His and Hers

I love when reno projects develop a life of their own, in a good way.

We started with the teeny-tiny-worlds- smallest- ensuite reno and ended up also doing 

the man-bathroom. So now we have his and hers, or maybe hers and hers

is more truthful.

Both spaces had their challenges. The ensuite is a petite 4 by 7 ft.

A poorly placed door,  a window on the long wall, and non standard depth space for a

vanity were the main challenges here.

Hair dryer cords and straighteners were getting caught on doors so something had to change...

After removing everything, and drywalling over medicine cabinet holes we first

installed leftover hardwood from the main floor.

Without a bath or shower in this room I thought it would work well.

The wainscotting we did to match our downstairs entryway, and I wanted

the vanity to resemble a piece of furniture with a carrera marble top.

More specifically I wanted the Pottery Barn vanity, but not at $3,000.

Beachy sconces, and a lot of white with a touch of grey and lavendar

make this ensuite  perfect.

I love it, small as it is. 

The mirror wasn't installed yet in this photo.We went with a simple one in white framed wood.

The walls look two different colors in this light, but are actually the same.

 The color is Ben Moore White Dove.

I love this color with marble, it has almost a grey undertone to it.

Simple white linen shades and charcoal towels.

 Who thought brushing your teeth could be

so much fun!

The end result is the main, or man-bathroom next door looked really bad!

Imagine avocado green counter, 30 year old yellowed floors and chipped rusty mirror

with a Hollywood style light fixture overhead.

The funny thing is the wall and tub tile are newer and in great shape.

It meant I had to work with those existing elements in a taupe and grey colour.

Out came the floor and in went dark hardwood again. Out came the vanity

and in went a new pale grey-taupe one with white counter and sink.

Out went the old 300 gallon flush toilet and  in went the sleek new efficient model.

A bit of shelving, a new mirror and light fixtures and things were beginning to look coastal.

The linen closet behind the door needed help.

We removed the bifold doors, installed floor to ceiling beadboard, shiny towel hooks,

new shelves and a lot of trim.

White Dove paint again with navy and taupe accents gave the room a bright and slightly

nautical feel.  I made the shower curtain extra long to add visual height.

Two tin buckets hold cleaning supplies and medicine and first aid  gear.

A few accent pieces for color and this room is done.

I like it just as much as the girly bathroom next door!!

A lovely before the madness started pic. Actually both bathrooms had matching vanities.

New vanity and navy towels.

The linen closet.

Navy linen shower curtain in a longer length makes me feel tall!!

All in all a fun little project and a great improvement in our morning routine.

Happy Renovating...........



January Jam

A cold but sunny winter day means it's a perfect time to nestle in at home.

One of my favourite things to do is make jam.

I know, a funny time of year to be doing that!!  But in the summer it is just too nice to be in the house,

and in the cold of winter I am thinking of summer and the garden.

When you make jam, the whole house smells like berries. In this case it is blackcurrants from my sil and bil in a neighbouring town.

They have an organic berry farm and I  wanted to try the currants.

I'd love to say this is an old family recipe, but really it is just the one from the Certo!!!

Beautiful berries, sugar, pectin and jars. It doesn't take much time, and soon you have  40 jars of wonderful jam.

Red and white baker's twine and colourful lid covers.

You can customize a gift jar to suit any kitchen. For my sister this would mean pink!!  For me it would be white or aqua.

In other news, we finally finished the laundry room project. As is our usual custom, it took longer than we planned.

The countertops were installed just before Christmas, so other than painting my old table  I would consider it done.

I love the look of carrera marble, and I love solid surfacing but neither were in the budget.

We chose a honed finish laminate in a high def. marble. I really like it and more importantly it is family friendly for those messy

painting and craft projects we seem to do.

We have good storage for my fabric and a good work area too. Since this room opens directly into the lower level family room

we have turned the whole space into a hobby room.

There is room for the farmhouse table in the sewing area, the sewing desk, ironing board, and the old dropleaf table for craft projects.

For fun I painted the back of the upper cabinets in a pale robin's egg blue.

The tall cabinet stores fabric, quilt batting is behind the closed door. The tiny half door goes to "my" side of the crawl space where I

keep my paint. The grandkids think the door is perfect for them!!

An ogee edge and curvy taps.  I love the round sink, and it is well priced from Ikea.

The old dropleaf that still needs to be painted. It takes up little space when folded down but is great for projects.

I'm still deciding if I should go the standard white or maybe the aqua colour for fun.

Fabric storage, a few upper shelves and the beadboard ceiling. There isn't anything I would change, I am happy with the results.

The handy hubby did an excellent job on the cabinetry and counter installation.

Now if I can only keep it organized between projects!!

We are still busy painting furniture. Just before Christmas handy hubby surprised me with my birthday gift.......

I've had my eye on this buffet for a while, 2 years to be exact!!

It is true farmhouse style, lots of storage and solid square lines. I love the curvy legs and scalloped detail.

It was dark wood that I did in ASCP Old White. The finish is like satin, it is so smooth and distressed beautifully.

New hardware in old silver give it a bit of bling.

Inside I have extra serving dishes, linens, candles, napkin rings, and all the stuff you don't use daily but still need.

I'm finding the white helps to  lighten up the space.  It might be time to paint the living-dining area.

The current colours are still great but I find I am wanting clear happy colours. Nothing murky.

I am looking at whites and pale greys, but can't decide if I should or not!!

What do you think?

Let Us Spray

When the weather cooperates the outdoor workroom is open.

Just a few of the painting projects we've been working on around here.....

A cute white chair rescued from the garbage. Can you believe someone was actually going to throw this away?

And it's twin sister. I had a hard time deciding on fabric, but in the end stripes won.

Formerly cherry coloured, now a lovely white and a little bit chippy.

Tiny black table, probably a plant stand.

I love this old kitchen stool in a pale robin's egg blue

A small dresser. This would be great in a mudroom for extra storage. The height is perfect for a cushion too.

The completely finished french cabinet. I love this piece, it could be used so many places.

Meanwhile, tonight instead of working on a project

we went for a walk down here....

yes, I made a lot of chatter so the bears would hear us!!

This is where we ended up. The top of the hill on the Ridgeview Trail.

The colours are spectacular, and the air is crisp with a slight smoky smell.

You can't help but feel blessed and awed at the majesty and presence of God.

We live in a beautiful country filled with abundance.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone,

be blessed,

Elaine

The Virginia Dresser (and mudroom)

It started with a dresser and ended with a refreshed mudroom.

Here's the story......

With a busy and active family our eldest and her husband needed a bit more storage in their mudroom.

The best part was they asked us to do it. Not only do we get to hang out with the kids and grandkids, we get to paint and play with

fabric and wood.

First we shopped the house. We found an awesome solid pine dresser that would make great storage for mitts etc,

and give us some counterspace for keys and the odd vase of flowers or whatever!!

Here is a-sort-of-before. One coat of primer and I remembered to take a photo.

 

It painted and chippied up beautifully.

 

 

New hardware and  it looks lovely.

One of the challenges we had in the mudroom was a cement baseboard perimeter, and an existing furnace ductwork that could not be

removed.  We chose a deep brown  color called Tilled Soil by Martha Stewart

and a warm white for the remainder of the walls.

The before. They have a really good space to work with so we added a built in bench and closet cubbies.

There is a bin for each child with room for helmets and backpacks too.

And the after......



Lots of hooks for coats and a few pretties just for fun!!

I love the luggage tags on the bins. All the cushions and curtains are washable.

A picture from Paige at http://www.vintagetrailerart.com/ I love her artwork, and it fits in with the camping theme.

The bench is stained dark like the kitchen cabinets. Due to the heat vent under the bench we made tiny slats so the heat will still

circulate. The bench is open underneath for shoe storage.

Three special places for summer fun. No the wall is not bowed!!  Just my trick photography!!!

I love the crispness of the brown and white together.

Another view from the entrydoor.  The black and white candid pics of the family look great in similar frames

all painted white.  The blackboard stakes are meant for the garden, but could be used anywhere.

I love the metal hooks. They came from an old school and are very sturdy. The slightly scratched and weathered

patina just add character. Cushions are down-filled, and the covers are removable.

The window allows lots of light and summer ventilation.

We kept the existing floor and light fixtures. As you can see there is more storage yet it still looks spacious.

Hubby did a great job on the panelling and the crown moulding.  Such a fun project.

I love when a space says "welcome",  but still looks pretty and organized.

Next up.........feeling the need to make some jam and do some canning...........

and maybe a bit more painting.

Summer Whites

Blogging and summer just haven't happened much for me this year.

I had visions of sitting in my adironadack chair on the patio blogging the summer away!!!

Not so, we've had the worst summer on record here in the west, and somehow I've bairly been able to keep up reading all

my favourite blogs, let alone write.  I'll be up for the bad blogger award for sure.

This is a picture of a dresser I just completed. It was a typical pine dresser, the type we all have in our kids room.

They are solid wood, and they paint well. A few coats of  white, some sanding and chipping, new hardware, and I wanted to keep it

myself!! This will provide lots of storage in the new mudroom at its new home.

This is a before pic of a buffet and hutch we have been working on.  No trees were harmed making that molding!!

Hubby removed the solid centre panel and the plastic molding on the side doors.  We replaced the broken glass on the upper section

with a lovely grey wire mesh.  The two lower sections also got new wire mesh doors. White paint,

new hardware and we are almost there.  Still to do.....install the upper centre door, chippy and distress, wax and finish.

I'm really liking this piece and may have a hard time parting with it.

Hutches of this size are so practical. Wouldn't it look lovely in a nursery?

In a bathroom filled with fluffy towels and beautiful bath products it would be very spa-like.

It could even be used as a hutch in a dining room filled with white dishes!!!

So far this piece is unclaimed and yet to be sold. hmmm......maybe I should stop hiding it, we can't keep all the pieces.

Here is a close up of some of the details.  Once the chipping and waxing are done it will be even lovelier.

Another close up....please excuse the cheesy picture taking, you all know my lack of skill in this area by now!!...

I painted the inside back in a midtone grey. I love the way it darkens in the evening light yet anything white, silver or glass

showcases beautifully. 

With the weather being so unpredictable this summer I have been doing all my painting by hand instead of sprayer.

This takes a bit longer but I love the process. To see something that was passed its best given a new look and purpose is

rewarding.  Still to come....... pics of the new mudroom we just finished at our daughter's place, more furniture  reveals, and some sewing

projects.  Hoping for a dry and sunny weekend,

meanwhile we'll  keep painting.........

The Pretend Gardener

I can't believe its been so long since I posted.

I haven't forgotten my bloggy friends, it's just that spring finally came and I had to play.

Outside.

With my toys.

In the dirt.

By no means can I claim to be a gardener, a novice at the best, but I love trying.

There's something satisfiying about planting a tiny flower or seed, and seeing it grow.  Or moving a sad plant from one area to another

and seeing it suddenly grow and develop beautiful blooms.

I love to take old, chippy, crusty items and incorporate them in the garden.

Sometimes it works better than others, but you can always move it or change it or paint it!!

The best finds are the ones from friends, or buried in the shed that I keep claiming to clean out one of these days!!

Even the kitchen can give you some great planting containers.

When we first moved to this house, the garden was growing old boots, broken hockey sticks, half a tricycle and a lot of doggy holes.

The grass was almost non existent and other than the lovely lilacs, and a gorgeous old crabapple tree, there weren't any flowers.

Gradually we are adding more beds. I don't get enough sun to put in a veggie garden so I have tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, pole beans,

zucchini, carrots, beets, parsley and chives in pots.

It works, and we may add a greenhouse yet. You know, the kind made from old doors and windows, old bricks, a lot of white and

maybe  a weathervane on top.

 

Meanwhile, our growing season is short here. To make the most of the good weather I try to plant as big a speciman as I can find,

either from plant divisions, sales, or friends, or the nursery.

Hopefully, we will have curvy beds all over. The hydrangeas will grow big and lush, and the clematis will climb up the posts.

We will sit on our step and say, remember when we put that  vine in, and thought it would take forever to get this big?

I am trying to figure how to get rid of this horrible little-big-ugly green worm that keeps eating my delphiniums.

I moved some of them this year, in case it had layed eggs in the soil.

I hope it helps, meanwhile I'm looking for a natural pest-ridder (is that a word)

As you can see it is early days yet, more blooms to come but everything is filling in nicely.

If the weather holds I may get the adirondack chairs painted. The fence needs a touch up in spots and there is still the war on

dandelions.  I almost made my colour scheme blue and yellow in the front on account of those bad boys!!

Happy Gardening friends, and enjoy the warmth and sunshine.