PAULA'S KITCHEN REMODEL - THE BEFORE

AND SOME AFTER…..

Please excuse the metaphor, but we just gave birth to a beautiful, brand spankin new kitchen. And boy are we proud..and exhausted. I was so over the plastic drop cloths on the furniture, layers of construction dust and tripping over tools I was pushing for a finish date of Thanksgiving. It's 95% complete and the last few days we find ourselves just staring in amazement at the results of our many months of DIY hard labor. We've been taking a boatload of photos, grinning ear to ear and rubbing our sore muscles.

There were many times I wondered if this would ever become a reality. I have shared a little along the way about this fixer-upper we purchased three and a half years ago. We spent the first couple years mostly repairing and dealing with the more serious issues. Lots of scrubbing, painting, tearing out and replacing HERE and HERE and much more I haven't shared. But the kitchen was by far the biggest eyesore. The previous owners slapped lots of lipstick on this pig to no avail. And lest you think I exaggerate; here's what happens when the seller slaps latex paint over oil. Looks okay until you wash it and the paint rolls off. 

The wood cabinets and pretty much every other surface was also painted using latex paint with the same results, but with the added touch of dog and human hair mixed in. I'm sparing you those images. You're welcome.

The counters and floors had ugly beige/brown 70's tile with dark, thick grout that looked dirty no matter how much bleach was used: 

tile changes between kitchen and breakfast room

chips in tile

Not grossed out yet? No problem. Take a gander under the drop-in cooktop. We had to take it apart and fix some burners just to use it. 

cooktop grime

Same with all the appliances. The refrigerator melted the ice and froze the fruits and veggies. The oven door was so filthy it didn't even shut. The sink had never been caulked and sealed, so when we turned the disposal on the sink shook violently. Some of the kitchen knobs were stuck onto the drawers only by the paint, no screws, so they came off in your hand. 

inside drawers

The kitchen drawers; I promise that is as clean as I could get them. By now you get the idea. As an interior designer who loves to entertain I dreamt of a remodel. I planned, researched, saved my pennies and collected ideas on my Pinterest Board, just waiting for the day we could pull it off.  

        WELL...WE PULLED IT OFF

Lighting isn't the best and I took these with my cell phone. I'll be sharing much more in upcoming posts, as I share what materials I selected and some DIY's. But I was just so excited to finally show you what McGyver and I have been up to. We were literally putting finishing touches Thanksgiving Day and had guests for dinner. A huge accomplishment and it felt so good and rewarding.

LIVING ROOM IS LIVABLE

While these are in no way Before and After photos, I took a few pics of the progress on the ole fixer-upper/ humble abode.  After we moved to San Diego I came across an antique french chair and sofa at a consignment store.  Before photos here.   I painted them a fresh white and had them reupholstered.  Just got the sofa back and I'm in love!!!!  I placed it right in front of the new floor to ceiling built-in bookshelves my MacGyver made from Ikea Billy bookcases (and some chewing gum and a couple coat hangers...you know how he is)!

I found that adorable orange side table at HomeGoods for less than $100.   I had a death grip on that puppy.

 Here's my two newest paintings.  The large one is called Spring Rain and the the smaller one on the bookshelf is from my last post.  It just hit me that my last two paintings are about rain; something I rarely see these days.  Hmmm?  On another note, do you say bookshelves or bookcases?  I flip back and forth.

Now it's time to make the pillows.  But no surprise that I've got three big projects going on so it'll be awhile before I am done.  Got my stack of potential fabrics and the start to this quiltie pillow.

So there you have it; another peek into a corner of my world.  Thanks for stopping by.  And as we said in Nashville, "Ya'll come back now, ya hear?"

STAIRWELL BEFORE + AFTER

We have had house guests almost solid since Christmas Day.  So much so that the people in my art class are convinced we are really running a Bed and Breakfast here.  One set of house guests left last Thursday and the next guests arrive this Thursday.  Instead of relaxing this past weekend we tackled a project that has made such a huge difference I thought you might enjoy the results.   

We bought this two-story with an ODD landing on the stairs.  It's something like a plant shelf, but it's a whopping 34" deep by 7 feet long of useless space.   One of the neighbors has a full size carousel horse sitting on hers, it's that spacious!  I prefer function, especially when space and storage are at a premium.  That ledge is too high up to store things and the deep inset on the bottom half is actually a nonfunctioning area on the exterior of the house.  Unable to change the construction (remember HOA?)  I just needed to at least not hate it so much.  I am still not sure what I will put up there...maybe a mattress and dresser for my new Bed and Breakfast.  This is a photo taken before we moved in that clearly looks like one of those typical sad "before" photos.   It's all I could find that showed the $19.99 original light fixture.  Besides, when I told Mini Mcgyver my thoughts he had the ladder out in 2.2, more excited than I was to make the change.

LANDING AFTER

I found a new chandelier that is perfect for a stairwell as it doesn't have glass to keep clean, plus it's easier to dust and change the bulbs.  I think it was from Lowes; but maybe Home Depot.  I'll keep my eyes open for some tall vases in my colors and a variety of shapes and sizes.  Maybe I'll take up sculpturing because I know I'd have a place to display my work.  Wait; maybe even a mattress and dresser for my new Bed and Breakfast.  

Things were very "masgusting" when we took possession (my grandsons baby word that I never want to forget).  We were forced to pull up the carpet on the first floor and stairs when we discovered the previous owners furniture covered many of these stains and after a couple cleanings this is what it looked like.  I know I'm grossing you out but you can imagine how embarrassed I was to let anyone in the door or live like this.  We decided to remove the old tile in the entry and the process was quite messy but I like even flow throughout.

MASGUSTING CARPET

TEARING OUT THE TILE

Everything has a fresh coat of paint, new woodwork and trim.  What remains is how I will finish the handrails and newel posts; probably paint them black with white balusters like I did in our last house.  My dream would be to switch out the wood balusters for wrought iron, but that might be way down the remodeling road.  Right now I'm dreading stripping all the heavily slathered latex paint, but already stripped the newels and love the feel of my hands not sticking anymore. 
   

Here is the entry looking from the stairs, the hallway to the garage and another good after photo of the after.  I used leftover Flor carpet tiles to make custom rugs.  The painting in the entry is something I started and just hung it up unfinished until I can get back to it.  There's a sneak peak of the bookcases that will be another reveal.  My brilliant ideas combined with Tim's construction abilities, elbow grease and enthusiasm have proved once again that we are still a dynamic duo.  While I am keenly aware of resale I'm not concerned at all about the bold stripes since the whole area would take less than a quart of paint to change.  If by any chance you are holding back from going bold on a feature wall let me assure you this is the safest, least expensive move to make.  Tell me your thoughts. 

JANUARY 12 in TWELVE TUTORIAL

This last year sure has been a real doozy on my end.  It kinda feels like I was broadsided by a freight train and next thing I knew I was dropped off on the other side of the country.  By Thanksgiving I simply ran out of steam.  I kept getting sick so I made a tough decision to step back and get through the holidays without all the usual deadlines looming over me.  

Alas; new year, new beginning, new projects!  I'm not only back but I come with 12 awesome tutorials for you in 2012.  One project for each month.   
  

Before we get started I know you know that it is already February so I'm late right out of the gate.  Since moving I am having some crashing issues with Photoshop and Illustrator, seriously limiting my productivity.  Trust me, I was working on this in January.  

As you know, we own another fixer upper so I don't need to go far to find projects.  Every room needs a face lift, and as an interior designer I look forward to sharing creative ways to get that high-end look on an affordable budget.  

I was over-the-top excited that Jennifer, Joe and the kids were coming here for Christmas.  I decided to do a quick and inexpensive makeover in time for Christmas dinner.  As you have already learned from my past Before and Afters, my husband starts tearing out while I'm still making the To Do List.  This was no exception and before I found the camera those sconces were in the trash.  I found this Before image taken prior to possession.  

STRIPED WINDOW TREATMENTS

BEFORE 

Notice the $4.99 sconces on either side of the windows?  Take a closer look here.

BAD REPAIR JOB

We remain baffled as to why anyone needed to move those beauties down 5".  Repositioning the junction box and fixtures was definitely a DIY job gone wrong.   I decided to cover the whole bad mess with horizontal striped window treatments and a fresh coat of paint.  

AFTER

The idea for these came about while I was wandering around Ikea with this wonderful $19.99 throw under my arm, which is maybe my best find from Ikea so far. 

I noticed these Ritva curtain panels for $34.99 a pair.  They are heavy cotton but look like linen and they come in various colors.  I placed the white, which is more like a creamy white next to the yummy gray and instantly witnessed a marriage made in heaven.  So I bought one pair of each.  These are not lined but that didn't matter to me since they were hanging against the wall.  

The other plus with ready made curtains is that they are finished at the top.  These have hidden loops on the back to slide a rod through.   I must admit that I have never purchased ready made curtains, but since I snatched these I have noticed some incredible bargains out there.  Look around at Marshall's, Target, Pier One, World Market, etc. and I bet you can make these for less than my $70 find.

MATERIALS LIST:

2 pairs of curtains in different colors
Measuring tape
Straight edge ruler or yard stick
Scissors
Sewing machine
2 colors of thread to coordinate with curtains
Seam ripper

So here is the process used to measure and cut the stripes.  First, determine the desired finished length.  Mine was 94 1/2".  I wanted seven stripes so 94 1/2" divided by 7 is 13 1/2" per stripe once they are all sewn together.  I made this chart as my guide and I suggest you do the same for your curtains. 

NOTE: Because the very top panel is already sewn and finished you only need one 1/2" seam for the bottom of this stripe.   The last stripe at the bottom will be much longer to include the hem.

I suggest using a seam ripper to undo the side hems before cutting the stripes.  I didn't do that, but instead, I undid each seam as needed and just wonder if that took longer.  Hmm.  Then cut the alternating color stripes.  Straight cuts are a must.  Starting at the top, pin the first two stripes, right sides together.  Sew a 1/2" seam.  Wait until after all the stripes are sewn together before pressing seams open and doing this cool finishing touch (below).  It makes all the difference in giving your curtains a great finishing touch.

PRESS and FINISH

Once all the stripes are sewn together press each seam open.  Then fold and press each long side of the seams under 1/4".
   
Sew both sides with the coordinating threads.  Then refold the side hems.  Sew and press.   

BACK OF FABRIC

I found short metal curtain rods at Lowe's.  They were cheaper than one's at Target; about $10 each and included the hardware for hanging.  The Ikea curtains came with double sided iron-on adhesive for the hem, but machine or hand sewn hems are fine.  

I love the way these turned out.  They look custom.  Wait.  They ARE!  And there is plenty of leftover fabric that will probably pop up in future tutorials.  

Hey, let me know what you think.  

BEFORE + AFTER: MASTER BATH

 I realized that I never shared the BEFORE + AFTER from our Master Bath makeover.  Could I get you to trust me that it was very similar to the before guest bath here?   I explained in that post why there are no pics of this one.  Trust me....never use the word "demo" lightly around my husband unless you are ready to roll.  He has no problem working around make-up or anything else left out.  Here's the updated version.

We did this job on a budget, but you'd never know it.  Found 2 cabinets on an endcap at Lowe's marked way down.  We bucked them up to each other and they became one large base. The countertop is honed cultured marble we custom ordered from Home Depot.  The hinged mirrors and window blind were from Lowe's and the faucet's and lights were from Menard's.  Glass knobs from Anthropologie. Then what really pulled it together was the backsplash...again, from Lowe's.  Please tell me they have Lowe's in San Diego!!!  We just played around with the different Carrara marble options and Tim did the installation.  We did have to rent a tile cutter to make the corners and ends work.  Walls are painted a soft grey that picks up the veins in the marble.   What a difference!  The new owners love it and that makes me happy.  I'm apparently a Love It and Leave It kinda gal. 

I took all the photos for the sale of the house, but took most of them after the Open House and since the house sold immediately they never got used.  So I figure I can share a couple of them with you.  I previously showed you the BEFORE + AFTER of my design studio here and my kitchen here and dispersed other completed projects here and there.  How about I add some SHOW + TELL of a couple more areas?  I don't have time to dig through old photos to find any befores (aren't digital cameras the best?)  Just think country blues, mauves, dark wood trim, paneling and LOTS of primitive country wallpaper with duck borders in almost every room applied without sizing on bare drywall.  Here goes:

But alas, most of the rooms are now housing stacked boxes and  I am actually giving myself  permission to get excited about my next fixer upper.  You know, I take huge satisfaction from turning a blank slate into a home infused with  personality.   I did that for a living for years and I'm realizing it still runs through my veins.  Hmm.

Hey, don't forget about the giveaway going on in the last post.  Just leave a message and I'd still appreciate anything I should know about San Diego...great shops, restaurants, art, french cottage antiques.  Otherwise, just saying hello works for me.

SHOW + TELL BATHROOM SINK MAKEOVER



BEFORE

Remember this hideous bathroom I reluctantly shared with you a few months ago here?  I inherited 4 such bathrooms (2 full, 2 half baths) when we purchased a fixer-upper a few years ago.   We have tackled a room at a time, and it was high-time we tackled this one to the ground. My goal was to transform this guest bath using readily available items and use more elbow grease than money. 
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Even though this is the guest bath, it's primarily Tim's bathroom.  He is so into demolitions that we barely had the conversation and I found him up there ripping out the classic country plaid wallpaper.  I grabbed a piece out of the trash and rehung those wicker mirrors to try to show you the before.
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Tim wanted vessel sinks, and since new cabinetry is too tall for vessels, we used the original cabinet base and Tim custom made new doors and drawers which I painted a rich, dark cappuccino.  The glass vessel sinks, faucets, carrera marble and glass tiles for the backsplash and handles are from Lowe's.  The countertop is honed cultured marble we custom ordered from Home Depot.  The mirror is from World Market. Towel bar and towels are from Home Goods.  Behr paint is a wonderful soft aqua/green to match the vessel sinks.  I wish you could see the wall's true color but my camera keeps washing it out.  Voila.
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(And, no I didn't attach my name to the wall.  I usually forget to add my mark on my photos and then find them elsewhere on the web without mentioniing the source).  


AFTER

 We are so pleased with the results.  Like proud new parents we find ourselves peeking in on our new pride and joy.  However, while the dust was still settling I found my Mini MacGyver tearing out the country blue wallpaper in the master bath and ripping out the cabinetry.  Zero "before" pictures this time folks!!!!  He's too fast for me.  Oh, and while he was waiting for the new sinktop we ordered to arrive he ripped out the powder room floor and toilot and layed new tile.  I clearly gotta keep my eye on this guy.  He's a human wrecking ball.  The amazing thing is he does all this when he's home on the weekends.

That's all I can talk about today.  I do have so much to tell you...some very big happenings which will have to wait for another day. 

BEFORE + AFTER DESIGN STUDIO

As promised here are very amateur photos of my new studio. I didn't promise Amateur. That's just what you get. Awhile back I told you the story of needing to continuously find new areas of the house as Paula Prass Designs and Mimi's Collection grows. We didn't even make it all fluffed and polished. There's still so much I want to do, but I think those projects will show up in future blogs.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS:

My huge inspiration board! My Mini McGyver husband (anyone remember that show where McGyver could make anything with gum and a string? Okay, that's my husband). I imagine it and he brings it into being.
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Galvanized bins over washer and dryer! More inspiration will soon stick there as well.

Lots of storage boxes everywhere! The green containers up above the sink cabinets have tags that are actually discontinued Formica chips. I slapped some paint on them and decoupaged magazine letters to describe the contents. Fun, huh?

The half finished paintings I started of my kids when they were little. They've been in the storage room for years. My husband hung them. Now I really want to finish them. Who wants to stare at unfinished projects. We even still have the original photos attached, so no excuses. We'll see.

My Country Living canvas bag. I got it a couple years ago at the Country Living Women Entrepreneurs Event and I use it for everything. From the Farmer's Market to Design jobs.

Future possibilities to use my upcoming Flights of Fancy fabrics. My husband took a shot looking in the window. Not much privacy...calling out for some cute curtain, don't you think?

BEFORE OR AFTER? I don't keep the door closed anymore.

So, there you go. What do you think?