When I downsized into the townhouse, the kitchen was one of the first things I tackled. It needed new cabinets, counters, flooring, appliances, lighting, backsplash and paint! Here is the “before”! CABINETS Kitchen cabinets were the biggest investment for the remodel, but an easy choice. I just remodeled my kitchen at my former house and still loved them — so, I got the same – Aspen (Aspect, Poplar). I stayed with the same layout, but added a pantry cabinet, pictured below and a garbage bin. I ordered a bathroom vanity cabinet at the same time. There was 6 weeks lead...
Office Storage Refresh
We all have that piece of furniture that no longer quite fits in with the new decor. This Pier One piece is about 20 years old and is Asian inspired. So with a little plywood, paint sticks, paint and hardware, this little beauty got a facelift. Supplies Sherwin Williams Primer Sherwin Williams Naval Paint MinWax Polycrylic Protective Finish HomeRight Super Finish Max Power Paint Sprayer ABN Stainer Cone Funnel Sand paper, 120 grit TSP DAP Wood Filler Paint Sticks, 5 Gallon Miter and Table Saw 1/4 inch plywood Wood glue Staple gun HInges and knobs NEW PANELS I removed the...
Three Tips To Manage Project Overwhelm
You are not alone in having some nerves around starting a new project — especially if the project is big or involved or requires new or different tools and skills. Believe me, I have been there many times and have managed through the overwhelm using these strategies. Chunking If project-size has moved you into overwhelm, chuck the project into several smaller phases and tackle these one at a time. For example, a bathroom renovation could be chunked into (1) demo; (2) plumbing (3) tile; (4) painting; (5) vanity installation; and, (6) lighting. The individual phases are not likely as daunting....
Roman Shades | Affordable Solution for a Custom Look
These Roman Shades are a great way to add pattern, color and texture in a sleek and simple design. I have to say, I was procrastinating on this project and only because I had never done it before. I searched Pinterest for ideas and essentially followed the instructions from Remodelaholic’s blogpost (which was inspired by 33 Shades of Green). This project was not difficult, it was time consuming and somewhat involved. In the end, I save more than $300 in labor cost by doing it myself. Supplies Fabric ( I had this fabric from when I covered my kitchen chairs....
Rancho la Puerta | Revitalize
I have to admit when I decided to go to Rancho La Puerta, in Tecate, Mexico, it was really to satisfy a brewing curiosity about the “spa experience”. Something seemed to be pulling me here and I just imagined the experience would be transformative. Setting Intention A great beginning for almost any experience is setting intention. The “Set Your Ranch Intention” guided session helped to both open the mind and anchor on your thoughts on the possibilities for the week ahead. Here are some questions from the session that helped me set my intention for the week. Whenever I made...
Marquee Letter Wall Art in Two Simple Steps
If you are anything like me, you have picked up something at a garage/estate sale or Facebook Marketplace thinking “I can do something with this” and then time goes by and you never get to it. Well, this project started out like that and when I finally got to it, the end result was a unique feature in my kitchen. What I Used Marquee Letters (I found these at an antique shop, but these are at Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s etc.) Spray Paint (because everything gets pretty with a can of spray paint) Painter’s Tape Rub and Buff STEP ONE Spray...
Bathroom Makeover on a Budget
Bathroom makeovers can be daunting and expensive but totally doable with some diligence in sourcing materials and some elbow grease. My rental property was built in the late 1990’s and the bathroom was original, builder grade and in need of an update — on a budget. Here is a “before” photo. Materials Tile There are so many affordable tile choices nowadays, it was easy to find options that were well-suited for a rental and resale, meaning a classic tile. I found a marble-look 9 x 11 wall tile at Menards for $.99/ square foot for the bathoom shower and installed...
TV Tray Refresh
Ever find yourself needing extra table space? Take those plain-Jane TV trays and give them some color, fun and function! This DIY was so easy that I made a few pairs of trays and gave them as gifts. SUPPLIES TV Trays (I found mine on Facebook Marketplace, estate sales, Craigslist – average price was $5/tray.) TSP Cleaner All Surface Enamel Latex Primer All Surface Enamel Latex Paint (2 colors, one for base and another for lettering) MinWax Polycrylic Protective Finish Paint roller (small, foam) Paint brush Make up sponge Stencil Paint tape STEPS 1. Clean the TV Trays with TSP...
Gold Light Fixtures Favorites
Great lighting instantly adds warmth, texture and interest to a room. And, if given a choice on home improvement projects, many home owners prefer to update lighting due to the high impact, low effort factor. (From an unofficial Facebook poll). So, how can you shop for lighting, have fun and not be overwhelmed? I recently had to replace all the light fixtures in my new home, learned a few things and happy to share the gold light fixtures I scored in the process. INSPIRATION Inspiration is available everywhere nowadays. And, because I have done lots of home improvement sourcing recently,...
Personalized DIY Gifts Ideas
Gift giving is one of my favorite things to do and thoughtful gifts are my favorites to give! Over the years, I’ve made some several gifts for family and friends that were so fun to give and receive. Below are some of my favorite gifts put together with love! T SHIRT QUILT My son, Kevin, was an avid baseball player from a young age through college. He had a large collection of t-shirts from his baseball teams sitting in his closet. Last Christmas, I pieced together the t-shirts and had it quilted. For more details, here is the T Shirt Quilt...