It’s spring!

Spring is the season which turns everyone’s thoughts to…home projects! (Even saying it just gets me excited.) My needs are simple. 🙂

So anyway, this reminded me that I’d never shared with you my camouflage shelves I made for the shop.

The picture above is the finished product. Keep in mind a few things: like, this is the bathroom at the shop, hence the stubbed in shower pipe that doesn’t have a shower on it that you see in the foreground.

And, there’s deer antlers that are waiting patiently for their use in another project which requires power tools.

My husband doesn’t allow me to use power tools. (This is in my own best interest. Really.)

So, eventually one of the guys will help me with that particular project, and they won’t be on the floor anymore. But I digress.

These shelves began their life as crates that held oranges which, as far as I know, someone brought home from Florida. They resided in my parents basement for years.

My mom, always the crafty sort, suggested we paint them to use as shelves in my college dorm room. During my college years in the dorm and various apartments, they were several different colors.

If any of my college friends are reading this right now: do you remember them? 😀

They moved cross-country with me to Las Vegas and resided comfortably in my garage for years.

They moved back here with me in the late 90’s, and have spent the last ten years holding my resource collection of magazines in the basement.

Until we needed shelves for our shop.

And, because it’s a shop, I didn’t want to invest a lot of money. I challenged myself to ‘shop my basement’ and be creative.

Hence, the orange crates. And, since I already had a camo lamp shade, and plans for those deer antlers, camo seemed to be the way to go.

It really wasn’t that hard to paint them.

I just picked up 3 coordinating camo colors; the lightest color was the primary color. Then add to that the other two secondary colors; the darker of the two had the minimal coverage.

Like, in really random patterns.

They aren’t perfect, but then I wasn’t striving for perfection. After all, it’s a shelf, which means it’s going to be holding stuff.

You gotta have perspective here. 😉

What I love about these shelves is that you aren’t limited to positioning them in one way. You can position them in whatever way blows your skirt up.

At first, I positioned them in a very basic, traditional way.

But then I decided to change it when I went to take pictures for this post. They are currently sitting like they are in the picture at the top of this post. In case you forgot, I’ll post it again. I really like this set-up. 🙂

But you could also position them like this:

Or like this:

Or even like this:

I think that sort of gives it a modern look.

What about this one?

I think the look of it is really cool, but I would recommend attaching the crates to one another; otherwise, you’re going to be doing a balancing act with your stuff.

The beauty of this is you can set them up to suit your needs, or simply whatever trips your trigger!

I was happy with the way the project turned out, and they suit our needs perfectly. Even better, my husband loves them too.

And all from re-purposed junk. 🙂

I wish you inspiration, beautiful weather, and all the right paint colors!

This was a case of a family who loved the house they were in; they were Beth was just ready for a change. 😉 What they needed most was someone who could objectively give them some ideas and to help keep everyone’s stress level on the manageable side. That’s where I came in.

When you’re living in the midst of a home remodel, it can be very stressful. I managed to stay married and speaking to my husband after several of them, so I know it can be done. Although I can neither confirm nor deny that there may, or may not have been, meltdowns which occurred during the process. HA

Sometimes, just simply getting started – or knowing where to start –  is the overwhelming part!

So without further ado, here’s the scoop. 😉

If you looked at the photo album on Facebook, you know this is the kitchen before.

Beth and Bobby actually remodeled the kitchen ten years ago when they moved in. They were Beth was overall pretty happy with the kitchen, just wanting it painted and a new backsplash.

Beth has a clean, uncluttered style without a lot of extra stuff. (When I say a ‘clean’ style, I’m not referring to the state of cleanliness of her house – although she is that too! – I’m actually referring to the fact that she prefers ‘clean lines’, without ornate styles or patterns.)

What amuses me about this picture is two things: the wallpaper actually makes the kitchen look cluttered. And, you don’t really notice the cabinetry; you notice the wallpaper, and the white fridge.

The rich, beautiful color is now the focal point of the kitchen. You may notice one other small change: during the remodel, her microwave died, so she switched it out for a matching white one. Now if that stove would just die… 😉

Because successful marriages always involve compromise, we ‘blended’ their favorite colors for the accent walls. Bobby loved burgundy; Beth loved red. So we looked for a modern combination of the two, and found Behr’s Wine Tasting. While it looks a little more red in the photos, it’s a little lighter than a nice Merlot.

Beth and I joked that we would never forget the name of the paint color. And then I forgot it. But that’s probably because I drink white wine.

Beth chose a multi-color gray glass tile backsplash. They are small tile pre-set into 12 x 12 sections, so you don’t have to apply one small tile at a time. This dramatically changed the look of the kitchen, and ties together the countertop and the existing gray tile floor.

Because there was very little open wall space in the kitchen, we painted all three walls. Not only did it make their cabinetry POP (she’s been asked if she got new cabinetry!), but it also makes the kitchen look much brighter and warmer. Their new French door now makes a beautiful picture frame for their very pretty back yard.

I think the most dramatic change is in the family room.

Beth’s instructions to me were to leave the fireplace as is, or maybe paint it; they were going to eventually tear it out someday – if they added on the back of the house – because they had not been successful in getting it to work properly.

I couldn’t stand it. Fireplaces add value to your home; the minute you tear one out, you’re taking value away. Besides, think of how many family memories are created around a fireplace! Stockings at Christmas, a mug of hot cocoa in the winter, curling up in a cozy chair with a book and a glass of wine (wait, maybe that was me), etc.

Fabulous!

The ‘Bamboo’ laminate flooring and the oak cabinet-grade built-ins (built by Dwayne Lawson) completely transformed the room. The room only had the one window, so we added lighting in front of the cabinetry. These, and all the other walls, are Behr’s Pecan Sandie.

Or maybe the archway is my favorite.

If they removed this whole wall, they would lose the wall space, and the ability to place furniture there. I suggested several ideas, and showed them some examples. Reid sketched their favorite; now they wondered how they lived without this counter all these years!

I love the bar stools! And now you can have a snack or be in the kitchen and see the TV, or just simply feel like you’re a part of everything!

 The bathroom was made much more spacious just by simply reversing the swing of the door. It had quite possibly the leetlest vanity I’ve ever seen! We replaced it with a larger one that made sense in the space and dressed it up a bit.

And the wallpaper went away.

 Now, a downstairs bath that’s proud to meet guests, no matter which side it sees. 😉

And then there’s the living room. Maybe that’s my favorite.

We took a room with no clearly defined purpose, and gave it a new life.

Several years ago, the family lost their finished basement, which served as a family room, to a flood while on vacation. They were down to one TV room, and the living room was being used as a computer room and office.

Fabulous! The bamboo floor is also in here, with a large area rug to make it cozy. Reid added an overhead light and cable, and now this has become daughter Katy’s favorite room to do homework.

The accent wall not only gives the room its Wow Factor, but it will also look fabulous from the outside. (Have you ever thought of how your room might appear from the outside?)

And the new spindles on the stairway? What a fabulous change that is! Reid ran the bamboo up the stairs, but added a carpet runner, which will really make it easier to clean. Fabulous!

What.A.Difference.

And did I mention that the top of the railing and the main post stayed the same? It looks fresh, clean and uncluttered. Traditionally modern. 🙂

One thing I didn’t mention is that we also switched out the original doors, which were flat hollow core, for 6-panel oak doors. Reid did a terrific job of matching the other woodwork. They say life is in the details, and a remodel is no different. Updating the doors made a huge difference.

If you want to see a little more realistic view, you can watch the visual tour here: http://www.visualtour.com/show.asp?T=3169754.

Thank you, Beth and Bobby. It was a terrific project, and we’re glad you love it. I had a blast! 🙂

I’m sure you’re wondering where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to.

What I can tell you is that it’s very hard to be creative and insightful when life’s abundances happen all at once and it begins raining metaphorically.

Just as I began to “settle in” to our new office at the shop, my real estate business picked up. It’s incredibly gratifying to help my friends and clients make what may be their biggest and most important move of their lives.

I love, love, love my Master Gardener class, which is 3 hours one afternoon a week. And I have homework! GASP!

Of course, there’s volunteer  work to be done.

Then my father-in-law had to be hospitalized, where he received a pacemaker.

I drove my dear friend Sophia to Columbia (Missouri) to see her mother in ICU one day.

We were thrilled that our good friends from Kearney were able to come up last weekend.  My husband was one meat-smoking machine before they arrived! Then there was more smoke, and fire alarms, and calls to Central Dispatch to tell them to please disregard any fire alarms from this address. And Macaroni and Cheese that tasted like Hickory Smoked Mac & Cheese. (But that’s another story).

So, apparently I was amped up from the busy last few weeks of work; last Sunday I had the overwhelming urge to clean out my china cabinet. And it had to be done right now.  I’m sure that happens to everyone. Doesn’t it? Please?  😉

This is my china cabinet. It’s one of my favorite pieces of furniture in our whole house. And versatile. It has served as a bedroom “dresser”, a linen closet, and now a china cabinet. I think I’ll keep it. Who knows what I might morph it into next?

It is filled with beautiful things that I almost never use anymore. We live a very casual lifestyle, and I am quite happy with this.

My grandmother’s china and crystal I am saving for our nieces, who haven’t picked it up yet. (Ahem!) 😉

Grandma’s China-Before

Gifts given to me by beloved friends I will keep and treasure, as well as heirloom pieces that have been in my family for several generations.

However, I have a few pieces that were given to me years ago by people with whom I’ve completely lost track of, as well as things I’ve purchased that I no longer use or like. I have a dear friend who’s daughter is collecting things for her future apartment. Perhaps I can bless her with some of these things.

I have no idea why I somehow felt this particular need to start this project now. After all, it’s not anything that can be done in one day (especially by the time I wash everything I’m keeping!) So this is what my kitchen looked like last Sunday.

My Messy Kitchen

Sometimes I think it must be my version of ‘nesting’. When life gets out of control, it brings me a certain degree of peace and comfort to bring order to what I can control. This would, of course, be my house.

For me, it’s a soul-soothing process to bring order and beauty to something that’s cluttered. It feels so good to open a cabinet door and have the space be pleasing to my eyes. Ahhhhhh.

This also means that my kitchen is a form of chaos until the project is done. But if you aren’t spending that much time there, you really don’t notice.

The Kitchen Counter

So today I finished washing all the china and putting everything back in. Did you know that you can actually put your china and crystal in the dishwasher? Yep. I loaded up the dishwasher, WITHOUT soap or rinse agent, and set it on the delicate cycle. Perfect!

It’s done. Doesn’t it look nice? Ahhhhh… 🙂

Before Wall Demolition

I love houses. I love everything about them. I love organizing them. I love decorating or staging them (I’ll explain the difference between the two in a later post.) I love making them feel like home.

Most of all, I love BEING at home in my own! But that’s the way it should be.

If you aren’t loving being at home, then there’s some tweaking that needs to be done somewhere.

A friend of mine contacted me recently; she and her husband loved their home, but wanted to give it an updated look. They had several things they wanted to accomplish with this remodel.

My mission: to create a fresh, timeless update that my overwhelmed friend would love, her husband who hated change could be on board with, and would suit their lifestyle and their expanding family for years to come.

This was the perfect project for the new Stanton Contracting Design/Build Division; our partner, Reid Yardley and I collaborated on their remodel. (Reid always makes my ideas even better.)

I promise I will post the complete series of Before and After pictures when it’s complete. In the meantime, the remodel is a surprise for a family member, so I can’t tell you who the client is. Yet. 🙂

One of the things the homeowner wanted to accomplish was creating a more open space between their kitchen and family room.  While open floor plans are pretty much the standard in most new construction and remains in demand by buyers, often you can re-create the feel in an older home.

Simply knocking out a wall and leaving a half-wall opens up and makes for a ‘friendlier’ space. The impact of a wall demolition in a room can really give you a lot of ‘bang’ for your buck!

In the Before picture, the wall divided the kitchen and the family room. The pillars, which were original to the house, make the room look dated.

After Wall Demolition

The After picture was taken shortly after the wall was removed. Clearly, there’s work to be done. But look at the difference!

Reid will be installing a countertop on the half wall, and the kitchen will now have a little ‘nook’ in which to sit down and have a snack. It’s very on-trend right now to have countertops that coordinate but don’t exactly match if you have a kitchen island or bar.

The half-wall will still allow the homeowner to utilize that space for furniture, a necessity when the room’s dimensions are smaller and you need the wall space.

Our design calls for an archway with pillars on either side over this space, which will make a nice visual transition between the two rooms.

Today marks the transition for the homeowner from the ‘demolition and removal’ phase to the ‘reconstruction’ phase. This is the fun part! Each day when the homeowner comes home from work, there will be something new to see.

I can’t wait to see the finished project! 🙂

 Can I just say that right now I am in Project Heaven?

I work best and am happiest when I can work like a butterfly. And sting like a bee. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. Or was it ‘move like a butterfly, and sting like a bee?’) My apologies if you aren’t old enough to remember Mohammed Ali. But I digress.

I am happiest when I am juggling multiple projects and can flit from one to the other, whether it be work or play or work at home.

Anyway, the flowerbed is done. *Happy Dance!*

I did not enjoy it.

But doesn’t it look nice?

I have one blue fescue plant that is struggling; it’s a sun-loving plant that was living in the shade at the store. And of COURSE there was no other blue fescue in town, so I’m hoping it will come out of it.

I typically go with a color palette of pinks, purples, and white, and a variety of textures in my landscaping. Easy on the ornaments.  I’m liking the look. Just in case you forgot what it looked like before, here is the ‘before’ shot.

 The perfectionist in me crept in once. I realized I there were a couple of plants that I should have moved a couple of inches a different way.

Two inches.

Dig up a plant on a hot day and move it two inches? N.O.

I got over it.

Then I really got over my perfectionism when I sent two men to the store to pick up pea pebbles for me. Graciously, they complied. And brought home two different colors of pea pebbles. (!) Fortunately, it takes a lot of pea pebbles.

After I was done, I realized it didn’t match the pea pebbles in the other bed.

Who knew there were so many colors of pea pebbles?

I didn’t need it to be perfect, I just needed it to be done. Chances are, you would have never noticed it didn’t match the other bed.

Now I’ve made you want to look. 😉

Time to celebrate! 😀