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so I thought it best to snap some photos of my kitchen while it's almost spotless. I have no problem admitting this place is never spotless because I prefer to live in my home. I'm sure if you look closely you will spot some crumbs on the floor I tried to brush away with my sock. ((giggle))
My main reason for posting these photos is to share with other novice DIY'ers. Or better yet, help to inspire/motivate others to give cosmetic home improvements a try themselves.
I'll list paint colors, brands and any other info I can post. I so appreciate other bloggers who share photos of their homes and what they did to update them. It helped me when deciding my kitchen colors.
I can honestly say that after 15 years of living in this 1800's farmhouse, I now have my (very modest, budget friendly) dream kitchen.
I haven't added up the total cost. I'm not sure I want to. Eeeks!
But I do know it was a heck of a lot cheaper than if we were to pay someone to do what my sweet hubs and I have done. There is no doubt about it.
We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it. We also had a blast at times and hysterically laughed our way through.
Wall color: Behr Hazelnut Cream
All Beadboard color: Behr Ivory Mist
Trim and cabinets color: Behr Powdered Snow
Vaulted ceiling color: Behr Ivory Mist
Faux Tintile Ceiling Tiles: Global Specialty Products
Crown Molding: Behr Powdered Snow
Braided area rugs: Overstock . com
All knobs and bin pulls: knobsandpulls. com
I removed all the hinges and spray painted them with Rustoleum satin black.
Cape Dory Top Mount Cast Iron Single Bowl Kitchen Sink by Kohler
Glacier Bay Bridge Kitchen Faucet
Listello Tiles: Menards
I've never tiled before in my life. It was kind of fun!
Formica 180fx Soapstone Sequoia laminate countertop in Scovato finish and Ogee IdealEdge. Home Depot installation.
Jenn-Air Downdraft Gas Cooktop: Local Jenn-Air dealer
Cooktop Trim Kit: Micro-Trim Inc.
Red Doors: Behr Awning Red
China Hutch: Behr Sandstone Cliff
Vintage Murphy Ironing Board and other accent furniture: Behr Black Suede
Hampton Bay Wood Architectural outlet and light switch covers
Americana Antiqued Flag Walls painted by me. (Hey, I'm going to give myself a plug too.)
I put Allen & Roth beadboard wallpaper on old, ugly bifold doors: Lowes
Then added decorative strap hinges meant for garage doors: Home Depot
Beautiful vintage Windsor dining room set and solid maple butcher block are Craigslist finds. So is the china hutch.
Don't let the media scare you from looking at Craigslist. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. But then again I am reminded of the practically new Jenn-Air electric downdraft cooktop we got for a mere 25 bucks. I still can't believe that one!
The majority of people selling on there are legit. But there will always be predators and evil in this world. Remember to use your brain, have a little common sense and you can score some awesome finds. You could also practice your Second Amendment right and feel just a little safer in this world.
I'll share again our kitchen (blast from the past) when we first moved in.
Heck, I don't even recognize it!
Anyway... There you have it. I think I covered pretty much everything we did over the past year and then some. We're both so happy with the outcome that my sweet hubs mentioned he's ready to take on an upstairs remodel.
I responded with, "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY HUSBAND?!!"
((giggle))
Happy Wednesday.
Now go paint a wall in your home.
:> )
Pinterest photo
So I dug through my stash of stencils and now have a project to work on.
Unfortunately it won't be as large.
Or made of metal.
But for the price to make my own (free), works for me!
Happy Saturday!!
:> )
We so enjoy watching the Rose Parade every New Year's Day!!
It's such a wonderful, good ol' fashioned parade! Floats, marching bands, horses...
I'm a New Yorker, but I'll take the Rose Parade over the Thanksgiving Macy's Day Parade anyday. Shhh... Let's keep that between you and me. ((hee-hee))
Enjoyed all the floats but my favorite...
Gee, who would have thought??!! ((giggle))
Mount Rushmore is on my "Bucket List." Not sure I'll ever get there, but it's a nice thought.
Enjoy your New Year's Weekend, Everyone!!!
:> )
Yes, I'm early. But I'm pretty sure I won't make it to midnight so I thought it was best to say type it now. ((giggle))
Not too much going on at the ol' Countryfolk homestead for New Year's Eve. I'll be treating myself to root beer, a bag of Cracker Jack and a Dove candy bar. Not necessarily in that order. But hey, It's New Year's Eve... I may go a little crazy. ((hee hee)) Hubs has his stash of goodies too.
I'm hoping to find a Three Stooges Marathon somewhere on the dial. (Man, does anyone call it a "dial" anymore
As I was waiting for my kitchen china hutch hardware to arrive in the mail today (which by the way it didn't, even though it was supposed to. hmpf!) I decided to switch my corner hutch and commode around the living room. I'm not one for symmetry. But I like balance. It's funny how moving only two pieces of furniture balances out the room and actually gives you more room.
Now I'm on a mission to find a portrait of Frederick Douglass (friend to President Lincoln) to hang next to him.
He spoke to a group of 12,000, (not far from us) at the Madison County Fair back on Oct. 6, 1856.
A little bit of political trivia...
Did you know President Lincoln was a Republican? Many are shocked when they find out. My mother was one who didn't know. She actually didn't believe me at first.
Well, it's time for me to go hog wild and tear into my Cracker Jack bag!! Woo hoo!!
Happy New Year, All!!!!!!
:> )
But I would have preferred a white Christmas instead of a white four days after Christmas.
Oh well... Happy snowy day!
:> )
Now she looks like a "lovely, farmhouse lady..."
instead of a "big, kitchen turd."
I painted her (matte) Sandstone Cliff by Behr. I asked for flat. But was given matte. Guess they consider it the same. Personally, I don't.
She took one coat of primer, two coats of paint and one coat of satin polycrylic.
Because of her age, I took some sandpaper and slightly roughed her up around the edges. I thought it was appropriate. Hey at our age, aren't we all a little rough around the edges??
I just have to wait for her knobs and bin pulls to arrive (I purchased the same as my kitchen cabinets). She also needs to cure a little longer before I fill her up with "stuff." At the moment she's a bit modest due to her nakedness.
I thought about keeping the top glass doors off, knocking out vertical center strip of wood, wood putty the holes and keep her as a regular ol' hutch. But I was reminded of the dust that accumulates with a wood stove and thought it best to keep the doors on and the dust out. Who knows? Maybe I'll get a bug up my butt and do it in the future.
So that's is. She's (almost) finished.
I'm pretty sure I heard her breathe a sigh of relief when I hung her last cabinet door. ((giggle))
Happy Monday, all!!
It is Monday, right??!! Heck, I'm losing track of time!
:> )
I LOVE the way my china hutch looks painted!!! Woo hoo!!! It's going to look better when it's finished!!
Even my sweet hubs is impressed.
Stella approves too.
Proof positive that a quart of paint and some hard work pays off.
Just think... only fourteen more coats to go. ((giggle))
Happy Saturday, all!!
:> )
wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room at the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock at night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in the manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2:7-14
That's what Christmas is all about.
Merry Christmas.
♥
this is going to be a gripe post. So if you don't want to hear read it, please move along. There's nothing to see here...
Ready?
Okay. Today I needed to run a few errands before Christmas. I stopped into a local artisan shop. As I'm walking through the business, I could hear Dean Martin's version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" throughout the rooms. It was lovely. I found myself crooning along as I picked up different items.
As the young twenty-something woman cashed me out and handed me my change, I smiled and innocently said "Merry Christmas." Her response was a dead, blank stare back at me. Nothing else. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. I may have heard a lone cricket chirping, but that's about it. I was so taken aback, I just grabbed my purchase and walked out the door actually shaking my head in disbelief.
Did I expect a reciprocating,"Merry Christmas?" That would have been nice. I would have been fine with a "Happy Holidays." Heck, I would have taken a "Thank you" for cripes sake. But absolutely nothing??
Remember I mentioned things are weird to me... Well that was yet another perfect example of it. If the young woman has an "issue" with Christmas, maybe it's wise for the business owner not to have her cash out customers two days before Christmas. Just sayin'.
Next stop. A local drug store. When I handed the cashier a 50 dollar bill she had a total melt down. No exaggeration either. She started to rant about having no change for it and how everyone has been giving her 50's and 100's and now she has no change. I'm thinking, Ummm... I'm not trying to put you over the edge, lady. I just need some Advil. When I got into my vehicle, I proceeded to dump the whole contents of it into my mouth. But alas, I still have a headache.
Wait! There's more! Had to go to the HD to get my paint for the hutch. As I walked the aisles all I heard was complaining. Customers. Employees. Everyone was miserable.
That's when I decided to start whistling "Have A Holly Jolly Christmas" It was my Daddy's favorite Christmas song. Sure I got some strange looks. But that's nothing knew to me. I get that a lot.
I headed over to the paint department. The paint guy was nice and friendly. I even got a "Merry Christmas" when he handed me my paint and stir stick. Woo hoo!!
Then I go to cash out... Almost a similar scenario like at the artisan store.
I don't get it. Guess I never will. I just whistled a little louder as I walked out of the store.
Happy Wednesday, all.
Remember to be merry and bright and hopefully tick off a few people along the way. ((giggle))
:> )
Many years ago, I was on a kick where I was painting vintage furniture.
Then (for some unknown reason) I started to feel guilty about painting a perfectly fine piece of vintage furniture. You know, the whole trying to preserve a piece of history thing. So I stopped.
Well, I'm back in the saddle again, baby!!
I've lived with this vintage hutch for a little over a year and have come to the conclusion that I need to paint (and slightly distress) it.
It's looking like the "big, brown turd" we had in our living room. That was how I "lovingly" referred to the gigantic, out of place, brown sofa we had in our living room. Oh and did I mention that was the sofa my sweet hubs picked out? Never let your sweet hubs pick out a living room sofa. Period. Lesson learned. ((giggle))
The natural wood is just too dark for my light kitchen.
Now... What color do I paint it????
Hmmm. Well I'm thinking red is out because the door it sits next to is red and that could be red overkill.
Here is a red painted hutch kind of similar in style to mine. But again, not the color I would choose for my hutch. But it does look nice painted.
Ooooh and I'll have to get me some new knobs and bin pulls. YaY!
I'm thinking more of a linen, beige or light taupe color like this:
I love the color of this door.
Actually, if I stick with the kitchen wall and trim color, Sandstone Cliff is the darker color that coordinates best with them.
Coliseum Marble is nice too.
If anyone has a suggestion for paint color and brand, please pipe up and throw in your two cents.
If I start feeling guilty I'll have to think back to how lovely my vintage dark pine dry sink came out.
Remember the before?
Holy schnikes!
Yes. Sometimes it's wise to paint vintage furniture.
Happy Tuesday, all!
Be merry and bright.
:> )
