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This is a home in my neighborhood that was built in 1953 and, at least from the outside, all original. Recently purchased and slowly being renovated, the outside has not yet been touched. Every time I walk by my mind starts imagining what I could do. Curious what you would do to update this house?

What to do with an antique dresser and some BIG news!

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I did a thing. Something I have wanted to do for years and I finally did it! I found a sweet dresser on Facebook Marketplace, offered a lower price, and bought it! 

Although I did give it a light sanding, honestly with All In One Paint I likely didn't need to. This is my third project using this paint and it is amazing! So easy to apply, VERY little prep, and always beautiful results. The color selection is really good too.

Super happy with the end result. I have a great amount
of prep space and extra storage space. Win win!

If you have never tried All In One paint by
Heirloom, you need to!

Before after we got it home and in the garage

A light sanding with my orbital sander
did the trick.

Painted base with All In One Heirloom Paint, color Stonehenge.
Used some 'espresso' MinWax stain to refresh the drawers.

Added butcher block top from Lowe's

Sealed with Cutting Board Oil for food prep

Used some existing gold metallic paint
to refresh hardware.

Here's the other thing I did. I completed an online interior decorating certification. My first college course and at the age of 67! Who says life is over at retirement. Life is just begun!

Budget Basement

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When we moved into our current home, Thanksgiving week of 2019, for the first time ever we had a sauna in the basement. Not a love of saunas I immediately wanted to get rid of it. However it was large and was built in the basement, very well constructed I might add. Fast forward five years, after multiple quotes to removed said sauna for way too much money, I decided to do it myself. Wow is all I can say. Was the hardest thing ever! I successfully removed the door, the heater, benches, and front and side walls. That was all I could do.

This is the only picture I have of it. Was VERY well built
but way too large for this basement and the two people that lived here.

Thankfully a friend and her husband came and tore down the other two walls and room paying them with the free cedar. Then my dilemma was what to do with this space. We priced out having the shower removed but after the cost and the fact that the sewer and pipes would still be left behind, we decided to keep it. Honestly it has only been used a couple times but decided why pay to have it removed? So we left it. My goal was to update this area and get rid of the dingy basement vibe for minimal cost and effort.

The start of something, but what?

Another before.

After painting walls and base coat to floor,
started stenciling.

Stencil progress. This was laborious!!

Shower area. Used a curtain in my closet to cover storage area.
Bought the shelf unit for $30 and painted with leftover paint.

Added family photo gallery and picked up this
cabinet off of Marketplace.

Chairs were previously in living room and
replaced with new chairs.

Close up of completed floor stencil.
You would never know there is a floor drain!

We did not do anything for a ceiling treatment but are still pondering idea. We do have a couple lights to get installed but total for this room was just under $400.

Color Drenching Mistake?

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I did it! I followed the color drenching trend. Was I nervous? Yup. Totally. But, honestly I absolutely love it!

A quick view of the bedroom when we moved in.

This bedroom has a very unique cabinet at the top of the wall. Originally had sliding doors and pendant lights (which I removed).

First update during the first year of living at this #1951renovation.

This shows a picture of how that space was converted. I have a had time taking pictures of it but tearing the whole box down would have meant major wall repair!

  

Five years later I decided to do another update as some of the walls were losing top layer of plaster. Plus I really wanted to take the bedroom to another level by adding crown moulding, wallpaper a focal point wall, fine tune the baseboards (that had never been finished in 71 years). More importantly I really wanted to try color drenching!

I sure love to paint!

Adding crown moulding. 

Wallpaper time! Update, this wallpaper was very poor adhesion! Love the design and pattern but have had nothing but problems with it staying so I used spray adhesive. Probably not recommended by most professionals but it worked!

After adding crown moulding, peel and stick wallpaper, paint and baseboards. Searching for a new quilt but for now...is it final? Well, we shall see.

I was searching for some old wood shutters to create a new headboard. After weeks of looking I painted our current headboard and took this wood window frame, painted it same color as wall, and hung over bed. It was free and I love it honestly!

Three Updates and Counting

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Do you ever feel like you are done? I don't. But, at our last house I did get most of the rooms exactly where I wanted them and I was happy and didn't want to change anything.

However, I think I have finally gotten my bathroom as close as it can be, short of a major remodel, to where I want it. When we moved into this house Thanksgiving of 2019,  the bathroom looked like this (see below).

This bathroom had a major remodel in 2015 by previous owner (was still in the 1951 original bathroom). I loved the cabinets and tile mostly. But I had the upper bins and upper two shelves removed (there was a bin over the entrance as well that was removed). 

Then I painted and added this wallpaper. 
Which I really loved but the seams did not hold up well
and started lifting over time.

I actually liked the wallpaper a lot.

Fast forward three years found me stripping the wallpaper. 
Removing the wallpaper was not super hard I simply take
a scraper and make X cuts in the wallpaper, spray with
warm water, and start peeling. However the fact that
I had to climb on ladders and straddle tubs
while doing it, that made it real hard!

Repainted with Pittsburgh Paints Silverado. A classic greyish purple
that I have used multiple times in our last home and still love it! 
Added crown moulding and a new to me chandelier purchased for $30!

New quartz countertop and eliminating the second sink
has added so much more counterspace!

Finalized with a wall stencil and clear glaze to add a
subtle pattern to the walls. 

Let me know what you think!

Thanks for visiting.

A little bit of furniture updating

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You know how they say, one thing leads to another? It is so true! This project stemmed from our bedroom update (will be posting about this soon). First time ever tried Heritage Traditions All In One paint. Super impressed with how easy it was. No prepping or sanding. Simply wiped down with a damp towel to get dirt/dust off and started painting. Then I used some brown furniture wax to give it a bit of an aged look. Updated the wood knobs and used the old knobs that were from the bathroom cabinets. Only cost for two nightstands was the paint at $33! Plus had enough left to updated a coffee table. More about this soon!

We really like these nightstands but they didn't go with
the new bedroom update. Time to refinish them!

First time trying Heritage All in One paint.

First coat done!

Decided to give it a bit of an antique look with
Dixie Bell 'Best Dang Wax"
 I had in my work room. 

Grabbed and old brush and an rag and got to work.

Updated drawer knobs with the former bathroom cabinet knobs.
 Jushed up the look a bit!

Super happy with the way they turned out.
All In One paint is awesome and so easy! No prepping or sanding!

Life is an evolving door

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This room in our house is our favorite. The one we spend the most time in. Where we watch tv, read, enjoy sunsets and walk onto the patio. It has beautiful terrazzo floors that are original to the house when it was built in 1951.

It is an ever evolving room and we have done so much to it in the five years we have lived here. Photos tell it all!

Before, right after we moved in.

My first step was getting rid of the brown paneling
by painting it Repose Grey by Sherwin Williams.
That lasted about a year!

  

Then I painted it black! Best. Decision. Ever.

Then I collected interesting pictures frames, painted them
same black as wall and mounted in a gallery style.

The black focal point wall lasted about another year.

Then I painted this back area with the black.

Took the black all the way through the back
room up to the kitchen.

Eating/Kitchen area.

Paint color is Black Magic

Final of family room