Tales of a very ugly kitchen: chalkboard paint

I’m always a sucker for the “In” and “Out” lists that appear right around the New Year. Will skinny jeans be in? Are Uggs on their way out? (Never here in Colorado!) So I naturally was intrigued by the predictions Apartment Therapy had for the new year. Hey, if they’re declaring chalkboard paint “out”, then I’m not afraid to be behind the trends. Here’s how I used it in the kitchen. The menu keeps my shopping for the week easy, and the kids aren’t always wondering what’s for dinner. (At least the ones that can read!) 

remodeling wish list for 2010

As I sat down in my cozy new pajamas on December 26th and opened my favorite “Inside and Out” section in The Denver Post, I was eager to see what the trendwatchers would be forecasting for the year ahead. How will the economic and political climates of today translate into how we live and want our homes to function? Naturally, the Home for the new year: It’ll be sleeker, simpler headline caught my eye, and upon reading the article, I was reminded of how far we’ve come over the past decade.

Flashback to New Year’s Eve 2001. What we were expecting to be at least a one hour journey into downtown Chicago was a mere 20 minutes.  After the 9/11 terrorist attacks that fall, apparently people wanted to stick close to home to celebrate the arrival of a more promising New Year. The nesting phenomenon had begun in earnest. Homes became our safe havens and included separate theater rooms, family rooms, play rooms, offices, and spa-like baths so that we could keep our families close-by, comfortable and protected. It made sense at the time.

In light of current economic conditions and the desire to live a greener, more earth-friendly lifestyle, it appears that the McMansion days are over. To that we say, Amen! And furthermore, our family is using the trend toward multi-purpose spaces where families can gather together for meals, entertainment, work, crafts, and homework to develop our list of home improvements for 2010. These projects blend how our family is evolving and our needs are changing with general upgrades we’d like to make to improve our home and quality of life here. You won’t find any theater rooms or spa baths on our list.

Reed Davis, Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Project #1:  First on our list is to develop a home office station in our living room that can accommodate a computer station and general command center. Of course, it still has to look good as it will be the first thing someone will see when they enter through the front door.  I snapped this picture after taking down all the Christmas decorations, so bare bones.

Pared down for demo!

Project #2:  Open our kitchen to the dining area to include a more fluid space for entertaining and give us more counter and prep space. We are planning to remove a portion of this wall.

Project #3:  Winterize our porch to create a mudroom and casual family room. Currently we use the porch as a dumping ground, mud room, outdoor toy storage and the occasional site of large dinner parties. In the picture below, it housed the kids’ table for our Thanksgiving 2009 dinner.

But here’s what the porch looks like on most days. Lovely. Yeah, we LIVE here.

We’ll keep you posted as the projects progress throughout 2010. If we can complete all three we’ll have accomplished our goal of multi-purpose spaces just in time for the forecasters to predict a completely different trend for next year. But we won’t care, because when it comes to how you live in your home, what’s hip and trendy just isn’t that important. And to that we also say, Amen!

is it an "heirloom" or a "hairloom"

In my family, we have a joke about hand-me-downs from days of yore. If it’s a keeper, then it’s earned the “heirloom” moniker. If it’s a doozy, but must be retained due to some type of familial guilt, then it’s dubbed a “hairloom”. We’re sure you have a few hairloom gems in your holiday storage bins. Here are some of our favorite heirloom/hairlooms on display this season, but really, the distinction is all in the eye of the beholder.

This collection of musical angel ornaments was from my maternal grandmother. Apparently they moved over to make room for our elf on the shelf, Jingley, this morning. I dub the angels an heirloom for sure. Jingley, not so much, but my kids would beg to differ. He sits at the right hand of Santa after all — translation: ROCK STAR!

This trio of crystal trees belonged to my dad's mom. I scored them at Granbe’s Great Giveaway a few years back. It was the ultimate heirloom/hairloom festival, and Granbe’s five grandchildren (and subsequent great grandchildren) were the lucky recipients.

My aunts made these disco balls long before Studio 54 even opened with styrofoam balls, sequins, pearl pushpins and pipe cleaner hooks. I nabbed four of them at Granbe’s Great Giveaway, and they’re heirlooms to me for sure.

Here’s an heirloom that starts with our generation. It was a gift from my oh, so generous sister-in-law as we spent Christmas at home for the first time after our big renovation. I have to put it up high on the top of the china cabinet so little fingers don’t try to make the reindeer really fly.

This collection has become a modern-day heirloom for our family. We drink egg nog served in these mugs on the night we decorate the tree. My lame illustrations inspired Lucy (7) to upstage me on the cabinet door nearby.

Last but not least, our new favorite heirloom. Santa brought Holly two weeks ago (yes, a bit early…long story), and we are in love.

Got any heirlooms or hairlooms that your family favors?  Do share.

paige's new big girl room

It’s a big event when one of our little darlings makes the lofty jump out of the crib and into a big kid bed.  But all of a sudden, we’re faced with a decorating dilemma:  How do we make the visual leap from a sweet baby’s room to a fun toddler’s lair, without starting from square one? It’s a question Heather had for us, and we were only to happy to help her feather her sweet daughter’s new nest.

Dear Lisa,  My daughter, Paige, has just graduated from her crib into a big girl’s bed.  My husband and I are over the baby’s room look and want something with a retro vibe. We really like orange (although our daughter loves pink) and want to keep the room on the gender neutral side.  We bought a cool comforter set that we definitely want to use for her bedding.  The dresser we’d like to keep, but could paint. We’re game for new lighting, and have a white chair (a dumpster dive find from our back alley), that we’d like to incorporate into the room.  Thanks for your help!  Heather

Heather, we think Paige’s room will be the coolest on the block.  Take a peek at this mood board…

1.  Heather wanted a gender neutral wall color for Paige, so we’re going with Summer Day from Sherwin-Williams. We love it’s bright sunny disposition. Sunny orange will be the perfect backdrop for the white furniture with hot pink and lime green accents. For furniture placement, we think the bed should go right in the corner with the head against the right wall. The new bookshelf can go right next to it along the right wall and serve as a bedside table. The incredible dumpster dive white slipper chair will be a cozy spot for reading and snuggling and can go in the corner.  Leave the dresser where it is, and paint it a glossy white to match the new bookshelf.  That will leave the far wall for Paige’s bigger kitchen toys and to showcase the vintage Holly Hobby-esque quilt on the wall.

2.  We found this kitschy and “adoeable” (couldn’t resist, sorry) lamp and love the way the hot pink and white pop against the orange walls.  The little doe diva will be a perfect bedside lamp sitting atop the new bookshelf. Sadly for you, Heather bought the last one, but it sure is cute, ain’t it?

3.  Even though Paige is a bit too young for the Olsen twins, Mary Kate and Ashley’s adorable lamp will bring their keen sense of style to our toddler’s lair.  This lamp shade is the perfect style for embellishing with some hot pink ribbon.  For our tutorial on that easy project, click here.

4.  Every little girl needs a stylish place to stash her baubles and treasures. These charming mini suitcases come in a set of 3, small, medium and large. They will bring a zest of orange and splash of pink to her new white bookshelf, and provide a sense of order to the knick knacks that seem to multiply in little girls’ rooms. Trust us, we know!

5.  We’re only recommending one piece of new furniture for Paige’s new room. This kid-friendly (and budget friendly) bookshelf is just the right height to due double duty as a bedside table, too. Pop that cute doe lamp on the top shelf, and Paige has lots of room to store her books, stuffed animals, and toys.

6.  One of our favorite finds for Paige’s room is this tree wall decal.  We think it should “grow” right up the wall behind the white slipper chair for a whimsical reading and snuggling spot.

7.  Toddlers spend so much time on the floor. This bold striped rug will bring the color down that direction and give Paige a cozy spot to hang out on while she plays, reads and explores.

8.  These bright yet sturdy baskets are perfect for organizing a pile of board books and bringing some more visual order to the room.  We see these on the bottom shelf of the bookcase, so Paige can have easy access and can return everything back to it’s proper place, just like a big girl does.

And, here's the big reveal. Paige's room turned out SO cute!

I must have a juniper fetish!

It occurred to me, as Steve and I were hacking and hauling away the remains of the seven juniper trees and bushes, that I must have some kind of sick juniper fetish when it comes to buying a house.  To me, a house smothered in overgrown junipers means that the same owners must have lived there for quite some time, they are probably on the older side, and the place might be ripe for some remodeling and deal making.

{Aren't those pruned juniper beauties too good to pass by?!}

In the two home buying experiences we’ve had, that was exactly the case.  In our Denver house (built in 1955), we learned from the delightful previous owners, Gus and Lucille, that they had lived there for 33 years and bought the house from the original owners.  In the Chicago burbs, we bought the home (built in 1942) from the original owners.  This information is both good and bad.  It seems that houses with few owners have less wear and tear, fewer goofy remodeling kinks, and are generally well cared for; these are all good things.  The bad news is that the junipers in both homes were decades older than we were, and man, those roots grow deep!

{Don't they look so much better on our driveway?!}

tales of a very ugly kitchen: new knobs

In our original kitchen, the maple cabinet fronts had no knobs and there was a little indentation on the tops for your fingertips to facilitate opening the door. The drawers had the same design on the bottom. Here’s a picture of the lil’ beauties from our home inspection. 

I know, I know, ick.  Sometimes I look back at these pics and wonder what we were thinking when we (okay, it was just me), decided I must live here?! But, we’ve made progress, and now it’s time for the finishes and fun stuff.

Even though the fingertip grooves still remained on the painted cabinets and drawers, the white semi-gloss paint left them looking rather flat (but still so much prettier), so we wanted a knob or pull that would bring some dimensionality back to their surface. We opted for two knob styles from good ol’ Home Depot because we liked the brushed steel finish, sleek style, and frankly Frank, we liked the price. The smaller knob went on the short cabinet uppers, and we used the longer pull on the bigger cabinets and some of the drawer fronts.

To refresh your memory, the oven/stove area looked like this at our home inspection.

And now, for the big cabinetry knob reveal (insert drumroll here, please)…

Yahoo! Not only do we love the improved functionality of our kitchen appliances, but we also love the sleek and contemporary lines of our prettier cabinetry. What do you think?  Next up, bye-bye florescent behemoth.

a peacock wreath for the holidays

From the LA Times Home Blog today…love the whimsy and color!

Why wait until turkey day to hang the holiday wreath? And why spend a small fortune on greenery when you can quickly and easily create something equally dramatic that will last for years?

These questions were on my mind on a recent craft supply run to Michaels, where I found a $19.99 peacock feather wreath that spoke to me. What it said: Peacock motifs are everywhere these days, why shouldn’t they replace Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas cardinals? (The wreath was a fierce name-dropper too, whispering Auntie Mame, Tony Duquette and Bob Mackie in one breath.)

Naturally, I had to have it. With one push of a pushpin it quickly adorned my front door, which happens to be a pale shade of peacock blue. Stylish as it looked, it needed a little something extra.

That’s when I remembered the stuffed peacock I recently found at Mercado in Silver Lake for $23. Made from hand-spun wool by women in the central highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, it was the perfect folk art counterpart to the drag queen glamour of the wreath. And with a pushpin through its feathery tail, it is now happily perched on the wreath.

Not bad for $42.99. (Tax and pushpins not included.)

– David A. Keeps

Photo credit: David A. Keeps

tera's living room makeover

Tera recently contacted us to help her reinvent her living room. Here is her letter:

Dear Lisa,  My husband and I bought our first home together, and it’s a hodge podge with many relics from our single days. We traveled for 18 months after we were married, so we also have many things we’ve collected from our travels. My husband, Jim, is a huge movie buff, so I have convinced him to pare down to just two movie posters which must stay in the room. Also, the sofa is something that we’d like to keep.  We’re definitely interested in new paint. I like warm, cozy colors, but I tend to overdo color when I paint and it feels either claustrophobic or trendy. We would love new window treatments but nothing frilly or heavy. I’m currently obsessed with Etsy.com and love their unique handmade items. I feel like I know what I like, but I’m stuck on how to pull it together.  I hope you two can help!  Tera

Okay, Tera, we’ve got your room reinvented with a global eclectic theme fit for two world travelers (and one movie buff!).

1.  To bring some of the warm and cozy colors Tera likes into this space, we are using that industrial chic brick wall to direct our color palette. For the fireplace wall, we’d love to see an accent color and Benjamin Moore’s Misted Green (2138-50) picks up the sage green in the fireplace surround beautifully. To counterbalance the brick color on the left side of the fireplace, we recommend that Tera use BM’s Bricktone Red (2005-30) on the wall to the right of the fireplace, behind the TV. For the remaining walls, we suggest BM’s Spring in Aspen (954) for a cozy cream color that will complement the brick and sage green accents. Also, we’d LOVE to see Tera paint the wood mantle on her fireplace and the refresh the vintage wood trim throughout the room with BM’s White Dove (OC-17). By painting the mantle, the tile surround on the fireplace will really pop, and the mantle will blend with the original trim rather than look like an add-on.

2.  Fortunately, the track lighting in Tera’s living room has a main junction box, so replacing it with a simple yet elegant new chandelier will be an easy task for an electrician, and a minor ceiling repair job for a painter, or even for Tera and her hubby if they decide to do the painting themselves. With Tera’s soaring ceilings, adding a chandelier is a subtle way to draw the eyes upward while leaving ample room for even the tallest visitor to walk underneath. This unbelievably priced chandelier has an oil-rubbed bronze finish and will set the room aglow with soft light. It also complements Tera’s two recently purchased lamps without being too matchy-machty.

3.  These elegantly striped curtains will frame Tera’s oversized front window beautifully. By hanging them as close to the ceiling as possible, the vertical stripe will emphasize the incredible ceiling height in the room, and the fabric will give a shimmery contrast to the rugged, earthy texture on the exposed brick wall.  At 108″ inches, these beauties are still an affordable option, and their grommet tops give them an edgy, urban vibe.

4.  In addition to their globe trotting history together as a couple, there’s no denying that Tera’s hubby, Jim, loves his movies. We think his two movie posters that currently flank the fireplace, and are “must stays” according to Tera, might be a little lost, so we are game to pump up the movie theme just a bit with this trio of vintage film reels. Hung above the fireplace, this collection will pull the movie posters into this global mix and give them the attention they deserve.  Right, Jim?  Hey, we know first hand that compromise in decorating is good for a marriage.

5.  This antique globe is a nod to Tera and Jim’s travels and a fun accessory to sit on top of the fireplace mantle or to adorn their new bookshelf.

6.   Tera is a big Etsy fan, and so are we, so we were happy to scour Etsy for some suitable finds for the living room.  Tera wants to keep their comfy, neutral sofa, but it can be spruced up with this collection of  handmade and Asian-inspired pillows. We say throw the rectangular shaped one on the newly slipcovered slipper chair and pile the remaining three on the sofa for those cozy date nights on the couch watching movies and eating takeout while your little one snoozes away upstairs. Now that’s parental bliss.

7.  And, ah yes, what to do about those two imposing bookcases in Tera’s before shots? Well we’re taking a risk here and suggesting that Tera replace them with just one new bookcase. We say this for two reasons. The first being that a heavy and tall wall of books in a 12′ x 12′ room is a little too top heavy and encroaching. We’re confident that with some careful editing, the books can be paired down, and the remaining collection can be housed on this light and airy leaning ladder shelf in an espresso finish.  (This type of bookcase comes with hardware to attach to the wall, so it’s also a safe option for Tera’s toddler.) The second reason for transitioning to just one bookcase is that by moving this single shelf toward the entry, the perfect reading nook is created for Tera’s newly slipcovered slipper chair. Tera’s existing floor lamp can be moved over to this corner to provide ample reading light with the added benefit of balancing the sources of light throughout the room.  The overall effect is one of a grander, more open space.

8.  We like this well-priced TV stand because of its simple lines and the espresso finish that will complement the bookshelf and Tera’s recently purchased end table.  The cabinetry below will provide additional closed off storage. The dimensions of this stand work nicely in the corner to the right of the fireplace.  We suggest that Tera place this stand flush with the wall and then angle her TV on the stand slightly toward the sofa for easy viewing.

9.  And speaking of favorite pieces from their single days of yore, Tera’s slipper chair, which she was reluctant to relinquish, can be revived and, frankly, swankified with this new damask slipcover. It’s warm cozy tones bring the same tan and pecan colors from the curtains across the room, and we love the subtle raised velvet damask pattern. But not as much as we love the price on this baby. What a score!

10.  Now, for the element that pulls the whole room together.  This 100% wool rug blends together our color palette of cream, tan, sage and burgundy and adds a lovely pattern to the room.  The rugs Indian origins and patterning complete our global eclectic living room for Tera and her family.

tales of an ugly kitchen: painted cabinets!

Flooring, check.  Appliances, check. Countertops, check. Wall paint, check.  Ahhh, progress!  Next up, cabinetry. In any kitchen remodel, the cabinetry is a key element that really defines the mood and style.  With so many styles and choices out there at varying price points, the selections can be daunting. Should we go for glossy, sleek and modern?  Painted, glazed and old world European? Distressed, rustic, farmstyle? I happen to have an intimate relationship with cabinetry as my dear husband has worked in the architectural millwork industry for years. You could say I have the inside track, but the truth is that while he works in six figure kitchens regularly, we can’t actually afford one.  So, we’ve decided to paint our existing maple cabinets and go for a cool and contemporary vibe to stay true to our mid-century ranch’s inherent style. It was a totally manageable process, and the payoff is huge, so here’s a handy little tutorial on just how to solve your cabinet conundrum on the cheap. Read on!

Step 1:  Sand the cabinetry. Frankly, this step just plain sucks because of the dust and elbow grease involved, but it’s essential if you want the paint to stick, and you do, don’t you? By removing door fronts and drawers to a garage or outdoor area for sanding, this eliminates some of the indoor dust. When Steve emerged from garage after sanding the door fronts he looked like a skinny snowman wearing a baseball cap and goatee. Wish I took a picture to prove it! Plan on a lot of time to wipe everything down after the dust settles. It was a mess.

Step 2:  Primer.  We did one base coat of Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 water based primer. A lot of folks will tell you to use an oil based primer, but I’m not a fan. Too smelly and messy. The guys at Guiry’s told me to go for it with the Zinsser’s primer, and they know their stuff.

Step 3:  Paint.  After a variety of colors from beige, to gray, to even sage green, we decided to go with my perennial favorite “White Dove” from Benjamin Moore. I love how the warm white tones complement the cool, charcoal gray countertops and steely backsplash. One tip on painting cabinets, add some Floetrol paint additive (available at Lowe’s, Home Depot or any paint store) to diminish your roller and brush marks. The paint will have a smoother look, and you’ll feel like a pro.

Step 4:  Enjoy!  We’re almost there!  Next up, knobs and a new light fixture!

tales of a very ugly kitchen: paint

With our big ticket purchases on the books for the kitchen, we put our remaining funds–actually dwindling, is more like it–toward paint. Removing the wallpaper border at the ceiling revealed the original pastel pink (pink!) paint from yesteryear. I’m beginning to think the previous homeowners ate sherbet constantly, or at least were culinarily inspired by shades of sherbet.

After some heckling from my husband (who paints in his underwear, by the way) about which shade of beige I’d choose for this project, I bristled and plunged forth fearfully (and, I’ll admit, spitefully), toward color. I was actually shocked at my own color epiphany, when “orange” rang in my head as an accent wall possibility.  I heard the color gods saying, “Embrace the orange!” So I did a double take, and had to admit, all signs were pointing to orange. The foyer tile that I truly believe once graced the floors of a fine Mexican restaurant had many orange tones. The African mahogany trim that, according to the aforementioned husband who paints in his skivvies, is extremely exotic and hard to paint, also has orange tones.  (On the trim topic, I don’t buy it, and it WILL be painted, someday… but I digress.)  The hard truth is, there’s no escaping the orange in this house. I realized that I can’t afford new foyer flooring and new trim, but I can choose a color that might actually enhance these sad relics.

Once again, I repeated my “this is a cheap kitchen remodel” mantra and started painting samples in shades of orange on the accent wall. I homed in on a terra cotta shade (B.M. Sienna Clay #104), and after two coats on the wall and the initial color shock, it started to grow on me. For the cabinet walls, I chose a beautiful creamy beige (B.M. Alpaca #1074) that soothed the orange and charcoal gray tones and warmed up the white appliances.  More beige? “Okay, okay, ya gotta have a little neutral in the mix to take that orange down a notch,” I defended to my painting partner.  ”Now go put some pants on so I can concentrate on cutting in!”

spray painting frames for a new look

Do you ever get your best ideas in the shower? You’ve got no pen, no access to any method of recording your thought, so you just have to repeat it (for 8 seconds, actually, in order for it to transition into your long-term, short-term memory, or something like that, according to our dad’s best secretary ever). So I got this idea in the shower of how to pull the art in my bedroom together, and I already had everything I needed for this little ditty of a project.

For a wedding gift many years ago, we’d received these black and white prints of the beach in simple, natural wood frames. This pair has graced the living room, family room, and bedroom of various apartments and iterations of our house in Chicago, and is now living in the master bedroom of our Denver house.  Prior to my shower epiphany, I had just framed a painting of pine trees in Keystone for my husband in a black frame, and was loving how it played off our black iron bed frame. But these black and white prints which flanked the bed sides were lost.  So I got out my can of flat black spray paint, leftover from painting the bedside lamps months before, and got shakin’.

When spray painting a frame, there are two possible roads to travel, and the path you follow depends entirely on whether you can remove the glass and print below.  If so, just pop everything out, lay your frame down face up on a drop cloth and spray light coats, allowing a minute or so between coats for drying.

Here’s the natural wood frame before…

and here’s the after shot of the same collection of frames.

 Now, if your frame does not allow you to pop out the glass and print or painting below, here’s how to protect the glass and get the same effect with the spray paint.

Step 1:  Use painter’s tape to edge the four sides of the glass.

Step 2:  Use newspaper or newsprint to cover the glass by attaching the paper with more painter’s tape.  Be sure to adhere to your tape border, not the frame.

Step 3:  Spray away using light, smooth strokes.  It’s better to recoat several times that to spray to heavily.  You’ll avoid drips this way.

Step 4:  After an hour or so, spray painted items can be handled. Remove the tape and paper and discard. Since these were hanging by our bedsides, though, I gave them a few days to off gas before hanging, so we wouldn’t inhale fumes while we slept.

I love how the black frames now tie the art together in the room.

The painting of a pine forest in Keystone that I had framed for Steve set this whole idea in motion.

And our grouping of wedding photos.  Since we’ve been married, we’ve always hung this collection in our bedroom somewhere, but in this room I got the idea to nail the group of eight together in order to hang them tightly.  Ah, we were such youngsters…

So there you go, can’t get much easier than spray paint.  Have you spray painted anything lately for a big or small transformation?  Give it up, stylista!

tales of a very ugly kitchen: countertops and sink

With new floors and new appliances, the kitchen was definitely sprucing up. But as always is the case in happy home ownership land, one project begets the next.  Suddenly, the sparkly new white appliances were highlighting the impossibly stained countertops as well as the old cast iron sink and dreary faucet.  Cha-ching, more on the to-do list.  We scored a brand new Kohler stainless sink on craigslist and then splurged on an awesome contemporary chrome faucet from American Standard.  I love its clean lines and its “get it clean” functionality. 

Okay, so we had more sparkle, but, still…those dingy countertops and backsplash seemed to look worse than ever. They had to go.  Our funds were dwindling, and we knew this was not our forever kitchen, so my ever-clever husband began to research laminate.  To offset the warm, golden tones in the oak floor, we chose a cool charcoal gray color for the countertops. Our big find was a laminate with a brushed steely look that is designed for use vertically in industrial spaces.  It looks amazing as our new backsplash. Shimmer, shimmer.

tales of a very ugly kitchen: new appliances

New appliances were a must.  We went to Sears scratch and dent outlet and found a white Kitchen Aid side-by-side fridge for a fraction of the price of the retail model.  Score!  Then we negotiated a great price on a floor model dishwasher.  Yahoo!  We were eating on dishes we knew were clean! Harder to let go was the Tappan Fabulous 400 oven and cooktop.  It truly was the showstopper in the kitchen with its great retro appearance.  Clearly, it was the height of kitchen fashion when it was installed circa 1960.

But it just could not keep up with the needs of a household with three hungry kids.  Happily it found a home in a funky mid century modern home nearby thanks to craigslist. Since the retro Tappan was electric, we had a handyman, er…licensed plumber, over to run a gas line and installed a standard white five-burner range from an appliance liquidator.   New flooring, new appliances, hey, we’re cookin’ now.

tales of a very ugly kitchen: new floor

For our new plan of inexpensive kitchen renovation attack, we decided to start on the bottom and work our way up.  We priced out linoleum for the floor to maintain the 50’s groove, and because it’s biodegradable, we’d be guilt free when we were ready to upgrade in a future remodel.  But we soon discovered that was going to set us back over $3000, which was what we were hoping to spend on the whole renovation.

On to Plan B!  On a lark, my clever husband asked the floor guys we had used to tear out the carpet and refinish the hardwood floors prior to our move-in to come over for a look-see.  Bingo!  Their quote was half that of the linoleum to lay new oak wood flooring, sand and stain it.  I did not even mind the toothless installer who spent a week working in our kitchen. Hey, he was a nice guy, and we were making progress!  The continuity with the flooring and stain in other rooms improved the visual flow.  Check it out!

{The finish on the new kitchen floor (left) matches the original wood floor in the dining room.}

kid lampshade project

For a super simple and quick project, give your drab lampshade a little oomph by updating it with some austere ribbon or blingy fringe to suit your room’s style.  Here are two super speedy projects I whipped up in less than an hour!

Materials:  Plain lampshade, fabric scissors, fabric glue, ribbon or similar embellishment.

Step 1:  Before applying glue, wind the ribbon around the top and/or bottom of the shade to get your measurements. Add an extra inch to play it safe.

Step 2:  I’ve had better luck applying glue to the ribbon in about 6-8 inch sections versus applying glue directly to the lampshade. To start, find the spot on the lampshade where the original fabric or paper overlaps and begin to attach your ribbon there. Repeat the process for the bottom rim.

Step 3:  Give the glue some time to dry, following the directions, and then reattach to your lamp, and Viola, you’ve got a snazzy new shade. Is that Cheap and Easy or what?! It’s a great way to give your lampshade some new zing. Here are two after shots from my kids’ rooms.

tales of a very ugly kitchen: it's bad

The kitchen in our new old house was so ugly–old appliances, stained coutertops, dingy laminate flooring, faded cabinets all illuminated by a ginormous flourescent ceiling fixture, but we were still smitten, and  our home inspector assured us that everything was in working condition.  “Whew, that’ll save us some cash,” we thought, and give us time to save some dough for what I like to call a big honkin’ kitchen renovation.  So we figured we’d live with the uninspiring culinary digs for a few years before tearing down walls, replacing appliances and updating cabinets and countertops.  Right.

{The vintage Tappan Fabulous 400 and fridge.}

On the big move-in day, the fridge started to emit a mysterious chemical smell and was fit for storing only our celebratory six-pack and the jar of pickles we managed to gingerly trek across town. Only a few days later, we discovered that the one shining star in the kitchen, the amazingly cool, vintage Tappan Fabulous 400 oven/cooktop, made it tricky even to boil water for mac ‘n cheese.  To make matters worse, the floor and sink never seemed to get clean, scrub as we might.  Talk about uninspired.  Would we ever be able to serve anything beyond Triscuits and Cheez-whiz?

So, we hatched a new five year plan called the “get this kitchen in stylish working order on the cheap–pronto!” so that we can save up for the “big honking kitchen renovation” someday down the road.  Stay tuned to see how it all panned out…

my old georgian...a labor of love

Gosh, I love this house, and miss it too.  A labor of love, to be sure, this Georgian beauty was my first experience in home ownership.  It wooed me away from our urban digs in Chicago into a life of simple pleasures in suburbia.  On the day we drove out to look at the house, I said to my husband, “Over my dead body will we be moving to the suburbs.”  By 5:00 that evening, we were cracking open beers and toasting to the contract we had just written up with our realtor on this gem.  

Diamond in the rough is actually more like it, if the rough means covered in juniper bushes.  We ripped them out, did our first landscaping projects, updated the single bathroom, painted, wallpapered, refinished the basement just in time to discover I was pregnant. How do kids know not to show their tiny faces until the work is done?  Is this all part of a grander labor and love connection?  When we were found out twins were on their way less than two years later, we started our big renovation over doubling the size of the house and adding the side porch.  Has an impending birth motivated you to renovate?  Do tell!

cook street: home inspection pics

Home inspection day is almost like the first day of school. The excitement, the nerves, the anticipation for things to come, the new ideas brimming and brewing. And then, like school, reality sets in. What we have is a 3200 square foot to do list. Where do we even begin?

Here are some highlights from our home inspection. I remember the possibilities we discussed that day. The good bones, the big yard, the renovation potential; it all added up to a great home for our family. (The previous owners, the delightful Gus and Lucille, were in the midst of packing up and moving to their retirement community when we took these pictures.) All projects start from here!