DIY Shaker Style Cabinet Doors

I had a fellow diy home decorating friend ask my how I transformed our 1940's very plain, flat style kitchen cabinets into a Shaker style cabinet door.  I decided that if she was asking then others were probably wondering, too.  And I haven't shown my kitchen since it's as complete as it's going to get for now.  (I still have cabinet doors to finish above the fridge and the interior of the bottom cabinets to paint....seriously will this project ever be done??) 

WARNING: This post has a ton of pictures. 

BEFORE...I had already started painting the room the aqua blue/green, so the curtains were down and the room is in disarray. I had finally convinced John that he should let me paint the cabinet doors.  I had come up with an idea to make the flat, boring doors into a shaker style. 

We went to Menards and purchased pine trim that was 2 inches wide and about a 1/4 inch thick.  It came in 8 foot lengths.  I decided that to be more authentic Shaker style they should be cut straight at not at an angle in the corners.  I was VERY happy after we sanded the door to the bare wood and glued and nailed the trim onto the front of the door. It was going to work!  We used a pin nailer and wood glue.  I have had no issues with the pieces staying adhered to the door.

I could barely contain myself when we started to hang them back up.  I was practically doing cartwheels :)

I lined all of the drawers with striped wallpaper.

I stood at the sink for over an hours scrubbing each hinge with a toothbrush.  I used the original hinges and they cleaned up really well.

These are shots of my kitchen tonight. One of my good friends sold her house and she was selling some of her household "stuff."  I have always loved this braided rug and it went perfectly with my curtains.  We now also have a coffee station.  Our cabinets are too low for the Keurig to fit underneath and we find we still use our full size pot often.

I also painted the ceiling the same color as the walls - it eliminates the paint line at the ceiling.  The bead board on the walls and backsplash is wallpaper.  Yes - wallpaper!  I found it at Lowe's and Menards also carries it.  I have used it in 3 rooms now and love it. 

Not much has changed in almost two years...

After bugging for a year - and I mean driving him crazy and pestering until he couldn't take it anymore - my husband agreed to put up my new light above the sink.  We also had to hide the previous huge hole from the old light and bead board tongue and groove worked perfectly.

The tall shelf and baskets are from Target.  I glued the pompom fringe on the baskets.  Every kitchen needs pink pompom fringe ;)

 



I think the hard work paid off and I love my kitchen now.

Can an Outhouse Make You Happy?

Have you ever noticed that your home can change the way you feel when you walk in the door?

Have you ever noticed that when your house is messy and disorganized it makes you uncomfortable and crabby?  That it makes you look around and you see all of the things you hate and want to change?  I know that when my house is a mess it's usually a reflection of how I feel inside.  Out of control, not feeling good about myself, not caring, and not loving life. I'm not talking about my house being perfectly remodeled and all projects complete.  I'm talking about a clean toilet and vacuumed rugs and made beds.  I know we all have days or even stretches of time where we don't clean because of time constraints and sometimes it nothing to do with how we "feel" but I do think that a clean house makes a person feel good.  It can make you feel content and happy with what you have and ready to take on the projects you have been avoiding.  

 

 

Every house is different.  We all have different taste and different budgets and different ideas.  But the only thing that matters is -- do you love your space?  Does it make you feel like you can't wait to go home and nestle in and relax?  I know that I could make ANY space I live in a place I want to be.  I have learned to only buy things that bring a smile to my face.  Do I have knicknacks and home decor?  Heck yeah!  But I only use the things that I love.  I am patient enough to scour for the perfect piece and often when I have an idea of what I want it's not long before I find it at a second hand store or a website online at a great price or at Target ;)  Home decorating doesn't have to be expensive.  And sometimes it takes a long time to get your home to a place that you want to be in, but I truly believe in the above quote - fill your space with what you love and you will have a comfortable and inviting home.  People will feel your contentment when they enter. 

I know this Marilyn quote is not about home decorating, but in my mind it can be.  People are afraid of making mistakes in their home.  What if I don't like the paint color?  What if I pick the wrong fabric?  What if I hate it when it's done?  My answer is - you don't know if you will until you actually do it.  And if you try and it is a failure then move on to the next idea.  If you hate the paint color then pick a new one.  But often if you choose something (color, furniture, etc.) that you love you will get excited to keep going and make your space your own.  Make mistakes, keep trying, and believe in yourself - you are the only one who knows what makes you happy. 
 

Again, I know you are thinking "Kate - this quote has nothing to do with houses."  But it does.  I love old houses.  I love the character and charm and history of old houses.  They are perfect to me.  Don't wish you had someone else's house.  Look at yours and find what you love, fix the what needs to be fixed for functionality, embrace the imperfections and quirks, and love it. I think that quote also is a good reminder for each of us.  Love yourself.  Love your flaws. And know you are pretty amazing.  (I know, I know it sounds so hokey...but it's true!)

I just plain old like people who smile. 

My thoughts and dreams are often about houses.  I love houses.  Any house.  I love to look at houses, think about the people who live in them, wonder about the history of the house, and dream of how the space could be made to feel like a "home."  I had a good friend tell me recently that at her house they talking about "pulling a Kate" in a verb sense.  She explained that her significant other felt like his home office was on the back burner and when can we focus on that project?  She said a while later she went down and found that he had arranged a few items in the office and put bulbs in the lamps and pulled out things he loved and planned to use when the redo of the room was complete and it felt like a totally different space.  They still have to paint and complete some projects, but just spending 15 minutes making the space his own helped make the space comfortable and relaxing.  She said he "Kated" the space and he felt much better.  I loved hearing that!  Pull out what you love.  Use what makes your heart happy and even a space that needs paint and a remodel can feel like your own.  Oh -- and clean!  It will always feel much better if it is clean.   

I think that our homes can be our safe havens and they need to be a place that makes you feel comfortable and content.  No one's style is the same as yours. 

I can't have a post without some sort of project photos...this summer we worked on the classiest outhouse on the Dead River.  See...even an outhouse can be "decorated" and every time I enter it I feel comfortable and happy.  If I can't have running water, the least I can have is a classy outhouse.  And YES - there is electricity.  We have a generator and invertors for power so lights and music are possible! 

Live Simply

I am in a book club and we read a book a month. This month the chosen book is "The Secret." I am a realist. I don't read fantasy and I need to know what I read can truly happen. This isn't fantasy or fiction. I guess I would categorize it as "Self Help." Not my usual genre choice, but it is speaking to me. And it is reminding me that I am in charge of one major thing in my life--my own thoughts. So I am choosing to start 2015 out on a good thought...this will be a great year. It will be the year I demolish the negative voice in my head and I will live simply. That doesn't mean I'll live like the Amish. But I will live without worrying and fretting, enjoy the journey, and I will take care of myself. So there may be times you see posts about how I am doing that. Welcome 2015!

10 Years Later....

One of my favorite rooms in our house is the master bedroom.  Notice what the color is ;)   There is a recurring color theme throughout my house.  My favorite color is this blue/green color.  When we purchased the paint for the exterior it was called "Ocean Fog" and now my children always say "Look mom there is an "ocean fog" ______."  They know I will like anything in this color! I originally painted this room a country blue when we moved in.  I struggle with finding a color I like with the pine furniture.  We purchased the bedroom furniture for our wedding.  I preferred to have furniture over an elaborate wedding ring and I still don't regret the decision.  Sometimes I dream about painting the pine a nice creamy white and distressing it, but my husband isn't game.  We had a weimaraner  named Otto for 13 years.  Within the first month that we had him he chewed up the corners or our bedroom set and let his mark.  Every time I see the damage I think of him.  It could easily be hidden by paint, but sometimes we have to let the husband think he has a voice.  For a long time I just had plain cream colored curtains and kept everything very monochromatic and calm.  Then I found my dream Pottery Barn curtains on Ebay and they were mine!  The whole reason I chose this paint color was to match these curtains - and it only took about 3 years to find an affordable pair.  About 4 years later I found the matching quilt and shams on Ebay for a price I was willing to pay.  So it only took about 10 years for me to say this room is "done." But nothing is ever really done at our house, just as complete as it is going to be for the moment. 

 

 

Our bed is so high from the ground that a normal bed skirt was too short.  I found the blue fabric at St. Vincent DePaul and sewed a band along the bottom of my bed skirt.  Crisis averted!



My blue mason jars.  They are in almost every room of the house.  When my sister got married quite a few years ago we used blue mason jars and white hydrangeas for the table settings.  I collected well over 40 jars for the event and now they are spread all over my house.  I don't think I will ever get tired of that color.  

I recently purchased new chairs for our living room to replace these chairs.  The nice thing about a recurring color theme is most things can be moved all over the house.  And that little 13" television looks so tiny...our nice flat screen is now out in the garage workout area.  I guess that it's more important to have a nice TV while on the treadmill than while snuggling in bed ;)

I have finished trimming out and painting all of the doors in our house black and I LOVE them.  One of the best things I ever chose to do in our house. 

I have a thing for "life reminder quotes". 

Years ago I purchased these beach pictures from Target and hung them in my kitchen.  My love of "Ocean Fog" definitely comes from my absolute love of the beach, especially Lake Superior beaches.  Now these photos have a spot in our bedroom.  I think they will always take up wall space in my home.

The plates are all from St. Vinnies and the mirror is from my grandmother's house.  The table was a second hand find that I painted multiple times. 

 

I need to practice taking photos...photography is definitely not my thing.  But you get the "picture" ;)



Perfection is NOT an Option in an Old House

One thing I have learned about living in an old house is that perfection is not an option.  Every project has issues.  And sometimes I just don't have the budget or energy to rip the walls to the studs and put up fresh drywall.  In comes wallpaper.  I know that many are afraid of wallpaper and it is intimidating.  It is a lot of work, but I really actually enjoy putting it up.  Am I professional - NO.   But, again, in an old house you have to accept that it will not be perfect.  It will hide imperfect old plaster walls, but the corners and seams may not be perfect. I know that once the wallpaper is up and the room is back to "living" I do not notice the imperfections unless I seek them out.

I only have two rooms that have wallpaper and one is the upstairs hallway.  I originally wallpapered it about 10 years ago and decided I needed a more subtle, relaxing pattern and my husband decided it was ok to tell me one day not long ago that our house looked like a hoarder's house because the wallpaper was falling down!

This old house of mine has taught me that I can be happy with imperfection. 

BEFORE:

 

DURING:

 

 

 

AFTER:

 
 
 

 

 

Someday is Today

Do you ever look around and wonder how you got to where you are? And feel happy about it? I don't mind aging. I love my career and the feeling of security our life gives us. Yes, it's hard to face that I now have wrinkles, and my children are no longer babies, but the most difficult thing to face is that  time is moving so fast that the years go by it what feels like months.  I want to do the things I enjoy and live every moment.  It also makes me realize that I have to move forward with doing what I love.  And because my children are no longer babies I can do that.  I know that there will be times I will have to make a choice between my family and my business and I know that they will be ok with that.  They understand my passion and see the excitement in my eyes when I start talking about rooms and colors and houses.  My heart says to let go of my insecurities.  It's time to dip my toe in and see if I can share my love with others. 

I have completed so many projects recently.  Even though I haven't been blogging, it doesn't mean I haven't been redecorating!

And I am ready to offer my redecorating, reorganizing, and refurbishing services.

I couldn't have a blog post without a project to showcase.  One of my favorite no cost (because I already had the spray paint on hand) projects was the lampshade for my mercury glass-esque lamps.  The large drum shades were on two lamps I had in the basement.  They were starting to yellow on the inside.  I really liked the shape and shades that large are very expensive.  I decided it was worth a shot to spray paint them black -- inside and out. And I LOVE them.  They are a statement in my dining room and I love the glow they cast when they are turned on. 

 

 

 

And there are so many more projects to come....