Kitchen Makeover

Our 2nd home in Nebraska was in need of some repairs and updates when we moved in. Some things, like the carpet, were beyond our control. The dark green kitchen though, could be fixed.

I picked a nice, neutral, sand color in a high gloss finish. I thought I could simply remove the cupboard doors, hit them with the belt sander, and then slap on the new color. The hinges were silver so I decided to keep them and just replace the knobs with a simple, round, black one. So easy. So simple. So I thought.

The first two sets went fairly quick. I had to force myself not to get too picky. These were old doors and there really was no way to get them perfectly smooth without completely replacing them. They were very grimy and greasy but came clean pretty easy. 

As I started sanding the next set of doors I ran into a problem. Instead of gently buffing the surface, giant slabs of paint started pealing off. There was no way to sand the edge to make it blend with the now bare wood. My only option was to completely strip the old layers of paint. Funny how it came off so easy in spots but then was stuck so firm in others. 

We went without cupboard doors for more than a year until I worked up the desire to get it finished. I setup a painting station in my living room in November and finally got the rest of the doors finished. If you look close you can see the difference in color between those that were painted over the green and those that were stripped completely. I would recommend stripping the paint.

It's amazing how bright my kitchen was once it was all put back together. Why didn't I get this done sooner so I could enjoy it more?! I had a friend who wanted to get rid of a small kitchen island. It fit perfectly in the wasted space between the refrigerator and the stove.

Hooray for a new-old kitchen!

Project Complete

I’ve been overwhelmed just thinking about all the posts I need to do and trying to decide where to start. I’ve decided to pick up where I left off. So, if you are wondering about our life in Nebraska you’re gonna have to wait. My brain needs things in order and I just can’t skip ahead.

We were working on converting a garage into a family room. We barely finished it before we started packing. In fact, the first time we showed our house there was no carpet in the new room.

With the help of a great friend, we finished the sheetrock, texture (with a broom), and paint. I love how it all turned out.

And I love the light fixtures. Scott and I argued in Lowes for an hour before we agreed on these.

Since we needed carpet ASAP, and our room was 13 feet wide, we went with the Berber that was in stock. Love the look of the carpet but not how easy the edges fray. (If we had stayed, I would do something different with the steps into the room.)

We decided to do a natural wood trim around the door and window. I wanted to do a baseboard also but Scott was leaving to start the new job and it was time to start packing so he was done working on it.

Some things I would have done different but overall I was very pleased with how it all turned out. I also learned that remodeling is not something my husband enjoys. After 3 1/2 years the project is done, our marriage has survived, and a sweet young family is enjoying an awesome new family room!

Painting the House

I convinced Scott to paint the house now instead of waiting until next spring. The thought of driving home to a house that looks like it is under construction until spring just made me queasy.

We borrowed a sprayer from the neighbor which made the job go much quicker. We sprayed all the green on Saturday afternoon. (And that included a trip into Lowes to get another 5 gallons of paint – we kind of underestimated.)

I worked on the trim yesterday afternoon and got most of it done. I was excited so I tried to take some pictures last night as Scott was cleaning up. The setting sun doesn’t provide the best light but I think you can see that our house is now LIGHT SAGE GREEN with DRY PLAINS BROWN trim. I pictured the trim a little darker but I am happy with the way it turned out. Scott thought our house was going to say “Merry Christmas” with the red door but I love my red door.

Here is a picture taken this morning in the rising sun. It is not so good either. I think I need to wait until the sun moves to the other side of the house and then try again.

Today I am going to try to finish the trim and do a little touch up. I might even paint the fence.

Remodel Update

August was a stressful month – on my schedule and on my budget. In my next life I will plan better and not have two children born in the same month, right before school starts.

In between birthday parties and school shopping we have managed to START on our remodel project. (Yes, I got my garage cleaned out!)

We now have a wall with a window where the garage door was. Scott and I worked on getting the siding up and have a few more pieces to go. He went bow hunting this weekend but hopefully we can work on it this week.

It’s exciting to see some progress but overwhelming to think about how much we have left to do.

Someday this will be a great room!

In the Beginning

Scott and I spent Saturday picking up lumber and supplies to begin our garage remodel project. My friend’s brother works at a lumber supply store and he helped us get a screaming deal. We had to order the window but it should be here by the time we get back from the coast. We did, however, pick up a nice fire door for about half the cost.

I never knew I could be so excited to buy sheetrock but my little heart skipped a beat as they loaded it into the trailer for us. I was so happy that I let Scott take me to lunch!

So, as soon as we get back from relaxing on the beach we will be busy working on our house.