Another MCM dresser makeover!

This is not a dresser…this is a chest of drawers. I think there is often confusion, and I am the world’s worst at referring to a chest of drawers as a dresser.

There is a difference!

But seriously who cares…lol!

Regardless of what you call it, it was A MESS! But oh the potential.

My very first love…MCM pieces. It would take a month of Sundays to link to all the MCM pieces I have refinished…just search MCM or mid century on this site. Truth be told I would have kept every one of them if I didn’t have a fear of being featured on Hoarders. So I find pieces I love, give them a good little makeover and am sincerely happy when someone else gives them a good home.

In spite of all it’s flaws, I loved this piece. It had the normal wear and tear, a seriously cruddy finish, a chipped wood handle (aren’t those wood handles AMAZING!!!!) and what I THOUGHT was some stains around the hardware on the top drawer…turns out it is a beautiful wood inlay. But you couldn’t really tell because the finish was so icky. (The missing knob was in the drawer…yipeee!)

Let’s be honest, we will all have a pretty worn finish after 60 years on this earth!

My first thought was to paint the wood handles an accent color so I could repair the chip. My daughter suggested I just strip them first. So glad I listened to her. I used this process to strip the drawer fronts, handles and legs…the old stain came off the wood handles and revealed a beautiful white wood (oak, teak? Couldn’t tell)….LOVE!!! I sanded the chip down…and you know what, I can live with it….it is obvious it isn’t the way it is suppose to be but HEY…this is a vintage piece and vintage pieces are going to have a few boo-boos!

The drawer fronts and base were stripped and oiled, the cabinet was given a KSTP treatment (Kilz, sand, tack and painted with white high gloss enamel)

(After I took the pictures, I saw the VERY fine over spray on the top drawer…curses…a little mineral spirits cleaned it right off!)

Personally, I love the high contrast of the wood handles and walnut veneer. The Lane Acclaim tables I collect have the same stark contrasting wood detailing when I refinish them…LOVE!

Often vintage pieces would have been stained and finished so all the differing woods and the entire piece had a “uniform” look and the grain detail was toned down a bit. I say LET IT SHINE BABY!!! If you are a “purist” and want vintage pieces to reflect their original state, you probably don’t want to use the processes I use to refinish pieces!

I am all for exposing the grain and the natural color of the wood.

And I am all for bringing the old pieces back to life!

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MORE makeovers...

Surprisingly I have MORE makeovers to share. The weather has been fairly cold and dreary but we have had enough warm days here and there to get a little work done. I get kind of lazy during the winter months…when it is cold and dreary I like to curl up and read. When it is warmer, I NEED to be out working…either at the apartments or on projects.

This first dresser makeover is something you could pretty much do inside on a cold day.

The only thing I had to take it outside to do was distress and seal. But honestly you could do both inside.

I use latex paint for my chalk paint recipe (5 tbs. of Plaster of Paris, 3 tbs. of water, mixed well, then add 2 cups of flat latex paint) and that can used inside.

To do a “wet sand” you would use a sponge with a scrubby on one side…something like this…

After the second coat of chalk paint, before it has thoroughly dried, you would take your sponge, wet it (DAMP NOT DRIPPING!) and start “scrubbing” the areas you want to distress…kind of like dry sand distressing. Keep a bucket of water on hand to rinse the sponge periodically. Doing it like that cuts down on the “dust” created when you dry sand, so you can do it inside.

Then I just seal the entire piece by brushing on a polycrylic (or wax if that is your preference.)

Rather than spend the money on all new hardware, I painted the existing hardware. I use a spray primer and spray paint so that needs to be done outside…but truthfully, you could live with the existing hardware until warmer weather…or just replace it.

But all in all, you COULD do this entire project inside…and it is well worth the time when you consider how much better it looks!

This next piece pretty much had to be done outside on warmer days…I wanted a high gloss lacquer finish on the cabinet and that entails spraying. And I wanted to strip the old finish on the drawer fronts and that definitely has to be done outside.!

I removed and labeled each drawer…that is a MUST because the drawers need to go back into their original position…just mark the underside with a pencil.

I removed the old finish on the drawer fronts using THIS process! I know I refer back to this tutorial a lot, but it is the BEST way to remove old finish or paint…it works and on projects like this, it probably only took me about 30 minutes to remove the old finish on these drawer fronts. Once the old finish was removed, I applied three coats of tung oil finish, rubbing with 0000 steel wool and tack cloth between each coat.

I sprayed the “cabinet” with Kilz, sanded and wiped with tack cloth, and then sprayed 3 LIGHT coats of white lacquer (KTSP).

As you can see from the “before” picture, it did not have legs…but it would have originally and there was even places on the underside to screw in the legs. I ordered new legs HERE and stained them to match the oiled drawer fronts.

Each is completely different and each required a different technique…but both were relatively simple and make a huge impact.

AGAIN, I am sharing how easy it is to do this because AGAIN…

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO LIVE WITH UGLY FURNITURE!

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Just ANOTHER makeover!!!

A few weeks ago I promised to share some of these makeovers….

I shared the details of this one….

…here….

It sold in a couple of days!

This chest was a mess…

It is solid wood and pretty sturdy. A few of the drawer tracks needed some minor repairs but all in all it was a decent piece…just super ick.

Again, I have to have my “wood fix.” Since the drawer fronts were solid wood, I decided to use gel stain on them.

First I removed all the old hardware and gave the entire piece a good cleaning with a mild detergent.

There is no need to remove the old finish when using gel stain…maybe a light sanding to remove any boogers and dull the shine on the existing finish.

I ONLY use General Finishes brand gel stain. I applied three LIGHT coats with an athletic sock over a rubber glove, allowing each coat to dry overnight. The first coat will look like crud, the second will look a tad better, the third coat looks awesome. I sprayed on polycrylic to seal them. General Finishes has a wipe-on poly and it is pretty awesome…but I had polycrylic on hand so that is what I used.

I sprayed the “cabinet” with Kilz, sand, tack and latex paint (KSTP). I ALWAYS use an additive with paints I am going to roll and brush…Flotroel for latex.

New hardware…and PRESTO….

Another piece saved from the clutches of ugly and dated!
I share these makeovers to remind you….IT’S NOT HARD to take dated, ugly furniture and turn it into something you will be proud to have in your home.

Life is too short to live with ugly furniture!

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Pretty in Pink...

If you “came of age” in the 80’s chances are you saw a John Hughes film. If you haven’t, you are missing out! “Pretty in Pink” was one of my favorites! Check them out…you won’t be disappointed and I can’t think of one that isn’t “kid friendly.”

Which brings me to pink…a color I have always loved but have never really used in my home decor. I must have gotten a “pink bug” because all of a sudden I can’t seem to get enough of it….and since next week is Valentine’s Day, this is a great time to infuse a little pink into my home decor under the guise of “decorating for the holiday.”

I found this little bench in 410 Vintage…the tag said it is walnut but I really think it is mahogany. I used this process to refinish the frame and recovered the seat with the same pink velvet I used for the club chair pillow (makeover here).

Several years ago I refinished a little piano bench to set by the closet so I would have a place to sit and put my shoes on.

In one of my “purging” marathons I moved it out but in all honesty I kinda missed it…so this little bench is a perfect little replacement!

I love my office…a simple room that is really multi purpose…a “thoroughfare” from the living spaces to the master bedroom, a “dressing room,” and of course, an office.

I featured the desk here.

I have seen a few desks over the years that peaked my interest but I still love this desk…it is perfect! Prime example of “buy what you TRULY LOVE and you will never tire of it!”

My office chair looks a lot like a Marcel Gascoin C-chair….I can’t find a picture of this exact chair so I don’t know for certain! Again, I don’t buy pieces like this for their potential value…but because I LOVE them.

I bought it years ago and share it’s little makeover here. Again, still love it!

I have replaced the dresser several times over the years but I LOVE this one! Shared the makeover here and while I loved the dresser that was here before, this one is MORE better!

The little bookcase…just adorbs!

I digress…off to the living room … I found the cutest pink pillows…

…and a yummy smelling pink candle!

The little white pillow was kind of plain so I decided to add some cute pink pom-poms I made out of “furry” yarn. I just tacked them on so they can easily be taken off when I tire of the pink.

The pink pillows will go well with the little bit of Easter decorating I do!

While digging around TJMaxx for pink pillows and candles I found a few other things I thought would be fun for the holiday….cute hedgehog mugs and fun little Valentine’s hand towels!

You don’t have to (or need to) spend a lot of money dressing your home for Valentine’s Day…but it is fun to infuse a little fun and color into an otherwise “drab” time of year!

Funny…I was wearing my pink tennis shoes and a pink vest when I was buying all this pink stuff…the check out lady remarked that I sure must like my pink…lol!

Turns out, I really do! It is so dreary and “wintery” outside and the pink just seems to brighten things up a bit!

I have some leftover pink velvet from the bench makeover…just enough for a few more pink pillows! Now if I can just being myself to sew them…eck!

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Another antique chest makeover...

I promised last week to share all the dresser and chest of drawer makeovers I have been working on. This time of the year it is tough to get a lot of work done over several days because of the temperatures…fortunately this dresser was one I could work on inside.

Takes a little “strategizing” to figure out what I need to do outside on warm days and what can be done inside on cold days.

I knew I was going to paint the cabinet so I managed to get it (and a few others) Kilzed on a warm day. I try to avoid using Kilz inside because it is SUPER stinky…and I like to use the spray kilz on smaller pieces and that can’t be done inside. Sanding and wiping with tack cloth can be done when it is a tad colder so no biggy. I had to strip the drawers and top outside, but that can be done in the cold as well. I was able to bring everything inside to oil the drawers and top and paint the cabinet!

Again, this one didn’t need any major repairs…the only real boo-boo was one missing handle. This hardware was one of the most unique I had ever seen….not only the style but the fact that it was installed “vertically” vs. “horizontally.” Different…I like…so I was determined to use as much of the original hardware as I could.

I removed all the hardware. First I primed them with “metal primer” then I sprayed them with black lacquer.

Since one of the handles was missing and I knew there was NO way I was going to find a replacement, I decided to remove the handles on the top two drawers and replace them with knobs.

That meant the holes in the top drawers had to be puttied…and there is no good way to “disguise” putty holes without painting…but the wood on these drawer fronts was so pretty I really didn’t want to paint them!

The drawer on the right has been stripped…the drawer on the left has not. I just love how “clear and clean” the wood looks after removing the old finish (I used THIS process! Super easy!)

I decided the best way to disguise the puttied holes was to paint a stripe down the drawer fronts. I did this BEFORE applying the tung oil finish.

The stripe needed to be pristine…absolutely NO bleed through…and we all know how tough that is! I read a few tutorials on preventing that…some suggested using modge-podge…one suggested using caulk. I went with the caulk suggestion and it worked like a charm.

I used blue painter’s tape to tape off my stripes, then I ran clear LATEX (NOT silicone) caulk along the edges of the tape….

Then I used my finger to “mash” the caulk along the edge of the tape and wipe off any excess. WORKED LIKE A CHARM! Zero bleed through! I used clear caulk so any caulk that bleed through didn’t show!

I painted the stripes and cabinet. I used a grey latex I had on hand. I added Floetrol…ALWAYS add a paint additive…Penetrol for oil based paints, Floetrol for latex. I use a 4”foam roller and a high quality brush to minimize brush strokes and roller marks. And again, always apply 2-3 LIGHT coats to avoid drips and runs. I oiled the drawer fronts and top with 3 coats of tung oil finish (sand and tack between coats), drilled new holes for the knobs and reattached all the hardware and PRESTO!

Cute as a bug’s ear and super simple!

I just love bringing these pieces back to life!!!!

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Antique dresser makeover....

It’s no secret that this antique dresser is really not “my style.” But I knew it could be beautiful with just a little work…

Okay, so it needed A LOT of work!

One of the first things I do when I buy an old piece like this is really examine it and figure out what, if anything, needs repairs and what is “salvageable.”

It would have been super easy to just slather the whole thing in paint, but I love the combination of paint and wood tones…and if I can salvage any of the wood by refinishing rather painting, I’m going to.

The drawers were in excellent condition…they were intact and they did not “stick.” The only real issue was the missing veneer on the front of the cabinet….a little wood filler and sanding fixed it right up.

The top was in relatively good condition…it did have a few “blemishes.” I have “fixed” blemishes using oxalic acid and it works wonders on solid wood surfaces. But this top is a wood veneer and I haven’t had as much luck on veneers…so I just “embraced” the blemishes and let it be what it is…an old piece with a history.

The drawer fronts were in mint condition…just super yucky. The top and drawer fronts were easily stripped using the 1/2 acetone and 1/2 lacquer thinner mixture. I scrubbed them with #2 steel wool and the mixture, wiping with old rags from time to time. After all the old finish was removed, I “washed” them with mineral spirits and applied three coats of tung oil finish, rubbing with 0000 steel wool and tack cloth between each coat. No stain, just a clear finish!

Rather than refinish the “cabinet” I chalk painted it with homemade chalk paint. My recipe for chalk paint is 5 tablespoons of Plaster of Paris and 3 tablespoons of water, mixed well. Then I add 2 cups of flat paint. I painted two coats and distressed, then sealed it with polyurethane. Again, I do not wax over chalk paint…I just don’t think it is a durable finish.

I was SUPER pumped that ALL the original hardware was there…even the top drawer knobs. They had been replaced but the original knobs were in the drawers…major score! They are just so unique and authentic!

Often the stain is mixed into whatever finish is applied. They did this to make the piece look “uniform.” When you strip the original finish, there is a good chance you are going to strip the original stain color…you WILL see the wood grain and there is a good chance the “color” of the piece will be different. For example, the drawer fronts on this piece were a different tone than the top when all the old finish was stripped away…personally I LOVE this look! But if you want that “uniform” look you need to be prepared to stain the piece…and since different woods stain differently, I would suggest using a gel stain application…that is the only way to ensure a “uniform” look. Or in this case, you could paint the top and only leave the drawers original. To each his own!

This is just one of many I shared on Instagram…and there are even more that aren’t pictured here. Over the next few weeks I will share how each dresser’s makeover!

Each one required a different process to bring it back to life!

Stay tuned!

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Building a cat shelter and a new dresser....

I don’t normally share “life hacks” but I just have to share this Kitty shelter. I hope the video tutorial stays up but just in case it doesn’t….basically you take a large storage tub, put a styrofoam cooler inside it…cut a little opening in the tub and cooler…”insulate” around the cooler with blankets (or insulation if you have it) and put a warm blanket in the cooler.

If you have followed along you know I am somewhat of a “cat person.” I have two indoor cats, Litty and Mr. Jinx, one indoor/outdoor cat, Ms. Kitty and then there is Finley. I truly believe Finley is autistic. He isn’t “mentally challenged” he just has “severe social anxiety.” He is terrified of everyone but me and now he will barely come to me. Occasionally I can entice him with food and get him close enough to snatch him up, but he pretty much avoids ALL human contact.

I have had him for 8 years. Before Cleo, he would come in the house but only appear after I was snuggled in bed…then he would get in bed with me. But when Cleo started sleeping with us, he went outside and will not come in the house. Last year when we had a week long deep freeze, I managed to grab him one day only because he was dang near frozen. I brought him in the house to warm him up but he was obviously terrified and spent the entire time hiding…as soon as he could bolt outside he was gone…and there he remains to this day.

Needless to say I worry about him constantly. I have no doubt he has found a cozy spot under the storage building to avoid the elements but I still worry.

When I saw this kitty shelter I immediately bought the stuff to make one for him.

It took a few day, but he eventually moved in and seems quite content in his new warm bed! I placed it in a spot I believe is sheltered from the cold wind and next to the dryer vent so the warm air can blow on it.

I insulated mine with actual insulation because that’s what I had on hand. I put my snuggie in for his bedding…I don’t wash it so it will retain it’s “smell.”

IF you can entice your kitty to come in the house when it is super cold, that is always best. If not, this is a perfect “hack” for an outdoor kitty or stray kitties.

MORE DRESSER MAKEOVERS….

I spent most of last week working on a few dressers. I have finished those up but now I have another batch to start on. It is super tough to find good days to paint outside during the winter months. Dang, I need a heated shop!

This was a teaser I posted on Instagram…

They all turned out super cute but each got a different treatment. So over the next few weeks I will share each one and explain what I had to do to each to bring them back to life!

In the meantime I want to share one that has been lurking in my garage since summer.

When I bought it, it was a nasty mess….

Someone had “stained” it and changed out the hardware. Eck! I think I remember that it had a few wonky drawers. No biggy but AGAIN, make sure you make any repairs BEFORE you make it pretty!

I removed all the hardware and gave it the old KSTP treatment (Kilz, sand, tack, paint)

New hardware….

Again, I’m stuck on white…blah. This weekend we took four dressers into 410 Vintage and ALL of them were white! B.O.R.I.N.G.

I have vowed to use a little color on the dressers I am working on right now!

Stay tuned!

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Styling a master bedroom....

It is no secret I have struggled to “restyle” my master bedroom for years. Truth is, it’s not that I struggled to “restyle” it…I struggled to give it any style at all!.

If you follow the links you can see the transformation over the years!

It started with my grotesquely expensive, heavy, dark and somewhat dated bedroom furniture I bought in 2001!

I don’t know why it took me so long to FINALLY paint it, but when I did it made a huge difference!

The next big change was the flooring…we finally installed hand scraped laminate flooring in both the bedroom and adjoining office.

I love this flooring but after living with it for a few years I will make one observation…avoid dark flooring if at all possible. It is beautiful but shows EVERYTHING…not a good thing if you have a big yellow dog who sheds…or kids with dirty feet! But this was the last room with carpet and I can not tell you how happy I am to have NO carpet in this house!

Next up, changing out the chairs.

LOVE them! But they were a bit on the “grey” side and the walls were more on the “cream” side…so….

Paint…finally got around to doing that.

At one point I even changed out the bed frame….

It had a “distressed” treatment and if you know me that is NOT my thing…but I kinda liked the look for a time.

All of the color choices stemmed from the one color inspiration I found on Pinterest….

It originated on designseeds.com. This site is a source of endless inspiration and in my opinion it is one of the first sites you should visit when designing a room. If you have an element you HAVE to decorate around it will help you find colors that will enhance and even mask it....like that ugly brown couch or the wing back chair your mom gave you.

You can see as I moved forward with each new element, I managed to work in these colors…on the walls, rugs, pillows, chairs, etc.

Eventually we transitioned to a king size mattress…so the queen bed frame no longer worked. I searched high and low for one I would love and finally settled on a simple frame.

I have said time and again…go “neutral” with the big ticket items. Use pillows, throws, rugs, art, and accent furniture to make your “design statement.”

On one of my Pinterest email feeds there was a link to the “Top 10 Fixer Upper Bedrooms.” The bedrooms featured are all “Fixer Upper” bedrooms. I love to look at sites like this because they give me inspiration.

This bed is very similar to mine yet the whole room looks SO much more cozy and inviting.

So why doesn’t my space look as cozy and inviting as this space?

I bet you look at blogs and Pinterest and see all the amazingly styled and perfect spaces…bedrooms, mud rooms, laundry rooms, kitchens…and you just know yours could never be as glam because, well, you live in your house…and so do your kids and animals and spouse…and there is NO WAY you could keep your space looking as dreamy and beautiful.

All the beds on Pinterest and on the blogs are beautifully staged and styled with the pillows, throws and blankets. Like no one every sleeps on it…no baby pees on it…no dog sheds on it…

I GET IT!!!

My room isn’t staged for photos…it is “real life.”

I have a real mental block when it comes to wall decor in my room. Seriously…if you followed the links and looked at the dates you may notice I have been trying to style this room for almost 5 years. To date, I have hung one round mirror…

a canvas…

and two other mirrors….

I absolutely LOVE the 4 prints above the bed in the inspiration photo.

It has only taken me 18 years to find 3 square matted frames I like.

I did not like the artwork in the frames but I love the frames and the “3-D” matting. My original plan was to replace the prints with something “light and airy.” Maybe botanicals or black and whites. But I decided to pick out a few photos from our trips to Colorado…photos that have meaning….places we love!

If you have been around long enough you know I make my bed every day. I firmly believe that making your bed sets a positive tone for the rest of your day (and there is the whole “I might die and people will think I am a bum if my bed is unmade!” thing.) Since I might not be inclined to make my bed every day if it takes more than 60 seconds, I keep my bedding super simple…no froo-froo! Sheet, comforter, top quilt, throw for the animals (who never sleep on it) The dogs and cats sleep on the bed and pillows and yes, they all shed. So I need bleachable and washable bedding. I sleep with 4 pillows so there really is no time or room for fancy designer pillows and shams.

I brought my throw pillows down from the guest room and “staged” the bed…it looks AWESOME…but again, not happening…just too much froo-froo!

I really thought the guest room throw pillows would be the wrong color…but I like them and it has convinced me that I may have too much of the “frosted berry” in the room. I was going for a “pop” of color, but honestly, I think there is too much “pop.”

I really need new lamps…mine are Hobby Lobby lamps from 18 years ago that got a little paint treatment years ago. I couldn’t find lamps I love but I did find lamp shades I like better…unfortunately they aren’t “tall” enough…back they go!

I think big area rugs under the bed make a huge statement…I don’t have that. I went with two scatter rugs on each side of the bed. I did that primarily because this room has two distinct areas…the sitting space and the bed space. I threw down the rug Brian had in his living room and it works pretty well in the “sitting” space. I think maybe if I want to “cozy” up the entire space and make if feel a tad more cohesive I could use two identical rugs in the spaces. But again, serious mental block on what to use so I just live with what I have.

But again, the scatter rugs are the “frosted berry” color and now I’m kinda not liking that…that may be something I change in short order!

The paddle fans were pretty awesome (and expensive) when I hung them 18 years ago. Now they are kind of “meh.” I love the chandelier style lights in the inspiration room but honestly I HAVE to have a paddle fan above my bed…I just can’t be comfortable with out a little air movement. Since I have recess lighting I could probably change these out to a less “in your face” fan.

Window dressings! One of the things I noticed about all the “inspiration rooms” are the beautiful window dressings. Almost all have beautiful, full curtains. Truth is, I really don’t like curtains. Don’t know why. I only have curtains in the front window because sometimes I need to close them to block out the hot sun…but since I live at the end of a cul-de-sac I really don’t need them for privacy. And truth be told, the ones I have are too short…I believe I mentioned that here and yes, I have managed to ignore them for well over a year.

Truthfully I have been waiting on Candice Olsen or Joanna Gaines to come knocking on my door but since they have not, I guess I will have to keep trudging along in this space.

What is my point to this rambling post?

Life…life happens in our homes and while we would love to live in the “inspiration rooms” on blogs and Pinterest, we live in the “real world.” We have to style our spaces to fit our life styles and needs, in the time and budget we have available. We have to accept the fact that sometimes it can take years (or decades) to make a space feel “cozy and inviting”…and that is okay.

Yes, look to the blogs and Pinterest for inspiration…but don’t get frustrated when your space doesn’t look or feel like the inspiration photo after a weekend of hard work or a few trips to the home interior store.

I have been working on this space for 18 years and I still have a lot I want to do!

How do you eat an elephant…one bite at a time…how do you style a bedroom…one element at a time!

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Modifying a Dillingham MCM dresser....

So often I buy mid century pieces fully intending to clean them up and sell them. But then, well, I don’t. Inevitably I fall in love with them or one of my kids does (just search mid century on this site…you will see)

Such was the case with this mid century walnut Dillingham dresser….

It did have a few boo-boos…a broken corner piece I was able to fix with a little wood glue…

A tiny bit of chipped veneer I decided to ignore…

And of course the finish was a little worn and tired looking and needed some freshening. First I tried a little Restor-a-finish….

You can kind of see the difference…the right side has been wiped down with Restor-a-finish.

It helped a tad but in the end I scrubbed it down with mineral spirits and steel wool and applied 2 coats of tung oil finish…brightened it right up and blended all the scratches and wear…after all it is a 50+ year old piece…it’s gonna have a few nicks and dings. But again, nothing terribly glaring.

Even though the issues were relatively minor, I hesitated to sell it. I considered painting the sides to disguise the biggest issue…the broken corner.

Enter my kid! Matt absolutely LOVED it and wanted it for an entertainment cabinet!

The dark walnut matches his vintage Lane tables perfectly and like me he has a real affinity for MCM pieces.

So I went to work modifying it for his needs..specifically he needs a place for his turn table.

(Side note…I get tickled at the newest generation of vinyl lovers. People my age remember how thrilled we were to get away from bulky old record players and vinyl records that scratched and skipped. Cassette tapes and walkmans and boom boxes…life changing! Now the younger generation have circled back around to “vinyl” and think they have discovered the greatest thing since sliced bread…HA!!! See, if you live long enough, it all comes back in style!)

So…how to modify this dresser without changing it too much.

I decided to make the bottom two drawers one deep drawer. That entailed removing the face front of the middle drawer and attaching it to the black face frame and bottom drawer…creating what appeared to be two separate drawers…but is actually just one deep drawer.

Confusing I know…let me see if I can show you what I mean in pictures.

First I had to cut the face frame in half to detach it from the cabinet.

Since it is a laminate material, I knew I needed to tape it first to keep it from “splintering.” ALWAYS tape laminate before you cut it and draw your cut mark on the tape!

I could have used a skill saw with a trim blade to make the cut. But I knew a skill saw wouldn’t work to cut the little shelf inside that separated the two drawer spaces. So, darn, I had to buy a new tool…I hate that when that happens! (NOT!)

I have a small Dremel that has similar functions but this little guy is pretty heavy duty…and it worked like a charm!

Next I used my Kreg jig and glue to attach 1x2 pieces of oak to both edges of the face frame. The drawer fronts and face frame only over lapped by about 1/8”…attaching the oak allowed me to secure the face frame to the drawer fronts with glue and screws.

We used a hole saw to cut a hole in the back of the cabinet to feed electric wires through.

That was pretty much all the modification this dresser needed to turn it into the perfect entertainment cabinet!

In the photos you get a peak of a few of the changes Matt has made to his house since he bought it a year ago…the painted fireplace I shared here and the new tile I haven’t shared yet.

I have promised for A YEAR to share a few of the projects he has completed on his house…he opened up the entry, painted his kitchen cabinets and installed glass cabinet doors, built open shelving in his kitchen and laid new tile in the entry and around the fireplace. He has even built a little storage shed! I am so proud of his “projecting” so while I was there taking pictures of his new entertainment cabinet, I snapped a few of his entry and kitchen and I PROMISE to share those next week.

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Traditional Christmas!

My Christmas decor changes so little from year to year I hesitate to even share. (search Christmas on this site…you’ll see what I mean!)

But every year I add one tiny element.

If you follow along you know that Brian and I travel to Colorado every year in the fall. We do our annual guided fishing trip and enjoy the fall Aspens. And every year we take a few hours to walk around Georgetown. A precious little mining town just off I-70.

Every year I try to find something a little Christmasy. It is a “tradition” I started years ago.

This year I picked up this little troll.

Too cute. I guess this year Santa trolls are the “in” thing. Again I rarely go all out with the latest “fad” but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to pick up one little piece to add to my “Colorado collection.”

This year as I set out my little collection it dawned on me that I have no idea what year I bought what. So this year I started writing on the underside of each piece the year I purchased them. Not important now but maybe 50 years from now it will mean something to someone.

Here are just a few pieces I have picked up over the years….

The snow birds….

I shared here the realization that I have an obsession with little birds.

The birch Santa…

I think Birch trees are the closest thing we “low landers” can get to an Aspen…I even bought a birch candle stick when I changed out the mantel decor this year…

This little guy….the older I get the less I want to hang and fluff so I love anything I can just tuck in a corner…

I didn’t actually buy this little guy…we stayed in a condo in Frisco and this was a little gift from the owners…just precious! How did they know?!

A “tradition” has to start sometime by someone! Don’t be afraid to start your own…time flies and before you know it your great-grandchildren will be reminiscing about years past at Grammy’s and how she always had Lord ? displayed in her kitchen…

The matching pajamas she gifted every Christmas eve and how she made everyone shower and primp Christmas morning for family pictures before they could open presents…

The 9’ tree adorned with priceless ornaments given to their grandparents by their great-great grandmother!

Sticking with “traditions” is the way to go for so many reasons…

1) It cuts down on the cost of the holiday. Decorating for any holiday can be expensive…especially if you change your decor every year trying to keep up with the latest “fads.”

Years ago I contemplated changing out the colors in these bannister wreaths to blue and silver…

My daughter promptly reminded me that “gold and red” are traditional colors…she was right. I would have regretted spending a lot of money just to follow the “in” thing that year.
I ended up making a simple Christmas box with blue and silver and that pretty much fulfilled my desire to jump on the blue and silver decorwagon…

2) Your kids and grandkids won’t remember every gift you gave them but they will never forget the “traditions.” Whether it is the Christmas pajamas, a favorite dessert, the priceless ornaments. They don’t forget traditions…

3) While my “same-ole-same ole” holiday decor may seem a tad boring, decorating for the holiday is super simple since I pretty much know where everything goes and how everything is decorated, year to year. Little changes. It cuts down on the stress of holiday. I may pick up a few pillows or a knick-knack here and there if something strikes my fancy but most of it stays the same…i.e. easy and stress free.

This year I picked up a few “grey” holiday pillows for the couch…

But the guest bath is the “same-ole-same-ole.” I store a few trinkets under the vanity and pull it out…a festive candle, a little snowman, holiday hand towels, a holiday soap dispenser and a festive wreath I hang over the boxwood wreath. It takes me all of 2 minutes to “decorate” the guest bath.

4)Decorating for Christmas falls on the same day every year…without fail. The Friday after Thanksgiving. We fill the house with Christmas music, Brian heads to the storage building to pick up boxes while I take down all the fall decorations, and all day Friday and most of Saturday is spent decking the halls…and walls…and shelves. There is never a question of when we will find time to get ready for the holiday. Again, I may pick up a little something here and there throughout the season…but the bulk of it gets done that weekend.

Sticking with “traditional decor” (red, gold, green, silver) makes it easy to blend new with old if I see something that strikes my fancy!

5) I have no doubt that if the time comes when I can’t decorate my home myself, SOMEONE could step in and do it for me. Since little changes, all my kids know exactly how mom likes her mantle, the tree and her kitchen decorated. HOPEFULLY one of them will step up to the plate and take over the job if I am unable. Morbid? Maybe…but such is life…the day will come.

Keep the holiday decor simple and stick primarily with “traditional” vs. “the latest fad.”

These are my tips for enjoying this amazing season!