Cottage Style Home Decorating: 10 Secrets to Charming Chairs

Cottage Style Home Decorating: 10 Secrets to Charming Chairs
By Kathryn Bechen

Cozy comfy chairs, collected wooden chairs…whatever your taste, interesting chairs can give your cottage a personally charming and eclectic flair.

Here are 10 secrets to “chair charm” for your home:

1. French Flair. Upholstered chairs with French curved legs and backs create a sophisticated cottage look. They don’t have to be expensive—search flea markets and consignment shops and reupholster.

2. Ladderback Love. Rush seat ladder-back chairs add architectural interest. Paint each rung of the ladder-back a different color for interest.

3. Quite a Pair. Pair two classic rolled-arm upholstered chairs next to each other with a small table in between to encourage reading and conversation.

4. Quirky Consignment. Scour consignment stores for sturdy and interesting looking wooden chairs of different but complementary styles and size. Paint each one a different but complementary color and use around your dining table.

5. Unique Upholstery. Purchase several upholstered chairs in interesting but different styles and unify them by reupholstering all in the same upholstery fabric. Choose pieces with interesting wood trim and legs for an eclectic look.

6. Wicker Wonder. Collect different styles of wicker chairs and chaises and paint them all the same color for a unified look. Add floral seat cushions in one style upholstery fabric to tie them together.

7. Slipcover Splendor. Soft comfy slipcovers say “instant cottage.” Try white canvas or a faded floral print.

8. Quintessential Quilts. If your favorite upholstered chair needs recovering but you don’t have the funds, drape your favorite quilt over it. Or, consider using a favorite quilt as the actual upholstery fabric for a unique and charming look.

9. Fabric Finesse. Search upholstery fabric outlets for the best quality of upholstery fabric you can find. If you’ve saved money on the cost of the chair, you can splurge on the fabric!

10. White Wonder. Paint all your chairs’ woodwork white and upholster with colorful floral fabric for a fresh and airy look.

By creating some “chair charm” in your cottage, you’ll be happy to linger and enjoy your home and your guests will feel welcomed and comfortable too.

c2006 Kathryn Bechen. All rights reserved worldwide.

Visit http://www.kathrynbechendesigns.com for more free ideas and tips for decorating your cottage style home on a dollarwise budget and to sign up for Kathryn's free e-newsletter of decorating tips and resources. Kathryn is an interior decorating consultant and author who specializes in Cottage Style, Non-Toxic, and Dollarwise decorating.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathryn_Bechen

Old Recipes to Line Cottage Kitchen Drawers

I've been working on our kitchen cabinets here (surpise surprise!) - just one more coat of paint to go on both sides of the doors! I can't tell you just how torturous it is to paint in humid conditions. You really have to work the brush quickly, being very careful not to overbrush because the paint gets tacky fast.

I decided to go back and use a really good quality satin finish polyeurothane clearcoat on the shelfpaper (wallpaper) as opposed to the matte finish clearcoat I had been using. With three coats, the shelves now have a smooth finish that feels like glass to the touch:) Hubs re-installed the lazy suzan and so now I can put all the cabinet contents back into place! Good-bye big old temporary cabinet in our dining area...you served your purpose well, but you are ugly and take up way too much space!

I ran out of wallpaper to line the drawers, so I'm going to have to figure something else out to line them with. The wallpaper I used was $34 a roll, so I'm certainly not going to buy another roll for a few drawers. I'm thinking it might really be nifty to instead line them with pages from antique recipe books. If I can't bring myself to use the actual pages, I can always have them laser copied. I would protect them the same way I have the shelfpaper - with several coats of polyeurothane. Below are a few recipe books I've found on Ebay - none of them newer than 1922. I especially love the handmade, handwritten recipe book. I think these old recipe pages would make great framed art, too, or perhaps light weight frames could be made for them and they could hang on the inside of the cabinet doors (attached with velcro). So many possibilities with these old books...

Today I came across a photo album of a really sweet cottage in Texas. The homeowner used many of the same colors I love - red, green, and yellow - throughout her home. I especially like her bathroom and kitchen with generous use of beadboard. So pretty! Grab a cup of tea and check out the ninety something photos of Smith Cottage!

Today, I Am Thankful For...

In no particular order -

My husband who...
~lets me sleep in while he gets up to care for the children on Sunday mornings

~daily tells me I'm beautiful when I know that I'm not

~almost gets offended if I say that I'm not beautiful

~does the laundry and dishes when I'm too wiped out from painting or being a mom or just life in general

~doesn't want to worry me with matters that he thinks will stress me out

~always calls me from work to see how my day is going

~doesn't get mad when I buy way too much household stuff at Old Time Pottery, (after he tells me not to go "hog wild")

~puts up with me when I constantly lose our one and only hairbrush (he often tells me he's going to chain it to the sink, hehe)

~forgives me for not using my gym membership for the last 1 1/2 years, but gently persuades me to go for the sake of my darn fibromyalgia

~patiently listens to my often repeated rants

~often advises me to pray about the things that really bother me

~would never buy vanilla icecream without also buying chocolate syrup

~has painted and repainted the living and kitchen until I think the color is "just right"

~often assures me, with a promise, that everything is going to be OK

~will watch HGTV with me, (though I can rarely stand to watch his science fiction shows with him, lol)

~is taking me on Wednesday to the brand spanking new beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Hall for an evening filled with good food and fine music

~is a very principled man

~can always be counted on and will often go out of his way to help others

~maintains and encourages a positive attitude under the worst of cirumstances

~loves and cares deeply for his friends

~is an awesome and loving father

~always encourages me to do the right thing (even when I don't wanna)

~is extremely intelligent and multi-talented

~is quick to apologize

~has a great sense of humor, though often I just don't "get it"

~always makes time for a hug even when I'm fretting over how late we're running

~is always the last to buy anything for himself

~doesn't mind hugging elderly ladies

~answers my phone calls during business meetings (which then makes me feel silly if I'm only calling to tell him something like, "I found the hairbrush!")

~supports my ideas, no matter how crazy

~believes that I can do anything I set my mind to

~faithfully reads my blog and even signs my guestbook

Love you, dear:)

More Beautiful Cottage Kitchens to Inspire You

While work continues on my cottage kitchen, I thought I'd share some inspirational photos of other beautiful cottage style kitchens. If you're like me and don't have a big budget, you can still borrow many cottage ideas from kitchens like these, like beadboard walls or backsplashes, painted floors, generous use of color (or white!), inexpensive flea market or yardsale finds, simple and beautiful dishware, pottery, and textiles...the possibilities are endless!

Just click on any photo below to read about the design details:)

Feedback Please? How Slowly Do the Pages Load Here?

I've made a couple of little changes to the site - mainly a few decorative graphics and a different background for the occasional posted articles. I have cable connection, so I don't have any trouble loading the pages, but I'm concerned about those of you who might be on dial-up, etc. Naturally, entries with tons of photos are going to load slower, but there may be other issues that I'm not aware of - so please, make me aware:)

I'm a faithful Internet Explorer user, and everything looks fine in this browser, but if things look a bit wonky on your browser, please let me know.

Hmmm...also, I would like to invite you to tell me about ways that you feel I could make the site better or easier to use. Don't be shy:) When things aren't so crazy around here (HAH! Right!) I'd like to be able to streamline and better organize the site. So any input from you would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Cottage Style Home Decorating: A-Z "QuikTips" for Instant Cottage Style

Want some quick tips for creating cottage style decorating at home? Just use the following A-Z "Quik Tips."

Cottage Style Home Decorating: A-Z "QuikTips" for Instant Cottage Style
By Kathryn Bechen

~Arrange your living room furniture in a “U” shape for great conversations.

~Birdhouses painted to match your home are wonderful.

~Cats in a windowsill are “very cottage.”

~Dogs curled up in front of the fireplace say “cottage cozy.”

~Entertain your friends around a round table with good food and wine.

~French touches in furniture say “sophisticated cottage.”

~Gates with clever signs hung on them say “instant cottage.”

~Hatboxes covered with vintage wallpaper are great for storage.

~Ingenious cottage touches are a claw-foot bathtub and thick fluffy towels.

~Junk from flea markets can be repurposed into creative plant containers.

~Knickknacks from family or collected from your travels add personality.

~Lattice lining patio walls creates charm.

~Mementos framed in shadow boxes add personality to your cottage.

~Nurture yourself with a four poster bed and sumptuous linens.

~Ottomans can be used in place of a coffee table or at the end of a bed.

~Pictures of florals, botanicals, or your travels say “instant cottage.”

~Quilts on the end of a bed or draped over a chair are pure cottage style.

~Rugs in sisal, jute, or colorful cotton add a cottage touch.

~Sink-down-in-and-rest-awhile white slipcovered sofas are very cottage.

~Texture in rugs, fabrics, and pillows creates interesting dimension.

~Upholster your furniture in coordinated florals, plaids, and stripes.

~Vintage trunks make great coffee tables and linens storage.

~Welcome signs are charming near your front door.

~Xtraordinary touches include floral painted mailboxes and fountains.

~Yellow in a bright canary shade is a great color for a cottage front door.

~Zest for living always accompanies the cottage style spirit!

c2006 Kathryn Bechen and Kathryn Bechen Designs.
All rights reserved worldwide.
Visit http://www.kathrynbechendesigns.com for more free ideas and tips for decorating your cottage style home on a dollarwise budget and to sign up for Kathryn's free e-newsletter of decorating tips and resources. Kathryn is an interior decorating consultant and author who specializes in Cottage Style, Non-Toxic, and Dollarwise decorating.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathryn_Bechen

Slothlike Progress Continues in Cottage Kitchen

Hang on to your seats, folks, because I've installed a whopping TWO more cabinet doors since my last kitchen entry:) I know...I know! This project really shouldn't be taking this long. But it is, unfortunately. If I ever do this again in another house, I'm going to seriously consider using a paint sprayer. I don't know that it would speed up drying and curing time in this Tennessee humidity, but it certainly would save on the labor involved.

Today, I'll be working on getting another coat of paint on one side of the doors and the last of the shelf paper put down. I also hope to (antique) glaze the lower cabinet bases and drawers. So many steps, so little time... I'd love to have everything done by the time my company comes the second week of July, but then again, I would have loved to have been finished a month ago! It would be so nice to have the temporary storage cabinet removed from the dining area and everything back in place where it belongs. "A place for everything, Everything everywhere" perfectly describes our current living conditions, lol:)

Reaching Back Into the Photo Archives: More Cottage Bedroom Photos

I really need to start making a list of all the things that need to be done around here before our overnight guests, my mother and stepfather, arrive around the second week of July. I've warned my mom about the state of this place we call home yet she isn't scared off. She knows all about home renovation and lived through it for many months while I lived at home. At any rate, I still want the place to be as presentable as we can get it before they arrive. Someday soon, when I'm feeling brave, I'll have to go through the house and take photos of all the scary, ugly parts. Renovation is not pretty and I'm sure not proud of the state of "undone-ness" and chaos this house is currently in. *sigh*

While I'm composing lists and working on last minute projects, I wanted to share with you the very first project we tackled when we bought this house three years ago. It was our oldest daughter's bedroom. When we finished painting the room and her bedroom furniture, I took a few photos that I don't think I've ever shared here in our renovation journal. The photos show that the room wasn't yet decorated but they also show what can be achieved with a little bit of paint. I wish the room would have stayed this simple and pristine with just a few added accessories (we added lamps, a bed canopy, and few little accessories), but I'm finding that a pre-teen girl loves to personalize her space with her own "decorations", such as posters, art, and her own crafts and such. Her "style" is a bit busy and cluttered for my taste, lol, but - it is her space and at this point, we just want her to keep it clean:)

The inspiration behind the wall and furniture colors was this quilt. I loved the periwinkle blue and greens and pinks in it.



By the way, the grey berber carpet you see in the photos is the same kind of carpet we just pulled out of our little girls' room. When we redo this bedroom again, we'll be pulling the carpet out, too, and replacing it with hardwood. Our daughter says that she doesn't want us to remove the carpet until we can put down the wood floors, so no painting the subfloor of this room, it looks like!






Somehow I was able to find curtains that matched the wallcolor exactly. (That floor really needs a rug, huh?!)


A five dollar yard sale headboard that we painted white...



This is a little Broyhill desk that we painted "Hibiscus" pink and white.



The same colors were used for the dresser. It looked like this before we painted it:



And then after...


I suspect that by the time we redo this room, she's going to want something a little more grown up. She loves turquoise and purple and is no longer a fan of pink, so I see a whole new color scheme for this room in the future. I recently came across a really pretty cotton duvet set from Designers Guild that she liked and I have to say, it changed my thoughts on using purple and turquoise together:)

Ok..well, enough daydreaming about future projects. There's too much to do here as it is! If you don't hear from me often in the next couple of weeks, just know that I'm busy clearing a path through this house and trying to get a few projects wrapped up!

Carrot, Egg, and Coffee - A Message to Share With You While I'm Away

I should be cleaning this house, giving the dogs a bath, and packing for our weekend trip but I thought I'd first leave a non-houserelated, upbuilding entry before my busy day gets started.

The other day, I received this little story from a friend and I have to say, it really made my day. I sent it to a couple of my close friends, including my husband, but it was so touching to me, I want to also share it with my dear readers. Feel free to send it to whomever you like:)

Carrot, Egg, and Coffee

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asks, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity:
boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?
Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a break-up, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to you; to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.

This is so true - may we all be COFFEE

Photos of Cottage Childrens' / Guest Bedroom Makeover

I put the the girls room back together today, all except the dresser. It's heavy and hubs will have to help me with that later. I so wish I had the time this week to redo it before we moved it back in! I bought it off Craigslist...it's old(ish) and solid wood. There is a matching nightstand, too, but the previous owners really did a number on it's finish( Gold paint!!!) Btw, the photo of the dresser isn't one I took..it was the sellers pic...I'm just embarrassed for them over that...er...interesting wall behind it, lol! Not my wall, folks! Not my wall! But I digress...

I took tons of photos of the girls' improved bedroom and what will also be our guestroom. As I believe cottage decorating should be, decorative elements will be added over time as I collect things. I just don't have that much now as most of our resources are going into the remodel as opposed to the decor. But, boy, I can't wait until I can truly decorate this house!

As for this bedroom, I know that I need shelves or art or something on the walls and curtains will also be added. I'm still trying to decide between long, flowy crisp white linen or a white drape shade type treatment. And wouldn't it be neat to have some Wonderful Graffiti above the bed? I also need to repaint their closet door and bedroom door.

In time, those doors will be replaced with solid pine doors, but the current ones need all the help they can get right now. Additional future remodeling plans for this room include: resurfacing the walls (with a pitted texture effect) hardwood flooring, pine plank ceiling (painted white), crown moulding, new window sill and trim, and new baseboards and door trim.

Now on to the photos! Like I said, I took a lot and hope I don't bore you silly with them. I tried to take photos of every angle so you can get a feel for the layout of the room. I won't post them all here, but you can see photos of everything we've done to the room in our photo gallery. I want to mention that the "rugs" in the photos aren't rugs at all. I wanted to get an idea of what size and type of rugs to put in there and I'd love to find something sweet in the style and size of these scalloped matelisse king size shams. I'm still throwing around the idea of making a floorcloth though I think with all the colors and patterns going on in the room now, it would have to be really simple. Also, my ivy that's on the bedside table won't stay in the room. A five and six year old would have it toppled in no time! I just needed something to fill in the table space for the photos. The room is so bare... The tiger lilies on the chair replaced the ivy after my little photo shoot:)

If you're new here, just click the photos to enlarge:)

First, the before photo. I wish that I had remembered to take a picture of the room before we ripped out the carpet. It was greyish berber.



I picked this quilt set up at the flea market last year. I had already bought the girls this set at Linens-N-Things and planned on keeping it packaged up and in my closet until we could do a real makeover on their room. The LNT set was a bit pricey and very delicate in some ways (had ribbons and beads on it)...so I decided that I would rather err on the side of durability and buy the quilt set you see in the photos. So far, it has held up well under several washings.









I know...I've gone over the top with all these pillows and shams, but what can I say? I just love all the colors and patterns and fluff! Who wouldn't be happy in a room filled with flowers and checks and polka dots? I bought the green checked sham a while back at a yard sale (I'm sure there is another one around here somewhere) and the old red polka dotted pillowcase at Goodwill. I wanted that pillowcase the first time I saw it but decided not to buy it in attempt to save a few pennies...but the next time I visited the store and it was still there, it was mine!



A flea market chair, Goodwill vase, Pier 1 woven bag and blankets...Tiger lilies from my yard:)



The slipcover and basket are from Goodwill. How I do love baskets!



I may put the girls' dresser on this wall, but then again, I may put it back where I had it (parallel to the bed on the wall across from the window) to give them a bit more room to play. In case you are wondering, we do have a playroom where all of their toys are kept - in big but portable baskets!



I picked this dust ruffle up while I was at Wal-Mart today. It does the job but I think it might be a little too bright compared to the white in the quilt. Maybe even a red dust ruffle would work???


Honestly, I threw this mirror into the room to fill in a little space for the photos. I didn't bother to hang it because I don't think it will stay in there. The girls' dresser mirror will provide just enough reflective goodness in this small room, I think. It screams cottage, though! I got it at Goodwill.



You may remember this sweet little scalloped edged table when I posted about it back in March. I got it at a yard sale for $1. It was in terrible shape but hubs got to work on it and now it's as solid as a rock! He replaced the top and bottom panels and secured the entire table. In the photos, it's only primed because I can't figure out what color to paint it! Still, not too shabby (or I should say, just shabby enough!) for one dollar!



And finally, a clear shot of that bare window! Actually, it does have a woven blind on it, but it doesn't look that great in there. Thoughts about window treatments would be appreciated!



I hope you enjoyed these. You can see that the room is pretty simple but the girls really seem to be enjoying it so far. I'll try to remember to take a couple of shots once we get the dresser back in place.

I'm going to take a break now and will actually be out of town for a couple of days, so until I "see" you next week, you all take care!

Buh-Bye Brass Headboard - You've Been De-Blinged

Several, several months ago, one of our neighbors put a pile of stuff out in their yard near the road. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Were they cleaning out their garage? Were they giving the stuff away? I wasn't sure so I just tried to ignore the pile. Each time I drove by, though, one item in particular always stood out to me. That item was a full sized brass headboard. I don't care for brass, or gold, or even silver or chrome finishes for that matter, but I really liked the form of the the cheapy headboard that the neighbors had on display in their yard for a few weeks. So one morning as I drove by on the way to taking the kids to school, I told myself that when I returned, I would stop and ask the neighbors if I could have it. When I made it back to the neighborhood, imagine my surprise as I drove up just in time to see the neighbors throwing the headboard into their big rented garbage bin! Lol, I couldn't believe that after all those weeks, the ONE morning I decide to ask about the headboard, they decide to toss it! Well, undeterred, I parked and walked across their lawn and kindly asked them if they would mind giving the headboard to me. They happily dug it out of the bin for me and I stuffed it into the van and brought it home. It's been in storage all this time...until today.

I had this headboard in mind for the girls bed because they've been needing one. However much they needed one, they wouldn't be using this one until I completely masked it's brass. So that's what I worked on this afternoon. I first sprayed the headboard with Rustoleum Clean Metal Primer and then I followed that with Rustoleum American Accents "Blossom White" satin finish spray paint. I think it looks a lot more "cottage country" now and I'm pleased with the results.

Behold the power of paint...(or canned 'Bling-Be-Gone' as I like to call it)!!!

(click to enlarge)

Who Says Subflooring Can't Be Pretty?

Decoupaging the flowers to the floor took no time at all so I snapped some photos for you to see how this project turned out. The girls tell me that their floor is "pretty", which I'm happy to hear:) I know the checkerboard/decoupage was a bit of work for a temporary floor, but because the rest of the house is pretty much undone, I wanted the girls to have a nice, "put together", girly space in which to retreat and relax and play.

(Click to enlarge)





If you've been following this project, you may know that originally I just planned on doing the diamond/checkerboard pattern. However, I realized halfway through taping the floor that my diamonds wouldn't touch each other due to the pattern I used. Rather than retaping, I opted to fill in the gaps between the diamonds with the decoupaged flowers.

BUT, I *now* know how to create a perfect diamond checkerboard pattern thanks to the help from a couple of folks who've done this flooring technique before. Tammy, who owns a beautiful 1882 Victorian, shared some photos with me of her porch and how she taped it off to create a diamond pattern. As you can see, individual squares are made with the tape instead of rows of squares (like I made).

By the way, Tammy is selling her lovely home...you HAVE to check out some of the photos of the work she and her husband have done on their house. It's just gorgeous!

Bouquet of Cut Flowers (Decoupage for Cottage Style Floor)

I hinted in a comment on my last entry that I've come up with another way to add a floral design to the bedroom floor we're working on. While painted flowers would be lovely, I decided that it would be just as charming to decoupage them onto the floor. So I made laser photo copies of the flowers on the girls' quilt sham and cut them all out with precision scissors...all 54 of them! I love the detail in the flowers - you can even see the stitches! After I glue them into place and they're dry, I'll coat the flowers with several layers of clear polyeurothane for durabilty. I'll be working on that today because the diamond pattern on the floor is finished:)





Another shot of the quilt sham and 'bouquet of cut flowers'...

I'm off to arrange flowers now! Have a happy Monday, everyone!

Painted Floor Options

As we were discussing in the comments of my last post about my diamond floor pattern, the taping configuration I've used will produce diamonds that won't be touching each other at the corners...at least not the green diamonds I'll be painting. I didn't plan it that way and I'd really rather everything be just right - all corners touching. I briefly considered redoing the taping, but I reminded myself that this is just a temporary floor solution until we remodel their room and lay the hardwood down next year at some point. Retaping would just be taking time away from...painting those darn cabinet doors, which, btw, I got another coat on yesterday.

So, Bill from Enon Hall kindly did a mock up showing what my floors will look like when complete.

If I ever do this project again, I'll definitely tape in such a way that there are no gaps. Live and learn! But, for now, I can either leave the gaps or add a painted decorative touch where the gaps are. I'm thinking about painting in little flowers that coordinate with the girls' quilt and shams. This is a little busy for my taste, but then again, I'm not 5 and 6 years old:)



Big sister, who is 11 1/2, is getting really tired of the girls rooming with her, so now that I know exactly what I want to do, I better get started:) Happy Thursday!

Taping Off Floor for Painted Diamond Pattern

Work continues in my daughters' bedroom. I figured that taping off for the diamond pattern would be fairly simple, but I'm amazed at how hard it was to get the diamonds perfectly square and just right. I just worked on the taping off and on for three days and eventually finished it, thank goodness.

Here are some photos of the floor all taped off and nowhere to go. These are 20" squares and the ones marked with a small piece of tape in the center will be painted green, the same color as the walls. For those of you who may be reading about this project for the first time, the (sub)floors are painted with three coats of white gloss porchpaint.

By the way, if anyone sees a crooked line, I.don't.want.to.know. :)

Progress on Cottage Bedroom Temporary "Redo"

As I mentioned in one of my recent entries, we had to rip out Lindsay and Zoe's bedroom carpet the other day due to Lindsay's growing allergy problems. We have a lot of renovation work to do in the bedrooms later before we'll put down hardwood floors, so for a temporary floor solution, we're just painting the subfloors with gloss white porch paint. They look great so far with two coats, but I'm going to add a third coat to cover all the seams. Today I picked up some paint the same color we painted their walls a few days ago, "Homestead Resort Parlor Sage" (which is what our kitchen will be painted), and this weekend, I hope to be able to get around to painting a big green diamond checkerboard pattern on the floor. I wanted to pull a different color out of their quilt (see sham above) but the girls really wanted green checks.

Here is what the room looks like since we painted the walls and floor:






I think it would be neat to do a canvas floorcloth for a rug, too. Maybe I can incorporate some of the quilt colors into it...

I picked up the white metal spray paint for the girls headboard. Hopefully when I'm finished, it will look like an old iron headboard. Right now it's a yellow brass:( The dresser needs a redo, but that's a larger project that's going to have to wait until the kitchen cabinets are done. The dresser is now an off-white color. It's a great old-fashioned piece with lots of charm. I bought it off Craigslist.com several months ago. I plucked this photo from the sellers listing, so it's not very large and it's full of all their clutter. Hopefully, though, you can still make out the style.

In other news, I think my mom may be coming in for a visit from California. I got a mysterious email from her recently that said "Hope you're up for company...the house renovation isn't going to keep me away this time!". I've had nightmares about this. Lol, not about my mom, but about her coming and seeing my house in such a state of chaos and disarray! The last time she saw our house was three years ago when we first moved in. It was cleaner and better organized then during the moving in process than it is now! Oh well...for my mom's safety, I just pray that she doesn't open a closet door, lol! We're clearing a path for you now!