House made Home: December 2011

Home Tour Series: Basement

The finished basement

The last and largest room is last.

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I'm in there to really put the proportions into perspective.

This is really inspiring.. RIP Earnhart Jr.

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Jan. 3: I've officially had the house over a month and it is being finished up.

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to come...

Home Tour Series: Office

The office/craft room

Where the creative juices are always flowing...

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BEFORE

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DURING THE TRANSFORMATION

Dec. 26: While the family was in town they helped me decide on a color for the craft room/ office since it was the only one that was not planned. I wanted a purple color that would have the same feel as the living room since that was also the color of the hallway that leads to this room. We ended up choosing Behr Orchid Kiss. It was on the border of being too pink, but I thought that it might not be bad to open up a smaller space.

Dec. 29: There was a burst of energy and every ceiling that wasn't finished on the top floor was finished so that nothing would be able to hender me if I wanted to begin painting any room.. it did leave no room for making an excuse. Since Savannah was still there she helped up put the first coat on the walls.

Jan. 6: When we got home from work it was decided that the momentum of home improvements needed to pick back up we didn't want it to turn out as a house constantly "in progress." I rolled the walls while Micah began on edging by the ceiling and the second coat was almost complete, but then just like everything else we ran out of paint.

Jan. 8: Without waiting too long to get pack on the project Micah bought paint and we completed the room with much hesitation about the color. To me it doesn't look exactly like the paint swatch, but over the weeks it has grown on me. Plus I do think that we are going to do a thick horizontal stripe around the entire room of the sweet rhapsody blue from the bedroom to add a little more interest.

As of right now this is a laundry room for our work clothes, but it is starting to gather crafting supplies so I am going to need storage sooner rather than later.

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AFTER

to come...

Home Tour Series: Guest Bedroom

Where you will be staying...

I want it to be relaxing and inviting.

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BEFORE

Trying to change average to awesome!

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DURING THE TRANSFORMATION

Dec. 26: Day after Christmas and this house needs to come together!

Jan. 31: This room has been used for storage while we got the rest of the upstairs together, but not it is crunch time and we have a guest coming this weekend so I started the first coat of Behr Macaw on this existing beige. We can easily achieve three coats and the trim by the time the weekend arrives... right?

Feb. 1: The second coat goes on and there appears to be no question about another being necessary... the third was done about twelve hours later and it still looks streaky.

Feb. 3: Our visitor is coming tomorrow and we realized that the fourth coat is not going to do it, so Home Depot here we come for a third gallon!! I don't want to blame my color choice but it isn't looking like a smart decision.

Feb. 7: Coat number five is applied... number six to come. I decided that if is needs more than that than i'm going to say that is the look I was going for, rustic.

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AFTER

to come...

The plan is to add a white canopy above the bed and definitely a new comforter to match.

Now for decorating the walls..

Home Tour Series: Master Bedroom

At the end of the hallway you find the Master Suite.

It has a walk-in closet and full bathroom.

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BEFORE

It is actually much larger than this picture portrays. Makes me want a king size bed! Basically all that I have right now to put in it is a bed and small dresser so the possibilities are endless. The ceiling fan has to go!

This closet is perfect for an organizer like me... everything will have its place.

This bathroom needs a little updating. My favorite part is the shower and it has great pressure!

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DURING THE TRANSFORMATION

Dec. 26: So the back of the house projects are underway. The Denton Family came into town just for the purpose of helping me transform my house into a home and the help was very appreciated! While Meg and I were painting the stripes in the dining room and kitchen the boys (Jim and Sammy) were painting my bedroom a softer color.. sweet rhapsody! In fact, they did the ceiling white, color on the wall and even completed the trim. I did not see it until it was basically finished and was blowN away when I did. Perfect for a bedroom! Now to get the bathroom prepped for painting, but I think there are a few projects to finish first.

Jan. 1: This is what the bedroom looks like currently, which to some my seem to be finished, but it is a long ways away from being done.

The to-do list looks a little like this:

          *Replace the overhead lighting
          *Hang a canopy of curtains around the bed
          *Add dramatic curtains to the windows
          *Create artwork and shadow boxes for walls
          *Paint the closet and organize
          *Make tuffed headboard
          *Buy much needed:
                dressers, chaise, and mismatched side tables
                grey comforter and matching set

Jan. 5: I have begun the pinterest projects! The first being a scarf organizer so that I can get them off the floor. I used 4 packs of clear shower curtain rings (around $1 each), one hanger that I already had, and a pack of twist ties (also around $1). It is super easy and works great!

Feb. 18: The next project ensued and was completed on the same day. Two pieces of molding and very reliable screws were all that was needed to create this pinterest inspired piece. A very necessary organizational piece for the closet was secured to the wall, it is for my shoes!

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AFTER

to come...

Home Tour Series: Guest Bath

First left going down the hallway.

Highlander (my cat) and Savannah (my cousin) share a bathroom.

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BEFORE

The inspiration came from a shower curtain.

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DURING THE TRANSFORMATION

Dec. 10: More wallpaper to take down, but the border came off in one foul swoop so there is hope. There isn't any crown molding so straight to painting!

Then adding a frame around the mirror to make a grand impression.

Dec. 26: While the family was in town the dainty pink floral wallpaper in the back room of the bathroom was completely removed (thanks to Aunts Ruth and Jean), but so was the toilet so it appears that we will need to get this done pretty quickly even though it does look great on the back porch.

Classiness at its best...

Dec. 28: It felt like we were really on a roll with getting things done so when I took a winter vacation and Savannah was out of school we decided to try to take done the rest of the wallpaper, which came off so easily at first but that feeling would turn out to be fleeting.

I alway say "Who needs a ladder when there is a perfectly good counter to stand on", but it turns out that socks and a water/soap mixture on the counter can become quite slippery. In turn I "slightly" slip and bring down the towel rack that was obviously not secured very well lol. It actually was plastered into the wall so left there was a couple gaping holes..

Jan. 2: As a housewarming gift Andrew kindly patched those holes (on the left and right) so that a more contemporary towel holder can replace that outdated plastic bar, which was all a plan from the beginning, right.

After two coats.. at least one more to go.

Jan. 17: Well to say the least it has been slow going on the bathroom and it had not been touched until Micah bought the bathroom paint, taped the perimeter and began the first of many coats of paint. That is what the paint expert at our Home Improvement Store warned.

Jan. 19: I get home from work to see the light to a very bright bathroom beaming out the window of the back of the house, to my surprise Micah was finishing a second coat, which was great to come home to since I was feeling like things were not getting done around the house at all.

Jan. 26: This project is lingering and I would love to have two toilets that are hooked up so the last coat must be put on. I am slightly unsure about the color... it is even a little bright for me which is saying something. While I was doing this Andrew was checking on the patch and making sure that it is going to be able to paint (soon?!).

The plan is to attach the toilet and then add a cabinet over the top of the toilet to add convienence for guests to find what they need instead of searching through the closets and under the sink.

This will also bring a little more white into the room to hopefully balance out the stunning Macaw yellow/orange color that I have chosen. These cabinets are actually fairly cheap and I think that it will be better than adding a family portait because that is the only other option.

Mar. 25: Two months after half of the bathroom was complete another wave of productivity hits and we begin the process all over again with the front half. I finished taking down the wallpaper which is a leap in the right direction.

Mar. 28: The walls are finally dry enough to sand and prime (we learned from the last room). Hopefully getting those patches ready to paint will not hold us back too much, but never say never - especially when it comes to handy work. I also want to undertake trying to redo that light fixture, but I do not necessarily have the experience to say it will go off without a hitch.

It is so exciting that by the end of the month I won't be ashamed for our guests to go into the bathroom. And I will need to start looking for accessories!

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AFTER

to come...

Home Tour Series: Kitchen

The kitchen is off the dining room and looks out to the backyard.

It's going to be done along with the dining room, same inspiration.

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BEFORE

Not the biggest kitchen in the world, but definitely has potential for style.

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DURING THE TRANSFORMATION

Dec. 9: Finally we get to start working on the kitchen! Even though it is late we have to get the first coat of Kilz on the pretty blue border that wraps around the ceiling, it will probably take a few coats because there are also leaves stenciled. I don't know that it was ever in style, but who knows if what I am going to do is either... probably is.

Dec. 10: Put the second coat of Kilz on the border since they did such a great job. And we decided to go ahead and remove the cabinet doors and handles which is more time consuming that expected, but what hasn't been. The question to replace or reuse hardware?!

Dec. 11: Now a little color gets to be splashed in when the edges being cut in with that bright sweet midori green. Also, the wainscoting is being installed on the bottom half of the wall. It will all flow right from the dining room.

Can't wait to add the stripes!

Dec. 12: I began adding the shelf liner to the five shelves in the pantry, but now they are sitting in our bedroom since the pantry still has to be painted. It's going to match the walls in the kitchen with the half green and half white walls.

Dec. 26: Stripes were added to the walls along with the dining room by me and Meg while Jean was putting wood putty in the holes. Two hours for it to dry, then sanding and painting begins. Also, thanks to Savannah for painting the pantry! We even added the pot rack today and I had pots and pans to hang on it... looks classy.

Do you know what is wrong with this picture?

Dec. 27: The cabinets are sucking up paint, but after three coats of paint they're ready! Before Mr. Denton left, our last task was to hang the cabinets. Well it turns out that the doors had very specific spots that we did not anticipate, but this was discovered after we had already attached the handles so more work for ourselves. (At least we have a very convenient foot cabinet lol) Next time he comes we are going to shave the edges so that they doors can close properly and possibly even fix the one handle.

The wine glass rack was installed by Andrew Riney himself and the wine glasses actually came from Old Time Pottery (thanks Sandie).

To the right of the sink you will see the handy work of Micah with the installation of the paper towel holder which is out of the way yet very accessible.

I really want to find a window decal like this! I have been looking everywhere.. I think it is great because it does not have to be washed like curtains, it does not seem like it is going to become outdated, it is white so it matches just about any decor and it still allows in light.

If anyone sees this please let me know! I am almost completely done with the kitchen and really want to get the finishing touches so that I can officially unveil the heart of my home.

Dec. 28: Today Savannah and I went on a shopping/thrifting adventure. We started in Hermitage: going to Tuesday Morning, Goodwill, and and an Antique shop but came up empty handed. Then on to Donelson to Southern Thrift which was not as nice as it used to be so that was a disappointment. Finally, we went to Green Hills to the Container Store which I have been wanting to go to since I realized it existed, and of course I bought a few things: Sink Saddle, cutting board with a built in colander, wine glass hanger, and an under cabinet paper towel holder. Good thing she was there because I might have bought one of everything.

Dec. 30: Time to start the organizing!

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After

to come...

While pinterest-ing I have found quite a few inspirations that I have put into practice:

Jan. 22: Shopping for the metals pieces at craft supplies stores Micah and I found quite difficult so when we were browsing at Home Goods we ran across another cake stand with pretty pink cupcakes for $9, but decided that records would be more our style. That same night we took it apart and attached a Willie Nelson record on the bottom and Elton John on top courtesy of Sam Denton.

Jan. 22: Silverware was never something that I thought of as an accessory, but the above images made it look like fun. Since we have an extra set of silverware the attempts could have been endless, but Micah managed to get both done with only one trial run. We then spray painted them to match out decor and below is the finished product, now to add a candle and a picture.

Jan. 22: Since I am obsessed with organization I immediately thought that this was a

great idea! Adding cork to the inside of the cabinet is a way to keep a grocery list, recipes, coupons and everything else out of site but easy and quick to get to, now to make my personalized push pins (of course).

Jan. 22: Before I even realized that there was ugly drawer liner already in the cabinets and drawers I had picked out a really cute black and white pattern from Target. I bought the last three rolls and that only covered the kitchen cabinets, drawers and pantry. It is really easy to use and can be moved at first so no need to worry about making mistakes.

It's in the details!:

Jan. 22: I always put my fruit on the counter or in a bowl, but when I saw this I was determined to find a way to keep my fruit on the wall. At Hobby Lobby they had some metal baskets for 50% off and I couldn't pass it up. The only problem was trying to find the right kind of hooks for the weight... everything is harder than you think it will be.

This pot rack is so convenient that i'll not go back to putting it in the cabinets. (Now what do I put in there?)

Finishing touches... pictures in every room of course!

Home Tour Series: Dining Room

It flows from the living room and connects to the kitchen & back deck.

It is the second focus because I would like to eat at a table soon.

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BEFORE

Thanks to Sam Denton and his friend Ernie for helping me haul all of my belongings from Murfreesboro to my new hometown of Hermitage early in the morning (And for the lawnmower)! Also, thanks to Andrew Riney for setting up my 16' Penske truck rental because without his help it might not have happened since they were overbooked.

This is the first official use of my dining room.
Post moving we were surprised with some much needed fuel, delicious hawaiian bread ham sandwiches and chips(MMM) made by the lovely Sandie Glover... who was also the photographer that took all of these pictures - Thanks!

Great wallpaper.. sad that I have another vision for this room. Vibrance!

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DURING THE TRANSFORMATION

Dec.4: We wanted to test to see how easily the wallpaper came off and it is exactly like you would expect... not very easily at all.

Super special thanks to Savannah Shirley for you help all day!!!!!!!

Dec. 5: The real gold chandelier was taken down after much struggle, but luckily Johnny found electrical tape to put on the live wires that are hanging down. The ceiling was painted along with the living room. Also, all of the wallpaper was removed thanks the recommendation of a blue product called DIF. Unfortunately it appears that there are other layers of unknown material to remove, but that will require more powerful tools than a scorer, scrapper, and elbow grease.
This is getting complicated.

Dec.6: Attempted to wash the walls with warm water in order to remove wallpaper adhesive residue, but it doesn't seem to want to cooperate.

Dec. 10: Painting the walls Behr Sweet Midori ------------------------->

<------Also, adding Wainscoting under the chair rail

Dec. 26: Meg and I started and completed the striping process which took a little bit of tweeking. The original idea was to have a flat and gloss of the exact same color, but it turned out that there was basically no difference when painted on the walls. Trip two to the Home Depot proved to be pointless because adding a tint changed the color to a brownish grossness. I was becoming discouraged, but as a last attempt bought a slightly darker green and as soon as we put it on the walls we knew that it was perfect. The green against the white really looks better than I could have imagined.

Mar. 26: Exactly four months after completely the room I found a light fixture! The cut glass and dark color really go with the feel of the house, classiness. (And it works!)