Saturday, August 27, 2011
Black and white preview
My black and white guest room is still a major work in progress but here is a sneak preview.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
I love power tools
So the old staple gun I was given by my father finally kicked the bucket. The stupid thing is jammed and I can't figure out what the issue is. Not to mention it was so loud that every time I shot a staple my cat thought a gun shot was going off and bolted under the bed.
Last night I said enough is enough and went to Lowe's and purchased the Arrow Heavy Duty Electric Staple/Nail Gun for $29.95. It's wonderful! And quiet! And electric!
There was a project I was itching to do and I needed a staple gun in order to do it. It also is a brad nailer but only 5/8" nails so I don't know how often that will come in handy as I would use the air compressor nailer to do any type of crown molding/baseboard installing.
Anyways - my project. I have learned two things that are the simplest ways to get more bang for your buck.
1) The first is if you need a large amount of fabric, buy a SHOWER CURTAIN. It's cheap, you get a lot of fabric, and you can find a multitude of different designs. Shower curtains are perfect to recover those old dining room chairs you have (new blog entry maybe)?
2) Buy canvas boards at your local craft store and cover them with fabric. It's cheap AND you have art for your walls. This is where the staple gun comes into play.
I had these canvas prints I knew I wanted to hang on the wall only I didn't know what fabric I wanted to use. When I created the black and white damask table (see prior blog entry) I had a lot of left over fabric so I thought, ok, I'll cover the canvas with the damask fabric and hang that on the walls in the b&w guest bedroom.
The canvas:
The canvas with the new fabric. Very simple to do, line up your fabric so it's even, staple gun it on:
Voila!
Sneak peak - The b&w room is coming along. I just purchased these sheets to go with the decor. To be continued.....
Last night I said enough is enough and went to Lowe's and purchased the Arrow Heavy Duty Electric Staple/Nail Gun for $29.95. It's wonderful! And quiet! And electric!
There was a project I was itching to do and I needed a staple gun in order to do it. It also is a brad nailer but only 5/8" nails so I don't know how often that will come in handy as I would use the air compressor nailer to do any type of crown molding/baseboard installing.
Anyways - my project. I have learned two things that are the simplest ways to get more bang for your buck.
1) The first is if you need a large amount of fabric, buy a SHOWER CURTAIN. It's cheap, you get a lot of fabric, and you can find a multitude of different designs. Shower curtains are perfect to recover those old dining room chairs you have (new blog entry maybe)?
2) Buy canvas boards at your local craft store and cover them with fabric. It's cheap AND you have art for your walls. This is where the staple gun comes into play.
I had these canvas prints I knew I wanted to hang on the wall only I didn't know what fabric I wanted to use. When I created the black and white damask table (see prior blog entry) I had a lot of left over fabric so I thought, ok, I'll cover the canvas with the damask fabric and hang that on the walls in the b&w guest bedroom.
The canvas:
The canvas with the new fabric. Very simple to do, line up your fabric so it's even, staple gun it on:
Voila!
Sneak peak - The b&w room is coming along. I just purchased these sheets to go with the decor. To be continued.....
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Flip Kitchen Part 2
I wasn't very specific with photos and what the process was like renovating an entire kitchen in under $1,000.00. So here we go:
The kitchen before was a nightmare. The house was originally built in 1905 but the kitchen was last updated in the 70's. There were no appliances, vintage steel cabinets and orange walls. Here are the befores:
First thing to do was hang the new upper cabinets I purchased from Habitat and painted white:
Then we removed the lower cabinet that was already there so that we could lay the luan needed in order to tile. In order to get the new dishwasher to work, half of the wall had to be removed on one side of the room so that the electrical work could be done.
Next we tiled and painted the room:
Months later, it was time to install the lower cabinets:
Finally, during the home stretch came the countertop, sink, appliances, basically putting humpty dumpty back together again.
Here she blows - an entire kitchen from top to bottom for under $1,000.
If you want to know where something was purchased, let me know.
The kitchen before was a nightmare. The house was originally built in 1905 but the kitchen was last updated in the 70's. There were no appliances, vintage steel cabinets and orange walls. Here are the befores:
First thing to do was hang the new upper cabinets I purchased from Habitat and painted white:
Then we removed the lower cabinet that was already there so that we could lay the luan needed in order to tile. In order to get the new dishwasher to work, half of the wall had to be removed on one side of the room so that the electrical work could be done.
Next we tiled and painted the room:
Months later, it was time to install the lower cabinets:
Finally, during the home stretch came the countertop, sink, appliances, basically putting humpty dumpty back together again.
Here she blows - an entire kitchen from top to bottom for under $1,000.
If you want to know where something was purchased, let me know.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Houzz.com
I am in LOVE with www.houzz.com. I live on this website; constantly looking at new design ideas. I definitely need to upgrade houses soon because I have ran out of rooms to decorate and I can't afford to redecorate the same ones over and over again.
Anywho, below are some of my favorite designs I've found on that website. One day they will be in my 10 bedroom, 10 bathroom, house. With a pool.
I love this grey color for the walls. And I love the use of artwork to decorate the hallway. Love love love.
These moroccan lights are beautiful!
Anywho, below are some of my favorite designs I've found on that website. One day they will be in my 10 bedroom, 10 bathroom, house. With a pool.
I love this grey color for the walls. And I love the use of artwork to decorate the hallway. Love love love.
These moroccan lights are beautiful!
Chic Wine Rack
I'm not a wine drinker but I like cool and interesting accents to my walls. I saw this in the Lowe's Creative Ideas magazine and have added it to my to do list.
Assemble the Shelf
•From a 1"×8", cut to length the back A; from a 1"×4", cut shelves B and the top shelf C to length (Cutting Diagram, Cutting List).
•Drill ¼" holes 1/2" deep in the shelves for the retainer pins (Wine Rack). Sand the parts with 220-grit sandpaper.
•To locate the repetitive pin holes in the shelves, make a pin-hole drilling jig. Use a scrap from the 1"×4" and a piece of ½"×1½"×24" poplar. Cut the ½" poplar to fit the edge and end of the 1"×4" to make positioning cleats and nail them in place. The cleats locate the jig in the same position on each shelf.
Tip:Drilling holes of equal depth is easy if you use a piece of painter’s tape as a flag on the drill bit to indicate the hole depth. Place tape 11⁄4" from the end of the bit, allowing for the thickness of the jig and the hole depth into the shelf.
•Attach the bottom shelf by drilling countersunk pilot holes on the back for the bottom shelf. Apply glue, clamp the shelf, let the glue set for 15 minutes, and then drive the screws.
•To ensure even spacing, cut two 4"- long scrap spacers and place them on the bottom shelf. Set the next shelf in position and secure it with screws. Repeat for the remaining shelves.
•For an even tone on a soft, light-colored wood like poplar, apply 3 coats of gel stain, allowing the stain to dry for 2 hours between coats. Then apply a clear protective finish according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
•To make the retainer pins, cut ¼" aluminum rod into 1" lengths with a hacksaw. Clean the cut ends of the pins with a mill file. Then use an abrasive pad to give the remainder of the exposed pin a nice sheen.
•Add the Hangman picture-hanging system using the screws supplied. Center the hanger on the back 3" from the top. Secure the corresponding bracket to your wall, driving the center screw into a stud or using a hollow wall anchor. (The hanger includes a handy built-in level.)
•Add two rubber bumper pads to the lower back and hang the rack on your wall. Now fill it with bottles of your favorite vintages.
Assemble the Shelf
•From a 1"×8", cut to length the back A; from a 1"×4", cut shelves B and the top shelf C to length (Cutting Diagram, Cutting List).
•Drill ¼" holes 1/2" deep in the shelves for the retainer pins (Wine Rack). Sand the parts with 220-grit sandpaper.
•To locate the repetitive pin holes in the shelves, make a pin-hole drilling jig. Use a scrap from the 1"×4" and a piece of ½"×1½"×24" poplar. Cut the ½" poplar to fit the edge and end of the 1"×4" to make positioning cleats and nail them in place. The cleats locate the jig in the same position on each shelf.
Tip:Drilling holes of equal depth is easy if you use a piece of painter’s tape as a flag on the drill bit to indicate the hole depth. Place tape 11⁄4" from the end of the bit, allowing for the thickness of the jig and the hole depth into the shelf.
•Attach the bottom shelf by drilling countersunk pilot holes on the back for the bottom shelf. Apply glue, clamp the shelf, let the glue set for 15 minutes, and then drive the screws.
•To ensure even spacing, cut two 4"- long scrap spacers and place them on the bottom shelf. Set the next shelf in position and secure it with screws. Repeat for the remaining shelves.
•For an even tone on a soft, light-colored wood like poplar, apply 3 coats of gel stain, allowing the stain to dry for 2 hours between coats. Then apply a clear protective finish according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
•To make the retainer pins, cut ¼" aluminum rod into 1" lengths with a hacksaw. Clean the cut ends of the pins with a mill file. Then use an abrasive pad to give the remainder of the exposed pin a nice sheen.
•Add the Hangman picture-hanging system using the screws supplied. Center the hanger on the back 3" from the top. Secure the corresponding bracket to your wall, driving the center screw into a stud or using a hollow wall anchor. (The hanger includes a handy built-in level.)
•Add two rubber bumper pads to the lower back and hang the rack on your wall. Now fill it with bottles of your favorite vintages.
Monday, August 1, 2011
New Armoire - Check!
I spent this past Saturday doing what I normally do which is take a trip to the Chantilly Habitat for Humanity Re-Store to see what goodies they have. I was looking through the 50% off furniture section when I saw this:
I just had to have it! It may not look too good in the picture but trust me when I say it's a sturdy, 6 foot tall, armoire that would have cost around $200 new. So, I bought it for $35.00, took it apart in the store, crammed half of it in my new Versa (I need a bigger car already) and then had Habitat deliver the other half.
I decided I wanted it to go in my master bedroom so that I've have a place for the TV aside from on my dresser which blocks the nice, pretty, rather large framed picture I have above it. Since I have the Hemnes bedroom set from Ikea in dark brown/black, I knew I'd have to spray paint this nice armoire.
So, I started taking it apart and spray painting it on my now black patio. I will definitely be posting a "how did I resurface my patio" blog entry here soon.
I used Krylon Satin Black and it took 2 cans to paint just the doors and another 5 cans to paint the actual armoire. But I think it turned out rather nicely, huh?
Next I will create a new backing for the armoire as there is a giant hole that someone put in the back to fit the tv they had. I will be purchasing what is called a Homasote board, which doubles as a cork board, and will be covering it with fabric that matches the decor of my bedoom. I will be purchasing clips to hold the fabric covered board in place.
Soon, I have a very cool, chic, back to my armoire. Not only that but since it doubles as a cork board, if I ever upgrade bedroom sets, which I plan on one day, then it will double as a computer work station. And the cork board backing will be perfect to pin all your notes on.
I just had to have it! It may not look too good in the picture but trust me when I say it's a sturdy, 6 foot tall, armoire that would have cost around $200 new. So, I bought it for $35.00, took it apart in the store, crammed half of it in my new Versa (I need a bigger car already) and then had Habitat deliver the other half.
I decided I wanted it to go in my master bedroom so that I've have a place for the TV aside from on my dresser which blocks the nice, pretty, rather large framed picture I have above it. Since I have the Hemnes bedroom set from Ikea in dark brown/black, I knew I'd have to spray paint this nice armoire.
So, I started taking it apart and spray painting it on my now black patio. I will definitely be posting a "how did I resurface my patio" blog entry here soon.
I used Krylon Satin Black and it took 2 cans to paint just the doors and another 5 cans to paint the actual armoire. But I think it turned out rather nicely, huh?
Next I will create a new backing for the armoire as there is a giant hole that someone put in the back to fit the tv they had. I will be purchasing what is called a Homasote board, which doubles as a cork board, and will be covering it with fabric that matches the decor of my bedoom. I will be purchasing clips to hold the fabric covered board in place.
Soon, I have a very cool, chic, back to my armoire. Not only that but since it doubles as a cork board, if I ever upgrade bedroom sets, which I plan on one day, then it will double as a computer work station. And the cork board backing will be perfect to pin all your notes on.
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