Renewed Reloved

I've been dying to share the finished product of my bedroom dresser, but I have been so busy with the house renovations I haven't had a chance to finish it!  Well it is finally done, and I love the way it came out!  I had done an entire bedroom set for a customer, a long time ago, and in exchange for doing her daughters headboard and footboard, she offered me this dresser.  I absolutely loved it, and it was in good shape (aside from the cosmetics).  I've held on to it for a long time, because I wanted to make sure that whatever I did to it would be PERFECT, and I also knew that I wanted to keep it for myself (hehe).

Best part?  I matched the detailing on the front to the end tables....well actually, the other way around: I came across the end tables that also happened to have the same design!! Trust me that was pure luck.

  Of course, the top's veneer was chipped and peeling away.  So I decided to just take off all the veneer so it would have an even surface.

It proved to be quite difficult, the veneer was stubborn in some places, but perseverance prevailed, and I was able to get it all off with out damage.  I sanded it down to give it a nice smooth surface so that it would be ready for paint!

  I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in "Old White," which was the same color I used on the end tables.  I also used "Shabby Chic" to highlight the detailing on the front.  I distressed it a bit, waxed it, and it was like a brand new piece.

The dresser has an incredible seining mirror, and the detail work from legs to the posts follow all the way through.  The mirror has aged over the year, but I think it gives it character, and I love the hardware used to fasten it to the dresser!

      Here are some shots of the legs and sides.

    At last, here are some more shots

    AND, just to brag a bit about how good of a match this turned out to be, here is the dresser's detailing in the front and one of the end tables I am using as my bed side tables.

    Damn,  i'm good!  Haha!

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I have been trying to keep my home renovation project under budget, which is why I have done a lot of the work myself (and with the help of my father), but sometimes you need to call in the professionals (plumbing, electrical, granite).  From the beginning I KNEW I couldn't afford a complete new kitchen, and I had to transform my kitchen on a penny, that's right- not a dime, a penny!  Luckily, I was lucky enough to have stainless steal appliances come with the home.  However, the cabinets were completely outdated.

It's all good though! I know some one who paints furniture, wink wink!  I was going to use chalk paint originally, but screw that; it would prove to be way more work- between painting, smoothing, and waxing.  SO, I decided to use latex paint with my paint air gun, and set up shop outside at my parents house.

To save on costs, I chose to coordinate the paint for the cabinets with a bathroom.  This way I was able to get a gallon and utilize the whole thing.  I decided on Benjamin Moore's "White Down."

The Cabinets had been properly cleaned and prepped.  I applied two coats of "White Down (In an eggshell finish) to the cabinets, and immediately the cabinets were COMPLETELY transformed!  I loved the color choice- they aren't a bright white, and they aren't a heavy cream color, I feel its a good balance between the two!

Once the paint had a few days to cure, I knew I had to seal them properly in order to prevent them from chipping, scratching, and also allow me to clean them with soap and water down the road. I did not to wax the cabinets, and I certainly couldn't use a polyurethane because it would yellow the paint, so I decided on Minwax's Polyacrylic Clear Satin.

I have used this product before, and it does leave a protective coat with a nice sheen.  However, I have had some instances where it was not so great, especially over whites.  If you apply the product too heavily it can yellow when dry.  After all the work I had put it already, I was really nervous about this happening.  I had posted a video on Facebook before I began... I was semi-freaking out.  I EVER so gently, applied the polyacrylic with my air gun.  The first coat came out AWESOME!!!!  I used 400 grit sandpaper in between coats.  I applied a total of 3 coats. Here is the finished product:

I certainly had a lot of fun picking out the light fixtures for the house.  All the other lights were really outdated:

It's just that gorgeous 1990's look, right?  Well... I have to say that I replaced literally every light in the house- whatever it is what it is.   I can't do one and not the others!  So I'll walk you through:  Here is the light in the downstairs half bath, a nice antique bronze:

Now, this light below I used in a number of locations: 1) Front Entry 2) Kitchen and 3) Upstairs Landing:

Here is the pendant light over the Kitchen sink- the pattern matches the speckled look on the countertops

  I'm doing good so far right?  WAIT till you see the dining room light!!!  I knew I wanted a really unique chandelier, something different, something rustic.... I ended up searching on ETSY for a personalized piece.  I came across MOSAICUS, and the owner/creator Annette was wonderful to talk to!  Here is the light I ordered and put up!

    I love the color that it has on it, and it was given that aged patina look.  Here is the link to MOSAICUS's ETSY page: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mosaicus

I know, It's a goodie.  Ok let's move up stairs shall we?  So the master bathroom I carried through the antique bronze look.  I got these beautiful matching lights for the double vanity sink:

  Lastly, the upstairs full bath I went with a totally different look.  I kinda gave it a "new look" in a brushed nickel.  I am not sure If I love the idea- my OCD kicks in and says I should have stuck with the antique bronze, but changing it up isn't bad right? Plus I liked the light, I think it's different, a bit industrial- and I like beating to the sound of my own drum!

  So there you go- the lights are on in the house now!

So yes, I have been picking up decorative elements for my house that have been recycled/up-cycled etc.... However, I was on the hunt for a TV stand that was very specific: it had to fit in between the two windows in my living room, was not too high, and above all had a good look to it.  I searched and searched, and to no avail I was defeated.  So I caved, and I ordered a media stand from Walmart.  I have to say the box weighed 3,000 pounds; I had to push it on the floor with all my weight behind it.... should I mention that I slipped a few times- not so gracefully either.  Anyway....  There is always that first excitement when you see the box like "oooo yippee it's here!" and then you open the box:

  and you discover a trillion pieces and screws.  You try not to panic and try to stay enthusiastic, but you realize "shit, this is going to take a while...." Well I was up for the challenge.  First things first, organize the pieces:

:

This was just a clip, trust me, there were a ton of pieces.  Labeled for the alphabet.... it went to "Q."  Well as the piece came together I started to feel encouraged again, which was needed to cancel out the aggravation of using a skew driver.  I had developed a series of blisters... why I didn't use a drill, I don't know, but its too late now, so whatever!

The granite was finally installed today. Thank you to Pacific Stone and Marble from Maynard, MA for doing an incredible job!! They were wonderful to work with.  Here is the link to their website, I highly recommend them! http://pacificstoneandtiles.com

HERE IS THE BEFORE:

AFTER:

The granite was absolutely seamless- they made an amazing cut for the kitchen!

The upstairs master bath looks so great too! They supplied me with gorgeous rectangle under mount sinks for the doubly vanity.

  BEFORE:

AFTER:

The surface looks flawless! Now I need to get my kitchen cabinets painted and that vanity base painted!

Faucets are getting hooked up tomorrow!!

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If my realtor (and friend) see’s this blog post he is going to kill me.  He advised me not to spend money to renovate, but you and I both know that is just foolish.  I knew that I definitely wanted to put granite in the kitchen.  I plan on giving the kitchen a cosmetic facelift, but whats the point when the counters are crusty?  Well….. I ventured on Groupon, and found a local granite/marble company that was offering a special.  I honestly made out like a bandit.  They are doing my kitchen countertops AND the master bath vanity with double sinks.  Sounds awesome, and easy right? Awesome- yes, easy-no!  They sent me to Leamar to pick out my granite.  I have to note, they were WONDERFUL, very nice and so very patient (cause Lord knows I will look at something ten times before I can make up my mind)…..

I knew when I went there I was to look at two different stones: Caramel Crema and Alaska White (like you care what they are called….). I had a budget and had to stick to it, but let me tell you something…. when you walk into this ridiculously huge warehouse fillllllled with pieces of granite and marble from all around the world your mouth drops.  I was like a kid in a candy shop.  “oooo that’s pretty, how much is that?” He would simply reply “you need less than 40 square feet and that would cost you about $75,000,” I almost sh*t my pants and simply chuckled “I sure know how to pick ‘em!”

Rows, upon rows, upon rows of slabs all for my choosing!  I was shown the piece that was right on budget (Caramel Crema) and I really liked it.  It has a great array of colors- creams, greens, grays, black, white... a mixture of everything really and a consistent pattern which will look good on a small surface.  However, I still wanted to see the other one (Alaska White) in person.

The (Alaska White) slab was gorgeous, but I knew it was way over budget, so I crossed that off the list- phew.  It also helped seeing in person.  Yes, it is a beautiful slab, but it has a lot of movement.  By "movement" I mean a variety of pattern, it's different all through out the slab, so everywhere you look is different.  Knowing that I only have a small amount of counter space to cover, I knew that the movement in this stone would not be appreciated and it would look to sporadic.

But then, I found myself eyeing a piece around the corner.  I should have ran, I know I should have, but I am gluten for punishment.  Well I came across this GORGEOUS slab, and the man told me “this is a higher priced stone…..” and I said “I understand, but what is this one called?”…. when he ever told me it was called “Crazy Horse” the historical buff in me got all pumped up! I made note to get a price on that piece too.  The poor man appeased me, thank god.  Although my mother was right there in my ear reminding me to stay on budget.  It didn’t hurt to get a price though, right?

Well.  The wonderful people over at Pacific Stone in Maynard, MA provided me a quote for the two slabs that I chose.  As it turned out, “Crazy Horse” was way over budget, and will have to stay true to it’s historical state- in the past.

I am very lucky to have a master walk in closet, and I have decided to let my parents use my bedroom set since their master bedroom needs some SERIOUS updating (no offense mom...)  Anyway, I've had this piece in my possession  for a while now, and haven't figured out what I wanted to do with it, and I decided to use this as one of the smaller scale bureau's in my master bedroom.

I've started working on it.  I still don't know why they used to put veneer on top of wood, but they did.  I am very fussy when it comes to furniture, and I find that if it starts chipping there is no sense in patching it- you gotta peel it off.  So I chipped away at it....

One thing I REALLY don’t like doing is landscaping.  I love the outcome, but I hate putting in the manual labor.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike all landscaping- I like planting flowers and watering them…. but as for the heavy duty stuff- I’m all set.  My backyard is decent, but things can always be improved, right?  That’s what I thought.  The other day I posted this lovely picture on Renewed Reloved’s facebook page, and mentioned that my gate opens to my backyard just like it. 

However this one is so nice and tidy, clean and pretty…..

THIS is my reality

See the similarities? Haha, no not yet, but the potential is there!  One thing I HATE is when people use stones and little pebbles to fill in their landscaping.  I know its easier than maintaining grass and flowers, but they end up everywhere.  Knowing my dogs, they will eat them, throw them in the air, and they will end up all over creation.  So my father, Mikey, and I have started shoveling out the stones and sifting them.  

One thing you need to know about my dad… he LOVES to sift. Sift, sift, sift!  He always says “the dirt always comes out better this way!”  I think it ends up like powder and is harder to manage, but if it makes him happy- sift away!

The three of us managed to rake up a huge section of moss/crab-grass/stone and it looks a hell of a lot better.  We will continue to work our way down.  I’m trying not to feel anxiety as I look at all those stones… I’ve started pricing out sod, which I think will be the easiest thing to do.  I could potentially wait forever for the seed to catch, and in the meantime my dogs will track in mud through the house.  I think sod is an overall good investment for time and mental stability.

Other yard work for the day consisted of the steps leading out from the dining room slider to the back yard.  I knew from inspection that the stairs were a tripping hazard, but found it hilarious when I started taking them apart.  So the structure of the stairs consisted of cinder blocks around the base, and built up to the top.  However, in the middle was merely mud and bricks on the surface….I’m pretty sure if you were heavy enough you could step right through it.  

In one heave-hoe Mikey managed to yank out the whole side- literally the entire side.  Apparently the only thing holding the cinder blocks together was liquid nails. 

We pulled the bricks out from the middle, which were merely resting on dirt, and put them aside; they may come in hand later, you never know!

Within 20 minutes, all the steps were ripped apart, and all we were left with was a mound of dirt to sift.  Guess who was all excited about that? Yup you guessed it- Dad jumped right on it- look at his bucket over there with the screen!

I planned on painting my kitchen cabinets from the get-go.  I will be using Annie Sloan chalk paint- but that will be a later post!  Anywayyyy, In order to paint the cabinets, it was necessary for me to remove the faces of them.  I will need to paint both the fronts and backs of the cabinets, as well as tape off and paint the cabinet frames/sides.  I'm a huge organizer, and it concerned me that I was going to jumble up the cabinets.  I decided to make a floor plan of the kitchen.

If you look at the floor plan I created, I drew in all the cabinets and drawers, and numbered them.  As I removed the cabinets and drawer faces, I used this floor plan as a reference.  Whatever the cabinet or drawer was numbered on the floor plan, I would place a post-it with the same number on the cabinet.  Doing this will help me know EXACTLY where it needs to go when I put them back up; pretty genius I know.

As I was removing the cabinets and drawer faces, I was left with the screws.  To the cabinet/drawer hinges and the hardware screws.

      I wasn't sure what to do with them at first to keep track of them.  As I went along, I tucked them into the corners of the cabinet frame.  I continued on my merry way, using my sweet little hand drill, and then it hit me! BAM!

 I used the same concept as labeling the cabinets and doors on the screws.  I used a zip lock bag for each set of screws.  So cabinet one screws are labeled "Cabinet #1 screws and hardware screws," and visa versa for the drawers.  I think you get it by now.... but just making sure!

This is going to be a quick one, because realistically there isn't much to talk about!  Once I had taken off the old hardware from the kitchen cabinets I was left with these ugly brass handles:

I had gone to both the Home Depot and Lowes to pick up some hardware, but none of them lined up with the holes that already existing in the cabinets.  I instantly felt defeated, because I was looking for an antique bronze look.  I went online to try and find some that would fit, but they would end up being quite expensive... little darn things are pricey!  Ok, so I re-grouped.  In the essence of saving money, I decided that I would give it a shot and spray them.

I stopped in Home Depot and headed straight for the paint section.  I know that RUST-OLEUM is a good name brand, and was rummaging through them.  I did find the antiqued bronze color I was looking for.  I used "Flat Burnished Amber." I should note here, that when spraying metal surfaces you're best bet is using a spray that has a PAINT AND PRIMER IN ONE.  It adheres better.  If you don't prime your pieces the paint will chip off (especially metal).... so why buy a can of primer AND a can of spray paint when you can kill to two birds with one stone? Exactly.  Again I am going to reference my crazy cleaning- you know how I love to clean... I prepared the brass handles by using a brass cleaner.  I scrubbed them clean, rinsed and dried them.  They were ready for paint.  I laid out another trash bag on my parent's butcher block and sprayed the back side first (I didn't want to rest the painted hardware on the top surface).

First coat came out pretty good, but knew for sure it needed another one.  At this point, my mother was going to kill me for spraying in the house, but I was past the point of no return.  I turned on the fans, opened the doors, and sprayed febreeze.  I gave the back side a second coat, let it dry and flipped them.  I repeated the process on the other side.

For those of you who know me, know I am OCD, and I tend to go a bit overboard with cleaning, but when it comes to taking over some one else's old home... I'm gonna strip that baby down!  From my last blog post, you saw that I had removed all the cabinet faces and doors.  Now that I packed them up into my trunk, and lugged them to my parents house, it was time to clean them!

  I set up a system on the kitchen table- I laid out the labeled cabinet and drawer faces on the kitchen table, a little at a time: there are 21 total faces that need to be cleaned..... yeah I KNOW- A LOT.

I had gone down to the Home Depot to find some industrial grade cleaning supplies- Dawn was just NOT gonna cut it.  I bumped into this woman in the aisle, and we started making small talk about cleaning.  I told her I had a lot of grease to deal with, and she suggested "Zep.." I was intrigued- do tell me more!  I thanked her and started looking at all my options.  There are plenty of Zep cleaners, but I was looking for something serious- nuclear warfare style. I found Zep 505, grabbed some gloves, sponges, and stainless steel brushes... I'm not going to lie- I rushed home to get started, I was very excited (sick, I know).

I cut down a huge black trash bag to cover the surface of the Butcher Block, and placed ONE face at a time on there.  I put the posit it at the top right of the butcher block to make sure it followed the damn cabinets everywhere.  At first I was spraying the faces, letting it sit for a second, and using the front and back of the sponge to clean it.  It just wasn't cutting it.  I busted out the stainless steel brush and went to town.  I can't even describe to you the amount of grease that I scraped off each face.  I scrubbed and scrubbed.  I rinsed each cabinet after and hand dried them.  Some of them I had to re-wash/scrub because there was still some residue.  I managed to get into every nook and cranny!  I dried them off, and replaced the post-its.  I started placing the dry clean faces on a drop cloth in my parents dining room.  Have I mentioned they are less than thrilled that I have turned their home into a temporary workshop?

Look how beautiful they are, all clean and pretty!  I couldn't stop there though.... I realized that I spent (in total) 5 1/2 hours cleaning the faces (front and back) of these cabinets and doors, but the cabinet frames were left untouched.... so I went back to my new house, took a look around and realized  I had my work cut out for me.

Every single shelf had faux marble contact paper on it.  No surface had been left untouched!  I personally can't stand it, so I started ripping it off, and it must have been there for a while, because it came off easily.  Unfortunately, when you remove the contact paper it leaves a sticky residue behind.  So gross.  I knew all the surfaces would have to be cleaned.  So I got my bucket of hot hot water (scalding actually), my gloves, and brushes, and started with the bottom cabinets.  I knew instantly two things: 1) This was going to take forever and 2) I couldn't stop I HAD to finish (OCD)- it's a double edged sword. I knew I would feel better once I finished, but it was going to take a while to get there.  I scrubbed inside the cabinets, drawers, and the outsides, and even the hinges and drawer tracks.  This time it was ME who left no surface untouched! TAKE THAT!

 Ok, so at this point I am 4 hours in, a little delirious, but still motivated.  Jammin' to a mix of Dave Matthews Band and Elvis in the background, I reached the range and overhead microwave.  Now I gave them a good stern look, and realized this was going to be a nasty job.  I had the cleaners come in, and they did the top of the range, and it looked great, but they didn't do the underside of the microwave, or the walls next to the range....

    Honestly, when I looked under the microwave and adjacent cabinets and walls I almost vomited.  The surface was ORANGE with grease.  GROSS, GROSS, GROSS.  The wall to the right, was COVERED with grease splatter.  I began to panic.  I sprayed the surface, soaked it with hot water, and waited.  I loosened the gunk up a bit with a scratch sponge, but re-applied the cleaner.  At this point I have probably taken off about 10 years of my life because I didn't use a mask- though I did use gloves, so give me some credit....  I used the stainless steel brush- brush brush brush brush.... but still the grease remained.  So I resorted to a flat razor.  I LITERALLY scraped the grease from the underside of the cabinets and wall.

Good news it, I managed to get it all done; Bad news is: it took me a total of 5 hours to clean all the cabinets and walls.

I headed back to a Benjamin Moore paint supplier to re-evaluate my colors.  I decided to start from scratch; the only color that had been previously decided upon was "Baby Fawn" for the hallway because I carried it through from downstairs.  You should have seen me at the Benjamin Moore paint store, I sat on the floor, cutting up colors and placing them on my floor plan.  I wanted each room to have a different look, but nothing too drastic; I wanted it to have a nice flow.  Here is what I came up with:

As you can tell from the ripped paper- I taped and moved the samples around quite a bit.  This picture doesn't do the paint colors any justice either- this picture s*cks.

I had my heart set out for this rustic look for my master bedroom, and chose "Mesa Verde Tan"

The Master Bathroom will have antique bronze faucets and shower head so I wanted to keep with the creams

I chose "Mocha Cream":

One of the guest rooms, which is nice and bright, I decided to go with a darker color

I chose "Smoked Oyster"

For the full bathroom on the second floor off the hallway I have chosen "White Down"

For the other bedroom I have chosen "Shabby Chic"- mostly because I was hooked on the name...

As I mentioned before, I carried the color "Baby Fawn" from downstairs, and carried it through the hallway and landings

I'm really happy with the colors I chose, and I'm already decorating in my head.  I'll be sure to post pictures of before and after colors!

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Any Interior Decorator or novice home decorator will tell you that paint "makes it" or "breaks it."  Honestly.  When I first purchased my home it had bright bold colors and faux finishes on the walls that made it hard to see the potential the house had.  I think the home's decor and colors deterred a lot of buyers, and I have a feeling that is why it was on the market for quite some time. Just remember that paint is cosmetic, and can always be changed.  My advice to you: when you go to a home, try to look past the old color, mentally remove their furniture, and envision something completely different- you'll be in good shape!  However, if you don't have taste or style and like that sort of ridiculousness- then there is no hope for you!  Anyway, once you get the home, and you pass papers and all that headache.... it's time to create your color palette!  Know upfront that I ONLY use Benjamin Moore for home interior and exterior.  It's just a far superior paint, covers very well, and is an exact match to it's sample.  When doing interior walls, I almost ALWAYS choose an Eggshell finish.

Personally, I think it is very important to keep the rooms flowing together; separating them too much with contrasting colors makes a home look choppy.  One way to keep things consistent is by choosing one color and using the variety of shades on the same strip.  The colors will go up or down a degree, but don't divert too far from the original.  Another option is picking a solid base.  What I mean is- if you want to do creams make sure that all your colors have a cream base... don't mix a cream room with a blue based room and then a green based room... too confusing!  All in all, the  key is to getting them to look good together.  However, if you are like me.... then you pick a sh*t ton of samples, and don't know what you want to do....  I like to lay out the floor plan- in this case upstairs and downstairs.

By laying out the floor plan, I can easily visualize what the colors will look like going from room to room.  They are also easily moveable, and I can toss them around until I get the desired look.  This may take YOU two minutes, this unfortunately takes ME days because I keep going back to the paint store for more samples, but I know how to pick paint- i'll tell you that!

Sometimes I get ahead of myself, so I've decided to focus on the downstairs first, get the paint on the wall, and re-group.  Here is what I have come up with so far....

I have chosen Shenandoah Taupe for the dining room:

I have chosen Baby Fawn for the family room/hallway/stairs/landing:

I have chosen Broken Arrow for the Kitchen:

and lastly, I have chosen Texas Leather for the downstairs half bath:

They all look really good together.  Although they have the same taupe/cream undertone they provide each room with its own unique look.  I will keep you posted as we start to paint, and I'll be sure to share pictures!  Once I get the upstairs figured out I will let you know- back to the drawing board, here goes another two days!