 3 and one I adopted! You would SO fit in!
LOVE the fence! And the bar was an adorable idea!
I love corregated metal! We used it in our restaurant. We have an open kitchen, so the corregated metal is the facing on the bar where you can sit and eat and watch the cooking. When we decided to add a real bar next door the architect did a concrete mold from corregated metal and used that as the base for the bar top. Sorry this is such a long comment-you got me excited!
The Craft Compound idea rocks and that fence has the perfect feel for it. It's amazing the difference attractive dividers make. I live in a neighborhood that many wouldn't live in without a full wrap around gate, but we have an open courtyard full of beautiful flowers and no one really bothers us.
I enjoy watching your home become the cozy compound, thanks for sharing.
That is just THE coolest fence ever... and complete with a bar -- OVER THE TOP COOL! Love it! I am so glad I found your website... I'm a new comer to watching your knitty gritty shows!
- Nichole in NH
I love the look of the corrugated metal fence. And the bar...well, that's just brilliant!
I GOTTA TELL YA..THAT ROCKS!
I'm a corregated metal fan myself and replaced my studio/office's ugly drop cieling with it and about a thousand tech screws.
Would of stole this idea when I worked on...here comes the plug...Screen Door Entertainment's Outer Spaces now airing weekends on HGTV, check your local listings.
Ahhh! Finally! It looks great. :-)
OMG - i love it! the bar is fantastic.
love the fence, very cool. i just saw on good morning america that "up and coming" is realtor talk for sketchy, so the fence was a good idea...although, it looks like there's a random shoe thrown on your yard outside one of the fence walls! classic!
love LOVE the funky new fence - it's a functional-working art installation, i say. and that bar? how fun are you guys!
enjoy your safe haven and kudos on being pioneers.
How cool. Your gate looks like soshi screens. Can't wait to hear how this new arrangement messes with the neighbors' heads!
Bev
I noticed your newest pic on My Space shows you wearing a cute bluish green lacey scarf--did you make it, and where can we find the pattern--it's very cute!
Bev
Thanks, everyone!
DAVE--Oh, for the love of Pete. Have you no shame? ;-)
BEV--Yeah, I made the ascot thingy especially for that photo shoot. I haven't written down the pattern yet but I definitely will!
SCOUT--I keep meaning to subscribe to Dwell, I just haven't done it yet.
ANONYMOUS--I think that's actually a rock not a shoe, although it wouldn't suprise me to a.) find random articles of clothing in my yard, or b.)if my children were responsible for putting them there.
That is sooo cool Vicki! Be aware of "gang wannabes" "TAGGING" Your fence. I had that problem but nothing a little paint did not cover up!!
rockin' fence--i only wish that i could convince my husband to do something like that. we just bought a house, and he's convinced that chain link is the only way to go (ugghh).
glad i finally found a current blog for you. i'm a huge fan of both you,and knitty gritty.
much love
jaime
Post a Comment
<< Home