Basement Project

We have (Andy has?) been hard at work on our basement makeover. We have wood paneling on most of the walls, and didn't want to re-do that, so we used wall spackle to fill the cracks on the top half of the walls. After sanding and washing, we painted the top half Butterscotch by Martha Stewart, and the bottom half Glass of Milk, also by my namesake. You can see in the last picture here that we've ripped up most of the carpet and all of the wood carpet tacking that surrounded the room. We are pleased with the condition of the cement floor underneath, and the battle currently continues about laminate vs. wood floor.

Here is our computer generated vision:

And the progress, don't mind my re-upholstery mess:

And where we began:

Kitchen Hutch Re-Do

Inspired by the blog Better After, Andy and I bought this hutch on Craigslist for not much at all. I needed a place to store my baking supplies all in one place and stay organized, without these extras taking over our food pantry or being stacked in Rubbermaid tubs in the dining room. I don't especially love wood-grain furniture or the visibility that's going on in the top half of this cabinet, so...

We painted it aqua and swapped the metal grate for solid wood. We also switched the old handles for new crystal knobs!

Then Andy took me to the Container Store (which I'd been avoiding, fearing organizational addiction), and we found lots of goodies for the inside! I used a desktop hanging file, turned sideways, to store my baking-specific cook books, 6 clear shoe boxes and 6 clear accessory boxes to store everything from cookie cutters and candy sprinkles to KitchenAid attachments, measuring cups, and food coloring. I have a turn table for bottles: corn syrup, molasses, olive oil, etc. Some bins for flour, sugar, and other random baking ingredients. I have some drawer organizers to hold frosting spatulas (what are those called?) and my rolling pin. I also grabbed a half shelf for the bottom to double my baking dish storage. Here is the final product:

Can't you just hear the angels singing? :)

Guest Room Re-Do

When we moved into our house, we were perfectly happy with the slate blue color that it had been painted by the previous owners. Until about December, when we had an ice dam (damn...) on the roof above this room. One day we found water pouring down the wall inside the house. Oopsies! We had to remove a section of plaster, fill and patch it, and repaint the whole room. We decided on a yummy shade of key-lime green, and Andy finished painting this weekend.

In this room we still have to:

* Fix crown molding and baseboards near the leak site.

* Move desk and computer down to make a guest room/office.

* Hang art.

* Find and sew window valances and throw pillows to tie together the lime paint with navy bedding.

Spring Cleaning

About a month ago Andy and I braved Ikea on a Saturday (never again). We picked up some wooden hangers and a wire shelving unit for our entry closet, which was quickly becoming a cram-heap where we couldn't find anything. Here's the before and after: