Dining room wainscoting...

I keep thinking I have no more “major” projects to complete around this house…but inevitably I find something I want to do.

The dining room…a tad formalish but we actually use the room more than I thought we would for casual dining.

Like much of this house it has evolved over the last few years….the first Christmas featuring our new table…curtains…the new buffet….all relatively minor.

When we first bought the house the formal dining room was pretty blah…

Right off the entry…first thing you see when you enter the house.

This is the Christmas decor…LOVE! I love decorating this space for holidays and seasons!

As I have shared before, I replaced the arched transoms with rectangular ones, removed all the crown above the doors and windows and changed the light fixtures…all in an attempt to “detraditionalize” the space. It had chair rail and it was obvious it had wallpaper below the chair rail at one time. Before we painted, I had the painter repair some damage from where the wallpaper had been removed and add texture. Then we painted.

For months I have wanted to add wainscoting or SOMETHING to jazz up the space a tad. The only problem I have is that most of the wainscoting inspiration I can find is either really traditional/formal or casual “farmhousey” (like board and batten.) While I have made some changes to detraditionalize the entire space, I don’t want to go super casual. So not formal but not casual.

Don’t get me wrong…I like board and batten wainscoting.

I added it in the breakfast room …

….and entry

…and I love it.

But it just seems a tad too “casual” for a formal dining space.

So…what to do, what to do.

I did what I always do when I am looking for inspiration…cruised Pinterest and the blogisphere.

There are a few issues with this room that will influence what I can do. First, the walls do not go all the way to the ceiling…so in my opinion, I need to keep the wall color above the existing chair rail.

Second, the existing chair rail. I really don’t want to remove it because then I have to do a bunch of sheetrock repair and truthfully, I think I can incorporate it into any design I pick…at least the height of it incase I find another trim i like better.

I know I don’t want to do any picture molding above the existing chair rail…kind of formalish.

I realize I have elements in this room that make it more “formal.” But I want to tone it down a bit.

So far my favorite look is this….

Timisha has a great tutorial HERE for this look.

Easy, relatively inexpensive…kinda formal but not so much that you feel like you have to set out the fine china.

Perfect.

Hopefully next week I can share the finished project!!!

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How to paint your front door properly...

I have been super busy with things other than DIY projects. But one project I did manage to do this past week was repaint my front door…just a quick little one coat “refresher.”

My tutorial for painting an exterior door gets a lot of traffic so I though I would link back to that post just in case you need a little help.

I also painted house numbers on the door and I shared that tutorial HERE.

Remember, not everyone will see you newly remodeled bathroom or organized linen closet…but almost every guest will see your front door…keep it nice!!!

This is just one of the little projects I managed to get worked in this past week in the midst of some “big stuff” that I will share when I can.

In the meantime, I may be linking back to some little projects ANYONE can do! So if you are new around here you might want to stay tuned for some basic tutorials!

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Another new living room rug and my thoughts on board and batten... →

Over the years I have been able to remove all the wall-to-wall carpeting and install hardwoods. I learned the hard way (after raising 4 kids and several puppies) that I never want to spend a lot of money on area rugs.

Unfortunately they are a necessity on hardwood and tile. What isn’t a necessity is spending A LOT of money on something that gets tons of wear and tear and may go out of style on a whim. So several years ago I started experimenting with indoor/outdoor rugs…and honestly., I have found that I get serious bang for the buck!

It started with this rug…

….an indoor/outdoor rug I picked up at a big box store for less than $100. I just needed something simple to pull the room together. Since this room only gets used a few times a year, I wasn’t too terribly concerned with having “super comfy” under foot!

I was so impressed with the quality and look of the rug I decided to give the “indoor/outdoor” thing a shot in the den! Let’s be honest…the den is really just a big romper room for the dogs! One reason we don’t even have a coffee table in the room!

I picked up this indoor/outdoor rug at my favorite home improvement store!

Not super comfy but it is neutral and has held up well. If I want “comfy underfoot” I wear my Ugg slippers.

I spent a little more and went a little more “fancy” on the dining room…

…this rug doesn’t get a lot of wear and tear so I was okay spending a tad more. Still love this rug!

When it was time to change out the rug in the living room I found a really pretty and simple indoor/outdoor rug at a local home decor store.

I knew the minute I unrolled it I had a problem.

It was stiff and not at all pliable. It had some serious “crease marks” from being rolled up and the edges curled up. I went ahead and put it down and hoped and prayed the creases and rolled edges would eventually go away.

Nope.

Honestly, I think they got worse and I’m lucky I didn’t break a dang hip on the thing.

I tried steaming the edges and curling them the opposite way…nothing worked.

The rug just plain sucks.

If a rug looks like crud when you lay it out, good chance it isn’t going to get much better. I should have rolled it up and taken it back but noooooo….I just crossed my fingers and hoped it would get better.

So now that the holidays have passed and everything is back in order I decided it was time to find a new rug that wasn’t a tripping hazard.

Again, I just wanted something inexpensive that would pull the space together. We have moved the big (ick) brown leather couch back into the living room so I really wanted something relatively neutral. (Why do I still have the big (ick) brown leather couch…because it is Brian’s and he spent a ton of money on it so I can’t bring myself to get a different one)

I try to keep the furniture and rugs in this room relatively neutral so I can add splashes of color with pillows and throws…right now I am enjoying a “pink phase.”

Two major changes coming in this space…first, I have FINALLY ordered new windows for the front…the old ones are the 20 year old original aluminum windows that are terrible…can’t hardly open them and they leak some serious air! And as you can see they dominate this space!!

I would love to change the 1990s arched window to a simple transom but unfortunately I can’t get my brick anymore and changing out the shape of the window would require additional brick…curses!

Regardless, the window seal has broken in the arch window and there is condensation between the panes…nothing you can do about it but replace the window.

I COULD just buy a new window insert but since I am replacing the bottom aluminum window with vinyl I decided to change out the arch window as well.

I changed things up a bit on the style and design and I can’t wait to share! Hopefully those will be here in the next week or so and we will have a decent day to install them!

The second change is the entry. I shared it here….

I’m looking at the date of the original post…3 1/2 years ago….and sadly, little has changed.

But last fall I bought a nifty antique mirror at a local market…at Christmas I put a wreath on it, and honestly, I kinda like the look. So when I took Christmas down, I hot glued a hook onto the mirror and hung an olive branch wreath on it…

Hum…kinda like that look too.

So it looked funny to have a mirror on that side of the entry AND still have the blue “moroccanish” mirror behind the door, so I took that mirror down and gave it to my daughter!

So now I have a blank wall.

So change is coming…maybe…I think…some day. It only took me 3 1/2 years to get this far so what’s a few more years.

Truthfully I am kicking around the idea of extending the board and batten to this wall…from the door to the stairs. And then maybe put some little hooks on it to hang purses and such. I can’t do anything too bulky because the door swings into that wall.

My ONLY issue with board and batten is that I know it will go out of style in the coming years…and while I have the energy and time to install it today….what if I don’t have the time, energy or money to remove it in 5-7-10 years?

I know, I know….”Board and batten is timeless…it will never go out of style.”

Bull…hardwoods are timeless…but yet 40 years ago people covered them with wall to wall carpet. Subway tile is timeless…yet decades ago people ripped it out and put up olive green and harvest gold 4x4 tile.

My point, just because something was popular 100 years ago and came back around, doesn’t mean it is “timeless.” Trust me, something different will come back around and all those painted white cabinets and rooms full of board and batten will be the bane of our existence.

I’m not saying you should live with a dated carpet, tile or wall treatment if it makes you crazy. I’m just saying think carefully and spend wisely when “updating” your home decor!

And if you are like me and procrastinate long enough, you may miss the current bandwagon…but trust me, another will come along!

The upside is I save myself a lot of work AND money by being somewhat indecisive…lol!

UPDATE!!! I WROTE THIS POST WHILE I WAS ALL COMFY IN BED. I got up, put on my grubby paint clothes and had time on my hands.

Something is going down!!!!

Or rather UP!

Yep, board and batten in the entry!

And you know what, I’m kinda glad I did it. It only took about 2 hours to install it and another hour or so to paint it.

There are dozens of tutorials for installing board and batten…much better than anything I can do.

If you want it, JUST DO IT!!!!

And yes…I still believe it will go “out of style” in a few years but whatevs.

See, even I don’t take my own advise…so “grain of salt” people…lol!

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Painted kitchen cabinets and a new entry...

When Matt bought his house over a year ago I promised to share the projects. One year later, I am finally getting around to keeping that promise!

As I mentioned in earlier posts, Matt first had to find his inspiration and make a plan.

His first major project was the entry makeover. My entry makeover was obviously his inspiration but his entry felt SUPER tiny compared to mine.

These aren’t the best before pictures but you can see there is a header across the top of the opening between the living room and the “entry”…so the space felt really tight and cramped…wood flooring (again, a no-no in an entry IMO)…popcorn ceilings.

The “plan” was to remove the closet and header to open up the space, tile the floor and paint the door. Simple!

Before you remove a closet, make sure you have a plan in place for the things you would otherwise store in that space. In Matt’s case, he’s a single guy with two spare bedrooms and closets, a large master bedroom closet and a nice hall pantry. He had plenty of storage space for coats and such…getting rid of the entry closet was not a big deal.

UNTIIIIIL…you start hacking into walls and removing headers that are framed with aluminum studs instead of wood. Interesting to say the least and somewhat of a challenge for a “traditional” builder such as myself.

Lots of sheetrock repair, black paint on the front door that Matt is not real fond of but is living with for the time being, new trim, new tile, new paint. Eventually I think he will replace the light fixture…but it does the job for now.

Here you can see how the entry opens into the living room…before there was a “header” that dropped down 12” and really closed that space in…removing that header not only opened up the entry but it now matches the opening into the hallway that leads to the bedrooms on the other side of the living room.

Matt built the little bench! I found the beautiful metal mirror on clearance at a home interior store.

The fireplace was pretty “dated”…he painted it last year ….

…and we replaced the dated 8x8 beige tile with the same tile we used in the entry. MUUUUCH better!

The very first thing we did before he moved in was built open shelving in the kitchen. We used the “hidden bracket” method I shared here.

His kitchen cabinets were old, nasty oak and he knew he eventually wanted to paint them…but time and finances dictated he wait…the open shelving was a pretty easy and inexpensive way to give the kitchen a tiny update. Since he had his inspiration and had a plan, he knew what colors he wanted to eventually paint the kitchen cabinets…so he knew what color he wanted to paint the shelving.

We simply removed the cabinet to the right of the sink and installed 3 shelves. The cabinet we removed didn’t go to waste…he hung it in the garage above his work bench!

Painted cabinets…this summer he was finally able to complete this part of the plan.

The kitchen before…

The kitchen after…

He hired the actual “painting” part but he did all the prep work himself. He changed out the hinges from nasty ole’ brass looking things to nice new satin nickel hinges.

He also changed out four upper cabinet doors and put reeded glass in them…

The shelves inside the cabinets were old and “sagging” so we built new shelves since you could see them through the glass.

I would like to think I was the inspiration behind that change since I am a tad partial to reed glass cabinet doors!

One element of his original plan was to change out the tile countertops to a solid surface like quartz or granite. Honestly, once the cabinets were painted neither of us found the tops to be nearly as offensive so that part of the plan got bumped to the bottom of the list. It will happen someday, but it is no longer a top priority!

This kitchen is a relatively small space…kind of a “shotgun” or “galley” kitchen if you will…brightening it up with paint and installing the glass front doors and the open shelving made a HUGE difference!

The next big project on his list is his master bathroom. He wants to remove the tub/shower insert and build a walk in shower similar to mine.

Last week I went to an auction and I was able to purchase enough 12x24 floor tile and subway tile for pennies on the dollar!!! He’s been researching the best way to build a shower pan and of course we are experts at demo! So this little project could commence any day!

In the meantime he is busy being a home owner…mowing and raking the yard, mundane chores and dealing with all the grief after a tree falls on your house during a storm! Yep, it even damaged his brand new storage building he is so proud of!

Such is the life of a home owner!

Next week is Christmas and I may take a few weeks off since the whole family will be here! I hope you and yours have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Sofa/entry table makeover....

Another simple makeover on a table...gel stain, chalk paint, a little paint on the hardware.

I picked up this little table at an auction a few weeks ago and it really was a relatively simple update.

Gel stain can easily be applied right over existing stain but the top of this table had some serious issues so I used this proess to strip the top...then I applied gel stain.

Okay...I ave t quit tping nw eause my key oard is otally fried and half y letters won't rkw...enjoy the pitures while I go uy a new mputer...

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Entry and stairway makeover reveal....

I started my entry way makeover here when I shared the "demo" of the coat closet! I did not realize this "weekend" project would drag out for TWO MONTHS....but that is pretty much the speed I work at around here these days!

Time flies when you are having fun!

I had intended to post this project last week but Brian had to have shoulder surgery so his care has taken up a bit of my time. (Someone explain to me why a 53 year old man feels the need to bench press 275 pounds...even if he can!)

Truthfully, it is not fun to demo and construct in a house you are living in. I put up plastic when I did the major sanding on the sheetrock...

... but there always seems to be a little spot here and a little spot there that needs just a little bit of sanding...before you know it it looks like a dust storm has blown through your house!

Truth be told, this "makeover" actually started YEARS ago when I removed all the carpet from my stairs and put down oak treads and risers. I knew the day would come when I would not want to haul a vacuum cleaner up and down the stairs (that day is here!) so I wanted hardwood stairs!

My house had the typical "rough construction" stairs with pine treads and risers, covered in carpet...you can kind of see how they were constructed, and what I discovered when I pulled the carpet, in this picture....

It really was not that difficult to install new treads and risers. The biggest "hum" was finding that the 2 x 12 tread (the horizontal board you step on) lipped over the riser (the vertical board facing each step) by 1/4". To solve for that, I just applied strips of 1/4" board to the bottom of each riser and then faced them with new oak boards, cut to fit. Most home improvement stores carry prefab oak treads. I cut each to the width I needed, stained and sealed them, applied construction mastic and then nailed them into place. I applied one final coat of poly after I had installed them. Obviously I did a good job, since it took me TWO HOURS just to remove TWO of the stinking things!

Since I was installing new travertine tile in the entry, I decided now was the time to also make some changes to the newel post and bottom steps.

As with EVERY project, the first thing I did was "find my inspiration." That was not difficult since I knew from the minute I laid eyes on Cassidy's stairs on Remodelaholics.com that this was what I wanted....

One of the things I really love about her staircase are the colors...the stain and the paint. Sadly THAT little detail is going to have to wait at my house. My staircase was stained to match the living room floors, which are going to be here a tad longer ...and while it isn't "technically" honey-oak, the "butterscotch oak" isn't really my cup of tea these days. But again, it is going to have to wait for now...the thought of taping and staining and painting everything right now is more than my brain can process!

This is one of the important keys to remodeling any space...identifying what you can do (physically and financially) NOW to enhance the space...and patience! I knew I wanted the "openness" of the bottom two steps and a larger newel post. Those are things I needed to do before I installed the %$(@# travertine tile (Honestly, don't ask how much it cost. I have NEVER in my life paid THAT much for tile, but I wanted it and it is a small space...so I splurged!)

While I had intended to post a "tutorial" on this project, I realized it is like many home improvements...a puzzle that will probably differ depending on how your home was constructed and what materials were used.

So let's start at the beginning...what WAS there.

A tight entryway that required us to lift anything over 28" wide over the newel post!

A coat closet that was NEVER used and was basically just a dumping ground for anything and everything! Hardwood flooring...NOT a material one should use by an entry door. Over time wet feet will do a real number on it!

An anemic newel post that pretty much screamed 1999!

So were does one begin a sizable project like this? Again, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

So the first thing I did was demo the coat closet and remove the smaller built in bookcase...gut wrenching details here.

After the closet was gone I had to deal with moving electrical wires...a major chore for me and I would honestly suggest most call a professional. My electrical professional is my son-in-law, but since they live 2 1/2 hours away, this is another project he talked me through over the phone! After all the electrical was moved and I could move around in the space without whacking my head on dangling switch boxes, I removed the existing baseboards and hardwood flooring.

Easy right? Um, no! First I had to mark and cut a line with my skill saw where the new flooring would meet the existing hardwood. Dust storm number one! Then I had to scrape up all the old flooring and mastic...seriously, I think you could safely attach wings to a plane with that glue!

Next, I tackled the sheetrock repair and texture...hence the tarp to prevent a MAJOR dust storm!

Since I was basically "patching" the sheetrock where I had removed the closet walls, I used this process! I can not stress enough how easy sheetrock repair can be if you follow these steps. Since the area I needed to texture was much larger than just a little patch, I used a "sheetrock hopper" to blow texture on the walls. I actually had a painter friend come over and help me with this step since he is a master at using the hopper and could "blend" the old with the new seamlessly!

Then paint! I can't say it enough...there is a huge plus to knowing the exact formula for your paint. Someday soon I really want to repaint my downstairs....someday! Again, can't wrap my brain around that chore! But knowing exactly what I painted the walls with 8 years ago allowed me to paint the new patched areas and blend it with the "old."

After the walls were repaired, textured and painted, it was time to tackle the BIG project...the staircase. That had to be done before the new tile could be installed because I was moving the existing newel post that sat at the bottom of the stairs and extending the bottom step, which changed the layout of the flooring.

The first challenge...matching the existing stain color (as much as I dislike it!) David, at our local Sherwin Williams, usually does a bang up job of matching existing stain. He did an AWESOME job on my kitchen stain! This time even he struggled. I think the biggest problem is that the original clear coat is poly...and poly "ambers" over time, which deepens the color. I ended up using David's "match" mixed with a premixed stain and final got a decent match. I stained and sealed all the pieces before installing!

The next big head-scratcher for me was figuring the exact angle and method to cut the existing bannister, trim and bottom rails without removing it all. After much hymning and hawing and measuring and drawing, I drug out every power tool in my arsenal and made the cuts! And did a little sanding to get a good tight fit! MAJOR dust storm!

I also had to build a new "base" for the wider bottom step. As I said, it's a "puzzle" and sometimes you just have to measure, figure, plan and execute as you go...when you are meshing new with old it can be a little more challenging than starting from scratch!

Again, I could post a long drawn out tutorial...but honestly Google and youtube are all you need. You will find much better videos and tutorials than I could ever provide.

And this is pretty much how it sat for another week. Why...because the old adage "measure twice, cut once" only works when your brain computes properly at least once...if it computes improperly BOTH times, you will cut your special order materials wrong and have to wait on them after you reorder them!

As soon as my special REorders came in and I was able to finish up the two steps and newel post, I installed my travertine tile. Then...it sat...AGAIN!

Why...well because I couldn't decide whether I wanted to add a little trim detail. I contemplated shiplap...maybe a decorative wainscoting...or maybe board and batten.

In the end, I went with the board and batten. I'm not totally swooning over it, but it is a nice little touch (again, find a GOOD tutorial if you plan on adding this...there are hundreds of great ones out there in blogland!)

Soooo....drumroll......get ready for a lot of pictures!

Okay...you may notice that other than a funky rug and the little walnut table, there isn't any "froo-froo" yet. As I have said before, I don't decorate for poops and giggles..."stuff" has to have some meaning or be something I truly love...and so far I haven't found either for this space!

Eventually I also want to change/add lighting... I'll know it when I see it!

I seriously love the travertine tile. I laid it in a "brick pattern." It is a 12x24 tile so I staggered it 8-16-24". I also sealed it both before grout and after, which in my opinion, is a must for travertine!

I still need to put one more coat of poly on the bottom two steps and the newel post but I am waiting until Matt is gone for a few days so I don't have to worry about anyone going upstairs!

HUGE difference!

While I was making a few entry changes, I thought it was about time to order a new rug for the living room. The old one was only two years old, but with the addition of the new living room chair and post-Cleo-puppy, it was time! I decided to go with simple and neutral this time!

Aside from the wall paint I want to change, and the "butterscotch oak" I would like to restain, and the new hardwood floors I want to install and the new lighting I think would look good in the entry, I'm pretty darn happy with the changes.

One upside to the "dust storms" this project created was it forced me to "purge" ALL my bookcases, even the ones in the den and my room....dust goes EVERYWHERE when you project! I had to pull all the books to clean so I decided it was time to get rid of 30 years of collecting! I saved two collections of my favorite authors (most notably my autographed John Grisham collection...thank you Matt!) and a few of my favorite books, but over 150 hardback books will soon be finding a new home...right now they are packed in egg boxes in my dining room! Now most of my shelves are scantly decorated with antique books, framed photos and a few family heirlooms!

Ahhhhh....room to breathe.....