Our Latest Project Reveal! New Color & Lighting in the Dining Room!

It feels like an extra fun and special Friday because I get to share one of the best kinds of posts there is- A completed project and room reveal!!!  (Those are the best right?)  As promised on Wednesday, I rounded up some new photos of our updated Dining Room along with some 'before' and 'after' looks.

So, I might as well start with the 'before' and 'afters'- Here's our Dining Room before with the dark red we grew tired of....

... compared to our new Dining Room look!  It's lighter, cleaner, neutral, and feels a bit more modern but still fits nicely in our old colonial style home.  I'm just in love with it and all we changed was the paint color on the walls and did a DIY update on the pendant light fixture.  Almost seems to easy peasy for creating a different look right?  Makes me love it even more!

When it came to color, after four and a half years of dark red (Behr's Sequoia Grove) it was certainly time for a change.  Adding the new wainscoting last year helped brighten up the room a bit but we both agreed the red had to go...

The not too gray, not too white, not too taupe color of Behr's Wheat Bread turned out to be perfect!  It contrasted with the white wainscoting just right without being too dark, it's a great neutral shade!  We chose the Behr Premium paint option since we knew covering red might be a challenge and it seemed to cover nicely with two coats.

When it came to the light fixture, I had been looking at Drum Shade pendant lights for a while and began to wonder if we could just take apart the pendant light that was there and add a shade around it.  We had an old plain white large drum shade from Ikea in our basement so I thought we could toy with to see if it could work.  Turns out, it did!  DIY surprise!  Not sure if the same thing would work on other hanging pendant lights, but if they are similar to the style we have then it might!  Here is what Alex did to DIY our new light fixture....

He started by disassembling the old light fixture since it came in parts when we purchased it.  The bottom bracket that held the bowl was the first step, then the glass bowl, and lastly the metal bars that accented the hanging rod.  All that was left was the rod and light bulbs.  Sorry I don't have photos of all the steps, I didn't think it was going to work so I didn't have the camera ready :( hope you get the idea still!

Alex then took the drum shade, flipped it upside down so the part that would sit on top of a lamp base harp could attach to the screw cap and bolt that the old bowl pendant had attached to.  So easy!  The only thing I need to add still is something to cover the bottom of the shade so you can't see the bulbs :)  Maybe when I figure that out I can post a better tutorial with all the steps and photos!

That's pretty much it for the bit changes, I guess the only cost to revamp the look was the $32 we spent for the can of paint! Crazy right?!?

When I started putting the room back together I also updated a little bit of the decor.  I decided to add in some floral/foliage arrangements like I did on our mantle since I loved it so much (and they are FREE since it is just pretty foliage from our yard, love it!).

I also decided to add in a new table runner when I found this one during a Target trip for $17.99.  Thought the lattice print with the burnt orange border was cute for fall and not too themed!  It was so hard to ever find a cute table runner that went okay with that dark red paint, now I can decorate with any color scheme really, woo-hoo!  Oh, just think of the possibilities for Christmas decor!!!! 

Well, I guess that's it! 

So what do you think of the new look and new color?  Should I update the black and white wall art next since I'm no longer fighting that dark red color?  Let me know!

Alex and I are doing our annual Pumpkin Carving challenge tonight!  (hehe, I'm betting on me to win.... again)  Have a great weekend everybody!

August Head Over Heels Friday #2: "DIY-ikea" Creations

As mentioned in a delightful little post earlier this week, my "DIY-ikea" was totally unplanned as it resulted from my HORRIBLE Ikea experience last Saturday. Since I couldn't take the Applaro Wall Panel home, I'm happy I was able to whip up my own version that provided the same function...

I am just Head Over Heels with how simple it was to make and with this completed, I'm pretty much finished with the last of my deck decor!  Here's a look again at my vertical planter idea and Ikea's wall panel that planted the idea (ugh, love a good pun).

Applaro Wall Panel: Ikea $39.99; with shelves $59.99

When I started thinking about decor for our newly finished deck, I had a hard time coming up with a way to decorate the outside wall of the house.  It's not like you can hang a framed photo like on the inside... although that would be kind of funny.  Anyway, the vertical planter was the perfect way to add some decor and I loved how Ikea displayed their panel with hanging planter pots (shown that way in the catalog, not online).

My line of thinking when making our own was that it needed the ability to hang little planter pots.  I quickly thought of all the lattice laying around our garage.  There was tons of it and I could easily hang plants from it!  DING-DING!  I grabbed a section, cut it down to fit from the deck to the top wood trim, and then spray painted it.  This is where my hubby jumped in to help :)  He pointed out that it needed a frame around each side in order to support the weight of each planter pot.... and unknowingly, he signed himself up to work on this project too, hehe!  Alex cut a piece of wood for each side and attached it to the lattice (shown with red lines below).

After that, I added one more coat of paint.  I decided to paint the lattice to match the color of the patio furniture to create a cohesive look with the accessories.  The last step was attaching the lattice panel to the house.  Alex used a concrete drill bit and created pilot holes for the screws first, then used screws to secure the lattice panel in place.

Once he finished, I happily added my little potted plants and squealed with excitement! 

 I used thinner metal pots/vases that I had from Ikea (they are kind of old),  I figured the lighter weight the better since I had to add a plant and soil.  To secure to the lattice, I used metal clips from an office supply store that had a small hook attached to them.  Who knew I'd use them for something like this but it worked!

This is how it is looking today, but I'm feeling kind of eager to add a couple more plants or flowers... it needs some more right?!?!  Keep in mind I am no expert on plants or flowers, so if they grow all crazy and huge I will move or adjust as needed.  The fact that I have had them for a week now and they are still alive is an achievement for me :)

What do you think of this DIY-ikea creation?!?!  Are you Head Over Heels for this one too?

I'll take the rest of the Deck-orating afters tomorrow morning when I have some pretty sunshine to work with!  Can't wait to share, have a great weekend everybody!

Click here if you want to see Week #1's DIY-ikea creation: Ladder Shelf Turned Bathroom Towel and Storage Rack.

Our Entryway Update Photos!

Ready for some fabulous 'before' and 'after' action of Alex's latest project?!?  Let's check it out!

I know we mentioned how we wanted to freshen up the appearance of our back entryway a while back.  After thinking about different options (along with Alex's experience installing beadboard and wainscoting) we thought the casual charm of beadboard would fit perfectly.  Here's how it turned out....

I know it looks like a subtle change in the photos, but up close it sure makes a world of difference for the space!

The photo below kind of illustrates what I'm talking about....  

If you look closely at the wall & paint above where the baseboard cap was you can see  bumps, cracks, and ripples... Not to mention once the baseboard cap was removed you could see how many layers of paint that have been on the walls!

Basically, the walls looked just plain junky but only toward the bottom of each wall.  Maybe it was from the combination of thick layers of paint and exposure to moisture/ outdoor elements when people went in & out over the past 80 years?  Who knows!  But I think the fresh layer of beadboard trim really helped to clean up the look and give a fresh start!

I know Alex covered a lot of the process in his last post, but here they are in a flash!  First up, removing the baseboard caps.

Then he took measurements for the top rail & beadboard panels and started cutting.  Once the panels and top rail were ready to go, he used finishing nails and Loctite Power Grab to attach to each wall.

He then used 1"x3" select pine to frame in the corners in order to make a smooth transition from the beadboard to the bare wall.

Lastly, Alex finished up the project by adding a fresh coat of paint (Behr's Polar Bear White).

Here's a few more 'afters'.

I'm loving the updated look!  But as things seem to go with any update, I'm now thinking about sprucing up the decor.  You might have guessed that was coming?  I think I need a new rug that will add a little color/ pattern along with something new for the walls?  Hmmm.... the gears are turning. 

I'd love to hear storage and decor ideas!  Please let me know if you think of any!  Speaking of decor ideas, I still need to work on our deck decor.  That to-do list task kind of got shoved aside since I was prepping/packing for my work trip.  Ugh, don't you hate being behind on your to-do lists?!?  Oh well, back to the questions....

What do you think of the update?

What should I add or change in the space?

What other ways can we add storage to this entryway?

The Deck Is Dun-Dun-DONE!

Take a look at our backyard deck refresh! 

Alex slaved away at it while I was in Michigan, then over the Fourth of July, and finished it up on Saturday!  We still need to stain it (ugh and pick a stain), but man it feels good to have the boards leveled out and railings.  It's a WHOLE deck now!

In case you are wondering about what or why we changed it, lets look back.  The first time we redid our deck was in the summer of 2010.  The boards were rotting and spaced too far a part (even little Sadie got her paw stuck between them once, so sad!).

Alex tore it a part and added new boards that were spaced appropriately along with a new lower level.

 After that this was kind of how it looked ever since.  We hoped to have added the railing and stain last summer, but the tornado wrecked those plans (still breaks my heart seeing our backyard with those trees and shade).  Then over time we started to notice a problem with our first redo...

The boards were popping up unevenly as the nails loosened up.  It didn't take Alex long to figure out that he should have used decking screws instead of decking nails (remember we aren't perfect, learning as we go!).  He also determined that we needed additional support joists on the old frame. 

 So Alex started tearing up the deck again....

Deja vu?!?!

 Alex figured he should flip each board since they were faded before screwing them in. If you look closely you can see one of the additional joists he installed.  One things for certain, we will have to be more timely with staining this time!

After getting the base set, he began to install the deck railing.

 Alex picked the railing style knowing that the only thing I was against was the plain skinny railing sections that you can buy at Home Depot.  He picked up some 1 X 6" wood and created this on his own.  I think he did a fantastic job and I love the style!

To give the deck some flair he also built two wood planter boxes and a bench.  Yep, always above and beyond (even though it means more cursing and time in the hot sun, LOL!).

With the bench and planters in place the deck was done!  Hooray!

I'm loving this improved space right outside our door, just feels cozier!  Heck, maybe now we can finally enjoy our yard this summer?!?

Here's a closer look at the finished planters and bench. 

Hmmm... I am sure there's ways to decorate the deck and bench right???

Alex already said that I can remove those little trees (because they'll one day be full grown blue spruce trees) and add some pretty flowers so I might do that this week!

  Woo-hoo!  Well, we can almost check that one off of our Summer Plans list (still need to stain), but I love it!

What do you think of the deck? 

What kind of fun outdoor decorations should I add?

Decorating in the outdoors is still kind of foreign to me, if you have ideas let me know!

Our Completed Door Turned Headboard!

  The door turned DIY headboard project is complete!  Check out the finished look (and click here for the full tutorial post showing how we made it from a salvaged door)!

Gorgeous right?  I have to say it actually turned out better than I expected, I'm sooooo happy with it!  Crazy to think it all started with this $40 salvaged door.

My hubby gets major kudos for taking that....

Along with a few pieces of trim and framing wood ...

To make a rather snazzy looking headboard if I do say so!

I still can't believe how similar it looks to the Pottery Barn headboard for 1/5th of the price.

Am I right?!?! 

That makes it even more exciting!!!

Anyway, my new dilemma is our bedding.  I know I wanted all white in the beginning when I mapped out our Master Plan, but I am second guessing it now.

Should we have something with some color to break up the bedding from the headboard? 

Do you think the pop of red is still fun as the accent color?

What color or pattern of bedding would you add?

I'm all ears, really let me know what you think.  I've been online shopping for bedding for DAYS and I'm getting sick of it.  I think some fresh ideas or advice would be awwwwwesome :) 

Click here for the full tutorial post on how we made the headboard from a salvaged door

A No Good Very Bad Monday Tubby

Well, things in the Hammers and High Heels house are pretty crap-tacular today for two reasons. 

1- My poor hubby is sick (and slightly crabby)

and

2- An unsightly water damage spot in our Dining Room was caused by a water leak

 Now for the funny part-  reason #1 listed above actually caused reason #2.  Yep, the poor sick hubby caused the water leak... which may have lead to additional crabbiness :)

I guess I will back up and tell you the whole story now. 

I got home from a pretty standard day at work knowing Alex was home and not feeling well.  I shouted "hello" to which Alex replied "hi, I'm upstairs".  I put a few things away and then walked up to our bedroom expecting to see Alex laying in bed.  Surprisingly, no Alex and, each door upstairs was open.

For reference: our bedroom is not in the picture but it's to the far left, then our upstairs bath, built-in cabinets, and our Guest Room on the right.  The bath tub hides behind the built-in cabinets



 I called his name again and realized he was in the bathroom taking a bath in our tub- weird!  Why?  Neither one of us has ever taken a bath in our tub because it's pretty little... okay like SUPER little (and not very fancy).  Alex simply said, "I needed to soak in the hot water, I don't feel good".  I felt bad for my poor hubby and went to go make him some soup. However, I couldn't help but giggle a little bit at my hubby crammed in the little tub, ha I giggle again as I type this :)

Anyway, Alex's tubby took a sour turn when I discovered that water was leaking into our Dining Room below.  I felt like a real biatch screaming at him to get out of the tub :( Nothing like water damage to make you freak the heck out right?!?  Anyway, after Alex jumped out of the tub to investigate, he determined that he must have let the water level reach past the overflow drain and the coupler holding that pipe together wasn't tightly sealed.

 So the excess water didn't go down the drain, it soaked into our dining room ceiling and quickly onto the table, chairs, and floor.  Thankfully, the amount of water was pretty minimal.

The worst part is this gross spot on the ceiling of our...

...normally very sweet looking Dining Room.  Waaaaaa!  Why!?!?

We're kind of dumbfounded for how to even fix this.  The original texture of the ceiling makes it quite complicated. Grrrr.

For now it is box fan city around here. 

The most important thing is to do what we can to dry out the floor and ceiling. Ugh, the fine glorious moments of home ownership.

So, there you have it- a no good very bad Monday caused by Alex's tubby.

  I guess the nice thing I can report is that Alex went off to bed about an hour ago.  I'm hoping lots of sleep will get him back in DIY-ing shape! 

Before he started feeling crummy he finally got a start on our salvaged door headboard project! I can't wait to share it with you soon!

I hope your Monday was better than ours ended up :) Here's to a fresh start tomorrow!