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.