Trying Out An Electronic Lock
Do you have an electronic lock on any of the doors in your home? If so, do you have strong feelings about it, either good or bad? We just got our first electronic lock, and I must admit, it’s kind of handy! The first thing anyone in the real estate field will tell you to do when you buy a new house is to change the locks! You don’t know how many keys for your house are floating around out there and who is in possession of them. Sound advice, don’t you think? Do we heed sound advice? Of course! Except in one peculiar instance. I shouldn’t even mention this…
Under the Stairs Closet Shelves
We now have under-the-stairs closet shelves, and I’m pretty darn happy about it. I’m also happy about “Clean Sheet Day,” a fresh jar of peanut butter, and no-show socks that don’t slip off my heel. I guess I’m an adult now. We have an under-the-stairs closet in our music room. When we moved into the Colonial Farmhouse, I found three fur coats hanging in this closet. So fancy…if moth hole chic is your sort of thing. That area looked like this when we moved in: Sorry. I forgot to warn you that picture was going to be a little harsh on the eyes. As a reminder, that wasn’t our stuff.…
How to Remove a Dog Door From a Wood Door and Repair the Damage
Do you want to know how to remove a dog door from a wood door and then repair the damage to that door? Oh, good! You’re in the right spot. I need to caution you. This is not a beginner woodworking project, but it is totally doable with patience and the right tools. We had a solid wood door that we deemed was worth the effort to remove the dog door and repair the hole that had been cut into the door to make way for the dog door. Here are the steps we took to return this door to its (almost) original glory. Step #1: Unscrew the dog door…
Restored Arched Mirror
Months and months ago I found an arched mirror at the thrift store for five dollars. It was a 3-foot tall wood mirror with a gorgeous shape, so even if the mirror itself was a little wobbly in the frame, five bucks was a steal! The mirror had been painted an off-white color and painted well, I might add. I find it ironic that the ugliest paint jobs are always the hardest to remove. Why is that? Due to the intricate detail on the frame of this arched mirror, my only choice was to either paint over the bad paint job or strip the paint. I chose to strip the…
Vintage Milk Can Side Table
There is nothing I won’t rescue and repurpose for our home. Well, maybe I should throw a caveat in front of that declarative statement. There is almost nothing I won’t rescue and repurpose for our home. Take this rusted out milk can, which I ultimately turned into a vintage milk can side table. It was sitting in our yard when we bought the Colonial Farmhouse. If the big hole near its base is any indication, I think it is safe to say the milk can had been sitting there for awhile. A good long while. It was just waiting to be noticed while it weathered the elements. “Hey, guys! Guys?…
Over-the-Door Basketball Hoop with Wood Backboard
I love my kids. I don’t love all the kid stuff. It is rarely aesthetically pleasing, but I can fix that – this one time. My son has an over-the-door basketball hoop that is fun to use, but not super easy on the eyes. For the record, I have no one but myself to blame for this eyesore. I’m the one who purchased the over-the-door basketball hoop for him. The things we do for our kids. Here’s how we took an over-the-door basketball hoop and gave it the full court press a makeover with a wood backboard. It’s a total SLAM DUNK! Here is the step-by-step tutorial. Wood Backboard Step 1:…
Modern Live Edge Side Table – Target Hack
This story of how I created a modern live edge side table has the perfect old meets new plot line. Get ready to feel a flutter deep down in your sentimental soul. This story starts a long time ago in a land not so far away. A huge tree used to stand tall and proud about ten steps away from the front of our house. The diameter at the base of this tree was over 6-feet wide. Had this tree stood sentry over our house for one hundred years? Maybe more? Was it here before cars were mainstream and the county road was paved? I don’t know. I was told…
6 Month Progress on the Colonial Farmhouse
It’s time for a 6 month progress report on the Colonial Farmhouse. Sure, we’ve lived here longer than six months. 8 1/2 months, actually, but who’s counting? Let’s not get bogged down in the timing. The truth of the matter is I didn’t think about writing a 6 month progress report until now. While this progress report is almost three months late, I’m only sharing progress that was finished within our first six months of living here because that makes it better. Buckle up blog friends because it turns out we’ve made more progress on this Colonial Farmhouse than I thought! KITCHEN: June 2019 Ah, ambience. Just makes you want…
Cabinet Door Utensil Caddy
I swear it is the simple things in life, isn’t it? One of my favorite things you can’t even see in our “let’s make this kitchen less soul shriveling” makeover is the cabinet door utensil caddy that holds our cooking utensils. I don’t know why we’ve never incorporated something like this into any of our other kitchens because I can think of at least three where it would have worked. I may be slow to join the party, but at least I showed up. That’s a metaphorical party, by the way. My inner introvert is busy for the next million years if there’s an actual party. During our kitchen mini…
Back Staircase Before and After
Our Colonial Farmhouse has a front staircase and a back staircase. The front staircase has gorgeous trim work and is located in the center of our home. The stairs made an appearance in my music room post. Then there is the back staircase. Oh, the back staircase. These stairs are tucked away in a far corner of our home and are a shortcut from the kitchen up to the bedrooms. When we bought the Colonial Farmhouse the back staircase was steep, narrow and ugly. The stairs weren’t inherently ugly. It was more bad bridesmaid dress kind of ugly. However, I saw the potential in those stairs. If fact, it was…
