The Counter Attack

It has finally happened! My counter tops are fully installed! I am going to do a few touch-ups and redos before I post a new "Kitchen Tour" picture page but for now... Let me just show you the final before and afters! 

The initial look of the kitchen in 2008: 

And after my second remodel of the cabinets back in 2010/2011:

My absolute favorite part!! How it looks now:

Bahhhh I can't even get over how holy-crap pretty these are! I seriously sped home as fast as possible from work so I could hang out with my counter tops! (Though ignore the over flow on the bar area. It was a catch-all during this process.) Remember last week when I pointed out that funky spot under the end of the bar? It was a big ole gap but now! It is fully filled in and I even added tile wallpaper on the right side of the counters instead of getting an end chunk of countertop, I think it looks better.

Even the cat liked em! Actually she got caulking on her fur. Which she wasn't a fan of. Therefore she had to lay on the counter until I served her properly and cleaned it up. 

Here's a run down of the things I kept from 2008 and the things that are new. I have to say so far this is one of the biggest impact projects I've done so far!

New vs. Old:

• old hardware, just spray painted with oil-rubbed bronze.
• old cabinets, painted with crisp white paint. (Does require maintenance of paint but worth it)
• old sink. Just a couple repairs and it was solid again.
• old stove. It works, it works for me.
• new counters!
• new back splash. I used tile looking paintable wallpaper by Allen Roth from Lowe's. The old stuff was twenty cent bathroom tile.
• new fridge and dishwasher
• new wall color
• new switch plate and outlet covers
• new light fixture (might update it again though, that one was $3.00 on clearance but it is rather modern for this space now.)
• new window covering

Now I just have to figure out something for the "L" shaped bar area. I thought it'd be fine with the new counters. But now... that looks trashy compared to all the other remodel work I've done recently.

Here's really the only picture of it I have: 

The problem is the strange shape of the counter. To buy a piece of laminate that matches and then chop it up just seems ridiculous. It would cost a lot of money. I'm sort of thinking to take some wood and build a surface. It has to be relatively light since the cabinets aren't the most solid things ever.

Here's a couple images for the overall look I'm thinking:

Eclectic Kitchen by Minneapolis Design-Build Firms the gudhouse company

{source}

Obviously those are a little fancier than what I would probably go with. But I think the contrast is nice and would keep the cottage feel of the house and add some desperately needed character to my house. "Do all things with character!" 

For instance I found an example of someone doing their entire counters with wood and then staining and sealing, I think that could look awesome!

{source}

I am excited to update that portion but one big project at a time is probably for the best. Not having countertops and microwaving dinner in my dining room wasn't my favorite experience. 

Counter Install... The Struggle.

A couple of weeks ago I shared that I finally bit the bullet and bought countertops for my kitchen. After we brought them home, they lived in the guest room. Where they were not as happy...

Last summer when I worked at Lowe's I found this kitchen faucet on sale for super cheap, I believe it was $20.00, but I really don't remember. It isn't the fanciest brand out there and doesn't have crazy cool features but! It doesn't leak and I can actually fit a pan underneath of it. Which is awesome! Especially after five years of filling up a pot with a cup and water.

All of my decorations and the microwave went to live in the dining room for about a week. I hired a contractor for this install, one of the three times I could count. Part of the reason was because I didn't have the experience or the right tools and $200.00 in counters was not something I wanted to mess up!

Here's the bare naked countertops! Out with the old... see that ugly gap in the middle where the bar ends? Yuck. I even was able to fix that! But we're not there yet... hehe

Tony, the contractor came over and started the tear out process. Which was icky. I had to replace a section of my "back splash" because it was stuck to the old counters. Luckily! I had originally used a tile inspired paintable wallpaper from Lowe's which I had extra in, and is still in stock! No money spent there.

When they took the sink out I had them set up outside, a kneeling outdoor kitchen! Kidding... I did get to do some cleaning on it though. See that old short faucet? Adios!

Of course Lucy the cat was being all sorts of creepy and up in the production of everything. We have to keep a baby gate up to keep the dogs out of the cat stuff and their food. It looks beautiful. Maybe one day I will redo it? Add it to the never ending list.

Always looks way worse before it looks better...

But seriously... its naked and it was scary. See that old ugly wallpaper? Ewwww.

Look at these beautiful counters as we prepped them to cut! They look so bright and clean and sparkly and I love them so much.

Dry-fitting them into the cabinetry and looking at them against the "tile" made me so excited and happy!

Keep your eyes peeled next week and I will show you all just how fantastic they look in action. Even my brother (who doesn't really look at such things) thought that they looked great and said it was money well-spent. I couldn't agree more!

Kitchen Botox

Have you ever done one of those DIY remodeling things and had to cut something out of the budget, even though you knew eventually you were going to end up replacing it anyway? Well. That is the case in my kitchen. Back in December of 2011 when I first started remodeling the kitchen I had a very small budget. Like $300.00 dollars budget. For a college kid not bad and for the most part it has held up rather well.

For instance the cabinets used to all look like this: 

They were so dated. Being the English nerd I am I always feel compelled to hum a little Poe; "Once upon a midnight dreary while I wandered weak and weary." I just feel it describes the mood in the kitchen so well. Several gallons of white paint and elbow grease I was able to paint them white and pretty which made them look wayyyyy better. Not to mention painting the existing hardware a few years ago.

I have always hated the pink counter tops that were original to the house, which was built in the late '80s. They're older than me. So I used some counter top paint product, which has actually lasted pretty well since then. This was my scared face....

Here's what it looked like after all the paint was dried and applied:

The counters have held up pretty well in terms of the paint, I mean it has some wear and tear from hard use by roommates and just time. The problem with these counters is that they are rotting and sagging. So much that in one point from the wall to the end of the counter top there is a 3/4" slope by the sink and everywhere else a 1/4" slope. I was finally able to put some money away and save up for new counters.

Here's a demonstration with just my mini baby level.

So with the image of my present kitchen in mind and the overall theme and colors in my house... I headed off to the home improvement stores to start my journey...

I was super excited! It was painful and I spent probably 2 hours in home improvement stores on a glorious Saturday deliberating between whether or not to actually buy them. I had to call my sister into the store to help push me to do it. I decided to go with a pre-fab laminate product because it's a small galley kitchen which means I only needed to buy a 6' piece and a 4' piece to cover all the counter top space. Plus if I have a manufactured home it wouldn't be smart/practical/logical to pay for real stone, just to be honest on that score.

I was between two different counters, dark granite-y looking stuff, or light granite-y looking.

I went with the lighter. The reason being that with the dark counters I already have it felt to dark for such a small space, I am hoping with the light color it will make the space look larger and fit better with the classy, chic cottage thing I've got going on.

The nice fellers at Lowe's helped us get them loaded into the truck that my Dad's friend, Tony, brought to help me out. It was super nice of him! He's even going to help me install them! They look clean and fresh in the sun!

Total cost break down for the counter tops:

• 6 foot section: $120.00
• 4 foot section: $92.00

Discount: $22.00

Total Cost of Counters: 205.00

Not too bad really, when you think about it. I also bought a new thing of oil-rubbed bronze spray paint for the cabinet hardware, since I'm giving the whole thing a new face, I may as well touch those up as well. Plus a new faucet that is a bit taller is going in, even though I'm just going to refit the existing stainless steel sink. There's no point buying a new one since the cabinet is so small it's not like I can fit a deeper one.

I'm pretty excited! They should be installed within the next couple weeks!

Run-On List of Lists

So I got the idea to compile a gigantic list of all things my house from one of every home decor bloggers favorite sites Young House Love. Such amazing smart people. This list includes all the things I have done to each room and still want to do and is styled similiarly to the one on YHL. I think it helps me with prioritizing and knowing where to go. I know I've made a lot of lists lately but budget restraints have kept me from really starting any major projects. Hopefully this helps me decide what I can do. :)

 

Exterior/Porch:



(50% complete)

 

To-Do:

• Fix step into house
• Remove ramp (it's rotting and collapsing)
• Rebuild steps in back yard
• Pot plants
• Repaint porch
• Grow more grass
• Build new back porch
• Replace exterior doors
• figure out a new carport situation (former roommate drove into a post so it's on it's way out)
• organize sharage (shed+garagey thing=sharage)
• add more motion sensor/security lighting
• new gutters for the whole house
• enhance privacy in back yard either with new fence or just slats

Done:

• The yard has finally started to grow grass again...
• Repainted the lawn furniture
• Got a grill and lots of pots. 

 

Entryway:

 

(75% complete)

 

To-Do:

• Maybe get a runner rug somewhere down the line
• Keep updating accesories
• Paint walls
• Paint back of door a fun accent color

Done:

• Replaced the floors in the whole house
• Got a fabulous vintage vanity
• Hung some art 



Living Room: 

(50%ish complete) 

 

To Do:

 If you have seen my recent post about the living room you know the list is pretty long. I say "50%ish complete" because it's fully decorated and pretty I'm just in the market to go Beyonce on that room and "upgrade ya."

 

 Consign glass end tables

Fix 50" TV from rents

Sell IKEA entertainment stand

Build entertainment wal

make a decision on wingback chair (reupholster? Sell? Give away?)

New sectional couch

New flat weave area rug (more durable than fluffy shag rug now)

Paint ceiling (white, durr)

Paint walls (either Revere Pewter by BM or Moonshine by BM)

paint moding and beam to  match beadboard (white)

replace interior doors (the holey 80's hanging off the hinges doors suck)

Done:

replaced coffee table

upgraded wall art

upgraded lighting

love my curtains (hehe)

Dining Room:

(20%ish complete) 

 

To-Do:

This is sort of the same deal as the living room. I want to upgrade the dining area and make it more "my style" within the next year or so. Right now I have the same furniture in there I've had since I was 18. So it's totally done remodel wise.

• Buy new table (this one from IKEA)
• New chairs that don't have fabric seats
• Jute rug for under table
• Upgrade wall art on "big wall"
• Figure out how the heck to make window wall function/look good.
• Paint walls to go with living room and entryway
• Find a new fabulous light fixture. (sort of feeling a drum shade chandelier)
• paint the ceiling/molding (white o course)

Done:

• love my curtains
• painted the ceiling fan so it works well enough for now
• upgraded flooring through out the house

 

Kitchen:

(75% completed)



 

To Do:

• replace painted countertops with a new laminate (love solid surface-but it's a trailer ya'll)
• repaint cabinets with more durable paint (been a year since I've painted em and they chip)
• frame out doors to create shaker style
• replace hardware
• paint ceiling/molding to match rest of living space
• paint behind fridge (hehe)
• frame out wallpaper after new countertops are in
• install new faucet
• get prettier cabinet support sticks
• make bar counter out of wood for a butcher block effect (Like this blogger did here.)
• Make range hood less homely.

Done:

• repainted the cabinets
• repainted the hinges/existing hardware
• upgraded dishwasher/fridge to energy efficient
• upgraded art work
• added wallpaper tile backsplash

Master Bedchamber:

(90% complete) 

 

 

To-Do:

• upgrade tiny nightstands to small dressers upcycled from thrift store (I have lots of clothes)
• switch living room rug to bedroom and jute rug to dining room
• new headboard/footboard set up
• smaller pillows (brown ones)
• upgrade ceiling fan to pretty light
• paint the molding around bathroom entry, upgrade to prettier trim? maybah? 
• upgrade to double rods
• new bedroom door
• replace mini-blinds

Done:

• upgraded all the flooring
• removed crazy scary sliding closet doors
• installed closet organizer
• revamped filing cabinet
• painted ceiling fan so it's prettier for now
• took down uglio I-wish-I-was-French-doors
• put up curtains for closet/bathroom doors
• turned cheapy bookcase into magical shoe display land
• upgraded desk area
• added new/pretty artwork

 Master Bathroom:

 



(95% complete)



 

To-Do:

• replace/fix shower stall (at least the door, it pops open. Sebastian likes it. I don't.)
• take down cheap over the potty thing and install something prettier (only if there's studs)
• recaulk around the vanities/tubs/shower/wet places.
• upgrade the hardware (just painted the original stuff when I did the redo. heh.)
• add second shelf under little shelf that has been in my trunk for 3 years... no rush yo.
• work around garden tub area to add new tile or something. It's ugly.

Done:

• repainted all cabinets in a two tone fashion
• upgraded artwork
• painted the walls and ceilings
• added accessories
• installed jewelry cabinet
• added changing chair

Cube Hallway:

(60% complete)

 

To-Do:

• Paint the walls to match the living room space
• Paint ceiling/molding
• add beadboard wallpaper from Lowe's to bottom to make it match the living room
• upgrade switch covers
• remove drywall strips and texture
• replace/repaint light fixture
• replace both bedroom and bathroom door and handles

Done:

• added storage using old microwave stand
• upgraded flooring along with the rest of the house
• painted furnace cover (gotta love trailers)

Bedroom #2:

(10% complete) 

 

To-Do:

This is when my unique situation comes into play. Right now in order to afford the mortgage (just graduated college-seeking new full-time job) I rent out bedrooms #2 and #3 for extra cash. Meaning I can't do much in this room. My goal time to "reclaim" this room is by the end of 2014. So a year and a half. This list will read as the future office I want it to be.

• since this will be my office one day, I want to repaint it completely.
• replace bedroom door and knob
• add custom desk with lots of storage. ((sort of like this)
• add more to the existing closet organizer for files/paperwork/craft supplies
• get a wonderful amazing rug
• texture the walls
• upgrade the curtain rod

Done:

• flooring is all replaced with the rest of the house
• upgraded the light switch covers
• new water heater (it's in the closet in there, again, trailer weirdness)
• painted the ceiling and molding
• added closet organizer for max storage space
• took down crazy ugly closet doors and replaced with curtains

Bedroom #3:

 

(50% complete)

 To Do:
Again this is a similiar situation to what's going on with bedroom #2. I rent this room out also because I need help with the mortgage and such. Back in the day it was my office but in the future it will be a guest room. If my life follows it's current path that should be by the end of 2013. Yay!

• upgrade night stand and dresser
• add headboard
• buy a second curtain for the closet (currently has desk on one side, roomie clothes on the other)
• add more shelving to closet organizer so can be used for seasonal shoes/clothes, etc.
• replace bedroom door and knob
• replace mini-blinds

Done:

• upgraded all the flooring with rest of the house
• purchased a full-sized guest bed
• upgraded the curtains
• added new curtain rod
• painted magnificent stripes
• already own bedding for future guest
• have a good grey IKEA rug
• have a TV for guest room
• added closet organizer
• upgraded ceiling light

Guest bathroom:

(90% complete)



 To-Do:

• upgrade to energy efficient white potty (bye-bye bisque)
• add trim under countertop
• replace mirror
• touch up paint

Done:

• painted all the walls Dolphin by Home Depot's Martha Stewart collection
• replaced countertop
• replaced faucet
• tiled shower and flooring
• replaced bathtub
• fixed faucet/showerhead
• added storage cabinet
• upgraded light fixtures
• upgraded cabinet handles
• upgraded towel bar
• added new art work (see the reveal for the whole thing here)

Laundry Room:

(68% complete)

 To-Do:

• lighten up the paint color, it's pretty dark
• add tile wallpaper backsplash on space under cabinets
• replace exterior door with an outswing insulated door with dead bolts
• fix electric... :/
• upgrade light fixture
• added microchip pet door for Sebastian (little spendy but I don't want Pouka and Lucy going outside)

Done:

• new energy efficient washer/dryer
• build countertop
• added storage for kitty area
• added shelf for storage baskets
• painted ceiling/trim/molding
• painted cabinets
• added cabinet hardware
• upgraded outlet covers

 All in all, I have definitely done a lot since I've owned the house. (it'll be 5 years in May. craycray yo.) Some of the things I want to do just are reflective of where I am in my life and upgrading from the free college furniture to stuff that I would like to have for years to come. Some of it is to just keep up with the trends. At this point I think some of my redos are going to be a little sporatic. So for example, replacing furniture might be 6 months to 2 years depending on what I decide to get.

The first five things I do plan on doing are:

• repainting the living room (pretty sure Revere Pewter by BM)
• painting the ceiling in the kitchen/living room/dining room area
• paint laundry room
• upgrade countertops
• replace back exterior door

Hopefully some of those other nit-picky things get knocked off along with the ones listed above. I think it will be great! Besides I get my first paycheck in March for substitute teaching so I'll finally be able to do things! (thank all holyness everywhere.)

Top 5 Messy Business Redos

I've owned my house for quite awhile now and feel like I've done a lot of upgrades. But sadly most of them I did before discovering the blogging world, so I didn't "do it as a I went" I thought it would be fun to highlight some of my big projects and some of my favorite projects. That might light my fire to pick up a paint brush again. or something.

1. Kitchen. The kitchen overhaul was my number one favorite favorite thing. (Besides installing wood floors rather than uglio carpet that was originally there.) This is what the kitchen looked like before. Clean. Dated. Nasty. Ew. 

The kitchen had everything from the handles spray painted... to the cabinets painted... to the walls painted... to the countertops. It got real painted all up in there.

Installing wallpaper backsplash from Lowe's was also an awesome money saving solution and made it actually look pretty.

Here's a comparison of the before... and after. Way better in my opinion!

Total cost: $300.00
Total time: 10 days

find all the details: painting the cabinets here, painting the countertops here, see how i added little details here, tile backsplash here, accessories here and here,

2. Guest Bathroom. My second favorite project I actually did quite awhile ago... almost two years I think... might be time for some switcheroos! But anyways. This guest bathroom has undergone at least three transformations. The most recent one being from a baby blue nursery with the same dated cabinets as the kitchen to an elegant, relaxing space.

Here's what it looked like back in 2008:

And in 2010-2011:

Everything in this room got a face lift. The countertop was replaced awhile back but I painted the cabinets a blue gray color and moved the shower curtain up to the ceiling and put in two panels which makes it feel bigger and allows light from the teeny tiny window to come through.

2011-2013:

New light fixture for super cheap from a WalMart clearance sale (I think it was only $20.00 or something)  and even added a storage component where the old towel bars used to be. That's the problem with a house like mine... no storage. At all.

Total Time: 1 week

Total Budget: $150.00

find all the details: how it got started here, some cabinet assembly info here, and the final product here.

3. Jewelry display built-in.

Total Time: 2 days

Total Budget: $35.00 (already had beadboard left over, bought trim and hooks)

find all the details: built in details and origination here, how the whole bathroom panned out here.

4. Laundry Room.

 This room was originally such a total nightmare we called it the "murder scene" when we first bought the house. (I say we because it was my parents and I.) Everything was basically wrong about this room and I've managed to correct most of it. The venting for the dryer was being pushed under the house, which is real bad bad for the insulation under there. So that was rerouted and new flooring was put in when we first did the overhaul on the place.

Here's what it looked like for the first couple years of living here (roughly 2008-2011):

My washer and dryer came from Habitat for Humanity. The dryer I actually got off a dude that was shopping that same day. For free! So they were okay for the first few years. They were super loud and sometimes you had to wash stuff twice and definitely not energy efficient.

                      
Gross. That's all I can say.

                                         

After the great flood of 2010 (when my entire house had to have the flooring replaced due to a slow leak from the water heater) I decided it was a good opportunity to redo the laundry room, though I feel the color is a bit too dark now.

We ended up tripling the amount of usable storage/work space in the laundry room. Which has been really great.

And this was the final reveal picture:


Total budget: $900.00 for the washer and dryer. Roughly $150.00 for wood, paint, and accessories.

Total time: 3 weeks

 find the details: starting the project here, making the awesome countertop here,  making the shelf here, finishing up the accessories here.

5. Free Furniture Painting.

I think free furniture is the best furniture. If you know exactly how to make it pretty anyways, otherwise it could get a little out of hand. 

One of the first things I painted was this park bench my Mom gave me. I don't recommend actually sitting on it but some spray paint and a little can of exterior paint can go a long way.

A previous roommate had left behind this old desk. It was sort of warped and funky but with a little engenuity it worked out well in the laundry room for the litter box and extra storage. That's my thing if you haven't noticed... creating storage.

Not to bad eh?

 I had another friend that was moving into an apartment from her townhome and didn't have any back yard space for a full 8 piece outdoor furniture set. They weren't awful but I thought they could use some more class...

9 cans of spray paint and 1 horribly sore thumb later I had an awesome, all matching patio set.

 

This chair was given to me by my Mom also. She found it at a thrift store for about three dollars. So it wasn't free exactly but pretty close. I think it came out of an office or something.

Some spray paint and cute fabric made it totally awesome. No more weird chair! Yay.

{see it all here}

 Before my parents moved away to New Mexico they found this buffet/cardenza thing on the side of the road that said "Free" they loaded it up in their mini van and brought it over! It cost me nothing to redo it because I used a bunch of paint I already had and reused the handles.



{see it here}



Not too bad ey?


I suppose when I stop to think about it I do have a lot of things accomplished in my little house. I also now think that I've got a few more ideas for other things to do. No more blogging slump! Hopefully anyways. lol. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions on any of these. :)