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Month: August 2014

Triple Feature in Kitchen + Bath Makeovers Magazine

Post updated 1/2015 with images from magazines…

It seems like a lifetime ago, but early last year (in 2013) a crew from Better Homes & Gardens came to my home to photograph a bunch of spaces.  It was an incredible, eye-opening experience and one I will never forget. Truly a dream come true that I never even knew I had…

Long before one of my client’s kitchens were photographed for this past Spring’s KBMO cover and even longer before my kids & I were photographed at our Central Command Center, our kitchen and master bath (plus the family room) were photographed and are finally being featured in the fall/winter issue of kitchen + bath makeovers magazine, which is on newsstands now (or you can download it here – fyi, I get no kickback from the sales)

Better Homes & Garden Kitchen + Bath Makeover magazine - SAS Interiors Kitchen and Master Bath feature

Both spaces were total DIY makeovers that the Mister and I tackled on our own from start to finish.

the kitchen before & after

Kitchen before & after

DIY projects included in the kitchen makeover:
Kitchen Makeover {Reveal}
Kitchen Update {One Year Later}
painted cabinets
painted countertops
tile backsplash
decorative brackets

the master bathroom before & after

Master Bathroom before & after

DIY projects included in the master bathroom makeover:
Master Bathroom Makeover {Reveal}
faux ‘stained’ (using paint) cabinet
shower curtain using a curtain
luxury vinyl groutable floor tile (similar project tutorial)
tile backsplash (similar project tutorial)

Over the past year, I’ve had quite a few local & national magazine features, but every. single. time. I am overwhelmed, exhilarated, and plain ole’ happy!  And of course, I feel completely blessed.

What I love so much about the Kitchen + Bath Makeovers magazine is that the articles are of real spaces (kitchens or bathrooms) typically on a tight budget.  The rooms are DIY updates (like my kitchen) or budget-conscious makeovers (like my clients kitchen).  O, I forgot to mention, in the same issue as my kitchen and bathroom makeover, is a clients kitchen than I also transformed.  Their kitchen was more involved than mine and a true renovation.   The before and after is incredible (see more of my clients kitchen makeover in this post).

Kitchen before and after

To give a glimpse of the features, here are a few snippets from within the magazine…

the kitchen…

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

That fabulous metal island from the shoot can be found here (<- affiliate link)

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

the master bathroom…

Bathroom Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Bathroom Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Bathroom Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

It’s kinda crazy to see spaces of my own home in print, especially since it’s never been so clean and perfect as the day it was photographed.  Just keepin’ it real! It is nice to know that it could look like that again (but it probably won’t, lol).

and my clients kitchen…

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

photo 3

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Kitchen Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

To see more of the featured stories + many other amazing kitchens & bathrooms, you really should pick up a copy of KBMO (I spotted & snagged my copy at Lowe’s).  There are so many great ideas & tips throughout the magazine.  You will totally be inspired!

I wanted to mention that I had another project featured in the last Kitchen + Bath Makeovers issue (Summer 2014 issue).  The feature was of our beautiful powder room, which was photographed last Summer.

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The bathroom update was dramatic with a new deep blue hue + Amy Butler wallpaper on the main wall.  I just love every bit of it!  Even today when I pass by, I smile.

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Bathroom Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Bathroom Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Bathroom Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

Bathroom Makeover featured in KBMO Fall/Winter 2014, produced by Donna Talley & photographed by John Bessler

the powder room before & after

Powder Room before & afterDIY projects included in the powder bath makeover:
Powder Room {Reveal}
removing the toilet and sink
how-to hang wallpaper
luxury vinyl groutable floor tile (similar project tutorial)

Thanks for sharing in my excitement.  You always are huge supporters and I’m so blessed.  I have another magazine feature coming out in a few weeks and it’s a room of mine on the cover {squeal}.  I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

How-to Prep + Season a New Chalkboard Wall

It’s August – WOW!  Where has the Summer gone?!  Obviously for me with a newborn (+ 2 older kids), it’s been a busy few weeks, but I just can’t believe the days are passing by so quickly.  For some of you back to school is only a few short days away.  For us, school doesn’t start till after Labor Day so we get to enjoy few more weeks of late mornings, lazy days, and soaking up the sun!

Since I have 3 kids now, lately I’ve been trying to be overly organized and prepared.  Thinking + prepping ahead of time is my M.O.  With back to school around the corner, Lowe’s put the Creative Team to the challenge to create something that would be appropriate for the jump back to the classroom.  Since I’ll now have 2 in elementary school – yikes – I started thinking about what my kids will need to do to get up & moving in the mornings!  Outside of the bedrooms + hall bath is a small space that I thought would be perfect for something.  After some thought, I decided on creating a chalkboard wall {which makes 3 in the house…  you can never have enough wall to write on – the other 2 chalkboard walls are in the basement and at our family central command center}.  It was the perfect idea since they’re fun & easy to update.

Back to School chalkboard wall

Since this is our 3rd writable wall for chalk, I though I would share a few tips + tricks that I’ve learned along the way.  Here is the ultimate + best way to PREP & SEASON a new chalkboard wall.

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!

The Prep

To start off, I chose to give the upstairs hallway a fresh new coat of paint.  The color ‘before’ was the same as the foyer before it got striped.  It was way too beige for my current taste, so I chose a lighter + brighter feel.

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!The new hallway color: Benjamin Moore Plaster of Paris (I used Valspar paint, which Lowe’s color matched for me)

Once the walls were done, which took no time at all since the space is small,  the area for my new chalkboard wall was ready to start.  I didn’t bother painting the space where the chalkboard wall was going because that would have just been a waste of time + paint, so I left that the old color.

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!

> Tip #1: Sand to Create the Best Chalkboard Wall Surface

You Must Sand the wall!  Typical chalkboard is super smooth – no bumps, no lumps. So the wall needs to be as smooth as possible so the chalk will adhere well & so it will erase well.

Using my favorite go-to tool, my orbital sander, I gave the entire wall a really good sanding.  This wall is a typical sheetrock wall with NO extra textural details, but it was amazing how “bumpy” it was.  You can see from the picture below after only a few minutes of sanding, how many “bumps” were smoothed out using the sander.  Once the surface was fairly smooth, it was done.  It wasn’t 100% bump-free, but it was much better than before.

Overall, this step took about 8-10 minutes and I do recommend a hand sander versus sanding by hand.  Your arm will ache if you go that route.

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!

Once the sanding was complete, it was time to paint.  Before that though, I chose to add a border edge around my new chalkboard surface, similar to what I did for our Central Command Center.  I felt adding this edge would give the wall a cleaner, more finished/polished look.

Using 1″ wide painters tape, I added a 2″ border on all 4 sides…

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!For a more thorough tutorial on creating a border, check out my post on How-To Create a Framed Chalkboard Wall

Once the border was done, it was time to get my paint-on!

> Tip #2: Use a Roller for a Smooth Finish

Using a roller instead of a brush will get a much smoother finish.  It’s also key to apply multiple light coats of chalk paint instead of 1-2 thicker coats.

Roll on the paint and smooth it out as much as possible by painting in all different directions.  You want to be sure to avoid any streaks or lumps on the wall.

Overall, unlike typical wall paint which takes 2 coats, I did 4-5 light coats.  It dries quickly, so there wasn’t too much downtime between coats.

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!

This is what I used…

When the last coat was applied, I immediately removed the painters tape.  By removing it when the paint is still wet will allow it to peel off the wall easier rather than when it’s dry.

Time to ‘Season’

The chalk paint is typically dry a few days after your last coat, but be sure to read the product instructions on the exact drying time before moving forward.  Once you’re good to go, it’s time to ‘season’ the newly created chalkboard wall.  I had previously never done this step and it really makes a BIG DIFFERENCE for how the chalkboard wall wears & erases.

Basically there is one easy + fast step…

1. Using the side of a piece of chalk, roll it on the entire surface of the chalkboard wall.

2. Then erase it away.

So simple, but So important!

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!

And here is the result…

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!

A perfectly prepped + seasoned chalkboard board wall!

It’s ready to use…

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!

You + Your Kids will love it!

Now we have the ultimate spot to keep the kids on schedule each morning – I hope. I’ll probably still have to give about 20 reminders as well. 

Back to School chalkboard wall

This new hallway, even though small, feels so much fresher & 100% usable.  I love using every square inch of our pad, don’t you?!

How-To PREP + 'SEASON' a Chalkboard Wall before using it. It's the ultimate + best way to get the most out of a new creative palette!

Have you ever created a chalkboard wall?  Whether for fun or organization, chalkboard walls are perfect for any space in the house!

Disclosure: I am part of the Lowe’s Creative Team and was provided with a Lowe’s gift card to purchase items for my project.  I was also compensated for my time to use the products.  No one told me what to create, what to buy, how to use the product, or what to write.  All opinions are 100% mine!