Painted Black + White

More Butcher Block Kitchen Island Pictures

2010-12-15T11:58:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more pictures of the island. Still to come...photos of the new pantry. I'm trying to wrap up some of these projects in time for Christmas!

Butcher Block Kitchen Island

2010-12-13T22:14:00.003-05:00

Here it is...we're still not sure if we're going to paint the base or leave it natural. We'll see...

Click here to see pictures of another butcher block island that I worked on...

New Butcher Block Kitchen Island

2010-12-13T14:50:00.000-05:00

I went to IKEA the other day and picked up a new butcher block countertop for the island in our kitchen. I used the existing island base and added some butcher block table legs to expand the size. The exiting top was about 26" x 48" and this new top will expand the size to 39" x 73". We went with the Numerar Butcher Block in birch. Can't beat the price at $195!!! I'll post more pictures of the finished top soon...

New Flooring in Breakfast Room

2010-10-29T16:08:00.000-04:00

I finally was able to rip out the nasty carpet in the breakfast room and get wood floors in there. I bought cheap unfinished pine floors at Lumber Liquidators and finished them myself. They turned out pretty good although luckily you can't see all of the imperfections in this picture. Once I get the kitchen cabinets and pantry done I'm going to rebuild this mantle (and paint it white this time).

Kitchen Progress

2010-07-06T21:24:00.000-04:00

I've made a little progress in the kitchen...don't mind the mess. I was taking pictures just to show my mom and then decided to share! I took them with my phone at night so they're not the best quality but you get the idea.

A BEFORE picture from when we bought the house...

Another BEFORE picture...

Getting Organized

2010-02-25T12:48:00.000-05:00

I was so tired of opening up my two "junk" drawers in the kitchen and having them look like this. Sifting through all of this stuff just to find anything was driving me nuts!!! I'll admit I'm not the best housekeeper but I do like things to be organized. I like to have a place for everything so that, in theory, everything is in its place. In our old house, which was a new house, the cabinet guy had installed drawer dividers in a few of the drawers and I quickly got used to them. In our new house, which is an older house, we have the drawers but nothing to keep them organized. So yesterday, when both kids were home from school on a snow day that ended up being a rain day, I decided to make some dividers for a few of the drawers. I dumped everything out and got to work...

The Result!!!

Early Gardening

2010-02-12T18:35:00.000-05:00

I haven't done too many projects lately but I have started turning my focus to the spring garden...I just ordered a greenhouse as this is getting a little out of hand in my kitchen!

Tarragon

Artichokes

Scallions

Should I get a new mailbox??? Hmmm...maybe not!

2009-12-10T15:57:00.000-05:00

Not 2 weeks ago, I was chatting with a few neighbors about getting a nice "fancy" mailbox. You know, the kind with the nice granite post with the street number engraved in it. Then the first winter snow arrived and the town plow guy knocked our mailbox halfway down the street. I think that might be a sign that I shouldn't waste the money. A little duct tape got it back on though and I think this might be as fancy as it gets for a while!

A fresh coat of paint...

2009-12-04T17:01:00.000-05:00

My primary mission upon moving into this house was to get some color on the walls. Most of the walls on the first floor were white and, although I didn't change them too much, a fresh coat of a warm camel color has made a huge difference. Upstairs the kids had bigger changes in mind! My son wanted his favorite color, orange, and my daughter wanted purple. The orange that I used is Benjamin Moore "Audobon Russet" and the purple is Benjamin Moore "Sea Life". I love both colors and the way they make the wide trim pop! I used the Benjamin Moore Aura paint in the matte finish in both of these rooms. It goes on easily and has a nice buttery finish. I can't say that it is worth paying double the price of the Behr Ultra though!

I haven't taken pictures with the furniture in place yet because their rooms are usually too messy! Maybe someday (when they go off to college) I'll post those pix!

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

UPDATE - Spray Painted Chandelier and Sconces

2009-11-21T10:09:00.003-05:00

I found some linen shades in a soft white at Christmas Tree Shops for $1.00 a piece!!! I'm thrilled with the difference it makes...I can definitely live with these fixtures for a few more years now. Click here to see the original post on this project.

I've been thinking about how I want to use the room since we only dine in here when we have guests and I hate having unused rooms. I'm thinking I might turn it into a multi-purpose dining room/library/craft room/chat-on-the-phone room, etc. Right now I have 6 Parsons chairs (3 on each side) and I'd like to find a pair of stylish wing-back chairs to put one on each end. I keep seeing this one from Lee Industries in design magazines and it's growing on me. I'm sure it's not in my budget (seeing as I don't really have ANY budget to work with) so I'm probably going to be shopping in Homegoods for something similar.

I also want to put built-in's along the back wall with base cabinets and book shelves above so I can finally have a place to store books along with a lot on antique pieces from our families that are still in boxes.

UPDATE - Recessed Panel Beadboard Wainscoting - Kitchen Island / Breakfast Bar

2009-11-21T08:35:00.002-05:00

Over the summer I put beadboard wainscoting on my friend, Sheila's kitchen island (click here to see the original post). Here is a photo of the finished doors with the bead board inserts and hardware. I'm still waiting for her to do the rest of her kitchen though... :)

This should give you an idea of what the cabinets looked like before...

Painted Black Mantel

2009-11-17T17:19:00.002-05:00

I don't love the mantel on our fireplace but it's not on the top of my list of things to spend money on right now so it's going to have to stay for a while. I thought that if I painted it black though, that it might make it pop a little more. I already had the paint so it didn't really cost me anything and since I have plenty of the white paint too it won't cost me anything to change it back! :) I can't say that I love the transition but I don't hate it. Not sure what I'm going to do about this one yet... Click here to see the matching railings in the foyer!

BEFORE

AFTER:

Powder Room Updates

2009-11-13T10:45:00.002-05:00

I've done a little more decorating in the powder room these past few weeks. I found a colonial shutter on the clearance rack at Lowe's for 90% off. It cost me $4.21 before tax! I think I spent more on the spray paint! The original shutter was a maple finish but it was the exact size that I needed and I couldn't beat the price! Even if I found one in white it wouldn't have matched the linen white trim that I have so I would've had to paint it anyway. I didn't really plan on distressing the finish but I bought cheap spray paint and I really didn't follow the directions either so it ran all over the place and bubbled up a bit. So I sanded it down (which is what I was supposed to do BEFORE I painted it) and I ended up really loving the distressed look! Ironically, I do know that your supposed to prepare the surface and have just the right temperature and humidity, blah, blah, blah, but if I waited for the stars to align every time I wanted to do a project I'd never get anything done! Luckily, I made it work!

The new Kohler Devonshire towel ring and toilet paper holder.

Sad to say, I never thought I'd be so happy to get a toilet paper holder! The old one was broken so I was trying to keep a few rolls on top of the tank. The kids must have been playing soccer with the toilet paper roll every time they were in there because it was always on the floor covered in dog hair and everything else that hadn't been vacuumed up in the past week (or so). Now, there's a nice clean roll every time...assuming someone has replaced the empty roll!

More Master Bath Updates...

2009-11-10T15:35:00.003-05:00

I painted our bathroom yesterday. I used the Behr Ultra again in "Mountain Elk". (click here to see what I think of Behr Ultra) The pictures don't really do it justice...the color is a nice soft, chocolatey brown. The kids keep saying it looks green but I think I just need to get their vision tested. It's definitely brown! As soon as I rolled the color onto the walls I could see having a gorgeous brown granite countertop and travertine flooring in here (cha-ching!). For now though, I think the only other updates I'm going to add in here are some window treatments (I think the neighbors might be seeing more of us than I'd like!) and a new light fixture.

BEFORE:

Bathroom Updates - Progress Photos

2009-11-01T10:04:00.001-05:00

Here a few of the updates we've made so far in the the kid's bathroom and our mather bath.

The Kid's Bathroom: DURING

BEFORE

We installed new faucets and cabinet hardware and swapped out the plain mirrors for decorative mirrors that we already had. The finishes are exactly the same in both bathrooms so I'm debating on whether or not I should just paint them the same color. Ideally, I'd like to give them each a different look but from a budget standpoint one gallon will probably cover both rooms. I guess I'll have to see. I did put different finishes in each room though. I have the ORB throught the house, which I love, but I did want one room with the nichel finish. I really wanted to do a polished nickel but, for whatever reason, it is SO much more expensive than satin nickel. I got the faucets for about $40 each on Ebay and the hardware was, on average, about $4 per piece.

The Master Bathroom: DURING

BEFORE

Eventually I'd like to do a nice travertine floor in the kid's bathroom and replace the vanity with something a little more decorative with a stone top but these are fine for now. I think once I get the rooms painted with new light fixtures and toilet accessories it will really freshen it up!

Spray Painted Dining Room Chandelier and Sconces

2009-10-16T15:35:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: click here to see updates on this project!

I've been wanting to do this since the day we bought the house! Ideally, I would love to buy a new chandelier and sconces for the dining room but my focus this year is to buy the things that we don't have (i.e. window treatments, cabinet hardware, etc.) and then start replacing the things that we have but don't like.

Believe it or not I had this whole project done in a day! Right after I got my daughter on the bus, I turned off the breaker and uninstalled all 3 fixtures. I had the sconces painted before I took my son to preschool an hour later. Once I got back I set up 2 folding chairs outside and covered them with an old sheet. I hung the chandelier on an old wooden pole and rested it over the chairs (see photos below). I used Rustoleum Universal Metallic Spray Paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze and it was fabulous!!! I wish it wasn't a metallic finish but to be honest I didn't spend much time running around to different stores to see what was out there. The finish looks great and although I got a few drips (user error...impatience really!) they're hardly noticable. I reinstalled the fixtures later that afternoon. This was my first experience with installing fixtures and it is so ridiculously easy!

I hung a Kitras Art Glass Witch's Ball from the bottom although I'm not sure if I'm in love with that there. I still need to find shades for them but I haven't painted the room yet so I think I might wait until I do.

The original "builder's special" chandelier!!!

In progress...

Landscaping Projects - Progress Photos

2009-09-23T08:37:00.001-04:00

Here are a few projects I've been working on outside...

The previous owners had put down some bluestone/slate around the edge of the grass (for whatever reason) and they were almost completely covered over with grass clippings, etc. When I dug them up I found that they were so much bigger than I thought. I figured I had enough to put a little patio near the edge of the driveway. Eventually I want to put a few Adirondack chairs there so we can sit and watch the kids play on the driveway or on the playset (a Craigslist find!). I still need to cut the sod out so I can lay the pavers on a good base but for now it's at least in place. I've been moving some plants around and dividing them up. Hopefully I can add some more next year.

Here is the bed I'm creating in front. The previous owners had planted some shrubs (most of which I've moved already) but they never put them in a bed with mulch. I carved out a bed last week and have been adding some plants from around the yard (most of which I brought from the old house). I've been getting the free mulch from the town since I have so much area to cover and I'm not ready to have 20 yards of mulch sitting in my driveway. I can get just enough each week to cover the area that I'm working on. I've been using the white newspaper that we wrapped all of our stuff in for the move to lay under the mulch and hopefully choke out some of the weeds. Once I get all of the beds done I want to get some bark mulch or stone to cover it all but for now this gets the job done and doesn't look too bad.

Powder Room Remodel - Phase 1

2009-09-07T15:07:00.004-04:00

I finally got the first phase of my bathroom remodel done. I painted the walls and ceiling in the Behr color "Rhino". I used the Behr Ultra this time hoping that it would be similar to the Benjamin Moore Aura paint that I used in the bedrooms but for half the price. It did work well but was a little drippy. It covered a little better than the regular Behr paint but still needed a second coat to get full coverage so I'm not sure if it's worth the extra money from that standpoint. It is supposed to be low VOC but still smelled more than the Aura paint did though not nearly as bad as the original Behr paint. We also installed a new faucet in an oil rubbed bronze finish (Price Pfister "Marielle" in Tuscan Bronze) and hung a mirror that we had from our old house.

The next phase(s) includes adding a new towel ring and toilet paper holder, new lighting, window treatments, accessories and flooring. We'll also add crown moulding, which should make the color on the ceiling really pop. Eventually I'd like to change the vanity too but for now this one will have to stay.

Painted Black Coat Rack

2009-09-01T13:40:00.002-04:00

When we moved in there was an existing wood coat rack running along the already too narrow hallway back to the garage. I have to say though we found it very useful so I didn't really want to get rid of it and it's not in my budget to replace it right now.

BEFORE

I took the existing coat rack and chopped it in half. I painted it with the same black paint that I used on the handrails in the foyer (Behr: "Stealth Jet"). I mounted one over the other back towards the corner so it is out of the way and tucked behind the door to the garage. As you can see I also started Phase 1 of my kitchen renovation. I couldn't wait to get rid of those yellow walls!!! I had some leftover paint (Ben Moore: "Navajo White") that I decided to use as a quick cover up until I finished the cabinets this winter. I have to say though the warm white color is kind of growing on me and I may keep it.

AFTER:

I also finally got around to making a frame for the "Jackson Pollock" -style drip painting that the kids made last summer. I got 4 pieces of premium grade pine (no knots), cut them to size and strapped them together at each of the corners with 3" metal straps. My husband thought I put the frame on backwards but I did intend to have the metal strapping on the front. I'm happy with it but I guess its a personal preference!

Painted Black Railings

2009-08-20T18:50:00.009-04:00

My MIL painted the handrails in her house black and I loved it. When we bought this house last Spring I knew I wanted to do the same thing. Eventually I want to put wood treads on the stairs and replace the laminate floors with real wood.

The original oak handrail and painted white balusters. Ugh!!!

A solution for displaying the kids artwork

2009-08-20T18:10:00.013-04:00

I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of the stacks of "artwork" that my kids bring home from school everyday. It's not that I don't love and appreciate all of the effort they put into them (which is why I take a picture of everything before it makes its way to the landfill) but I really would rather not wallpaper my entire house with macaroni and glitter set in a bed of Elmer's glue.

So I bought a roll of canvas at a craft store and with the 50% off coupon it came to $30. I made a few frames to fit the wall space where I wanted to hang them and stretched the canvas around them. I have so much latex paint from various projects around the house that we can probably do about 10 more of these and still repaint the house!

All of the paintings are done in "layers" otherwise you end up with a big brown canvas. Another benefit is that it gives you several days worth of art projects and they're all original!

The kids get to experiment with a bunch of different tools to paint with. The circles on the painting above were done using the card tray from the game "Memory".

A lesson learned on the painting below was to always have another small piece of canvas ready so that if you like the way the painting is but they're not done painting you can swap them out. I loved the yellow brush strokes that my son did on this but then he started to smear them. He threw a fit when I pulled him away so ever since then I've made sure to have an extra canvas for them to paint whatever they want (and his is usually all brown!)

This one was done on wood. I bought several "project" boards at a home improvement store. My daughter painted them and then I strapped them together on the backside before she painted the red across the front.

Just a sidenote for all of you who are horrified at the thought of throwing out your kids art projects...my rule of thumb is to only save the really special and unique pieces. My favorites are the ones with their little handprints!

Bead Board Wainscoting - Kitchen Island / Breakfast Bar

2009-07-05T20:41:00.015-04:00

This is a project that I did for my good friend Sheila. She hated her 1980's oak kitchen and butcherblock island and wanted an inexpensive facelift. So her kitchen became my "test kitchen" to prepare me for our upcoming kitchen reno in our new house. I put beadboard on 3 sides with a 1/4" x 4" trim around the edges. I forgot to take a before picture but you can see the cabinets in the background...they're pretty standard Kraftmaid oak cabinets circa 1989!

Since the doors have a thin recessed panel, I told her I thought it would look good to put the bead board on the doors as well. She went to Home Depot and had them cut the pieces to fit the doors. She then used Liquid Nail to secure it to the door and caulked the edges to give it a finished look. She's never done anything like this before and I think even she would agree that it's SO easy. The beadboard makes the doors feel really solid now and they look so amazing that she's decided to tackle her whole kitchen! I'll post pictures when she completes the project. (UPDATE: click here to see the finished doors in place)

White Subway Tile Backsplash

2009-06-15T20:02:00.005-04:00

The subway tile used for this backsplash was actually a 2" x 6" bullnose trim piece instead of the standard 3" x 6" subway tile.

Horizontal Striped Walls * Kid's Room

2009-06-15T19:43:00.007-04:00

I painted this room for my daughter in our last house. In the house before that (yes, we've moved a few times!) I painted the same style but with more of a dark purple ceiling and two-toned buttery yellow stripes on the walls.

This room would be suitable for any child's bedroom or playroom. Paint the ceiling first then paint the walls in the lighter color being used for the stripes. Once the paint has dried, take a measurement from the ceiling down to the top of the baseboard. Divide that number by the desired number of stripes to calculate the width of the stripes. For example, if the dimension from the ceiling down to the top of the baseboard is 92" and you want 4 stripes, each stripe will be 23" high. Use a 4' level and a pencil to mark lines 23"/46"/69" above the baseboard. Apply blue painter's tape along the lines outside the areas to be painted in the darker color. Paint the darker stripes and immediately remove the blue painter's tape before the paint dries.

Camouflage Wall Mural

2009-06-15T19:35:00.007-04:00

This is a camouflage mural that I did on the wall in my son's last bedroom. I drew the pattern freehand and outlined it with an artist's brush. The four colors that I used were on the same color card with the lightest one used to paint the other three walls. I filled in the pattern using several different sized brushes. It's kind of a pain and it takes FOREVER but it looked pretty cool!

Painted Black + White

More Butcher Block Kitchen Island Pictures

Butcher Block Kitchen Island

New Butcher Block Kitchen Island

New Flooring in Breakfast Room

Kitchen Progress

Getting Organized

Early Gardening

Should I get a new mailbox??? Hmmm...maybe not!

A fresh coat of paint...

*UPDATE* - Spray Painted Chandelier and Sconces

*UPDATE* - Recessed Panel Beadboard Wainscoting - Kitchen Island / Breakfast Bar

Painted Black Mantel

Powder Room Updates

More Master Bath Updates...

Bathroom Updates - Progress Photos

Spray Painted Dining Room Chandelier and Sconces

Landscaping Projects - Progress Photos

Powder Room Remodel - Phase 1

Painted Black Coat Rack

Painted Black Railings

A solution for displaying the kids artwork

Bead Board Wainscoting - Kitchen Island / Breakfast Bar

White Subway Tile Backsplash

Horizontal Striped Walls * Kid's Room

Camouflage Wall Mural

UPDATE - Spray Painted Chandelier and Sconces

UPDATE - Recessed Panel Beadboard Wainscoting - Kitchen Island / Breakfast Bar