We need to build some storage, either flanking the fireplace or the french doors in the living room…and I’ve been waiting to use these.
They need replating, but I also like their worn appeal. I’ve envisioned building something like this, from Barrie Benson’s fab house via the late Domino.
The pulls are really too small to pull off that effect, but it could possibly work. Somehow, we will, we MUST use them in this house.
Well, in addition to finishing the gravel patio and staining the new deck/stairs. All of which are STILL covered with ice/snow so I can’t make progress there until the temps are much warmer. I CAN, however, put on a coat and use the sandblasting attachment to clean up and prep my collection of aging vintage patio furniture. Once the weather cooperates, I’ll be ready to paint and can knock it out.
On a freakishly mild day before “snowmageddon”, I tested out a chair and was pleased with the results. Sometimes the paint isn’t paint, but old, flaking powder coating and that’s tougher to deal with. This just has lots of layers of paint. Easy peasy.
Just a few passes with the sandblaster took that paint right off. Now if it would just stop snowing, I can finish the set!!! (I never thought I’d say that living in Nashville.)
I’m also trying to find a deal on some swank outdoor fabric for these benches.
My HOPE was that when those fabulous Trina Turk fabrics came out last year, I could get them at a serious discount THIS year. I’ve been trolling E-bay and I’ve come up empty thus far. Has anyone used LA Design Concepts? 20% over wholesale sounds good….I’ve requested pricing, but I’m not holding my breath that it will still be affordable enough.
All 3 are Schumacher, bottom 2 are Trina Turk’s 2009 line. Don’t you think that crazy Peacock is just meant for the Regal Beagle? The CC also has that bit of welding he promised for our Woodard pieces….
Well, after surfing and polling some wise peeps, I gained a renewed hope for ditching the remaining rust spots on the chrome of my flea market stools. Cola applied with wadded up aluminum foil is the choice of car enthusiasts on the net..so I figure, why not give it a whirl?
People, can I just TELL you how thrilling, yet horrifying this was? It works. I mean really works. I knew I should give up my once daily diet soda, but I don’t think that will be a problem now. I can’t believe I’ve been ingesting RUST DISSOLVER. Not cool. At all.
There were a couple of areas I knew were beyond saving since it had penetrated the chrome, but all the other spots I couldn’t get with the Noxon? WOW. Check it out.
before and after
and another before and after
You can see where the chrome is pitted here…but still WAY better than before.
Then, I went back and polished up all over with the Noxon again and…Tah Dah!!!!!
one of the good spots…
It took a lot longer than I expected, but it was well worth it. They aren’t perfect, but they are miles ahead of where they were, and I lurv them.
So, I tried a new strategy this month and decided the hit the flea market Friday morning instead of Saturday morning. Supposedly, they set up Thursday night, but since the weather was cold and wet, a lot of vendors were not set up yet or were in the process of unloading. I didn’t bring my camera so it wouldn’t get wet in the drizzle.
I picked up another project from one of the dudes ready to deal. Why is it I NEVER find anything that doesn’t need work? Sigh. Anyway… stopped off at the hardware store on the way home and got busy.
I have to research chroming/chrome plating…that would be valuable info for me and the stuff I’ve got. Body shops?
I got a lot of the crud off, but some of the rust is there to stay…but, I’m OK with that for now..the pleather was in great shape…onward! Have a great weekend..
UPDATE: I’ve conducted a poll of friends and the Interwebs: Coca Cola and tin foil is the choice of many for those pesky rust spots…will try in morning and let you know…
I warned you I had some heinous bathroom action going here…and I haven’t had the guts to show the master bathroom in detail yet…it may take some time to muster the courage. The best bathroom in the house by far, was the upstairs jack and jill used by the Minors. Probably because no one used it for the past 10 years or so.
The half bath is actually our kind of project. This will really happen this year, because we can do it ourselves, and do it inexpensively. The Crafty Counterpart has some pretty good plumbing skills, so that always makes it easier/cheaper. The half bath will also take priority since it’s what our guests use, and its proximity to the playroom makes it the most used bathroom in the house. The beige potty doesn’t flush unless you hold the handle down, etc..even the Minors have been asking when we’re going to “do something about that bathroom.” The color in here is that shade of beige that looks dirty all the time. No matter how many magic erasers I use on the walls, it still feels dirty.
I had debated keeping the floor in here. It’s a groovy tile, but if I keep it, that means I have to keep the vanity cabinet. The cabinet is actually decent, paint job, new countertop and sink/fixtures…it would look great, but since it’s such a small space, my vision was to have a floating countertop with freestanding storage underneath. It will certainly be faster and simpler to rehab the cabinet. I’ve brought home about 30 swatches and can’t find a color that I like to use with that tile. At the end of the day, busy tile means no busy walls, so methinks the tile floor goes.
For the walls, I really wanted a groovy 70’s inspired wallpaper, but I have stripped too much wallpaper in my life and I can’t do it. It’s a shame, since there are SO many beautiful papers, but I refuse to put it up in my houses. It’s too big a commitment. (I can hear the collective gasp of horror now…sorry.)
So, my plan has been to take a page from Kellie, who I saw featured on this Design Sponge post last year. Brilliant! All the wallpapers I had been eyeing were metallic patterns on a rich color, so I could do something like that in the half bath! If I screw up, I paint over it and start again. My kind of project.
photo via Kellie/Scraplog
photo via Scraplog via Fossil catalog
Problem is, one day this summer, when it looked like we might get started on the half bath any day, I grabbed the paint pen and started doodling on the walls. Just testing some ideas..you know…6 months later, it’s still there. Kind of embarrassing when guests are over, but hey…it is what it is.
You know you’re jealous of my fancy hardware and faux marble laminate countertop. So, should I rehab the cabinet or go floating like this one we built in our last house?
No, not Singapore’s solution to misdemeanors..I’m talking basket weaving cane. Remember the new bookshelf? I managed to find the cane to re-wrap the damaged areas….a decent sized roll for $30…bringing my bookshelf total up to $130. I’m quite pleased since I couldn’t even get the CB2 Hancock bookcase I had considered for that much.
Not knowing jack about weaving or caning…a little research turns up a few tips and we’re on our way. The CC took the lead on this one…he thought it looked like a lot more fun than organizing the workshop in below freezing temps, so I stepped back to simply document the process.
First, we soak the cane for 4 hours in warm water…while it was soaking, he removed the old torn bits and scraped off the old glue. He saved the tacks so we could re-use them…and then it was wrapping time. We were out of Gorilla Glue, which we love, so he decided to use plain old white glue. Tack the end and start wrapping until you finish the strip, Tack and repeat. Linseed oil or tung oil should be rubbed on it to prevent cracking etc.. so if you have dry cane on anything..a little oiling can save it…so say the wise weavers of the net.
There is a color variation between the new and old cane, but not too bad. My hope is that with repeated applications of the linseed oil, the color will even out. All in all, I think it was a success, and I have enough cane leftover to do something else down the line.
When we layed the stair treads (previously green shag over lumber) the stair railings came down, but we never put them back up, because we’d be drilling into the new hardwood treads… for a look we didn’t want to keep. We made the copper railing immediately, but having the other side open is not very comforting to many who visit. Not to mention..it’s against code, so we gotta deal.
Luckily, I don’t have toddlers or this simply could not be. We want an open airy, yet safe rail for both the stairs and the catwalk… we keep coming back to glass. We considered cable systems, but I really want the sleekness. I love the idea of minimally framed glass all around, but the practical/resale minded side of me is considering this glass/sheet rock hybrid. Not having priced glass railing systems yet, I’m betting it’s a big ouch. If we mix the wall/glass, we can DIY it for not too much money.
photo from Dwell Oct. 2009
The idea is that up in the nook, where the lounger is…glass, then about a six foot section of wall, then glass at the corner, nice clean seam where the corners meet, then wall finishes it out. The stairs will require a ton of research. We’ll see how this idea sounds after said research. Here are some other looks I liked…now to find out how unaffordable they are.
via Amorphous Studios Inc on Flickr
via California Glass and Rail
via Remodelista
via Natural Elements Custom Homes on Flickr
This is the only non-glass option I have in my files so far…custom ironwork…ouch.
I’m so sorry, I can’t remember where this is from and I forgot to rename it with creds.
For my eagle eyed readers (you always amaze me) who wondered what the little brass plate in the ceiling is….that’s on the List as well. That is where I lost my mind, and the siding decision was pretty much made. That’s the hole in the ceiling where the squirrel and I had a staredown as it tried to chew its way into the house. Good times.
One of the items I listed on the To Do List is getting rid of that horrible lattice underneath the deck of our front entry. We considered ripping it off right away, but the black hole that was underneath it actually looked worse…there are some unattractive parts of the stucco under there and it’s best to keep it tucked away. Since we plan to use that area as additional storage for garage type items, we want to keep it enclosed with a door.
The look we’ll be going for is similar to the treehouse walls built over at a PreFab Project. Very simple and easy to DIY, we’ll screen and add the stained strips as well as install a clear corrugated roof under the deck floor to keep water out. Ideally, you’ll never see the roof…it will be a stealth roof.
photo by A PreFab Project
Much nicer look than this…no?
So with the hog panels as railings up top, and the slats as screening underneath, I think we may finally have a respectable entry…one day…soon I hope.
We are those people. We have a thing I’ll call The annual list reconciliation. Come January, in every house we’ve ever had, we pull out our To Do list and start marking off items accomplished throughout the year…it is sooooo satisfying. The logical and higher functioning part of my brain edited the list on the computer one year, and it was SUCH a let down…no ceremony to it. We gotta do it old school..print it out and mark off with a big fat pen. We add new items throughout the year, but we never remove until January. Yes, I warned you that we were dorks a looong time ago. In keeping with that, I’ll have a new To Do List category this year so I can insanely point out all the flaws and problems that need attention. So how’s the reconciled list looking for 2010 and beyond? Here’s about an eighth of it:
Remove lattice, re-frame deck and screen storage area under front door
Get outdoor lighting connected
Order fill dirt, topsoil, compost and gravel
Build back deck extension
Pantry area build out: This is why there has never been a full on kitchen reveal, just small bits because this side of the room is unfinished. I thought we’d have knocked it out by now, but we’ve been thwarted. The last couple of trips planned to drive to IKEA fell through, so we have to pick up the cabs…AND remove the wall between the fridge and the pantry. This is one of our most shameful and frustrating mistakes. When demo-ing the kitchen, CC thought this was a load bearing wall and that it had to stay…turns out it isn’t, and to take it out means our hardwoods will have to be feathered in. We considered just leaving it, but we think aesthetically, it will really bug us…not to mention the wasted space if we leave the wall there.
You can understand why we’ve been dragging our feet a little on this. Living in a kitchen with sheetrock dust is still a very fresh memory for both of us and we’ve not been prioritizing it…but now..it’s time. We need to get this room truly finished once and for all.
Clean out/organize basement (this never leaves the list, as soon as it’s done, we have a whirlwind project that trashes it again.)
Paint trim in Kids’ rooms (still never got to that)
Stain thresholds in LR/Kitchen (new doors were installed AFTER the floors were done)
Reupholster Plycraft chair/ottoman (this has been on the list for 6-7 years)
Dimmer on kitchen sputnik
Hang Capiz chandelier/get wiring run in MB ceiling….the list goes on for pages….more later…..
