Kitchen Mini Update

* We are going to paint the counters (a nice calm gray - instead of this yellowed white with gold specks) either next weekend or the weekend afterward.
* And we still need to paint one more coat on the laundry closet doors and trim.
* And we want to paint the refrigerator (maybe a canary yellow... thoughts?)

But it is coming along!  It was such a wonderful surprise to come home to this refreshed kitchen after a weekend away at our Women's Retreat. Thanks to my husband for this fun surprise.  It isn't often that 1) I am surprised and 2) I don't have a hand in house projects.

A few costs:

New lighting fixture: free (we had bought it for the old house and never installed it)

Lights over counter: free (hand-me-downs)

Chairs and table: $70 on Craigslist + free paint and poly that I had on hand

Paint for cupboards: $30 + extra paint leftover from other rooms to prime

Paint for handles: free - already had black spray paint

Before - realtor photo (cats - bleh)

After - ignore the scattered toys :) 

Before

Yes, those are the same drawers. Jared painted them purple and they look some much better. 

This summer I cut the counter off and painted the fireplace room. 

It is going to look even better once the counters are painted. The paint is waiting in the garage. 

Before - look how little everyone is (and how dark it is - bleh)

After

Before - the day we signed the papers

After 

Kitchen Surprise

My husband surprised me this weekend by painting the cupboards while I was away at a women's retreat. 

I'll try to get some better pictures later. And put together some before and afters. He painted the tile and upper cabinets white and it is so much crisper and cleaner looking.

 The kitchen lower walls and lower cabinets are all purple. We aren't set on the shade of purple. I think it should be a little darker and more plum. 

But it looks so much better!! I have more words to say about that and the retreat, but my kids are crying. 

You know what I love?

A good closet under the stairs. :)

It makes me so happy. 

This one gallon of blue paint is really spreading itself out all around the house (we bought it for the bottom half of the school room and I also used it as the accent wall in our bedroom). This is its third appearance. There is still almost half a gallon. Speaking of the school room.  Once I move the boys' toys into the closet, I will be able to finish arranging the school room and take pictures to finally post.  It was the first room to be completely painted, but it has taken a while to finish unpacking the last few boxes of books. 

I was all for painting the closet completely white to brighten it up. Jared convinced me to use the blue as an accent wall and make it more cozy. The ceiling, shelves, and all other walls will be white. 

We found some carpet squares at Ollies that we will be installing after the paint is finished. It is so freeing to paint somewhere and not have to worry about dripping on the floor. How do you like that old flooring?  The trim used to be brown. And guess what colors the walls were? Did you guess Tan? Yes, like everything else in the house, the closet was tan. 

I let Martin help me roll the blue wall. I may be crazy.  It turned out okay... The baby mischievously dropped a matchbox car and my clean paint brush into the paint while Martin was rolling. He laughed. I did not. He is just entering the independent-push-the-boundaries stage of babyhood. 

We will be taking off the door and hanging up a curtain to open it up. 

I'll store all the boys Lego boxes and art kits (that don't quite look nice hanging off the schoolroom bookshelves). Also, the weekly toys (the ones that are on the four week rotation). So, the trains, Trio blocks, Tinkertoys, and Coast Guard things. 

Maybe we'll have it finished by this weekend. 

So it begins...

I'm finally getting my closet under the stairs. 

Pictures on the Stairs

Jared asked what project I wanted him to work on this weekend. 

I can paint everything. I can build some things. I can organize. But I cannot figure out how to hang pictures and make them look half as nice as he does. (And he picks better colors and patterns than I do too). We are a good team. 

So he put them up. 

And they looks amazing. 

And I love them. 

And I am happy that my frames are not stacked in a corner of a room gathering more dust and that I get to see my family and friends on my trips up the stairs. 

The light at the top of the stairs is awful. But the wall to the right and the ceiling are that awful bleh-tan. So that is also why they look so gross. 

Note the blue walls and white trim!!!  I finished the trim a few weeks ago. Slowly I am eradicating the bleh-tan from my house. The downstairs is almost completely cleansed. 

And I've finished three books. They are sitting in my draft folder until I get to a real computer and keyboard. 

Did you work on any projects this weekend in the snow storm? Did you have snow? 

Master Bath

A little before and after.  

Ugh. That mirror frame was so ugly. The walls were just too white. FYI. I learned that I dislike painting over gloss paint. 

I still need to hang pictures and paint the trim around my bedroom windows (you can see one of them In the mirror - and you can see my new accent wall).

In the future I would like to take down the old towel racks and replace them them with hooks.  

But I fixed where I cut in in a different shade of paint and it looks so much better. It feels so much more calm and peaceful. 

I'll post full before and afters once I get it totally finished. And when I get on a computer an access all my before pictures. 

Ugh! A juvenile mistake.

First, on a positive note. When a space heater is ugly and sticks out like a sore thumb...

White paint!! It makes everything look better. Don't worry. I'm putting another coat of paint on it later today. This is just primed. But even just primed it looks better. 

Did anyone notice my mistake in those pictures? Want to venture a guess? 

Here is another picture to help you out. 

Hint: I had two grey paint containers. They were supposed to be the same color...

I did what I was supposed to do and mixed the two together, but there was just a little too much to put in one bucket. So, I stupidly used the leftovers to cut in. And it wasn't mixed the same as the others and it stands out. So, I'll be repainting that today or tonight after ESL. Oh well. Lesson learned... Maybe.  

Jared tells me I should have poured the buckets back and forth a couple times and then it would have mixed them and it wouldn't have matter when I used the little bit, to cut in, that couldn't fit. Hmmmmm. So wise. I'll be doing that next time. 

Hmmmm.

I'm at it again. 

I'm waiting to get some shelves and paintings put up before I post real pictures of the accent wall in my bedroom, but here is a sneak peak. :) It was taken while the walls had wet paint still. 

Sewing Room Progress

Guys, I've been living out of boxes in my fabric room for quite a while now. But look, it is coming together!!! It is starting to look way more cozy and inviting to sew in. I might actually get some projects knocked off the in-progress list. 

I spent a few hours today sorting fabric into bins by collections and types. There is still more to go through, but it is getting closer and I am happy. 

For a project I'm about to start. 

Additional 1930s fabrics. The rest are on the bookshelf on the right on bolts. 

What color should I paint my sewing room? Bright white? Yellow? We have done a bunch of blue and some green in the house already. I'm not sure what color to paint in here, but these tan walls desperately need updating and cheering up. What is a good sewing room color? 

Painting (reality and not just thoughts)

You know that thinking I was doing yesterday... I'm all in now. Ha ha. 

The blue is lighter in person. 

And if I hate it when I am finished, I can paint over it. But so far, I like it. 

Tea Corner

Look. I spruced up my ugly corner counter. It is a little change, but it makes me happy 

I was inspired by friends of mine's tea shelves (hi, Ginger! Hi, Michelle!). I was also tired of moving all the teas around in the cabinet to find what I wanted. So, I pulled all the tea and set them on the counter. And then stenciled the word tea on the tiles after I washed them. 

But that fluorescent light was so ugly!!! The boys love to turn that light on when they put away the silverware. They leave it on. Boo!  So I stitched up the first fabric that I could grab (I think it looks like a surgical cap that you would wear in the operating theater, but it was literally the first thing I grabbed in my scrap pile - maybe I'll replace it someday) and used a tension curtain rod to suspend it. 

It looks a little like this. But worse. 

The brown mark on the counter came from the light bulb under the microwave. We had it on this counter when we first moved in and the boys turned the light on and I didn't realize it for a few hours. So, it burned the counter. 

Before and after. 

And now the light doesn't even look as ugly. 

These pictures do make me want to finish painting the cupboards and paint the lower ones. Ugh. And that laminate countertop... I don't even know what to do with that...

Living room color

As promised, before and afters. 

Love that floor!

Love those shelves in the schoolroom!

Isn't the color so much more calming?

It is Cosmic Rays by Olympic. 

The light blue in the hallway is Magical. And boy are they both magical. They have brightened up (and calmed at the same time) the whole downstairs. 

You can see a sneak peak of the blue in the schoolroom and the blue in the hallway. 

Sigh. So much better.

Reminder, the color was the same as the ceiling. 

Ugh.  

Why anyone would paint their entire house (ceiling, trim, and walls) the same tan as their switch plate covers, is beyond me. I am glad the downstairs is almost free of tan!

Goodbye tan

Okay, I lied yesterday. I had the urge to paint last night and spent the evening cutting in. Jared painted the trim. And this morning we rolled. 

Goodbye depressing tanish yellow!! 

I didn't even bother to clean up the boys' toys. I just threw them on the tables and couch. You have to take advantage of feelin like painting when it strikes.  :)  More pictures when the paint dries and the room is back in order. 

I have to dig up a picture of the room with carpet. But here is the old floors that we uncovered and refinished. 

I found one! Look how small Warren is. I'll try to take one of the room from this angle once it is put back together so you can see the schoolroom painted too. It is probably too much to ask to have the boys pose for me. Heh. 

A little paint goes a long way

See that light. I wish I had a better before picture (story of my life). I wasn't thinking. Also, don't look at the hall yet. It is blue (yay!), but I haven't finished the trim or doors yet (bleh, they are still a life-zapping-drudgery-inducing tan). 

Back to the lights...There are two of them. One in the hallway and on in the main entryway. I kept thinking that they would look better if the fixture was black. 

But first I took them both off and ran them through the dishwasher. Wow! What a difference. There was so much cat hair and grease and dish and gunk stuck to them. 

That inspired me to finally get the black paint out and paint the fixtures. I was using oil based paint and I didn't want to chance getting it on the ceiling. So I left about a half a centimeter (I'm an engineer - we like metric) gap. After the paint dried I took a sharpie and coloring in the gap. You can't even tell. :) And the line between the fixture and the ceiling in nice and crisp and clean. 

It looks so much better in person! That dull brass was so dingy. It is amazing to me how a little paint and cleaning and make something look so much better.  Welcome to 2017 little light. May you shine brightly and may I remember to clean you. 

I'm feeling inspired to tackled the brass chains in our bathrooms... They would look so much better black. 

I built a shelf!

And forgot to take a real before picture of everything randomly and precariously stacked. 

But I did get a good picture of me and the saw. Because that is important. Ha ha. 

It kind of looked like this, but worse. More stacks. 

Worthless giant cupboard. We suspect that this is the base cabinet for a sink, which would explain why there are no shelves. There are so many strange things about this kitchen and house. 

Well, I was tired of things falling over every time I needed something out of the cupboard. The waste of useful space also bugged me. I had mentioned it to my Dad and Jared, but neither of them work in this space EVERY day. 

So, after rearranging everything to get something in the back I started to think about how hard it could actually be to make a shelf. I found a few scrap wood pieces that just needed to be trimmed down to size, set up shop in the garage, measured twice, sawed them down, grabbed a few nails and a hammer, and pounded my frustration away. 

Look at all that space!!!! Such a simple project and it made a huge change. It makes me smile every time I open the door. So so so much better. 

Next to paint the bottom cupboards and change the faces of those fake plastic drawer fronts. 

May I cut in?

The title comes from my sister. She is the clever, wordy one. I just steal bits of her cleverness. 

Goodbye tan! 

It is amazing how drab and oppressive tan can feel. 

We didn't refinish the stairs. This is the original color of our hardwood. You can see a bit of the refinished wood at very bottom of the picture. The stairs aren't in bad shape. Well, the landing was a favorite bathroom of cats, but the steps are okay. 

We plan to add a door to the left on the landing into our laundry room/mud room (that we hope to build in the garage - which is currently behind that wall). 

Anyhow, my husband speaks my love language (I don't really believe in those...).  I have mentioned several times recently that I am itching to paint something. So he went out and bought me SIX gallons to work with! I plan to do a lot of painting when I come home from ESL on Thursday nights. I am usually wide awake and can't sleep. 

Speaking of ESL, I finished the last thing on my list yesterday - and updated database. Postcards are in the mail, flyers have been handed out, registration night is planned and forms are printed. We have people from six churches helping this year. It is going to be fun (and stretching for all of us, but God always provides). 

Reading: A Loving Life by Paul Miller

Thoughts so far: So many good themes. What true biblical love is and the role of lamenting in our lives (and others and the church)... Only about a third in, but I recommend it already! 

Are you working on any projects this weekend? Have any book recommendations? I'm thinking of reading Til We Have Faces again. I know, a fictional book!?! I've been reading a lot of heavy stuff recently and I think my brain needs a break. 

It had been too long...

Time for a project!! 

See the paint peeling? This white part of the stairs has always looked weird to me. So I decided before the baby ate some paint, I would scrape it all off and try refinishing this little area. 

Ha ha. We will see what happens. Jared thinks I should just paint it white. But I want to give the natural wood a chance to breath. 

Today I am...

Tackling this mess in our room finally. 

It is going to take a few quiet times to sort this stuff and put it where it goes. I've just gotten used to it. Today is the day to start chipping away at this stack of boxes and finding them a home!!! 

The wire baskets are from our old wardrobe. We've been pulling stuff out of them since we moved. I have got to find them a permanent home. 

Also, why is there a hole in our floor? My pants and socks get caught on the grate, when I walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night. 

And isn't this corner awkward? The door you see leads to a closet. I need to paint it a fun color. The door to the bathroom (not shown) is to the left of the mirror and hamper. We are thinking of extending the wall from the bookshelves and making that area a little dressing room... Maybe. So far that is the best idea.  

Jared set up my desk a while ago, but it has just gathered clutter. Also, I haven't unpacked any of the boxes that were on the shelves above the desk. I guess I must not need all that stuff. 

It is a lot of putting stuff away and finding things homes. 

Cut that Counter off!

I've been wanting to do this since day one. I kept mentioning it to Jared or my Dad, but they are always busy with other projects. 

The boys were at the store with my parents to buy supplies for my sister's baby shower this weekend. I was all alone and cleaning the kitchen and I thought, "I should cut that off right now!"

"But you've never used the saw before. Danger danger!"

"I'm an engineer I can figure this out!"

"Danger danger. You'll probably cut off your arm."

"Oh no, that's true and I haven't showered yet today and I am in clothes for cleaning the house. What would they think of me in the emergency room?"

"What?!? That is the stupidest reason not to cut off the counter."

Don't you talk to yourself? 

It really opens up the space between the washer and dryer and counter. Now people will be able to pass by when someone else is unloading the dryer. It looks way more open in person. 

I had already forgotten how dark those closet doors made the kitchen and all those cabinets. 

Ps. These are taken on a rainy day. So the fireplace room looks super dark. On a sunny day that white paint has brightened up that room so much! 

And can we all agree that those cabinets are simply awful? I had already forgotten how dark they made everything. Even just primed white they are looking so much better! 

I painted the hardware black last week before or houseguest a came. I am loving the black and white contrast. I'm not normally a huge just black and white fan. I love color. But this is good. 

Every little bit makes it a more welcoming space to cook and eat in. :) I can't wait to add some more Windows, knock down some walls, and rearrange everything. But that is still a few years down the road. 

Do you use power tools?