Standing Window Flower Box Planter

Really wanting a window flower box but can’t attach one directly under the window? This was my challenge! I live in a townhouse in a HOA community – which means I cannot attach anything to the building. But, window boxes have a certain charm and always look so pretty when overflowing with colorful flowers. I really wanted one! So, a few cedar pickets, flower box liners, nails and some stain were all it took to build a charming, free-standing window, flower box. Materials: Flower box liners Cedar pickets Nailer/nails Mitre saw Rymar Wood Sealer (my son had this on hand,...

Black and White Bathroom Design

Classic black and white design is timeless and always a great option for a bathroom renovation. On this project, my daughter made all the design selections. Check out the “before”picture of her townhouse, master bath! VANITY Double bowl vanities are a great feature in any master bath, if space permits. Each master bath renovation we’ve done in this sub-division, was plumbed for a second sink, and this one was no exception. This bathroom is long and allowed for a 72 inch vanity with 2 sinks and tons of storage. My daughter selected a classic white vanity with black and white...

Sidelight window coverings made in 10 minutes!

While there are several alternatives to covering a sidelight, I needed a simple solution in my investment properties and I wanted to use a curtain. For me, “simple” means minimal effort to hang and little sewing. CURTAIN RODS I found out the sidelight panel is actual metal — who knew?? This means magnetic rods will adhere to the frame. This also means there is no need for a drill to screw in the brackets. And, there is no worry about the placement of the brackets because you can slide them easily for perfect placement. These adjustable magnetic rods were an...

Sourcing Affordable Lighting at Goodwill and Liquidators?

Great lighting is key to the aesthetic of a property and can be a big expense when doing a renovation. I replaced 9-11 fixtures in each of the last three properties I renovated and liquidators were my main source of inventory! I found these liquidators on Facebook Marketplace and eBay and saved more than 80%. Liquidators buy a truckload or a pallet of distressed or returned inventory from large retailers such as Wayfair, Home Depot, Amazon or Lowe’s, as examples, and resell the merchandise on Facebook, Amazon, eBay or even at a storefront, at lower prices. In one instance, I...

Reflections on 2019

Looking through the photos from 2019, it was fun to see an accumulation of projects that was new for me. I was reminded of a few things — to leverage experience from previous projects, to optimize available resources and to have comfort that everything is “fixable”, if you make a mistake. New colors and new patterns seem to fill my photo collection this year. Let’s take a look back! COLORS Paint is such an easy and affordable way to experiment with color. While I am not particularly bold in my color choices on rental properties as the properties need to...

Kitchen Cabinet Update

Paint and hardware can simply transform the look of 1990’s oak cabinets. And, this was my plan for the galley style kitchen in my investment property. While the kitchen had some great features (new appliances, huge pantry), the oak cabinets looked dated. PAINT COLOR For these cabinets, I wanted to try a couple of new (for me) ideas to add some interest. I used a less traditional blue (Magnolia Under the Stars) for the base cabinets and Alabaster for the uppers. I used Sherwin Williams paint products for both. The blue was a color match. Painting this time was a...

Fireplace Refresh

The fireplace is a great feature for this investment property but needed a bit of an update. With a little paint, stain and spray paint, the oak mantel, brick and fireplace doors took on a new look. This is the fireplace before any updates. FIREPLACE DOOR There are no other brass or gold features in the property, so the brass on this fireplace door was not in keeping with the rest of the metal features. I taped off the brick and glass and painted the brass frame with Krylon High Heat Max in matte black. BRICK This brick is in...

Interior Doors as a Design Feature!

Paint color, door design and hardware can transform the look of a plain door into something really eye catching. In a recent investment property renovation, I needed to replace the wood grain, brown interior doors with brass door knobs. And, there were a lot — 6 handicap assessable, 2 bi-pass and 4 bifold. I haven’t had to do replace doors before, so I decided to have a little fun with it. DOORS I really liked the two panel door with a straight top edge. I checked Menards, Lowe’s and Home Depot and this style and the door sizes I needed...

DIY Bridal Shower Attendee Gift Hanky

I wish I could say I thought of this but idea, but, I was inspired by the Offbeat Bride blog post and took it from there. And, it was really quite simple, cute and affordable! We had a great time putting these together. Hanky My sister, Julie, found these vintage hankies from a online marketplace site listed as “free”- although the owner was particular to whom she gifted these hankies. My sister thought we could do something cute with them for my niece’s shower. Bag and Twine I purchased both the baker’s wax bag and twine from Amazon for less...

DIY Bridal Shower Attendee Gift Candle

A candle and a hanky were the beginnings of our ideas for bridal shower attendee gifts. Pinterest is my “go-to” place for DIY ideas – so, we looked for ways to customize the candle and hanky to make each special for the event and add to the table decor. I really wanted to incorporate some of the special talents from friends and family. This post shares the thoughts around the candle. My son owns C & J Candle Company, so we knew we wanted to gift a candle to the bridal shower attendees. My niece (the bride-to-be)selected the scent and...