My trick to painting a lot of hardware at one time.

My husband always has scrap pieces of pegboard. I discovered this was just what I needed to hold the hardware I was needing to paint. BONUS- I don't lose the screws as they are what attach the hardware to the pegboard!

So much happening..

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I have updated this blog. We get so busy with all of the projects around the house and I remember to post things to Facebook, but forget to update the blog. Since the completion of the basement we have moved on to the den level of the house. The den level contains the den, a 1/2 bathroom, and the office. It is also on the same level as the entry but that was finished with the basement project. One of my favorite items of this project was this bookshelf repurpose.

Basement is Finished!

This project took so much longer than we ever imagined. The majority of the work was done back in August, however we wanted to use IKEA cabinetry in the kitchenette area, and since we live 2 1/2 hours from the closest IKEA we just had to wait for our schedules to align. Finally a free day came up in our schedules and my son, Daniel and I made the drive to Canton, MI. We had removed the seats in our minivan and boy did we ever fill that space! It's probably a good thing that IKEA is not closer. Here are a few pics of the finished project. I used the panoramic setting on my IPhone to try to capture the whole room in one shot. The new bathroom is where the laundry used to be when we first moved in. It's wonderful having a full bathroom in the basement, especially when we have guests. The room has a much more contemporary feel than any other space in our house but I love it! My 'kids' have been collecting Superhero paraphernalia for some time and the basement seemed like the perfect place to display all their treasures.

Welcoming staircase...

With all of the remodeling we have done so far to this home, this by far has been one of my most time consuming. Crazy right? I mean, it's just a small set of stairs. Au contraire! I knew the look I wanted, it was there in my brain, but getting it from just a vision in my mind to an actual finished product took a lot of planning. Throw in a few mistakes along the way and it was the staircase that never seemed to end. I knew I wanted to remove the carpet. I knew I liked the look of stained treads with white risers. I knew I liked the look of a carpet runner, but not the work to keep one clean. So here it is, in all its glory along with some photos of the process. Everything you see is painted, either with gel stain or porch and patio paint. The bannister still needs to be painted.

How I love doors!

Here is our newest door! My husband so graciously indulges my door fetish. I had been looking for a door for our home office. I found this door off of a local FB page where members can list vintage items for sale. I don't know the actual age of the door, but believe it to be from the early 1900's. Now before you ask…let me say this, "No, we do not run a remodeling company". I wanted something whimsical for the glass. Since I was fortunate enough to receive a Silhouette Cameo for my birthday this year, I knew I would be adding some vinyl to this door. My husband and I were married in 1989 and quite literally have been remodeling our homes ever since!

Closet turned mudroom space

This closet is right off of our garage. Since we already have a coat closet for guests in our entry foyer, I thought it would be nice to have a closet that was just for family items. I have always liked the look of a wall using reclaimed wood and our basement remodel had us swimming in the stuff. This closet seemed like the perfect place to try my hand at a reclaimed wood wall. I will come back and add more photos later of the process, but for now..here is the finished project.

Updated for Fall

Enjoying decorating the bicycle corner.

Finding just the right spot.

We've moved the bike from the foyer to an odd little nook we have in our living room. We are still working on accessorizing. I added a picnic basket since this photo was taken. As we move into autumn I will replace with something more…'fallish'. I am liking it all so far, but I know it will look much better when we replace the carpet with wood floors!

Goodbye to our Best Friend...

We said Goodbye to our best friend last week. Jenna was 13 1/2 years old and she was suffering from congestive heart failure. Last Thursday she suffered a major heart attack and within moments was gone. We are grateful that she did not suffer and that we were with her when she passed. We are adjusting to her absence, but find the hole she has left in our family to be much larger than we imagined.