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HOW TO UPDATE A KITCHEN ISLAND IN MINUTES

June 1, 2022

My kitchen was on the waitlist for a renovation for years.

Every month she moved her way up the list patiently waiting to get her measurements taken, her drawers evaluated and her cooktop lifted and replaced.

But, until the kitchen moved to the top of the waitlist, I found a simple kitchen island update in an hour.

When my family gets wind of a mom project they get nervous.

I think my husband had visions of me adding under cabinet lighting with Christmas lights.

But I played it safe with a quart of paint and a roller.

That’s it. Do not overthink an island update.

KITCHEN ISLAND UPDATE

In the time it took to watch an episode of Frasier, minus the commercials, the kitchen island was updated. Here is how I did it.

STEPS TO UPDATE A KITCHEN ISLAND

quart of paint and a roller brush and a small pan
kitchen island updates do not require a ladder
choose a shade darker than the paint color you think you want

simple-kitchen-island-update-everyday-edits

WHY NOT PAINT THE ENTIRE KITCHEN?

A kitchen island is less of a commitment. It’s why I prefer to grab coffee with friends and not lunch. It is just as much fun but less time and expense. And it does not interrupt my daily workflow.

If I don’t like the paint color or finished look I can repaint it in the time it takes to get through the Starbucks drive-thru on the first mid-day afternoon of a new school year.

5-Ideas-for-Test-Run-Kitchen- Makeover-EverydayEdits

The kitchen island originally was painted with Revere Pewter. The transformation to Kendall Charcoal was in minutes.

Elliott is sitting in front of the cabinets. They look lighter or darker depending on the time of day.

All of a sudden, my baseboards popped against the new paint color. Even my dulled floors look a little less scuffed.

how-to-update-kitchen-island-everyday-edits

A coat of Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal transformed the space.

I love this color because it works seamlessly with colors like Revere Pewter and Hale Navy.

A big part of the kitchen renovation includes the removal and replacement of a larger kitchen island.

So my decision to paint the island was a low risk, low effort to just give her a little tweak.

I love the look!

The unexpected find in this one hour project was it was a great way to “hold me over” until we could update our kitchen.

When we finished our kitchen renovation my lower cabinets and island were almost identical to what I painted them a few years ago.

If you blinked you might have missed the subtle update. The boys in my house missed it… for weeks.

What do you think? Do you have ideas for inexpensive updates that make a huge impact in a space?

LIVING ROOM CHAISE WITH A VIEW

May 5, 2022

We knew we made the right furniture choice when the dog claimed the living room chaise mid-day before the family rolled in after work, school and tennis practice. My husband claims it after work- it is his recharging station. In our house, the living room chaise wins the popular vote.

The unwritten rule is whoever lands on the chaise first, gets the chaise!

It reminds me of when my four siblings and I called shotgun as we ran down the stairs to fight for the front passenger seat in Mom’s Suburban.

The fact that there is no television in our living room, speaks to the chaise’s popularity. With wide cushions and just-enough length, it is perfect for an end of day nap as the rains roll in over the mountains.

We found our chaise at Crate & Barrel. You can find the dimensions and details here. We passed right by this chaise when we did an initial loop around the showroom floor.

We wanted a couch or club chairs to fit the awkward, rounded wall and tiny nook in the living room. The living room is complicated.

Living Room Chaise

Never underestimate the power of pillows

The secret to the chaise’s popularity is with the pillows. My husband and I did not see the vision. But, thank goodness the sales associate pointed out the power of bolster pillows. The pillows make the chaise’s role in our living room flexible. It can be shoved against a wall or “free float” in front of our living room window.

And, the best part of this purchase was it took place during Crate & Barrel’s annual Labor Day sale.

The chaise is comfortable, stylish, flexible and the perfect spot to catch a nap or sneak in a chapter in my latest pick from this site.

The chaise was our Aussie’s favorite place to relax. I used to shoo Tanner off, but as his hips failed, I whispered in his ear, “You earned this Tanner.” We have visions of Tanner on security detail on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

The chaise was such a classy-casual addition to the living room I had to upgrade the rug. All of a sudden my indoor/outdoor rug felt like it belonged outside. I upgraded to this rug for a comfier feel our feet (or paws).

living room chaise for the win

And, with these views, the chaise is the perfect spot to watch the weather roll in over the mountains.

HOW TO PAINT CABINET HARDWARE

March 16, 2022

I could paint the front door pumpkin orange and the dogs would notice before the rest of the family. And that is how I ended up painting my brand new cabinet hardware in my laundry room.

But let me back it up for a minute. I purchased and installed 14 cabinet pulls before I realized I did not like the oil-rubbed bronze finish.

I thought the finish would be more oil than bronze. Sadly, it was not. And based on my pumpkin orange front door hypothesis I had no concern if anyone would notice (or care). But I knew I was entering the grey zone and needed to figure out how to paint the cabinet hardware. Until I found a solution it would bug me like a mosquito. #wink

The irony is I replaced the original hardware and could have used this tip and saved myself the money of the oil rubbed bronze cabinet pulls.

Here are the original, builder grade cabinet knobs.

But I wanted a different design than the builder grade. I loved the shape of the new hardware knobs. They remind me of petite Easter eggs. They are larger than they appear in the photo. But I wish I had ordered a little larger.

I wanted black cabinet pulls; to pop against my white laundry room cabinets.

Painting over a dozen cabinet pulls without incident (meaning no coverage gaps or drips) sent me on a paint fix search. And, then, with no help from Pinterest or Google, I got an idea on how to paint cabinet pulls with a toothpick.

Yes a toothpick. Never underestimate the power of a toothpick.

Never under underestimate the power of a toothpick.

HOW TO PAINT CABINET HARDWARE IN MINUTES

With an empty Amazon box, 1/2 can of black spray paint + primer and a handful of toothpicks I set up my impromptu paint station outside.
2. I spaced the toothpicks apart making sure to have enough room around each one to spray every crevice.
Once the cabinet pulls were positioned, I poked each toothpick into the box; just enough to hold the cabinet pull.

The toothpick’s sharp point made it easy to press into the cardboard box.

I placed each cabinet pull on top of the toothpicks.
The cabinet pulls were hollow so the toothpicks handled the weight of each cabinet pull.
The cabinet pulls wobbled, but they did not fall down.

RESULTS

A can of black spray paint changed the look of the cabinet hardware in seconds.

The freshly painted cabinet hardware gave a fresh look to a space that is all about lost socks, grass stains and dirty laundry.

After all, the laundry is the most popular room in the house.

how to update the cabinet hardware in minutes — How to paint cabinet pulls in minutes, no mess

After hundreds of loads of laundry, the spray painted cabinet hardware looks brand new.

Love it! And, no one in the family ever knew of my initial disappointment in the finish.

I started and finished and reinstalled the pulls in a matter of a few hours. In fact, NO ONE in the family noticed I had changed the cabinet pulls from the original pulls!

If you are thinking about painting your front door, read this post.

Here is a tip for staining small objects!

HOW TO INSTALL PEEL + STICK TILE

February 25, 2022

Sharing an afternoon project on how to install peel and stick tile.

I was compensated by Aspect for this tutorial.

IThis peel and stick project had my husband and I on opposite sides of this budget-friendly, DIY option. Today I will share the details of this afternoon project and suggestions on where or where not to install peel and stick tile. So let’s dive into the details.

HOW TO INSTALL PEEL + STICK TILE

The unexpected surprise was this was a much easier project than I anticipated.

The easiest part was of this tutorial was I knew where I wanted to install these adhesive-backed tiles.

DIY STEPS

Last year we took down the dated, stock cabinets in our almost 20-year-old builder-built basement bar. We replaced the cabinets with these shelves.

When we removed the cabinets we installed an MDF board. My plan was to create a chalkboard with a Starbucks vibe. Yeah, not so much. It turns out there is a reason why Starbucks has a great vibe in their stores. They know how to work a chalkboard.

I knew the peel and stick tile would dress up the bar and give the wall behind the shelves a multi-dimensional backdrop.

When the box arrived the only thing I was worried about was if there were enough peel & stick tile panels to cover the approximate 6×5 foot wall behind the bar. A quick non-math calculation looked promising. The visual method (eyeball the space) gave me the enthusiasm I needed to install these sticky tiles.

SUPPLY LIST

level
scissors
permanent marker
Aspect Peel & Stick stone in Charcoal Slate

STEPS TO INSTALL

I started at the bottom of the wall (just above the counter) and in the corner behind the kitchen sink. I decided if I screwed up the corner it would be less noticeable hiding behind a roll of paper towels.

The project moved right along until I got to the outlets and the shelf hardware. I freaked a bit thinking this was where my project would go off the rails.

How to install peel and stick tile, does peel & stick tile work

Tip: Remain calm when faced with outlets.

I removed the shelves’ brackets and outlet covers and used the stone tile scraps to fill in around the outlets and hardware. It went much smoother than I anticipated.

I had a little bit of wiggle room with the straight line cuts because the hardware flange and outlet covers covered the cut edges of the stone tile.

I used a level with each panel.

Translation: I did not screw it up.

I used a level with each panel and the black plywood made any tiny gaps blend into the wall. The Charcoal Slate tiles included shades of grays. It adds texture and depth to the bar where the chalkboard did not.

I love, love, love the finished look. It took about two hours to complete. The added bonus was there was no cleanup, grout, or glue.

SUGGESTION ON WHERE TO INSTALL

Choose a small space
Do not install on an exterior wall (the temperature fluctuations may cause adhesive to break down
Consider lining a bookcase or hutch with these adhesive tiles

Realtor opinion: I recently showed a fix and flip to a buyer and the sellers had installed peel and stick tiles to an entire wall. It was pulling away from the wall. I don’t suggest this on a fix and flip property because the adhesive tiles will “flip” away from the walls.

THE DETAILS

The Aspect Peel & Stick tile products are available in stone, metal, and glass in the subway and matted styles. r. You can find lots of inspiration at their e-commerce site, DIY Decor Store.

On the fence? You can request a sample here.

Disclosure: I received a product in exchange for creating a review and sharing photos of the project. All opinions are my own. And, I loved this product!

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A Reclaimed Wood Buffet for the Dining Room

September 8, 2020

I found a reclaimed wood buffet for my dining room. It’s true, sometimes non-essential dreams do come true. And, this wood buffet was not found online or in the dining room window display.

You will never guess where I found my future dining room buffet.

I found my wood buffet next to the bathroom at Pottery Barn. It was in a hallway leading to the women’s bathroom. Big surprise!

There was a hold tag on it for another customer.

So I ripped it off and marched up to the checkout counter.

Gotcha!

Just kidding!

But I ~~may have~~ thought about it. What? It was made of reclaimed wood. It was the perfect match for this dining room table.#ad

But, the story did not end in the Pottery Barn bathroom hallway.

I went home and checked out the details (price) and dimensions. And that’s when, in the final hours of a Sunday evening, in the top right-hand corner of my screen was a 24-hour flash sale with the following announcement in all caps.

**FREE SHIPPING.** It was a free-shipping miracle sent by a little angel.

But with tuition, mortgage payments and the neverending cash flow demands of my husband’s data analytics company, the online shopping cart usually sents empty or the catalog gets recycled.

Reclaimed Wood Buffet

I think this is where the term angel investors originated. #wink, #snarky.

Once the hutch was in my shopping cart I got my sign from the angel investors; the Bowery reclaimed storage hutch was back-ordered.

Backordered status translates to no credit card charge until the hutch ships from Chicago.

I had time to pay it off before it shipped.

I now refer to this as mom’s angel investor club (entirely different meaning in my husband’s vernacular).

So the best part of this new dining room hutch was that it fit perfectly in my little dining room niche AND it was paid in full before it shipped.

The dining room hutch was made from reclaimed wood with rough edges and dark brass hardware. It matched the industrial vibe and this dining room table.

What do you have your eye on that you might find in a store’s hallway?

“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Blue and White Living Room Rug

September 2, 2020

how the blue and white rug pulls the living room together

My last rug in the living room was a shade of green that covered the dirt but clashed with my brown walls. How is that for a visual? I shared before and after paint pics here if you are curious.

Go ahead, take a look. It was rough.

With new windows on the front of the house, we wanted the views to be the feature of the living room.

This room was love at first sight so many years ago. But the room was a little lost.

A good friend suggested when feeling stuck (with a room) to empty the room and put it back together.

This method raised a few eyebrows when the family came home to the living room furniture in the hallway.

But, if mama ain’t happy no one is happy. And they are all used to to mom moving furniture at all hours of the day.

After emptying the room and getting Elliott through the potty training stage, I was ready to focus my attention on a new rug. So when I found this blue and white rug for the living room it was love at first click. I found it at Overstocks and it is in and out of stock regularly. But don’t lose hope. #ad

Sound familiar?

Tip: Take advantage of the “Notify me when in stock” button. It works. Many popular retailers have added this feature.

I received a notification from Target in a day when these prints were back in stock.

I and fell in love with this rug. And I knew this rug was going to pull the room together. What I didn’t know was how it would pull our family together.

And, with a few clicks, I purchased this rug in a 10x 12. It was tight on the sides because of a curved wall, but I loved the cream and blue colors instantly.

I forgot how soft a wool rug was under bare feet. All of a sudden the wood floors had a beautiful blankie over their worn and tired finish.

The new living room rug was ready to carry the load of the family after dinner, during homework (that chaise needs it’s on reservation app) and phone calls with kids away at college.

Here was our living room last week. That chaise is my favorite piece of furniture in the house!

The walls were painted Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore and I eventually added navy window treatments for color.

The new rug needed to be a medium shade of blue so I could go on either side of the blue color wheel for window treatments and accessories. I am a cautious color girl. I

wanted a wool rug, but not one that would disrupt my cash for my Nordstrom fix.

Finally, the rug had to be soft underfoot because of the living room (and that chaise) that is the family’s favorite room to relax and enjoy the Colorado views. I love this rug so much!

I was so nervous when our blue rug arrived on my front porch. What if I didn’t love it? How would I return a 50-pound roll of wool? What if my ~~family~~ dogs hated it?

My son helped me drag, pull and push the new rug up a flight of stairs. Before the big reveal, I added a rug pad. I read that not only does a rug pad protect the wood floors (not that I would be opposed for a reason to refinish the floors), but a rug pad adds an extra layer of cushion.

I was this close to buying a larger rug, but then I found this reference for rug placement on Home Depot’s blog.

And, now this room is the most popular space in the house. It is where we unwind, catch a nap on the chaise or watch the snow in February with a cozy blanket. My son studied in this room during his extended spring break. It is everything I imagined and I think that the new rug had something to do with it.

Stay tuned for more updates to this space! Where do you find new rugs?

Looking for inspiration on a budget check out this idea.

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How to Replace Door Hardware & Hinges

March 24, 2020

Realtors have the unique opportunity to see homes without filters and creative angles. We see the hits and misses of updates. And, sometimes there are things we can’t unsee. As decor and DIY bloggers we live in a bit of a blogger bubble. Would you agree? But, for many homeowners, including a few friends and family, they have no interest in following decor trends or the top paint colors for 2020. For me, the first update I look for in a home is the condition of the door hardware. The excpetions to this include historical or homes built pre-1970’s where the original hardware adds value. But, for many of us, I am referring to the original builder grade door hardware. Here are a few suggestions on how to replace door hardware on a budget.

One of my favorite home updates is to replace door hardware and the often ignored door hinges. Replacing door hardware makes a big impact in a room because most homes have more than a few doors.

Our interior and exterior doors are a big part of the aestethics of a space.

And, this is why it makes so much sense to update the features that are used as often as the bathroom (that’s another favorite home update).

Don’t get me wrong I know the thought of updating door hardware is overwhelming (and pricey) and it is the last thing we want to do on a weekend.

But, stick with me; replacing door hardware makes a huge difference.

Here is the process we took to update the door hardware and hinges.

Break it down into manageable and budget-friendly timelines. For example, we have dozens of doors across multiple levels in our home. The “Jack and Jack” bathroom between our boys’ bedrooms has four doors in one bathroom. That adds up to four new door handles and twelve hinges for one space.

But the only thing worse than not replacing door hardware is not replacing all the hardware. You just have to grind through the replacement process.

2. But, to manage cash flow we replaced the most popular doors first; the popular doors used everyday or in sight everyday. We started with the entry door handles and our home’s main level.

3. Over the course of several months and weeknights, with nothing new on Amazon or Netflix, we tackled one to two doors at a time.

It reminded me of when we replaced these.

And, then one evening without much fan fare we installed our last set of door handles and hinges. It was a huge DIY box to check.

We love the look. And, like all trends, the finish of door hardware will change (who ever thought gold hues would be back), but the quality of door hardware tends to outweigh tthe finish trends.

And, don’t forget to update or clean up those door stoppers too!

Here is a more affordable project I did to update cabinet hardware in minutes.

Pottery Barn Knockoff Lamp

February 20, 2020

I love lighting for a room, but not so much on my face or in a dressin room. Lighting, and I always include twinkly lights, add mood and shadows. What I don’t love is the process of finding lamps for a space. There are too many details- you know like height and width. And, the pressure to find the correct lamp shade? There is not enough bandwith in my brain for correct lamp shade sizing. It is too much. My lamp search started in front of my tablet with a ~~cup~~ pot of coffee. And, then I called my sister to chat about my search for a Pottery Barn knockoff lamp. And, then we talk about nothing to do with lamps for 67 minutes.

My lamp search began on Pottery Barn’s site. I loved these lamps with their appropriate sized lamp shades and clear, sturdy base. But, I did not love the prices. I needed to pace my spending. Because something else always ends up in my Pottery Barn shopping cart once I click the “sale” tab at the top of the site. Anyone else shop just the “sale” tab?

The price was about $150.00 more than I wanted to spend for a lamp.

I took my search to Wayfair and found this lamp for 1/2 the price. The reviews were great too! The good news was the lamp was on sale. The bad news; was it was out of stock here. Here is a similar lamp from Wayfair.

Sidenote: I signed up for a “back in stock” alert.

Photo Credit: Wayfair.com

Pottery Barn Inspired Lamp

I was a little worried when the Wayfair lamp arrived. You know that nervous anticipation when you grab a pair of scissors to open the well-taped box? And, you say a little prayer to the shopping angels that the lamp resembles the photo from the website. Well, this lamp did not disappoint! It is sturdy and lampshade has a snug fit against the base (no wobble).

I love this lamp! I plan to buy a second one as soon as they are back in stock.

Oh, and I found this great resource for sizing up lamps.

How to Repurpose a Vintage Find that is Not Haunted

January 8, 2020

I love when I find something I did not know I needed for my home. I love to figure out how to repurpose a vintage find. And, I love it more when I find a way how to repurpose a find that is vintage and not haunted.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

I went thru a vintage store phase where, in between work or social commitments, I would stop into this popular vintage store south of Denver.

Ond day, in between the farmhouse finds and antiques I found a brassy, metal mailbox. I love mailboxes and sadly our suburban neighborhood does not have the individual mailboxes.

How to Repurpose a Vintage Find

I studied up on vintage mailboxes as I contemplated what to do with my find. Did you know in 1923 it was mandatory that every home had a mailbox? You can read the reason why here.

The challenge to repurpose a vintage find is to make sure it works with your home. And, just as important to make sure the vintage find is not haunted.

I learned this suggestion the hard way when my mother “gifted” me and my husband an antique rocking chair. It had been her family for a few generations in the Appalachian Mountains. It was covered in what appeared to be decades of dust.

My husband never liked this chair. I would find it in the garage for a variety of reasons; it was tilted, it was not safe for a child. Finally, my husband confided he was completely creeped out by the rocking chair.

Kind of like our basement in our first home. I’ll save that for another day.

He found a reason to haul it to the garage when the rocking chair mysteriously cracked-

better the rocking chair leg, than my husband. #wink

Thankfully, the mailbox was non-threatening. I planned to have it next to our back door to hold keys or dog leases. Unfortunately, neither keys nor dog leashes were needed next to the door that leads to the backyard.

Needless to say, that mailbox went around the block (house) a few times before it found its forever home in my home office.

With an ongoing office refresh, the vintage mailbox found a new home in my office, right next to the door. I painted it a sloppy coat of Hale Navy paint to give a pop of color on the Revere Pewter walls.

Of course, I did not grab a before photo. Epic blog fail!

And, in hindsight the brassy finish would look amazing in my recently repainted home office.

This vintage mailbox was a cute addition above the light switch. I loved the serendipity moment when I realized the mailbox ended up next to a door. Maybe not the front door, but my home office door.

Serendipity, right?

With the tiny door lift, centered on the front of the mailbox, the mailbox was ready for a re-purposed life.

Although this mailbox no longer holds the local newspaper I want to find a purpose for the scrolled arms.

Please leave any suggestions in the comments.

But, what I love most about this mailbox is it reminds us of the low tech version of mail delivery.

The little key entry on the front panel reminds us of a simple version of security.

In today’s email packed inboxes, this vintage mailbox find no longer holds mail; instead, it holds the stories from homeowners past.

Thank you for stopping by and please check out other repurposed projects here.

Garage Entry Door Makeover in an Hour

November 20, 2019

It’s the week of Thanksgiving. I should focus on mashed potatoes, fresh linens and a vacuum to reign in the dog hair. But that’s not what happened yesterday. In between a quick inventory of the Christmas trees and hauling out bags of clothes to drop off at Goodwill, I painted the garage entry door. That’s right in less than an hour I had a garage entry door makeover. Welcome home…

You know when you reach that point where you have to drop everything because something bugs you so much? Like a mosquito bite; that you can’t reach to scratch? Well, my garage entry door was that mosquito; except it was door and days before Thanksgiving.

This was the door a few years ago before it got a quick update with a coat of black paint and new hardware. But over the years the door got banged up with tennis bags and a 93 pound Bernese Mountain dog covered in mud.

She may also be the reason the updated door hardware tilts.

I switched things up with a couple quick coats of Chelsea Gray. The same paint I used to paint our living room hutch. There is an Instagram account just for Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray.

In our house, the entry door from the garage is the most popular door. The only one who visits the front door is the UPS or Fed Ex guy. So it only made sense that my family members have a door with fresh paint.

In less than an hour, I had a garage entry door makeover. And I added a little something to welcome my family home.

It turns out the crazy, packed schedule is the deadline I needed to haul out a paint tarp. The time spent painted rolled by quickly with thoughts of all three of my children home for a few days. #fullhouse

I plan to make these as these breakfast rolls in the days before Thanksgiving.

Hello there!

HOW TO PAIR HALE NAVY & REVERE PEWTER PAINT

October 21, 2019

Sharing coordinating colors where I paired Benjamin Moore Hale Navy and Revere Pewter paint colors in interior rooms.

After surviving the Tuscany-inspired paint colors of 2005, we painted our walls with Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter.

When I got bored with the greige walls I decided the walls, needed a dark and stormy backdrop.

After eight trips to Guiry’s and samples from the Depot, I went with Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy. I love it! I hope these images help you navigate the dozens of paint combinations for greige and navy!

HALE NAVY + REVERE PEWTER IN PICTURES

I love, love, love the color combination. The two colors blend seamlessly with no stark contrast.

When making the decision to move away from neutral paint colors there are a few suggestions before you paint your entire main floor interiors navy.

Hale Navy is a bold, confident paint color.

It can be a bit overwhelming to someone with realtor beige walls. #realtorlife.

TIPS TO ADD NAVY PAINT TO REVERE PEWTER

Start with small spaces. I painted a small niche (a popular architectural feature in the 2000s).
Repeat. Paint another small space or 1/2 wall that is easy to repaint if you are not ready for a bold color. And that is okay. Here is a flashback to my first shade of blue in our dining room.
Hale Navy looks great with so many accent colors. I share a few in the images below. Please pin for reference!

EXAMPLES OF HALE NAVY AND REVERE PEWTER

How to pair Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy with Revere Pewter

Before we completed this family room fireplace remodel we had a large niche (inset) above our fireplace.

The addition of Hale Navy transformed the fireplace and centered the room.

Like this little nook sits under the staircase. Here is the before and after. Revere Pewter is the main wall color.

NICHE BEFORE

NICHE AFTER

Painting multiple small spaces gave me the confidence to transition to the dining room.

It was surrounded by a row of windows.

Benjamin Moore Hale Navy paint color, dining room paint color, dark and stormy dining room

A few years ago we removed the half wall between the kitchen and the dining room. The kitchen is Revere Pewter and the extra light from the dining room window gave me the confidence to go all-in on the navy paint in the dining room.

I loved the dining room so much I went around the corner and painted my office Hale Navy.

I purchased these mirrors or the dining room.

With the success of the dining room, I went next door to the main level home office.

Here is a peek at my office. Same color (different lighting).

Hale Navy in the home office, home office paint color, Benjamin Moore Hale Navy, navy walls

One of the unexpected joys of Hale Navy is it looks amazing with so many colors like pinks and greens and my favorite creamy white paint.

Here’s a different wall in the main floor office.

Hale Navy office walls, navy paint color, dark and stormy navy

The interior walls on the main, upper and lower levels are painted with Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter.

Here is our living room with Revere Pewter.

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, interior walls, Revere Pewter, interiors

After our main level remodel, we repainted our family room walls with Revere Pewter. I kept the side windows on opposite sides of the remodeled fireplace Hale Navy. It coordinates with the navy window treats.

Hale Navy interior walls paired with Revere Pewter.

I would love it if you pinned this image!

FAVORITE PAINTING SUPPLIES

These Made in USA angled paint brush

This Made in USA angled shortcut brush

This drop cloth!

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HOW TO PAINT A STAINED FRONT DOOR

October 9, 2019

There was no turning back once I started to paint the backside of our front door. The decision to paint the stained front door was a long, agonizing one. Translation? I spent too much time (and coffee) searching Pinterest. Of course, I am obsessed with these doors, but I am pinching pennies as we get ready to demo our kitchen. The difficult decision was based on the fact that once the white paint was in play it was not easily undone.

HOW TO PAINT A STAINED FRONT DOOR

Here is the stained front door from inside the entryway. And, yes, the white trim around the stained door was an existing eyesore.

STEPS

I made the decision not to remove the door from the door’s hinges. With my REALTOR® life schedule, I wanted to be able to lock up the house if needed.
Lightly sand the stained door and remove dust and debris on the front door’s surface.
Paint the sidelights first. If I hated the paint it would be easier to restain one sidelight than the entire front door.

At this point, I could see the transformation from the oak stain to a bright white. It matched the adjacent entry closet door and it was a mutual attraction.

You know that moment when you love the decision you agonized over for weeks?

This was that kind of moment for a DIY girl!

New hardware to match the closet door hardware finished the look. If you zoom in you can see we missed a few hinges when we updated the door hardware around the house.

Painting the interior side of the stained front door made the entry so much brighter.

Look at the before and after side-by-side photo. Painting the stained doors made a huge difference in a matter of hours and a 1/2 gallon of paint. If you want to do a deep dive on the prep details, check out my go-to handyman,

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HOW OUR DINING ROOM TABLE IS OUR GIVING TREE

September 5, 2019

Do you know the book, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein? The classic children’s book was described as one of the “most divisive books in children’s literature.” I sided with the tree. You? And, I bet our dining room table would too.

Did you see what I just did? Our dining room table is our giving tree.

Here is her story.

We found our dining room table at a furniture store in Denver. We purchased it when we moved from Westerville, Ohio to Colorado. My traditional, cherry stain furniture did not work in our brownstone in the suburbs home.

My husband and I equally loved this dining room table and like proud parents we were happy to show it off to friends and family.

Like most dining rooms, the dining room table was located in the most unpopular room in the house. But over the years, our dining room table carried the load for our family.

Our dining room table turned into the catchall for tennis racquets, shopping bags, sweaty uniforms, and mail. It was our giving table.

DINING ROOM TABLE

During the holidays, we cleared the table’s clutter and dust and topped it off with a layer of furniture oil. Seasonal tablescapes were created over her rough edges. Friends shared their interest in our table if we decided to sell our possessions and move into

… a tiny house.

But, it turns out there is a twist in The Giving Tree analogy. Maybe, we gave a little bit of love back to the dining room table.

Let me explain.

During our first Thanksgiving, with a dozen relatives squeezed around our table, we discovered that the rough edges and bumps on the surface were a bit of a challenge for the dining experience.

It turns out the glasses wobbled.. like Weebles.

My husband panicked and had plans to order a glass table top. Over my grey roots (see what I did there)? On that Thanksgiving night, I fell more in love with our table; it wasn’t perfect.

The design to create a table for a Colorado home could not keep a wine glass level. The glasses wobbled. Kind of like grandma after her second glass of Chardonnay. Grandma blamed the table.

Maybe it was the table. Our table.

While my husband suggested a glass top, I suggested bubble wrap placemats. If you are new here I love to repurpose everyday objects.

It turned out, the table’s imperfections became the best conversation starters with a table full of guests (and drinking glasses).

And, just like the book, written by Shel Silverstein, our dining room table gave us a little bit more.

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HOW TO REMOVE A HALF WALL

August 22, 2019

The good news is my husband and I are still married after we built a kitchen half wall between the dining room and kitchen. One of the best DIY decisions we made was when we decided to take out half the wall between our dining room and kitchen. You know the dining room? The room that either is dressed for a party or looks like the lost and found in a high school locker room.

But over the course of a weekend, we made the decision to build a half wall. Heads up! We love it!

how to remove a half wall, how to take out a half wall between two rooms

BEFORE WE REMOVED A HALF WALL

Our original plan was to remove the wall behind our refrigerator in the kitchen. But a consult with an architect brought up the light from the bank of windows in our dining room.

Sidenote: We hired the architect for a different project (that led to this project).

But since she charged by the hour we asked her about the wall between the kitchen and dining room.

HOW TO RECREATE AHALF WALL IN THE KITCHEN

This project to take out half a wall was much much easier than we anticipated. It was the biggest project my husband and I tackled.

It was bigger than this project.

OPENING 1/2 A WALL SOLVED A FEW PROBLEMS

it created a social hub between the dining room and kitchen
it added more light from the dining room windows
it opened up a narrow entry between the dining room and kitchen

Removing half the wall with the upper cabinets and microwave did two things.

Added much-needed light from the north-facing windows in the dining room.

2. Created a little breakfast nook or workstation that was out of the way of the kitchen.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU OPEN UP HALF A WALL

This project required trust, grit, patience and an electrician to run interference and move an outlet. To appreciate the after here is a quick view of the dining room a few years ago.

And, yes I picked that color.

The dining room was the gateway to the kitchen. And, with a narrow entry arch into the kitchen. Here is the wall from the dining room. To the left is the door size entry into the kitchen.

Here’s the view from the dining room. By removing this wall we could take advantage of the light from the large dining room windows.

THE BEFORE

Here’s the view from the kitchen.

Tip: Before we removed the upper cabinets (and the half wall) we relocated the contents of the cabinets. Before we removed the wall we wanted to make sure we would not miss those cabinets.

At the same time, we relocated the microwave to an adjoining counter.

ELECTRICAL + PLUMBING DETAILS

We hired a plumber and electrician to move the mechanics to the left inside the frame. We had to add an additional outlet on the dining room wall side per electrical code. Total costs for the mechanical was just under $300.00.

PAIN IN THE ARCH

The arch was the trickiest part of this wall removal. We had the small arch where the original entry into the kitchen existed. The main level of our house has arches in and out of every room so we wanted to keep the design. But, we had to remove the original arch before we recreated a wider arch to accommodate the extended length of the newly opened half wall.

Arch Solution

My husband found Archways & Ceilings, a US-based company, that specializes in creating arches. With simple instructions on their website, my husband measured the expanded wall opening. Within a week we had an MDF template ready to install.

We framed the top of the wall with 2×4’s and attached the MDF arch to the frame. It required a drill and screws. It was a great, affordable solution. The total cost of the MDF arch was around $100.00.

The time saved: priceless.

We love the space between the kitchen and dining room and it looks like the way we envisioned it.

how to remove a half wall between two rooms

And, the best part of this half-wall removal project was how quickly we finished it.

From start to finish it was a total commitment of two-ish weekends.

It took almost a week to receive the solution for the extended arch.

The contractor quotes we received for the half-wall tear-down project was north of $6,000.00. We completed this project for less than $1500. This included the cost for the plumbing and electrical.

The Before:

It also included the temporary countertop we made until we were ready to remodel the kitchen.

Here is the half-wall area today a few years later. We love the openness into the dining room. We used the counter as a breakfast bar or additional seating for entertaining.

how to remove a half wall between the kitchen and dining room

5 Kitchen Sink Ideas Before Thanksgiving

August 6, 2019

Have you looked at the calendar? We are on the backend of summer!Last week, I ran into HomeGoods (I capitalized the G) and there were pumpkin theme pillows on the shelves.

I like to plan DIY projects for late August, so when my husband and I return to Colorado after dropping our boys off at college, I have a distraction. My kitchen remodel includes new cabinets, appliances and counters. Oh, and an expanded island. My husband looked a little nautious when we started talking specifics (money). I suggested he focus on sinks. Because, you cannot have a kitchen without a sink. I pointed him in the right direction by finding 5 kitchen sink ideas.

5 Kitchen Sinks Ideas before Thanksgiving

This is the only image of my stainless, double overmount sink. It is an overmount sink which means it collects gunk around the edges. Ithink it is called an overmount. These are the questions that flood my mind during the day.

I shared a post about how to keep the kitchen sink pretty a few weeks ago. I never shared a photo of my kitchen sink. That post got me thinking about what I want in a kitchen sink.

Kitchen Sink Envy on Pinterest

Before I remove the kitchen island I want to share a few kitchen sink ideas to manage my kitchen sink envy. The first two kitchens below reflect what I want in my new kitchen; white cabinets, clean counters and darker cabinets for the kitchen island.

This stainless steel apron sink would be a definite upgrade to my sink. How do we feel ladies and guys about a dual sink versus one large sink? Please weigh in below in the comments.

Here is a second kitchen with white cabinets. This kitchen includes a stainless, under-mount, dual sink. Can someone explain to me the advantage to a single oversized sink? My sink habits include dirty dishes in one half of the sink and the other side of the sink is reserved for hand washing. #hashtagsuburbanmomprobs

Source: Decaholic

Moving on, what do you think of the darker sink? i can’t tell if it’s aged copper. Either way, I love the contrast between the white cabinets and the darker sink.

However, I am a little distracted by the tschoke surrounding the kitchen sink. And, dear Lord please don’t let this be a blog friend’s sink!

Source: Pinterest

Porcelain Kitchen Sink Envy

Okay, this kitchen has white counters and dark cabinets. I love the brass lights and cabinet hardware. Who has a porcelain sink? Be honest, what are the drawbacks? Does it chip? And, that’s not a deal breaker if there is some kind of epoxy strength fix.

I like the idea of an apron on the front. The kitchen cabinet below my kitchen sink is filthy. The cabinet’s crevices are the catch-all for coffee grounds and bacon grease. Eww! A kitchen sink apron would solve that problem.

Source: Pinterest

Finally, I had to share a copper kitchen sink I found on Wayfair. Personally, I think a copper sink is too fancy for my cooking skills. Where do you weigh in on a copper kitchen sink?

RV kitchen with a copper sink and butcher block counter tops

Source: Joyfully Growing Blog

Thanks for stopping by today. What is your favorite sink? Thinking about a new sink? Check out this sink guide on Apartment Therapy.

Living Room Chaise With a View

June 24, 2019