This was Sugarwings’ room at her daddy’s house. Last winter, we found the rug at World Market, my son cut it to fit and installed it like carpeting. He also built this loft bed/ club house for her.
Both grandfairies hung out under there with a stack of pillows, sleeping bags, games and books.
He is quite the carpenter, this is the closet he built for her. The trim work over the two doors is beautiful.
One of the reasons working to get this house on the market was so heart wrenching, was seeing things like this.
We thought this would be the home they raised those fairies in and the custom work their dad was installing was going to turn the place into a masterpiece.
The loss of the potential for this home and of the happy plans for the future really stabbed at me.
This is the downstairs den in the house we have been working on.
Here is how it looked in the Zillow listing when we bought it. It didn’t need a lot to get it market ready, fresh paint, two matching light fixtures, and a mantel tweaking.
While living there, my son had done some customizing to the fireplace to fit a piece of art work he had built in. After taking that out, it needed some trim and paint to restore it. Also, there was a dark, sooty blob above the doors. I used black concrete stain to blend the rest of the bricks to match. This is a “during” picture.
The bricks and mortar to the left are done, the right are not in this photo. Doesn’t the black wash (Is that a term? Like white wash?) update the hearth? I think this treatment drug the fireplace right out of 1972!
The rough hewn and live edge shelves in the corner were installed by my son.
We repainted the ceiling, which the previous owners needed to do ages ago. And all of the trim was freshly painted.
Behind that door is a giant, walk in storage area. I cut notches in a rug to make it fit over padding glued to old linoleum, repainted the ceiling and the shelves. This was the last thing I did, and I used up all of the odds and ends of light colored paint that I had left.
It seemed okay for a closet, and at least that made it clean.
You know one thing that brightens a room that most people don’t even notice? Repainting the air vent covers. Over time, with gas heat, they can discolor. So can the area around them. Cleaning and repainting is a small thing to do, and I will bet you no one even notices that I did it. But I will also bet you that they can feel that it was done, even if they don’t see it.
The house feels much fresher and cleaner with the vents tidied up.
One thing I did not do that bugs me, is that I left the shelf under the windows the same as the walls. Not that it looks bad, I think the unbroken color is a good choice. But as a painter, I know that eggshell finish wall paint isn’t as durable for shelves as a satin or semi gloss. I could do a quick, clear coat over it to ease my mind.
Almost the entire interior of this house got painted. I left 2 bedrooms that had been recently repainted by my son for the kids. The rest of the house, excluding one closet (there is a ton of storage space!) has neutral, lighter colors.
The entryway was originally dark green walls with dark blue steps. Here it is after a coat of bright white on the trim, that already helped.
Next, I painted the risers white too, they had also been dark blue, which made it hard to even see the steps when walking down them.
I wanted the steps lighter, but knew (or am hoping, at least) that there will be a lot of traffic through the house and didn’t want footprints to show. So, I layered grays and whites to create a barnwood look, and gave it a few clear coats for durability.
The stairs going up from the entrance are hardwood and we couldn’t afford to match that, we had to make do with what was there. We did replace the light fixture and got daylight LED bulbs for it. Much brighter!
I don’t particularly like that rug there, but one was needed for open houses. I am going to find one more appropriate. That ivory one will be messy too fast.
The door and frame didn’t need painted , since it was nice wood in good shape with just some oiling and elbow grease. Every other door in the house was painted the bright white they were many different colors and styles, so the fresh color was unifying.
But I did put a fresh coat of an espresso color on the exterior.
When we bought this house, the previous owners had used dark paint throughout. And this is how it looked with the renters in it.
Not so inviting, huh?
This is how the previous owners had it. Over crowded, with a fridge so big it partially blocked the doorway. But good bones, beautiful granite and backsplash, newer flooring, and solid cabinets that had been refinished
To sell it, I thought it needed to be brighter.
We also thought a counter depth fridge would look better, plus the ice maker didn’t work on the old one. The stove had broken, and there was no dishwasher, so we purchased all three brand new.
A cream and tan, indoor outdoor rug helped lightening it up too.
We added a new faucet, I scrubbed and polished everything, then painted the inside of the pantry a fresh white.
The walls are a soft gray, the baseboards a clear, clean white, and the woodwork was oiled and polished.
But most of all, the renters’ debris was GONE. They left a huge mess, dirty dishes, rotting food, stuff smeared everywhere.
I kept it simple, basically, pristine and neutral, not decorated, but a basis for a new owner to decorate how they wish.
And you know that was hard for me! I wanted to keep going and make it the way I like things, but I restrained myself and kept the room something that others could see themselves in.
On my drive to Indiana to see my family, then on to get Dewdrop with a visit at Lori's on the way, I did a little antiquing. It felt good to break up the trip with some stops along the way.
In the middle of Missouri, I saw these curtains but didn't buy them.
On the rest of the trek, they lingered in my mind. I have a thing for barkcloth with roses!
At my pal, Lori's house, I fell in love with her vintage, farmhouse-ish color palette. And I wanted some gray in my home after admiring her use of the color.
So, fingers were crossed that the curtains would still be waiting for me in Missouri, and yep, there they were.
When I got home, I slapped up some of the coveted gray paint (with glitter added), spread some fresh white paint on the ceiling to brighten up the room, and hung the curtains. I thought I would do a major rearranging of the things on the wall, but except for changing out a couple of paintings for some that had roses to match the curtains, I left the configuration of mirrors on the wall as is. They are too handy and useful the way they are. I could have changed it for the sake of changing, but then, the grand fairies wouldn't have mirrors just their heights and I wouldn't be able to tilt the mirrors to see the back of my head.
So, even though these had been hung like this for years, I left them where they were. Why move them if I was enjoying them there?
The glitter is much more prominent in person. I wish it showed up more in the photos. I am loving the soft, subtle shade of gray and its flash of sparkle.
You might have heard me mention pour painting…. I've been severely addicted. And especially with ocean scenes. I'm so in love with them, that I decided I wanted them to be around me.
All around me.
So, I might have gotten a tiny, itty bitty, carried away with hanging them in the bedroom. (These 2 are 8×10)
(These two are 11×14)
See what I mean? I've hung 8 of them in sets of two.
I knew it was not a typical way to style a room, but I decided to go for it anyway. They make me happy, they feel peaceful, and people who walk in to the space have said, that the room is really lightened up.
(I think I'll take down the mirror sitting on the built in cabinet behind the door)
Frames were on sale at Hobby Lobby, and I took a cartful of paintings with me to see who fit into what for cheap. I kind of chose the paintings I'd hang by how they fit into the frame and into the room, and by using a variety of sizes, not by choosing my favorites. Although, they all are my faves….
And I decided to go all out. If I was hanging a few, I might as well hang a bunch. (Even though it is the same scene over and over, in different lights or sized canvases.)
Some frames needed to be painted white, some were already the right color. I tried to get a variety of styles, to break up the sameness of the paintings inside them.
There was thought of keeping this large frame dark to go with the top of the chest, but after looking at it this way for a week, I felt like it was too heavy for the area, and slapped some white on it, then distressed the paint a little.
While I was going beachy, I thought I'd add some beach elements to the room. Not too many, just a few mermaids and shells.
This chest of drawers is new, from the West Bottoms antique district. I shopped on an extremely hot day, and was trying to find the exactly perfect item to fit this wall. Well, I thought I found it, a gorgeous, low chest with a giant, aged marble top. But it was higher than my budget, and looked heavy. I decided indulge myself anyway, then as I was starting to pay for the thing, the salesclerk said, "Wow that is a big, heavy marble top!"
On a sweltering day in the warehouse district, when I was already exhausted, the mere thought of getting it into the truck, then out and into the house was too much for me. I think I was delirious from the heat and couldn't rationally think about trying to figure out the logistics of getting the monstrosity home.
I backed out on the purchase, and went for this smaller, much, much cheaper, fixer upper instead. It was only $100, a nice shape, and just needed handles, and paint.
Also, it weighed nothing compared to the other one.
The top was attractive, it simply needed wax and elbow grease to shine it up. The base, I painted white and dry brushed with gray for a driftwood look. I found handles at Hobby Lobby, just to discover I was two short, and they were discontinued. So I returned them and settled for repainting the shiny brass handles that originally came on it. Because I was too lazy to drill new holes and patch the old ones to make a different style of handles fit.
When done, it fit nicely, has the space I need, looks good in the room, and is pretty. But you know what? Maybe I'd settled too much. Wrong hardware, wrong piece.
I look at it and wish I had the gorgeous slab of dreamy, aged, marble that I was too worn out and drained from the unseasonably steamy day to deal with.
It's a good thing I have such a serene, peaceful bedroom to calm my buyer's remorse angst. It is hard to be sad about a furniture screw up when I am embraced by walls filled with seascapes.
The seaside knick knacks were pulled from the cabinet in the bathroom, where they'd been on display previously. So, the bathroom got a bit of a redo too. Some of the art work that had been in the bedroom was used in there, and I adjusted the shelves to hide any gaps from removing all of the shells.
A grayed, aqua was already on the walls, and even though a fresh color of paint can really lift a room, I decided against changing it. This color suits me well, and I'm not ready to move away from it. Even though another blue might blend better with the seascapes, I enjoy the contrast and didn't want it too matchy.
The results are pleasing, and refreshing.
If you'd like to learn how to do a poured paint seascape, I have a youtube video with directions. But please forgive the lack of editing. And take a dramamine before watching it.
Or check back to my Boutique later this week, when I get some ocean scenes photographed and listed for sale.
Last year, we repainted and laid a new floor in the guest room. Sugarwings was smitten and kept asking me if she could sleep in there.
Then, her baby sister starting to sprout up quickly and no longer fit into her tiny, four poster, vintage, pink bed.
Sob!
I loved tucking the grand fairies into that itty bitty princess bed, and it was hard watching how quickly their feet began to hang over the end of it. It seemed like that happened overnight. One night, Sugarwings was all of a sudden too leggy for the pink bed, and we were buying her a twin bed. Now, it is Dewdrop's turn to spring up over night and need to move into the twin bed. So, our biggest girl will move into the guest room.
Who will get the precious, mini, four poster? Maybe the dog… if it fits nicely by the new fireplace.
This room was already freshly painted and I thought the aquamarine color was a serene background for a big girl room (although our big kid was still requesting lots of pink).
It is a small space, and I still need to use it for guests sometimes, so I had to squeeze in two beds, not just one. I usually shop at garage sales and flea markets, but sometimes when I have to get something of a specific size, I buy new. And luckily, we have a Nebraska Furniture Mart nearby, where I found a double and a twin sized, space saving beds. They have no headboards, so fit well in this slanted ceiling room, plus have storage built in, so I didn't need a dresser.
She wanted to keep the desk that was already in the room, to draw at, and has art supplies in the tins.
This chalk board banner was found at Hobby Lobby, and I wrote her middle name, "Joy" on it, but left some chalk for her to change the message if she'd like.
The other banners are from Hobby Lobby too. The cabinet was moved out of the living room when we started the remodeling. It fit ideally under the slant of the wall, to form a hideaway behind it.
Now she has a cozy nook to curl up in with a good book.
The lamp is one I painted years ago. I might trade the table out and use it in the new hearth room when I find one I like better for here.
The other lamp is one that a friend had mosaicked. I added a garage sale shade covered in polka dotted tissue paper and trimmed out in pom pom fringe.
Her daddy's family has a performing troupe called the "Sacred Circus" and Sugarwings wanted a circus style room, but I didn't want to go too literal with the theme. Instead, we incorporated mismatched polka dots and stripes, with a few banners around the room to give it a big top feel.
I also hung two framed family quotes. (Created on Picmonkey)
This one is very special to us all. Sugarwings said this on stage after this Sacred Circus performance the day of her daddy's wedding.
And my Handsome Husband made up a song for this little phrase he loves to sing to his grand fairies. He has us all join in, and link arms while singing it. The tiniest girls just eat that up. The rest of us groan a little, but secretly, we all find it as adorable as can be.
Typically, my home is filled with vintagey things, so shopping at Hobby Lobby, TJ Max, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Ross Dress for Less for furniture and accessories was quite different than my regular garage sale excursions. It was an interesting challenge and I have to admit, is a little easier than searching at flea markets and estate sales where who knows what you'll find.
I didn't make much for the room either. I turned a couple of pillow cases into curtains, decopauged the lamp shade, and that is about it. I could've made banners for the room but the ones I found at the craft store were ideal and affordable, so I ignored my do-it-yourselfer's guilt and bought them as is.
Although, I still haven't found a rug that I like, I'm using an antique one for now.
So far, our little one has been taking excellent care of her new room. She makes the bed, then turns off her night light and fan each morning she stays there. With the heat we've had lately, she has been sleeping on the sofa a lot, tho. This attic room gets stifling. I've bought a small window air conditioner to install, but I hate to lose all the light, it is a tiny window to start with. But a hot room is no use to anyone, so it is better to have it a bit darker than not use it at all because of the heat.
The important part is that our lil fairy gal loves her space. And when her baby sis returns for back to school, she is going to be feeling pretty grown up herself, with a big girl bed of her own, and becoming a kindergartener!
Last February, I repainted and did a mini redo on the guest bathroom, after Dewdrop asked me to paint it pink for her. Of course, I like pink too, so was happy to do it.
The tub is original to the house and was awful. We'd put up a cheapo, plastic surround that never looked good either. I hated both, and while my mini redo last winter cheered the room up, it was purely cosmetic and didn't take care of the bigger issues.
Well, I'd decided that enough was enough, that nasty, old tub and the flimsy wall covering had to go. This was the GUEST room, the shower that all my treasured houseguests had to use. And it was embarrassing.
The contractor came out to look at the space, and he suggested a treatment over the old tub to freshen it. Those old, iron tubs are heavy, hard to remove, and are meant to last a lifetime, unlike the newer tub I'd be replacing it with.
But the tub was chipped in some spots, and stained horribly. My son was helping the tilers and asked if I'd ever thought of cleaning it.
Brat.
He meant, deep, deep cleaning and a scraping with a razor blade. Nope, I'd just used sponges and regular scrubbing stuff on it.
So, I soaked it 24 hours with a gallon of straight vinegar in the bottom, and the next morning, added a splash of CLR (to remove hard water buildup and rust). I went after it with a razor blade and magic eraser, and it very soon looked shiny and clean again.
A few touch ups with white enamel paint, and the chips disappeared too. Honestly, it isn't perfect, but it is 90 some years old and I like old things with imperfections, as long as they aren't grimy and gross. This tub looks shiny and clean, while still keeping the vintage feel.
I'm very happy with the results.
Next up, tile. And while the faucets and handles were taken off to tile around, I soaked and scrubbed them too. Our well water had left lots of filmy, white deposits on those and I had thought I'd replace them. Until I saw how nice the tub looked after some elbow grease, then I thought I'd give them a good scrubbing too.
And you know what? I had them clean in a matter of minutes after soaking. It was simple, fast, and saved me a lot of money.
I'd thought that that bathtub and the fixtures were ruined. Then I found out that I am just not much of a housekeeper.
The best part of the redo is this cute, little niche for soap and shampoo. Since this is an old house, we didn't know what we'd find when the walls were opened up, and didn't know if there would be a space to make this work, but luckily, there was space just where I wanted the cubby to go.
I looked at a lot of tile before choosing the marble. I was weighing in between this and white subway tile, both felt old fashioned and right for the age of the home. But the tile seemed toooo white for me, I like the variations of color in the natural stone. I have always admired marble, so I splurged and went for it. And this was a pretty small area to do, so the price tag wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. (and I saved money on not replacing the tub, so that justified it)
And I am so glad that it all worked out the way I wanted. The old tub is a keeper and the tile looks like it belongs there with it.
I've never liked leaving shower curtains open, in this room, or any bathroom I've ever had. But now? Well, I think I just might be keeping them pulled apart. (or at least while the toys are picked up, that clean, uncluttered look most likely won't last long, soon this will return to being a land of naked Barbies)
The lavender ceiling tin might get a coat of white paint…. I liked it before, but now it seems to stand out. (the ceiling tins are a mismatched bunch of leftovers from doing the kitchen ceiling and some stuff I had laying around in the garage from when I used to have an antique business)
A few pink roses in the hand painted flowers on the floor might look good too….
There is always a project waiting to be done, isn't there? For now, I'll enjoy it as it is.
We finished the guest room last week, and I was able to shuffle around things I already had, to put it all together. Oh, sure, I talked big about not wanting a room that was filled with left over bits and pieces, but once I started looking around, I decided that I liked the stuff that I already owned. Why go buy something else?
Especially when I had so many sentimental things. This quilt square was made by my husband's grandma, and I framed it. It sits on one of her journals next to a cup that was my mom's.
As I was going through some things I had packed away, I was surprised at how much I had that went with the new blue walls ("clear pond" from Behr).
Funny, I'd owned them because of their pinkness. But all had a touch of this aqua-blue too.
I bought this vintage bed spread years ago and have tried using it, but as much as I loved the roses, I never liked the way it looked in a room. But now, it seems ideal for this guest bed.
The oak washstand on the right used to belong to my husband's other grandmother. And the book case on the left was already in the room. I thought about painting them, but after I saw them in place, I liked the contrast. Most of my house is soft colored, so it is fun to have a space that is bright and cottagey, with some darker furniture.
My mother made the little, blue pillow, and I stitched up the curtains from a torn, vintage panel.
One of these tins was my mom's. And the wedding photo is a family picture from the Nathans. I thought the sepia photo went well with the dark furniture.
The heart valance is made of a strip of netting tulle, and three hearts hand made by Lori Oles and Andrea Singarella.
The sign is one that I'd painted years ago, when I used to sell these. It is made from the siding of the old garage that was on the property when we moved in. It was the first garage in Douglas Co., KS, and you know me, I can't toss anything.
Of course I found a use for the wood when we ripped the structure down!
I reused the same bed that was in the room before.
And brought in this desk from the studio. It used to be a drop leaf table. The leaf was removed, and attached facing up instead of down, to make a back wall, and I added a shelf supported with metal brackets and spindles.
One of the butterfly plates was my mom's and so were the two carnival glass dishes.
When Sugarwings saw the completed space, she decided to help out and set out the tins for me, and has claimed it as her grown up room. I don't know if she will actually move into it when she is staying here, she hardly even uses the room that she does have, and sleeps downstairs on the sofa. But if she wants it, I told her she could have the room after Birdsong, when I need it for guests.
The room is small, scavenged from the attic of the old part of the house. When we built it, I asked that the wasted space in the roofline be saved and made useful. So, a storage area was built in.
I don't have much in it, but it is handy to have there. Kind of a secret space to hide things away in, then forget that they are there.
This is what it looked like before. I'm relieved to see the last of the dull, heavy carpet. The room feels so much cleaner now. But, I'm just not a carpet person.
Our newly redone guest room is two steps up from a little closet area that used to be a laundry room, years ago, before we moved the washer and dryer downstairs (best idea EVER) and before we carved this room out of the attic.
Previously, we redid the closet floor in a faux oak laminate. The upstairs of my house is all new, compared to the age of the main house. We bought an 800 sq ft, old farmhouse, and added on, changed, redid, remodelled, and then added on some more. I adore the ancient wood floors downstairs, but for the guest rooms and kid's room upstairs, matching that gorgeous, old wood wasn't in the budget. I was happy with slapping down some cheap laminate.
And was very happy just to have the carpet gone.
Anyway, when it was time to redo the guest room, I went with a dark, hickory laminate. I feel like it is much better to go the opposite of what is down in a connecting room than it is to try to match it and be a hair off. Since the first floor had been done years ago. I knew I couldn't do an even match. So, I went darker.
We talked about covering the step in the hickory too. But, I didn't like the two floors butting right up against each other.
So, I covered the back of the steps, (is that called the risers?) with paintable, heavy duty wallpaper.
Glued on tightly, not with just wallpaper paste, with real glue.
Hmm, I reckon it would have been smart to have a photo of the finished project to show you, but this is as close as I have right now. I could probably run upstairs and snap one pretty quickly…. but I think you get the idea from this?
I've painted the step and the wallpaper white to match the trim. (after caulking the areas that need it)
He is quite the carpenter, this is the closet he built for her. The trim work over the two doors is beautiful.
