Instructions for DIY Ornate Pilasters and Door Surrounds

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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.

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.

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.

Adorable DIY Ideas for Kids’ Rooms

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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.

Closets Need Love Too (aka What I Bought Today)

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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

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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…