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,...
Rehab
Laundry Room Refresh
Tile, paint and molding are the key updates taking this laundry room from dated and dull to current and fresh. This laundry room is from my daughter, Kelly’s, townhouse and it was one of several rooms that needed updating. This is the room “before” the update – builder basic with white walls, linoleum flooring and 2 inch molding. TILE The floor tile is Montalcino Dimarmi Bianco Stone Look Porcelain Tile from Floor and Decor. This tile is super affordable at $1.99/square foot. The tile has hints of taupe and grey with some movement to add interest and it affords flexibility in carpeting...
Easy Banister Update
Oak banisters and railings can really date the look of a home. Replacing or even sanding and refinishing the banister are both costly update options. So, how can you tackle the update on a budget? Gel stain! This is the banister from my daughter’s new townhome – one of many projects we tackled on a budget! I lightly sanded it down and applied three coats of General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain. It really takes three coats to get good coverage. I applied a coat of poly to finish it off.
Fireplace Surround and Mantel Update
The fireplace mantel and surround in my investment property needed an update! The original had builder grade materials from the 1990’s and with a few new tiles, a chunky mantel and a can of spray paint, it looks totally new! The original fireplace had 4 x 4 white tile and classic trim and a thin mantel. I removed the trim, mantel and tile and started again. My daughter picked out this fun tile which worked well with the carpet and paint color. To make the mantel, I used the plans from Shanty2Chic and it was easier than I thought and...
Vanity Update for Home Resale
It still amazes me the transformation a coat of paint can make. When I was preparing my house for sale, it seemed like I was painting everything (with Sherwin Williams paint, of course) – the main floor and the trim on the exterior as two examples. In addition to that, there was one vanity that I hadn’t replaced over the years because it was really a big project to include addressing the flooring. The vanity was builder grade and original to the home. It looked dated but I wasn’t going to invest in any elaborate renovation at that point –...
Kitchen Refresh | 5 High Impact Changes to Gorgeous in Gold and Grey
My kitchen was one of the last, big projects to tackle in my house. Even though I was not changing the kitchen layout or flooring, I was procrastinating a bit due to the expense and disruption. Let’s take a look at the five upgrades that transformed my kitchen from builder-grade to a gorgeous gold and grey upgrade! CABINETS Let’s face it, kitchen cabinets have significant impact when changing the look of a kitchen. With this remodel, I budgeted for new cabinets, but didn’t break the bank. I went to my friends at Dawson Builders for my Aspect cabinets (Aspen, Poplar) with...
Laundry Room | Puppy Room Made Buffalo Check Fancy
With what started out as a kitchen renovation on the main floor of the house, has turned into a refresh of all of the adjoining rooms. Our laundry room gets ALOT of traffic. It houses the entrance from the garbage (the most used entrance into the house), the dog’s bowls, leases and of course, the washer/dryer. The laundry room had been painted some time ago with a two tone paint technique and a black border. The laundry tub was stained with paint and the molding was in definite need of a refresh. I had an extra cabinet from a miss-order...
Half Bath Refresh | 5 Updates with Big Impact
Last year I replaced my kitchen cabinets and countertops and at the same time, replaced the vanity countertop in the nearby half bath. As with all remodels, one thing leads to another and I didn’t like the color of the vanity with the countertop, as lovely as each of them are separately. It was time to give the half bath a refresh. Sometimes starting a project can be overwhelming, but the refresh really boiled down to six easy updates that transformed the room. 1. VANITY The vanity was is good condition but the wood color did not go well with...
Bathroom | Spa like Design on a $3000 Budget
The first tiling project we tackled in my daughter, Kelly’s, new townhouse was her second bathroom. It is small in size, but has just enough room to be functional and beautiful at the same time. The bathroom has the comfort of a home spa with marble-like tile flooring, larger subway tile with a classic but current look and faucets and lighting adding the right amount of sparkle. The townhouse was built in the late 1990’s with the typical builder grade finishes. We had a handyman pull up the linoleum and remove the shower tile, molding and vanity and replaced the...