Counter Redo

What do you do when paint alone is not enough to fix a decorating problem?  Our kitchen counters in our 1990's kitchen were worn out. They were in bad shape and the joint in back of the sink was swollen from water damage. I would have loved to get granite counters but I just could not spend that much with a child in college. I couldn't stand the counters anymore and did not want to wait another 5 years until everyone was through with school. I decided to try tiling them.

 

Our house when we first got married had 4x4 square tiles in a light tan and brown. After 30 years they still looked pretty good. I thought white square tiles would look like a french bakery. 

I figured the tiling part would be easy except for the corner by the sink. Bill and I have tiled quite a bit, so I knew what to do but I was putting it off because of the mess that the tile saw makes. But it is a wonderful tool and it is well worth the money if you are doing a big project.  

Similar to this:

I got enough tile to do just the long buffet. I figured if it didn't work I could do a different kind of countertop and I wouldn't be out too much money. Mixing materials in the same kitchen was being done quite a bit so I thought it was worth a shot. The old Formica peeled off in one big sheet. I tiled right on top of the plywood. I didn't even do anything to clean off the old glue. I have had no problem with the tiles staying put. 

The walls in the old paint color: Sherwin Williams- Halycon Green. 

The kitchen color now: Kilim Beige also by Sherwin Williams

It was so easy, I went back for more tile. This corner was also a piece of cake.

The island required some figuring out to get the cuts in the right place. 

The challenge was the corner by the sink. I knew that I needed Mr. Bill's help with that. We took out the old sink and discovered that there was mildew and water damage from the old counter. Bill and a friend rebuilt a new counter out of plywood topped with hardy board. We shouldn't have the same water problem again. 

This project typifies Bill and I and our spending. He thought we should splurge on the sink because we were saving on the countertop. I seem to always want to do things inexpensively. In contrast he knows when and where we should spend to get a good look. I think the Elkay sink is beautiful.   

Similar

The lighting is from three different stores, Lowes, Home Depot and a lighting outlet. We just went with Oil Rubbed Bronze with frosted shades. 

I see my pup slipped in the picture before the timer when off. I was looking for her too. 

We have replaced the appliances as they break. We now have 3 out of 4 in Stainless. All from Sears. (Now if that white refrigerator would just...)

I suppose you are wondering about the wall color. I painted the Robin's Egg Blue in 2006. I loved that color but felt it to be somewhat dark. Someone also told me they thought blue in a kitchen was unappetizing. I think they were right because something always felt off to me. I thought about repainting many times but just didn't feel up to it. This kitchen has a lot of cutting out around cabinets and doors. Finally last summer I was ready for something neutral. 

I love accessorizing with a neutral kitchen. I had fun pulling out my blue willow last summer which had not been out for a long time. Next I may go with red.

I am wild about red kitchen accessories. 

I have had friends that have gone with 12 by 12 granite tiles. They look fabulous. 

If I had it to do again. I think that is what I should have done. But I was afraid of cutting granite.

I knew that my white tiles would not be maintenance free. I bleach the grout every two weeks and have had to float some more grout in a couple of spots. One tile has cracked (no one has owned up to that) and a couple have chipped.  I hoped that this fix would be a five year fix. And that by that time we could afford a solid surface. Tiling was worth it to get rid of those awful laminate counters.  

Sprinkled with tiles,

Katie 

Linking with:The Brambleberry Cottage, Time Travel Thursday

&Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Thrift Store Cutie

I stop by my favorite thrift store about once a week. It was a Monday afternoon, so there was not a whole lot going on. I think they had spent the day restocking from Saturday. I spied this little cutie sitting off to the side in the shop. Usually furniture is arranged in a vignette. This was just sitting there like it had just been brought in. The store was having a 25% off sale, so she was only $33.75. 
I think that it was originally the upper to some sort of cabinet. (Oh, how I wish I had the bottom too.) 

I love the glass knob. I am really partial to these vintage knobs. But I also love the little closure at the top. It is in pretty good shape. You can see some discoloration in the stain on the top.  

 It reminds me of this piece.

 They both seem like they were made out of leftover pieces of clapboard. Doesn't that seem like what a good re-purposer back in the day would do? Especially those that lived through the depression. It's what our generation has done with fencing and pallets. One look at pinterest and you can see all kinds of fun projects made out of pallets. Our recent economic challenges are reminiscent of those that caused our grandparents to make stuff out of what they had. 

I think that is what I love about both of these pieces. They aren't fancy but they are solid and they are a testament to making do with what you have.    

Enough of that.
She needs a good cleaning and some feet I think, but she will be a perfect bedside table somewhere in the empty nest. 

Sprinkled with thrift,

Katie

Linking with:  Trash 2 Treasure Tuesday @ Kammy's Korner

The Creepy Doll Room- Updated with new photos.

Last summer our youngest, Jonnie got an apartment with a couple of friends. His room was in desperate need of an update. When he was in the fifth grade he and "Team Friendship" (as his group of friends is called)  painted it for a merit badge. Well, I am sure you can imagine what it looked like after a group of fifth graders got finished with it. I rolled with it though, because I figured I would get around to repainting eventually.  I also wanted him to take some pride of ownership concerning his room. 

I am the resident painter in this family because I can't get my husband to paint anymore.  He got tired of repainting all the time because I change colors so often. Jonnie's room has been builder's white, gold and chambray blue. As his teenage years progressed I became afraid just to enter the room, let alone paint it. 

Now, I am sentimental, but in this scenario I was happy for Jonnie to embark on this new chapter and the room was really in need. My children know, that when I am ready to do something, I jump right in and get the job done.  I am a little embarrassed to admit this but I did not even wait until he had taken the last load to the apartment before I got in there to sweep and clean before I could paint. (There was energy drink on the walls for heaven's sake!) Keeping busy is my way of processing.

There is only one window in that room and the chambray color had such a dark feel. I was ready to lighten things up. I went with a super soft white called Natural Tan from Sherwin Williams. Sherwin Williams has been my go to paint store for years. A few years ago we had a flood and had some wall damage. They listed me as a contractor because I was acting as my own.  They always try to give me the best deal they can and I love their colors. 

Normally I love color on the wall, but I waited for years to have a white on white pallet with an accent color. Jonnie's move was several months in the works so I was ready to go with bedding and accessories.  I had been shopping different antique stores, junk shops and discount stores. Every time I saw something in my color palette, I picked it up. 

My favorite color as a kid was purple. I just was not a hot pink kind of girl. My dad wallpapered my room in a pretty pink and purple floral and I loved it. My friends and family know, I have been through numerous color fetishes (mauve and country blue, navy, hunter green, burgundy, gold, black and finally robin's egg blue and brown.) That is why I wanted predominately  white. If I get sick of purple in a few years, I can move things around and not have to totally redo the major elements.

The platter was the inspiration for the room, but it never made it up there.

Even though I wanted a white pallet I simply cannot paint 

furniture unless it is junk or it is damaged. 

The bed was made by great grandfather. 

The dresser was the first antique purchase I ever made.

       The desk was our first auction buy as newlyweds. It is English, I believe.

The little Victorian chair is a family piece. I am sure it was originally cane but my mom covered it with a needlepoint she made. The needlepoint is now a pillow.

The little armless chair was a garage sale find for 3 dollars. The slipcover is a white blanket from Walmart. I love the nubby texture.

  The little cupboard came from my father-in-laws garage. He used it to store spray paint for his auto body stuff. Cleaning and new black pulls turned it into DVD storage. I love re-purposing something vintage.

The rocker is from my grandparent's lake house.

Why this is called the creepy doll room? Jonnie called it that the first time he saw it. 

I wracked my brain because I did not think I had a single doll in there. Not that there couldn't be because of my doll collection years. (I really need to sell those.)

I guess my grandmother's 110 year old christening gown looks like a ghost.

 

Rebekah, my daughter, did add a creepy doll before she moved out. I can't believe I ever bought her that. 

Sprinkled with white and a touch of purple,

Katie

Linking with...

Sunday's Best at My 1929 Charmer

&Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

  

Power Struggle Over Yaupon Holly Berries.

We have a Yaupon Holly bush in my backyard. It reaches up to the second story at least. I didn't plant this shrub or small tree, as it has now become. I think the birds planted it by dropping berries. It just showed up one spring. I leave most of the volunteers in my yard. Mr. Bill would clear them out, but I always want to see what is growing.  I'm glad we didn't pull this out because I love what it has become. It is at the end of the walk down our side path. My little fountain sit beneath it.

When it was too tall to be a shrub we clipped all the lower branches to sculpt it into a tree. It is our only tree on that side of the yard. I love the textural quality of the branches. I have taken pictures of it many times. 

 In the spring.

During our big snow in February of 2010.

I am wild about this little corner of our yard and I love stuff that is free!

This bush is usually laden with berries during fall and winter. I clipped some and brought them in at Christmas but I didn't cut too many because I was saving the branches for the foray that I knew was coming.

I've noticed it in years past and this year I was ready for it. The Cedar Waxwings and Robins love this bush. 

Cedar Waxwing 

Learn more:

Saturday the weather was lovely and Mr. Bill and I were enjoying our garden room. You may remember my makeover for a piece in that room. Here.

We heard a raucous of bird noise and I knew the time had come. I was waiting. 
I knew there were too many plump berries on that bush.

Many years ago I received this book as a gift.

Order through amazon.

It started me on a quest to be a backyard birder. I wanted to have berries and birds just like this cover. I don't know if this picture is accurate because our Chickadees eat seeds not berries. Hmm.

I went outside and the yard was full of birds, Robins were all over the Yaupon. The Cedar Waxwings were watching from the neighbors tree. Other birds were eating from the feeder. I went up to my bathroom window to try to get some good shots. 

The waxwings were hard to get. 

 But I did get some of the Robins. 

They worked on the bush for a few hours. The Robins really had control of most of the time. The Waxwings seemed more polite, taking turns intermittently. 

I give it about a week and all the berries will be gone. 

As I have waited this winter for the birds, I remembered trying to take pictures of them a couple of years ago without success. I wondered if the date they came through then was consistent with Saturday's date. 

Wouldn't you know? I took the failed pictures on January 27th 2010. They migrated through my yard Saturday, January 28th.   

Is that amazing to anyone else or just a birder?

I love that birds know what they are doing and make a consistent trip through my yard yearly. The drought and wacky winter we had didn't impact the migration of these birds and thankfully didn't affect the number of berries we had. I saw a few Cedar Waxwings the Saturday before but they didn't eat from the bush. I wonder if they were scouts. 

Sprinkled with berries and birds,

Katie


Update: This picture taken this morning. There is not a berry on this bush. 

This picture is taken through glass. I am definitely not a bird photographer. 

Small Updates For A 90s Bath

At various times over the years I have succumbed to what I call HGTV syndrome or being HGTV'd, although I probably can't say that now. They have a show by that name. I don't mean it in a good way. Don't get me wrong, I love HGTV. For the most part I feel very content with my house until... I watch too much design television. Then the things that were just minor irritations become major eyesores. My master bath is a prime example of this. I have had a love/hate relationship with my bath for years. When we first saw the house, I couldn't believe the size! I thought we were so lucky to have those fabulous cultured marble counter tops. Don't even get me started on the tub.  A huge jetted tub, big enough to bathe all the kids at once! Now the tub doesn't get used unless the dog needs a bath. This bath was the latest thing in 1990.

It has undergone many transformations over the years. Dark gray wallpaper, red wallpaper, red paint, purple paint, red paint again and now a lovely light gray.  (I have promised myself that I will never paint this bathroom again.) Of course you know I will.

This bathroom has like 7 doors plus the cabinets. You can't do anything without bumping into a door. 

Did I mention that the bath had polished brass fixtures? They were so beautiful 20 years ago. Here is a before shot of part of the shower. (Sorry, taken before I knew I wanted to be a blogger when I grew up.)

About 10 years ago a friend of mine told me that if you spray oven cleaner on the bling it will come off. I lived with it for about 7 more years until I couldn't take it anymore. Most of the time a gallon or so of paint will go a long way to make me feel better about a space. Not this time. I spent about 3 weeks spraying Easy Off Oven Cleaner on this surround. I would spray and let it sit. Clean it off and spray again. I worked on it off and on for a few weeks. It was grueling. It eventually came off, but it was a very slow process. I polished the tough spots with a Dremel. I finally got something I could live with.

See it here.

The Dremel is a wonderful tool.  It has little bits for sanding, grinding and polishing. I have used it on jewelry too!

Now my surround is brushed chrome. I know you are probably wondering why we just did not buy a new shower door. At the time we had two kids in college and it didn't look like we would have excess cash for such a project. 

The start of this project coincided with an outbreak of lice in the classroom across the hall from me. Anytime I hear about head lice my head immediately starts itching. I am very susceptible to suggestion. I thought one of the kids had spread it to me. I had the school nurse check my head. Thank heavens I didn't have lice. I couldn't figure out why my head itched so bad until I remembered my three weeks with the oven cleaner. Make sure you protect your head. Some of the cleaner may spatter so wear long sleeves and gloves. Shoot, now my head is itching again! The oven cleaner cost about $30.00.

So much oven cleaner got on the faucet during clean up that I went ahead and did that too. A roman tub faucet was also not in the budget. I've hated this faucet forever but I went ahead and embraced the crystal knobs. I took out the little buttons inside the knob and spray painted them silver. I hung a crystal chandelier and brought in some candlesticks that have bobeches on them. 

A bobech is a glass ring that fits around the candle and rests on the rim of the candlestick. They come plain or dripping with crystals. I love the dripping with crystal kind. I got mine at a junk shop, but I have seen them at little boutiques also. 

I tried to get an electrician to hook up the chandelier but he thought I was crazy. I'm sure it is against code to have one so close to water, but I have seen this over and over in magazines. I can convert this to a candelier but I'm afraid I will want it somewhere else in the house and then I would have to rewire it. Instead the chain is hooked on a plant hook in the ceiling. The old wiring is under a cord cover. 

This was so much better but, there were still a few things I hated about this bath. The cultured marble has been turning all sorts of wacky colors after 20 years in the sun. I asked Mr. Bill to make a false front for the tub. He made the one pictured below with beadboard paneling and some trim.

 I painted it and the cabinets white.

Before:

After:

White Duck Enamel: Sherwin Williams

I love the cabinets now! I hated the golden oak before. We priced new cabinets last summer but we decided to do this instead. It even improved the appearance of the cultured marble on the sinks and the tub.

Now for the yucky part.

One of the worst jobs in an old bath is the caulk. The caulk was old and had shrunk, something mysterious was also growing. Removing it is a time consuming process but it makes a big difference. Mr. Bill and I found that I do a better job caulking because I have a smaller finger to smooth out the bead. Chip out the old silicone or caulk. Allow it to dry for a few days. (This is the scary part because you have to use another shower in the house and it might be the kid's bath!) Run a smooth line down the tile from corner to corner and then run your finger over it to smooth it out. It takes some getting used to. Don't be afraid to practice. You can always wipe it off and start over.  I always have a pile of rags to clean my finger every so often. New caulk makes a big difference and you don't have to get a handyman to do it. We used Dap Kwik Seal. I don't like the big tubes that go in a caulk gun.

Get it here.

New white faux wood blinds and valances.

We took down the big huge builder mirror. Can you see my husband in the pic? (Again, not thinking blog.) The black lace is a flapper overdress from my Grandmother. It had a pretty vintage flower attached. 

We got these mirrors from Kirklands.They were about $70.00 for both. They are sort of two tone to coordinate with the gold faucets and the refinished brushed nickel surround. We bought the faucets about 10 years ago. We went ahead and got the expensive ones so they would last. (Yippee)  I am sure we got them right before blingy gold went out of style. I would love to replace them at some point but I don't hate those so much. 
When I was 8 or 9 I would go every summer to my aunt's house. Her neighbor across the road had the most beautiful (insert dreamy girl's voice) bathroom with gold plated faucets. I told myself then that someday I would have gold faucets too. 
We got new door knobs, towel bars and a stack of fluffy, white Peacock Alley towels from Tuesday Morning.


Mr. Bill would love to demo this bath and start over, but the tile I love is white subway tile. I can't see spending thousands to change the shape of my tile from squares to rectangles.

I did my daughter's cabinets too. I can't wait to show you. 
I will also have to tell you how I was HGTV'd into removing popcorn from the ceiling. 
Till then,
Sprinkled with elbow grease,

Katie 

Linking with Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
and  it all started with paint:imagine the possibilities
and Common Ground's Vintage Inspiration Friday

Door Knobs-Home Depot
Towel Bars-Home Depot
Light Fixtures- Home Depot (older)
Chandelier-Antique find
Candlesticks-Thrifted
Bench: Tuesday Morning- Gifted
New Jars- Kirklands