redos – Page 2 – Karla's Cottage

Sometimes a short cut repair is better than nothing

By Karla Nathan / June 22, 2022

Our chicken coop/storage shed/cat dwelling sure was (and actually, still is) in bad shape.

Very

Bad

Shape

But with a few sheets of siding and less than two cans of paint, at least it isn’t an eyesore like it was.

Here it is as we got started. My husband had already began adding the siding to the bottom on the left before I remembered to get a photo. He also emptied it out.

Yep, he did a clean up on the inside too! That man is a keeper. (Unlike some of the spider webby piles of hoarded junk we found inside)

We know that the correct way to repair this structure would have been to pull all the siding off. It’s rotting. But- so is the rest of the building and we aren’t ready to tear it all down and rebuild. It’s still functional for what we needed.

What we did instead was cover up the worst part and paint the rest.

Paint is magic.

After adding a slice of siding over the bottom, we thought a strip of trim would help it look more intentional instead of just bandaged.

Rich also trimmed off the most ragged of the ends of the roof boards and I painted over them too.

See how bad they were to start with? Also, years ago when I used this shed as an antique store, I’d painted vines around the entry, added cute aqua shutters, and a barn door as a canopy over the entry. Well most of it rotted away with time, but those vines were still hanging in. I’d used oil based paint, which is why I think it held up so well.

To paint over them, I’d need to prime, but I still kind of liked them and the history of adding them, so instead, I got a small brush and painted around the leaves.

Same with the metal peacocks. They had hung on that building for 30 years, from way back when we used to raise peafowl. I had to leave those, they were history.

It isn’t done right, but it’s done good enough. Sometimes you gotta just slap some lipstick on a pig and get on with things, right? It’s better than it was. And at under $250 for the clean up, as opposed to the cost of demolition and rebuilding?

I’m pretty happy with the cosmetic improvements. This pig is much cuter with make up.

I’m proud of my boy

family, redos

By Karla Nathan / June 19, 2022

What a cool old barn! It’s an event center and my talented boy has been doing the carpentry there on the remodel.

But should it just be called carpentry? How about wood artistry?

Especially this pedestal sink!

It started as a stump, and he burnt out the center.

So that there was a hollow for the plumbing. And isn’t the trim on the bottom cool!?

And look at how he incorporated the twisty vines on this shelving.

This is such a creative space, and I’d love to walk through and admire the details.

I’m sure he doesn’t send me photos of all of it, but I really appreciate the ones I get.

It’s hard having part of my heart living so far away, but seeing what he is doing and knowing that he has found a place where he can use both his creative and wood working skill talents eases the pain. I’m so proud of him.

A redo at Juju

antiques/junking, friends, Good JuJu, redos

By Karla Nathan / May 25, 2022

I have been busy. Way busy.

My upstairs spot at Good Juju was not quite the right fit for me. Plus, my friends were downstairs and I wanted to be near them. Beth offered to share, but I am not ready for a big space, so she offered me a sixth of her big area and that was just ideal! And she let me do some remodeling while she was on vacation.

She also got some solid walls added. Our friend, Sam, covered bare 2x4s with paneling so I could paint them, and I used some of the leftover colors to paint the back of this display too.

The new walls are neutral shades of blue, green and grey. On the back wall, to cover an old garage door, we hung a 9×12 canvas and way up high, added some homemade grapevine wreaths. I covered the table this hutch sits on with a burlap skirt and added a strip cut from a lace curtain across it so the bright light bulbs don’t bother anyone’s eyes with their glare.

Beth also offered to share this spot, it is her craft supply corner, and I added a few tidbits to the display after setting it up.

Here is Sam, hard at work, making the walls. They really add a lot to the area.

Here is a before, or I guess, a during shot. With Sam building wall to the right, and my darling husband building a shelf/porch awning for my wall to the left.

In the back, you can see the before of the garage door wall.

This is a close up. It looks a little sad here, but Beth is so good with displaying her great finds, that honestly, you didn’t even notice it before. Still, I’m pretty happy with the streamlined look that the canvas drop cloth gave the room. It was $10, and simply nailed to the wall above the garage door windows. But, it let light shine in weirdly. So I had to go behind it and nail cardboard over the panes of glass.

Here it is with fresh paint, back wall covered, wreaths in place, and a picket fence hung from the ceiling to cover some grids.

The wreaths are huge! Sugarwings and Rich pulled the vines down from trees in our woods, and we wrangled them into shape together. It was harder to do than you’d think, you really need to man handle those thick vines to convince them they want to be in a circle.

After the thickest pieces were twisted into each other, we secured them with a bit of wire. Then, I started weaving smaller pieces in and out to fill in. I don’t know if you can tell just how big these (very heavy) guys are, but the largest is about 4’tall.

Here is another in progress photo, before the wreaths and picket fence. My wall is gray.

And I am sooooo happy with how it turned out! The porch columns give it a sense of structure, so I feel like I have a real spot of my own, not just a wall. And the door on the front will give me space to hang jewelry that I have made.

And the shelf!!!

So much can fit onto that wonderful shelf! If you don’t have much square footage, go UP. Use the air space, right?

Here is a cleaned, but not finished pic of the spot. Beth and I were going to work on it after her trip, but she got sick. So Angie, our delightful neighbor, helped move furniture with me, and I rearranged things as much as I could. Beth will bring in more before the sale and add to it quite a bit.

I had told myself that I wouldn’t set up too much of her area, but hey- that’s the fun part!

So, I am guilty of doing a few displays… with the knowledge that she will probably remake them when she comes back. But on the other hand, this way, she doesn’t have any pressure to come in if she isn’t up to it. It’s okay as is, if she needs more time.

My wall needs more work, there are changes I want to make. I’ve kept a black tub underneath the table for storage, and the lace on it stands out to much. I need a plain, dark cloth over it so it disappears. And I probably have too much hanging from the shelf. It went from full to cluttered.

For now, I’m headed to Florida for a rare, springtime sister trip. My plan is to rest my poor head and recover from this concussion. My doctor says I have been over doing it and while I hate to admit that, I agree. I have felt awful throughout this whole escapade and look forward to a quiet week with dark glasses on to rest up.

Another redo for Ryan’s apartment

cottage, family, redos, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / May 11, 2022

For Ryan’s 40th birthday, he wanted his apartment fixed up. He chose the paint colors and flooring, we got light fixtures and ripped out his bathroom to replace the shower, toilet and sink.

There had been a kitchenette that he never used in the living room, so we pulled it out and covered up the plumbing hook ups.

After he died, we switched it up a little, and purchased a new bed, but mostly left it as it was. We just enhanced it and made it more fitting for a guest to stay in.

Then for various reasons, it was occupied by family members all between leases and waiting to move to their new places.

As they brought their belongings in and out, Ryan’s things got shifted and resettled, we gave his couch away to make space, finally took some things to goodwill, sent his gaming systems to others who might use them, and well, it just didn’t feel the same afterwards.
We used to go in there sometimes to feel close to him, and no longer could do that.

Now that it is empty again, I wanted to honor Ryan by using some things he cared about, but make the room even more functional as a guest room. Also, I got a new sofa in my own living room, and to save money, took my old one up to the apartment.

It’s a very different style than the previous couch. But I think it still works in the room.

Amazon had a stretchy, seat cushion cover that warmed up the white on white look, and I found some great pillow covers there too. And ticking striped curtains! I really liked those, and since the other ones had been attacked by kitties and had to go I had a good reason to splurge.

Hopefully, these additions make the couch less foofy/girly than it was when I had it covered in floral pillows for the last 15 years while using it in the cottage.

His coffee table needed the top repainted and I went with gray, but then didn’t like that with his Black and Tan rug, so I got this runner to tie in the colors better.

People were so generous with floral arrangements after he died. I’ve saved each vase and have been covering them in mosaic glass.

And while this sounds pretty silly when I tell you about it, it’s very meaningful to me. Ryan was always the first one up after every meal, clearing dishes, scraping the glass cook top with a razor and wiping out the microwave. He also used to hang out and chat while I did pour paintings, even though he didn’t make any himself (I wish I’d pushed him to try!)

So here is the silly part.

When our microwave needed replacing, I saved the glass tray, primed it, and made it into a painting. It is now a tray in his room.

Half of his space was set up as a home gym, which we took down because my husband already has a workout space in his office. To honor Ryan’s dedication and in apology to him for taking out the gym, I placed this stone that says “strength” on the microwave tray.

Its all just symbols, Those little things were not here when he was here. But they are chocked full of meaning to me, none the less.

Same with these two pictures. They were not his, but they remind me of Malarkey, the red bird that drove Ryan bananas by dive bombing the windows. That bird was a regular part of our conversations and Ry went back and forth between laughing about him and hating him.

I hung the vintage prints so the story will be a part of this room.

The area that held the gym, now has a table and chairs.

They also, have nothing to do with my son. But I painted them in the colors he chose when we redecorated the room on his birthday.

His guitar hangs on the wall. It has a pretty, mother of pearl inlay and he loved it.

There are so many changes to his space.

Just like there are so many other changes since he died. Things do continue to go on and to morph, don’t they? But the memories are there and the love is forever. While this room no longer looks like it did when he lived in it, to me, his light will always live on in there.

RV Life is Better When Things are Pretty

cottage, dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), redos, sewing?

By Karla Nathan / March 11, 2022

When we first got to Florida, the beach was a little chilly, but since then the weather has been ideal.

And I am so happy that I cozied up the little camper with new linens, paint and curtains.

Dorothy likes it too.

The other dogs like their new bunk bed/kennel that we created for them.

My only issue is in trying to hang the artwork I brought along. Command hooks didn’t support them, even though they are lightweight. I did figure out that a binder clip on the ugly valance will hold a picture over the windows, but I can’t get anything to work on the walls.

I’d also like to get rid of those ugly valances, but that’s another day.

New curtains cover the top bunk, and I ordered cushion covers for the top pillows on the bench. Now, they aren’t exactly my first choice in fabric, but they are what I could get and they are better than just plain dark brown.

This is the door we made to turn the bottom bunk bunk bed into a dog crate. My husband had to do some rebuilding and boosting the opening to make the door fit snugly and securely. I am so glad he did, what a helpful addition to camper life.

One change that was important to me, was covering the inside of the glass doors so that I don’t have to look at all of our stored goods. What a simple fix for something that irritated me every time we used the rv. I cut foam core to fit and wrapped it into the curtain fabric, then attached it to the interior of the windows.

I am much happier without the cluttery view of peanut butter, cracker boxes, and stacks of dishes.

The sea glass blue paint in the bathroom has made a world of difference to me. The previous blah brown wall paper was a downer.

So was the icky brown shower curtain. This one is put together (I wouldn’t call what I do real sewing) from curtains my sister gave to me when she redecorated.

We use the campground bath houses instead of our teensy shower, so I made use of the space by transforming it into a closet. If I do ever need to use it as intended, it’s pretty simple just to move the stuff out again, nothing is permanent.

Because in a 19’ trailer with four dogs, you need to make use of every inch!

The pups can fill the space quickly.

But mostly we are out doors as much as we can be.

Going for walks or running on the beach.

The dogs love the beach as much as I do.

A seashell framed mirror

cottage, how to's, redos, Sacred Circus, sea shell fairies

By Karla Nathan / February 5, 2022

After repainting my bedroom, I also moved artwork and mirrors around. This was a mirror that hung in the studio, and it had a carved shell at the top, so it fit in nicely with my beach paintings.

But it was a little blah and a dull tan color.

So I gaudied it up a bit!

I used shells collected on our last vacation, mother of pearl and pearl beads, and Beth gave me a huge box of seashells she’d gotten from an estate sale.

My first move was to lay them out in a pattern to accentuate the carving at the top.

Then removed a few shells and I spread tile adhesive in about 6” areas. Kind of like icing a cake, not the way you’d lay tile on the floor.

It went on nice and thick, so I could smoosh the shells down into it. While it was still wet, I pushed pearls and smaller shells into the adhesive that wasn’t covered by the main shells.

I worked my way around the frame, in those 6” patches at a time.

After it dried, I filled in bare looking spots with the Diamond Glaze and sprinkled crystal quarts chips into it.

It may look like a jumble, but there was a plan. Big shells at the top, then black and gray ones down the sides, starting with darker at the top and going lighter towards the bottom. The very bottom is all cream and white.

I go back and forth, wondering if it is glorious or just too gaudy. But since I do enjoy some over the top foof, I think I like it.

Being cheap but not looking cheap with a redo

cottage, dogs, redos

By Karla Nathan / February 2, 2022

This isn’t exactly a beautiful corner of my home, but it sure is better than it was before!

The ceiling here is two stories, to repaint the walls, I’d need to hire someone with scaffolding- I don’t do heights.

It’s a dark area, so I wanted to keep the paint light but the lower walls were constantly a mess because we stupidly used flat paint on the original job and every mark showed. And I was out of the original paint. It was something I’d mixed myself to save money, I’d bought multiple gallons of oops paint and other clearance paints from the Habitat store, dumped them all into a giant bucket together and sprayed the ceiling and walls with the conglomerated color. So, touching up was a gamble, I tried so many shades of white and never got close.

And to add to the screw up? Yep, it was flat paint and every mark made by every hand that touched the wall waved at me for years.

NEVER USE FLAT PAINT ON STAIRWAY WALLS IF HUMANS (or dogs) GO UP THOSE STAIRS!

Saving money is wonderful. My mistake was in not saving any of that mix to match up later on. And in using a flat sheen. Big oops.

The compromise was to add trim about 4-1/2 feet up, and paint the lower portion to match the room upstairs. This color and sheen will be easier to care for. If I get marks that don’t wipe off, I can open the leftover paint and touch up. And I can easily reach to do the touch up, no ladders would be needed on the stairs.

(Eeeek, a horrid thought! I’m dizzy just contemplating ladders on stairs!)

I am so relieved to have an inexpensive solution to this problem. After doing a big redo, I was ready for a budget friendly fix!

Here is another do it yourself, easy on the wallet fix from when we first built the addition. To save money, I decided to tile the entryway myself. The area was concrete, so no backing was needed.

My issue was that I couldn’t use a saw, or didn’t even have the right kind of saw. So, I bought different sizes of tiles plus those little flat rocks that coordinate with them and put the floor together like a puzzle.

No cutting needed!

We had discussed changing the stairs when laying the new floor upstairs, but the carpet was in good shape and seemed safer than slippery steps. It’s an industrial carpet and held up pretty good on the stairs.

And along the lines of trying to be budget prudent, if it is okay, you do not have to change it.

For now, the wall and door colors in the entry way are from a previous redo and also seem fine. For now. But I’d like to repaint the walls to match the freshly done ones and give that door a pop of color. Maybe like a deep, but grayed down turquoise?

A new look for the office

cottage, dogs, family, paintings, redos

By Karla Nathan / January 24, 2022

We finished the transformation of Rich’s office. Well, almost. We need a different sofa.

And for right now, the little nook that he is using as a computer area is just a board screwed to the wall, not a desk or table.

The rest of the room is all done, and everyone is enjoying the pool/ping pong table.

Most of the workout equipment is in the spot where all of the file cabinets and desks used to be.

The treadmill is behind the seating area, facing the tv, and there is room for an exercise bike next to it.

The walls are freshly painted and patched.

I filled the knotholes in the barn wood window sills with turquoise chips and clear coated the wood. After years of sunshine pouring in, they were cracking and dull.

We added new blinds and lighting, my son replaced the flooring.

The newly framed “ancestor” pictures hang below a sign pulled from the wreckage of the gas station Rich’s grandfather owned.

Some of these family photos were updated and reframed. I still need to get a few others up there. I think I have room for four more, a smaller one on each side of the bottom and top rows.

I have wanted that carpet gone for years, and am very pleased with the new, cleaned up version of the room! All of the hard parts are done, now I get to go furniture shopping for a new couch.

Light and bright white

cottage, dogs, redos

By Karla Nathan / January 22, 2022

While I had all of my painting paraphilia out for redoing my husband’s office, I thought it would be a good time to repaint my bedroom and master bath.

Of course, I had completely forgotten that I am a senior citizen. And that after painting a huge room, stairway, and bathroom, maybe I needed a break?

Less than halfway through the bedroom, I remembered.

Yep, I was exhausted. So, I only repainted the doors, trim, wall, and sink area bathroom cabinet. I didn’t make it around the corner to the master bath.

I am taking a little break from the physical labor!

And enjoying the tranquility I created in that room.

One of the reasons it was so hard, was that I used a very pure white. If I’d softened the color, I’d have gotten better coverage. The pure white wore me down to a nub, it took sooo many touch ups. Plus I had snow blindness from staring at the glaring, blank, white walls, trying to see where skips showed through and guessing if that area needed a touch up or was actually a shadow.

The color isn’t a huge change from the soft gray/blue that was previously on the walls, but it feels like it because everything is so fresh, bright and clean. I think that painting the doors and trim the exact color of the walls (with a different sheen) makes the ceiling stand out, while also giving the room a feeling of being bigger.

The old curtains were tan, as were the doors. Changing those made the biggest difference. And were an inexpensive purchase on Amazon. Man, they have cheap curtains, and it was so easy to get 108” ones, unlike shopping in person!).

With four dogs and ten acres for them to run on, maybe I should’ve painted the entire room the tan color instead of getting rid of it. Soon, there will be muddy marks all around the room from happy, wagging tails slapping everything.

I’ll enjoy the pure white I tried so hard to apply as long as I can.

An elfin makeover

cottage, fairies, holiday decor, redos

By Karla Nathan / November 23, 2021

This is the after from my mini redo. I had the cottage halls decked and thought I was done, but decided this area wasn’t quite what I wanted it to be.

This is the before. Cute stuff, but for my home, there might have been a tad too much red. And it’s was too busy with lots of small things lined up.

So I fetched this hunk of gorgeous-ness from the studio, glittered up some elves, and moved a few of the guys to another location.

This cabinet was a gift from a Peep, and it is such a lovely piece. It was just what I needed to take away the cluttery feeling of so many tiny figurines together.

The glue is still wet on this fella’s rhinestone buttons. Aren’t these sprites sweet in silver and gold glitter?

I used cream chalk paint over the high gloss red glaze, and sprinkled glitter or mica onto the paint before it dried.

The red felt pants on the other gnomes had a wash of white paint over the bright fabric to made it look pink as it dried.

I had debated whether or not to mess with this, since all the decorating was done, but decided that I’d enjoy it more if I made a few little changes.

And I do!