A few new storage solutions!

In my quest to make my kitchen a tad more "user friendly" I stumbled upon a nifty little storage gadget at Lowes that will help me manage my casserole dishes and mixing bowls a bit better.

As I have mentioned, in my "dream kitchen" I have nothing but big deep drawers in my lower cabinets. Unfortunately that is a "dream" so I have to work with what I have and digging around in a lower cabinet for heavy casserole dishes and keeping all my mixing bowls organized has become an issue.

Again, and I can not stress this enough, the number one key to getting organized is PURGING!

Pull it ALL out and ask yourself...DO I REALLY NEED THIS?! In my kitchen cabinet, I had several casserole dishes that were duplicates of what I have but they didn't have lids. Do not need! I had 5 large 9x13 casserole pans...do not need them all! I had 3 stainless bowls the same size, which made stacking them a impossible...do not need! I have FIVE crock pots...two smaller ones just for dips and such. I DO need those but only once or twice a year so there is no need for them to take up valuable kitchen real estate. So off to the hall pantry they went!

I contemplated building and installing either 4 drawers or 2 large drawers in this cabinet base. Lots of work! So when I found these nifty little metal storage drawers at Lowe's I knew I had found a relatively easy solution.

The problem with these metal drawers is they are not custom sized so I was going to end up with a lot of "dead space." I decided to only install one for my bowls and casserole dishes since those are things I use almost every time I cook. I left the other side shelf space for crock pots and dishes I only use occasionally.

The drawer component lets me easily get to my bowls and casseroles dishes without wallering around on the floor and pulling everything out to get to the stuff in the back.

A perfect, and simple, solution for organizing a tough space.

When Brian and I went scrounging around the flea market out in Tontitown last weekend, I found this neat little wall decor. A framed chalkboard with two "distressed" wire baskets. I knew it would be perfect for organizing magazines that tend to get piled up in the coffee table, which in turn means they get ignored!

I'm pretty sure it is probably something one could pick up at Hobby Lobby, or something I could easily make with an old frame and paper storage racks from an office supply store. But it was there, and it was done...the only thing I did not like was the original finish on the frame...kind of a "white-wash" natural wood looking thing. I immediately painted it with some chalk paint and distressed and sealed it. Great for magazines or mail. Remodelaholics featured a bathroom with a similar one.

I like it in the bathroom but I am of the opinion that if you are in the bathroom long enough to read an article, you probably ought to seek treatment. Just saying....

Last fall I bought this awesome antique sewing machine at an auction. The "lid" flips back to reveal the machine

I immediately fell in love with the little wood box that covered the machine. After a little research I discovered they are called coffins....most often in mahogany or walnut. BEAUTIFUL! I immediately jumped on Ebay and found a few of these amazing little boxes.

Naturally they needed to be refinished, but a little magic mixture and a few coats of tung oil and they are amazing!

My original plan was to use them in the "kitchen reset," but there really was no good place for them so I have them scattered around the house for storage. In the den, I use them to store some of my photo albums. They would be darling with little castors for "rolling" storage. l absolutely love them!

When I reset my kitchen, I dug around in my flea booths looking for "functional decor." In other words, pretty with a purpose! A few things caught my eye.

The first was a little glass pumpkin...perfect for this time of the year! I usually keep my coffee in a crystal decanter, but this little pumpkin is perfect for the fall season.

Now I am going to be on the look out for one I can use for the Christmas season!

I also found this little sterling silver piece. I THINK it might have originally been for sugar since it has a little notch in the lid where a spoon may have rested but most sugar jars are smaller. Regardless, it is the perfect size for my coffee filters.

And of course the need to store 1/2 of my dishes when I built my floating shelves...seriously, who needs 20 plates! I purchased this little basket from Kaufmann Merchantile with a gift certificate from my son but I also found some on Amazon and have ordered 3 for my holiday wrapping station! (I'll share that little project when I get it set up!)

I have mentioned time and again that I really don't decorate much with "pretty" without "function" or purpose...unless something has sentimental meaning.

I am learning that these little touches are what really give a home "character." No need to use boring old plastic containers or cardboard boxes if you can "think outside the box" and find interesting pieces that are "pretty" but can also serve a useful function!

Anything that can make my life more organized is great...the fact that it is pretty or interesting is a huge plus!

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The kitchen makeover reveal!

It is time for the big KITCHEN REVEAL!!!

First, I had to wait on the maple trim...then I decided to wait on the new doors and glass!

I had not intended to start decorating for fall before "the big reveal." My plan for this week was to do the glass doors Tuesday, take pictures of the kitchen and get ready for Matt's birthday celebration Wednesday (he turns 26 Saturday!), post the reveal Thursday morning and then get most of the fall decor up and get my hair and nails done ...AND LEAVE FOR COLORADO FRIDAY!!! Yippeee!

One hitch...I got a call Tuesday morning that the glass wasn't on the delivery truck so it wasn't going to be in until Thursday...well that just threw a wrench in my whole week. So Tuesday I started working on my fall decor. Tuesday afternoon, the glass place called and said they "found" my glass and it was ready. Sooooo....short story long, the "reveal" pictures are going to have smatterings of fall!

I think I have mentioned before that I have a bad case of "Pinterest envy" when it comes to kitchens.

Tipsaholic recently featured some beautiful kitchen pantry/storage ideas. I love the painted kitchens and all the open shelving but the one thing I noticed about EVERY picture, whether featuring beautiful glass containers or pull out drawers, was the ORGANIZATION of every item and space.

For me, the key to a great kitchen (or any space for that matter) is making sure everything is organized and functional for MY needs! And of course aesthetically appealing, but unless it is organized and functional, I am wasting my time making it pretty!

While I love all the neat pull-outs and storage inspiration, I think the first thing you need to do BEFORE you start any kitchen remodel is get every drawer and cabinet purged and organized and see what you have, what you need and what space you can rework, organize or add to make your kitchen function for YOU! Plan, plan, plan!

Here is a post on purging and organizing your kitchen drawers! A super simple little project but it has made a big difference in my ability to find stuff I need!

My goal in "resetting" my kitchen was to make it more functional for my purposes.....and of course, change things up a bit aesthetically so I am not tempted to take a paint brush to these beautiful cabinets

I basically had a "standard" (and small) kitchen layout.

I do love stained wood and as drawn as I am to painted cabinets, I knew the day would come in the future when I would regret painting mine. My stain color (Paprika Cherry on Maple) isn't totally offensive and fairly "timeless" if that is possible, unlike my daughter's kitchen which had "pickled oak," a stain my dad and I were putting in houses in the 1990s!! I did not discourage her in the least when they decided to paint their cabinets.

For those who believe "white is classic and will never go out of style" obviously don't remember the "honey oak" trend of the 90s..."oak is classic and will never go out of style!" EVERYTHING goes out of style...eventually! Which is why we are all painting honey oak cabinets!

Earlier this year I made an offer on a smaller house with a smaller yard in a subdivision I would love to live in. The house was basically a "gut job" and the new kitchen I designed had NO upper cabinets...none! I wanted lots of windows, maybe a few open shelves, tons of base cabinets with drawers and a big island.

But that deal didn't work out and I don't have the "footprint" to build a kitchen even remotely close to what I would have put in that house. Right now I don't have the funds (or energy) to make major changes and I can't bring myself to change out appliances that aren't totally offensive and work perfectly fine!

What to do, what to do!? I wanted some changes, but I didn't want to do something I might regret down the road.

This is one of those times when I had to "work with whatcha got" and make changes that would give me a few elements I crave, without spending a ton of money or eating out for 2 months while the kitchen is in complete disarray. In the end I probably spend under $800 (doing the work myself!) and I think we ate out two nights! Keep in mind that the three doors cost around $200 and special order maple trim can be costly. The changes I made would be A LOT cheaper if you use stock trim and don't add new doors!

If you aren't in a position to spend a lot of money on major changes and upgrades but you love the concept of open shelving and more storage, these few changes might just be the answer!

I did not paint my cabinets but I was making changes that required a few pieces of new maple trim the color of the existing. THAT is a Herculian task and one I would advise you do BEFORE you start moving things around...unless you have stock wood like oak or poplar, or intend to paint the cabinets! My kitchen cabinets are 16 years old and honestly even if I knew who, what, and where the odds that they would have trim pieces to match after all these years are pretty slim. I tried finding stock trim that came close, but none was close enough. There are cabinet manufacturers that will do "color matches" but unfortunately they won't do it for a few pieces of trim.

As I have mentioned before, most manufactured cabinets and furniture have a stain and finish that is sprayed on...so matching an existing finish can be pretty difficult! Thank you David, at Sherwin Williams in Springdale...most amazing color match EVER! I honestly can not tell the difference between the original and the new! I took a door and a few samples of the new trim and he matched it right up...amazing!

There were a few things I wanted to accomplish in this little "makeover." First, I knew I wanted open shelving. That is one element I am always drawn to in my quest for "inspiration." (Here I talk about finding your inspiration for ANY project!)

I wanted to "pop up" a few of my cabinets and open a few up for display. In the post featuring my laundry room, I tell you exactly how to "pop up" existing cabinets.

Moving the dish cabinet, spice cabinet and the two cabinets on either side of the refrigerator allowed me to add the open shelving beneath them.

Here you can see a step by step tutorial for constructing three different types of floating shelves!

The frame to the left is just foam board with scanned copied of my grandmother's old recipe cards tacked to it! The boys always gripe about my "shallow" bowls so I pulled a couple Philbe Fire King bowls I had in my booth and then ordered small matching custard cups I found on Ebay for dips and such!

My spices, along with my cooking and serving spoons, are now at my finger tips!

I love all the different glass jars! I painted my old knife block a pretty teal just to freshen it up a bit! I love refinishing and repurposing old cutting boards...this one is perfect for holding recipe cards!

This is now my "baking corner." I added the antique fan for comfort...you can see how easy it was to rewire this 80 year old fan here and bring it back to life!

I choose not to pop the cabinets all the way to the ceiling. I know some would, but I have 9' ceilings and to do so would have looked funny and made the cabinets completely unusable.

One thing I really love are the stainless and glass vent hoods. I really dislike the big hulking, over the range microwaves. The truth is, I don't have the real estate for a counter model, so for now I will stick with the big hulking over the range microwave! Poo.

I removed the doors on two of the cabinets and painted the interiors. After looking at them for a few weeks, I decided I did not like that open look even with all the "pretties," so I ordered new maple doors, stained them and added reeded glass inserts...like my laundry room door! (LOVE!)

I get the "openness" without the cabinets looking "unfinished." There is a chance I may eventually do this with the doors on both sides of the refrigerator!

I did add some under counter lighting above the pasta shelf and the "baking" shelf.

I wired into the existing under counter lighting and ran the wires between the cabinets and across the top of the cabinet above the refrigerator that was covered by a shelf. Now all the under counter lighting can be turned on with a flip of the switch that was added when we did the original lighting!

I added glass jars here and there to hold tea, baking stuff, beans, and pasta. I love the Anchor Hocking Heritage jars for flour and white sugar but they don't have sealed lids which is necessary for brown sugar. (That was one great thing about reworking and organizing my pantry...I was able to designate one cabinet and shelf area specifically for baking stuff.)

I found sealed jars similar to the Anchor Hocking Heritage jars, as well as jars tall enough for spaghetti and linguini at TJ Maxx! I ended up with a variety of jar styles I picked up at TJ Maxx, flea markets and Oneida online.... and I like the different looks!

While I think the matchy-matchy boxes and storage bins are super cute in pantries, I prefer to actually SEE what I have...so I organized my pantry and cabinets so that like items are together and I am able to see what I have and what I need at a glance!

The upper shelves were a great addition...mostly so I can now openly display my cookbooks and a tiny bit of my china (I have 6 sets!) and also a few little decorative do-dads.

The old coffee grinder is one I have had in my booth for MONTHS...probably because it is missing a piece of the top...but it looks pretty neat on the shelf with the big gold B I picked up at the flea market, a fall berry wreath (I also have a boxwood, but the berry wreath is a new fall find this year) and an old chopping board I turned into a little "chalkboard."

This shelf had to be removable for one special reason! "Lord ?" He is stored away in the attic for the time being, but he has to have a special place when I decorate for Christmas and he would be too large for the space if the shelf could not be removed. So I painted the shelf bracing the same color as the wall and the shelf can easily be removed when it is time to display him!

As you can see, my kitchen is pretty "traditional." With furniture, I tend to lean more towards the clean lines of "modern/mid century" now but as with everything in my house, my kitchen is more of a mix of traditional, modern, and "farm house." Eclectic, to say the least. That seems to be the "style" I am most comfortable with...not too much of any one style, but a broad mix of everything!

A toss of this, a pinch of that, a smidge of whatever strikes my fancy!

One of the great things about being "eclectic" in your decorating style is you can pick up anything without worrying about whether it fits in with the "style" of the room. Whether it is modern, traditional, transitional or farm house...if I like it, I can usually make it work!

The biggest improvement for me is the addition of the open shelves and my ability to reorganize a few spaces to make the over-all kitchen a tad more functional and organized.

And that my friends should be the PRIMARY goal for any "makeover." Because let's be honest...if the piece or space isn't functional and organized, all the pretty it the world isn't going to cut it!

First and foremost, make your space or piece functional and organized. THEN make it pretty!

BTW, as much as I debated painting the fireplace wall when I remodeled my den I am SO glad I didn't...it is perfect for the holiday seasons...fall AND Christmas.... and I can't imagine it any other color!

Friday we head out for our annual train/zipline/fishing/Aspens adventure! I am soooo ready. Matt will be here holding down the fort and when I get home, fall will be in full swing...regardless of the temperatures!

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A marvelous mid century lamp!

Week three of waiting on the trim for the kitchen. Now I think I may just wait until I get the new doors with glass inserts installed before I do a full reveal...at the rate I am going with the trim, the doors will be here about the same time! Curses...

SOOOOO, in the meantime, I want to share a darling little lamp I picked up at an auction for next to nothing. I probably would have paid a little more for it since I knew the minute I saw it, I wanted it.

Why you ask? Let's be honest, it wasn't much to behold in it's "before" state. But what 50-60 year old piece ever really is! That is the great thing about learning to DIY anything...you can always take a $1 find and give it a good little makeover.

What drew me to this piece originally was the style. TOTALLY different than anything I had ever seen and definitely leaning towards the "mid century" style. My true love. I tried to find one similar...I Googled "mid century wood brass lamp"...."walnut brass lamp"..."atomic lamp." I found a few "similar" but nothing close enough to consider a hit.

Less the dreaded "oops," this little lamp didn't take a lot of work. I stripped the wood with the 1/2 acetone-1/2 lacquer thinner...that took all of about 5 minutes! I taped off the wood, cord and the sockets, gave the old copper base, finial and sockets a coat of metal primer, light sanding with steel wool, tack cloth, and a couple of coats of gold metallic spray paint! (The "oops" was my impatience which resulted in the need to completely strip the base and reprime and paint the entire thing!)

Did you know you can easily paint brass...yep...just prime it with metal primer and then paint it any color you want. Have an old brass lamp your mom gave you or you picked up at the thrift store. PAINT IT!!!!

I am slowly coming to terms with gold metallic accents and honestly, I'm kind of digging it! I even painted some ceramic pumpkins with gold metallic for my fall decor!

After the paint dried I applied a couple of coats of tung oil finish to the wood. New lamp shade from Hobby Lobby (40% off...yeah!!!!) and it is ready for another lifetime of use!!!

What is that blue "dish" you asked? I found it in one of the cabinets when I was purging my kitchen...a true gem! (My son would have been 12 when he made this!)

As I mentioned here, I think it is important to decorate with things you love and with things your children have created!

Fortunately, the wiring and sockets were in great shape, but seriously no biggy if an old lamp needs a little rewiring. Here I created a new light fixture out of industrial-type fans, but the general steps for rewiring a lamp would pretty much be the same!

If you are tired of your old boring lamp, paddle fan, or light fixture, check out these posts for just about any lighting project. Fairly simple projects that help you update ANY fixture or "lighten" a room without breaking the bank...because let's be honest...brand new lamps, light fixtures and paddle fans can be expensive.

Installing a new light fixture

New outdoor lighting

Painting designs on light or lamp shades

Painting light fixtures and paddle fans

Adding under counter lighting to the kitchen

Painting a brass lamp

Rewiring a fan or appliance

There are so many ways to change and update lighting! And super simple! Give it a shot...again, what's the worst that can happen. You still hate it and you still won't get more than a couple of bucks at a garage sale for it!

Also...a quick reminder! I have mentioned before that if you aren't sure what to do with something, take it down to "base neutral." In my case I have a garage full of projects I haven't decided what to do with yet. But I know one thing for certain...it all has to be repaired, primed and sanded. So yesterday, that is exactly what I did with a wood stool, 2 chests, 1 dresser, a ratan shelf, a few frame shelves and a set of ratan chairs. THIS is "base nuetral".....

Now that it is all prepped and ready for a new look, I am ready whenever the "creative bug" hits!!! If a piece of furniture has got a bad case of the "uglies" and you just don't know what to do with it, just remove the hardware, prime it, sand it, and eventually inspiration will come!

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Antique mahogany dresser makeover....

AGAIN, no kitchen reveal. I know...disappointing! But I am still waiting on the trim I ordered to finish out the little details and when I get that done, I will share. Course now I mulling over the idea of putting in glass doors...maybe a little more paint...maybe a little more lighting. See, it never ends!

So while I impatiently wait I am going to share a pathetic little dresser that came to me by way of my neighbor. It had a few more repairs than he was willing to tackle...for me, no biggy!

Chipped drawer fronts, damaged veneer top, and a pretty sketch wiring job on the back legs that was evidently keeping the entire thing from exploding...because when I removed it, the cabinet pretty much fell apart!

The veneer really wasn't in that bad of shape when I got it. Naturally, I forgot to take a picture BEFORE I started ripping into it!

Like many old pieces, it had a beautiful mahogany veneer on the top, but time had taken it's toll on this one and the veneer had lifted and chipped. Course the edges came right off with little effort...it was the rest of it that took a lot of work!

On these older pieces, the beautiful veneer is usually laid over a pretty decent piece of wood. Like this oak library table my daughter and I refinished, removing the veneer just entails a good steam iron, a scraper and a lot of elbow grease! Always be VERY careful when removing old veneer...scrape WITH the grain and make sure you don't gouge the substructure. And if you are using an iron for a heat source, make sure you put an old rag between the iron and the veneer!

When you remove the veneer, you are going to reveal all the "warts." While the wood is solid and often beautiful, it will probably have a prominent grain and a few knots here and there...embrace it! If you ask me, that is what makes wood beautiful...it's "character."

The back of the cabinet required glue and clamps. Again, ALWAYS make sure your pieces are properly repaired before you start "refinishing." Or honestly, you are wasting your time! In this case, I didn't have much choice since it really did fall apart when I removed the wire that was "clamping" the back two legs together, which was basically holding the entire back in place.

The next chore was repairing the two damaged drawers. Not only was the mahogany veneer chipped and missing, but the "substructure" it was adhered to was missing.

This may seem like a daunting task, and is probably what frightened my neighbor the most, but it is just a little "puzzle." Just recreate a new base by glueing a scrap piece in place and then use wood filler to "sculpt" a new corner...lots of patience and some careful sanding! This may take 2-3 shots to get it right, but it is doable! Since I planned on painting the drawer fronts, it worked perfectly!

After all the repairs were completed and the veneer top was completely removed, I chalk painted and distressed the cabinet and the drawers and applied a walnut stain to the top. I sealed the top with three coats of tung oil finish and the chalk paint with a few coats of spray on poly!

The inside of the top drawers were a bit worn and stained so I gave them a little KTSP treatment with a bright teal!

New porcelain knobs...and OH MY! Beautiful again!

Don't turn your noise up at old, damaged pieces. This piece had three strikes against it, but it was hardly down and out. Yes, it took a little work, but in the end it was well worth the time and effort!

This piece would be perfect for one of those precious French graphics from "The Graphics Fairy," but I think I will let the new owner add their own creative touches!

Another piece ready for another lifetime of use!

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"Blah" to "BAM" cheap furniture makeovers...YOU CAN DO IT!!!

This past week I have been working on my kitchen (I told you the "small" projects wouldn't squash the urge!) I still have a few little trim details to hunt down and then I will try to do a feature next week. I had to construct three different types of open shelving and I rewired an 80 year old Westinghouse fan...AND IT WORKS!!! I'll share all that as well!

This week I want to share a few little projects that YOU can do! Do you have a piece of furniture (or two or ten) that is just "blah?" A cheap little shelving unit you picked up at the big box store and put together with the little allen wrench that came with the screws. Maybe a few ancient bedside tables you inherited from your mom. A particle board table that has seen it's better days.

I know I have harped on this before, but seriously it bares repeating! If you are just starting out, are on a tight budget, feel the need to keep furniture given to you by family, or just want to change things up a bit, you NEED to be able to do simple makeovers!

Before you toss a piece of furniture to the curb, think about "updating" it a tad. Even the cheapest, most basic piece can be saved with just a tiny bit of time and effort! As I have said time and again, the worst that can happen is you still hate it and it still only brings $1 at your next garage sale.

I find pieces like this all the time at my apartments. I drag them home, clean them up with ammonia (stinky but gets the old gunk off!) and then give them a little facelift!

This was one haul out of one unit....

The little bedside tables are the old orange maple...ugly as sin but super sturdy and solid wood! The little coffee table is one of those inexpensive "fake" wood things that comes with the little allen wrench tool for the bolts! And the spindle shelf had particle board shelving. All in all, pretty dated stuff!

This little shelf came out of another unit...

It was missing a drawer and it had a few loose bolts, but whatever...still salvageable!

I find these things in my apartments, but you can find them at thrift stores and garage sales for next to nothing!

All I did to the little shelf with reeded drawers was give it a little KSTP treatment (Kilz, sand, tack cloth and paint!

Perfect for added storage in a bathroom, kitchen or kid's room!

I decided to do something a little fancier on the coffee table and bedside tables. I striped the tops with the acetone/lacquer thinner mixture, added a little java gel stain, then sealed them with spray on poly (if stripping and staining is beyond your skill level, just paint the tops!)

The bases are simple KSTP treatment. New hardware on the bedside tables and these pieces are perfect for updating any space!

The spindle corner shelf got a simple KSTP treatment!

I don't have a "before" picture of the little chalkboard shelf. Basically it was a stained wood frame with an ugly picture of a teddy bear! Ewwwww. Gave the frame a chalkpaint and distress treatment (spray paint would work too!) and I painted the board backing with chalkboard paint. Super simple "upcycle!"

Years ago I scrapbooked all the boys athletic pictures. A chore considering they both played football and baseball their entire childhood! (I strongly suggest you do this every year rather than try to find time to do all 15 years at once!)

The square frames were a perfect fit for a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper and would be perfect for someone who wanted an easy way to display their kid's sports pictures. I applied the scrapbook paper onto the foam backing with a spritz of spray adhesive, used a glue stick to attach pictures and KSTP the frames. This would be the perfect way to "scrapbook" photos...then you can take them out of the frame and just slip them into an album when it is time to change out the pictures next year!

Before you paint a piece, make sure all the "bolts and joints" are tight and the piece is sturdy. If tightening a screw or bolt doesn't solve the wobbles, take time to GLUE AND CLAMP whatever ails the piece. No sense in making it pretty if it is going to collapse the first time one of the kids leans on it!

All these projects have one thing in common. Spray paint. Seriously...a little primer, a little sanding and a little spray paint...and you have changed the entire look!

I have shared many of these simple little makeovers in the past! A few dressers here, here here and here. Several coffee tables here, here and here and Lord knows how many frame makeovers (here, here, and here!)

Challenge yourself. Pick out ONE piece of furniture or a frame in your house you really don't like. Go to Lowes and pick up a can of Kilz, a little sandpaper, a package of tack cloth and a can of your favorite color spray paint (total under $15) and give it a go! YOU CAN DO IT!

I promise!

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Little oak side table....

I am so bummed. I really wanted to share my little laundry room door project I mentioned last week. The only thing holding me up is the glass. I called and the glass came in, but it was wrong. DANG IT!!!

So today I am just going to share a simple little table.

One of the reasons I needed a flea market space was because I was always finding cool little pieces at my apartments. I would haul home a table or dresser or chair and give it a cute little make over...and then give it away!

I don't mind giving things away to friends and family...but after awhile I did have to come to terms with the fact that I was spending money (not to mention a lot of time) on these little makeovers...so the "rehab to resell" became a necessity. That, and I tend to haul home A LOT of little goodies from auctions and as I have said before, if I didn't have the flea market outlet (and wasn't a tad OCD) I could easily become a hoarder.

I love auctions...and I love restoring furniture. What can I say!

Anywho, I found this little solid oak table in an apartment. It was super sturdy and had already been stripped so it really just needed a little TLC.

I did scrub the top with my acetone/lacquer thinner mixture just to clean it up a bit. Then I stained the top with a walnut stain and applied 3 coats of tung oil finish. After that cured well, I taped and papered off the top and gave the bottom a KSTP treatment. (For those who are new, that is Kilz/sand/tack cloth/paint. I used my current favorite Valspar teal color.

New life for an old, abandoned table destined for the dumpster. Now it is a perfect little side table for the living room or even a bedside table.

Looking back at all the projects I have shared, it is easy to see that I still struggle with painting EVERYTHING....seems I almost always try to preserve a little "natural wood" if I can. Personally, I think the paint "updates" the piece and the stained wood gives it warmth. I am working on a desk and a fireplace surround right now and both have stained tops and painted bases....guess that's just my thang!

Hopefully the RIGHT glass will come in this week and I can share my door next week! I can't wait...it's going to be awesome!!!

In the meantime, pull your least favorite piece of furniture into the garage or yard and give it a little KSTP treatment...trust me...you're gonna love it!

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Bedside table makeover....

I spent several days this week projecting on a few pieces I picked up at auctions, as well as a little project here at the house.

I can't wait to share the home project...but I will have to. Even veteran DIYers flub every blue moon! In this case, I neglected to get a quote and delivery time frame on a "simple" piece of glass. Let's just say one should not fall in love with something if they have no idea how much it REALLY cost. I should know better...but by the time I called and got an estimate, it was too late. The vision was set and the damage was done!

I will have to wait until next week to share this AWESOME project....and in the meantime I will have to live with a big hole in my utility room door...stay tuned! (no it is not a doggy door!)

So this week I will share one of the little projects I managed to get done. I usually wait until I have 3-4 pieces to work on before I drag out the stripper and paint! Normally it is easier but it is just soooo hot! Working all day in the garage can really be draining!

Last week I bought these two little bedside tables at an auction.

Dark, dated and the drawers were a little wonky. But overall they were in pretty sound shape.

The drawers were an easy fix...the metal glides were a tad bent so I took a pair of pliers and straightened them out...perfect.

Usually I paint the tops of these pieces, but this time I decided to try stripping them...what harm could be done? Sure enough, the old poly finish just melted off (using this process!) leaving a beautiful wood veneer top perfect for a little walnut stain and tung oil finish.

I painted the existing brass hardware with a gold metallic paint. I gave the drawers a little KSTP treatment with a pretty "teal" spray paint, chalk painted the cabinets and distressed them a bit before sealing with a spray poly.

Cute as a bug's ear!!!!

These little tables fit perfectly in my commitment to stay "small." They still take a little time and energy, but they are MUCH easier to move around than the bigger pieces!

And this is just ANOTHER example of how you can take a dark, dated, wonky piece of furniture and give it new life!!!

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It is time to scale down!!!!

I have made some hard decisions regarding the direction of my "rehab for resale" projecting. For years I have tackled anything and everything...large buffets and china hutches and major upholstery projects Pieces like this that I didn't even take decent pictures of and share!

I made little chalkboards out of the doors!!!

These pieces are big and bulky and take a lot of time and muscle.

Upholstery pieces (like this precious barrel chair) take a lot of time and material. On major upholstery projects, I barely get my money back on the materials, let alone my time. (If the cost of having something reupholstered knocks your breath out, try it sometime!)

And while I love doing what I do, I can't keep GIVING things away when I have so much time and money invested! (Ask my neighbors...if they say they love something, I usually give it to them!)

So...the big decision. From now on I am only going to do "smaller" pieces...little tables, wooden chairs, a few stools here and there...maybe a few dressers and such. And of course my first love, mid century pieces...big or small!

This table was a tad bigger....my neighbor bought it at a garage sale and wanted to know if I wanted to tackle it!

I love the old mahogany furniture and I love pieces that allow me to preserve some of the natural wood and still update with a little paint.

I removed the sides of the top that fold down and filled the screw holes with toothpicks and wood glue so the screws would reset tight. I STRONGLY suggest you do this EVERY time you remove old screws (it is also a great tip if you have a door hinge screw that is loose or stripped!) Takes very little time and will save you a thousand frustrations!

I stripped the top with 1/2 acetone and 1/2 lacquer thinner (see a full tutorial here!) and then applied 3 coats of tung oil finish. No stain...that is mahogany it all it's naked glory! Just breath-taking!!!

I cleaned the base with ammonia and water and then mixed up a batch of "plaster paint" with a "sample" paint from my den makeover. A little distressing and then sealed with spray poly.

This table is perfect for a small space but can easily be expanded if you need a bigger table!

Again, not really "my style" but the color is all the rage right now....evident by the fact that it didn't last a week. And while it was a "hot mess" when I got it, I loved bringing it back to life. It was a very enjoyable piece to work on!

And THAT is why I do what I do. "Finding the treasures" lurking under years of neglect and abuse.

It really is what I love to do! So I will continue to do what I love to do but I am going to FORCE myself to stick with the smaller pieces that allow me to enjoy my work without breaking my back!

We'll see how long this lasts!!!

Since I have posted a recipe in a while, I thought I would share a new roast recipe that is. to. die. for! Check it out here!

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June 2015...and MORE chairs!

June 2015 will go down as an eventual month for me.

For the first time in 34 years, I have no minor children. Katie turned 18 this week and it is official...ALL my children are old enough to vote, be drafted and be sentenced to an adult correctional facility.

We finally had to put our wonderful lab, Ginger, to sleep. She was 13. It was time but that didn't make it any easier. This is the second precious pet we have lost this year. Heart breaking.

And for the first time in years I really felt the sting of Father's Day. My dad has been gone for 20 years but this year was, for some reason, tougher than normal. He died exactly one week before Father's Day so this time of the year is always kind of a "double whammy."

Then there is the accidental "new member" of the family....and may explain some weird typos in my posts.

I keep a trailer at my apartments for abandoned furniture. A mama cat set up household in the furniture with her 4 babies. A few weeks ago, we THOUGHT we made sure all the kitties were off the trailer before we took it to the dump....only to find two of them still on the trailer when we got there. I managed to grab one and throw it in the truck, but the other ran under the truck. We spent 30 minutes crawling around on the nasty red clay/garbage ground trying to get that stupid kitten, only to have it bolt. Gone. I was heart broken. But to make matters worse, I could not find the other kitten ANYWHERE in my truck. Both Matt and Katie helped me darn near dismantle the interior of the truck...it was not there. I left the windows down the entire day and even put out some food just in case.

THREE VERY HOT DAYS LATER I went to the truck in the evening...and there was that silly kitten sitting on the back of the seat. It had been in a hot truck, with no food or water, for THREE DAYS! I couldn't believe it survived and neither could the vet.

Soooooo....we have a new "miracle kitty." And being the softy that I am, I can't bring myself to take it to the shelter. Especially with all the guilt I feel for losing her sibling and in spite of my puffy, itchy eyes.

Yes, she is a she. About 8 weeks, according to the vet, but if that is the case, she is a tiny kitty.

Cleo thinks it is hers and tries desperately to carry it around in her mouth...which means the poor kitten is constantly soaked in dog slobber. It is pathetic, but she tolerates it for some reason. And typing on the computer is like a game to her...hence the typos. She's a funny kitty!

We haven't named her yet...I keep hoping someone will want her and take her so I will quit itching and sneezing. Why bother...if the three other cats haven't killed me by now, this little half pint won't either! I like Mimi...Katie does not. Mitchell suggested Kitty, but we have a Ms. Kitty because she was another "rescue" that was only suppose to be here until I had time to take her to the shelter...around 9 years ago. So he suggested Little Kitty...so maybe "Litty."

ANYWHO!!!!! When I am having "emotional turmoil" my tolerance for some things is darn near nil. So when I went up to my booth last week, I was annoyed by a few things that have been sitting in there for MONTHS...specifically two chairs. So I threw them in the back of the truck, brought them home and gave them a quick makeover!

The first is a little folding chair I chalk painted eons ago...I had two and sold one, but this one has hung around far too long. I gave it a little KSTP (Kilz/sand/tack/paint) treatment with white spray paint...then I covered the seat with some leftover fabric from this chair makeover!

The other is a walnut mid-century chair. It is really difficult for me to paint over walnut...but the chair has been in my booth for months as is, and if I am going to sell it, I have to give it a little "pow treatment." Again, a KSTP treatment and new upholstery...someone is going to love it!

I know I make these little chair makeovers sound easy. And usually they are! Chairs are one of the easiest pieces of furniture to "update"...especially ones that just need a little paint and fabric on the seat.

But OCCASIONALLY I bring home a real kicker. One I KNOW is going to take a LOT of time and attention! This chair is a prime example!

I know...it is a HOT MESS!!! I have NO doubt that several people at the auction where thinking "What the heck?" (Including Brian...but again, I think he now trusts my judgment!) But I was so excited I couldn't stand it!

I was pretty sure, from a quick inspection on a broken piece (that was there, thank God!), that it was most likely mahogany. At this point, after just a tiny bit of research, I THINK it is a Victorian Eastlake arm chair. But I honestly don't know because so far I haven't found anything just like it...only similar. Castors on the front legs and not on the back and hand carvings and stamps on the wood.

And of course the BILLIONS of little nails that were used for the upholstery! ALL of which had to be removed!

I knew the finish was masking some beautiful wood so I couldn't wait to start stripping it! In this picture you can see where I applied the stripper (used in this tutorial) on the left....

Here is the "before" and "after" of the side...

The intricate carvings require some real work, but as I have said before, the very best tool for stripping old finish out of carvings and corners is a good ole' toothbrush! I still have a lot of stripping and scrubbing to do but after two afternoons, I have all 100,398,365,003 nails out and a tiny bit of the frame stripped!

The fabric is in such bad shape, I honestly don't know what it is...and I wonder if it didn't originally have another fabric on it since there are SOOO many nail holes. Many of the Victorian chairs I have seen have a velvet fabric....what to do, what to do!

My point...not all chairs are easy...some require a little more time and attention. I am going to take my time with this one and there is a good chance I won't sell it. At least not until the next little treasure comes along!

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Another mid-century dresser makeover...

If you have followed along for any amount of time, you know I have a "thing" for mid-century furniture...and walnut.

I just love the clean lines of the pieces and how sturdy they are. You can not buy furniture today that is as durable and sturdy as many of these 50-60 year old pieces. Well, I guess you can, but you will pay a pretty penny for them!

And walnut? Well, in my opinion, there isn't a more beautiful wood grain out there.

A few months ago I featured a beautiful mid-century dresser I refinished and put in "Mitchell's room." I knew it was a tad big for the room, but I just could not resist.

As strange luck would have it, I was cruising Craigslist and found the matching chest. It just so happens that the people who owned the flea market where I originally purchased the dresser were selling the matching chest. Wow. What are the odds!

I actually ended up paying a tad more for the chest than I did the dresser...and it was in a little rougher shape structurally.

One of the big "boo-boos" on this piece was some pretty substantial chipping on the veneer of the top drawer corners....

Several of the drawers had missing or broken bottom "glides" and one had been VERY poorly repaired! (Hence, THIS rant!) And one of the legs was a little whomper-jomped. (Technical term for loose and wobbly)

I can not stress enough how important it is to make proper repairs. People, wood glue and clamps are your friend! I could do a tutorial a day on properly repairing furniture, but truth be told, there are a billion outstanding tutorials online for every imaginable repair. No, DO NOT use nails to secure dislocated dove joints. No, do not use silicone to try to put a drawer back together. No, do not put sheetrock screws in the leg of a dresser that originally had a bolt and clamp. If you don't know how to properly fix it, GOOGLE IT! (or email me...I love telling people what to do!) Seriously, it isn't hard to repair furniture, but if you do it wrong, I promise it won't last...and all the paint and refinishing you did to make the piece "pretty" will be a waste of time!

So, the first thing I had to do was repair and rebuild a few drawer glides. Then I had to fix the leg which required removing the old bolt, filling the hole with wood and glue and then replacing the bolt. Then I had to figure out what to do with the chipped drawer fronts.

Since I had refinished the drawers on the dresser, I really wanted to refinish this piece to match. Since there is really no good way to "rebuild" veneer and then stain it to match, I decided to remove the damage by creating a little "radius" on the corners. Probably not the best thing to do on a style known for it's clean, straight lines. I contemplated just cutting the corners at a 45 degree angle...but naaaaaa.

My goal was to improve the aesthetics a tad and also prevent further damage to the veneer in the future.

I used a paint can to draw a "radius" on the corner....

...then I used my mouse sander with 220 grit paper to carefully sand away the damage and round the corners. This is what I call "sculpting" a piece and it takes time and patience. When sanding, always start with a very smooth grade of sand paper (220-330) and only use a rougher grit if it is absolutely necessary. And ALWAYS sand with the grain!

Other than the chipping, the veneer was in pretty go shape and still intact. If I had used a rougher grit, I risked chipping or damaging the veneer further.

When it was all said and done, it turned out pretty well.

After making all the repairs, I stripped the top, drawers and legs using 1/2 acetone and 1/2 lacquer thinner and steel wool. I knew I wanted to paint the "cabinet" like I did the dresser, so I taped and papered off everything that was going to be left "natural" and sprayed it will Kilz, sanded smooth, wiped it down with a tack cloth, and sprayed it with my favorite spray paint.

The top, drawer fronts and legs were left natural. I didn't apply a stain because I love the look and color of walnut with nothing but clear oil.

I used the same process I use on all stained or natural wood. First I hit it with 0000 steel wool (always WITH the grain) just to smooth it a bit. Then I applied 3-4 coats of Formby's tung oil finish, rubbing it with 0000 steel wool and a tack cloth between each coat.

In all honestly, I really do not need two large dressers in this room. It is just the "guest room" now. But I really can't part with either of these pieces! They are just too beautiful!

Don't turn your nose up at old pieces that need a little time and attention. In the end, if you do it right, they will be well worth it!

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