Beautiful DIY Ceilings // Armstrong Residential Ceilings Review

For most people, ceilings aren't the first things that come to mind when they're considering their home renovation. A basic drywall ceiling is the standard, but when there are so many gorgeous options out there for every style of home basic just seems, well, basic.

Armstrong Residential Ceilings has an amazing resource called Ceilings 101 for DIY ceiling repair and updates. There you can learn about the selection, purchasing, and installation process for your ceiling project.  Whether you're interested in installing basement ceilings or just want to refresh what you already have - it covers it all.  For those that require a little more assistance, helpful online video tutorials are available.

DIY // The Kitchen/Mudroom Renovation - What We Love & What We Don't

It's been a good 6 months since we finished our Kitchen/Mudroom renovation, so I thought I'd share a breakdown of what we have loved and what we kind of don't.



Let's start with the positives and a good ol' before and after as a refresher of how much this space has changed since we first moved in back in December 2011.

Uncovering the Hardwoods

Just peeking out of my unmotivated state (have you noticed?) to share a funny little story.

I know I've mentioned this before but sometimes I get in a manic I-need-to-change-something-NOW mood.  You'd think that I'd learn to not give in to these crazy episodes.  There's lots that I could do...like finish peeling the wallpaper border off our bedroom wall (which is a result of another day where I let the crazy get the best of me), paint the trim, touch up paint in the living room where we removed the baseboard heaters or deep clean the house, but none of those would satiate me.  I.wanted.those.floors. I've dreamed of wood floors since the day we moved in and when I discovered them a couple months back it's been itching at me to uncover them.

So the other day, during a very rare two kid nap, I set out to pull up the carpet. I moved the furniture out of the way as best I could, unassembled the sofa (the chaise detaches and the pull out bed comes out) and started pulling it up - moving things around as I went.  It was exhausting.  But I was fueled by grand thoughts of refinishing this beat up flooring to a more beautiful state and had visions of Nicole Curtis egging me on.

I rolled up the carpet (very unprofessionally) and pushed it out the front door.  Then I grabbed the pliers and small pry bar to pull up the tack strips, nails and staples that were left behind.

This Cold House // Replacing Our Baseboards With Envi Convection Heaters

Old houses - what they offer in charm, they lack in warmth.  Or at least ours does.  This little 1900 cabin is a drafty bugger.  It just might have something to do with it's lack of insulation on the walls and floors.  So when it's cold it is darn cold.

Last spring, when we opened up the kitchen nook to the mudroom, we pulled out our baseboard heater that was mounted along that wall - and the three others that were in the living room, kids bedroom and our bedroom.  Our choice to pull them out weighed on the fact that they take up so much wall space.  With the living room baseboard removed we could move our couch to be placed along that wall and we had already run into issues of Luke sticking toys into them - something sure to repeat with Cal.  So the decision was pretty easy - potential house fire and increased usable space meant they had to go.

Rather than live 1900s style and just rely on our wood stove (that isn't even functioning at the moment) we had to find replacements.  Size, safety and high-efficiency were all things we hoped to find in our new heaters.  I had seen the Envi Wall Mounted Convection Heaters advertised in the back of my home magazines and was intrigued.  After reading a few reviews, like this one, we decided to pull the trigger and ordered 4.  The price wasn't too bad about $120 each (check those home magazines - sometimes there are 15% off coupons in the advertisements section.)

DIY // Budget-Friendly Industrial Wall Shelving

There's no better way to wrap up a whole year than with one final DIY project.  When we first walked through our house there were a few changes that we knew we'd be making; opening up the mudroom to the kitchen and adding bookshelves around the fireplace.  Two years later and we can proudly report that we've finally knocked both off our to-do list.

This update was budget-friendly and simple to build, plus it totally transformed our living room.  I picked up the supplies from Home Depot for less than $130 and broke out my trusty 3MDIY supplies to get started.

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // Mudroom Renovation Lessons Learned

Phew!  Well that about sums it up.  Our Apartment Therapy Renovation Diary experience has come to a close but before we say so long we're sharing our lessons learned from our DIY mudroom renovation.

Hop on over to Apartment Therapy and check it out - or take a look back at the whole process.

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // Mudroom Renovation Budget Breakdown

We're revisiting our budget over on Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary today.  Initially we budgeted $3000 for our DIY Mudroom Renovation.  How do you think we did?  Hop on over to Apartment Therapy and find out for yourself!

Our Renovation Diary project is wrapping up - only one more post - and it sure does make me sad.  I've loved sharing our renovation with you via Apartment Therapy...perhaps they'd be interested in our attic renovation??  A girl can dream...

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // The Mudroom Reveal

It's here!  The big reveal day and I am just so excited to share it all with you.  So, hop on over to our latest installment of our Renovation Diary on Apartment Therapy and check out the finished project for yourself, but watch out - you might have to pick your jaw off the floor!

To really feel the full affects of this DIY renovation, check out where we started - dark wood paneled walls, closed off spaces and no real style to speak of.  To say that I'm happy with the change is a definite understatement!

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // It's A Wrap

We made it to the finish line and are sharing all the details at Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary!  The mudroom renovation project is a wrap - check it out.

Be sure to check back next week to see the big ol' reveal post!  I can't wait to share it with all of you.

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // Moving the Finish Line

Our initial plan in the whole mudroom renovation project was to finish everything by the time Josh packed up and flew to Alaska to bring home the bacon halibut but we didn't quite make it.  Check out why our progress was delayed in our latest installment in Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary.

Only one more progress post left and then we'll finally be able to share the finished space.  I can't wait!

Budget Friendly DIY Kitchen Renovation // The Big Reveal

If you're keeping up with our Renovation Diary feature on Apartment Therapy - you know the posts are pretty far behind our actual progress.   Real far behind, actually, because we're completely finished (shh...don't tell those AT readers!)  I mean...we're not crazy enough to start a remodel project when our baby is due....or are we?

While I can't show you photos of the new mudroom and kitchen nook space since we're just getting started on that project (wink, wink...nudge, nudge) I can show you photos of our kitchen which includes new flooring, crown molding and our new Moen Woodmere faucet.  And if you remember WAY back in early 2012 we tackled the bulk of the work in this room which included:

• Removing the header, taking the walls down to the studs and installing new drywall 
• Mudding & sanding drywall
• Painting the cabinets white
• Priming/Painting the drywall
• Installing/Raising the cabinets
• Painting wallpaper
• Adding open shelving
• Adding wall storage
• Updating the kitchen lighting
• Adding open shelving above the refrigerator

What didn't we change?  The layout and the counters were left alone (even that awful stainless trim) which helped keep the cost down.  The kitchen renovation was probably somewhere around $1200 including the Forna black beach cork flooring from iCork Floor, plus $800 for the stainless steel appliances we scored on craigslist.  Is there a better layout for this kitchen...hell yes!  But it would involve opening up the wall into the living room, relocating the oven and fridge and creating one big ol' open space....and lots more money.  And that just ain't happenin'.  So this little budget-friendly DIY kitchen renovation was a "work with what ya got" project rather than a full-on gut remodel.

And without further ado...

Let's just take a quick look back at what the kitchen looked like when we moved in...wallpapered walls and soffit, oak cabinets, maple-ish laminated floors, white appliances, vinyl backsplash and boob lights galore.  Not the worst kitchen I've ever seen but I knew it could be better.  At the very least we could fill that huge gap where the bottom cabinets end on the far right.

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // The End Is In Sight

We're well on our way to a finished space.  Check out our latest installment in Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary where we're throwing down flooring and throwing up drywall.

I love how drywall transforms a room from scary, bare bones to something you can live in.

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // Trial and Error

It's that time again - time for our latest Apartment Therapy Renovation Diary update.  This week we're wiring new lights and switches...and trying to pass an electrical inspection.  How many times do you think it'll take us to pass?

 Stay tuned next week where we tackle drywall - oh what a difference covered walls make!

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // Refueling the Fire

We're chugging along on this mudroom renovation.  Check out our latest installment on Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary.

I love looking back at this renovation project - it's amazing how it all came together and how much family played a part in the whole process.

Curb Appeal // How to Paint Your Home's Exterior

You know that house - the one that's right in the middle of some big outdoor project but then is stuck in limbo for one reason or another and there it sits unfinished for months on end. We were that house.

At the end of June, I started painting the exterior - knocked out 5 of 7 walls with a roller and brush and had only two left.  Mind you, they were the two sides of the house that were tallest and required a much taller ladder than this pregnant lady was comfortable climbing. So, the last little bit was saved for the hubs who, unfortunately, hightailed it to Alaska before the job could be finished leaving it half painted for 4 months.

Don't worry - it wasn't left in this literal half-painted state. I did get the entire front finished (with help from my brother on the extra high parts.)

With the arrival of the baby right around the corner and the fact that fall is in full-force we knew we had to get this job finished. Fortunately we had all our go-to painting supplies on hand and even more fortunate - our neighbors had a paint sprayer leftover from their house painting project - so we were able to bust out the last two walls in no time.

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // Bringing in the Professionals

Our next installment of Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary is live.  Let me just say...it's pretty electrifying!

Oh, I just crack myself up.

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // Demo Begins

It's hump day!  Get over that mid-week slump and pop on over to Apartment Therapy to catch our first Renovation Diary progress post  - we're diving in and tearing down walls.

So thankful for all the help we received on this project.  Definitely couldn't have done it without our family!

DIY: Replace Your Kitchen Faucet // Houzz

Can you say icing on the cake? (Mmm...cake.) Our basic kitchen faucet got the job done, but it wasn't grabbing anyone's attention, that's for sure!  With all the amazing changes we made to the kitchen and adjoining rooms it was leaving much to be desired.  So, when the amazing folks over at Moen contacted me about installing a new bathroom faucet from the 90 Degree line, which is gorgeous but a bit too modern for our traditional style bathroom, I shared our kitchen remodel and our need for an updated faucet and they were totally on board.  Little did I know I'd be getting the faucets of all faucets.

Our new Moen Woodmere faucet is in a classic stainless finish and includes a pull-down spray nozzle which eliminated our need for our old spray nozzle.  It also is a single hole installation model so we were left with three additional holes after we removed our old faucet.  We'd love to add a soap dispenser and a water filter at some point but for now three stainless hole covers from Home Depot will do.

Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary // Mudroom Renovation - The Budget

Our latest installment on Apartment Therapy's Renovation Diary is being featured today.  We're sharing our (measly) project budget for our mudroom renovation.  Check out how we broke down the budget and plan to tackle this project for as little money as possible.

Stay tuned next week for our very first mudroom renovation progress post!

Houzz // DIY Painting Project: A Colorful Front Door

Do you feel that?  That bite of cold looming in the air?  Temperatures are dropping and days are growing shorter - summer is definitely over!  I'm currently at that mourning stage - wishing we had a few more weeks of warm weather but I'm also welcoming the change....and the weather ain't the only thing changing around these parts.

Continuing on our quest for a little curb appeal I gave our front door a little makeover.  Our white

I've been on the hunt for the perfect orangey-red hue and was leaning towards a salmony-coral color like Behr's Chili Pepper which would have been a bit more modern.  And then while on a mission at Home Depot I came across a gallon of Oops paint in a gorgeous red and was sold.