We really worked hard at some big and little projects in 2008, and I'm inspired to share with you because of Southern Hospitality's Mr. Linky party.
I am hoping that we didn't practice aversion therapy with all these projects — you know, when you expose yourself so much to an activity that later you can never abide it again. I sort of do quail at the sight of a paintbrush…and there is so much left to do! When will we ever get back to quilting? Sewing? Other quiet, sedentary activities? When?
Never mind, let's take a look. Some of these things you haven't seen yet. It's amazingly hard to take a picture of a floor lamp, by the way. It's a little skinny thing that gets swallowed up by what's around it. Nevertheless, here is a “before” of a lamp I literally got for free on the side of the road one day:
I will tell you about the one in the foreground another time. Focus on this.
In this close-up you can see the terrible cardboard thingy that pops over the other cardboard thingy. I couldn't find replacement thingies at Home Depot, so I opted to simply spray-paint these.
I had to get an adapter for the globe bulb, because the original is oversized. I got those shades at Home Depot. It actually took two trips to get the right bulbs and what have you for this, but I had other things to get as well, so it's okay. This one sits next to the reading chair in our bedroom, and I'm quite pleased!
As we did the kitchen, I realized that it would be a good thing to have a little mirror for those quick checks as you go out the door. I really wanted one with a red frame. For one solitary American dollar, I found this at a yard sale, and by the way mirrors are also hard to photograph:
I taped paper on the glass so I could spray. And voila:
Just as an aside, do you love this darling painting I got from my mother-in-law? Here is a before picture of another mirror (AND the “before” porch and siding, ugh — don't even remind me. For the biggest before and after, you will have to go here). This mirror had been in the garage for a long time. It is super heavy. I ripped off the sort of rotting wooden backing and it was still heavy. Turns out it's the glass itself that weighs so much! Which is why it probably will just sit on my dresser, rather than being hung on the wall…
Now, another item from Grandma's (her house was being sold and all items, collected over 58 years and more, had to go!) was this little table or plant stand.
I knew I had the perfect spot for it:
When not in use holding tea for a friend and me by the fireside, this little helper sits quietly off to the side, minding its manners.
Which brings us to the kitchen.
Some of these redos are probably all too familiar to you if you follow this little blog. But it's OUR blog, so we can show you eighty-twelve pictures of the kitchen if we want to. And you know we will!
I can't go over every little thing here — there's so much! You can click on “kitchen” in the sidebar to see it all. But some things I haven't dwelt on yet:
The old fireplace:
By the way, that brass fender is now in the dining room. It was all I had there to keep the eye away from the obvious.
And the new:
Those tiles are a perfect example of “use what you have.” When I realized I needed another four inches of noncombustible material beyond the hearth, and thought of tiles, my mother offered these Mexican tiles she had come across. After much research and tile shopping, I was confirmed in knowing that these were what I really loved, and that they would look perfect here.
Remember the floor? How embarrassing:And when I thought I had dug a deep hole, so to speak — removing the linoleum but not knowing what should be done with the result:
And in progress:
And now, done!
By the way, all my appliances come from the Sears outlet (commonly known as the dent-and-scratch). If you have access to one, I highly recommend buying appliances this way. They are a third of the cost of new, and are still under warranty.
And say, do you wonder what happened to those hydrangeas I collected this fall? They go pretty well here in my bedroom, I'd say, even though I had to take this basket out of my pantry to be able to use it in this fairly non-utilitarian way…
Rhoda @ Southern Hos says
Hi, Leila, my you have been busy in 2008! What a lot of fun painting projects & just general sprucing up of things. I have a similar floor lamp that I refurbished for one of my guestrooms, similar base. Looks like you like old cast-offs as much as I do! COme back & see me again.
the pleasures of hom says
You were really busy last year! I enjoyed seeing your projects.Manuela
Laura Ingalls Gunn says
Wow~amazing transformations! Thunderous applause coming from Phoenix. Well done.
Leigh says
Looks great! I invite you to drop by my place and see my before and after's.
Lamp Tramp says
Love all your projects. I'm such a hydrangea fan alas have not cut mine in time to dry them like you did. They're so beautiful!
Rechelle says
Wow! Those projects are all beautiful!
Freckled Hen says
Amazing! I love your creativity. When I clicked on the biggest makeover link, your house took my breath away. It's beautiful! Do you live in Worcester? I grew up in Pomfret CT–not too far away. Have a great day–and thanks for being so nice! Kate
Leila says
Hi Kate!We live north of Worcester…we are so blessed to have this big old house that is making my head ache with all the things that need to be done!If only we had started sooner, when our "workers" (kids!) were still here! 🙂
Lawler Family Stalke says
These are so fun! I quiver to think that I might have a legitimate excuse to be crafty some day- I love going to yard sales and rummaging. My only saving grace is that I currently don't have anywhere to store things! But matching and painting- it looks like fun!
jenjen says
You really did do some big projects! The big and small ones all turned out beautifully! Thanks for letting me drop by!Jen