Home Improvements - parts 2 & 3

Whew...I'm finally ready to reveal the last two home improvement projects that have consumed all my time over the past week. First is the hutch that was in my dining room. We've had this since....oh about 1992!!! It was definitely due for a make-over.

BEFORE (minus the doors):

AFTER (with new hinges and knobs):

Isn't it lovely? The transformation is amazing! I guess it can stick around for another decade or so now. LOL!


OK...on to the reason for the hutch transformation...the dining room remodel. We started this process about a year ago with the purchase of a new table. Then nothing was done until a few months ago when we finally removed the laser-cut wall border, repainted over the burgundy walls, and took down the fluffy country curtains.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

It's so hard to get the full room in one picture so this is a combined shot of 2 pictures so you can get the full panoramic idea. (insert delightful squeal here) I LOVE IT!!! The walls are now Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage...a silvery blue-gray-green...so soft and soothing. I still need 2 more picture frames for the back wall, but I bought all that Target had in stock at the moment. Hopefully they will restock soon so I can complete my wall with 6 pictures. Speaking of pictures, they are butterflies on a linen background printed from my computer! In the fall and winter, I plan to change it to leaves or some other botanical type print. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Oh, and they are side-by-side, not staggered, on the wall. That's just the odd angle I had to stand when taking the second picture. :-)

Next on my To Do List: the kitchen cabinets. (insert scary music here) Wish me luck!

Weekend Recap: new product introduction

Whew...what a busy weekend! The past few days have been a whirlwind of home improvement projects around here. My back may be aching today, but my house is thanking me. It's amazing what a little elbow grease and a few tired muscles can produce.

Two out of three projects are completed and today I'd like to share one of them. It isn't a spectacular piece. Actually, it's quite pitiful. However, I purposely selected a table that was headed to Goodwill fairly soon so I could test out a new product. Unfortunately, my beautiful plan to show Before and After pictures isn't going to happen. I took several "before" pictures and deleted some to narrow down my choices. Well, today when I took the "after" photo, I realized that I had accidently deleted ALL of my "before" shots. UGH! Oh well, I think I can give you an idea of what I was working with when I started. Many of you have been to my house and already know the orange-y oak I have in so many areas. If you haven't, just imagine an outdated, golden oak. Yuck! I desperately wanted a new modern, dark wood look without breaking the bank. So you can imagine my delight when I found this product:

It's a stain and polyurathane in one! There's no sanding or priming needed before you start. Just a good cleaning and you are ready to go! Best of all, this product is water-based so there's no stinky odor. Like I said, I started with a medium-tone, orange-y golden oak table. After about 5 or 6 thin coats of Cabot PolyStain in Dark Oak (their darkest color), I got this:

YIPPEE!!!! I love it this color! I foresee the disappearance of ALL of my orange-y oak in the coming future!