Year: 2010

Kitchen Renovation Update: Decisions have been made!

Written by Jenna on December 30, 2010. Posted in DIY, Kitchen. 5 Comments on Kitchen Renovation Update: Decisions have been made!

A little update on my (minor) kitchen reno…

I found some interesting ideas while making a pit stop @ Home Depot AND Lowe’s yesterday. After lots of thought, I’ve made some decisions! I LOVE the idea of painting my kitchen cabinets black as I posted the other day, but am relunctant because the current countertop is a dark greenish laminate (it sounds worse than it is) and I don’t want to invest a huge amount into it (since ONE DAY, I hope to do a BIG reno)!! Since I am on a TIGHT BUDGET and don’t want to invest too much money for a short fix, I have tried to thoroughly think through the whole process before taking action!

{Cabinet Options}

Rusto-leum Cabinet Transformations has a 4 step process ~ (1) Deglosser, (2) Bond Coat, (3) Decorative Glaze, (4) Protective Top Coat. This treatment completely strips the current application (stain or paint), which allows you to skip the sanding process and priming process. This application also gives you the option to add a decorative glaze. One box is $80 and covers 100 sq. ft / 40 linear feet (an average kitchen would need 2 boxes)

Minwax has a product call Express Color, which you wipe on with a cloth. Great product for a small piece of furniture, but not a kitchen transformation.

{Decision}

One of my readers suggested using a Gel Stain to darken the cabinets without taking the huge step of painting them. I thought this idea was genius! The cabinets are actually in good condition and the style is livable, so this is what I am leaning toward.

{Countertops}

So on to the decision for the countertops. I’m a bit stuck… Of course granite would be lovely and hopefully we’ll eventually go that route (when we do our BIG reno ONE DAY). I’m thinking of painting the laminate countertops. Did you know you could do that?? You CAN!!

{Idea 1}

Lowe’s has a product called Modern Masters, which transforms the countertops using a 3 step process ~ (1) adhesive base coat, (2) Decorative Color Chips, (3) Protective Top Coat. What I’m not sold on is the color chips….not really my cup of tea. Watch this You Tube video to see actual steps. The cost of the materials is about $250.

{Idea 2}

Lowe’s has another product by Rust-oleum called Countertop Coating. Basically it’s a one step process of 2 coats of ‘painting’ your countertops with this product. The drawback, the surface will have a monochrome, painted look. It might ‘look’ okay, but I’m not sure. I’m leaning towards this idea, BUT want to try a sample first. The cost of one can is $20+/- (an average kitchen would be about 2 cans ~ read the back for more details)

{Idea 3}

Another idea opposed to painting the countertop surface is to resurface the existing laminate with new laminate. Laminate is available in an array of colors and textures, and can truly liven and transform a space! This idea is nice for a permanent solution since it’s time consuming and labor intensive. Read More.

Take a look at some of these helpful and informational videos on changing/updating your laminate countertops:

How to faux finish your laminate countertop

How to paint countertops (using the Rust-oleum Countertop Coating shown above)
How to paint over a laminate surface

{Kitchen Conclusion}

Cabinets: We’re going to use a Gel Stain with a walnut finish to cut down on the ‘orangey’ oak color. They won’t be black, but they will be darker 🙂
Countertops: We’ve decided on Idea #2. One because of the cost (less than $40) and two because it’s a fairly easy (hopefully ~ I’ll probably regret saying this) process. Unfortunately though, from my research, the smell is very BAD so the countertop painting will have to wait till Spring/Summer when the windows can be open for proper ventilation. With two young kids, there is NO WAY we can do this process in the Winter!
Toe Kick: Remove the laminate and install 4 x 4 or 4 x 12 tile
Window: Add new valance ~ stay tuned to see this transformation coming in a few weeks!
Upper (lonely) Cabinet: The one upper cabinet that is by itself will have the door removed and I’ll get baskets for storage (again, crossing my fingers that this will work…we shall see)
Cabinet Hardware: DONE…take a peak!

Thanks for being my sounding board on this (minor) Kitchen Transformation!
Do you have plans to update your kitchen in 2011?

The Simplest Pinecone Wreath!

Written by Jenna on November 30, 2010. Posted in Christmas, Do-It-Yourself, Holiday. 3 Comments on The Simplest Pinecone Wreath!

I love the look of wreaths filled with pinecones, and was about 5 seconds from buying two over the weekend, until I looked at the price tag. I was not paying $25 for pinecones, when my own backyard is filled with these lovely organic treasures. But before putting the pinecone wreaths (that I loved) back on the shelf, I looked to see how they were made, and couldn’t believe how easy it appeared. So off to the craft store I went…

Play by Play…Pinecone-Style

I bought an 18″ round wreath for $1.99 and collected a bucketful of pinecones from the backyard. Now I have to confess, that I also used some store-bought pinecones because they were rounder and fuller, opposed to my skinny, sap-filled, backyard pinecones.

Using brown or green (green is all I had) wire, wrap it through the pinecone and twist, so it’s secure on the back side.

After adding the pinecones, the back of the wreath will look like a wire craze…that’s OKAY! You won’t see the back. If you want, trim the pieces about 1/4″ above the twist for a cleaner look.

Continue attaching the pinecones around the wreath and overlap them to add interest.

Voila – The simplest pinecone wreath is complete.

And I actually made 2. These beautiful pinecone wreaths hang in my dining area on the sliding glass door, but you can hang them anywhere….on your front door, interior door(s), the wall, etc…

This year, my color palette is chocolate gold. I love how gold looks with brownish tones. Also in this space, is the new Organic Centerpiece I created! It’s complete and ready to enjoy.

The Simplest Pinecone Wreath!

Written by Jenna on November 30, 2010. Posted in Christmas, Do-It-Yourself, Holiday.

Play by Play…Pinecone-Style

Using brown or green (green is all I had) wire, wrap it through the pinecone and twist, so it’s secure on the back side.

After adding the pinecones, the back of the wreath will look like a wire craze…that’s OKAY! You won’t see the back. If you want, trim the pieces about 1/4″ above the twist for a cleaner look.

Continue attaching the pinecones around the wreath and overlap them to add interest.

Voila – The simplest pinecone wreath is complete.

And I actually made 2. These beautiful pinecone wreaths hang in my dining area on the sliding glass door, but you can hang them anywhere….on your front door, interior door(s), the wall, etc…

This year, my color palette is chocolate gold. I love how gold looks with brownish tones. Also in this space, is the new Organic Centerpiece I created! It’s complete and ready to enjoy.

My Winter Wreath Creation

Written by Jenna on November 24, 2010. Posted in Do-It-Yourself, Holiday.

In the midst of preparing for Thanksgiving and taking care of my two crazy fun and amazing children, I had a few ~ very few ~ moments of downtime to create this Holiday wreath…I have to say, I’m quite happy with it!

I’m always searching the web for new ideas and inspiration. One of my favorite design / DIY bloggers, Kate at Centsational Girl, created this whimsical wreath (below) for her front door…and it triggered my creative spark! So on one of my (many) recent trips to the craft store, I thought instead of buying an ordinary Holiday wreath, why not create my own….so here is the breakdown:

{MY INSPIRATION}

{My Wreath Making Journey}

I purchased a $5 wreath from AC Moore, which I scored for $2.50 with my 50% off coupon. Then to give it some more interest and a whimsical-feel, I introduced some ‘curly-cue’ branches that I bought, as well as some sticks, branches, and pinecones from trees around my house.

Here is a pic of some of the other supplies I purchased to create my wreath, including a bouquet of poinsetta-like white flowers, different styles of berry branches, and ribbon.

Kate of Centsational Girl used spray on faux snow, so I tried it out….and I wouldn’t do it again. I am a faux-snow-virgin, and it didn’t work as anticipated 🙁 I thought, like spray paint, that it would dry after a few hours…NO, it doesn’t really ever dry. Anyway…I made it work. Next time, I think I’d use a spray paint or something similar.

So this morning, I started adding the details!

To create this white willowy wreath, I used my hands,

Hot Glue and…

Floral Wire.

{VOILA…THE RESULT}

Since my front door is green, I decided to use white flowers along with deep gold and brown accents (berries). Then to pop it with color, the ribbon has some gold and red tones. It’s a simple, yet fun wreath that is a welcome statement for our guests over the Holiday season!

I hope I’ve inspired you to create a fun and personal wreath for your home!
And don’t you just LOVE the leaping reindeer wreath hanger?!…It’s available at Willow House.

My Winter Wreath Creation

Written by Jenna on November 24, 2010. Posted in Do-It-Yourself, Holiday. 6 Comments on My Winter Wreath Creation

{MY INSPIRATION}

{My Wreath Making Journey}

Here is a pic of some of the other supplies I purchased to create my wreath, including a bouquet of poinsetta-like white flowers, different styles of berry branches, and ribbon.

So this morning, I started adding the details!

To create this white willowy wreath, I used my hands,

Hot Glue and…

Floral Wire.

{VOILA…THE RESULT}

I hope I’ve inspired you to create a fun and personal wreath for your home!
And don’t you just LOVE the leaping reindeer wreath hanger?!…It’s available at Willow House.

A Simple Switch: Changing Your Cabinet Hardware

Written by Jenna on November 13, 2010. Posted in Decorating, Do-It-Yourself, Hardware.

When we first moved into our home, a renovation to our kitchen space passed my mind, but didn’t happen 🙁 That’s okay….one day (I can dream for now ~ And if I got all my dreams today, I would have nothing to dream/strive for, right?! ) Anyway, SOOO….a quick fix that made a huge change to the overall look of my kitchen was changing the cabinet hardware. See some before and afters and the step by step changes. Also check out some some other cabinet pulls and knobs that I love!

Cabinet hardware is SO easy to change, and makes such an impact!

all you need is a screwdriver and some time. The existing hardware on my kitchen cabinet was a plastic laqcuered handle in forest green… See the AFTER…

The cabinet hardware is now a simple, stream-lined look with a matte oil rubbed bronze finish. The quick switch even made the cabinets themselves look better!

Check out this great resources for Cabinet Hardware:

Knobs and Hardware

My Knobs

Top Knobs

Here are some samples of my favorite cabinet hardware that would complement any decor. Hardware also is available in a huge range of finishes (chrome, nickel, oil rubbed bronze, polished, matte, etc)…choose what’s best to suit your space!

A Simple Switch: Changing Your Cabinet Hardware

Written by Jenna on November 13, 2010. Posted in Decorating, Do-It-Yourself, Hardware. 2 Comments on A Simple Switch: Changing Your Cabinet Hardware

Cabinet hardware is SO easy to change, and makes such an impact!

all you need is a screwdriver and some time. The existing hardware on my kitchen cabinet was a plastic laqcuered handle in forest green… See the AFTER…

The cabinet hardware is now a simple, stream-lined look with a matte oil rubbed bronze finish. The quick switch even made the cabinets themselves look better!

Check out this great resources for Cabinet Hardware:

Knobs and Hardware

My Knobs

Top Knobs

{Tutorial} Tiling a Backsplash

Written by Jenna on November 11, 2010. Posted in Do-It-Yourself, monday metamorphosis, Tile.

Simple things, make a BIG difference.

I’m always sprucing my house, thinking about what to update, and continually making changes. A quick reno that I just finished was adding a tile backsplash to my powder room sink.

This is how the powder room looked before we moved in.

The walls were painted a semi-gloss, DARK forest green color and there was an ugly flower border at the top ~ too bad I don’t have a picture of that…you would have loved it, NOT!

Once we got our hands on it, we removed the ugly border and painted the room a card board brown color (one of my favs) and the sink wall, a burnt orange (very warm and inviting ~ the accent color throughout the house). BUT the sink was still missing something…

So on one of our numerous Home Depot trips, I was strolling down the tile aisle, and picked up a 12×12 sheet of 1×1 slate tiles and thought they’d be perfect for the backsplash of the powder room. I also picked up this great product that’s an adhesive and grout; its available in different colors as well…I got a bone color.

All-in-one….FABULOUS!

The process is fairly simple and straight-forward. Before putting on the adhesive, lay the tile onto the wall and mark the outline with a pencil. Then using painters tape, tape the outer perimeter so you avoid any glue getting onto your wall. Then using a putty knife or your finger (which is what I did), put a thin layer of adhesive onto the back of the tile. Do this in stages….one tile at a time. In my case, the tiles were adhered to a mesh bag, but I cut the mesh lining and adhered the tile in 3 row segments. So now all the tile is up…

Once the tile is on the wall, carefully remove the painters tape ~ you can do this before the adhesive dries. The drying time is about 24-48 hours.

After the tile is completely dry, it’s time to grout. The area that I was working in was tight and awkward, so I couldn’t use a typical grout application, using a float. I put the grout in a Ziploc bag and snipped the corner edge off to create a 1/8″-1/4″ hole. Then just like piping a cake, I filled the joints with the grout.

After the joints were grouted, it’s time to wash it away with water. Using a rough sponge, go over the tile with water. Over and Over and Over until the tile surface is clean and grit-free. Depending on the look you want to achieve, you may want to use a sealing product on the tile BEFORE grouting. This will seal and protect the tile. Also, when you are finished, it’s always a good idea to seal the grout lines too. Both sealing products are available at any hardware store.

Voila…complete.

To cap off the top of the backsplash, I used a 1/4″ barliner….it just needed a final touch! The next step is to replace the sink faucet…I’m thinking something in an Oil Rubbed Bronze finish….that I might need a little handyman help with 🙂

Onto my next tiling project….the fireplace surround

Check back soon for the results!!

Check out my metamorphosis at BNOTP

{Tutorial} Tiling a Backsplash

Written by Jenna on November 11, 2010. Posted in Do-It-Yourself, monday metamorphosis, Tile. 4 Comments on {Tutorial} Tiling a Backsplash