It Ain't Over 'til it's Oversprayed

As much as I love the light and airy look from the last post, with its white cabinets, rug, and off white cushions, we get dirty when we're camping.  If we just sat around for a week and took a leisurely stroll on paved campground roadways I'd be slathering some white paint on every surface of the Apache.  When I say we get dirty, I mean it.  We wander off on 4-hour hikes and more often than not, Garrett is laying on a bed of mulched forest floor (or mud) taking macro photos of fungi.  I have a penchant for taking breaks on fallen trees and mossy rocks.  Sometimes we're canoeing through a bog and we've got those small flecks of "swamp things" on our clothes from getting inadvertently wet.  Sometimes it's as simple as soot from the fire getting on our clothes.  Do I want to transfer that to pristine white cabinetry?  Heck no.  

My canoe bow in the Barnum Bog, Paul Smith's VIC, New York

I mentioned before that the cabinets have the appearance of wood, but are metal.  Over the past few weekends, I've been painting the cabinets without removing them first.  Actually, I've been spray painting everything that is brown, with the exception of the couch under-storage area, which no one will really see anyway.  

I've been using Rustoleum's Universal All-Surface spray paint in Gloss Black for

the cabinets, and for the furnace, which needs a more specialized paint, Rustoleum's Ultra High Heat paint in Black.  I used the same Ultra High Heat in White for the stove lid. 

I taped off, put some paper on the floor in the dining area, and I taped the old grey curtains together and used them as a drop cloth since they were the best way to cover the entire floor without having to cut my usual drop cloth.  The weirdly-shaped items that needed to be covered were protected with aluminum foil.  I could only paint for about 15 minutes at a time, taking the rest of the day off.  The roof of the Apache is taller than the track of my garage door, so ventilation was not as good as I would have liked.  I did manage to open the door a couple of feet, and I left the entry door to the garage open as well.  

Despite laying down the drop cloth, The first time I painted I did not anticipate that the tiny paint particles would make everything sticky.  So as I worked backward, I was unaware that part of the drop cloth stuck to my shoe!  The result?  Areas of flooring where those tiny particles settled.  The fix?  A light sanding with 220 grit sandpaper buffed the noticeable discoloration away!  There was one corner that really got hit with a blast of paint, but that also sanded off tolerably well.  Here are the befores:

That's gonna leave a mark

 

That's not a shadow; it's overspray

Once the weather climbs back into the 40s, I'll finish sanding the floor.  For now though, back to seemingly neverending snowfall and prepping for the holidays.

One Shade of Grey: A Progress Report

The day I posted my last post, I finally closed on the house.  In fact, about 15 minutes after I posted about how impatient I was, my attorney's paralegal called to let me know we were good to go.

The first thing I did was remove the weird shower curtain rod + too short regular curtain rod above the living room window, as well as what we have dubbed, "the Jesus curtain" which I'm pretty sure was a shower curtain, but it had bible verses all over it.

two different lengths, two different rods... the stuff nightmares are made of

Currently, the window is naked, and a new rod (one that'll fit) has been purchased.  It is the same exact rod that is in the dining room, which I just love.  In fact, I love just about everything that is going on in the dining room now.  Gone is the tomato soup orange-red, the apple-trimmed cafe curtain, and the feeling that the room is a lot smaller than it actually is.

The only thing this color should be on is a Barchetta (it's never too early for Rush humor)

The dining room is now light, bright, and definitely updated.  First, I covered the walls with Behr's Ultra Premium Plus paint that was color-matched to Benjamin Moore's Edgecomb Gray.  I had no idea that you can just walk into Home Depot and ask for a color from a different paint supplier, and had samples mailed to me from Benjamin Moore first, which cost a pretty penny--the shipping was more than the paint sample!  Now, I just find colors I like, go to Home Depot, and buy an armload of samples until I figure out which color I want.  Consumer Reports rated the Behr paint as their first or second interior paint, not to mention that Home Depot is a mere 30 minutes from my house (the nearest Benjamin Moore store is over an hour away).  It's a light grey/beige that looks equally good with the blues, wood trim, and beige ceramic tile in the room.  Since you can also see the kitchen cabinets due to the open floor plan, it was important that those colors work together until I figure out what I'm going to do with those cabinets.

The only red things left are the apples

 My dining table has a story, of course.  In the summer of 2014, I went to Massachusetts to visit my mom.  Whenever I visit my family there, I stop at what I think is one of the best Goodwill stores in the country, just over the border in Nashua, New Hampshire.  I walked in during that visit to see this gem in the window with a price sticker on it for $9.99.  TEN FREAKING DOLLARS!  It just so happened that it was marked down on the color sale for that week, so for five bucks, that puppy was MINE.  Unfortunately, as the employees moved it from the window into the area that one picks up large items, one of those tripod legs snapped from it's attachment.  When asked if I still wanted it, I said, "well, if you can knock half off..."  The manager said, "Done."  So that's how I got my dining room table for $2.50.  My friends Jason and Trinda helped to take it apart and load it into my minivan, and we made the trek back to Pennsylvania with three kids and a table.  Some Gorilla Wood Glue and an overnight of clamping fixed it right up.  It has been well worn and loved, and still extends another foot for when we have guests.

I love, love, love my table.  Oh, and the seats of the side chairs match the stain

The first time I saw the chandelier on the Young House Love website, I gasped.  It's flipping gorgeous.  When I saw the price at West Elm, I wasn't sure if I could swing it.  I slowly started saving for it, but at nearly $400, I wasn't confident that I'd have enough money to buy it before it was discontinued.  By my birthday in September, I was about $175 from my savings goal when I gifted myself $100 (hey, it's my birthday, I do what I want).  The following week, it was on sale for 20% off, and I snagged it for $75 off of the original price.  Sometimes waiting has it's benefits.  Everything else came from Overstock.com.  The table runner and fruit basket came from trips to HomeGoods and T.J. Maxx, respectively.

curtain detail

This window is eventually going to be a door to the backyard.  Currently, I either have to walk around from the front of the house, or to go through the garage, onto the back porch, then out that door if I want to access the back yard.   I think a door and a stairway here would provide a faster route, and once there's a patio there, a great extension of our dining room to an outdoor dining area.

The dining room is no where near completed yet.  I still need to put something on those walls and maybe add a buffet or something that'll add some personal touches to the room.  I love how it's turning out.

Sources:

Upholstered Chairs

Side Chairs

Curtains

Curtain Rod

Area Rug

Chandelier

Paint Color

Naked and Afraid

Remember that side-of-the-road find from last year?  That gorgeous desk whose veneer had definitely seen better days?  It has been finished for quite some time and just hibernating in the dining room.  Today, I finally put it in the entry, where it shall store keys, sunglasses, gloves, winter scarves, mittens, and hats (hey, we have a ton of blustery days here).

The mirror that I revamped when I still lived in Florida has been hung above the desk.  Now the entry area looks like this

It is so... blank.  And beige.  And boring.

The diamond-weave wool rug is there to cover up an ancient floor heating grate.  Without it, the entry is freezing, since there's nothing to stop the cold basement air from chilling the room in the winter, not to mention adding a fortune to my heating bills.  It also evens up the floor surface since the grate is an inch below the carpet.  There is hardwood under the carpet, and exposing and refinishing it is definitely on the to-do list... just not until maybe next year.

For scale, that's a 7-inch tall flower pot, with a 4-inch base.  Yes, that's authentic 1960s paneling on the wall.  I know it is hideous.  The worst part of it is that the ceiling is taller than the original panel, so there's a panel seam that runs around the top of the wall, roughly 6 inches from the ceiling, as if it is trying to masquerade as crown molding.  The same paneling was in the entry closet and one day after moving in, I decided to see what was underneath.  You may want to sit down for this:

Doesn't it just take your breath away?

I simply cannot deal with this visual nightmare all over the room.  Just say no.  I'm thinking this is another gem from the 30s or 40s.  It has also been lined up so that each vignette is roughly a foot away from another one exactly like it.  If the entry walls are anything like the closet, the paneling was applied directly to the plaster.  So, the paneling stays until the entire mess (paneling, wallpaper, plaster, lath) can all be removed and remodeled.  I considered painting the paneling, but that seam drives me crazy... paint would just highlight the seam.

The entry light is a more modern addition to the room.  When I first moved in, the current light replaced a gothic, red stained glass hanging light that was far too small for the room and had a long chain draped from hooks on the ceiling.  The dark switchplate on the wall above the desk echoes the coppery metal of the light, but the design lends itself to the more traditional aspect of the house.  The closet door knob and plate are gorgeous Arts and Crafts pieces that were installed upside down.  Flipping it around doesn't work because the mortise lock is installed in that part of the door.

All of this leaves me to the current issue I'm having with styling this desk.  I need it to be functional and beautiful.  I know there is a lot going on here.  I definitely need color.  The room gets very little natural light, so a shade-loving plant that likes to occasionally be chilly?  A bowl for keys or should I stash them in one of the drawers?  Photos on the desk?  On the wall?  I considered a stack of books, but that would work better if the surface were entirely flat, I think.  There is no electrical outlet here, so a lamp won't work.  Perhaps something that plays up the silver leaf mirror?

HELP!  How would you style this?

Curb Uh... Peel

It is no secret (to my neighborhood at least) that the front of my house has definitely seen better days.  While the main exterior of the house is a solid tan, the front steps have been painted brown, seemingly to match the... dirt?  Maybe so as not to clash with the yellowish brick that is the sidewalk.  Or... something.  The entry to the front porch is painted burgundy (really, that's all the paint can says:  "burgundy") but it is definitely a bright, purple/magenta version of burgundy.  Perhaps "faded wine stain burgundy" would've been a more accurate name, but I don't name these things.  When you get into the front porch, you're accosted by the sea green hue of the wainscoting.  Here's what we're dealing with:

The door to the entry lost some screws, and the metal has rubbed at the front door

This door has seen better days.  It looks so sad.

The hardware has been changed too many times, and not replaced in some spots.
Paint chips anyone?

Ick.

Magenta!  I love the door handle here, but it's just decorative at this point

Interior porch.  The rain hits this side of the porch all the time, and the paint has peeled away

bottom of the windows where the caulk has flaked off

None of it looks good.  I've hated it all since I purchased the house, but so many other things needed to be done that this item of business has been lingering at the bottom of the list for a few years.  Until now: The serious lack of curb appeal is highlighted by peeling paint, cracked and missing caulk around the windows, and just plain hideousness.  It looks about as bad as it can possibly be, in my opinion.

This summer's project is to bring sexy back to the front of my house.  I present the following to-do list:

• Paint!  (and of course, the prep that goes along with painting)  I can't currently afford to paint the entire exterior (so, the solid tan stays, even though that is peeling slightly) but I can get rid of the burgundy/sea green/brown tragedy that is the color scheme of the front porch.
• Caulk the windows and repair screens where needed.
• Remove the dead foliage growth from last year, and apply organic weed control, barrier, and mulching.  Sadly, this means all flowers and flowering plants will have to go until the very invasive moonflower and bishop's weed dies off completely... which will likely take a couple of years.  
• Repair or replace door hardware.  While they're old, they're temperamental.  One slight depression of a button means that the front door locks... and I don't have a skeleton key to open it.  I'm not going to mention just how I open it, but it takes at least 15 minutes to MacGyver.
• Remove and replace the rotting wood retaining wall and replace with landscaping bricks. 
• Remove tile house numbers and replace with something modern.
• If I can swing it financially, replace the exterior lights on either side of the front door.
• Transform front porch into proper sleeping porch.

I still have a week and a half of classes, but as soon as that is over, it's time to start scraping, sanding, and priming.

Here and There

The desk/console is taking more time than originally planned.  Sadly, the veneer appliques on the lower drawers crumbled when I attempted to gently remove them, so they're gone.  I'm considering other appliques, but the design on the top panel is in nearly perfect condition, and finding a similarly-styled match is not an easy chore.  Apparently, the trend in wood applique is very baroque, full of acanthus leaves, flourishes, and flowers.  I don't think it'd work with the lines of the desk, so, it might just be plain Jane.

I pulled out all of the tiny finishing nails from the bottom drawers, and right now, they look like this:

Below the veneer, there were a lot of gouges in the wood, some were old, and some were caused by yours truly.  I filled them in with wood filler, and I'm still in the process of sanding them down.  It should be finished by the end of this week, so a reveal will definitely be in order.  I'm still debating on spray painting the aged brass pulls that the desk came with, or swapping them out for glass knobs.  Once the desk is painted, I'll have to see what I like best.

Right now, several projects are on deck.  The front porch looks like a warehouse!  I picked up a standing jewelry armoire at a tag sale for $10.  It is broken where the leg connects to the base, but it is an easy fix.  It will, of course be painted, and my oldest kidlet will have a place for her growing accessory collection. 

I also picked up a twin bed frame from the same tag sale (also $10), which will eventually be used in the front porch.  

I need to get a support replaced and a new screw for one of the center legs.

Lastly, is a lovely little table that was one of the last gifts I received from my dad before he died.  We saw it at the antique mall, and he gave it to me for my birthday.  It needs to be sanded down, because the top surface was stripped at some point, and then my daughter spilled Kool-Aid on it.  The full profile is in the above photo, behind the bed frame.  

styling courtesy of Liz, the 12-year-old kidlet

I haven't decided where the table is going to go.  It is likely I'll use it on the front porch, since I usually work out there when the weather is nice.  

For the next few weeks, though, my project schedule is full.  Unless, of course, I find something fabulous curbside.  I definitely can't resist a free rehab project!

The Weekend List

If all seems quiet on the Pennsylvanian front, I'll have you know that we've been busy little beavers groundhogs.  I feel like Home Depot is my second home, since I've been there so often in the past few weeks.  I don't know whether to be proud or sad that the people at the paint counter now recognize me, but I'll err on the side of proud.  

We decided to take a break from our busy bedroom-remodeling schedule to go to Pittsburgh this weekend.  The walls are painted and the ceiling is slated to be painted before Friday.  I've ordered some details for the room, but it is still missing quite a lot by way of finishing.  For that, we need some serious shopping options.  I do not live in an area of the state that has any serious shopping options (I've scoured our ONE TJMaxx too many times, and know their inventory by heart... and it is a 1-hour drive each way).  Time to bring out the big guns and get to HomeGoods, Ikea, and Pier 1.  Basically, if it has a home section, we're going to it.

On the purchase wish list (whole house):

• curtains (because we haven't perfected "total darkness" yet).
• pillows
• mattress pad with 21-inch pockets
• frames
• art of some sort, maybe
• some sort of organizer for the girls' art supplies
• twin-sized sheets (hello Target 400 thread count!)
• lingonberries (hey, it's Ikea... we need them).
• Dignitet curtain wire 
• magazine holders/organizers
• a bench for the entry
• a console table for the entry

There's the list.  It seems rather haphazard, I know, but it is the sort of odds-and-ends kind of list that gets created when you live in the boondocks and can't find certain things.  

Tonight, I also picked up something extra special to use in the bedroom decor project.  I'm really quite excited about it, especially since it got the seal of approval from my BFF, Lola.  I was completely on the fence, and when one is on a fence, one should have someone like-minded to push you off of the fence, and onto the side you really wanted to go to, but didn't think you were bold enough.  Of course, I can't reveal anything about it until the big reveal, but let's just say that I'm jumping around my house just thinking about it!

Okay, here's a hint:

Pow!

Is it metal?  Shiny things?  Gold?  Silver?  I want to tell you, really, I do.  But that'd just spoil the surprise.  There is nothing worse than a spoiled surprise, except for your ice cream landing on the sidewalk.  *sad face*

Random puppy shot:

Lily makes everything better!

I've been going nonstop since last Thursday night (filling holes, sanding, washing walls, taping, painting, etc).  Not to mention kids, general cleaning, reading, shopping, and planning our weekend lists.

After work and playing chauffeur to the eldest kidlet, I will be taping off the walls and prepping the ceiling for paint.  I'll also be doing quite a lot of measuring and prepping in the closet.  We're planning on tearing out the pink carpet on Sunday, so it is going to be a busy, busy sort of weekend.  Rumor has it that we are supposed to get some lovely spring weather... we might even see 60 degrees!  Here's to hoping we can turn the heat off soon!

Just Call Me Tex...ture

I bought a teeny watercolor painting on Etsy.  I think my mother's love of birds is starting to rub off on me, because right now, I'm totally into all things birdie. The print arrived, and I thought about framing it.  With the new wall color (I promise, the bedroom is nearly done), I am not precisely sure what sort of metal color I want to go with, so framing right now, isn't an option.  This bird print really needed some texture.

I had the idea to mount the print onto a canvas, and add some texture with some acrylic gel medium.  The resulting image changes the look of the art medium from watercolor to acrylic, complete with brush strokes!  The best part is that I don't have to drop some money on a frame unless I really want to.

texturing & mounting supplies

What you'll need:

• brushes- a wide one and a tiny one
• a canvas the same size as your print, I used this one by Windsor Newton
• acrylic gel medium (I used matte, it also comes in gloss), I used Liquitex matte
• scissors, for trimming if necessary
• your print

The first thing you'll need to do is trim your print to fit the frame.  If the print has the same color background as the canvas, being exact isn't completely necessary.  If, on the other hand, the print is dark, you may want to either paint the canvas to match the background color or use the canvas as a guide to cut the print to fit.  You can also self-mat the print by using a larger canvas than needed, just be sure to use a level and a ruler to make sure that the spaces are level and as equal as you want them to be.

After my not-so-exact trimming job

Once my print was trimmed, I set it aside and went about covering the canvas in gel medium.  This layer should be thin and even.  I used full-strength gel medium (it can be diluted with water up to 25%), because I didn't want the additional water warping the paper.

The thin and even bottom coat

Then, I placed the print on top of the canvas, making sure the print was straight.  I used my hand to apply gentle pressure to the print, from the bottom corner upward, so that there wouldn't be any air bubbles under it.  

No bubbles!

It is perfectly fine to have gel squooshing out the edges,
just as long as the print sticks.

The great thing about gel medium is that you don't have to wait for the gel to dry before moving onto the next step, which is making sure the edges won't lift.  To do this, I put a thick coating of gel along the sides of the print.

It'll dry clear and the edges will be less noticeable.

Next, gel medium needs to be generously applied to the whole print.

I put on a big glob of gel, then spread it around

Keep in mind that your brush strokes will dry as they are.  If you want to have softer brushstrokes, you can dilute the gel with about 15% water.  You might want to test it on a piece of the print that you trimmed off (if you did) to see if the paper will warp.  If it does warp, reduce the amount of water in the gel until you get a result that doesn't warp the paper.

Completely covered

Next, if you want finely-detailed brush strokes, take out your tiny brush and go to town.  I used my tiny brush to "paint" feathers onto my bird, and to create texture that highlights the legs and tail.  I also swiped it around the outline of the bird's head, back, and belly.

Don't forget that this will dry clear,
and the texture will simply highlight the print

Once I completed texturing, my bird looked like this:

Put your canvas in a safe place to dry.  In my house, this is the top of the chest freezer, where little kidlets cannot get to it.  

Once it is dry, pop some hanging hardware on the back, or frame it if you want, and hang it up!

This is what birdie looked like after it dried:

On my office wall, from about 6 feet (2m) away

You can see bits of texture from a few feet away, but as you get closer, the texture is more evident.

Just in front of birdie

From the side.

Extreme close up. 

I am definitely putting this sweet little bird in my bedroom, but I'm not quite finished working on that room.  Where would you hang such a tiny piece of art?  Would you leave it on a wall by itself for the biggest impact, or would you display it in a group?  Do tell!

Swatchalicious

At what point do you think choosing a paint color might make you insane?  I think I might be there, but, unless I want to live in a patchwork of paint colors, I have to pick one.

Soon.

This week's colors are all from giant box store, Glidden's Black Tulip, Dark French Chocolate, and Totally Teal.  

Dark French Chocolate and Black Tulip

This is how they swatched out:

Against the door frame, Black Tulip (top); Dark French Chocolate (bottom)
Completely ignore the previously swatched color on the wall.

And then I added the Totally Teal:

This was taken after sundown, with the overhead light on and the flash.

I don't think the teal is going to work for the cocoon-like feeling that I want.  I keep looking at it and I think, "Bad 80s Film" Teal would have been a more appropriate name.  Like, woah....

Glidden Totally Teal
It works with the wood, but it is far too bright.  Totally.

I am quite sure it has come down to these two:

(top) Glidden Dark French Chocolate
(bottom) Glidden Black Tulip

Tomorrow, I'm going to swing by the store and buy a couple of gallons of paint.  Which one will it be?  

You'll have to wait and see.