Half bath

So while we were doing our big master bath project, we decided to finish the half bath downstairs at the same time.

This is the room before the demo.  All I can say about it is EWWW! I have hated this room since the day we moved in.  The paint was brown...I hate the color brown, the floors were wood which the toilet leaked on and made it smell  great, and it was where all our guests went to use the restroom.  Embarrassing right! So let's just say, I was more than a little excited to demo this room!

 We ripped out everything including the floors. The room is small, which was great since it didn't take hardly any time at all.

We installed the same small black and white hex tile as we used in our bathroom. It was a pretty quick and easy install.  I found this vanity at Lowes and decided to paint it gray using the same liquid sand, primer and paint that I have used on my other cabinets.  We painted the walls a fun light aqua color and installed V board paneling on half of the walls. 

I bought this mirror at the Hobby Lobby for around ten bucks. It was on clearance because it had a little scratch on it.  I decided to paint it a light gray and distress it.  It added such fun personality to that room and was super easy to paint and finish.  I just used regular satin wall paint and brushed on a couple of coats.  After it was dry, I sanded it to show some of the black paint underneath.

Here is the vanity after I painted it. The gray paint made it totally look like an actual piece of furniture.

Here is the mirror above the sink.  The aqua color is actually a little less mint green, but there is no natural light in that room and it is hard to photograph.

Here is the sink part of the room.  I need to add some art on the long side wall, but over all I love how it turned out and I am no longer embarrassed to have my guests use our bathroom.  

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A little this and that

We are finished with the master bath project finally and have moved onto the master bedroom.  Last Saturday Jeff and I looked at each other and said we should paint the room...just go for it, just like that. It only took a couple of hours and we had ourselves a beautifully painted bedroom. I couldn't believe how quickly we got it done. I guess I was use to the bathroom project, long, messy, and labor intensive.  Not at all, this was quick, and fun, and exciting.
Here is the bedroom before paint.

Just a plain white room with this funky ceiling treatment.

We were originally thinking about putting up ceiling tiles on the ceiling, but decided that a little paint might do the trick.

We painted the walls the same blue gray color that is in the master bath.  I painted the wall color up the ceiling and chose a lighter gray color for inside of the trim.  This gives the ceiling an illusion of a trey ceiling. We took down the awful ceiling fan and replaced it with this fun orb chandelier I found in Boise over the summer.  Now I need to paint the trim, get a new bed, install the fireplace and bookshelves, add some finishing touches, and we are done! Pin It

Finish Master Bath Pictures

Finally...after almost three months my bathroom is done. I am so happy to have that room finished. This has been one of our hardest re models.  I don't know if it was because it was the start of school, or it was being up rooted and having my things in all different places in the house.  I also know that I don't deal well with messes, and this was a mess for quite a while. Anyway....here is the before...

And here is the finished bathroom.

I took a lot of different pictures. It is hard to photograph the room because of the orientation.  I love how it turned out...very calming and spa like. Now that it is done, it was totally worth it! Pin It

How we made our wood counter top

It has been forever since I have started this bathroom re model. About two months to be exact. I think this has been one of our toughest renovations we have ever done. I don't know why, maybe it was the time of year we started, or living out of the girl's bathroom was not the funnest. Either way, it is so close to be finished. We are using it...all of it! Yay.

Before I started this project, I wanted to find an old dresser or something I could use for the vanity. As we looked, we just found there was nothing out there that would fit or work. I decided to paint the vanity instead.  I used the same painting method that I used on the girl's bathroom vanity. Painting first with the zinnser primer then the wall paint. I used the same color I painted my theater room. It went well, and I had a lot left. I loved it the moment it was done. I knew that this inexpensive solution defiantly worked the best for us.

Next, I had to decide on the counter. We looked at everything. Granite, quarts, soapstone, and nothing was quite right. I decided that I wanted to have a wood counter top, but I was afraid how it would wear.  We started researching and came across a product called waterlox.  It epoxies and seals the wood. I thought this was the perfect solution.





First step was deciding which kind of wood to choose. We went back and forth between cedar and pine, and finally decided on using pine boards and staining them a rich mahogany color to accent the grain and knots in it.


We found a pine counter top at home depot that was the right size for our vanity.  We decided to use the full board rather than separate pieces glued together. The full board would give us a much more even top. We went to work sanding the board well and staining the counter top. I wanted a rich color, something that would add some contrast  with my bathroom, since it was pretty light and mostly had shiny tile finishes. I actually used a combination of two colors and mixed and played with the color I wanted.  I used a combination of a cherry stain with a very dark brown on top.  It added a lot of depth and contrast to the wood.  One tip, when applying stain on stain always work quickly. If the first coat gets tacky, the second coat starts pulling off the bottom stain.  It worked well to either go over the wood with the stain almost immediately after each coat, or letting the first coat dry for a day completely then adding the second color of stain on top.

Once the stain was dry for a couple of days we applied the waterlox finish.  Some tips for this process.,,, After a couple of coats we saw that small bubbles were starting to form. We found that using a paint brush caused these bubbles.  The trick is to use a rag and liberally wipe on the finish. We sanded out the bubbles and tried the wiping method. It worked great.  We did three coats of the originally finish the applied a top coat of the satin finish.  We rubbed the satin finish on the same way and loved how the wood went from really shiny and epoxied looking, to looking like a piece of finished real wood.

I couldn't be more happy with this counter. It was relatively easy to do, and my vessel sinks look great on top of it.  It was so so much more inexpensive than granite or quarts, but it still gave the bathroom a very custom rich look.

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Tile

We've been working on the back splash and shower tile this past weekend and I couldn't be more excited about how it is turning out. I am going pretty classic by using white subway tile on the shower, and accenting it with three stripes of  fabulous gray concrete accent tile we found. I also found a smaller subway tile for the backslash over the sink.  I also spent the first day of school (for my kids) painting my vanity. I chose a charcoal gray color to help ground the room. Painting cabinets and furniture is my favorite thing to do since it is such a fun fast update to any  room.
Just some grout and we are ready for the fun part...accessorizing!  I am getting excited...we are getting so close! Pin It

Progress

We are slowly but steadily making progress.  This week was the start of school for all of us, and things just got a little crazy. The floor is finally tiled and I love it! I wanted my bathroom to have a vintage feel to it so I decided to go with small black and white hex tiles.

Lights are in! I found these school house fixtures on a trip we took to Boise this summer, and I knew I had to have them for my bathroom.

I also added some to my closet.

This will hang off of a beam we made for the center of the room. I have always wanted a hanging fixture in my bathroom.

Can't wait to blog about this project. We decided to make our own wood counter top for the vanity. I think that with everything white, light, and shiny in the bathroom it adds a nice balance. We are working on tiling the shower and grouting everything this weekend. More progress to come! Pin It

It's gray and I love it!

Yay my walls are painted and I love the color! It is a soft gray tone with a touch of blue in it. I spent the day last week painting my wainscoting white, and I love the contrast of the two colors. I love trim, and I love it painted white. Just plain, clean white. The white I always use is ultra white from Behr right off the shelf, in a satin finish.  I find for myself that if the white is more of an off white, it tends to look dirty to me.

We picked two medicine cabinets in an oil rubbed finish for above our sinks. I am one who does like medicine cabinets. I have been living without them for three years now, and I have missed having all of my toiletries just above me ready to use. I love the storage it offers to a bathroom space. Just above my hubby built some beautiful trim I need to paint so we can install the lights.

Speaking of lights, I am giddy about this light we picked out for the center of the room. I love being able to have a pretty light in my bathroom. We are building a beam for it to hang on that matches the wood counter tops we are going to build. Can't wait to start that process. That is next, then tile, and then my favorite... all the finishing touches. So excited! Pin It

Adding some character

We are making progress! We took out the tub and installed wainscoting on the wall. Instead of having a jetted tub, we decided to go with a free standing claw foot tub. I love adding touches like wainscoting to a room. It makes the home feel like it has some extra character and history. I also painted some color samples on the wall. The color I am going with is the lighter gray blue. Silver sage from Restoration Hardware. I think it is going to pop against the white color underneath. I always get samples of the colors I want to paint and paint some on the wall. I live with them for a few days and see how the color changes in the light. It is a lot easier than painting the whole room then deciding if we like the color or not. Painting is next! My favorite part. Pin It

New master bath project

I am so so excited. I am moving on to the next project! We have officially started our master bathroom. Things are cleared out, colors are picked, and I am ready to get to work. Can't wait to show the progress! Pin It

Hello

Just popping in with a fun, quick project I did to brighten up my porch for summer. I was out and about at the Hobby Lobby and came across this fun easle that was on sale. It was screaming to go on my front porch.

I have wanted to do a sign for my porch for a while, but I didn't have room to hang anything anywhere. I grabbed this easle, and went to work on my silhouette. I knew I just wanted something simple, yet a little fun and modern looking. My son actually came up with the idea of using a chevron print, and I wanted it to just say a simple Hello.

I decided to give it a pop of apple green since everything on it was so black and white. So fun, and it is not permanent. I can change it up, put it in a room in my house, or just keep it how it is. The vinyl will peel right off when I am done with it.

Here is how it looks on the porch. Yes, I know, I need to fix the flags so they are centered. Crazy wind. Pin It

Chicken Alfredo Pizza..fast...easy...Yum!

Today I am posting a fun family recipe that is so dang easy to make. The best part, the kids love it, my hubby loves it, and I love it because it is so fun and easy to make. Win win! Perfect for a summer night.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Pizza crust (either your favorite recipe from scratch or refrigerated dough)
4 boneless chicken breasts cooked and diced
3 heads of broccoli chopped and cooked
1 bottle Alfredo sauce
2 cloves of garlic
Mozzarella cheese
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Roll out your dough and cook for five to ten minutes. The crust doesn't have to be totally cooked, but just started. While the dough is cooking, cut up your pieces of chicken into cubes and cook them in a pan adding the garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cut up you broccoli and place it in a sauce pan.  Cover with water cooking until tender. Take the pizza crust out of the oven and spread the alfredo sauce on top. Sprinkle the chicken, broccoli, and top with mozzarella cheese. Put them in the oven and bake for another five to ten minutes until golden brown on top. So good...so easy.
This recipe usually makes two pizzas. Pin It

Painting cabinets

I recently had the opportunity to teach a class about furniture and cabinet painting and re finishing. This was such a fun topic to talk about. Finding old and dis-guarded furniture and giving it new life is what I love doing most. My family jokes with me that besides my piano, no piece of furniture is safe around here. It is true.  What better way to transform a room than to give the pieces in that room some new life. If you can do that for just a few bucks worth of paint....even better right.  Here are some fun tips and tricks I have learned along the way through my own trial and error that I want to share.
First I am always asked how I prep the furniture that I am going to paint. Let's say I am doing a kitchen full of cabinets. With so many doors and drawers, sanding each one seems like a way daunting task. I have found a product that I use not only on my cabinets, but the furniture both wood, or already painted.

I first remove my cabinet doors and all of the hardware laying them on cardboard large pieces of cardboard. I love painting on cardboard because you don't get the goop on the sides of the doors you get when you lay them on plastic. Then I look at the cabinets and see if there are any spots that need actual sanding or if there are any holes to be filled with putty.  After that is done I take a clean rag and wet it with the sander deglosser and go to work wiping them down.  The great thing about this product is that it both cleans and sands your cabinets. Two steps in one. Next I prime the cabinets with Zinnser primer. 

This is the primer I love using. They have many types of primer, but I this oil base primer works great. You can still paint water based paints over it. I brush on the primer, doing two coats, and sanding between each coat.  After the cabinets are primed, I move onto paint. I always have just used regular satin finished wall paint from Lowes or Home Depot. I paint two coats, usually using a foam roller. This has always given me the desired finish that I am trying to achieve. When I am painting my cabinet doors, I always start painting the backs first, then when they dry, usually overnight, I flip them over to do the front. I do not install them back onto the cabinets until giving them a good 24 hours of drying time. I never fully shut my cabinet doors or drawers for a week after painting them. If you want to sand the edges for a more distressed finish, always wait at least a week before sanding them. 

While looking for ideas on pinterest, I came across this inventive idea from This Old House. 

They said they drilled two small hooks on the back of the doors, painted one side, flipped them over, painted the other side and hung them to dry on hangers. http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/step/0,,20315665_20696254,00.html

When your cabinets are done, don't forget the hardware. Nothing transforms cabinets or a piece of furniture than the knobs. I love to take chunky knobs and spraying them a fun glossy color.

It adds such a pop of personality to the room. It is amazing how some work and some paint can give a room new fun life.

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Outdoor spaces

I love summer. I am so glad that summer is here, things have slowed down, and yard work has begun. I love working outside. I look at it as another fun space to create.  Every year I do a little something different on my porch. I either paint my door a new color or spray some accessories. Either way, nothing stays the same on there for very long.
Two years ago my door was turquoise, and my porch looked like this.

Last year I re painted my door an apple green and found a clock to hang on the side of my porch. I sprayed the clock a turquoise color, and the two chairs on the porch got placed in the backyard and I put only one chair on the porch. It gave the porch a larger sense of space.

It was bright and colorful and I really liked the green color for my door. This year not a lot has changed. I kept the door color the same, but got out my spray can and painted my lantern a dark eggplant color. I painted the clock gray and found some fun pots at Tai Pan that I thought went well. It is a little more toned down, but I love the pop of purple.

I love the neutral color for the clock and the pop the turquoise hands give it.

I also added some fun things to my back porch. I have wanted something for under my window for a long time now, and didn't want to necessarily do window boxes.  I decided to put three large planters under there instead. The only problem was finding planters where I live. They either weren't big enough, the style was wrong, or they were more than I was willing to pay. So my hubby and I went on a trip to Cal Ranch.  Not my favorite store, but I thought they might have something...and they did.  Large metal garbage cans.  I loved the idea instantly.  It was fun, unexpected, and unusual.

They were the perfect size and I love the way the flowers and grass look in them.

We also made this fountain using two pots. The larger on the bottom to hold flowers and the smaller on top for the water feature.

With just some spray paint, some creative pots, and some pretty flowers, outside spaces are a fun way to add personality to any house. Pin It