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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. I 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 it is not haunted.

I learned this suggestion the hard way when my mother “gifted” me and my husband a antique rocking chair. It had been her family for a few generations in the Appalacian 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 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 were keys or 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 serendipty 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.

How to Pair Hale Navy & Revere Pewter Paint

October 21, 2019

Do you ever worry about change? When did a paint color take over our thoughts? When did a paint color send us to Pinterest pages and every home magazine in the checkout aisle? Searching for the right answer on a paint color? I had a nice break from painting after the interiors were painted Revere Pewter a few years ago. It was so much brighter than our previous, Tuscany inspired paint colors in the early 2000’s. But somewhere during this blog decision, I got bored with all the greige. And decided to pair Hale Navy and Revere Pewter paint.

I created a Pinterest board filled with pins of Hale Navy and Revere Pewter. I started small with arches and niches; they must have been the architectural thing in the early 2000s.

Like this little nook that sits under the staircase. Here was the Revere Pewter painted niche.

How to Pair Hale Navy & Revere Pewter Paint

I crossed the hall over to the dining room where I followed the trend of painting one more niche.

And, then I ventured into carrying the Hale Navy under the dining room wall around the windows. We had recently removed a half wall between the kitchen and the dining room.

With the additional light, I decided the room could handle a bold blue like Hale Navy. The kitchen transitions to Revere Pewter.

Here is the dining room window ledge after I painted the walls Hale Navy. Full room pictures soon!

I loved the dining room so much I went around the corner and painted my office Hale Navy. Here’s a peek at my office. It is the pantry for the next month during our kitchen demo.

Here is a peek of my office. This has been the longest reveal. I binged Bridget Jones when I painted the room on a weekend.

And, now I am wondering if I went off the rails in my quest to pair Hale Navy to Revere Pewter paint?

How to Paint a Stained Door

October 9, 2019

There was no turning back once I started to paint our stained 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. I know… #blogprobs. The difficult decision was based on the fact that if the change from a stained to painted door, was not one that was easily undone.

How to Paint to 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.

I made the decision not to remove the door from the door’s hinges. With my erratic Realtor schedule, it did not make sense to remove the front door from the hinges leaving the entrance open to Colorado critters or solicitors!

So I started in steps; lightly sanding the stained door. I painted the sidelights first. I figured if I hated the paint it would be easier to restain one sidelight than the fron tdoor. At this point, I could see the transformation from the oak stain to a bright white to match the adjacent closet door. You know that moment when you love the decisionthat you agonized over for weeks?

This was my moment!

New hardware to match the closet door hardware finished the look. If you take a close look at the front door 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 space 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 this handyman,

How to Install Peel & Stick Tile

September 23, 2019

Do you know those too good to be true emails that you know must be spam? Well, this project on how to install peel and stick tiles started with one of those suspicious emails from this company. Because it is not everyday I receive an offer for 30 square feet of peel and stick tiles. But, I did and it was legit. And, all I had to do was learn how to install peel & stick tile.

That sounds like a scam to me. But, instead I replied with an “Um, Yes.” And, I cleared a Saturday afternoon because momma got a free offer for peel and stick tile.

The easiest part was I already had the “where.” Last year we took down the dated, stock cabinets in our basement bar and replaced the cabinets with these shelves. The only problem was the MDF board that we added to create a chalkboard, did not give us the look we wanted. When my plan to add MDF board, left the space lacking a cool vibe, 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 more visual calculation gave me hope and the enthusiasm to start the peel ad stick install.

Supply List for Peel & Stick Tile

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

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

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.

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 add texture and depth to the bar where the chalkboard did not.

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

PEEL & STICK DETAILS

The Aspect Peel & Stick tile products are available in stone, metal and glass in a subway and matted styles. Wood styles will be available the first of the year. 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 product in exchange for creating a review and sharing photos of the project. All opinions are my own. And, I loved this product!

A New Rug for the Living Room

September 16, 2019

I am so excited to share a sneak peek of our new rug for our living room. While we wait for new windows I decided to take a good look at “the bones” of the living room. This room was love at first site so many years ago. A good friend of mine 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.

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

There is no color in this room; even with the furniture. And, the previous rug was a cheap, quick fix to add a little color. I spent my free time searching for rugs on popular sites like Wayfair.

And, then I saw Karianne’s post about her new rug and more importantly where she found it.

I had a few specs for a new rug (thank goodness for the handy filter option on shopping sites). 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. And, I wanted a wool rug, but not one that would break my Nordstrom addiction.

Finally, the rug had to be soft underfoot because 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!

And, then I found this rug at Overstock. It’s available in different colors, sizes and as a bonus, it is on sale. I was so nervous when it arrived on my front porch. What if I didn’t love? How would I return a 50-pound roll of wool? What if my family 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 it 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.

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

Revere Pewter Paint in Family Room

August 29, 2019

Do you know that feeling when you see a photo of yourself and your like, “That is not what I look like?” Well, that’s the same reaction I had when I uploaded house photos. “My family room doesn’t look like that? Oh yes, it does, Laura. Oh, yes it does. And, I remembered the power of paint.

Revere Pewter Paint

I spent months on this page to narrow down my decision on the paint color for our home’s interior.

I love the Revere Pewter paint on the family room walls, but these photos show a little more blah than boom. And, it wasn’t until I took those photos that I realized I have some family room goals this fall. I was on the right track when I added these pillows.

The basket with the pillows is one of my favorite things in the room. I love the contrast between the wicker and the blue & white pillows. See that tennis ball in the background? I have a photo collage of random tennis balls.

When you are a tennis family you find tennis balls just about everywhere. Last spring I painted the nook above the fireplace Hale Navy and loved the contrast against the Revere Pewter paint on the walls.

The Revere Pewter paint is carried throughout most of the house. Our home is an open main level so you can catch glimpse of the Revere Pewter on most walls.

Here is a glimpse of our new windows from earlier this summer. The new windows transformed the room. We replaced all the windows with clear glass (no grids).

And, then I captured this blank wall and I was like, “Oh, that’s rough Laura.” Now what?

Our dream, okay my dream, is to knock down that wall and add a dual-sided fireplace (the living room is on the opposite side). But until then I need something on those walls.

And, look I spy another tennis ball (and a wandering power cord).

How to Remove a Half Wall

August 22, 2019

Between the Kitchen & Dining room

The good news is my husband and I are still married after we removed a half wall between the dining room and kitchen. It was so much easier than we anticipated. It opened up the wall between our kitchen and dining room and brought light into the north side of the house that craves a little sunshine.

The decision to remove the half wall was the biggest project my husband and I have tackled. It was bigger than this project.

It 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 passage and the half wall, the kitchen felt more like a cave. 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.

How to Remove a Half Wall | Before

Here’s the view from the kitchen.

We removed the half wall that housed the microwave and surrounding cabinets. Before we removed the upper cabinets along this “party” wall we cleared the contents from the cabinets. We wanted to make sure we would not miss the cabinet space.

We also had to reconfigure where to store the microwave. It has settled in a corner on the counter.

How to Remove a Half Wall | 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 accomodate the extended lenght 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.

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 find and wait for this solution for the extended arch. The quotes we received for half wall tear down project were north of $6,000.00.

We completed this project for less than $1500.00. This included the cost for the plumbing and electrical. Woohoo!

How to Remove a Half Wall

Simple Idea to Update the Kitchen Island

August 19, 2019

My kitchen is on the waitlist for a renovation. Every month she moves up the list patiently waiting to get her measurements taken, her drawers evaluated and her cooktop lifted and replaced. But, until the kitchen moves to the top of the waitlist, I found a simple kitchen island update in an hour.

My family expected me to add under cabinet lighting with Christmas lights.

But I played it safe with a quart of paint and a roller. Seriously, I did not even haul out a roll of painter’s tape!

Simple Kitchen Island Update

In the time it took to watch the BH90210 reboot, minus the commercials, the kitchen island was updated.

Because it was an island I did not need to climb a ladder. Because it had natural stop and start points, I did not take the time to tape the space. I used the trim work to guide my brush.

The kitchen island paint color went from dependable Revere Pewter to Kendall Charcoal in minutes.

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

A coat of Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal transformed the space. Just like Pinterest promised. I love this color because it works seamlessly with colors like Revere Pewter and Hale Navy. I posted sneak peeks of my Hale Navy dining room on Instagram.

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.

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?

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 Wins the Popular Vote

June 24, 2019

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.

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.

Copy Cat Pottery Barn Bathroom Vanity Find

June 20, 2019

When our son left for college my husband and I put our blood, sweat and tears into our daughter’s bathroom remodel. We tore out the tile and the tub in a weekend. The remaining tiled shower, new shower glass door install, drywall, flooring took months and that was the just the decisions on tile, flooring and the bathroom vanity. We landed on a copy cat Pottery Barn Vanity Find. And, we saved a thousand dollars!

We finished the bathroom remodel project days before Thanksgiving; just in time for our daughter to arrive home (from Denver-12 miles away) to stay for the Thanksgiving week. The fun part of the bathroom remodel was finding a copy cat Pottery Barn Bathroom Vanity find. It was worth the time to finish an exhaustive search and a few trips to the big box stores.

Like many home-related purchases, my initial searche took me to the Pottery Barn website. Funny how that works!

I had my eye on this Pottery Barn Vanity. It was everything I wanted in color, size and a countertop.

Source: Pottery Barn

But my daughter’s bedroom’s new purpose was to be a future guest bedroom and bath. My husband was not on board with Pottery Barn’s price tag for a bathroom that would be used infrequently.

In a rare moment, I totally agreed with his opinion on this purchase. It was a calculated decision because I knew I would have stronger opinions on price negotiations for our master bathroom remodel.

Copy Cat Pottery Barn Bathroom Vanity Find

I took my online search in a different direction and searched for similar vanities at a different price point. I shared my search results with my husband and we both decided on this bathroom vanity from Lowes. With a price tag of $749.00, it was perfect for our runaway budget after the shower install. So many lessons learned when doing a DIY renovation.

Our vanity was slightly different from the cabinet setup, but the countertop and slatted shelf were the same. This copy cat bathroom vanity was functional, pretty, trendy and economical. The gray lightened up this windowless bathroom and was a nice update from the original oak builder grade vanity.

With a pretty new countertop (included with the vanity) I added these cute little canisters to store a few essentials.

Life Lessons in Seating Arrangements

June 19, 2019

In the sixth grade, my daughter wrote a letter to the Assistant Principal protesting the lunchroom seating arrangments. She did not agree with the rule that she had to eat lunch with her classmates from the last class before lunch. She argued she should be able to eat lunch with her friends and not her peers from English class. It turns out she was about to learn a few life lessons in seating arrangements.

Despite a passionate, handwritten letter, her decision was overruled.

Life Lessons in Seating Arrangments

My daughter continued to sulk (complain) until one day she noticed that funny sixth-grade boy sitting next to her at the lunch table. “Mom, Anthony is so funny.”

It turns out she found a few life lessons in seating arrangments over the lunch hour.

Apparently, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Just like middle school students, I am obsessed with seating arrangments with cozy corners that include chairs, benches, and barstools.

I purchased these chairs at Williams-Sonoma while shopping online for a zucchini spiralizer. I had a $37 balance on a gift card from my in-laws. Somehow, I ended up with four white, upholstered chairs and a matching, upholstered bench in my online hopping cart.

And, visions of conversations over wine or coffee danced in my head.

The upholstered chairs sit around this table we bought when we moved to Denver. The table’s raw edge surface make it impractical for table settings, but we love this table. Our dining room table is the center of attention when we entertain.

I added two barstools for the open seating we created when we knocked out this wall between the kitchen and dining rooms.

Visions of a breakfast bar gave way to a drop off site for the mail and Amazon.

Pillows are a great way to create cozy seating. I found these down-filled pillows at HomeGoods. A woman in front of me in the checkout line said she found the same pillows in velvet at Christmas.

I love when I can have best friend level conversation with a complete stranger over pillows in the lines at Homegoods.

I tucked this upholstered chair from Wayfair under a window. It’s a great chair for the overflow from the kitchen. I never want to be short a seat for the unexpected guest.

Here is a new seating arrangement I am working on in our family room. It is never too early to think about the holidays and guests and seating.

And, the promise of finding new life lessons along the way.

What are your favorite life lessons related to your home?

New Dining Room Hutch

June 6, 2019

One of my favorite things to read is the Pottery Barn catalog. It takes me longer to read a Pottery Barn catalog than the latest issue of People magazine. After 30 minutes, page our either torn out or tagged for inspiration. But with tuition, mortgage payments and the costs of my husband’s digital health company, the catalog usually ends up in the recycle bin. But, not last month. Last month I found my new dining room hutch.

Sometimes, non-essential dreams come true.

The dining room hutch was on my wish list for the room.

And, the irony is I didn’t find it in the catalog, I found my new dining room hutch in a hallway next to the bathrooms at Pottery Barn with a hold tag.

So I ripped the hold tag off!

Just kidding! I did not rip the hold tag off!

But, the story doesn’t end there at the store. 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 a bonus round of **FREE SHIPPING.**

Sometimes non-essential dreams do come true.

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

Because 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 shipped 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 the existing dining room table we found on clearance years ago at a furniture store in Denver.

I finally have a place to store the dishes after we tore out the cabinets when we removed the wall.

Here is the dining room ready for spring and maybe new paint!

Boys to College Bathroom |Before |Part 1

June 2, 2019

Do we ever stop calling our boys, boys? That was the question swirling in my head as I took a few photos of the boys’ J & Jack bathroom before the remodel. It is the perfect time for a boys to college bathroom.

Boys to College Bathroom | Before

Some of my funniest childhood memories between my boys took place in the bathroom. How appropriate, right?

Like when my younger son, during his sleepwalking phase, thought the bathroom trashcan was the toilet.

Or the transition from “tubbies” to showers.

Or the scent of Axe body spray lingering long after the boys left for school. As a practical joke, they sprayed Axe into the air vent adjacent to their sister’s bedroom.

She came out screaming that her room smelled like a middle school hallway.

The one constant in the boys’ bathroom were the wet towels on the floor.

Or the empty toilet paper rolls that were too heavy to toss in the trash.

Or the conversations they shared at the end of the day.

My boys own product than me and my daughter combined. Their bathroom counter looks like a Sephora counter at the end of a weekend.

I may need to plan Thanksgiving facials this fall so I can take a new photo. #countdowntothanksgiving

When I made the farmhouse frame around the mirror, my older son could not wrap his head around the “Why?” “Mom, why did you add a frame? What was wrong with just the mirror?

These are the boys’ bathroom memories before we trasition to the boys to college bathroom remodel. I love the memoris, but I am very excited for new flooring (if those floors could talk), new tile and a new vanity.

I love my boys and I am so excited to begin the demo on the boys to college bathroom remodel. It’s not just a transformation of their bathroom it is a celebration of their personal transformations from high school to college.

How to Paint Cabinet Hardware

April 30, 2019

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. It was not. Would anyone notice or care; not at all. Except it would bug me; like a mosquito bite. I was on a mission to figure out how to paint cabinet hardware.

Without anyone noticing they were different. Which, let’s face it those odds were in my favor. I could paint the front door pumpkin orange and 1/2 my family would not notice.

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 under underestimate the power of a toothpick.

How to Paint Cabinet Hardware

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.

3. Once the 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.

4. 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.

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.

Afterall, the laundry is the most popular room in the house.

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!

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How to Build Farmhouse Kitchen Shelves

April 5, 2019

The farmhouse shelves in our kitchen were one of my favorite projects. The shelves opened up the space and added a bit of a trend to my aging, dated kitchen. The farmhouse kitchen shelves were an inexpensive solution to replace the dated cabinets and not lose valuable storage. If you are looking for an entry-level DIY project these shelves are a perfect starting point.

Well, when we knocked out the wall between the kitchen and dining room we lost a row of upper cabinets. The open shelves was a great way to keep the space open and add storage space for the essentials.

It was a simple project with 2 x 12 select pine from Home Depot. We went with select pine because it has a smoother finish. I cut the pine boards to size using a table saw (with an assist from my assistant (husband) to hold the end of the board).

I used my favorite pre-stain wood conditioner to prep the wood shelves.

This was my go-to stain for most of my DIY projects. I have a few other favs, but this is a reliable stain and gives me a rich, Colorado rustic finish.

I went with a heavy bracket and found Wade’s shop on Etsy. These were super easy to install to the wall and the weight of the brackets matched the weight of the pine shelves.

The hardest part of these farmhouse shelves was capturing a photo at the right time of day (still waiting) and staging the shelves. Seriously, I was so excited to stage the shelves and it has been many late nights with episodes of Friends in the background while trying to find the right accessories.

This was an easy Saturday afternoon project. I loved this project so much I added the same shelves to our aging basement kitchenette/bar. So the farmhouse shelf photos are from both spaces.

I am taking staging suggestions for staging the shelves in the comments.

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Disclosure: I received 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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How to Paint Cabinet Hardware

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