Faking Large Scale Molding

Tags

adding molding, architectural details, crown, faux molding, how to add molding, inexpensive home ideas, molding, Moulding, stack, stacking molding, stock molding, wall

Molding can really make or break a house, but it can also make or break a budget. Unfortunately, I just can’t get enough of it! You may have noticed in a lot of the pictures of my house that I have ornate molding – but I also have areas where we installed simpler, linear molding. Let’s face it, the fancy-smancy stuff isn’t for everyone and it has to suit the architecture of the house. It can also be pretty pricy. The problem I run into is that I have tall ceilings – 12′ on the main floor and 10′ in the basement and upper level. With that, the molding has to be in scale, so in many rooms I have stacked moldings or, in the case of our mudroom, duped the eye and used a trick that builders use to get the most bang for the buck.

Here’s what I opted for in our mudroom, which was SOOOO dreadfully plain, boring and devoid of any details:

I incorporated the wall into the molding by painting it the same color, which added several inches to the height. All the pieces are generic stock molding that can be bought off the shelf at Home Depot or Lowes. I SO wish I remember how much I paid for this project, but it wasn’t much!

Call Off the Search Party – I AM Alive ;-)

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APT, Blogging, cats, critical infrastructure, cybe warfare, cyber security, dog, dog and child in bed, guest posts, kid, Pets, product placement, sponsored posts, telecom

Where did the time go and where the heck have I been?!?!?

With my little ones on winter vacation I took some time off  – and my blogging, which I normally do during at night, got interrupted by this debacle:

Every. Single. Night!!!

A New Rug: Men, Kids, Dogs and Nice Things Don’t Mix

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beige family room, Carpet, dogs, family room, German Shepherd, gray, grey, husband, ideas, kids, nutcrackers, rug, ruined, ruining, transitional, writing on furniture

Good news: after the kids and dogs did all the damage they could to our family room area rug, we got a new one! After I did the post Fifty Shades of Grey, I inspired myself. There are two rooms on our first floor that could use my attention, but our family room really needed a new rug asap! The nice thing about grey is that it is a neutral – the new neutral – and can blend where you wouldn’t think it could.

I actually didn’t buy the rug for this room, but am using it here for now:

Gifts for the Home: (Low-priced Lighting Options I Like)

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aqua, aqua shade, blue, brass, Christmas gifts, chrome, Copper, desk lamp, French lantern, gift ideas, home gift idea, kids room, Kirkland, lamp, lamp shade, lantern, nickel, patina, Peacock lamp, pharmacy lamp, silver

My radar is always on for just about any product you can imagine. That’s why when I received an email asking for some low-priced lighting options, I had a couple of options handy that I think are lovely. And with the holiday season upon us, they also make thoughtful gifts priced at $25, $40 and $50, which is why I thought I would share my picks:

DIY $1 Nutcracker Ornaments

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beautiful ornaments, Christmas, Christmas tree, DIY ornaments, Dollar Store crafts, Dollar Tree, holidays, how to make nutcracker ornaments, inexpensive nutcrackers, nutcracker, nutcracker ornaments, plaid ribbon, set of nutcrackers, tartan, Xmas

Ornaments can be crazy expensive, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for a skimpy tree or a tree full of balls; it just means you need to have your eyes open. The Dollar Tree has adorable 8″ nutcrackers for $1 that I have made into ornaments that look gorgeous on my nine foot tree.

And if the stigma of something from a Dollar Store gives you pause, bear in mind, I have ornaments on my tree that are extremely pricey and these blend in seamlessly, and I am very picky!!

How to Make a Baby Sleeping Sign

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baby sleeping sign, diy, diy a sign, diy art, diy kids' art, door knob, door sign, green and brown nursery, how to make a plaque, how to make a sign, name plaque, Nursery, Nursery ideas, wall plaque, wooden plaque

My older brother, the City Mouse, had a baby two months ago and I wanted to give him something that I made (along with some other gifts) because this would not be something in his realm. I decided to make him a “Baby Sleeping” sign for the nursery:

Patterned Stained Floors

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border, diamond, diy, family crest, floor inspiration, floor patterns, hardwood, harlequin, how to stain a pattern onto your floors, inlaid, inlaid wood floors, medallion, patterns, Stained Concrete, stained floor, stained floor patterns, wood floor

I think I have a DIY ADD (Do-It-Yourself Attention & Daylight Deficient). There are only so many hours in the week month that I can work on house projects, but my mind is running constantly – and there are SO many projects and rooms that I want to do … with the list growing 😉 (Plus, I’m not one to pull the trigger unless I’ve thoroughly researched the possibilities.)

You may remember the stained harlequin floor from the post I did profiling a designer’s apartment… I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. (The interior shutters from that post went on “THE List” too, but I haven’t been able to shop fabrics.) I thought the stained diamond pattern on the hardwood floors would look wonderful in my kitchen or foyer.

Heck, while I’m researching, why not see if there are other stain patterns for wood floors that would be nice too because the first and second floors of our house (minus the orangerie) are hardwood. What was out there was a mixed bag of nuts:

Patterned Rollers for the Wallpaper Phobic

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DIY Channel, fabric on walls, hang, hanging fabric, hanging wallpaper, HGTV, paint, patterned roller, remove, removing wallpaper, rolling stencil, Stencil, wall, wall treatments, wallpaper

Because of HGTV and the DIY Channel, I am a little nervous to hang wallpaper. It’s difficult to put up well and time consuming to take down. Bottom line: it’s a commitment. But it’s soooo pretty!

Pretty, right?

Guest Post by a DIY Network Host

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art, Chevron, diy, DIY Channel, DIY Network, Fresh Coat, graphite, guest post, host, how to make a stencil, how to paint a pattern on a wall, how to paint furniture, how to trace a pattern, paint, paint ceiling, paint furniture, Painted Ceiling, Pinterest, Shannon Kaye, Stencil, tracing paper, transfer technique, tv host

Recently I received a submission which I thought was compelling enough to share. I love receiving submissions and requests for guest posts, but because I look for unique projects and instructions, this will only be the second guest post I’ve had on my blog! Shannon Kaye, who hosted DIY Network Channel’s “Fresh Coat” and is now launching a series of videos on DIY’s website, contacted me a few weeks ago, submitting her work to my blog. I was actually familiar with her work and had a picture of her chevron painted ceiling in one of my files:

Designer Rooms: A Peach Dining Room and a Tiffany Blue Boudoir

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antique chandeliers, antique sconces, blue bedroom, Blue Room, cool paint colors, coral room, coral room inspiration, designer bedroom, flea market design, high-end bedroom, how to add designer touches, Kelee Katillac, luxury blue bedroom, luxury dining room, neoclassic, panel molding, panel molding inspiration, peach room, sconce, warm paint colors, window treatment ideas

Good news and bad news. Good news is I have a new favorite paint color: a pinkish peach. It is delish. The bad news? I was looking for a cool color! I realized I have a lot of warm colors in our house, so I think I need to change a room or two on our first floor.

But peach…it’s just scrumptious! On Friday, I did a post on part of interior designer Kelee Kadillac’s apartment, but only showed you a portion of her apartment because it was quite a bit to take in. Here is the rest, starting with her yummy dining room:

Orange and pink is a “hot” color combination right now.

Designer’s Apartment Filled with DIY Inspiration

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blue and yellow living room, blue living room, diamond pattern stained floors, diy, DIY shutters, gold stick lamp, harlequin pattern, high end design, high end living room, how to add panel molding, interior designer's living room, Kelee Katillac, luxury apartment, Luxury interior design, mirrored furniture, Moulding, panel molding, paneled walls, raw amethyst quartz, upholstered doors, upholstered walls, yellow living room

Interior designer Kelee Katillac and her partner, architectural interior designer Steve Heiffus, recently collaborated on a 1915 apartment that showcased and married their skills. It seemed that the project was a success and both were happy with the result, which is good, because they are more than just partners – they are husband and wife – and they live in this apartment!

I wanted to show you this apartment because it is full of the DIY potential and inspiration. Even if this style is not yours, there are things that Kelee has done that are wildly creative and can be used in different applications.

I could just die over these floors!! This was the first thing that drew me to the apartment; I have been dreaming about doing this stain treatment to a floor (maybe our foyer or our kitchen??) in our house…having never done it before, though, I am slightly nervous about messing up! I’ve never even painted the harlequin pattern before…yikes! So, it may be a long time before I muster the courage, but there is one little entry area that I could try it that if I messed up, I could sand the floors and re-stain them…ugh…

Today’s Tasteful Take on a Historic House

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Barry Dixon, Baton Rouge, courtyard, designer, DIY outdoor drapes, drop cloth, Elway Hall, floor plan, French, historic house, historical renovation, House tour, interior design, interior designer, Italian chandelier, Ivy, library, neoclassical, painters drop clothes, Parsons desk, Target, Thomas O'Brien, toile, traditional, Travertine, Ty Larkins, West Elm

Historical renovation is something I am passionate about because of my love for the architectural features. In my “About Me” section. I referenced almost buying a beautiful, historic house named Elway Hall, but it was just too far away from my office and I would have spent a minimum of 3 hours in the car a day. Two interior designers ended up buying the house that I had to begrudgingly pass on; it seems that interior designers frequently take the challenge of older homes head on without thinking twice.

House Beautiful profiled one such designer…

Small Space Solutions for the City Mouse

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bookcases, Cambridge, how to decorate a small apartment, loft, Lucite, New York City, NYC, small apartment, small space, sofa turns into bunk bed, solutions, Staircase, storage solutions

I am a country mouse. My brother, however, is a city mouse. Our lifestyles could not be more opposite. He has lived in Cambridge, London, but primarily in New York City, where apartments have their quirks and run on the small side. New Yorkers have adjusted and know the tricks to get the most out of their space. Maybe because of his metropolitan living, I was intrigued…

On my Mac, I have a file entitled “Small Spaces”, which is full of pictures that I find engaging for one reason or another, which will take me quite a while to get through, but I wanted to start and show you a few!

This space may be small, but it certainly doesn’t give the impression of being cramped.

How to Choose a Paint Color

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blue, bold paint, brown, colors, cream, dark paint, diy, gold, green, how to choose a bedroom color, how to choose a living room color, how to choose a paint color, how to paint, how to pick a paint color, navy, neutral paint colors, paint, painting, painting tips, Renovation, sweat equity, tan, yellow

For some, it may be easy to pull a room together – (and if this is you, this may not be the post for you, except maybe to comment on your thoughts, preferred colors, etc.) – but for others, it can be a real puzzler. There are so many thoughts, rules and philosophies on how to choose paint colors, but forget all that. Here’s what you really need to know:

– Paint should not be the first thing you pick out/pick up. Why? Because it comes in just about every shade imaginable, but your sofa, upholstery, rugs, accessories and artwork do not, so it’s better to start with them and work your way out.

– Pull a color that exists in the room or furnishings already. Looking at this rug:

there are a myriad of colors that could be used on the walls, from cream, yellow, peaches, navy blue, cornflower blue, sage green, burnt sienna, etc.

Large and Lovely Laundry Rooms

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apothecary jars, clothes pins, colorful rooms, drying rack, Home Depot, how to decorate a laundry room, ironing boards, large laundry room, laundry, laundry baskets, laundry bins, laundry detergent, laundry room, laundry room design, laundry room ideas, laundry room inspiration, recessed ironing boards, small laundry room, tile ideas, tile patterns, wrapping paper storage

I mentioned in my last post, Smart Little Laundry Rooms, that it takes real ingenuity to design a small space because every inch needs to serve a purpose and be maximized. Larger areas? Not as much. It’s a luxury…and a real curse (more surface area for junk to accumulate, more cleaning…)! But if you do have a dedicated or larger laundry room, how do you decorate it? Like any other room. Think about functionality first and then the aesthetics.

The paint color actually matches the ironing board and the shelves were painted as well to disappear into the wall.

Even here, they have a retractable drying rack as I talked about in my last post. Putting the clothing pins in a glass jar in very pretty. (In case you don’t know where to buy clothing pins, they sell them at Home Depot – I think a pack of 50 is $3. How do I know? I live at Home Depot!)

Again with clothing pins in a glass (apothecary) jar, as well as powdered detergent. See my previous post for a brilliant liquid detergent equivalent. Note that the fold out ironing board door is wallpapered on the inside too. It’s details like this that show incredible thought. Ready for the other half of the room?

Smart Little Laundry Rooms

Tags

city kitchens, city space, Closet, dryer, ideas, laundry, laundry room, laundry room ideas, laundry room inspiration, Renovation, small laundry room, small space laundry, washer

A small space takes above average creativity. With a large space, things can be put in willy-nilly and without much thought. That is just not the case if you live in a city or a smaller and/or older home. The placement of a washer and dryer is one of those things that takes some thought. A laundry room just may not exist, so it’s going to have to be tucked in somewhere…and addressed aesthetically.

How gorgeous is this? The tile floor, the wallpaper, the molding, the side panels that are hiding…??? Of course laundry supplies, but how great would laundry bins be too? It appears that this was fitted into an awkward space (with the ceiling slanting in on one side) that would have been unused if not for this brilliant concept.

Instructions for DIY Ornate Pilasters and Door Surrounds

Tags

A Detailed House, appliques, architectural detail, Crown molding, Crown moulding, Dining room, diy, Do it yourself, Door, Door surround, fluted, fluted pilasters, frieze, home improvement, ionic, ionic cap, molding, Moulding, pilaster, pilasters, Renovation

Supplementing my post about our dining room pilasters, here is the break down and the instructions for the door surrounds. The material list below is what we used, but (of course!) adjust to your taste, architecture and level of complexity with which you are comfortable. Also, we have 8′ tall doors, which aren’t the norm, so please make sure to measure your doors prior to buying any materials or “ready-made” door pilaster kits.

DIY Ornate Door Pilasters

Tags

A Detailed House, Crown molding, Crown moulding, Dining room, Door, Door header, Door surround, Doors, Dramatic doors, egg and dart molding, fluted pilasters, Home and Garden, home improvement, Ionic order, mantle, Moulding, pilaster

After we did our kitchen door pilasters, which were actually more difficult and our first time attempting door surrounds, we felt we had the hang of it. So you can imagine what crossed my mind. Yep, let’s rip them all down! Great idea, right? It was…until children came along and threw a wrench in my grandiose plans of custom molding everywhere! I think my husband thought the children would be less work, but they suck up more energy than all my projects combined 😉

We have gradually managed to address a few, one being the dining room pilasters:

My Silos

Tags

A Detailed House, Dovecote, Pigeonnier, Renovate silo, Ruins, Silo

As a follow up to my post yesterday called Keep Silos, Dovecotes and Pigeonniers and Think About the Possibilities, here are a few pictures of our silos that I opted to keep:

Keep Silos, Dovecotes, Pigeonniers and Think About the Possibilities

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A Detailed House, Abandoned houses, Abandoned structures, Bird, Bird house, Bird houses, Dove, Dovecot, Dovecote, England, Glass dome, Guest house, Message transfer agent, Old barns, Pigeon, Pigeonnier, Ricardo Bofill, Silo, Silos, Travel and Tourism

When we bought our land, one of the questions that was frequently asked was: are we demolishing the silos that stood upon our acreage. You see, our property was at one time farmland, so with it came an old, dilapidated barn, crumbled milking sheds and, my favorite of the structures, the silos.

For aesthetics, the prevailing sentiment was that we should take all these structures down, but I loved these structures and think too often things are stripped bare – the very things that give character. So they were staying and there was no talking me out of it.

Kitchen Islands with Legs: Hybrids of Farm Tables and Cabinets

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A Detailed House, Construction and Maintenance, Cream kitchen, High end kitchen, high-end kitchens, home improvement, How to make a kitchen island, kitchen, Kitchen farm table, kitchen island, Kitchen island cabinets, Kitchen island with legs, Kitchen islands, Kitchen islands with bookcases, Kitchen islands with shelves, kitchen renovation, White kitchen

A reader (Diane) has a quandary with her kitchen renovation, which she and I discussed in the comment section of a previous post, so I wanted to do a post on kitchen islands that will hopefully benefit her and others. Besides showing some inspiration, I also wanted to show how basic cabinets can be transformed with a larger countertop and legs.

Cents and Sensibility: How to Make a Penny Floor

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A Detailed House, Floors made out of coins, Floors made out of pennies, How to make a nickel floor, How to make a penny floor, Nickel floor, Penny floor, Portland Press Herald, Standard Grill

With two little ones running around the house, I am always picking things up off the floor. I am amazed, though, by the sheer number of coins! Granted, we play “store” a lot, which involves a cash register, spare change, and my youngest setting up “shop” where ever I am… no matter what I’m doing, working or not! They have piggy banks that they love to fill, so why are the coins spread cavalierly on the floor?

I tell myself it’s good for me – like exercise – and picking them up is the equivalent of toe touches, but not even an Army Drill Sargent would put someone through this 😉 Now my thought process is that I’m just going to start cementing them down, so I will eventually end up with these floors:

DIY Custom Bathroom Sink Cabinet

Tags

A Detailed House, Bathroom, Bathroom sink, DIY bathroom vanity, diy sink cabinet, DIY vanity, High end bathrooms, Renovation, Sink cabinet, sink cabinet from furniture, Vanity

I’ve posted before about bathrooms and pointed out some high-end vanities, briefly mentioning that you can make your own bathroom sink cabinets, so I thought it was time to delve into it further.

I wanted to show you what I did for our downstairs powder room that was inexpensive, yet custom, and can be done in any style to suit your taste and budget. Almost any dresser, table or chest can be converted and fitted with a sink and faucet.

Here’s what I did:

DIY Bathroom sink vanity / cabinet

Natural Rock Bathtubs

Tags

A Detailed House, Amazon rainforest, Amazonian rainforest, Amlink, Baldi, Bathroom, Bathtub, Carved limestone, Carved marble tubs, Harrods, Indonesia, List of decorative stones, Marble, Natural Stone, Quartz, River Rock, Rock bathtubs, Rock Crystal, Rock tubs, Solid stone bathtubs, Solid stone tubs, Stone bathtub, Stone Forest, Stone tubs, Travertine

Natural materials, which I adore, are very prevalent in design, so I thought I’d show you some bathtub made from a single rock that range from formal and carved to untouched and natural-looking. It probably goes without saying, but because of the materials’ durability –  and with proper care – they can be used outside as well.

Carved granite by Carved Stone Creations.

All I Need Is 8 Fewer Eyes and 4 Head(er)s

Tags

A Detailed House, Columns, home, molding, Moulding, pilaster, pilasters, Roman Corinthian, Split columns

My pilaster project is coming along nicely and all that is missing is the header. Our local home improvement store discontinued a whole line of molding that I really liked, which really put a damper on things!

Gold for How Much???

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A Detailed House, art, Best gold paint, Do it yourself, Gold finish, Hallway, Home Depot, Krylon, Krylon gold paint, Lowe, Lowes, paint, Rust-Oleum, Rustoleum, Shiny gold paint, Walmart

When doing a post, I usually do a lot of research and work on multiple projects at one time, which is why it takes me so darn long to do one measly post! I also like to ponder my projects (I can’t tell you how many mistakes I would have made if I hadn’t thought about some of these for a long time!) and try out materials to make sure I’ve thought of everything possible.

In my research, I found a great bargain that I wanted you all to know about:  Krylon spray paint, which I think is wonderful for achieving a gold finish (in terms of paint), is available at Walmart for $3.67 for 12 ounces! Wha-wha-what??? I couldn’t believe it! Currently, Krylon isn’t carried at Home Depot; they sell Rustoleum, which sells for (if I remember correctly) $8/for 8 ounces, and I’m not sure if Lowes carries it.

I sprayed a (white primed) scrap piece of wood for you all to see and took some pictures:

Taken outside in full sunlight, it looks like a very bright gold.

Why Does Life Get in the Way of My House Projects?

Tags

diy columns, foyer molding, pilasters, Roman Corinthian, Roman Corinthian cap, Roman Corinthian column, Split columns

I have been planning this house project for a long time, so I was VERY excited to start on it. However, we had my friend over one night, a girls’ sleep over and a school project to finish up for Monday. Come on people! Don’t you see I have some materials here that I am dying to put up!

So, of course it didn’t get finished….sigh. But aren’t you a little curious as to what has my britches in a bunch?

It started outside with these tools – Ok, maybe I didn’t focus exactly on the tools, but how cute is that face 😉

Clawing for a Clawfoot Tub

Tags

Antique bath, Antique bathroom, Antique tub, Bathroom, bathroom renovation, black and white tile, Black and white tile floor, Black and white tile idea, claw foot tub, clawfoot tub, glass tile, grout, iridescent tile, Non-sanded grout, refinish a clawfoot tub, Retro bathroom, Retro tub, tile, Triangular tile floor, vintage bathroom

I’ve seen some pretty unique things, but when I stumbled upon this, I did a double take. I think I’ve made it well known that I love all things old and historic ….but sometimes they do need a facelift and this was pretty ingenious:

How to Make Fancy Cornice Boards

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Cornice, Curtain rod, DIY Cornice, diy valance, Do it yourself, do it yourself cornice board, Fancy cornices, make your own cornice, Measurement, Plywood, Shopping, Window covering, window treatment ideas

So overdue with this post, but between my lack of photographic ability, my inability to find my camera (!!!), my little imps requiring my attention, my suspicion that my imps may have had something to do with the loss of the camera and life in general, it has been a difficult post!

If you remember, I created these cornices for my daughter’s room:

It’s an easy do it yourself project that I think anyone can do.

Hand Rails for a Special Needs Child

Tags

Bathroom, bathroom fixtures, Child, design, Equestrian, horseback riding, physical therapy, pretty handicap bathroom, pretty handicap rail, pretty handicap railing, pretty special needs railing, Special needs, Sports, Virginia

The other day, I received an email from a mother that read:

“I love all of your blogs and creative ideas and I’m wondering what thoughts you would have for designing a room, specifically a bathroom for a special needs child. My daughter is 12 and she’s special needs (mild cerebralpalsy [sic]). She gets around good but does not have as much strength in her body as a child without special needs. Her difficulty is manoevering [sic] around in a bathroom and the assistance bars that you see in handicapped bathrooms as well as tubs aren’t exactly pretty. Just wondering how you would design a room like that to be as beautiful as the ones you have on your blogs. Thanks!”

I read every email when it comes in, but I get quite a few (and a surprising number of WordPress “how to” questions – why, I have no idea!), so even though I read them, it sometimes takes a while to answer them and I respond to them in the order that I receive them. Not the case in this one. I replied immediately due to the nature of the design dilemma. I wanted to post my solution to her in case others were in the same position, whether for a child, adult or an elderly individual.

I asked her what finish her faucets were, but it turns out she was going to renovate the entire bathroom and would go with my suggestion. I still wanted to give her a few options from which to choose, but my very first thought was this:

Recognize it?

My DIY Carpet Tiles

Tags

Carpet, carpet tiles, diy carpet tiles, DIY kids room, do it yourself carpet tiles, Floor, flooring option, how to make carpet tiles, kids room, Lowes, Wood flooring

If you saw my post Pretty in Pink, you saw the the interior design I did for my daughter’s room, which included architectural details and carpet tiles that I made.

Since our second floor is hardwood, when I started planning the design, I searched for rugs, but I couldn’t find whimsical rugs in the sizes that I needed for her bedroom and sitting room. This turned my search to carpet ties, which yielded two things: my shock at the price ($10-$80 a tile) and dismay at the lack of the appropriate sizes and shades. I thought one of the main benefits of having carpet tiles (for me anyway) was that if they got stained beyond repair, you could pop them out and replace them cost-effectively.

Adorable DIY Ideas for Kids’ Rooms

Tags

Armoire, Baseball, children room decor, childrens room decoration, crafts, Craigslist, diy decorations, diy home improvement, DIY kid, DIY kids room, Do it yourself, Flat panel display, Home Depot, kid art, kid room, light fixture, Lowes, paint

While I work on my posts for how to make the carpet tiles and cornice boards, I thought I would dig into my files and show you some adorable, simple and inexpensive projects that I thought worthy of saving for future consideration.

Before flat screen TVs, many tried to hide their TVs in armoires. Now, those that bought flat screen TVs are trying to get rid of them!

I searched Craigslist while doing this post, just to see, and there were hundreds of armoires, many of them for free! Try to imagine them with a coat of paint, molding added to the top, different door knobs, added shelves, etc.

Here’s why:

Finding one this wide would require patience, but what child wouldn’t love a little nook like this?

Children adore hiding spots, so another option for an armoire, if you can find one with full length doors, is remove the back and place it in front of a door, so it’s a “secret” entrance, whether to a closet or a room.

Pretty in Pink

Tags

carpet tiles, chandelier shades, child room, Crown molding, Crown moulding, DIY kids room, girls' room, girly girls room, kids room, make chandelier shades, pink girls room, sitting room

Following up on my previous post, A Peek into My Daughter’s Room, I finally took pictures of one of my little girl’s rooms that were semi-decent. Taking pictures is a skill that I lack!

As I mentioned, this room was a complete overhaul. We even had to do drywall work where the bed is placed because our crappy builder put a duct going right up the middle of the wall! This of course was NOT on our architectural plans.

It took me so long to figure out how to address that awful eyesore, but I finally did. I chose to drywall a larger section to make a wall large enough to accommodate a bed and then build bookcases on either side.

The rug/carpeting I made. I had seen carpet tiles, but they were surprisingly very expensive and the colors were limited. For all this carpeting, which covers the sitting room and bedroom, I think I paid about $700.

The girls love the checkerboard pattern and frequently make up hopping games. I think it gives a playful touch for a child’s room. If you all are interested, I will do a post showing how I did it.

A Peek at My Daughter’s Room

Tags

built in bookcase, chandelier shades, Crown molding, Lighting, Lockheed Martin, make valances, panel molding, pink girls room, valance

There’s only so much time in the day and sometimes things have to take a back seat. Unfortunately, it’s been my blog!

I have been working on Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Security Initiative into the corporate sector due to the unprecedented number of cyber security attacks, which has been very time consuming since it is a new venture, but interesting, and completely unrelated to aesthetics.

Spending so much time on the technical, I’m so happy to spend some time on creative matters! So, on to my post…

When I was expecting my 2nd child, I knew there was a long road ahead in terms of fixing up her room. I started when I was first expecting and was still at it when I was 8 1/2 months. If only I had taken a before picture!

It was a major overhaul. We added crown molding, panel molding, door surrounds, two built in bookcases and ceiling medallions, I painted chandeliers and made and trimmed chandelier shades, I designed and made a rug, a play table, and (my favorite) three window valances WHEW!!!!

Even though this is a little girl’s room, all the projects I did can be done in other rooms.

I sketched out the design on plywood and made these fabric-covered valances for all the windows. This treatment can be used in any room and with any shape you want.

Closets Need Love Too (aka What I Bought Today)

Tags

chandelier, Closet, design, Do it yourself, kitchen, light fixture, Overstock, Overstock.com, Overstocks, Shopping

It is my belief that every inch of a house should feel the love and it is because of this belief that I paint the insides of my closets. Now, it may take me years for these closets to get my affection, but I eventually get around to them!

This is the case with my kitchen pantry. I did paint it, several times, but it needed a new light fixture, beyond the generic one that had been slapped up on the ceiling to pass inspection…11 years ago!

It hasn’t been for a lack of looking; I have off and on through the years, but have never found something that would sufficiently match the chandeliers I already had in the kitchen and since there is a window in our pantry (and the children have claimed it as their “office” and is large enough to store their toys), the door is open a lot.

Well, I finally found it! And I wanted to share because it is a bargain and there is nothing that I love more than a bargain! It is brass, which is contrary to today’s trend towards chrome, but I’m not redoing all my light fixtures to follow a trend!

I got in on Overstock.com for $39.50 with $1 shipping 😀

Real Kitchen DIYs That Are Easy, Inexpensive and Transforming

Tags

A Detailed House, appliques, Cabinet making, Craft, Do it yourself, Furniture, furniture feet, furniture legs, kitchen, kitchen cabinet upgrades, kitchen diy, kitchen fixes, kitchen renovation, paint, plaster, Stencil, stencils

There are things that can be done in the kitchen that are super easy and inexpensive (beyond the stale advice of a coat of paint) that have a serious impact.

Sometimes small, subtle details can be more powerful than large, and as simple as adding half round molding to the side of an island in a diamond shape:

I’ve shown the picture below before, but it bears repeating, as this is something we all could do.

An inexpensive, round table was transformed by skirting it with colorful fabric. Can’t sew? No problem – you can buy tape to hem the fabric with an iron. How to attach? I’m not sure how they did it, but when I’m in doubt, I use either my staple or glue gun 🙂  A square or rectangular table would be easier. You could even get fancy with ribbon or trim…

OCD Eye Candy – aka Keeping Kitchen Clutter at Bay

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Atticmag, Bilotta, Build.com, cabinet, container store, Habitat for Humanity, Home Depot, kitchen, Kitchen cabinet, kitchen clutter solutions, kitchen island, kitchen storage, paint, pilaster, ReStore, Wood-mode

My mother used to say, “Everything has a home and a place.” This is a great philosophy in theory. She, however, did not have my two little ones going behind her taking everything out! My point is, storage solutions need to be easy in order to be ongoing. Otherwise, it was a nice idea that lasted a month or so.

Adding bottom cabinets to your pantry is a nice idea and I believe in making every space attractive. However, I would probably go to Home Depot and get stock cabinets, instead of incurring the cost of the higher quality kitchen cabinets for a pantry. OR there are building “left-over” stores and nonprofits, like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore that run building supply depots.

I also have to comment on the curved cabinet of the kitchen island! I have never seen a cabinet that has a bow before! Gorgeous!! Via AtticMag

An Award? Moi?

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award, Kreativ Blogger

Surprisingly, I was bestowed the Kreativ Blogger Award and I am unbelievably grateful and honored. I had hoped that a few would respond to my blog and find my home, architectural details, interior design inspirations and DIY projects interesting, so I am humbled by the comments and followers.

To whom do I owe the honor? A wonderful blog called Children’s Health Naturally that is a forum for parents to talk about their adventures in parenting, as well as a source for tidbits, recipes, remedies and hot topics. Thank you so very much for thinking of me for this award!

Back to Reality: DIY Door Surrounds

After looking at the beautiful, no expense spared, dream kitchens, I’m coming back down to Earth with a DIY project that (I think) adds an element of interest, value, and sophistication…

With all the architectural activity in our kitchen, the poor, lowly door surrounds really started to look puny and pathetic. They had to be addressed! I wanted to copy the cabinet design, so all the molding currently around the doors had to go – meaning ripped down.

Luckily, all my HGTV viewing had finally paid off and had taught me to do this: Spray warm water around the molding to soften up the caulk and just leave it there for a little bit. With a knife score the caulk around the doors. Then, insert husband 🙂 Works every time!! He then hammered a chisel into the molding in different spots and pried it off.

Ordinary to Extraordinary with the Crown Jewel – Molding!

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architectural detail, architecture, cabinet, caulk, ceiling, crown, Crown molding, diy, Home Depot, kitchen, molding, nail, paint, pantry, Pine, putty, Wood

Our completed projects: crown molding, cabinet molding, mantle shelf and pullout spice cabinets! This took our kitchen from completely boring and ordinary to extraodinary!

I love molding – just adore it. It takes a plain box and makes it pretty.

So with the success and ease of adding molding to our plain cabinets, surely the ceilings can’t be that hard. I applied the same principle, except the top piece had a 9″ face. That made corners very difficult…for my husband 🙂 Oh, Lord, were the corners difficult!!

But the beauty of 12′ ceilings is that mistakes are impossible to see and caulk can do wonders! I became a master sculptor, sculpting caulk and putty to fix the corners where we didn’t get it just right.