The Silver Lining: Spare Bedroom Makeover

BEFORE AND AFTER

My previous roommate had a blind, special needs cat, whom he mostly neglected and kept shut in the bedroom for several months. Unbeknownst to me, said cat had stopped using its litter box, staining the carpets and leaving a terrible odor. When my roommate moved out, I spent a week trying to treat the carpet with enzyme cleaner to no avail. Bottom line: it was GROSS!

Since the cat urine had stained through the carpet, carpet pad, all the way to the subfloor, I had no choice but to replace the flooring. Not exactly within my budget this summer, but the odor was so foul that a classmate for whom I was storing furniture didn't even want to leave her things in the room.

So, I ripped up the carpet and started looking into flooring options, as discussd in my previous post. Before laying new floor, however, I treated the subflooring with more enzyme cleaner, then sealed the entire floor with a shellac base primer sealer.

Fortunately, my parents were planning a visit, and my dad had 150 sq foot of leftover hardwood flooring from a house he'd been remodeling. I thought the room was 12 x 12 (plus closet), so we'd have plenty of flooring to spare. And as long as I was going to replace the floor, it seemed like the most convenient time to refinish the ceiling and walls too. So, within 8 hours of my family arriving from Michigan, my dad had removed the popcorn-textured ceiling, while I pulled up the staples left from the carpet pad. The next morning, I woke up and Dad already removed the trim, and plastered and primed the ceiling. Dad had gotten a bit plastered himself! :)

Meanwhile, Mom and I went to pick up paint, and chose a light periwinkle-tinted gray, called "Silver Lining." I wanted a fairly neutral color, that wouldn't clash or dominate potential roommates' preferences and styles. At the same time, I didn't want white or beige. I've never painted an empty room before, and without having to tape or cover the floor, we were able to paint the walls in record time. The results are clean, cool, soft, and bright. One person said the room felt like being in a tree house!

Our 48-hour makeover plan hit a bump, however, when it turned out my room measurements were short by ~10 sq feet short. Oh no! Fortunately, we were able to find matching wood flooring at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore to make up the difference. For the closet, we picked up Pergo, and used a darker wood border.

 

Finally, with the trim removed, Mom sanded and cleaned all the dirt and paint from previous sloppy jobs. Then, the trim was re-stained and varnished before re-attaching it to the walls.

It is a beautiful new room, and now smells only faintly of hardwood and paint: the silver lining to a situation that literally stunk.

More Pretty Itty Bitty Things

I went to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, hoping to find sealant for my spare bedroom floor. Instead, I found a number of little treasures, ranging from 25¢ to $2ea.  These little accoutrements delight me.  Also, I brought some of the outside in, arranging river rocks and pine cones on the window sill above my kitchen sink. I appreciate the balance of elements stone brings -- since there's so much wood already in the kitchen. It's hard to see in the pictures, but the three soup cups hanging under the cupboard couldn't be more appropriate accents (both in color an in style) to the poppy-colored countertops.

Full Bathroom Project

My updated 'green' vision for the full bathroom is starting to materialize, and will be close to done by the end of next week.

For starters, I replaced my vinyl shower liner with one that a soft, white 100% polyester washable liner. I also picked up a natural sea sponge + tea tree oil for bathing.

I've removed the popcorn-textured ceiling, and now need to re-plaster and prime it before painting (BM's Cloud Nine). The walls look like they may have been wallpapered once, or at least had a very sloppy high-gloss paint job at some point. So, another of my projects is to smooth the walls out (either by plastering, and/or by scraping and sanding) before repainting the walls BM's Peaceful Jade.  I also managed to acquire this lovely new faucet, for only $15 (using discount coupons and gift certificates!), which has a low-flow rate just 1.5 gpm.

I considered painting the cabinets white, but since the fixture are white and the vanity top is cream and gold-flecked (lovely 80s style), I decided instead to stain the cabinets a dark mahogany. Unfortunately, since most of the cabinetry is wood laminate, the stain won't come out as dark as I like ultimately, but, as you can see in the pictures, several coats is deepening the color.

Spring Break House Cleaning

Spring Break has sprung here at Hilltowne Hollow (as my new neighbors and I now call our little neighborhood) and the beautiful weather has inspired a wave of housekeeping activities.

My neighbor and housemate cleared out the gutters, I broke  down the recycling, and cleared off my back porch. This evening, I removed 2/3rds of the texture ceiling from my full bathroom, and am hoping to plaster, prime and paint (color: (Saybrook Sage) later  this week.

We've also begun sketching, in earnest, designs for a bike shed that will hold the 10 or so total bikes owned by the collective residents of Hilltowne Hollow.

Kitchen Makeover

Okay, okay, I know you are all dying to see photos of the kitchen makeover. After much deliberation (and sampling Benjamin Moore's Pale Avocado and Sweet Caroline), I decided to paint the kitchen Richmond Gray, which is a shade lighter than Sag Harbor Gray, which I was originally imagining for the living room. Turns out that the brighter greens appeared too bluish-cold against my red-orange counter tops, whereas the gray actually has a warming effect. It's so hard to see how green the wall is in the photos, but the results are lovely, and provide a subdued backdrop for my red, orange, and green accessories. A few highlights:

• Note the original Oh So Lovely Peach-colored paint, discovered behind the stove. This picture also shows off the greenness of the Richmond gray best, since you can see the peach, white, and strip of gray next to each other.
  
• Also, take a look at photograph of my cabinets, before and after a fresh coat of wood stain!
• Finally, check out my new appliances: a microwave, toaster oven, and RED rice cooker.

Having posted these, I realize that there aren't any panoramic views of the entire kitchen AFTER. I'll have to take some more pictures during our next sunny day.

Urban Cottage House Tour

I just came across "Karen's Urban Cottage" house tour, and i LOVE it. The wall colors, choice of furniture, patterns, and objects -- all after my own heart. I've been waffling between painting my kitchen a shade of green or of yellow. This post has me leaning toward green, and for my room and/or living room: a light sage or french gray (which was the color of my bedroom in SB.)

Paint & Colors:
All Benjamin Moore
Trim/Molding/Bead Board/Doors throughout - Decorator White
Living Room - Sag Harbor Gray
Hallway – Woodlawn Blue
Kitchen – Pale Avocado
Downstairs Bath – Carrington Beige
Upstairs Bath - Marilyn’s dress
Master Bedroom – Pale Sea Mist
Front Bedroom – Covington Blue
Study – Dill Pickle

"After": Organized Pantry, No more black shelf

This past weekend, I accomplished a number of kitchen related "cures":

• I stocked and organized my pantry, transferring all my food items from the open shelves in my kitchen to the pantry shelves. I grouped food items by grains & cereals, legumes, canned foods, vinegars & oils, and baking-related supplies. I also dedicated a shelf to glass containers (for re-use) and another for cookware. I'm sure I'll re-organize this over time, but it's nice to have a well-stocked kitchen and see all my food in one place!
• I sorted my recyclables (which I'd been collecting all month, since I didn't know where my recycling bin was or when pick-up was!) Since I only have one bin, and need to separate glass/plastic/aluminum from paper, I will have to take out one or the other each week until I can pick up a second bin from the county. I'm impressed that Orange County has free curbside-recycling!
• I hung a picture and moved my makeshift "table" to the wall where the black shelving unit was. Eventually, that might make a nice wall for a kitchen cart, which would provide more counter-space than I current have. For now, it also serves as the meal central for the Kiddos™.
• Finally, it may seem like a small thing, but I printed out the oatmeal poprocks mosaic and pinned to the wall behind the oven. The colors make me really happy, and I'm still trying to consider the best way to incorporate this palette into my home.

LOVE

I want it all!
http://rice.dk/default.aspx

Pretty Itty Bitty Things

Not exactly on my wish list, but Sarah and I indulged in some must-have impulse buys that have definitely put a personal spin on my kitchen. The tiny  salt and pepper shakers make me feel like I'm a miniature person who lives in a tree-house. I don't need to explain that -- just know that they make me happy!

Poppy Artwork

I ordered this print, "Poppy," by ally gore and Robertz Reader for the kitchen a few weeks ago, and it arrived just before I moved. The colors matches are spot on, and the poppy matches the hue of the counter-tops exactly.

Color Palettes

Yes, thinking about colors is my favorite thing to do. Here are a few combinations I've collected, largely inspired by art nouveau. The mosaic tile pattern is called "Red Poppies and Air."

Current Living Room Inspiration

Here are two pictures of a random living room i like. i'm considering a similar wall color.

The Interview

Favorites
actresses: parker posey, judy dench
actors: bill murray, vince vaughn
artists: klee, rauschenberg, mondrian
writer: gloria naylor
music: gutherie, be good tanyas
restaurant: del rio
automobile: my toyota, old school jaguars
TV show: buffy the vampire slayer, law and order
clothing: my hat, red shirt, good pair of jeans

Describe your styles (3 words)
1. colorful
2. eclectic
3. simple

Where have you lived?
Born: traverse city, mi
Grew up: ann arbor
As an adult: santa cruz, santa barbara, somerville

Whom would you consider a role model?
my folks

What 2 adjectives describe qualities that you admire in this person?
capable
generous

What is the problem with your apartment (3 words)?
1. storage
2. clutter
3. flow

If you apt could speak, what would it say is the problem?
"Too much baggage."

What one thing would you like to do or do more of in your apt?
Study.

Eight weeks from now, how would you like your friends to describe your home (3 words?)
1. Creative
2. Clever
3. Functional