KITCHEN PROGRESS

Inexpensive Backsplash -

Couldn't figure out what I want to do with the backsplash, so until I can pinpoint the best look for our kitchen. I decide to paint the formica backsplash the wall color. It really makes the white cabinets POP! Its a good tide-me-over for now!

Even Harley made it into the Photo!

 

 

PAINTING CABINETS - Done

Well after spending all weekend and some time on Monday and Tuesday...I am happy to say that the cabinets are all back together and are sitting pretty in their new 'Stone White' attire. It was a lot of work, but as I stand in the kitchen now and see what it has done to the space, it makes me happy.

Sunlight just seems to bounce off the doors and brightens up the whole space.

Countertops are the next project, thinking a butcher block, love the idea of the contrasting wood tone against the white and will be happy to remove the formica backsplash that right now hides a huge portion of the walls that I would rather be painted the 'Flint Smoke' to really bring in the colors and begin to minimize the continuous white. Or maybe even something black...hmmmm?

New Fridge comes today and old fridge will make its way downstairs for additional food storage!'

Then onto the floors....oh boy!

Before

After, need to put the book shelf back in over fridge, but you
get the idea.

 

 

Kitchen updating time!

Well we know that replacing all the cabinets was going to be super expensive and we weren't ready to commit fully to replacing them all. A cheaper way we found, as most know, was to paint them all. When we started the project on Saturday, we were so reved up. Doors were off, sanding began, we taped off the kitchen to keep the dust from traveling to all parts of the house and the weather was perfect to work outside, but as time the project leaked into Sunday...and now Monday, the excitment has dwindled.

We thought before sanding that we would try to use a paint stripper, in hopes that it would be a quicker process. When the stripper was removed, we found beautiful wood behind the extra thick black paint, unfortunately the trim detail pieces weren't the same wood type and the stripper didnt work so well on the trim, so there went that idea!

Well here it is Tuesday and about 80% of painting is done and cabinets are full and reorganized!
 Stayed tuned for updates on progress, all before the new refrigerator arrives tomorrow. NO Pressure!

Stripper revealed a beautiful wood tone.

All sanded and ready for paint!

You don't realize how many cabinets you have until
you have to sand and paint them. ARGH!

Kitchen starting to look better already, now that we are
taking off the 'Putty" and Black paint

Well first coat of paint on the frames
and adding the wall color behind
the open shelves, gives it a nice finish.

NEW KITCHEN IDEAS -Photoshop

Most of the rooms in our home have had some attention, whether its been new furntiure or a coat of paint. One of the main rooms, the kitchen. is still waiting for its beauification.

I took a picture of existing (top photo) and brought it into Photoshop. I found a white tone paint that I enjoy from Behr and plugged in the color code into Photoshop and started "painting" the cabinets to see them in the our kitchen environment and if I would enjoy the brightness of the white.

It uniformally brings the cabinets together and instead of replacing all the natural wood cabinets, I have decided to paint them. It will be a process, but am excited to see the end product.

A new stove has been bought and installed and the new fridge is on its way next week. The beautiful new stainless steel appliances deserve a nice 'new' kitchen.
Stay tuned for updated photos of the process.

RECYCLED CANVAS BAG

Our wedding location turned out to be a destination for a few of our guests and were able to find accomodations for them close by. As a welcome treat upon their arrival, I created a venue logo, which was a map playfully showing the wedding ceremony location. Printed it onto an Iron-On Transfer and then ironed them on inexpensive tote bags.

*NOTE: Using the fabric transfer gives the pillow a softer feel and more flexible.

Cheaptotes.com for $1.50 each
and pack of iron-ons for $14 

 Then we filled each one with waters, granola bars, snacks, playing cards, etc. A note was attached about the weekend events and locations of places around town that they may be interested in checking out during their visit. Overall it was a nice treat to have in their rooms when they arrived.

Great keepsake for the guests to take home and use over and over.

I made sure to make extra totes incase there was a change in guest counts. I know its always good to have a reusable bag around, but not wanting to use this special bag, for just any old errands. I took the canvas bag, tucked the handles down inside. Stuffed in a throw pillow I no longer needed from the living room and ta-da..instant personal throw pillow.

I chose to use velcro, so that it can easily be taken off and washed. Sewing in snaps or stitching at the open end would work as well. Without cutting off the straps, if I ever change my mind, I can go back to using it as a bag. But for now its a nice addition to our breezeway rocking chair.

Added bonus: The bag is already sguare and perfect size for a pillow. You only end up having to sew(close) one side!

http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftallgirlstudios.blogspot.com%2F&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Omp0HWWpBjk%2FT_4gz8xB66I%2FAAAAAAAAASA%2FGvVDxoafbHM&description=Canvas%20Bag%20Pillow

DINING ROOM RENO

We moved into our house and had this interesting gingersnap color on the walls. Interesting in the fact that some loved the colors and others hated it, myself included. I love the tones of the beach and any thing inspired by the colors of the beach, tans, blues, whites...all to be light and airy.

We played with three different colors of blue and it was a fun battle with Mike each time having to repaint and purchase more paint.

The before color - dark and boring

The first blue option was too much, so we tried
add a lighter color on top.

This color reminded me of the Smurfs, so thats a no.

With the perfect light blue/gray paint, a new China Cabinet and curtains with rods from Ikea and the beginings of introducing a shock of pink color into the pallet, really love the room. So much that we actually sit in here to eat dinner instead of infront of the TV in the living room.

Simple items here from Ikea,

the china cabinet, about $200

curtain panels and rods just about $60

paint assortment of color about $80 to we picked the right color

everything else was either a gift or something we previously owned.

It really great place to have a small dinner party or buffet
style gathering for family and friends

.

Favorite new material

PRINTABLE FABRIC

I purchased a new item, that claimed to be printable fabric with an inkjet printer. I bought it with intentions of ironing a design onto a piece of stretched canvas. The printing came out great. I let it dry for 24 hours only because I was at work.
You peel off the backing and rinse off the fabric for about 30 sec. Dry with paper towel and iron flat. Was hoping once ironed it would be able to adhere to the canvas, but no such luck. The fabric sheet has no adhession.
Will have to adjust the project a bit, but love the idea of printable fabric. I wish I knew about it before printing menus for a bride on tea bag dyed fabric, that was huge pain. (see the EVENT Tab to see what I am talking about)

Can't wait for the next project idea to use the printable fabric again!

Beginning phase of my creative Artwork. Listing all the
places Mike and I have vistied together.

The 'Man' Room

When the Cat is away..the mice will play!

While Mike was away for a Haz-Mat Training this past Feburary. I decided to take over his room. It was one of the only rooms in the house that hadnt been updated or painted. With the three bedrooms, we agreed one would be his to make a mess and do what he wanted with, one was mine that we use as a guest room and the other is our master bedroom.

I created a Sketch-Up model to help lay things out.
The room had a nicer wooden framed futon, an old dresser and a bunch of tubs with his misc. things he had brought from his parents house.

He is a professional Firefighter and loves it. So without making it too "themey" and painting it red or chrome, with help from my sister we introduced a calm green. (Green Tea- Behr)

3D Rendering Model - Done in Google Sketch-up before the
 project started to make sure it was all going to work out!

To cover up one of the wood armrests of the futon, I built and
upholstered a faux leather headboard. Really gives it more of
 a bed feel, rather than a futon.

With bits and pieces of his firefighter memorablia, I used
them as art pieces around the room. Sewed a maltese cross
applique onto a handmade pillow.

Inexpensive black plastic cubes were used for the night
stand. A free TV and TV stand were from friends that didnt
 want them anymore. The old dresser got a coat of black
paint and left over faux-leather from the headboard was
used to make tie-backs for the panel curtains.

It was a fun project, especially knowing it was a surprise when Mike returned home. He loved it and was completely surprised that we got it all done while he was away. Though it is still his room and it doesnt look as clean anymore. It beats the dulled ivory walls with royal blue trim.

Thanks to Katie for helping me paint and attempting to hand saw 3/4" finished grade plywood for the head board and Jared for helping us to actually cut the board to the proper size. Thank you to Caitlin for her expertise in sewing appliques to pillows!

Costs of the project were:
2 gallons of Green Tea Paint - $48
1 Gallon of white paint for trim - $23
Panel curtains - $27
picture frames - $30
Black cubes - $28
Ivory throw for bed - $38
Total just under $200


My version of 'While you were out'...COMPLETED!

Simple Art piece

Now that I have begun to introduce color into our breezeway to make it feel more cozy.
I had two picture frames that we used at our wedding, that I knew I would be able to reuse somewhere in the house.

I took one 20" x 20" frame which was about $20 and it came with the mat and bought a piece of 12"x12" scrapbook paper that you can pick up at any craft store. With a fiew small pieces of tape to hold the paper in place within the mat and I got a fun and inexpensive piece of 'art' to hang anywhere.

The added bonus, when you get sick of looking at that pattern, you can go buy a different piece of scrapbook paper ($0.50-$1.00 a piece) and change it out.

Ever Changing Art...Love it!

Good Morning Sunshine Yellow!

I love having a fireplace mantel in our living room. It is very easy to change out accent pieces and make it a colorful and decorative focal point in the room. Whether it has stockings hung during Christmas, or some Valentine Flowers, it is always changing.

Since we are changing out the dark reds in the living room, why not introduce that color on the mantel? With simple 3x6 candle holders (Dollar Store) reused from our wedding and the sunshine yellow candles I ordered online for about $5 a piece, a bouquet of silk yellow flowers on sale for less than $10 and a teal glass bottle for $4.99...TA-DA, instant 'face-lift' for about $30.

Now I am thinking maybe changing out the vacation photos we have hanging,to something a little more vibrant...what shall it be?

Amazing what some color can do!

After having burgundy and red as the accent color in our living room, I learned from Mike that the space is too dark. With the 'Wheat Bread" Behr paint on the walls and white trim, original wood floors and black and dark brown furniture, we agreed it was time to add some color into the space to brighten it up.

The cheapest way to splash in some color was to cover the original red pillows with handmade pillow colors that will begin to introduce our new color palette of sun yellow and teal.

I had to just purchase fabric as I used all the existing pillows. There is a simple way to sew the pillows without needing zippers, button, snaps...etc. and are easily removable for washing.
 (if interested in learning how, contact me @ tallgirlstudios@gmail.com.


1 yard of each Purchased:
Solid Teal at $4.38 a yard
Yelllow Pattern $7.98 a yard
both from Fabrics.com

Teal Pattern from Jo-anns on clearance for $9.99 a yard

Before- thought the fireman would like the red :(

The new bright spring colors really add a nice punch!

The red pattern - GONE!

Welcome to the new teal pillow!

With some of the remaining pieces of fabric, I am thinking to use them as curtain tie backs or maybe a framed art piece, check back to see what I do.

The Bench is complete!

Well after a few coats of white spray paint and finishing up the seat cushion the free bench is beautified. With the splash of color it really brightens up the breezeway into our kitchen. With a few more accessories, it will be an additional comfortable space for people to hang out in.

The finished bench in it's glory.

Now I need to figure out what to do with the sad red painted concrete floor!