2015 House Resolutions

Its the last day of January so I really better get these resolutions posted!

1. Renovate the hallway bath. I think I have this fully planned out at this point... Need a detailed contractor quote and we can begin.
2. Renovate the main foyer. The door is ugly, the paint is ugly, the closet doors are so basic, the wall needs some decor... This is an easy DIY project to tackle as long as I can get my husband to make some time for it
3. Paint the gym. It's bright pink, enough said.
4. Move the overgrown back patio grasses to the front of the house. I planted grasses that are too big for the space in the back, yet I have no landscaping in front of the bedrooms in the front of the house. I can move the grasses there and at least fill up some space.
5. Get a quote for and plan out a full basement reno. We lose a lot of heat through uninsulated walls down there. Ideally a renovation would also involve some flood proofing as well. 

Sugar, Spice, Everything Nice

Shelf and bed are Ikea Otta by way of Craigslist. I paid $100 total and then painted the bed's drawer-fronts pink. The shade is from Benjamin Moore.

I bought an extra duvet cover and handcrafted the tab back valances. The project was harder than I expected.

Nana made the wall art from Florida driftwood and fabric scraps. I made the artwork display wire from hardware store odds and ends.

 

Dresser is from Blu Dot. Wall shelves and flowers are Ikea. 

Finally Sealing It

Well.., the first half anyway. 

Product: Aquamix Sealers Choice Gold Professional. 

I'm using a cheap foam brush to spread it on the stones and grout, then cleaning up with a cotton terry cloth. 

Tiling Progress

Far side of kitchen first so we can take our time...

Now... To grout! 

Products:

Anatolia Bliss Stainless/Glass/Stone Linear Mosaic Tile in Fossil Rock

Aquamix Sealers Choice Sealant

Schluter aluminum edging

Bostik grout in Delorean Gray

Bostik premium thinset. 

DIY Chalk Wall!

In the midst of all our hospital white walls and stark detailing, we thought a chalk wall would add some child-friendly fun to our kitchen.

We used Benjamin Moore Tinted Chalkboard Paint in Black Jack. I wanted a softer black but after you start scribbling all over the wall and chalk dust is everywhere the nuances of your color just don't matter!

We prepped the wall as usual, taking care to make it as smooth as we could and then painted without priming. 2 coats did the trick.

After it dried, we chalked up the whole wall with the side of a piece of white chalk, wiped it off with a dry paper towel and started having fun!!

Everyone loves it and I'd call this project a success!

Nailing it Down

Tools required: hammer, nail punch thingies, red ikea cutting board (to protect floor), Riesling

Erasing Lines

We are doing things the hard way and changing woodwork while painting. We've chosen to replace 3+" trim with 2". After removing the old trim there is a ledge of paint build-up, in a line, where the trim ended.

We tried to erase the line with the sanding attachment on our multi tool but that didn't work very well. We thought it did but after painting, the line was very obvious, still.

So, we bought a real sander and sanded off the line with success, we think. Last night DH plastered over any remaining flaws and today I'm going over the plaster with fine grain sanding sponges. Later, ill prime and repaint. Hopefully this works.