Master Bathroom

 

It has been awhile since we actually finished the

upstairs bath.  But, I never posted

any of the pictures.  It took a long time

to finish and was actually a part of

the upstairs new addition.

This is what the bath used to look like.

 

 

It was cute but also

 really, really tiny!!

 

 

The shower was like a cruise ship shower.

It leaked around the bottom of the door.

The floor was old vinyl and pretty banged up.

 

The new addition added twice the space to the bath

but we had to lose the window.

This is the subway tile for the tub/shower and

bead board for the walls.

Mike added a nice ledge around the top

of the bead board, he also did all the tile work.

 

 

Grey stone for the floor.

 

 

The upper wall is a caramel color.

The contractor made the cabinetry, he

did a wonderful job.

 

 

 

 

 

The perfume bottle cabinet.

 

 

 

Old shelf over the toilet.

 

 

Hope you like the bath. 

Mike did a wonderful job taking

an empty room and turning it into

something really special.

People keep asking me

if  I rent him out :)

 

Have a great week.  Valerie

 

 

A Little More Bling for the Stairway Foyer

 

 

This was my inspiration,

 a three thousand dollar chandelier I saw in a magazine. 

Can't afford that!!  I would have to get a job for Mike.

 

 So I checked out our local junk store " Hokey Gees"

 and found an old 1970's chandelier with tons of crystals on it.

Wished I had taken a "before" picture but it was as big on the top

as below the "crown" part.  An ugly rusted gold color.

The picture below is after we took the top piece off.

 

 

We took it all apart and sprayed it with primer.

 

 

It had so many parts I had to take pictures to remember

where everything went.

 

 

Mike remembered we had a crystal piece left over

from another light fixture so we added that.

 

 

Then I went to work painting it to try and

match the inspiration piece.

 

 

Also painted a medallion for the ceiling.

 

Put back on all the crystals.....that took

forever......and this is our

version of the chandelier.

 

Sorry, I haven't posted in a while.  Too busy

travelling and enjoying Bedford.

 

Valerie 

 

 

 

Living room Sconces

 

Since we have had so many snow storms lately, a lot has been

going on on the inside of the house.

One of the best things about the living room fireplace is that

the mantle is wired for electricity.  I have always wanted

electrified sconces but most new homes don't put in

outlets for them.  We found two old sconces at

an antique store..... they were really old

and really dirty.  I think the style is called Art Deco

from the 1920's.

 

 

 

Pretty grimy. Old wiring.

 

 

Mike had to run the electrical wiring from the outlets

up the wall.  Then dry wall over the wires

 and then paint.

 

 

I cleaned up the sconces and put the first coat of

paint on.....a camel color.

 

 

 

Then I dry brushed a cream colored paint over

  the camel color. Next, dry brushed silver

over the

 raised places and the edges.

 

 

The fun part was making the candle cover.

I had seen on another blog how to make

a "drippy" looking candle cover using a

hot glue gun.  So I heated up the trusty

glue gun and dripped glue around and down

the sides of the cover.  I wasn't sure how the

glue was going to take paint but it did.

The paint stick like "glue." :)   I painted

the cover with the camel colored paint and

dry brushed the cream.  I was amazed how great

it looked. 

 

 

Next came the crystals (Mike had drilled very small

holes in the sconces.)

 

 

I am really pleased how great the sconces look and

had such fun with this crafty project.

 

Aren't you glad spring is finally here.

I am.

 

Valerie

 

 

A Little Glamour for the Staircase

 

Last month Mike and I went out to lunch in Somersett, Pa.

The restaurant was in an old mansion high on a hill. 

A coal baron had built it around the turn of the last century.

It had so many wonderful moldings and wood details.

One was this molding right below

each stair tread.  Isn't it spectacular?!!

 

 

 

Mike thought something like it would

look great on our stairway.  This is the way

it used to look. 

 

 

A closer look.

  

 

Mike was able to buy these wood details

on-line from an architectural company.

He nailed and glued them to each step.

Then a little paint.

 

 

Didn't it come out great!!

 

 

Now there's a little glamour for a nice stair case.

 

Sun is finally out here,  Hope it is sunny where you are!!

 

Valerie

 

Spring in Pennsylvania?

Can't believe that this week is the beginning of spring. 

This is what it looked like at my house.

Winter just doesn't want to let go.

It was a beautiful snow though. 

Very heavy and hung to the

tree branches.  Lovely.

But I am ready for daffodils!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Perfume Bottle Cabinet

One of Mike's latest handy works is this beautiful cabinet

 in our new master bathroom.

  We had bought an old china cabinet a while back. 

 I used the base for another project in our foyer.  So for

awhile we stored the top in the basement.  When we finished

the upstairs master bath we had this huge wall with nothing

to put on it.  I have a lot of antique perfume bottles that my

mother-in-law has given me for birthdays and Christmas's over the years

so the cabinet was just the right place for them. 

 

 

This is what it used to look like.  The color of cherry wood,

a bit scuffed up......it had seen better days.

 

 

It was too deep so Mike cut off about two thirds of the depth. 

Then he had to notch out the lower part of it so it would

 fit over the bead board part of the wall.

Next he put on some trim to hide the cut edges.

 

 

He painted the cabinet black to match the vanity cabinetry

 and added a pretty crystal knob for the door.

 

 

I put in the antique perfume bottles and added old

 family photos in silver frames. 

It is really a beautiful and unique piece in the bathroom

 

 

This is a picture of the bottom of the cabinet which is in the downstairs foyer.

 

Hope your week is going well.  We are waiting

for a big snow storm.  So I guess,

we will be spending tomorrow in the house.

 

Valerie

 

Laundry Room

The laundry room is finally finished. 

 It has been a long, stop and start project. 

 It actually is a very small

(tiny, tiny) upstairs bedroom full of angles

and a slanted ceiling.  No closet, only an under

the eaves cubby and a couple of built in drawers.

The laundry room was actually in the basement but right

after we got the house I was dragging some sheets

down the staircase and took a tumble.  So we came up with

the idea of putting the laundry upstairs. 

And it has worked out great.  This what the room used to look like.

 

 

The plumber had to come in and put in pipes and drain.

Mike painted the room blue and white then

 put in lower kitchen cabinets and a counter top.

 

 

 

 

I made the curtain,

 

 

out of this fabric.

 

 

Added some "old things."

 

 

Made a laundry bag.

 

 

Mike added overhead spot lights.

 

 

I keep all my scrapbooking supplies in the cabinets.

And use the counter to work on projects.

 

 

 

At the other end of the room is our old

Hoosier cabinet.  This picture also gives you a good idea of what

a head banger the slanted ceiling used to be.

 

 

I still have a few decorator projects left to do, such

as paint the under the counter stool and I want to put another

old shelf above the washer and drawer.  Will show you

those projects after they are completed.

Have a great week.  We are supposed to get snow.

Valerie

Valentine Wishes

 

 

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

I did a little decorating in my dining room.  I had to hunt and hunt

in my basement for the valentine box but

finally found it.

(That basement is a real adventure!!)

 

 

My mother-in-law gave me this beautiful crystal bowl.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who sent Valentine cards.

They certainly looked nice scattered around the room.

 

 

 

 

Hope you had a nice Valentine's Day.  Mike and I went

out to dinner and then to a play in Altoona, Pa. 

The play needed a little more rehearsal (actually several

people left in the middle) but it was still funny

and we enjoyed it.

 

Valerie