I have decided I want to paint the ceiling of my kitchen in a checkerboard pattern. I'm planning to use shades of gray so it won't be Tim Burton-y in there. Why is it that as soon as I start making progress on one project, I already have three or four new ones in mind?
A friend of my mother's was recently in her homeland of the Netherlands, and she gave her this item upon her return. It really got me thinking about a few things... 1) how in the heck do you use it? (we brainstormed and got it figured out) and 2) wow, it is really time to do something about my bathroom!!
I don't want to do too much... no changing fixtures or anything, because I know someday we will make the bathroom bigger and then I can do a big overhaul. But I need to do something for the interim to spice it up and make it a bit more pleasant. As much as I long for a chic spa-inspired bathroom where I can languish for hours in hot bubbles watching Oprah or reading Jane Austen, I have to come to terms with the fact that my life just isn't like that. I haven't taken a bubble bath in more than four years and it would be a little tough with "Bathtime Buzz" staring me in the face anyway. I share a tiny bathroom with a grown man and two four-year-old boys. So, I've decided I want the bathroom to be a fun place that gets us energized in the morning and won't look silly with a few rubber duckies strewn about.
I could definitely paint the vinyl linoleum in the bathroom to replicate this look:
There is definitely something that is simultaneously fun and classic in this look:
"Raindrops keep fallin' on my head" is a much more pleasant thought when the raindrops are rainbow-colored:
Although I can't fit this in now, someday I would love to have a little toilet nook in the bathroom:
Paint trim for the boys' room Paint stripes in the boys' room Paint chalkboard wainscot in the boys' room Clean and turn on the heater Buy area rug for living room Strip and paint trim in master closet Strip doors Hang succulent baskets on front porch Build compost bin Paint dining room walls Begin door repairs Strip door frames
I managed to complete a fair amount of stuff on my short list before my parents arrived. It is raining in Los Angeles now, and might be for most of the week, so we might not get too much done on this visit, but it is the holidays, so I'm happy to have some relaxed family time!
Here is what we have accomplished in four months of home ownership. I feel like it doesn't look like much has been done since the last update, but I feel like I've been working like crazy!
Here's what I hope to get done before my parents come to visit/work again in 2 weeks:
Paint trim for the boys' room Paint stripes in the boys' room Paint chalkboard wainscot in the boys' room Clean and turn on the heater Buy area rug for living room Strip and paint trim in master closet Strip doors Hang succulent baskets on front porch Build compost bin Paint dining room walls Begin door repairs Strip door frames
And yes, I am laughing at myself as I type this. There is just no way. But one can hope!
We're plugging along, but the multi-tasking is getting a little overwhelming.
I'm going to have to get a little organized... (this is the short list)
In the boys' room: Strip and paint window and door frames Paint stripes on the accent wall Chalkboard paint the wainscoting on the accent wall Strip and paint the baseboards Install roller shades Make and install curtains Purchase and install ceiling fans Paint and install crown molding and chair rail
In the grown-up room: Strip and paint baseboard in closet Install closet organizer Paint and stencil ceiling Strip window trim Paint walls Paint and install crown molding Strip and paint baseboard Select, purchase, install ceiling fan/light fixture
In the dining room: Paint ceiling, walls, trim Strip and paint window trim and baseboards Paint and install crown molding Purchase secretary (Buy a piano?)
In the living room: Select paint Paint ceiling, walls, trim Strip and paint window trim and baseboards Make hall tree from old door Purchase flat panel TV stand and additional DVD storage Rug
In the entryway: Select paint Paint ceiling, walls and trim Stencil frost and hang mirrors Rug
I have been working mostly single-handedly on the house for the last couple weeks. Luckily for all of us, my mom and dad are back in town now and we've been getting so much done since this video was shot. I'll be posting another one soon when we're all moved out of the apartment!
A lot of the houses we have been looking at have been graced with popcorn ceilings. And if we ever get to move into one of them, one of my first orders of business will be to get rid of that texturing! I came across this excellent resource for DIY popcorn ceiling removal, each step complete with its own instructional video! It looks pretty labor intensive, but I don't think it is something we can't handle doing on our own. So, bring on the popcorn!
When the boys finally have their own room, I already know how I want to paint it. I want to do a high chair rail and paint below it with traditional green chalkboard paint. Then I want to paint stripes above the chair rail in varying widths using red, orange, yellow, off-white and aqua to match the colors in the Map of the Land Of Make Believe print my aunt bought them. They already have a mid-century waterfall dresser that I painted aqua with yellow handles. I also want to paint crown moulding and the chair rail in the same shade of aqua. I'm looking forward to it.
