Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Front Door Makeover

Good morning all !

I'm in the process of giving the front porch a makeover - and it all started with the door.
It's the first room people see when they step inside and it looked awful - seriously embarrassing - peeling walls - the window frames are the tiniest flimsiest ones I've ever seen ( we didn't even need a crowbar to remove them - a little flick of a screwdriver and down they fell ) 

I started with the front door.
The interior of the front door actually because the exterior may be going red.



It's a nice front door - but it's seen better days now - someone must have shellacked it back in the day because it was peeling off in long strips - and was very shiny
It's newer to the house................I'm guessing probably the 80's or 90's - but the stain was a reddish color
( not the orange from the 70's but a close runner up ) 


Even John didn't like it - wood lover that he is ( John Wood is his name - loving wood is his game )
But to be honest had I had the energy it would have required I would have sanded it all down and stained it a brown that I actually liked - but I simply don't have that kind of energy lately.................


The color is more in keeping with the interior of the house ( greys and whites )
And the stained glass shows up more now that it's painted - it kind of all blended in before

and for some reason that I can't quite understand - even the molding/panelling seems to be more pronounced now


And now can I share that every single room we step into to redo is like a nightmare from hell?
Which is why I don't have much energy left a year and a half later?
Well those that follow know that - but it's disheartening that nothing goes easy here - so an easy fix like the door is such a welcome project !


In the late afternoon the stained glass stands out even more


Want to see the damage on the walls?




And that's because there was never any heating installed in this front porch..................why anyone would install drywall and not add heating - here in Montreal -  is beyond anything I can figure out - we're lucky we didn't have ice on the walls  ( it was that cold )
I think they had it done just before they sold the house - so that it would look in decent shape -
Anyway time to fix it all and install heating................and change the windows in the fall for that matter.

I've also started painting out the wood trim - this house was decked out like a ski lodge - and when I say wood trim I say it very lightly - it's mostly that cheap panelling that was so common in the 60's ...........
They covered absolutely everything in it ...................
Except the toilets - bathtubs and sinks.



I ordered the foam from Amazon - and have been cutting it down to size to fit on the built in storage benches
( which I LOVE having ) the benches are going the same grey as the door - everything else is going WHITE
WHITE WHITE WHITE WHITE WHITE !
I'm going to turn this Apres - Ski house into a cottage if it kills me !!!

And that's what I'll be doing this week :)
If I don't post again it's because it actually did kill me


Have a wonderful day !!!
I think I'll spend a couple of hours in the pool before I tackle this room again :)

( I used Behr Porch and Patio paint - in a satin finish ( because I've used it on floors and it's held up incredibly well )


Hugs,
Me,



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FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE                          MY TURN FOR US
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Saturday, July 4, 2015

ALL IN THE FAMILY ( a tale of 2 changing tables )


DRESSER TO CHANGING TABLE

A long - long time ago ( when the earth was green ) 
There was the prettiest bedroom set that you've ever seen....................

But that really was a long time ago - ( I'm trying to remember back to the exact year but I'm thinking maybe 43 years ago - this bedroom set belonged to my nephew John and then his sister - my niece, Joie.
This is the only pic I have of the before - that my daughter sent me from her Dad's.

Lindsay says - Do you think this set would work for Evan, Mom?
Mom says - No - not at all - it's far too feminine Lindsay 
Lindsay says - Well Dad's going to put it on the curbside - why don't you take it - fix it up and sell it?
Mom says - I have too many things - I'm drowning - I can't take it.

But you know - this piece has memories of the sweetest little girl - and I couldn't - I just couldn't let it be put out in the trash.


and so I told them I'd take it ......................
It's a high end piece - the company is no longer in business because people have just stopped spending that type of money on furniture - so not only is it sturdy and still in incredible shape - it's now irreplaceable as well.

In the meantime I found this on line that I would redo for Evan.


Fast forward a little and the bedroom set arrived at my door - in perfect condition EXCEPT it had been left outside in the pouring rain - one on top of the other and the tops had become very damaged.


 John sanded the tops down and in no time at all THEY CAME OUT LIKE THIS !!!


That's what quality furniture will get you :)
I've never had such an effortless ( well this was completely effortless for me because John did the sanding )
result from sanding down the top of a dresser !

And a thought was born....................if I stained the top dark


And painted it grey - using ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT ™ - Graphite and Pure White mixed to make a custom color - which is just a little deeper than Paris Grey actually ) and spray painted the gold handles in pewter -  then maybe - just maybe it wouldn't look too feminine at all !



GIRLS DRESSER TO BOYS WITH PAINT


And that's how Evan - before he's even made his entry into the world - ended up with 2 changing tables.
We ( in our infinite wisdom ) have decided that this one will go upstairs in his room - and the second one I found will stay downstairs so that Ashley doesn't have to run up and down all day.

( I changed my kids diaper's on my bed - their crib - the couch - the floor - the bathroom counter - wherever there was a flat surface - I never even thought to have a special designated place to do such a thing - but that was then and this is now I suppose - oh the hardships I endured LOL !!! )


Sadly there's no room for the desk in his room .....................but at the end of the day the dresser has stayed in the family - and that kind of makes it priceless in my eyes :)

Have a wonderful day everyone !
Hugs,
Me - Lolli - AKA


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KEEPING IT SIMPLE