Back in the summer, you may recall that Rick took it upon himself to dismantle the railing and sand the stairs.  You don’t remember?  Ok, here’s a (dusty) pic…

The plan was to remove the orangey pine color we inherited with the house with a richer, darker color.  He even tried a few stains out so I could see (I was in the UK at the time):

Fast forward a few months, it was finally time to try and get something done with our rail-less, spindle-less and stainless stairs. First thing we had to do was fill in the small holes left by the wooden spindles once they were removed:

All we had to do was cut small pieces of 3/4″ dowel rod and put them into the hole with a little wood glue.  We let the glue cure for about 48 hours, then sanded the steps to a smooth finish (sorry, no pics of this part of the process.  I did take some but someone who shall renamed nameless *coughRickcough* accidentally deleted them off my computer).  Anyhoo.

Then the staining begun.  You can see from the decor we did this right before Christmas

In this photo, you can see the filled-in spindle holes on each tread…

It won’t matter that they are a little darker than the rest of the stair tread.  The new wrought-iron spindles will be drilled in close proximity to these holes and each one will be capped off with ones of these thingymebobs…

Whaddya think? I’m loving the new darker stair treads.  They still need a light sanding and a second coat of stain, followed by some polyurethane so make them nice and glossy.  We haven’t 100% decided what to do with the stair risers yet – whether to keep them white, stain them the same walnut color, or even apply a subtle tile to them. What are your favorite treatments for stair risers? Do you have any inspiration pics you can share?

We’ve been making really good progress this week on our library header.  On Monday, I posted this video showing the crucial moment we removed the supporting 2×4 beams, thus revealing our new header.  Where once there was a wall, there is now space glorious space.

What I didn’t mention in detail in the video is the steps we took to make sure that the 20 feet expanse of wall was properly supported.  We installed a double header to fully ensure the attic floor boards above (which in turn support the roof) were being held in check.  Each header was made by sandwiching 2×8′s with wafer board. Both headers were joined together using these 1/2″ x 6″ hex bolts, secured with 1/2″ washers and nuts.

One of our future renovation plans is to convert the attic space into a guest suite (bedroom + bathroom).  So we wanted to be 200% sure that both spaces would be properly supported. When we performed the “stress test”, i.e. Rick and I both vigorously jumping up and down on the attic floor, there was a slight bit of movement on the library header.  After much discussion, we decided it would be better for the long term structural safety of the library and future attic-conversion that the long 20 foot expanse was a bit more supported.  So, we installed a support post… 

Next up was sheetrocking all the wood.  It didn’t take all that long to measure and cut the sheetrock and attach it to the walls with screws (we find screws better than nails as they are less likely to pop back out and damage the sheetrock). The sheetrock was mudded, left to set for a day or so…

and then sanded.  Hehe…

No, Rick doesn’t have a psoriasis problem, nor a cocaine habit.  He is also not trying out for the part of “Ghost of Christmas Past” in the local adaption of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”.  Don’t you just love getting down and dirty.  For the sake of DIY, I mean .

Wallpaper seems to be making a come back.  The designs are graphic, bold and modern – a world away from those popular in the 80′s.  However, wallpaper can be expensive.  And, in a few years when you’re ready to change the scenery, it’s a major pain in the #&!# to remove. That’s where stencils come in.  Stencils are much easier to apply and can create just as much impact in a room as wallpaper.  Plus, when its time to redecorate, you simply paint over the design and move on.  Simple. 

If stenciled walls evoke images of tacky bathrooms and kitchen borders – think again! Stencils are hot right now.  Lots of people are using them to update their living spaces. I’ve noticed a number of stencilled decor projects popping up all over blogland, so I’d thought I’d share some of the eye candy.

Image sources:    1    |    2    |   3    |   4    |    5   |    6    |    7    |    8

Do you have a favorite? I love them all, but could see using the muted tone-on-tone stencil in the first image in our master bedroom. Could you see using one of these designs in a room in your house?

If all goes according to plan, we should have family from the UK coming to stay for the Thanksgiving holiday.   Although it’s not on our list of renovation goals for 2010, we really need to make a start at getting at least one of our spare bedrooms more visitor friendly by November. 

 Until recently, the spare bedrooms have been empty shells… well, apart from a few boxes of junk that we’ve never sorted through since our move in 2009:

A couple of weeks ago, I worked up a inspiration moodboard for this room.

It involves repainting the walls a lovely duck-egg blue color, and bringing in some sumptuous chocolate furniture, with touches of turquoise and silver and contrasting red accessories.  I also talked about having a dark bedspread, but funking it up with some graphic black and white sheets and punchy pillows.  Throw in some modern sleek lined furniture and an architectural light, and we had an initial plan for transforming this blah space.

Well, phase 1 of the bedroom makeover is currently underway. We’ve yet to paint the walls – I think this will make the biggest transformation in the room.  When I return to the States at the end of this month, the search will be on for the perfect duck-egg hue (any suggestions?). We have moved some furniture in to the room, making it decidedly less storage-room and much more bedroom.

A brand new queen sized mattress and box springs has been topped with a simple black bedding set and a few cute pillows.  The bed is flanked by two glossy nightstands (that were bought on clearance, score!).  The generic drawer handles were replaced with some funky crystal topped ones, which I think tie in nicely with the brushed nickel finish of the lamps.  The black bedding is only temporary until I can find a more exciting set like one of these.  I do like the graphic pop of the black-and-white sheets and pillow that peek from behind the more subdued cover.

Opposite the bed, an Ikea Hopen dresser (another Craigslist bargain) is topped by three mirrors found at Target, which are great for bouncing light around the room.  The dresser is actually quite large and so has plenty of space for guests to place their foldable items (the door to the left of the dresser is a small walk-in closet).

A few small red accessories have been placed on the dresser, including the very first photo taken of Rick and I when we began dating (10 years ago – eek!).

So, we’re starting to make progress transforming this room in a more liveable space.  There are many things left to do in this room: paint the walls, lay some flooring, change the bedding, bring in some artwork and figure out some cool lighting.

Eventually, I’d like to think about installing a built-in bookcase in that wall where the roof line comes down (instead of that small door).  It might also be cool to install some window seats under those two windows.  That would add a little extra storage and create a nice relaxing space for our guests to chill with a book or to look out the window at the scenery.

I am still looking for design inspiration for this room.  Do you have perfect duck-egg blue paint on your walls?  How about a great architectural light fixture?  Have you built a fab window seat? Help a girl out here and spill the beans!

This past weekend, we had a paint party at our house. Paint.  Partay.  Can I get a woop-woop? 

Meet Pawel and Alyssa:

These are our two very good friends who have helped us many times during our house renovations (like building a fence, and moving large furniture).  This weekend, they came over to help us transform our two front living rooms from brown trimmed, bland white walled-ness, to crisp white trim and yummy mocha-ness. 

On the right of the entry way, the living room started out looking like this:

To the left of the entryway, the newly-dubbed “TV room” looked like this:

The mismatched front door looked like this (thanks to our puppy, Arriba):

and the stairway looked like this – check out that funky striped wall paper!

Between the four of us, we prepped, primed and painted.  The wallpaper was scraped off.  Five window frames, two door trims, a fireplace, a closet door  and the front door transoms were primed twice. The walls and stairways received a coat of paint.  And although there is more painting to do – glossing the primed surfaces and a second coat for the walls – it really is amazing to see the transformation.

The living room now looks like this:

You’ll notice we didn’t paint all the way to the ceiling and floor - these points will eventually be covered by white crown moulding / base boards. We also didn’t paint the brown window frames seeing as the windows will *hopefully* be replaced soon (to avoid more water leaks).

I love how the mocha color makes the fireplace pop – before it just faded into the background.

In order to prep for our office makeover (details coming soon), we’ve moved our living room furniture into the  “TV room”. Although it is in a state of transition, the creamy cappuccino walls really make this space feel so much more inviting:

One of the best transformations was painting the brown-trimmed fireplace white to match the fireplace in the living room.  Once all the electronics are moved, and the newly-mudded cracks are sanded and painted, this will be a great focal point in the room.

Removing the wallpaper from the entryway and stairs also made such a big difference (all your hard work was worth it, Alyssa!)

But perhaps my favorite transformation of the day was painting the front door transom windows white to match the door.  Well, it’s been primed twice, in need of a coat of gloss paint and the painter’s tape removing, but who cares?  Just like with the fireplace, changing the brown trim to white makes the space look so much more inviting.

So, there you have it.  It’s amazing what four friends, a gallon of primer and a couple gallons of paint can do in just a day.  What amazing transformations have you done in your house?  Maybe it was some new paint, some new curtains or a great light fixture that radically rejuvenated your home?  Do tell.

Although it’s a week past Thanksgiving, I wanted to share with you our table setting for our very first holiday (and dining party) in our new house.  Plus, you get a sneak peak at the new paint in the dining room.

The table was dressed with cheap $1 mini-poinsettias from Wally World, interspersed with these cute little sparkly tree cones.  Red table placemats, silver chargers, red napkins with hammered silver napkins rings finished off the table.  Me likey. 

And what would Thanksgiving be without a dessert. Or two. How delicious does this “death-by-chocolate” trifle look? 

Our guests *coughAlyssacough* definitely seemed to like it!

Whilst I was out shopping for supplies yesterday, Rick busied himself painting the dining room (along with writing this embarrassing and surprising post). We’ve said sayonara to the cerise, goodbye to the garnet, ciao to the cherry.  This is how the dining room looked on the day we moved in:

During the painting process, it was interesting to watch the room evolve from dark and dingy to light and bright:

The walls, door and window trim have all been primed, making our dining room currently look like this:

It’s amazing how the white walls make the space feel so big. The plan is to keep the bottom half of the walls white and add a chair rail and boxes. The top half we are planning on painting a bold grey color, to contrast with the white trim and dark dining room furniture. Hopefully, the end result will look something like this inspiration pic:

I’m a little nervous about the grey color for the walls.  It’s more bold than I usually tend to go for in colors.  I’m hoping it will bring a sophisticated and modern vibe to the room.

Ever have one of those days where you seem to be working all the time and not getting anything accomplished?  That’s how it’s been here for the past few weeks. We seem to be working around the house every spare minute we get (when we’re not working for our regular jobs, both in the day time and in the evenings).  However, we still really haven’t finished many projects around the house just recently.  We’ve got several on the go.  For instance, Rick has been working in the garage, trying to organize some of the boxes of stuff we still have left over from moving.  He’s also been working hard replacing the garage door opener (and fixing the banged up garage doors), so that when Winter rolls in, we might actually be able to put the cars in the garage.  The previous owners only installed one garage opener, despite having three working doors, so eventually Rick will be installing two other openers so we can use the full extent of the three-car garage. 

Back in the house, we’ve also been working on getting a few rooms finished.  When Rick first installed the dining room chandelier, it was obvious that it needed lowering over the dining room table.  The light didn’t come with any extension rods, so we’ve been coming up with some creative ways to lower that sucker (more details coming soon).  I’ve also been playing around with paint ideas for changing the Gothic red to something more airy and contemporary.  The wall going into the kitchen (opposite our one replaced window) is currently decorated with about 7 different color patches as we try several different looks for the room.

We’re still working on hanging the header in our upstairs bedroom-turned-library.  The header is up, but we still need to make a few adjustments to some supports before we remove the middle studs.  And lastly, we’re thisclose to finishing (and revealing) our downstairs bathroom makeover.  All that’s left is a few finishing touches – some caulking, some crown moulding, hanging some pictures and so forth.

Maybe it would be easier to focus in one project, rather than tackle several at one time.  I keep telling myself that we are saving time by multi-tasking – every time we go to the DIY store, we can get items for several projects rather than make many trips for individual projects.  That’s the theory anyway.  Do you guys multitask and work on several projects at once, or do you prefer to work on one thing at a time?  Do tell.

I have a good feeling that we will get at least one these projects finished this week.  Stay tuned for details!

We’ve been trying to make the most out of renting the scaffolding, and so have been completing a few other vertically-challenging jobs around the house.  Rick has been busy painting the ceiling and the right wall on the second level. I’ve been painting the remaining walls that don’t need to be accessed via the scaffold. We chose a neutral color to make the white trim upstairs pop, but not too saturated a color that the entry looks crazy, dark or ominous.  We’ve also got a mirror project planned – details will be revealed soon…

I don’t know how he manages to do it, but Rick has broken yet another of the extendable paint poles (along with no less than 3 broom handles – all that raw manly aggression, I guess).  Rather than get another cheapo pole, we upgraded to the more expensive fancy-schmancy model – you know, the ones that work like a Star Wars light sabre (may the paint be with you). Hopefully, the construction will be a little better on the more expensive pole and Rick won’t break it (too soon).

Once we’ve finished painting in the foyer, we’re planning on moving the scaffolding into the master bedroom. The 15ft vaulted ceiling  will need to be painted, along with the higher parts of the walls.  We’re also going to be replacing the existing ceiling fan – not only to get rid of the dubious 80′s gold finish, but to feel more secure that we won’t be decapitated in the night by the wonky and misaligned fan blades. Will post pics of the new fan soon… Watch this space.

Foyer paint 

Foyer paint

How cool is this?  Benjamin Moore have launched a new iPhone app called Color Capture. The app  lets you take a photo of anything you’re around, and then shows the closest matching colors in the Benjamin Moore catalog — there are over 3,300, so it should be easy to get a pretty dead-on match.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But wait! The coolness does not end there! Shake the phone when your matches come up, and it’ll give you coordinating colors for your new palette, and once you’re convinced these are your home’s new hue, it’ll use the phone’s GPS to find the nearest retailers with the Moore paint.  How’s that for decorating on the go?