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32 Days Until …

… the big move.

We have chosen January 11th as the day for the movers to come and take our furniture away.  There are a zillion things to be done — and I am shopping for clocks online.  I can’t help it.   It’s the fireplace.  Fireplaces always make me search for clocks.

fireplaceI suppose I should back up and tell you that this is soon to be our living room.  You see that fireplace?  I think it needs a clock above it.

In my search for the perfect clock I found a clocks blog. I never knew there were so many different kinds of clocks! I started reading articles and next thing I knew I’d learned something.

I know you’ve heard of a Grandfather Clock, but have you ever heard of a Grandmother Clock? I hadn’t until today. I was scanning through the clock blog and came to a post that mentioned Grandfather and Grandmother Clocks. I saw pictures of both and they look pretty much the same, so I decided to do some research. I discovered an article which explains that Grandmother Clocks are generally 8o inches or shorter, though some styles can be as tall as 82 inches. Grandfather Clocks are taller.

Of course, I wasn’t looking for a Grandmother or a Grandfather Clock.  Since there’s no mantle, I need a wall clock. Now, do I go with a modern look or a traditional look? At this point it doesn’t matter because we have no furniture, but do I really want to build my room decor around a clock?

clocks

Possibly!

What do you think of these? I like them both.  Amoeba likes neither.  Of course, he also said he’d like to go for a Rocky and Bullwinkle motif.  I agreed — maybe in the garage.

This first clock is a Seth Thomas.  To be precise it’s a Seth Thomas Montauk Wall Clock.  I like the lighthouse image. I thought it would be perfect since we’re moving to a town with Harbor as half of its name.  Amoeba says it is too cliché.

I am worried that the color of the clock rim is too similar to the color of my desert tan walls.

The second clock is a Hermle Wall Clock.  It is very sleek, very modern and I love the cut-outs.  Amoeba says it’s too cutesy.  (Did I mention that he wants a Bullwinkle & Rocky clock?)

As much as I like the second clock, I am not at all certain that the brushed aluminum finish would go well with the high gloss black tile around the fireplace.

Any interior designers out there?  What do you think?

35 Comments

  1. Both are nice, but I like the first clock with the Lighthouse, probably has something to do with my Maritime Background.

  2. That is a beautiful place! It’s the first time I heard of Grandfather and Grandmother clocks ;). I always get confused when there are so many choices. Usually I let my husband pick out some of his favorites and then I’ll pick mine from them. If I only had to choose between the two clocks displayed, I would go for the second one. The color seems to match more to the fireplace. Beautiful designs. I can see why you have picked them.

    1. Rosidah — that was my problem, too — there were hundreds of clocks on the site and since my parameters are wide open I didn’t have any way to choose except “I like it.”

  4. I did know about the Grandmother clock. Hubs promised me one before we got married. Um, I still don’t have one. Children and necessities got in the way of the expense of one. 🙂
    I watch too many decorating shows – that’s a perfect place for a flatscreen TV!

    1. But Carletta — our flat screen only has a 17 inch screen and it would look very lonely up there. We aren’t really TV watchers.

  5. Ok I´m commenting before I read the other people´s opinions. I like the first one. It´s warm color will fit right in and I think the rim is darker than the walls. The lighthouse is perfect too! Now I´m going to read which side I¨m on… 🙂

  7. I love that first one, for all the reasons you mentioned; it’s lovely and islandy and neutral enough to go ‘most anywhere. I don’t think blending into the wall is a bad thing–the fireplace is after all the focal point so why compete with it?

    Rocky and Bullwinkle….hmm, why not? You’ll be close enough to Canada after all–a big ol’ stuffed Bullwinkle head on that wall might be nice! LOL

    BTW, I am dead envious of this living room: love the big glass doors and balcony. Remembering your photos from your trip to Friday Harbor, oh wow, what a move. It’ll be great!

    1. Susan — the Bullwinkle Clock he wants runs backward and has a thought bubble over the Bullwinkle that reads, “I’m so confused.” They were manufactured in 1989 and I can’t find any online.

  8. I think both of them have their good points, BUT they look like they’re too small for that space. Too small and it will look silly on that wall all by itself – but you don’t really want to clutter the wall with too many “things”, either. If that is going to be your focal point, it needs to have some weight to it.

    I would suggest looking around for something of a substantial size. Something dynamic, but also something that won’t over power the fireplace. As for colours, I’d avoid browns and solid metals, and suggest black (or at least primarily black) to complement the fireplace.

    HTH?

    1. Jenn — Melli pointed out the size, too! I completely missed that. I started browsing in the over-sized clocks section but must have wandered away without realizing it!

  9. A clock over the fireplace ? that’s a funny idea. Most of the people hang nice ceramic plates there or a stuffed deer head (help !!) But why not a clock, so you can rock around the clock the whole day, you living room looks very inviting and big ! and you have no furniture you lucky girl, then you can buy and buy and I come over to decorate the whole room ! Hehehe ! your moving is getting closer and closer it’s already in a month ! Now I will click on the links and see the clocks.

    1. Gattina — I have had many different fireplaces and always hung a clock above them. No one told me that was unusual until now.

  10. Well… speaking as one who decorated her entire kitchen around a clock — a very EXPENSIVE clock — I think a clock is a perfect place to start! And personally I love the lighthouse clock – and I would love it with or without the lighthouse…. it’s just a very pretty clock. Unless you are planning to go ULTRA modern in that room, I don’t think I would go with the metal clock.

  11. Oh Quilly… no… that clock is only 13” x 13”… it’s no where near big enough… it will need something to go with it up there.

    Maybe you should look for a nice piece of artwork to go up there, and then use the clock on one of the other walls…

    1. Melli — Jenn pointed out the size, too! I completely missed that. I started browsing in the over-sized clocks section but must have wandered away without realizing it!

  14. Personally I’d put artwork up there – something large :).

    I’m swooning at the idea of your fireplace though, it’s freezing here tonight (relatively speaking, but still, I’m shivering, that’s close enough for me!).

  16. My dearest Quilly – how did I miss this post? Your living room is very spacious! I picture a black wrought iron clock above the fireplace. I think the black will go well with the black fireplace. It is the focal point of the room, so you will want something that will make a statement. And, think big.

    I remember my grandmother had a grandmother clock. It is still in the family. I loved that clock. It chimed every hour. I have always said that one day, I will own a grandmother clock.

    1. Kay, it has a two car garage, sits on just under a half acre of property, has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, a family room and a dang near perfect kitchen — JennAir Range included.

  18. I totally LOVE that living room & FIREPLACE!! A clock would go beautifully above it. I do like both of those clocks…. just don’t love either of them. I’d say keep looking. It has to be big and very unique. I’ve seen some in real life that would go very well…. large slice of wood burl all varnished up with a clock inserted into it. Now that, I think, would be great for that space. Each is one-of-a-kind as Mother Nature never duplicates anything. That will be a focal wall, so must have special clock.

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