Baby Steps

I've been working on my summer to-do list (you can see the complete list here ) and making some headway.  I'm afraid it isn't very exciting stuff but it sure does make a difference around here.  If you are a neatnick then you should probably leave now, cause I'm only a neatnick wannabe and you might be a little scared by what you see.

1.  The most exciting thing we did was decide on the style of cabinet hardware that we are going to use in the kitchen when I paint the cabinets - they are sort of simple, sort of transitional.  The thing we have to finalize is whether to go with the brushed nickel or the burnished gold coloured handles.

2. Next I tackled the messy cupboard near the sink.  This cupboard was hard to access because the doors didn't swing all the way open, so it became the repository for misc items.

Yikes - can't believe I posted that.  Here it is all sorted with the doors removed.  We actually would like to have glass put in the cupboard doors but I'm not sure how to do that, so in the meantime I'm kind of liking the open shelf look (hubby less so).  The new baskets allow us to still store things on the shelves but they look all purty.  I also bought some beadboard to put on the back of the shelves, which I will tackle soon.

3.  I also painted the inside of the cabinet under the sink. For your viewing pleasure I even took some before shots (and this was after I had scrubbed the area, but it just wouldn't come clean anymore).

It looks so clean I hate to use it.

4.  Are you still with me?  I completely understand if you have gone off to read a blog full of inspiring design photos.  If you are still reading, the next thing I did was organize the basement storage room - really the less said the better.  It all started with some things that got put on the floor in the way of reaching the shelves and next thing you know we had a disaster in the storage room.  You couldn't even open the door all the way. I have a photo of the before but just don't have the nerve to post it.  It has been put aright and here it is - still a lot of stuff, but it is all back in its proper spots and lots tossed or given away.

Finally, I've had a new inspiration on the colour for the kitchen cabinets so stay tuned.  I'll begin painting just as soon as I get rid of my last child (oops, did I actually write that?) - I mean weep sadly as my youngest goes off to camp for 5 weeks and I have the entire basement to set up as my painting workshop.  In the meantime, I'm trying to do projects that don't involve taking over the house. 

Further up-dates coming soon.

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Also, don't forget to put your name in for my Johnson Brother Old English plate summer giveaway which you can read about here.  

Our Distressed Bench

I did it  - I made something old, look new, and then look old again!   Well that's how I felt this weekend anyway.  Here's the bench all purtied up -

Just to jog your memory - here is what it started out looking like, fresh from the garbage (well and it sat in our garage for 2 years, but fresh from all that) - 

Why is it that projects always cost two times as much and take two times as long as you expect then to.  I came back from the hardware store having spent $70 to fix up our "free" project.  Now I will admit that most of what I bought were things like clamps that will get used on other projects, but still....  And in order to get the project done all in one weekend, I was painting like a madwoman in the dark no less.  The things I do for my bloggy friends.

Now for the nitty-gritty step-by-step.  The first thing I did was sand the bench down to get rid of all the flaking paint.  I know some of you are sobbing that I got rid of all the chippy loveliness, but it was a bit too rustic for our house, so cover it up I did.

Since the bench was split in half, I had to glue it together and clamp it overnight.

Then I cut 2 small boards to put underneath for added support, and glued and screwed them into place.

Then I primed the bench,

and painted it two coats of blue, sanding the edges after each coat.

Then the fun began - I used a product that was a combination of stain and sealer that you rub on and then wipe off.  It was messy because it is oil based, but does the job of making your bench look old and dirty.  Here is a picture with one board just with paint and one board that has also had the stain applied so you can see the difference.

Then I had to let it dry.  All I can say, after writing all this, is I know why no laundry got done this weekend.

I love the toned-down blue and the bench looks really happy on our front porch.  Now we just need to get going on planting some flowers.

Here's a few more photos for your viewing pleasure.

The End!

Linked to:
Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
More Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality
Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative

DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land
Show and Tell Day at Blue Cricket Design
Home and Family Friday at Home is Where My Story Begins
Inspired by Linky at The Inspired Room
We Can Do It Cheaper at The Virginia House
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Modern Craftswoman Monday at Tools are for Women Too!
Best of 2010 Twice Owned Tuesday Party at House of Grace

Bathroom Reveal

We have been working on our bathroom over the past few weeks - well actually just one wall in the bathroom - and I'm very excited to say that it is finally done!

Sprucing up the bathroom involved adding:

• some beaded panelling to the lower part of the wall
• some trim along the top of the panelling
• some photos of the cottage
• and a new towel rack.

In all honesty the towels won't be like that unless we have guests.  I chose the double towel rack so we could each hang our towels out flat and they would dry easily - I just put the hand towels there for show.  Speaking of towels, though, what colour would you suggest for our bathroom?  We could still use white, but I'm not against adding some colour or pattern.

And because everyone loves a good before-and-after, here's a few comparison shots:

 BEFORE

 AFTER

 

BEFORE

 AFTER

 

AFTER

This last photo also gives you a sneak peek as to what still needs to be done in the bathroom - new counters, faucet, lights, and possibly a mirror frame. 

Linked to:
Strut your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple
Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interior
Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Make it for Monday at Cottage Instincts
DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land
Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design
Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville 
Show and Share at Just a Girl 
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home 
Inspired Week at The Inspired Room 
We Can do it Cheaper at The Virginia House 
Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick
Bathroom Makeover at Centsational Girl

My Frugal Cottage Laundry Room

When we had a family room built in our basement, a few years ago, the laundry area was walled-in but not finished.  That left the back of the new walls exposed - studs and back of drywall - and the existing basement exterior walls, which consisted of plastic-covered pink insulation, a cement floor, and an exposed ceiling.  Not very inspiring, to say the least.

(I could only find photos from prior to the basement renovation, but you can see the yucky floor and pink insulation that was still visible in the laundry room even after the family room was complete)

Funds were low after the basement work, so I plotted and planned how to makeover this space using next-to-no money.   I love the colour red, but it just didn't seem to work anywhere else in the house, so I decided the laundry room would be a rustic cottage room in white and red.

Here's how I dealt with each area:
  
Ceiling: I figured that I don't look up when I do laundry, so the ceiling could remain unfinished.  Hubby added a light - a real up-grade from the bare lightbulb ghetto look.

Floor:  The previous owners of our house had painted the cement floor with the wrong kind of paint, so it was a peeling, unsightly mess.  I thought it would be too much trouble to remove that paint and paint it again, and there was no way I was going to actually finish the floor properly because then we would have to move the machines.  So I took the lazy (but clever!) way out.  I bought dollar store woven grass beach mats and covered the floor with them and then put a red IKEA floor runner on top.

Walls:  I painted the back of the drywall and the exposed studs white, so it has that cottage look I was going for.  I only used primer and I am, frankly, quite happy with the clean white look.  The exposed pink insulation was much more of a problem.  I had some huge old painter's drop-cloths that I decided would do the job.  It wasn't easy to measure around the pipes and window etc and it was even more difficult to secure the drop-cloth to the wall.  I should warn any pro-home builders to go and read other blogs right now or at least skip the rest of this paragraph while I describe how I attached the drop-cloth to the wall.   I managed to fit the cloth behind some of the pipes, and the pipes do the bulk of the work in holding the drop-cloth in place.  I then used some straight pins and double-sided tape and they do the rest.  It isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it has been in place for well over a year now and still holding strong.  I had to make the wall purty, so I spent some time at the local thrift stores in search of wall decor.  What I finally found was a vintage tablecloth with just the right feel, and the colour red.  So home it came and I pinned it in place.

Covering the very bad, very ugly, no good areas of the laundry room:  Two main areas fit this description, the sink and a storage area under the stairs.  I was very fortunate to find two tablecloths with the same pattern, in two different thrift stores - and in a lovely cottage red and white check, no less.  I used double-sided velcro tape to secure them in place and they are holding strong.  They don't get moved much as there is another access to the storage area and nothing is under the sink.  I also painted a board and lay it on top of the sink.  It is a good spot to dry clothes.

Pretty Touches:  I added some metal buckets from the dollar store to put the dryer sheets and stain removal stuff in.  Of course I got them in red.  I also had a tin with a red lid that I put the laundry detergent in.  Hubby installed a shelf for the laundry detergent so it is near the washing machine.  I also added a laundry basket for dirty clothes and a red dollar store bag to put lost socks in.

We all want to know the bottom line on projects, so here it is (although approximate as I did this over a year ago and I can't remember exact amounts):

COST:
paint: already owned
dropcloth: already owned
tablecloth on wall: $8
2 check tablecloths: $12 ($6 each)
velcor tape and pins: $5
board on sink: scrap wood
beach mats: $3
red rug: $30
ceiling light: $6
shelf and brackets: $10
bag for lost socks: free (gift from sister-in-law)
red buckets: $3
TOTAL: $77

There you go - a fresh cottage laundry room for $77.  How about you - have you ever made-over a room with more muscle power than money?

This post linked to Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous

Metamorphis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch
Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick