Upcycling Old End Tables

I was lucky enough that my mom had some end tabled she was looking to get rid of. When I decided to makeover the sun room, I knew I wanted 2 of these mid century modern end tables to cap off the daybed I was putting out there.

The first step was priming. I sprayed 2 coats of Krylon primer all over these tables. This is a definite must if you are working with wood or faux wood that have a glossy finish. Paint won't stick to glossy finishes, so you need the primer to offer a rough surface for the paint to stick to.

I was especially careful about this, because I knew end tables get tons of wear, so I didn't want the paint to chip or peel.

After the primer dried, I sprayed 3 coats of Rustoleum Ocean Mist spray paint - letting each coat dry fully before re-coating. I started from the bottom up, using the principal I learned when painting the kitchen cabinets. I knew it would be okay if the bottom of the legs were a little messed up due to being on the grass, but I wouldn't want the tops of the tables to get ruined by sitting face down on the grass since they are the part of the tables that are most visible.

I then sprayed the center supports and taped off and sprayed the bottom of the legs in Krylon Gold. I did 2 coats of this, letting each coat fully dry before re-coating. 

I then had to fix the center supports. I did this by taping off the center with 1" painters tape and spraying the Rustoleum Ocean Mist over the tape and touching up where any gold paint had accidentally been over-sprayed onto the base color. Once it was dry, I removed my painter's tape, and was DONE! 

You can see here what I meant about fixing the center supports. I thought a small golden band around those would be really pretty, and it ended up working great!

Now these lovely end tables fit in perfectly with the new sun room (you can see that makeover here)!

Here's a breakdown of what I used:

• Primer ( I used Krylon, but you can use any primer you'd like)
• Primary Color (I used Rustoleum Ocean Mist)
• Accent Color (if you want one - I used Krylon Metallic Gold)
• Painter's Tape 1" (you can use larger if you like - this is just what I had and what I wanted for the center supports - additionally if you aren't doing an accent color you don't need this)
• Patience (letting all of the coats dry turns this into a full day project, but you can relax inside while this is happening)
• Good Weather (if you are going to spray outside)

Sun Room Makeover

Another room I decided could use a face-lift was our sun-room. It was the same "oriental yellow" as the rest of the house, and it HAD TO GO. 

Right side of the room before

Left side of the room before

I apologize for all of the mess in these photos. I was, and still am, living in box city, and are taking care of unpacking one room at a time. Since I'm trying to be as budget conscious as possible I decided to use the leftover paint from our cabinet makeover, which was Valspar "Fresh Cotton". I figured white would really open up the room, and eventually I would like to get some nice bamboo shades for the window, which will look really nice with white walls.

This is after  one coat of paint. I ended up doing 3 coats for maximum coverage.

I wanted the room to feel light, airy, and magical, so I ended up finding some really nice Harry Potter inspired artwork online, and used my Umbridge kitten plates from a previous Loot Crate.

The left side of the room after

I ended up upcycling the black shelf from the second and third photos (I'll do a separate post on how I did that soon), created custom name plates for my fur babies for their respective dining areas, and repainted their leash/harness hanger to go with the feel of the room.

 

The right side of the room after

There are still a few knick-knacks I need to put out, like my wands, a salt crystal lamp and some other fun, mystical, magical decor, but I really like the new vibe the room has. It is ultimately a room for our girls. During the day, I like to leave the blinds up, and Cassie will sit on the bed and look out at the yard or at the neighbors. It also doubles as a second guest room for visitors!

This was a really fun project, and I had several mini projects within this project that I'll be posting about soon. In total, I'd say the makeover for this room, including the mini projects, cost maybe $75-$100 total including the paint, some storage boxes, a desk fan (not pictured), and the bedding set. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share below!

Entryway Makeover

I've always wanted an entry way. At the old house, I had to create the illusion of an entry way (see that post here), so another box this house checked on my dream home checklist was having an actual entry way. 

Above is the listing photo of the entry way. The photo doesn't really show the color of the walls, it was a color called "oriental yellow", which I hated. I repainted the living room and the hallway with Sherwin Williams' "Accessible Beige", a color that was from the old house, but I LOVED it. I did end up using Sherwin Williams Ovation, because we painted the hallway in the old house using Ovation, and it is definitely scrub-proof (something that DEFINITELY comes in handy for an entryway that gets lots of traffic).

The first step was taping everything off. This was my husband's job. Being an engineer, he is able to get a level of precision I could never event attempt. We wanted to tape out a checker board and stencil every other square, so this way it wasn't too random,  but it also wasn't too busy if we used every square.

My husband started taping the horizontal lines first, and used a laser level to make sure they were nice and straight. THEN we started the vertical lines. About 5 lines in, my husband realized it was taking a LOT of tape, and asked me if I would be able to make it work with small pieces of tape to denote the squares. That definitely worked for me, it saved him time, and it saved us masking tape. Once it was done, it looked like the above photo.

When I was ready to start stenciling, I taped the stencil up like so. This was my first time stenciling, so I tried two different brushes, a foam brush and a bristle brush. 

I prefer the foam brushes, because even though I thoroughly washed the bristle brush, the way I stenciled caused the bristles to come out. I may have been too vigorous of a stenciler, but they just did NOT work for me. I was able to properly pick up a small amount of paint and dab it with the foam brushes, whereas the bristles seemed to get UNDER the stencil as I had to move in small circles to get the paint onto the wall. 

The first stencil came out really well. I ended up using leftover paint from the kitchen remodel (Behr Doeskin Gray - check out that project here), so this was a subtle pattern, that you don't really notice it until the light hits it in just the right way.

When I finished the first wall, I stepped back to check out my handy work. I left the small, incomplete stencils (like the ones around the front door) for last, because I was going to need the willpower, and a second set of hands to hold the stencil while I vigorously stenciled - I REALLY let out any frustration when stenciling apparently.

At this point, the stencil was getting rather gunky. Some of the paint was going onto the back of the stencil, making the lines not so crisp. I put it in the guest bath tub, covered it with water, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then gently, in one direction, scrubbed the paint off. You don't want to be too rough when scrubbing, because you can bend some of the points of the stencil, and you don't want to break your stencil half-way through.

When you've scrubbed as much of the dried/gunky paint off as you feel comfortable with, be sure to DRY YOUR STENCIL. Lay it down on a towel, and fold the town over it and gently press. Then, take the towel and meticulously get the water off of all of the stencil. The last thing you want if you're using water-based paint, is for the paint to touch the water, dissolve, and run down your wall into spaces that you did NOT intend to stencil. This almost happened to me, but fortunately I caught it in time.

The finished product is just what I wanted. The pattern is so subtle you can only catch it at the right angle in the right lighting. It gives the wall a luxurious, almost silk-like look, and definitely sparks an interest for more stencil projects. 

So, if you want to tackle this project yourself, you'll need the following things:

1. Paint
2. Stencil Brushes - Like I said, I preferred foam, but if it's your first time try both to see what you prefer for your stenciling style. They are really cheap and can be found at most craft stores or in the craft section of big box stores like Walmart and Target.
3. Painters Tape
4. Level
5. Stencil - the most important ingredient!
6. Step Ladder - if you're short like me
7. Drop Cloth - if you're accident prone like me

I've given some thought to putting a mirror or console table in the hallway, but I am not sure what I want to do with the space at the moment. I remember how crowded it was when you came into my old house, so I may just leave the stencils to be the welcoming accent to my new home!

DIY Kitchen Remodel Adventure

I love, love, LOVE my new house. However, I knew there were two big projects that would have to be done for it to be comfortable to me.

1. The master bath - I NEED a tub. I am a bath lady through and through. I have bath bombs, bubble bars, and salt soaks. Bottom line: I have to remodel to add a tub.

2. The kitchen - As you can see from the photos below, the kitchen is completely functional. I've definitely seen worse kitchens in houses I viewed, but it felt really closed in to me, so I knew I would have to open it up, and lighten it up. 

My first big step was to take down that overhang, but it was SUPER HEAVY, so I took down the absurdly low breakfast bar and cabinet doors while waiting for a friend to stop by to help. Once I got it down, the kitchen had a completely different feel to it.

Yes, that is the same kitchen. As you can see, I had to use a jack to hold up the cabinet I took down after I unscrewed it from that giant metal bar hanging from the ceiling. It left very little residue on the ceiling and wall, which was a marvelous surprise. Now, with the heavy lifting (or so I thought) out of the way, I was all set to paint the cabinets!

Painting was a lot harder, and more time-consuming that I had originally expected, and I went in expecting it to be rough. I had a little over a week before I was set to move out things into the house, and close on my old house, so I wanted to take that time to do any intensive projects that might be hindered by my two fur-babies being in the house, so painting the cabinets had a defined time limit. I didn't want dog hair tumbleweeds to find themselves forever embedded in the paint on my cabinets, so I took some time off of work and primed, painted, and sealed my cabinets.

It took 2 coats of primer, 3 coats of paint, and 3 coats of polycrylic, but the end result is LOVELY. Above you can see how the doors looked before and how they looked after. Now comes the informative part. How did I do this myself? I'm going to list it out for you right now!

Things I Used:

PREP:

1. 220 Grit Sand Paper
2. Clorox Wipes
3. Tacky Cloths
4. Zinsser Oil Based Primer
5. Purdy Brush
6. Spray Paint Primer for Knobs/Handles

PAINTING:

1. Purdy Angled Brush
2. Wood to keep cabinets off of the ground
3. Foam Roller
4. Paint (I used Valspar Signature indoor latex in Fresh Cotton)
5. 2 Sawhorses
6. Bronze Spray Paint for Knobs/Handles

PROTECTING:

1. Purdy Brush
2. Minwax Satin PolyCrylic
3. Paint Sprayer
4. 2 Sawhorses

Steps I Took:

PREP:

1. I washed all of my brushes and removed loose hairs, so I didn't have to worry about them sticking to my primer or paint later in the process. While they were drying...
2. I wiped down the cabinets and handles with the Clorox Wipes. I know this sounds trivial, but you have no clue how much gunk builds up on kitchen cabinets and hardware! Without wiping them down first, your sandpaper will gunk up and not be as effective, and you'll blow through a ton of it. Just trust me, wipe them down first. 
3. Next I sanded them. I just sanded them enough to rough them up and give the primer something to hang onto. Had I wanted to re-stain the cabinets instead of repaint, I would've had to sand down to the wood, which would have taken a lot more time and muscle. If you're looking to repaint, just scuff it up enough to give the primer something to hold onto. 
4. I then took the tacky cloth and wiped down the sanded wood. That seemed to get off all of the dust from sanding. You don't want dust in your paint if you want a pretty, smooth finish. 
5. I wiped them down again with a Clorox wipe after using the tacky cloth. I used about 1 wipe per door. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I wanted them to be perfect and wanted to make sure all of the dust and gunk was G-O-N-E before priming.
6. I used a regular (non-angled) Purdy brush to prime everything. I started with the backs of the doors, because when the doors are being supported, you can afford some primer from the backs to smudge or be nicked when you're priming the front because the backs of the doors aren't seen often. While priming and painting I set the doors between two sawhorses, so I didn't have to bend down on the floor (I have a bad back) and could get things done standing. I did 2 coats of primer on each side, and since I worked full time, this was an end-of-the-day task I would do before going to my old house. So the way I timed it was:
•  I primed the backs of the doors (which I had set up in the garage), and then I primed the boxes/cabinets inside the kitchen while that primer coat dried. 
• I let them dry overnight.
• I did another coat of primer on the backs of the cabinets and the cabinet boxes.
• I let them dry overnight.
• I did a coat on the front of the cabinet doors.
• I let them dry overnight
• I did a coat on the front of the cabinet doors.
•  Ilet them dry overnight.
7. I Sprayed 2 coats of primer onto my hardware.

PAINTING

1. Now that everything has been properly primed, I can start painting! Using the same sawhorse technique I painted a coat on the backs of the cabinets using a foam roller, and the edges using an angled Purdy brush.
2. While the first coat on the backs of the cabinet doors was drying, I painted the first coat on the cabinet boxes. I used a mix between a 2" foam roller and a regular Purdy Brush. By the time I was finished painting the boxes, I was able to go back in and do the next coat on the backs of the cabinets.
3. My second coat on the backs of the doors was the telling coat. A lot of the other DIY cabinet painting blogs and sites I'd read, they used 2 coats, but that just wasn't crisp or white enough for me, so after the second coat dried, I realized I needed 3 coats. So after I completed the cabinet boxes, I came back and did my 3rd coat on the backs of the doors, then, the boxes. 
4. During this time I also sprayed the hardware bronze for it to dry as the doors did. 
5. After finishing that, I was then finally able to flip them over and concentrate on painting the fronts of the cabinets. I did 3 coats, waiting between each coat for the paint to dry, and I was done painting. It was late at night at this point, so I went home to catch some Zzzs and get ready for the part I feared the most - PROTECTING.

PROTECTING

1. By the time I got around to this part, I was tired, cranky, and upset I was having to use vacation time to paint cabinets. At this point, I was okay with never seeing a paintbrush or cabinet door again. However, I pushed on as I was in media res, and had 3 days until all of the furniture and fur-babies were being moved over to my house. I started on the backs of my cabinets, as usual, and worked my way inside to the cabinet boxes. The polycrylic dries fast, is clear, and (according to my research) can be the thing that makes or breaks your project. I didn't have an issue, though, so don't be afraid to protect your work!
2.  I put on a thin layer with an angled Purdy Brush, and, like when painting, by the time I was done with the boxes, it was time to do the backs again. I kept painting in this order for the next 2 layers, then it was time to flip them over, and protect the fronts.
3. i made sure to organize my hardware, so I was able to put on the hardware as soon as I was happy with the dryness of polycrylic.
4. You're done, and can breathe a sigh of relief as you put those doors back on to reveal your like-new cabinets!

I somehow managed to finish the cabinets in time, and as you can see in the photo above, the counter tops were a bit of a mess with all of my paint samples, tools, and takeout. I cleaned up all of that, and moved in my belongings and the rest of the family!

I also added a new light above the sink to go with my rustic/industrial theme. I'm VERY proud of these "new" cabinets.

The next thing I was to do was add wooden flooring to the side of the peninsula, which would add that rustic look I wanted to have in the kitchen. I used Super 90+ adhesive, and it worked like a charm! I also painted the kitchen Behr's Doeskin Gray, got a new oven and microwave, and updated the chandelier in the dining area by adding new shades. Other than new counter tops, and finishing up the coffee bar, I'm done! Here's the finished product:

It's great looking at it and knowing that you have done it with your own hands. There's no better feeling than taking care of business yourself AND saving money!! If you have any questions, leave a comment, and I'll try my best to answer them!

Creating an Entry Way Where There Isn't One.

We've all seen these GORGEOUS houses that have large, expansive foyers with mud rooms, chandeliers, etc. However, how do you deal when your front door literally opens into your living room? I've spent the last month devouring every article, blog post, and pinterest pin trying to research ways to do this. Most lead me to sites with examples of houses that claim to have "no entry way" where in fact the entry way is huge, or opens up into a room big enough to create an entry way.

I pride myself on a livable house. I try to make it as beautiful as possible while still being able to function with two fur babies in tow. However, when I say I have no entry way, I mean it. Exhibits A and B:

The view from the "entry way" looking into the living room and down the hallway.

The view from the hallway looking into the living room and at the entry way.

To give you an idea of the amount of furniture that fills this living space: One of my favorite past times is gaming/television so I have a mega entertainment center. I am also an avid reader, so add on two large bookshelves. I kennel my dogs, so that makes two kennels (one medium, one large) a coffee table, a love seat, a sofa, and a really nice flip-flop couch (a.k.a fancy futon) that all fit into this room. Things were getting a bit tight to say the least.

I always felt horrible when guests would enter, as there would be a dog kennel close to the door opening, not to mention the girls running and tackling the guests in excitement. It felt stifling to watch. With furniture, my entry way looked a bit like this:

I'd had enough with making the guests squeeze through, and decided to do something about it. 

First, I rearranged the furniture. Basically, I moved the kennels into the kitchen (they fit perfectly into the two corners behind the table, and that freed up a ton of room at the door. I wanted to create a nice entryway that would be worthy of guests and actually feel like a foyer/welcome area to the home. 

Anyone who knows me knows I spend as little as I can when decorating, and was able to stay under $150 for this project. 

My first stop was a chest or table to put at the doorway to put some doodads on/in to be very pretty and welcoming. I ended up using a coupon I had alonside a sale Target was running and was able to pick up a chest for $100. 

You can check this out here.

Next was to fill that huge empty space behind the door. I contemplated mirrors and shelves, but found that the likeliness they would be knocked off, broken, or would impede entry made me rethink that.  I've done a lot with wall decals in the past, and haven't incorporated them into the new house yet, so I though this was the PERFECT opportunity. I toyed around with a couple of ideas until I settled on this gorgeous set birch trees and birds I found on Etsy for $40.

I know they are placed in a nursery in the photo, but I like to bend and break the rules!
You can check these out here.

I literally JUST finished putting these up today. So, without further ado, I give you how I created an entry way where there was none:

I now feel the room is more open and guests will really feel welcomed by the space and decor of my little "entry way." If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments sections below!

3 Step Cheap Tea Party Bird Feeders

This was, yet again, a very inexpensive craft. I went to the local thrift store, and found some cute teacups and saucers (about $0.30 each.) I had the epoxy at home. It took about 30 minutes to clean and ready the plates and saucers, and an hour of waiting for the epoxy to dry.

You will need:
saucer(s)
cup(s)
epoxy*/glue
weight to help the cup and saucer set
bird seed

* you will also need something to mix epoxy in if you decide to do it the way I did.

Step 1: Clean the saucer(s) and cup(s)

Step 2: Mix and apply epoxy/glue             

I keep lids from jars and Yoohoo bottles to mix this stuff in. 

Step 3: Wait for the glue/epoxy to dry

I weighed mine down with some books, because I was worried the glossy finish of the cup and saucers wouldn't hold. Later research told me that sanding the bottom of the cup would have been sufficient, BUT I had no problems with it staying after doing it this way.

Step 4: Fill with bird seed, and enjoy!

            

I also picked up a cheap bonsai tree and a tea-kettle for about $1.50.

And that, my dear friends, is a cheap craft that you can do in an afternoon if you want to charm the birdies into visiting your place. You can also attach these to poles and posts, but since I live in an apartment complex, there is no yard for me to place the poles in.