Getcher Porch ON!

So, I rarely come back here anymore. But I am so excited about this outdoor covered porch project, I must put this down for prosperity...

It begins.

12 foot by 20 foot magic...designs done, permit acquired, posts ready to go in....stay tuned chics, this one is being pimped out large for Dharmaritaville :)

Bitchin' Kitchin!

So I started this kitchen redux about 2 months ago. I have shopped, arranged for installs and DIY'd it to death yo! If you forget where I started a couple years back...let me introduce you to my green machine....and the tulip light. My fave :)



Awwww yeah. You are loving it, I can tell. Well I didn't. The rangehood was white, that spray paint experiment should go in the "Why I don't drink wine..." pile. So I decided to try again. Meet my painted countertops that lasted a whole year :) They would probably last someone else a lot longer but we cook tons and I have sons trying their hand at the culinary arts as well. No bueno.

I know, I know. Better right? But still not quite there. So I decided to bite the bullet, make a list and budget and get crackin!

Welcome to Casa Stout now babies!

The list breaks down like this:

Remove kitchen drapery/rods & paint / make drape- CHECK ($20)

Replace diningroom drapes with the ones from TV room - CHECK

Replace pendant light - BOUGHT and READY to GO ($25)
Film on Door Window for privacy - DONE ($5)

Replace vent cover - DONE ($7)

Replace counters - DOUBLE DONE ($2400)

Replace sink with undermount and install Touch2O tapset - DONE-OLA (included with counters)

Backsplash behind stove - DIY'D & DONE ($75)

Install OTR Microwave - DONE ($250)

This was all done in concert with a number of other projects. Replacing all the knobs, locks etc in the house from classy brassy to stainless. rehanging draperies and patching and painting. Changing out all the towel bars and TP holders in the house. Rearranging the livingroom (AGAIN). replacing all the broken musty vent covers in the house. Cleaning, more cleaning and oh, did I mention I have cleaned?

Here's a pic of the sink:

OMG. Isn't that tap gorgeous? Remember when I won that at the Canadian Design Bloggers event last year? I have a lot of patience darling. A lot of patience.

The backsplash is peel-n-stick stainless tile from Home Depot called Aspect. I decided on one row to keep it simple and staggered long and short grain finishes for interest. 

A new Debbie Travis Aurora pendant light in a crackled glass is slated to go in and replace the giant tulip that hangs over my head on the peninsula.

The counters are a Formica180FX product in a finish called Soapstone Sequoia. I went with a straight edge to mimic slabs of actual stone. The slabs are one piece each so no seams for grossness to wander into. Our installers were great and they spent more time installing the taps than anything else. They were cursing my name I am sure as they drove away. Which is why I tip.

This is it so far. FINAL budget for my version of a dream kitchen = $2782.00

Momma is a happy girl.

A stencilling question??

Have you done it? Did you buy a kit or make your own? Has anyone ever used the "whole wall" stencils from Cutting Edge? I know they are all the rage, but I am hesitant to do something really trendy in here. I'm not planning on changing it again soon, ya dig?

Would you do the far wall only or both walls (behind the headboard and the far wall)????

I'm considering a very opaque stencil in a larger format so as not to be too busy and what to do about that cool-air exchange? Oy!

I'm thinking I could mirror the pattern in the drapery panels with this, just very subtle.

All efforts to talk me out of this will be considered :)
Have a great long weekend to most of my Canuckleheads.

Updo on the Master

Have you ever been on a date where the person you're with is reeeeeallllllyyyyyy nice? Yah, that's kind of how I felt about the renovated master bedroom. Lots there to work with.... just no spark, ya know?

So, this week we hunkered in and got busy pushing furniture around and making some changes. Casey (my niece) and I did a lot of shoving....but I am very happy with the result!

First things first, dresser placement. Turning the two small bedrooms into one gave us this mid-section in the completed room where I have wanted to put my Goodwill lamps, TV and lowboy forever but how? That bed is the size of Indo-China! Shove, shove, shove.

Ahhhhhh, much better.



Highboy behind the door, capped with my favourite picture of my boys.





























....and the king-sized (big-as-Texas) bed on the far wall. Yes, Virginia I did manage to hide a small nightstand back there, but don't look in the drawers. ;)

So what to do with those windows? There are two of them, they match, they have ugly blinds and they now flank the lowboy......hmmmmm maybe the best defence is an offence here. Accept the configuration and flank drapery panels on each of the windows. If you can't beat em...join em.

The last piece of the puzzle was provided by my massage therapist's Momma who was getting rid of her teen-hood vanity table. It was pretty rough and beat up but it has a lot of history (it even has her and her then 15 year old boyfriend and her names carved in one of the arms). I gave it a thin whitewash and paired it with my bargain chair from Home Sense ($25.00 - Holla!).

No I did not paint over the "Ellie + Darryl" - who would do that?



So, that's as far as I've gotten in here. Bedding to be sourced. I have huge stencilling dreams and little talent for that back green wall behind the large-as-a-planet bed......coming soon.

Hopefully.

Just you wait!

A little tease this fine Wednesday.....remember this stark, prison-like, austere newly renovated bedroom?

hello, Frick & Frack.....how ugly you look slammed together like chalk & cheese :(

I got super busy, rearranged, added a vanity table, hung curtains (finally, my poor neighbour Tony - his eyes! his eyes!) and am now in a position to start stencilling and purchasing bed linens.....cause it is all coming together.

Although, it's all coming together.....green. WTF?

Getcher' Mama a beer, son!

Well, the weeks from hell seem to be over (please, please be over). I am finally getting over this chest infection and have quit braying like a donkey.

The garage sale we held for my Mother on Saturday is OVER as well!!!! Thanks be to Gawd. The boys made about $45 each, Greg and I made $50 and Momma took the medal making almost $270 from stuff she was going to drop off at the Sally Ann anyway :) It was a long day before the sale and a short morning of haggling, but I am glad she got some things sold.

All last week Greg was a busy boy wearing his white Supervisor's hardhat while we went from this:

to THIS!

Suffice to say the boys are pretty stoked. It was a significant investment for us and probably means we will never travel again :) Well, OK. Maybe not next year. I spent pretty much all day Sunday, phone turned off, people popping in for a dip. Floating on my chair sending my 9 year-old to the bar fridge now and then. I know, that makes me a bad Mom.....I don't care.

Come lay across my BIG brash Bed!

Remember this BEFORE picture right after we renovated the two teeny-tiny bedrooms on our second floor into a new master? Remember how excited I was about the new bed? $100! Well, turns out my husband and I cannot sleep in a queen size bed. You know, I knew better....I just didn't want to believe it ;) We're huge! OK, maybe not "Heavy"-on-A&E huge but we are not little people, so that lovely cottage-style bed is now in Liam's room. Meh.

So here are some updated pics of the room in progress. I'm not in love but..... if it buys me dinner and is nice, I might let it get to 2nd base.

We had to move the MONOLITH king sized bed back into the room. Of course this presented huge issues with nightstands and being able to get out of bed but a bit of scrounging at my local Salvation Army may have saved the day. I'm still debating what colour to paint the stand on the left.....nope, not keeping the baby pink.

There is also something missing in this photo. The footboard was almost as freakin' high as the headboard and was a major player in putting the squeeze on the space so....ummm I had Greg cut it off. I have no idea why we had not done this 10 years ago when we bought this thing! Instant update. I think I'll still paint it white (the headboard and frame that is). I really liked that white headboard :(  I ordered a sand coloured bedskirt from Sears that should be here in a few days.....I am so uncommitted to a colour scheme in here now....HELP!

Because of the unusual slanted entry, I have moved both dressers to the one side of the room. This also sets us up to mount the TV and have a place for the PVR unit. That's right.....a flat screen in the bedroom y'all. I like staying married. This of course rules out drapery so I think I'll be making some awesome DIY roller blinds in amazing fabric :) Once I decide on said colour-scheme.....GEEZ!

I don't like this chair. Nothing personal chair....but you're teeny. Plah!

I did find something to do on that weird slanted wall for now though. I love this pic of the boys in Daytona Beach and hey, a gal has to read.....

Comments? Suggestions? Offers to intervene? Bring it Babies!

And now on with the show....

So, if you are one of my legion of fans, you know I've been down. I've been out. That however does not mean I haven't been bossing everyone in my house around and getting things done.

Exhibit A:

The front hall after our master bedroom reno. The door was eliminated and I got to look at this everyday for 3 months when I walked into the house or when I hauled my crippled butt to the bathroom while I was laid up.

After Greg painted out the hall (yes. he. did.) I got to work on what I hope is the start of a truly beautiful "wall of shame". This rogue's gallery will eventually take up the whole wall. So, if it seems off center to the eye from the front entrance.....ummmmm it is. On purpose. I know. HGTV's Police squad is coming to take me away! Best part? Not a dime spent.....yup, I shopped the house, babies!

AFTER:

I am especially fond of this pic....grainy I know. It's of me and Greg, just weeks into our new romance.....ummmmmm a few years back. ;)

Did I mention that I also got him to paint all the SPINDLES? This boy loves me.

Told ya I'd be back.

Showing off at French Country Cottage
and over here at The Inspired Room

Yes Master! Our new bedroom redo

That's right folks, we are in the new master bedroom! Here is a montage of the up to date action in our bedroom....OK, well not THAT "up to date" ;)

First step demolition! Greg took out the walls and closets between the two smallest bedrooms on our third floor up (we live in a backsplit). Our youngest, Quinn - whom you will see in the following pics, is taking over our master bedroom and we are building the new room to suit Greg and I. Although the new master doesn't have an ensuite it does have immediate access to our mainhall bath :) SWEET! No more naked dashes for Momma down the hall. I think I just heard my 14 y/o son sing Halleluiah!

Demo:

The wall that was.

We encourage learning opportunities, especially when they turn into free labour!



Hmmmm..... that vent stack pipe wasn't on the plans for the house. Great....reroute, reroute!



I can see clearly now the studs are gone..... this will be the bedroom portion.

....and this will be (cue singing angels on high) my new master closets!!!!!!

speak of the little devils, there they are :)

we had to fill in the doorway to the middle bedroom which will create a gorgeous hall wall to decorate at a later date. I'm excited about doing a family "Wall of Shame" when I get the gumption to take that one on.

A note about the odd detailing in every room of this house. On our cielings we have a 2" strip onto the cieling of the paint colour, I had never thought about this until my carpenter Tom framed in my closets. Actually it occured to me as I was driving home on my lunchhour one day to check on his progress that the absence of that trim in front of the new closets would be a dead-on *tell* that we had remodelled this room. Well, my boyfriend Tommy is sooooo smart, he had already figured that out and had created a trim out to match the detail in front of the closets. This is *why* he is my boyfriend.

My super-hubs Greg does all the painting, not because I can't but because he is a perfectionist and I, well I am not the neatest painter in the world, ya know? The colour I chose was a fresh green Cricket by Behr and y'all.....get the Primer and Paint in One.....you will send me gifts forever, promise :)

Remember that weird cieling detail, yah, tell me how you would have handled this. Would you have painted it out like us or would you have tried to extend the weirdo popcorn/ flattened plaster stuff? I'm lazy. Paint it out hubs! See? Tom did an awesome job making that trim piece look like it had always been there!

Because I am so lazy, I wanted a shot of what the floor, trim and paint would look like. This is when I got kind of freakishly excited! About the trim. It's the same colour as a bad file cabinet from 1964 but it is throughout my whole damn house, so I match to it not away from it. I sleep better at night. It makes colours hard but in the end I think it lays nicely against the fresh green walls.

Note to Dear Reader: We are on a budget. We reused the framing, the trim and both the doors out of the original closets that we demo-ed. I know, I know...the closet doors open the same way. Only you and I will notice anyway.

Doors are missing, carpet is gone, no one is sleeping where they should be. Pudge is so confused.

So, like anyone in the middle of a renovation the tough got going.....and while they did I went shopping. I had heard that our local auction house had a 50% off sale on this past Saturday. Sorry? 50% off? I was there in a heart attack. Can you believe I brought this home for $100?????????? Yes, you read that right. $100. Shit, I'm good.

So here is where we are now........I know the boob lights are still there, I haven't got any dressers. Decor has not even been started but thoughts? Feelings? Accolades? Critiques?