Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Home of "This Gay Relationship"

A little break from all the reading today.

While Chris and I decorated our home in earnest over the past nearly two years after we moved, I posted updated pictures here to share our progress with my readers.  I've since removed all those pictures, but I took current ones this morning, reflecting the most recent changes.  Now that the wallpapering is done in the powder room and upstairs hallway (early last December), our renovations are virtually completed.  We have only the second bathroom to paint, which we plan to do before this spring.

I hope you enjoy looking at these.  While we may not necessarily like the district where we live, we've come to love our house, in part, because it's very much become our home.  You should see what it looked like before the changes.

Have fun on the tour.

Sitting Room














Dining Room














Kitchen














Master Bedroom














Writing Room














Powder Room














Theatre Room














13 comments:

  1. Whoa! That is seriously gorgeous!!! The wallpaper looks very Brunschwig & Fils, I am impressed! Absolutely lovely, Rick...

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  2. Not for nothing am I gay, Sarah.
    As stereotypical as this may sound, at least I know how to decorate our nest. Being gay has to count for something, wouldn't you say? Chris comes up with the occasional good idea, but he pretty much gives me free rein to decorate as I like. And, let's just say, we live comfortably.
    I've been heavily influenced by "Architectural Digest," a magazine I've bought, poured over, and read since--are you ready?--October 1980. I still have every issue. What a great magazine. I know much of it is about the tres rich, but I've always thought there's no reason why those of lesser means can't improvise some of the ideas and make them work for them.
    I really love interior design. Should have been a designer, peut-etre. That said, when I was choosing a career, I absolutely couldn't select something gay men typically go into. So, I don't know, maybe I missed my calling. I'm happy as a writer too, because that's always been my dream. But decorating makes me feel alive.
    Anyway, my sincere thanks for your wonderful comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures.

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  3. Rick, if you tell me you have your books on the shelves sorted in alphabetical order by author I will simply . . . I don't know what. I love your house, but I'm sure I would have it in great disorganized shape in a matter of weeks. Maybe even days. I wish I could be like you and have my house perfectly decorated. I've had to accept the fact that it ain't ever gonna happen, so that's that! I will live precariously through you. Thanks for sharing the pics!

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  4. So chic, yet calm and cozy. I like the alcove fireplace area, and the bamboo plant. You've really made your house a home. No wonder you're able to write inspired posts each day!

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  5. Well, if you ever want to branch out and decorate on the side, you could make a good job of it...And Architectural Digest, small world, Rick, my dad is an architect, and I believe he, too, has every issue of AD, but probably going back longer, as he is 76!
    You'll find this funny (I think)...my parents split up when I was little, and I was raised by my mom, although she and my dad always had a good relationship and I saw him a lot. Anyway, his house is like something in a magazine, while my mom's tends to be funky/kitschy/day of the dead skulls...guess whose design sensibilities I was influenced by? When he was visiting once, and I was trying to figure out what to do with my life, as the kids were getting older, I said, "I want to be a writer or a decorator, what do you think?" He looked around, and said, "I've always enjoyed your writing..." Hah.

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  6. Wow. Can see the warm character as in your writings.

    Especially love the wallpaper in the powder room and the bookshelf in the writing room.
    I have always thought that when I will get older I will grow myself a beard like Gandalf and will spend my free time reading and writing poems in a room where all the walls are covered with bookshelves. I feel that books are very personal parts of a human: they show how one has grown, like an autobiography.

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  7. I love seeing inside your house Rick! It's stunning, you've done a great job! Sharing more intimate parts of your life is always very admired! :)

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  8. Wendy, Doug, and Sarah, thank you all for your comments.

    @Wendy: I always access my blog comments through my email, so, when I saw someone by the name of Wendy left me a message, I admit I didn't know it was you right away, since I haven't heard from you here in some time. But, sure enough, when I saw the picture attached to your profile, I knew it was you, and I was thrilled.
    About the organization of my books, okay, I admit all the books in my writing room are sorted according to subject, then alphabetically. In the theatre room, in the bookcase I designed, all the books are sorted according to subject, but they are not alphabetical. I hope that makes you feel better.

    @Doug: The fireplace alcove is a bit of a pain because it's so large--there's the tendency to want to put a lot of junk on it to fill it up--but the metal sculpture at the back seems to make good use of the space, and I've always believed less is more. I try to keep that area clean.
    The plant you refer to is actually a lady palm that I bought around 1990, when I moved from Burnaby to Beach Avenue. I've had it longer than Chris and I have been together. It's a prized possession and really gives the sitting area an exotic feel. I love what it adds to the whole main floor.

    @Sarah: I love the story about you and your dad (LOL). I'm thrilled about you wanting to be a writer. Is that still the case? If so, what would you like to write? Fiction or non-fiction?

    Great to hear from you all again. Thanks.

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  9. Thank-you, elevencats and Heather, for your comments.

    @elevencats: I've always loved beards on men, so don't get me started. Could it be you love to write, too? You didn't mention that before. A man after my own heart.
    And books, well, is there anything in the world more magical? It's the great leveller--I look at the extravagant houses in "Architectural Digest," see the books on the tables and in the libraries, and I know I may not be as rich, but I can still afford to buy the very same books. My connection to the good life, and to untold worlds revealed through their pages. I have serious book love. SERIOUS.

    @Heather: Thanks for your encouraging words. Again, I thought, why share these pictures? No one will care to see them. But I see sharing personal things helps readers understand me better. That can't be bad, can it?

    Thanks to everyone for your wonderful comments about the house I share with Chris. It's by far the nicest place we've ever lived, and I'm most grateful for my many blessings.

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  10. @Rick: For almost three years I have kept a diary on my computer where I write poems, stories, my feelings about the day, quotes or sections from books, newspapers, blogs, add pictures, videos (everything that I find close to my heart, I have the inner desire to document). It was a self-prescribed medicine that literally helped me live one day more when I was at my lowest. I have never excelled in writing school essays but poems and short-stories where I try to understand my emotions threw nature/architecture/light-shadows are my babies. I can say everything I feel.
    I write poems when I am truly in a moment of bursting with emotions, it is, when I am at my lowest or flying in the clouds. I let myself flow, let the words escape from me and find a home on the paper. I always like to write on paper with graphite pencils. I like the feel, the intensity of emotions that is transfered from me to the paper. Paper can also remember my cries (I cry about good things also).
    Afterwards I write the poem to my computer to insure that it is backed up.

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  11. elevencats, I remember writing here in my blog once about how important journalling is, which is essentially what you're doing.
    It's been said sometimes, when things are really tough, all you can do is breathe. But, believe me, sometimes, all I can do is turn to my journal, because I didn't think I'd get through without it. Because I needed to sort through difficult emotions. Because I couldn't make sense out of something and needed to pin it down on the page so it was out of my head and I could see it for what it really was.
    Doesn't matter if you're not the best writer. I swear by it. Absolutely everyone should keep a journal, even if only to have proof that he was here, living life at this point in time. (And they're great fun to look back on.)
    Thanks so much for sharing. Keep writing.

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  12. Wow. Very beautiful.

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  13. Thank you, Aries Boy. It's wonderful to hear from you again. I sincerely hope you stay in touch. Please leave a comment any time you want to. We'd love to know how you are doing.

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