Painted Furniture

I love painting furniture.  I particularly like taking things from the trash and putting new life into it.  Sometimes a little wood putty and a coat of paint can really make a difference.

I have some wood chairs that I wanted to bring into my kitchen.  My kitchen/dining furniture is done in a distressed/antique style. I like the way it looks and it’s also effective since my kids are pretty rough on furniture.  The additional scrapes and nicks won’t even be noticed.

Here’s the chair (solid wood).  All I did was wash it—no primer, no sanding.

I put several coats of white semi gloss on this chair.  It’s quite dark wood and hard to coat.  I used semi gloss because I had it around and was planning on scuffing it up and adding antique finish to it.  Normally when I do furniture I don’t use a paint with any shine to it.  After painting, I sanded it down on all the spots that would normally get worn.  I used a regular sander and just blasted over all the edges to highlight them.

To antique the piece you can use stain (which works well but is very smelly and takes longer to dry).  I found this antique polish in Michaels by FolkArt.  Works great.  I apply it with a handiwipe towel.  Use a glove on your hand, it’s pretty tough to come off.  Just put dabs on the towel and start wiping it on the furniture.  Work quickly because it dries lightening fast.  The antique polish comes in many colors.  I had dark brown on hand (I tend to work with whatever I have laying around—and there’s usually tons laying around).

Finished chair.

I recently needed a bookcase in my kitchen for cookbooks.  I had one in the shed.  It was green and just kind of boring.  I found these little wood details (guess where?) and glued them on.  Then painted the bookcase a beige brown (a paint store “woops” color.  An entire quart of Benjamin Moore paint for 1.50!  Excellent deal—I always check the woops paints.)

 

Right now the books are not stacked the way they normally would be and I have fabric placemats on each shelf.  Paint takes a solid 2 weeks to cure.  If you’re not careful, the paint will peel off, stick to whatever you put on it, be a general mess.  So use fabric barriers until at least 2 weeks have gone by and you’ll be in good shape.

Painted Furniture

I love painting furniture.  I particularly like taking things from the trash and putting new life into it.  Sometimes a little wood putty and a coat of paint can really make a difference.

I have some wood chairs that I wanted to bring into my kitchen.  My kitchen/dining furniture is done in a distressed/antique style. I like the way it looks and it’s also effective since my kids are pretty rough on furniture.  The additional scrapes and nicks won’t even be noticed.

Here’s the chair (solid wood).  All I did was wash it—no primer, no sanding.

I put several coats of white semi gloss on this chair.  It’s quite dark wood and hard to coat.  I used semi gloss because I had it around and was planning on scuffing it up and adding antique finish to it.  Normally when I do furniture I don’t use a paint with any shine to it.  After painting, I sanded it down on all the spots that would normally get worn.  I used a regular sander and just blasted over all the edges to highlight them.

To antique the piece you can use stain (which works well but is very smelly and takes longer to dry).  I found this antique polish in Michaels by FolkArt.  Works great.  I apply it with a handiwipe towel.  Use a glove on your hand, it’s pretty tough to come off.  Just put dabs on the towel and start wiping it on the furniture.  Work quickly because it dries lightening fast.  The antique polish comes in many colors.  I had dark brown on hand (I tend to work with whatever I have laying around—and there’s usually tons laying around).

Finished chair.

I recently needed a bookcase in my kitchen for cookbooks.  I had one in the shed.  It was green and just kind of boring.  I found these little wood details (guess where?) and glued them on.  Then painted the bookcase a beige brown (a paint store “woops” color.  An entire quart of Benjamin Moore paint for 1.50!  Excellent deal—I always check the woops paints.)

 

Right now the books are not stacked the way they normally would be and I have fabric placemats on each shelf.  Paint takes a solid 2 weeks to cure.  If you’re not careful, the paint will peel off, stick to whatever you put on it, be a general mess.  So use fabric barriers until at least 2 weeks have gone by and you’ll be in good shape.

Addicted

I have an addiction. That’s the first step, right? Admitting you have a problem? I wonder if it’s actually a problem per se. I mean, my addiction is fun and it’s not like I’m hurting myself or anyone else. I’m making everyone’s life better—mostly. It’s just that—I need about 80 thousand dollars. It will probably be closer to 70k, but lets just say 80k so that we have it in the budget and there are no surprises.

Now, I know 80k sounds like a lot of money and in some ways it is—but this is an investment. Money in the bank baby. Trust me. And once you see what I do—you’re gonna wanna do it too.

I was watching Spice Up My Kitchen. I never even heard of the show until my friend Christine (a closet case—she needs to come to terms as well… I‘m working on her) told me to check it out. All I wanted to do was pick a new paint color for my kitchen. Now I’ve got another  HGTV show on the TIVO list. After the third episode I watched on my TIVO I went from rolling my eyes at kitchen budgets to telling my husband (beads of sweat building on his forehead), “You know, that’s not bad at all.”

I’ve decided we need to knock down a few walls. Not a lot—just a couple. I could use a wine refrigerator too—over by the new bar/entertainment area. We never have more than one bottle in the house, and it never lasts longer than the time it takes to get it from the car to the kitchen table. But I’ll bet that’s because we don’t have a proper cooling area. I’m sure we’d buy more wine and have better parties. Or, parties even.

Now, one thing I’ve always hated is filling up the pasta pots with water from the kitchen sink and lugging it the whole three feet to the stove. Enter the pot filler. I NEED one of those (in oil rubbed bronze would be fab). While we’re talking about sinks… a prep sink is integral to my design.

And of course, Granite. And something equally expensive and glam on the backsplash and vent hood. I don’t know what style I want—it changes each week as I watch the next episode. Do I want transitional, traditional, cottage, country? Actually, I know I don’t want country. Other than that.. I don’t care as long as Candice Olsen is the one doing the design. That woman will stick a crystal chandelier anywhere—and I love it.

I’ll stick with my wood floors too—I find it so much easier on the feet than tile. But lets rip up all this nice wood and replace it with wide planks—maybe even some reclaimed wood? Tres chic!

Sadness looms in. There’s another episode of Divine Design on tonight. She’s doing a kitchen—it’s going to be awesome, they always are. I can already hear her saying, “Quartz tile for the backsplash” now. I shouldn’t watch but I cannot help myself so I cue up the TIVO. Deciding to get a drink I walk by the area that would hold our wine fridge and my heart aches.

I stop and imagine the new task lighting, gorgeous granite covered island, with plenty of storage, making my meal preps so much easier. Imagine my children sitting on the bar stools in their matching PJs on the other side of the island enjoying their freshly made waffles, “Oh mommy, these are delicious! You’re the best mom and the best cook ever!”

I know I thought that the extension on the house would fix this hunger I have inside. But, this would do it. This would make the house perfect. So all I need is 80k… give or take. What do you think?

The Shed ::ahem:: Guest House

In the last two weeks I've had 3 people tell me that they were "admiring" my "property."  I can't tell you how nice it is to hear that. Considering that the patio looked like this only a few short years ago.  Click here to see more on the patio transformation.

We also have a little building on our property that is called a shed. The story, from residents that have lived here long enough to know the owner that built it, is that he built the miniature house for his kids as a playhouse.  He really must have been into his kids because it's way more elaborate than the cardboard boxes I give my kids.  He also built a killer tree house.  Enough about him though--he's really making me feel inadequate.

The shed, affectionately called, the guest house, is going to be winterized soon.  You see, you may recall I wanted to "finish" our garage.  But, to do it right, it's gonna run ya.  So, I started thinking about what I really wanted this winter.  I wanted to be able to use that very expensive treadmill I bought in a warm, and safe (for my daughter) place.  The guest house is small, about the size of a standard bedroom.  Heating it will be no problem.  So, little by little we have thrown money at it. 

So far the shed is framed out (it's a shell basically).  Dave strung electric throughout with plugs and overhead switches.  The licensed electrician tied that to our electric box (don't like those pesky light shows so we left that job for the pro). It's tempting to start insulating and sheet rock but the guest house must have windows.  It's just a big dark box right now.  So, I have a few different people coming to give me an estimate on window installation.  Just as a side note, why can't they say something like, "Oh.. put in a window?  That's $75."  Instead they come here, look at the shell and then say they'll call me later.  Don't you know your business?  How hard is it to give me a number?  Ballpark? Something?  There's not a lot involved--cut hole, stick window in it, charge customer.

I'm hopeful that it will be ready to use this winter.  My daughter will only deal with the jogger for so long.  The trips on the jogger are shorter now (she gets bored) and once the weather turns it just feels mean to bundle her up and bring her along.  So, hopefully once this is complete I can run on the treadmill and she can play with some toys,  and we'll both be happy and content in our new little guest house. 

 

 

Technorati Tags: garage conversion,running,winterizing

Storage Space

If you have a small house (like me) efficient use of space is an issue.  In addition, good storage is critical.

I have three kids and they're like most: spoiled.  So, having the space to put things away is a big deal.   Also, if it's not easy to put things away, or take things out, eventually you'll all get tired and just pile the clean clothes on top of the dresser or dump the toys in a nearby open bin and call it a day.

I like my small house--there are many benefits to small houses.  Particularly this winter if you use oil to heat your home.  My heating costs will go up, but not anywhere near what it will be for my friends with the McMansions. (And even though you can't see me right now I am SO NOT GIGGLING!)

Another benefit is the INability to collect too much.  Eventually there's no more place to put things and you're more strategic with what you keep.

The downside of a small house is that it doesn't take too much to make the place look sloppy.  The upside is that it doesn't take that much to keep it looking nice and clean too.

The key to keeping your house looking tidy? 

1. Don't stack dirty dishes in the sink.
2. Make the beds.
3. Keep the floors free of debris. 
4. Put the clutter away.

By the way, I know this because I saw it in some magazine somewhere--not because I actually subscribe to these rules.  It's just what I heard.

Anyway.. storage.

My daughter went from a tiny room with zero closet space (grounds for a call to social services I'm sure) to a pretty large room (psst.. a bit larger than the room her brothers now share) with a nice sized closet.  The problem was that the closet wasn't really being used.  Not properly anyway.  So, I told dear ole Dave that he had a couple more projects to complete before he went back to work.  The biggest? Closet storage.

I went on the ClosetMaid website.  They have a few tools where you can design your closet based on the dimensions you have.  It's nice because you can plan your closet while in your house looking at it rather than in the middle of home depot looking at massive the racks of accessories while your children run and scream through the store, "Mommy! Mommy! Jimmy just knocked over the light bulb display!"  In fact, leave the kids home--even without kids this is kind of a pain.  My husband, a very educated and former math-camp attendee, had to make more than 5 trips to HD to get all the right parts for our closets.

But now... they're GORE-JUS DAHLING!  My daughter and I got some kick-butt closets now. I'm still not even using half of the functionality--I keep forgetting I have all these shelves and hooks.  Her closet is great though and has helped me keep her room looking even more magically princessified than usual. 

Installing Hardwood Flooring

When you have an addition/extension or home built, you will get quoted an average price per square foot.  In our area it ranges from 150/square foot and up.  So, take the 400 square feet we put on and multiply that by $150.  Now, that did not include a bathroom, so a bathroom would (and did) bump up the price.  Most general bathroom installs start at about 10k and move up RAPIDLY once you start changing what tile and fixtures you're using. 

For example, our proposal had an allowance of $2/square foot for bathroom tile.  I signed the contract and then eventually went tile shopping.  Guess what?  The tile in the dumpsters behind Home Depot costs more than $2/square foot.

Anyway, the price you're quoted often does NOT include floors, paint, or light fixtures.  The added room off of my living room is a home office (for me) and occasional guest room for our out-of-town relatives.  Dave did the floors in the two added bedrooms, but the office is different.  Our living room has laminate flooring.  On it's own, it's not the worst thing in the world.  (How's that for laminate advertising??) 

What I Hate About This Floor

It was installed next to our lovely hardwood floors (pictured right).  It's not the same color and it's no going in the same direction.  In addition, the idiots that put it in didn't fix the height of the floor so there's a slight gap between the hall and living room which is perfect for collecting debris like smooshed goldfish crackers.

 

Room Without a Floor

The room in the far back of this photo is the office.  That large opening is fitted for french doors.  This will give me (and our guests when they are using it) privacy.   Of course, my kids will likely be in college by the time we do all this, so I may not need them.   However, we can't put those in until the floor is put in.  In case you missed it:

1. Can't install french doors until office floor is installed.
2. Can't install office floor until the floor in living room is installed.
3. Can't install any floors until they are all same level.
4. Can't do any layering to the office floors until they have busted through the old basement through to the new basement.  For now, that's the only way down in there.

The office does not have a floor.  It's subflooring (plywood).  I have put an area rug over it to cover it for now.  However, it's not the same level as the living room (we've had lots of stubbed toes).  It's off by a solid 1 1/2 inches.  It's probably too hard to see in this photo below, but the floor in the office needs to be built up, the living room floor needs to also be built up to meet up with the floor.  (It's done with layering sheets of plywood--which honestly isn't cheap).

What I Want

I'd like the floor specialists to come in, level out all the floors and install oak hardwood to match up with the rest of the house.  I don't want want any thresholds going from room to room--all one smooth surface.   It can all be done--by the pros anyway.  THEN, I'll be done.  Oh wait.. I forgot about....  ;)

Furniture Makeover

I was given a large hutch from a friend.  She knew that I liked to paint just about anything with a surface and redoing furniture is up there at the top of my list.  With company coming in just a couple days I had some rearranging to do and suddenly, the bottom portion of the hutch would make a great TV stand.  But first; a face lift.

The hutch (shown below with drawers removed) had a lot of surface damage--like a cat had clawed at it. In addition, the top of the hutch had a shiny surface (like a veneer).  So, first I filled in the deepest scratches with wood putty.  I sanded the surface to smooth it, and then applied a good primer to the entire piece.  (Bin makes a great primer and you can get it at any hardware store). 

After applying the primer to the entire piece, I painted the piece with regular latex paint.  I used paint that I already had from the house.  Benjamin Moore Eggshell finish.  Normally when you paint furniture you should use a semi-gloss finish.  But, this wasn't going to be the last step (and I LOVE reusing paint that I already have around in my very large collection!!)

It takes more time but it's easier in the long run if you remove all the drawers and door fronts, handles, and hardware.  I also really like using cardboard for drop cloths.  It's thick, doesn't stick to whatever you're painting, and can be stored easily.  I hate drop cloths, too easy to trip over or to miss paint drips (and then you step in it, and drag it all over you house).

After painting the tan color you see above and letting it dry, I applied a stain finish to give the piece an antique effect.

Use gloves (dishwashing ones work best.  The other gloves tend to break down with stain or lacquer) to protect your hands from being stained too.  It's a bear to get off your skin.  When applying the stain, go for a dark one that will show up well on the paint.  I used walnut for this piece.  I also used a handiwipe to apply the stain--it's great for staying wet and not absorbing the stain and you can easily flip it over and over to wipe the stain back off.

Put the stain on heavy and then start wiping it off in a somewhat haphazard manner.  You don't want streaks and you want some areas to be heavier than others to show dimension. 

Below is the finished piece. I need to find some hardware, but for now it works and it's ready in time for company!

 

Technorati Tags: refinish furniture,antique furniture,primer,painting,paint furniture