Projects

I just completed a new project.  My husband had an old Lane chest that he received from his parents.  It needed some work.  There was a piece broken off at the base and several places that the veneer was missing.  Therefore, I sanding it, removed or filled in the missing areas as needed, and I replaced the missing piece at the bottom.  Then I painted and distressed the chest to fit in with our decor.  I thought it would be a great file cabinet for all of those documents we need a place to store.  I love the way it looks now.

Before

AFTER

Projects

I really enjoy giving items new life.  It could just be a facelift or a completely new use.  I have not always been very good about taking a before picture.  Therefore, some of the projects that I have completed in the past may only have the after pictures.

Under bed storage drawer

I found this shallow drawer in a barn at the cottage farmhouse we purchased.  It was pretty beat up and very dirty.  I thought it would be a great storage piece for under the bed in my daughter's room.  Therefore, I painted it a green and turquoise blue color that matches the colors in her room.

By adding wheels from the local hardware store, it is easy to slide in out from under my daughter's bed

Dining Room Before and After

The Dining Room in our Cottage Farmhouse was the original master bedroom.  By opening up walls and raising the ceiling, we were able to make an open floorplan.

Wood floors were painted a tan color.  There was one small closet in the original master bedroom

There was one door leading to the family room, and one door leading to the kitchen

Popcorn ceiling was added at some point to this 1940's house.

Removing walls and raising the ceiling allowed for a good size dining area.

A restored 1940's chandelier gives a nod to the era.

A display area with a fold down desk

An old harvest table.  When I purchased this table the legs were blue.  I stripped it down to return it to its original color.

A little corner is a great place for an additional chair and reading area.

An old glass front cabinet from a store in  Kentucky acts as a buffet and provides great storage. 

An old church pew from my childhood church is meaningful to me.

The dining room, living room, and kitchen make up one large area.

Master Bath Reveal

We have really been enjoying our master bathroom.  Since this was a small house, having storage in the newer part of the house has worked out great.  I love the bright and open feel while having calming colors all around.  I love incorporating old and new with a timeless feeling.  I am very drawn to items with character and a history.

Off white cabinetry, black honed granite, black matte knobs (painted this color), Distressed mirrors, porcelain tile with a matte marble look

The cabinetry between the mirrors adds a jewelry drawer and great extra storage. I really like using the black stool for the vanity area instead of a typical vanity chair.

The master shower has subway tile, rain shower head, black and white tile flooring

A roman shade above the bathtub in a similar wall color keeps things simple while adding the practicality of being private when needed.  An old chair from my childhood church is a great place to sit while putting on shoes or placing a towel while bathing.  The clawfoot tub is a classic.  This is a new tub with an old time feel.  I wanted different colored feet.  Therefore, I painted them a black color.  A small table beside the tub is a nice place to light a candle or put anything in reach that you might need while bathing.

An Additional sink area with linen storage makes the space ideal for us.

The beadboard surround adds a little charm to the space.

This is an old cabinet that was built in to someone's house at some point.  The door was originally all wood.  However, I loved the breadboard interior.  Therefore, I cut out the center part of the door and had a piece of glass cut to fit.  I am looking forward to filling it with unique items.

Double glass doors lead to the master closet

Tile floors and a chandelier on each floor add a little pizzazz to the master closet.

We were able to leave the exterior rock wall as one wall in the master closet.  Shelving provides a great place for all of my shoes!

I really like incorporating beautiful pieces that typically might have other uses. Varying heights  give a little more interest.

Master Bedroom

My posts slowed down due to a family emergency.  However, I am back.  I am moving on the the Master Bedroom area.  This section of the house is all new.  We added a Master Bedroom, Bathroom, and closet.  However, we wanted to maintain character.  We used a similar style throughout the house and wanted to have classic finishes that are timeless.  We used reclaimed pine wood floors, used what was the rock exterior of the house as interior walls, and added a horizontal wood wall to the hallway.

Hallway from Original part of the house to the new Master Bedroom

Horizontal wood wall adds old fashion character to the home

This piece was being discarded by a friend when I asked if I could take it.  I painted, distressed, added, knobs, and added feet to it.

This frame was an old door that had been cut in half. It still had the glass in place, so I thought it would be a great frame. The door was $8 and having the picture blown up was $9.  I did paint and distress the door, so it would pop.  The rock wall was the original exterior wall of the house.

Reclaimed pine wood floors help transition from the original pine wood floors to the new portion of the house.

The master bedroom is a good size with 4 windows for natural light.

The headboard is an old door with a top piece off of an old hutch

 A desk doubles as a night stand and a great work area.
I had a mirror added to this old antique frame my parents gave me.  I painted the desk a distressed black finish.  A before picture of the desk is at the end of this post.  

An Antique mirror and dresser act as a good night stand.

This large dresser is great storage.  This piece was built into a closet at one point.  I had to finish one side, add a top piece, trim the top and bottom, add feet, add glass knobs, and give it a new coat of paint.

The bench at the end of the bed received a face lift by adding a seat cover I purchased from Etsy

I purchased this bench full of character at the Round Top/Warrenton Antique Weekend in Texas

This is the before of the desk. It was fine as it was.  However, I like adding my own touch.

Laundry Room Before and After

The Laundry Room Before:

The laundry room in our farmhouse is a room you go through to get to a bedroom, a bathroom, and the kitchen. Therefore, we wanted it to look good and be functional. The before left a lot to be desired.

Unfortunately I did not take very many before pictures of the laundry room.  There was actually a very large hot water heater and a closet taking up much of the space.  We installed a tankless hot water heater and removed the closet to make the space feel bigger.

The original controls for the washer and dryer were exposed and the floors were a lovely shade of green in a linoleum finish.  There was actually a second layer of vinyl flooring below it.

The After:

We wanted to make the most of our space.  By installing a front load washer and dryer, we were able to add a countertop.  The countertop is the same metal used on roofing.  We actually had a roofing company cover the top in metal.  It is a great look and very functional for the space!

The flooring is a porcelain tile called concrete.  We really love the look!

By adding a rolling cart, we can easily slide it out of the way when not in use.  It is also stylish enough to leave in the room even when guests are over.

The doors on this piece are functional and add great storage for any extra supplies needed.  This piece was in an old gas station garage. I refinished it in a distress white finished and added the label holders.  I can easily label each door to access items quickly.

A magnetic board and 3 baskets allow for additional storage and display.  I love to add the picture magnets the kids make at school.

The finger holes make opening the doors very easy

The final touches help with additional storage.  Three buckets allow for clothes pins or other easy access items.  The nine drawer tabletop piece keeps makers, pencils, glue.....neatly tucked away.

An extra large mason jar is a great place to place loner socks that may or may not find a match.

The bulletin board makes it easy to post schedules, art work, awards, and reminders.

Having a mudroom area does not always have to be a large area.  A few hooks for backpacks works well for us.