Powder Room Finished

|
Well it's finished....kinda. Here's the pics of what's basically done minus painting the trim and beadboard. But look at the before pic and you will totally appreciate:
Before: 

After (and nearly done):

P.S. - The toilet is the same white porcelain as the sink but my camera didn't capture that. I wouldn't mismatch like that. Sorry, folks! :)

Thanks Better After!

|
Yeay, I feel so validated when I get featured on blogs/sites/whatev, especially Better After. Smiles all over! Thanks!

Bama Bar Stool

|
I had this ugly little stool sitting in my garage for awhile. This weekend, I decided to suck up to the hubs a little and show some support for his alma mater's team, the Crimson Tide (even though I'm an LSU fan).

Before:

After:

Steven Little Design

|
Check out my friend's graphic design site - Steven Little Design:


Living Room Curtains!

|
Here are my new curtains for the living room! It's a large window spanning 113" in width including trim. I hung blue Pirouette Lined Rod Pocket Curtains from floor to ceiling. The panels are 96" tall by 51" each so it framed the room perfectly.




Project Befores...

|
I'm so bad at taking before pics before I get to make things afters...so here are the befores of some projects I'm going to start soon. Hopefully. Need suggestions on what I should do!

Chandelier for breakfast area or somewhere...

Mail box/front yard before landscaping but after we removed all the trees/bushes:

Some more before outside landscaping in front of the house.....but still after clearing of trees/bushes:

Front door before.....

Ugly stool before...
 

Breakfast area chairs before....I really need some creative suggestions on these!

Can I put molding on my stairways? Here's the before...

Would love some suggestions!

Cabinets Done!

|
Just to remind you, this is the kitchen cabinets before:
              
                     
And here are the kitchen cabinets now:

I used Behr Premium Paint and Primer in one, in Bleached Linen (satin finish). I know some think it's better to use a higher gloss finish but I decided not to since my countertops are already pretty glossy-looking. Not to mention the fact that the cabinets were in less than perfect condition and hi-gloss would have just accentuated the imperfections.

I still need to paint the baseboards and floor trim but we plan to remove the old linoleum floor and replace with ceramic tile. I'm also putting in a subway tile backsplash -- maybe travetine or something with texture.

Do you think I did ok? Comments and feedback always welcome! Thanks!

Twin Bedroom

|
Twin guest bedroom before:

Still needs wall decor, but here's the twin guest bedroom after:


The details:
  • My mom found the headboards at a garage sale - only $40 for the pair. They used to be pale pukey yellow, so I spray painted them this coral color (Krylon spray paint color Tomato), although my iPhone's camera makes it look more orange.
  • I painted the walls with Behr Limelight (same color I used in our powder room downstairs).
  • The table under the window is from Home Goods - I bought it for a whopping $69!
  • The coral and cream damask pillows were purchased from milk and cookies on Etsy.


Kitchen Cabinet Update

|
This is just a taste of what I've been up to! Trying so hard to get my kitchen cabinets painted but it's tough when they're so old and nasty. Here's what I have to do:
  1. Remove cabinets doors and all hardware- done
  2. Thoroughly clean all cabinets and framing
  3. Fill in holes and/or drill new ones. On all the cabinets, I'm replacing what were pulls with knobs. I'm using pulls on all the drawers but some drawers had knobs instead of pulls.
  4. Sand thoroughly
  5. Clean again
  6. Paint (using Behr Paint and Primer in One in Bleached Linen, satin finish)
  7. Paint again, and again, and maybe again just to touch up
  8. Install new hardware and hang cabinets
Here's my progress:
 
 
 
 

Give a Penny Designs

|
Taking a break from blogging about home improvement/decor and letting everyone know about Give a Penny Designs, handmade jewelry by Mary Kelly Clary. With every piece of jewelry purchased at a jewelry show, Mary Kelly donates a portion of the proceeds to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Her next upcoming show will be at:

Lexie and Jane
Thursday, June 24
11:00 am - 8:00 pm
516 East Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, Georgia
 
These are some of my favorite pieces that I think I'll need to buy myself soon!
 


If you can't take the heat, remove your kitchen cabinets

|
What have I done???? Installed under cabinet lighting and removed all my kitchen cabinets....but they'll be back! After I refinish/repaint them! MUAHAHHAHA!

Mi cocina, antes (my kitchen before):

Some middle pics (it'll be awhile for the afters, hehe):

Stainless oven for Valentine's Day! Working on my husband for a matching hood! 

 

Also want matching stainless dishwasher that actually washes dishes well. 


Testing if I'll like a color on my bar area....this is where I installed under cabinet lighting first (don't worry, you won't see the wires when I'm done):



Now here's what I've done...

Is 8 months too soon to renew vows?

|
I wish I could relive my wedding about every month, without all the planning! So here's more wedding links, 8 months later, because I'm in love....and slightly obsessed with our wedding, well and weddings in general. And have been going to several weddings, as it is wedding season so I'm in the wedding-y mood!

Watch our slideshow and see my amazing photographer's photo blog (our post, of course) is here: http://debbiepeacock.com/blog/king-and-prince-weddings-amy-jamie/.

Entryway Lighting After

|
Ok, let me preface this by saying that my husband begged me to stop "spending money"on the house. Well, all I've really bought is paint (6 cans max, I swear) and maybe a couple pieces of furniture (from places like thrift stores, garage sales, and Home Goods, mind you). Anyways, so when I continued to complain about all our light fixtures, I'm sure you know the response I got. So, with inspiration from Better After and  Dwelling By DeVore, I did this:
Before (as I've posted earlier)....

AND AFTER (and it only cost me $16 and change for the lamp shade and under $4 for the spray paint)...

And here's just some pics of my cute pup Hank, because he turned 8 months on Wednesday and I think he's just cute!!!

Blue White and Neutral Eat-In Kitchen

|
My kitchen has a similar layout to this one, except my eat-in area is much smaller and I'm not sure if I have room for an island. Also, I've already painting my walls a neutral color and have a chandelier that I'm redoing that is similar in shape and design as the one in the picture. And I plan on repainting my old 1979 cabinetry crisp and clean white. The only thing I don't like is the blue floral print on the chairs and window treatments. Thoughts??
Burlingame Residence Two traditional kitchen
traditional kitchen design by san francisco interior designer Amoroso Design

Here's my breakfast area and kitchen back when we were buying our house (but now walls are painted SW's Nantucket Dune, we have a stainless steel range, and a butcher block dining table in place of the realtor in the breakfast area):

How To Transform Foyer Light

|
Inspired by Dwellings By DeVore, that was featured on Better After, I decided to redo this light rather than buy a new one. My husband will be very happy I'm not going to buy something else for him to install too! But how should I go about this??

Light fixture with glass thingies on it:

And the foyer fixture without the glass things on it:

What about painting it a blackish color and puting a simple shade like this on it? Thoughts and suggestions greatly appreciated!

I Love My Followers

|
Dear Followers,

I am so thankful that you follow my little blog. I know I don't post often but I hope what I do post inspires you, or at least keeps you entertained from time to time! Please link to me and I'll link to you as well, or comment or something. I'd love to know what you think!

-Ames

Red Twinkies for the Bedroom

|
I tend to get delirious at late at night when I blog...hence my post titles and random ramblings. Anyways, here's my newest project (1 of the mannnnnny). My mother gave me 2 twin headboards for Easter. I immediately painted them and the room they're going in. Here's the beginning of the process, starting with the inspiration of the look:

(Top image: Decorpad.com; Bottom image: West Elm catalog - image taken with my new lil iPhone)

I love the color and design in the top image but the headboards are too heavy for me. I like the lightness of the headboards in the bottom image but my interior designer and best friend Katrina Hagensen said she'd kill me if I painted any other piece of furniture white, so I obey. By the way, I have to give her a lot of credit as she gives me the final ok and inspiration on most, if not all, of my decor ideas! I tell her the idea and she guides me thru it!

Anyways, here's how my project is going. Hope to post the room completely finished within a month! Left headboard is after, right is before:


Like all my construction!? We can't park in the garage or all the way in the driveway due all the projects taking place in the garage and because the trailer, which carried the wood that is now in the form of my new deck!! Going from 10x10 to 30x10 plus a landing to the driveway and more levels and stairs to be built is amazing. Pics and post for the new deck to come soon, but I'm too busy enjoying it and the nice Georgia spring weather!

Watch out world, I got an iPhone

|
Sorry to my few visitors, but I got an iPhone a week or so ago and I was testing out my new blogging app. Testing, testing.......1, 2, 3....................

Green With Envy

|
Love this green color and love the lamp, but I don't love all the different prints. Still very pretty though (image from Country Living):

My dining room might be this hue soooooooon!

"Projects Lately"

|
Jamie and I are going to see Chelsea Handler at the Fox this weekend.....so I'm in the Chelsea Lately mood! Anyways, here's some projects I've been working on lately...

1. We (a.k.a., Jamie and his dad) are so close to finishing the deck -- at least phase 1 of the new deck. Will explain phase 1 and phase 2 another day...but i have to stain and seal both anyways, since I haven't been able to build the darn thing!

2. I've painted the foyer, upstairs stairway and hallway, kitchen (as much as I can due to 16ish foot sloped wall/ceiling that I can't take on by myself), and I'm working on the sunken den. All spaces adjoin in some freakish way so they are all the same color, Sherwin Williams' Nantucket Dune in eggshell finish. I want to replace the old fixture in our foyer with something like this. My mom's decorator friend told me since the ceiling was lower, a flush mount would make the foyer look larger (as foyers are supposed to, I guess).





3. Still working on our powder room...since Jamie has been working so hard on the deck, I can't expect him to put in the toilet and sink in the powder room. Plus, I'm pushing for a new toilet. The old one has a crack in the, um something (uhhh, dunno), and has been sitting in my garage in a plastic bin since we removed it from the powder room around Nov. or Dec. when we installed the wood floors. Needless to say, it needs to go, especially because it's circa 1980s and my new pedestal sink that;s going in the powder room is circa a few months ago. (Can you tell I'm practicing my convincing convo with my husband??)

4. Still working on my guest bathroom.........omg. Need new lighting -- any thoughts on these?













5. Still working on my master bath. As I've posted before, I want to knock down walls and really remodel my master bath. I want to make it a whole room that's 7' x 9' instead of a separate vanity area open to our room with the world's smallest bathroom (something like 4' x 7'). But my husband has told me if I start anymore projects, he'll kill me. It's ok though -- I plan on making it look decent and then in a year, I'll start knocking down walls (hopefully Jamie doesn't read my blog, haha!

6. Planning on painting our master bedroom soon. I already bought the paint, Indulgent Mocha by Behr. 

The project list doesn't stop here though....I also want to lay tile to replace the linoleum in our kitchen (we already have the porcelain tile), put a backsplash in the kitchen, paint the kitchen cabinets, get a new stainless dishwasher and range hood, paint the dining room, and finish decorating the rest of the house. Let's not even mention what we need to do outside!


Loveseat Love

|
I love this love seat.... I can totally imagine it in my formal living room. But I'll have to keep dreaming...
(Urban Outfitters: http://tinyurl.com/yhvfnq2)

I love this tweed storage bench, also from Urban Outfitters:
(http://tinyurl.com/ygoxrye)