My dream kitchen!

Finally, I have a white kitchen!

We moved into our house five-and-a-half years ago. The kitchen was very nice, but it just wasn’t white. So, a few weeks ago, after much deliberation and checking and rechecking my budget, I finally hired a company to transform my kitchen cabinets. Two years ago, I had quartz counter tops, new mosaic back splash and a new floor installed. Although they really improved the look of the kitchen, the cabinets were still maple. Sigh…

So, here are the before photo, the way the kitchen looked when we bought the house. Not white, but not bad.

Here is my beautiful white kitchen. (Note: the window treatments aren’t on, yet. That’s tomorrow’s job!) FYI, it was Acell Painting that did the job. Chris did the cabinets and Mike did the walls, room doors, crown molding, etc. Also, the doors were taken to their shop and went through a rigorous 14-day process to transform them into these gorgeous white cabinets.

If you’ve been thinking about transforming your kitchen, think about painting before you make the decision to purchase all new cabinets. It’s a fraction of the cost!

Thanks, for dropping by!

September 5, 2016January 8, 2017

Our landscaping: from barren to beautiful!

As they say,”a picture is worth a thousand words.”

So, rather than bore you with a lot of text, I’m going to post some photos of our back yard. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s a far cry from what we inherited from the last owners. It’s only been three years since we bought the house and already we’re seeing our hard work pay off. It took a lot of sweat and elbow grease, but we think it was well worth it.

Here we go. First up is our back yard in 2013, when we bought the house. The patio required hours back-breaking work every week to keep the weeds out…they popped up as quickly as I pulled them out. Also, note the lack of privacy from our rear neighbours. The decades-old wood fence was literally falling over when we moved in, so we had a chain link fence installed and a cedar hedge planted the following year. Cedar trees grow about 12″ to 18″ per year; ours were scrawny, but six feet tall, so it won’t be long before they fill out and reach a height of 12′-15′, more than enough to give us some privacy.

FIRST, THE BEFORE PHOTO:

Here’s the old patio, freshly weeded. I took the photo quickly before the weeds grew back.

So, last year we had a huge deck built (18′ x 24′) right off the back of the house. (Note the cedar hedge to the left, that’s how it looked when it was planted in November 2014. So, this is only it’s second growing season and it’s already filled in to give us some much needed privacy. Now, it just needs to get taller!

Then, we had a 12′ x 16′ gazebo installed on it to provide shade and protection from bugs. Always keeping in mind my shoe-string budget, we removed a huge pile of stones from the patio before they disappeared forever under the new deck. We then used the stones to create some planting beds next to the deck and in strategically located areas around the yard. Cost: Free! I added three compact shrubs in the planting bed and a ton of mulch (not one weed popped up all summer).

Backyard work in progress--May 2016 (68)

…and then a couple plants more for autumn colour…

…and another planting bed beside of the garden shed. I planted a Snowball hydrangea bush here, which will grow to be 10′ high and 15′ wide…eventually. At the moment, this bed a half-way house for some displaced hostas. Next year they will be moved to their permanent home along the front of the deck.

Below, is a photo of my favourite planting bed located along the fence near the garden shed. I wanted a very natural and eclectic look, so I incorporated a “mosaic on glass” window that I made, three huge stumps from a 40-year-old tree that we had to to have cut down, a rusty old wire planter and a cute birdhouse.

Since I took this photo, the grass has become lush and green–despite this summer’s brutal heat. We pamper our grass with regular over-seeding, spring and fall fertilizers, regular mowing and by providing adequate water.

Here’s a closer look at this pretty and rustic planter that is hanging on the fence–a treasure I bought from a local antique dealer (very cheap).

Next, is our orange lilies bed, with our lilac buses in the background. They totally fill up one corner of our yard.

I painted the doors on our garden shed a shiny black to match the doors, window boxes and shutters on our house. I made two grapevine wreaths and hung one on each door. Such a pretty effect, don’t you think? A slender, slow-growing cedar tree adds a touch of nature! Again, using salvaged patio stones, we created a little walkway. I love how the vibrant green ground cover has eliminated weeds around the cedar and has started to soften the harsh edges of the patio slabs. Aren’t the sun rays pretty?

Just outside our back door, which opens onto the deck, there’s a wicker table (not shown in this photo) that I bought at Canadian Tire a couple of years ago and then decided not to use it where I had originally planned. Above it I hung a shabby chic grill that’s shaped like a church window–another antique yard find. The sheaf of straw-like spears in the corner are the 4′ high stems from last year’s orange lilies that I tied with some twine. (Notes: 1) after the lilies have bloomed and dried, the stems pull out effortlessly; 2) no need to use nails or screws to hang things on your house–you can buy “brick clips” and “siding clips”).

Here are a few photo of our gazebo, all ready for us to relax in. Some big square deck boxes store the furniture cushions and double as end tables. The chaise mattresses store nicely in a bigger deck box just outside the gazebo. Peter has hooked up some power cords for us so we can relax with our laptops, charge our cell phones, listen to our favourite tunes, etc.

I love to stretch out on a chaise with my laptop on my lap and my Bichon, Cookie, at my feet.

We love having our meals and snacks in the gazebo.

And, last but not least, is our STUMP! This stump is what’s left of a 40-year-old Silver Maple tree that had to be cut down. The stump wasn’t going to go away, so I turned it into a birdbath and planted some ground cover that is spreading around the base. I read somewhere that if you add a few stones to your birdbath, butterflies will light on them to drink. In addition to the stones, I also planted some pretty flowers that are guaranteed to attract butterflies. (Since this picture was taken, I have added some smaller stones to the birdbath and it seems to have done the trick–yay!!) Oh, I forgot to say that I bought this beautiful mother-of-pearl dish at a roadside antique shop during one of our Sunday drives. Cost: $10–colour me happy!

The next few photos show the pretty ground cover that I planted around the base of my “tree-stump bird bath.”

Here are the “butterfly flowers.”

That’s our progress, to date. We’re getting very close to the point at which we can stop planting and just sit back and watch our little patch of heaven flourish and grow into our beautiful secret garden–guests always welcome, of course!

The contractors are coming tomorrow morning to start gutting our bathroom for a total renovation. And as soon as they finish it, they’ll be starting on the kitchen renos! I’m dreadomg of the mess, but as the late, great, Dorothy Parker, New York columnist. always said, “I hate writing, but I love having written,” …that’s pretty much how we feel about renovating.

Thank you for stopping by. Check in regularly for more updates and have fun make your house into your special home.

February 10, 2015February 10, 2015

Pretty collage for a bare bathroom wall

Oh, this old house still needs a lot of tender love care. I have so many ideas that would transform this place into my dream home…if only I had the money and time, sigh. Take our bathroom, for instance, it’s classic 1980; it doesn’t even have lights over the vanity, just a ceiling light in the middle of the room. Try putting on your make-up in that!

While the bathroom waits patiently for its turn for a makeover, I decided the least I could do was add a little character to it. So, I ransacked my house for anything floral and called it a “theme.” (LOL) Here’s are some photos of my mini-makeover that cost me nothing more than an hour of my time. What do you think?

Don’t you just love dollar store finds?

I found the pretty pitcher at a second hand shop and the silk roses are 20-year old. They’re so droopy that the look real.

I hope this inspires you to put some of your favourite things together to pretty up a boring space. Thanks, for stopping by. As always, more to come…

November 11, 2013

Paint–you light up my life!

Here it is, November, and we’ve finally–after 10 months in our house–gotten around to painting the front entrance.

Our house has one large entrance, with the front door at one end and the back door at the other. When we moved in, It was painted a dreary brown colour that just sucked the light right out. And, to add insult to injury, it has pine wainscoting–lots and lots of pine wainscoting. Yep, straight out of the 19080’s. Sigh. After much thought, we left the wainscoting up for three reasons: first, we were afraid the walls underneath might be seriously damaged from all the nails; second, the amount of work involved in taking it all down was more than we were prepared to do; and, third, we are trying to do all of our home improvements on a shoestring budget. Enter: Behr Ultra Premium paint–white for the wainscoting and my favourite, Raffia Cream, for the walls! Here are the before and after photos.

Before…dark and dreary…

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Part way through–see how dark it is?

And now…

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I still have to paint the back door and the closet door next to it, but for today, I’m putting down my roller and heading to my craft room!!

March 10, 2013March 10, 2013

Turning an “unsweet” into an ensuite

And the make-overs continue. . .

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We’re still pretty busy getting organized in our new house. It takes time to find a place for everything and put everything in its place.

We’ve got the main floor in pretty good shape, except for the two bathrooms. The main bathroom is next on my list of make-overs, but for right now, I just have to tell you the story of our ensuite, which could be more aptly called our unsweet.

The plan was for me to do this make-over on my own and turn this little “mistake” into a sweet ensuite just for me. Before I go any further, though, I have to thank my husband, Peter, who came to my rescue every time I couldn’t reach or lift something and when I needed an extra brain, third hand or a second opinion. He is always there, with his never-ending good-nature, to help me with anything and everything. I thank God for him, every day.

From what we can tell, the main bathroom originally had a doorway from the hall and another from the master bedroom (designers call it a “cheater ensuite”). One of the previous owners, however, decided to build a wall that would cut the room into one main bathroom and one teeny tiny laundry room (which could only be accessed from the master bedroom)–strange, but true.

The house was next owned by a family who, just a few years after buying the house, were transferred across the country. In an effort to sell the house quickly, they decided to turn the laundry room into an ensuite.

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Unfortunately, these folks weren’t about to win any do-it-yourself awards, as you can see from the photos. The ensuite was just one mistake after another. Look at what I found when I took the toilet tank off!

Holes in the wall were patched with scraps of plywood placed over other scraps of plywood.

I wanted it to look feminine and somewhat vintage. I was so excited! And, Peter is perfectly happy with the main bathroom, so I don’t have to feel guilty for claiming this little space as my own. By the way, we have another full bathroom downstairs that also needs sprucing up. . . but I’m saving that one for the last.

Back to my ensuite makeover. I started by turning off the water to the toilet, draining the tank and removing it. That gave me access to the mess of boards that had to be removed before I could install the new wall board. See the photo above…that’s what it looked like once the tank was off. You can see the dryer vent hose and some pink insulation.

Next, I removed the mirror, which was too big for the space and totally off-centre.

And, the paint colour–oh brother!!! It definitely had to be changed. I was so glad that the previous owners had left a half-gallon of paint that would be just perfect for this room–light tan/taupe/beige (I never know what to call it). Good, another $50 saved. Every penny counts when you’re on a very skinny budget!

So far, $0 spent.

Next came the bead board–you know, it’s that 4′ x 8′ wall board that looks like individual boards. I needed two sheets, at a cost of $26 each. Not bad. As you can see, I ran it horizontally, rather than vertically. Creative decision? Nope, the board-cutter guy at Home Depot cut it wrong, so I just went with it. Actually, I rather like the effect.

In keeping with the vintage look and my skinny budget, I rooted around in the basement until I found this simple white-framed mirror that my mother gave me years ago. It was just the right style and size for my pint-sized ensuite. And, the price was right! (You’ll see in the final photo.)

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I wanted to put up a small medicine cabinet to store my tooth brush, medications, and so on. Given the petite size of the room, I knew the cabinet would have to be quite small. A couple of weeks of on-line searching didn’t turn up anything that was both small and vintage-looking. And then I remembered Winners. It’s the one place where you can always find something unique and priced to sell. Sure enough, I found the perfect little cabinet. It’s just the right scale and it’s very vintage. The only problem was that the door had ugly purple grapes and gaudy green leaves painted on it. But, that could be easily fixed with a sheet of pretty card stock from my craft room. I forgot to take a “before” photo, but here’s how it looks, now.

The window in this room is very high up on the wall and is certainly not a feature point. To deal with that, I bought a pair of full-length lace curtains from Sears for $30. They are so pretty, with their long, attached, scalloped valance. They make a beautiful feminine and vintage statement.

Next, there was this big and ugly fluorescent light that had been very crudely installed in the ceiling. Yep, a big hole was cut in the ceiling and the light was stuck up there. Period. Replacing the whole ceiling and the light was not option, so I created a frame around it with leftover baseboard. A huge improvement!

And last, but not least, a few decorative touches. I wanted to hang something pretty on the wall that would tie in with the vintage theme and match (or at least not clash with) my new medicine cabinet. Back to my stash of designer paper and down to the basement to find a couple of old frames. Flying pigs and a muted vintage floral pattern.

Here is the finished room. It’s so tiny that it was impossible to back away far enough to get everything into the photo. What do you think of the results?

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Here’s a summary of my costs:

Paint: $0
Mirror: $0
Frames and pictures: $0
Medicine Cabinet: $25
Beadboard (2 sheets): $52
Baseboard (3 lengths): $15 (this did the both the floor and around the light fixture)
Curtains: $30
Other decor items: $0 (re-purposed from the old house)
Total room makeover cost: $122 + tax

I was hoping to do it for under $100, but I always plan at least 20 per cent for contingencies. And, I always need it! Oh, yes, and Peter just reminded that this project required three trips to Home Depot. He has a rule of thumb that every DIY project requires at least three trips to Home Depot!

March 1, 2013March 1, 2013

What do Home Depot and Murphy’s Law have in Common?

What do Home Depot and Murphy’s Law have in Common? Well, in our life, everything!

It all started when we moved into this 1972 bungalow. The house definitely has “good bones,” to use designer lingo, but it also has some quirky (nice word for “ugly”) features, too. But, Peter and I are motivated and fairly handy, so we took on the challenge of turning this old house into a charming and comfortable home.

The two-hour bookcase project that took eight days.

You’ve probably heard the expression, “I spent a week there one afternoon.” That pretty much describes our bookcase-building experience. Before I begin my story, though, let me show you a photo. Notice the space to the right of the fireplace? That’s now the home of our new hand-made bookcase. but, I’m getting ahead of myself…here’s the before photo.

Of course, before we could tackle any DIY projects, we had to put first things, first. Unpack. Get organized. In the meantime, we put our old tall and skinny IKEA bookcase next to the fireplace. It was definitely too small. Puny, in fact.

After considering the long the list of DIY projects posted on our refrigerator door, we thought we’d take a shortcut and build the bookcase out of laminated MDF board. Our rationale was that it would be quick and easy, with no painting required. It would match the white wood trim in the living room. And, we would save time and money! (OMG, what were we thinking?)

Trip Number One to Home Depot.

Instead of waiting around for the. Home Depot Guy to cut our 1″x12″x12′ MDF boards into the exact sizes we needed for the bookcase, we decided we would just do it ourselves. After all, I do own a 10″ compound miter saw. That said, meet Mr. Murphy. Problem #1: a 10″ compound miter saw cannot cut all the way across a 12″ board. Problem #2: the laminated melamine coating on the MDF cracks and chips like crazy if you don’t have the right blade…which we didn’t. And it did!

Trip Number Two to Home Depot.

Back to Home Depot to buy more MDF. “Please Home Depot Guy, can you cut these boards for us? Sure, we would be glad to wait.”

And so, we begin the second iteration of our two-hour DIY bookcase. Nice new MDF boards all cut to the right length. Awesome! All we have to do is screw them together, right? Uh, no! We screw the first shelf to the sideboard–yes, we did pre-drill the holes–but as soon as the screw breaks the surface of the MDF, crack, chip, crack. Stupid MDF board! We carry on, hoping that we will find a way to disguise the chips around each screw. When we finally get it finished and into place, we HATE IT! It’s too white. It’s too deep. It’s too chipped!

“Let’s live with it overnight,” says Peter, with his usual wisdom. And, we do.

Day Two-8 a.m.: Peter and I head straight to the living room to see if somehow, overnight, the Big Ugly has somehow become beautiful. It hasn’t. Surprise!

Trip Number Three to Home Depot.

Wood. It’s the only way to go. We need to build this bookcase out of wood. We should have done it right, in the first place.

Back to Home Depot. “Hi, Home Depot Guy. Can you please cut this nice wood for us. We would be happy to wait.”

Ah, the wonderful smell of wood. I was itching to get my hands on it. But, it’s Sunday and my mom always has Sunday dinner with us. So, my beautiful wood will have to wait until tomorrow.

Day Three: stain one side of the boards. Let them dry. Stain the other side.

Day Four: Clear coat one side of the boards. Let them dry for 24 hours.

Day Five. Clear coat the other side of the boards.

Day Six. Do a second clear coat on one side of the boards.

Day Seven: Apply a second clear coat. Let them dry for 24 hours.

Day Eight: Assemble the bookcase. No chipping. No cracking. No crying. Stand back and admire our creation. So beautiful..I guess. Really, after what we’ve been through, cardboard boxes would look good!

I have more books that will go on the bottom shelf–as soon as I get around to unpacking them. As Shakespeare said, “All’s well that ends well.” As I say, “I’ve built my last bookcase!”

February 14, 2013

The mantle…it’s crooked, but it’s up!

It’s been like a beehive at our house, lately, as we try to settle in and lead normal lives. Hah, like that’s actually happening! But, we are making progress, even if it is a a snail’s pace.

The fireplace from HELL

This week’s project was to install a mantel on our 42-year-old-and-very-boring-brick-wall-fireplace. Weren’t we surprised to discover that the bricklayer must have forgotten his level at home the day he built our fireplace. The bricks are very noticeably slanted to the right. Yikes! We didn’t see it until we tried to level the new mantel. When we would get the mantel straight with the bricks, it would be so slanted that we could imagine our candle sticks sliding right off and crashing to the floor. But, when we leveled the mantel to a perfect 180, the whole fireplace looked tilted. Quick, give me a couple of Aspirins–and some for Peter, too! But, we stay calm and carried on.

Here is the fireplace before the mantel. We find it hard to understand why, in 42 years, one of the previous owners didn’t install a mantel. Oh, well, whatever.

Here is the mantel, as we saw it when we first came to see the house. I could see it had potential…but I didn’t see how crooked the bricks had been laid! It looks straight to the eye, right? (This is before we moved in…not our furniture).

This next photo shows the mantel installed, but not stained. This is when we could really see how that drunken bricklayer worked. Notice the mortar line under the mantel…see how it gets lower, and lower and lower as it moves to the right? It would be even more noticeable if we had installed the mantel at a perfect 180.

We had only one choice: split the difference. So, we installed the mantel a little crooked, in the hope that we would minimize the discrepancy. It sort of worked. Here it is..I still can’t decide what to put on it (decor is an evolutionary process in this house). I expect one day I will come across the perfect picture or vintage something-or-other that will be the icing on my crooked cake.

And one more, just for fun…

Okay, so it’s a beginning. I guarantee you that, over the next few months, the mantel decorations will change as often as a teenage girl getting ready for a big date.

Stick around, if you have time…I’m working on a post that will showcase all the cheap…err…inexpensive and ever so creative stuff I’ve made for our home.

Thanks, for reading, and happy decorating!