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This is a first, here on the blog....two posts in two days...the weather outside is frightful (couldn't resist) and I am in a total hibernation state of mind!! Attached to my iPad with copious amounts of tea are whiling away my winter mornings.... A few questions have been raised about the TV...where is it ?? Do we watch TV?

When I was designing the fireplace and mantle, I knew I didn't want a TV over the fireplace....I have always felt a beautiful fireplace would be compromised with an unsightly flat screen hanging over it...but, necessity dictated that it was the only place it could be installed and be viewed from the sitting area and kitchen island..

When we renovated, we took down all the walls to make one, large open concept, kitchen/gathering room...

Here, you can see the layout of both rooms fairly well...

I decided on a stacked stone fireplace with bead board accents, and since we live in the country, I wanted to keep it simple and natural..I searched Pinterest and other sources for hours looking for just the right solution to the problem of the disappearing TV flat screen! Sources ran the gamut from a roll up art canvas to hinged doors to mirrors that camouflage the screen, mirrors that are the TV screen...the possibilities seemed endless, but nothing was really working for me....

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....until I saw this, on Houzz.com. The shrine to home building and renovating!! I loved the concept, but felt the hinges were too bold and large for the decor I had in mind for my home...so, I adapted it...instead of bolting the hardware to the front of the sliding doors, I had them installed behind the doors...this still provided the look and functionality without the " horse shoe" look...

My husband loved the "horseshoes" , but I won that battle!!

The only downside to this application is that the mantle cannot be decorated !! I can still add framed prints to the doors....a possibility?

The iron screen is an antique from England, which I had purchased from an estate sale several years ago...

The other question is about the counter material...it is honed, Carrera marble....which everyone dissuaded me from using...another battle I won....I have absolutely no regrets..I would encourage it's use...born Italian and having travelled to Italy several times, I have seen first hand the beautiful patina that worn marble acquires over time...it was the look I was striving for here in my kitchen...with sensible use and care it will not disappoint . Honed marble has had the shine taken off, sanded and it is sealed...I chose pieces with a soft green running through it....

The serving island, taken this Christmas, as well as all the counters are in honed marble....so there you have it! Thank you for your interest and kind and encouraging comments, always....they mean so much to me... still so much to do, but it is coming together, as the budget allows...

A visitor this morning, munching on my oak leaf hydrangeas !! Stay warm, N.xo