DIY // How To Repair Your Walls with 3M DIY & A Bedroom Makeover

Our house was previously a rental property that experienced some abuse from tenants.  The owners had fixed it up and rented it out; only to have to replace the carpet and paint the walls after the tenants destroyed the place.  I totally get the frustration of having to fix what you've just repaired but using a paint sprayer while frustrated really does no good to anyone.  Drips are not attractive or easy to remove once they've dried.  The same rings true for wallpaper that's been painted over.  Unfortunately, we inherited both as well as a million nail holes all over the room. What on earth were they hanging?  I will always wonder…

After living here for 2 1/2 years and staring at the eyesores, I finally gained the motivation to tackle it all.  Actually it didn't quite work out that way.  My curious little 4 year old noticed a piece of the wallpaper peeling so he pulled at it....and kept pulling at pieces.  He took most of it off and I finished the rest for him with my trusty knife from the kitchen. Hey, it was quick to grab and I was impatient.

Give Your Outdoor Lighting A Fresh Update

Last week, while Josh was hard at work on the mudroom/nook/kitchen reno (or munoki??) I took advantage of the sunny weather and crossed off a few projects from my outdoor to-do list.  I didn't manage to fully complete them all (the house is just partially painted) but I did update our front porch light.

The light was a dirty white sconce that had seen better days. It's (barely) visible here in this listing photo of our home.

How To Choose the Right Sheen of Paint

Paint is paint, right?  Well, not exactly.  There's different colors, brands and qualities which all factor into the the final outcome of a project but did you know that sheen is just as important?  Check out this handy guide from Ace Hardware's Clark+Kensington line of paint which is sure to keep your next project looking its best.

The Paint That Cured The Itch

Not THAT itch.  Thank god.  My itch is a little more mental.  There are so many pending projects around the house that it's feeling a bit overwhelming and with our budget cut it seems that nothing is going to get done.  This lack of progress has me in a bit of a funk and if you've noticed I haven't been up to much on this ol' blog (which is now one year old) and that's a bit scary.  If I'm dormant for too long - watch out!  I get that itch to get creative and who knows what'll happen.  This time around wasn't too drastic, but the final results did sway from my originally intended design scheme just a bit.

My plan was to paint all of the living spaces (i.e. the living room, hallway, stairway, landing, etc.) a light warm gray covering up the off-white that is painted everywhere including the trim and ceiling.  I swear they just moved through the whole house with a paint sprayer and no surface was safe!  (Sounds familiar, Pops?)  Yes, gray.  Just like everyone else.

I like gray.  No, I love gray.  If you're a Pinterest follower then I'm sure you're well aware of my love of gray.  It's a perfect neutral and is both modern and traditional.  It's perfect for our young little family and our little coastal cottage. BUT, my warm gray color would be a new purchase.  One that I don't really think I could rationalize to my hubby which means that I'd have to live with these hideous off-white walls for whoever knows how long.

DIY // How-To Paint a Rug

Hey there!

If you're a frequenter of Pinterest or any other site that touts billions of home DIY projects, I'm sure you've seen the "painted rug" project everywhere.  Bottom line:  rugs are expensive.  They're also incredibly eye catching and can turn a blah room into something spectacular.  So it's really no surprise why making a less expensive version is so popular.

I used a simple flatwoven white IKEA Erslev rug for $39.99 and created a bold white and black striped beauty.

DIY // How-To Transform Thrift Store Lamps in Minutes

Well, I bet ya'll pretty much gave up hope thinking you'd ever see the lamp reveal I promised.  I'm sure you've been tossing and turning the past 6 days racking your brain - "Did she paint them blue?  It must be blue - No, it has to be green.  Or is it orange?  I HAVE TO KNOW!"

These two Lights of America Sun Light Lamps are energy efficient full spectrum lamps and were thrift store purchases for $4.99 each.  Like the style and the full spectrum benefits like increased serotonin levels and vitamin D production?  Get yours here although these lamps new are around $99.

Houzz: Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint

I'm back!  From forgetting my adapter cord for my camera at my parent's house to my computer's ac charger ripping into two, it's been impossible to post anything.  I have quite a few projects waiting in the wing, but I thought I'd first share my most recent Houzz project - making my own chalkboard paint.

Other design by Media And Blogs Meg Padgett

Chalkboard paint is popular thanks to its blend of sentiment, whimsy and practicality. Whether it's painted on walls, furniture or appliances, chalkboard paint has certainly come a long way from the basic green or slate gray boards used in schools.

Houzz: How to Paint Perfect Wall Stripes

Whether they're horizontal or vertical, stripes are one trend I hope won't go out of style any time soon. This versatile motif adds visual interest and can help showcase a room's fine points and de-emphasize flaws.

Use vertical stripes in a room with low ceilings to create the illusion of height, or use wide horizontal stripes in a room with high ceilings to ground the space. Play with the size and color to create a unique look — subtle tone-on-tone stripes of equal size create a subdued and relaxed environment, while bright, contrasting stripes varying in size create a more modern and graphic impact.

Other design by Media And Blogs Meg Padgett

Now that I have you ready to bust out your painting supplies, here's a helpful how-to that will help you achieve perfect stripes every time. Check out my latest Houzz Ideabook for all the tips and tricks.

How to Paint Perfect Wall Stripes

Houzz- Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More »

Browse Bath Products on Houzz- For Example:

Bathroom Mirrors · Bathroom Storage · Bathtubs · Showers · Toilet Accessories · Toilets · Towel Bars And Hooks · Towels ·

So what about you guys?  Are you fans of using stripes on your walls?  Or do you prefer to use them on decor throughout your home?


Disclaimer:  As a Contributor I have been compensated for any Ideabooks featured on Houzz, although I am not compensated for sharing Houzz ideabooks on Revamp Homegoods.  All opinions expressed here or that of the writer and are in no way influenced by Houzz.

Before & After: Bland Nursery to Hip Big Kid Room

The old adage "time flies" is ringing true this week.  Luke transitioned from his crib to a big boy bed after he started scaling it like he was climbing over a pebble.  I figured that his room might as well get a big boy update as well so I turned to my good ol' friend - Paint.

 
I broke out some painters tape and two gallons of OOPS paint from Home Depot one in a semi-gloss white and the other in an eggshell gray and painted large stripes on the walls.  Once I got the gray on

DIY // A Trash to Treasure "I Told You So" Cabinet

If ever a moment deserved an "I told you so" this would be it.

I packed this sad looking oak cabinet home from my friend's mom's house and was welcomed with laughter and exclamations of doubt.  I don't know how many times I've heard it referred to as firewood from my husband, brother and dad.  Oh ye of little faith.  It's honestly hard to blame them for their lack of vision.  This cabinet was in ROUGH shape.

Handmade Gift Exchange: Hand-Painted Tea Towels

I was so excited to take part in the Summer edition of the Handmade Gift Exchange. Twice a year, Linda from Craftaholics Anonymous, hosts a Handmade Gift Exchange where you give and get a handmade gift! So, what's my fascination?  I've always had a fondness for pen pals.  In high school I had a pen pal from England who I wrote for years and when I first met my husband, and still to this day, we write each other while he's fishing in Alaska.  There's something so exciting about getting something (other than bills) in the mail and something even more exciting about gifts in the mail.

My giftee was Rhonda from the amazing Mrs. Greene who hails from Michigan.  I totally failed at being super creative (especially as I see all the other gifts that were made), but I hope that I was at least a little creative in creating two Michigan inspired hand-painted tea towels.

DIY // A Vintage Clock Update

I seriously love paint.  There's nothing easier than taking a "seen better days" piece and giving it a fresh update with a little paint.  And that's exactly what this project took.

You might have remembered this whimsical vintage mid-century modern Bill Miller Etc (Melrose Ave Los Angeles, Ca) clock from one of my past thrifting excursions.

It didn't need much, just a cleaning, a little sanding and a fresh coat of paint.  I taped off the glass on the front and the back panel to protect the label and then I started thinking paint.

DIY // Perfect Painted Wallpaper

With the cabinets shining bright from their fresh coats of paint, the bare wall opposite our sink was needing a whole lotta love.  We have plans to put up some open shelving on the largest section, but that's about it.  Frankly, it's a little too blah for me so I set out to find a way to liven it up a bit.  With four layers of wallpaper underneath the new drywall I couldn't fathom putting another layer on these walls even with the awesome selection out there right now.  So I enlisted my trusty paint brush to save the day again via painted wallpaper!

 Here's a glimpse of what that wall looked like amidst the remodeling mess...

Of course chevron print crossed my mind, but I'm a little over the zig-zag craze at the moment.  Are you guys with me?  {Although I will confess that I do love this nursery by House 36 and am leaning towards this print for the seat cushion on the bench in the nook.}  So I scoured the internet looking for the perfect pattern and came upon the quatrefoil trellis.  I love this pattern and I'm not the only one.  Ballard Designs had a trellis wallpaper that they were selling for $119 for a double roll and Emily at Jones Design Company transformed the walls in her office with a stencil.  Jackpot!

I used the stencil provided by Emily and used the same double outline method.  Man, she's not kidding when she says it's tedious.  You trace the same stencil about a thousand times and go back over that with paint and then over again with a second coat in my case.  It's tiring, but the outcome is totally worth it.  All in all it taken me roughly 8 hours (obviously not in one sitting) and I expect another hour or two to get the 2nd coat on.  Now, if you're interested in this pattern but want to skip all the tedious work check out the all-over stencil at Cutting Edge Stencils.  It's sure to save you time.

So, back to that wall....After what seemed like weeks (probably because it was!) I finally finished tracing and painting the first coat and not without some crazy acrobatic tricks to get that hard to reach bottom area and corner.  Thank god for yoga and a husband who is very unselfish with doling out the back rubs (unlike his very selfish wife!)

And by golly, it's looking pretty damn good.  It's not perfect by any means, but if you don't sit there and stare at it all day long (hard, I know.) then you'll never really notice.  Hopefully.

I still have to paint another coat and we really need to get that trim back up, but I'm calling this one a victory and sharing "After" photos before it's technically finished but you can't blame me, right?

So what do you think?  Doesn't it just change the whole tone of the room?  It's true what the say...a little paint can work wonders.

DIY // How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets White Update

With the cabinets in place we were on to the next step..."Painting the cabinets white, we're painting the cabinets white..." The Queen of Hearts would not be pleased with our cabinet transformation, but we sure are!  Simply changing the color and height of the cabinets (in addition to our changes with our windows & walls) has transformed our kitchen from a heavy and dark place we didn't want to spend much time in, to my favorite room in the house.  I love its bright and airy feel.  I can only imagine how amazing and open it will be when we finally have the walls taken down between the nook/mudroom/kitchen.  I'm never going to want to leave.

Now let's take a look at our Before photo with the addition of the stainless appliances.

Knockoff: DIY Lord Bodner's Octopus Triptych

I about died when I first saw the Lord Bodner Octopus Triptych while I was feeding my brain...err, I mean, while watching Giuliana & Bill.  The original is a copperplate engraving by Lord Bodner and was published in 1826 in London as part of a series studying creatures of the deep.  You can purchase the framed triptych version from Natural Curiosities for $3550, a framed print from Outer Banks Trading Group for $1590 or there's another original artwork created by Julie Canale for $3550 that's just as swoon worthy as the Bodner triptych.  So, feel free to fork over your hard earned cash, but might I ask why, when you can make a smaller scaled version for pennies on the dollar?

Supplies:

DIY // Paint. The Choice That Never Ends

We're taking a little break from the kitchen redo.  We still have the cabinets to paint and all the trim to do, but we're tuckered out.  So we're moving on to something that still allows me to be a slug on the couch.  That's right, we're back to talking paint.

We've finally decided on a paint color and hopefully I don't have any color-remorse like I did for the interior paint...(although I am totally digging the taupe color, so maybe it wasn't so bad after all!  We're going with Behr (because that's what we have available in this rural community) and we've chosen Silver Hill for the body of the house.  We tested it outside in the natural light and it's the perfect blue/gray color we were looking for.  We've also chosen Behr's Flaming Torch for the door, which will give us that pop of color we were wanting.

Exterior House Paint - Behr Silver Hill

Door Color

We're still trying to figure out the complementary colors.  I did track down this on Behr's website which seems promising, but where would we use the colors?  Trim, porch, shutters...?

Or should we go with one darker hue for an accent, like black or these amazing charcoal colors from Behr?

Behr's "Sled"

Behr's "Deep Space"

I really struggle with choosing colors - one color is easy, but combinations...that's a tough one. So, feel free to share your suggestions and since I'm a visual type of person, pictures are ALWAYS encouraged!

DIY // Kitchen Remodel Update: Go Go Gadget

Hey there!

(or is it HIGH there?  these paint fumes must be getting to me.)

Here's where we left off last...the walls were primed and ready for paint.  For a look back check out A Muddy, Dusty Kitchen Update and Rock n' Roll Kitchen Update.

Primed and Ready for Paint

Have you ever wished that you had some super-human power?  Me too!  It's usually something standard like flying, but today I wanted two bionic paint roller hands that could bust out the paint in no time and maybe some Go-Go Gadget stretchy arms so that I could do it from the comfort of the couch.  Say what?  Yes, I just dropped a righteous Inspector Gadget reference.  A-thank-you.

Anyways, back to the task at hand (or hands, heh.)  The Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 Primer coat had dried and the walls were finally ready for their color.  I'd love to tell you the color we chose, but I can't.  We scored a great deal on paint a few months back.  A hardware store was selling 5 gallon interior eggshell paint for $35 and they'd tint it, too.  You heard me right, 35 dollars!!  We bought two 5-gallon buckets and had one tinted to a light gray and the other to a taupe.  And you know what I did?  I had color-remorse and took them in to a local hardware store and had the color darkened up.  Well, it didn't quite come out as planned and now I'm stuck with a taupe which was created from the gray (and really is not bad at all), a strange terra-cotta color and the feeling of regret.  5 gallons of terra-cotta....not sure what I'm going to do with that!  At least the taupe works (or greige if you're hip), which is what we went with.  I think it will look nice and warm against the cool white cabinets and trim and the stainless steel appliances.

Two coats of paint went on, and quite easily, I might add.  I'm sure all the credit should go to the primer...but I think I'll take it. We're getting there people.  We might have a late night ahead of us but it'll be worth it!

Two coats of paint dried and ready for the window trim!

So, what's left?

• Finish hanging drywall in kitchen
• Mud/sand
• Drywall texture
• Prime walls
• Paint
• Hang cabinets
• Install window trim & crown molding
• Paint cabinets
• Fun stuff (open shelving, nook benches & bookcase)

Ah, the end is in sight!

Until next time,

14 Days of Valentines: Day 11 Stamped Heart Card

It's day 11 of 14 Days of Valentines, my attempt at one Valentine's inspired craft each day.

For day 11's project I repurposed a champagne cork into a heart shaped stamp and, with the help of my little man, made some cards and wrapping paper.  A very simple project, but one that won me over and I can't decide if it was due to having a handsome little helper or the bubbly.

I absolutely love champagne and sparkling wine.  I could drink it every single day.  (Don't worry, I don't.) 

DIY // Transform Ugly Thrifted Ceramic Owls

Hey there, Vamps!

Have you all noticed the trend of white ceramic owls?  I know what you're thinking, "Oh, God, NOT ANOTHER ceramic owl!  Seriously, everyone and their mom has one, but not me.  I have two!

West Elm Ceramic Owls

 Here's how I took two thrift store ceramic owls from trash to treasure.  (Break out that spray paint and start spraying.  It took me 3 coats.)

So, what about you?  Do you still fancy the white ceramic owl or are you sick and tired of the trend?

Knockoff: DIY Land of Nod Kid's Activity Art Table

Are you all familiar with Land of Nod?  They have the most radical stuff and I want all of it.  Not awesome?  The damn prices.

Land of Nod Kid's Play Table

Have you seen this activity table? Pretty sweet, huh?  Well, that sweet little piece of playtime fun will run you $450.  But in their defense, the two rolling storage bins and leg extensions are included.  Still, there's no way I could drop 450 clams on a play table. I mean, let's be real, I'm a stay at home mom with a budget to keep. So, what is a girl to do?  Copy it, of course, and I had the perfect table just waiting to be converted.

Supplies: