Oven Cleaner on the Shower Surround

One of my most viewed posts is my bathroom redo on a budget.
Read about it 

I thought I would elaborate a little on the deblingification of the shower. 
Many people have found my blog through a Google search using the entries like:
brass shower surround
oven cleaner to remove brass
Update 90's bathroom 
It is the most searched query on my blog.
 Apparently there are many like me who hate the blingy gold shower surround.


My house is a basic builder house.
It was Fox and Jacobs, a very prolific builder in 1990.
I love my house and by and large we are extremely pleased with it. 
The shower surround pictured here was not the best quality.
As I stripped it, it looked like they took a left over chrome shower and sprayed gold lacquer over it and called it brass. It was cheap. 
I don't know how my method would work on a better quality surround. 
When I started the bathroom update, we had two in college so a new surround was not in the budget.
I'm really not sure when it will be but...


My next door neighbor said she read about the oven 
cleaner method and used it on her cabinet handles.
She put the handles in a baggie full of oven cleaner and let them sit for a couple of days. Well, you can't put to a shower surround in a baggie but I was desperate.


To get a brushed nickle looking surround here is what you will need:
Heavy Duty Easy Off Oven Cleaner (Not lemon scent)
I think I used 5 or 6 cans

Tool for removing caulk or silicone.
CLR or something for removing hard water spots.

Gloves
Goggles or glasses
Steel Wool
Rotary Tool
Shower Cap
Mask or Respirator




Begin by cleaning shower and surround with CLR.
The "brass" will be more difficult to strip on areas with a lot of hard water spots.
Remove caulk and silicone from the corners. Silicone can be clear. I didn't realize that is why my corners were not stripping. 

Begin by spraying oven cleaner on small sections. I wouldn't spray it on in more than 18 inch lengths. Allow the Easy Off to sit on the bling and work it's magic.
Once it has been sitting on the surround for 15 minutes, you can see some gold goop coming off. It will work until the mixture dries. Don't allow it to dry or you will have to hit that section again. (It seemed to me that it is harder to get off if the goop has dried.)
Wipe it off and begin again until all the gold is gone from that section. 
Buff and rub with steel wool until you have a brushed nickle effect.

Note: Some of the sections looked more like chrome after the first pass with the Easy Off. Repeated treatments removed the shiny silver look.

I used a rotary tool to get in stubborn corners.
You might also try a mouse sander if you have one.
 We didn't at the time but I should have bought one to make the job easier.
This is a very time consuming job. 
I worked in small increments in the evenings on and off for a couple weeks. It is messy and the oven cleaner is gloppy.
An added bonus seems to be how clean the tile and the fiberglass pan were once I was done. Three weeks of oven cleaner took away all the soap scum :)

Make sure you wear the shower cap.
I got so many teeny tiny droplets of oven cleaner on my head that it itched like crazy!! It took a couple weeks for that to stop. I thought I caught headlice from one of the kids at school!

I love the new surround.

Keep in mind that this won't look like a just off the bath showroom brushed nickle surround. There are very miniscule spots of gold that I still can see, but it so much better than it was.

I used silver paint to paint behind the door seal. I couldn't take it off to get cleaner inside. I probably wouldn't have wanted to take it off anyway because I wouldn't want to compromise the ability to keep the shower water tight.

I think that if we were to put the house up for sale we would spring for a new one, but for us it looks just fine.


With the gold surround the etched glass looked horrible and I hated it.
The etching and the silver now make much more sense together. 

 The etched glass echos the white of the tile. The silver of the surround blends with the 
Stamped Concrete Sherwin Williams paint.

Does our bathroom still have problems? 
Yes!
The sink faucets are still gold and I have tried everything to reduce the bling on these.

 Because they are solid brass the oven cleaner technique won't work.  I hoped to remove the lacquer so they could begin to tarnish and look antique. When American Standard says lifetime warranty on the finish they mean it! I have tried acetone and drain clog opener to peal the lacquer on these faucets. 

I had hope when I put Liquid Plumber on them and covered it with a baggie. I came back and there was black inside the baggie. I thought finally they were turning color. No it was some sort of breakdown of the drain cleaner. I left the baggie on for about a day before I gave up. 
They were really clean and shiny after that. 
Acetone is supposed to remove lacquer but I didn't have any luck.It is so frustrating that nothing will work on these that I think I am going to spray paint them like I did downstairs.
Read about it here.


The test of a good project for me is whether I would do it again. I would absolutely strip a shower surround again. The hard, hard work is worth the result.

Here is a sneak peak at what I have been working on next.

Sprinkled with oven cleaner and elbow grease,
Katie 
Linking with;
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style &
Time Travel Thursday @ The Brambleberry Cottage &
Delightfully Inspiring Link Party @ Delightful Order &
Transformation Thursday @ Shabby Creek Cottage &
Cowgirl Up Link Party @ The Farmhouse Porch &Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage &
Sat Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Summer Living Room

I feel we are about to set sail around here. I have been pulling out my summer decorations. I found some cool nautical things in the upstairs closet. Isn't it fun when you find things you forgot you had? 

The window came from the builder supply guy for a buck.
Read about it here. 

The clock and the needlework were upstairs tucked away.

I think my mom made this crewel ship. 

I found it in Jonnie's closet.
I love, love the chippiness of the frame..  

I found the little ship creamer in an antique shop.

I transformed the clock from vintage Ethan Allen 80's into this cute Gothic thing. 

I got it at the super Goodwill for $5.00. 

I took the guts out to paint the inside.

I was happy that the decal just scraped off. I would have gotten out the paint stripper if needed.

 I think it looks pretty cute.


I have collected a few mermaids over the years. I spent a whole summer stalking ebay for them. I found this one in my old favorite junk shop for a dollar. She looks so charming under glass. Mary Englebright was the first one to turn me on to showingcasing a precious object like this. 

Mr. Bill collected this coral a couple of summers ago. Please don't tell me they are fish bones or something. 

Mr. Bill's grandfather built model ships. I love this one. I don't know if he built this one or just ordered it.

I think lanterns look so summery. Pottery Barn always a huge selection. I got this one at Walmart.

I wrapped a piece of rope around it that Mr. Bill got me for Easter. Does that man know me or what?
Here is the PB lantern I brought to the Christmas gift exchange and won back. It was on clearance and was a great deal.
I have been covering just about everything in drop cloths.
Read about my chair here.
But I also did this little bench.

The coffee table trunk came from a local antique shop. 

It feels like it could have belonged to a ship's captain. 

The bench with the canvas and the upholstery strapping echos the sail on the ship thus bringing similar elements around the room.

 When you are a knick knack queen like I am it helps to repeat motifs so the room doesn't look too busy. Or should I say... Doesn't look busier than it needs to??  ;)

I don't know the technical term for this webbing, but Mr. Bill had it left over from the leather chair he redid. Read about it here.
It looks cute on the bench and on a few pillows.

I collect things that have a nautical flare but that 
aren't too kitschy. The room feels restful and light for summer!

 I think that is enough for today.
I will show you the rest another day. 
I have the cutest bathing beauty under glass in the dining room.
I hope you enjoyed the tour. 
Sprinkled with ocean breezes,
Katie 
Linking with,
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia &
Take a Look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee Crafts &
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style & 
Trash 2 Treasure @ Kammy's Korner &
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm 

Blogging Anniversary

Let's Add Sprinkles has hit a milestone! She is six months old. Should I throw a party?

No I think I'll reflect on what blogging has meant to me the last six months.

The last thing I would want is for people to think that I am shallow or materialistic.

I am sure that is how it comes across sometimes on a decorating blog.

(Oh and that I am one step away from an episode of Hoarders.) ;)

Well, in reality I am far from those things. Yes I love shopping but I am extremely frugal (cheap) and thrifting is my favorite hobby. I love the hunt and turning trash into treasure.

The last three years have been extremely difficult in several ways. This blog has helped me not only focus but refocus if that makes any sense at all.

Three years ago my husband Mr. Sprinkles (he wou allow me to call him that)(so Mr. Bill it is) and I had a child graduating from college and one from high school,

I hit the mid century mark,(don't worry, I'm not insecure about my age.)

our life at our church was dramatically halted,

and finally (the one that brings me the most pain,) my extended family began to implode!!

I don't have to explain the first two but let me briefly explain the second two.

My children called me the church lady. 

From the time I was a little girl I have loved church. 

I sang in the choir for 7 years (I have the pins to prove it.) I loved everything about it and don't even get me started on potluck suppers.

My area was women's ministry. I felt a calling to help teach women and planning retreats and other events was a right up my alley.j I loved spending summers outlining Bible studies for the fall.

All that changed when I started being paid by our church to lead Children's Ministry. There was a call for help and I knew that I could do it. 17 years teaching school had prepared me. Of course it was temporary... 

2 1/2 years worth of temporary. As soon as I joined church staff the pastor quit. (I am sure that is why he asked me to take the job. I guess he felt I could lead us through a time of transition.) Mr. Bill was an elder. 

(Can you say "perfect storm"?)

It was a nightmare. Clearly I am not called to be on staff. Every time someone left the church it was gut wrenching. Literally, my stomach started hurting all the time. The Dr. thought I had tumors on my liver!! 

All we did at home was talk church. Both of us were heavily invested, which of course lead to conflict because essentially Bill, as the finance elder, was my boss!

I know, I know. I can hear what you are saying.

It all ended very badly and put both of us in counseling with an abrupt end to our days of worship at that church.

I felt that I knew better and that I ended up letting EVERYONE down. 

I tear up just thinking about it and here I thought I was over it.

It has taken years to get over it because I loved church so much. I love God of course, but I loved the church experience. Loving God and loving church, I have realized, are two separate things. So as we rebuilt our marital relationship, thank the Lord, we settle in obeying the premise that God wants us in church, but not really feeling the same about it. Although we don't sit in the pew wondering why they are doing  what they are doing anymore. We go but we are not involved at all so we have lost a big part of our community. 

(My stomachaches stopped right after I quit my job at the church. Huh?)

Okay now the second thing. 

A few months after the explosion at the church an implosion began with my extended family.

My brother, Jim became ill with a short term memory problem. He has memory for 10 minutes and that is it. Eventually he can develop new long term memory but I am not sure how or how long that takes. My brother and his wife got him in a nursing home. At 53 he was to spend the rest of his days in long term care.
Then my brother Dave had a stroke 5 months after Jim's illness. 

Read Dave's story.

I think I went into an emotional coma during this time. 

Varying responses to this crisis have affected my family to such an extent that I am not sure we as a group can recover. My family was everything to me. 

So, in the span of a 2 years I lost my beloved church and my beloved family. 

My identity is built on neither of those things, so while it has shaken me, it hasn't broken me. I know that I placed too much importance on what was not the most important thing. When you serve the Lord in a church setting it feels right.
I learned to the detriment of my relationship with my family that is not the case. I have learned humility in this process. 

I also learned that for once I can't fix either of these things. We could get more involved in our new church but it would only put a bandaid on things.

I love the Lord, I love my family but there is a void.

I hope this gives you insight into my world. I realized I had been a little remiss in letting you see who I really am behind the paint and dust (and drop cloths).

Blogging has given me an opportunity to teach women again, an opportunity to write and grieve at the same time. I have learned some crazy computer skills and I think I take a fair photo. 

 Thank you blog world for helping me take my focus off of my circumstances and refocus on something new. 

Sprinkled with something real,

Katie
P.S. Feel free to leave a comment. It feels a little like chirping crickets after publishing a deeper post.
Thank you!!

Guest Room Decorated

We are still tweaking the empty nest around here.
When we painted my daughter's room a few years ago, I thought that Rebekah and I chose a color that we both could live with. Rebekah would not be living in the room for very long. She had graduated from college and would be moving out when 
she found a job. 

We chose an olive green called Meadow Trail from Sherwin Williams. 

 She and I purchased a new bedspread that she could take with her. Would you believe we found this set at Macy's for $20.00? 

Martha Stewart -Cypress Paisely

My plan was to use another bedding set that I had on the bed while she was at college. 

It was a damask in browns and corals from Target.
Target didn't name this bedding. 

At first we didn't have a bed so I set up the room as a office/workroom for me to use for blogging. 
Read about it here. 
It ended up being a drop room. You know what I mean... a room to drop stuff on the table and leave.
We had guests coming so it was finally time 
to get a bed.
I shuffled chandeliers around. Read about it here.

I was tickled to put the bedspread on but I didn't love it. Maybe it was just too heavy for summer. If you have been around my blog a while, you know I love to dress beds for the season.

I thought maybe I needed to repaint and get new bedding.

  I decided to find a white set hoping I wouldn't have to paint.  My original plan way back when was to have a green room with green toile. 
But I didn't want toile.
In fact, I had a black toile quilt I got at Big Lots for $25. It was a king but it fit. I liked how it hung really low, almost to the ground. 
No. I think I am over toile for a while.
 In case you are thinking of recommending me for an episode of hoarders, you will be happy to note that I did take the toile bedspread and a whole truck load to resale.
I found a lovely full/queen white quilt at T.J. Maxx for $39.00. It also had the nice long draped look I wanted. I picked up a white dust ruffle and pillow cases with a lace edge at Tuesday Morning. I spent $36.00 on those.

I put these on the bed but didn't love it.

My inspiration for what to do came from a night in my sister in law's guest room. I spent the night after going to the Dallas Premiere. Read about it here. 
The walls were a taupey blue-gray. On the bed was a beautiful damask set in Wedgwood Blue.   
The room is gorgeous and so restful.

I wanted to recreate that feeling for my guests.
I had a set in Wedgwood but it was a king.
I tried it on the bed but it didn't fit like the toile spread did.
 I thought I could still use the other pieces from the set to capture the feeling of the 
guest room at my SIL's.

 I pulled out the blue dust ruffle and added that. 

It took a little remaking of the dust ruffle to make 
it fit. 
Cheater alert... (I used my glue gun :/)
Once I added the glammy pillows and my gold edge pillow cases it all came together. 

I made these and not with the glue gun either! 

The bolster pillow and the European sham are from a Waterford set I got at Tuesday Morning few years ago. I had it before we got our new bed and didn't love how it looked after the new bed arrived. 

I know, I know.

I got this little painting on one of our antiquing weekends. 

 Some of my sweet Robin's Egg Blue things ended up in here.

I love it. 

I saw this publication at Walmart.
Victoria magazine has been my favorite since I got my first look at it in 1990.  
 My room does need a headboard and I love this wrought iron bed.

 Read about it here. 
Let's see what I can come up with.
Sprinkled with Wedgwood Blue,
Katie
Linking with,
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage &

Sat Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors