Oh for the love of paint!

Back in February I joined Toni's (A Bowl Full of Lemons) create a launch pad challenge.  At the end of the challenge the wood brackets I used to hold up the shelf were... getting the job done but that's about all. Plain... Unfinished... Blah... 

They definitely needed to be attended to.  First I applied primer. Then I broke out some paint that I used in the kitchen called Grayed Jade by Do-it Best. Cute but boring. So I broke out some more paint that I used in my office called Winter Wheat by Valspar and dry brushed them. Next I mixed white primer with the Grayed Jade and dry brushed some more... nope not satisfied yet. Then I dry brushed again with just the primer. By now it so dark outside that I can't tell if I like them or not... so I went to bed. (Maybe I should have taken a picture of each step, but I really didn't think it was going to be so involved.)


Anyway, the next morning I walk out and think... hmm, kinda cute. Then Mr. Uncluttered walks out and says, "What happened? You're not done yet, are you?" I think to myself, "Well I guess not!" 

So I stand there with my head tilted, you know the look your dog gives you when he/she is trying to understand what in the world you're talking about... that was me looking at the brackets. What else could I do??? Ah ha! 80 grit sandpaper and Restore-A-Finish in Mahogany.  Here is the final product. I think the Restore-A-Finish gave it more depth.What do you think?

I even painted the edge of the shelf.

I'm linking this to:
Metamorphosis Monday - Between Naps on the Porch
Power of Paint - Domestically Speaking
Wow Us Wednesdays - Savvy Southern Style
White Wednesday - Faded Charm Cottage
Transformation Thursday - The Shabby Chic Cottage
100 Ideas Under $100 - Beyond the Picket Fence
Inspiration Friday - At the Picket Fence
Frugal Friday - The Shabby Nest

Week 4 - Kitchen Organization

This week Toni has challenged us with getting our kitchens organized.  So for this challenge I focused on one cabinet in particular... the spice cabinet. Its wasn't bad, just not great. You see, I love to cook and try new dishes so I have a lot of spices, 45 to be exact. I need to be able to find and see them all along with all the other "stuff" I have going on in there.

I must say that this is quite a task because my kitchen does have much storage at all. Not much counter space for that matter either... take a look.  This is our kitchen before we moved in. 

What you see is all of the cabinetry in the kitchen... well other than the "pantry", which in 1922 was the original built-in icebox. I made the wide cabinet over the beadboard my spice cabinet, there is now a Monarch stove where the black thing is on the wall. 

On the top shelf we have a basket for baking, brown sugar, bagged tea, and Keurig hot cocoa. There is all a jar of tooth picks for baking and coffee grinds. On the middle shelf are my jars of flour and sugar, baskets for Keurig Tea and Keurig coffee. On the bottom shelf is the plethora of spices, vinegars and sauces.  

I used an expandable 3-tier shelf from Target to display the spices.

I made the labels for the jars and the baskets with scrapbook paper and clear address labels. At the time my Dymo labeler was broken and my P-Touch labeler was out of tape... figures!

This is a 8" square bake pan it holds my everyday items, pepper grinder, salt, long toothpicks, olive oil, etc... 

Hope you were inspired to tackle one of your own cabinets... Check out some other ideas at A Bowl Full of Lemons.

Our Bathroom Needs Some Love

One of the first major projects of the year will be stripping and repainting a built-in, in the one and only tiny bathroom in the house. Yes, there is only one, and once you take a look at the tight quarters you will see why it needs to be as inviting as possible. Right now it's just functional, no pretty anywhere to be seen.  (Very tiny, right! On the opposite side is a shower over tub combo. Sorry, didn't get a picture of the whole thing.) 

So why am I refinishing the built-in? You take a closer look and then ask me that again.

There are at least six different colors under there. How do I know? Ummm... because I can see them! That's how many chips there are. And can you tell me exactly who paints over  hinges and antique at that??? Yeah, I don't know either. The saving grace... see below.

Original glass knob and mirror! Oh yeah! Nah, really I'm trying to make myself feel better. It will be amazing though when its all done, you just wait and see.

Dark vs Light 3 - The Battle is Over

In the previous two posts, I recounted for you a struggle that I was having within. This struggle was to step over to the light side or stay on the dark side. (For more detail read here and here) Well, I can tell you that the light side won this battle. I decided to paint the buffet white, mostly because my dining room is so dark and in desperate need of some light. 


I might add that this re-do only cost $12. Yes, its true... the buffet was given to me, I had all the materials to sand, prime and stain. The only thing I bought was the paint! Gotta love it in this economy (The hubby says, "You have to make a dollar out of 15 cents.")


This is what I started with...  let's just say she needed some work.

I sanded and refinished the top and made the rest of her look all pretty with paint and light distressing. 

I was going to spray the hardware oil-rubbed bronze, but I'm glad I didn't. When I put them  back on it just popped next to the white and I didn't have to do a thing.

Then she got all dressed for dinner... 

A few side-by-side before and after photos.

Hope you enjoyed the transformation as much as I did. Stay tuned for the rest of the dining room with Mahogany Board and Batten.

I am linking this to:

Metamorphosis Monday - Between Naps on the Porch

Power of Paint - Domestically Speaking

Wow Us Wednesdays - Savvy Southern Style
White Wednesday - Faded Charm
Transformation Thursday - The Shabby Chic Cottage
100 Ideas Under $100 - Beyond the Picket Fence
Inspiration Friday - At the Picket Fence
Frugal Friday - The Shabby Nest
Furniture Feature Friday - Miss Mustard Seed
Newbie Party - Debbiedoo's Blogging and Blabbing

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Dark vs Light 2 - The Saga Continues

In part one of Dark vs Light I mentioned that I was sanding a buffet. Well, here she is. She's a beauty, wouldn't you agree? She has wonderful lines. I can totally see the potential... I just have to look really hard.

This is the top. There bumps and bruises all over. She is really showing her age.

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