Experiment: Can I Spray Paint My Shower Door Surround?

I can't tell you how many emails and comments I get asking this question....and I haven't responded yet (I feel really guilty about that btw...I'm so sorry), because I simply don't know the answer. Can you do it? Of course! Will it hold up?....I honestly don't know.



So, here's what I will do for you (because I love all of you BFF, suburbanite, squeezies so much), I am going to spray paint my metal shampoo holder thingy that hangs in my shower just to see how well it holds up. I will then report back to you with the results (like the good scientist I am...even though I'm not really a scientist...I just play one in bloggerland).



Why am I painting my hangy thingy instead of my surround?: A) You smarty party pants guessed it....I'm too cheap to take replace it if it ends up being a horrible mistake; and B) If it works on the metal hangy thingy it will work on the surround, right?

The (highly technical, superly scientifical) Methodology?

Step 1: Prime

Step 2: Paint (2 coats)

Step 3: Spray a Clear Coat of Polyurethane

Step 4: Keep Fingers Crossed :)

Stay tuned for the results!

How to make a "Chandelabra"

While planning my master bath redo, I knew I wanted a chandelier over my bathtub. The ceiling over the tub wasn't wired for electricity, though, and I didn't want to have to tackle the task of pulling wires myself (or hiring someone to do it for me). Soooo, I decided a "chandelabra" was the way to go (oh, and for those of you that are wondering...it's a fancy name for a chandelier that holds candles...I'm just fancy like that {eyeroll}).

I looked and looked...and looked for the perfect chandelabra, but I couldn't find anything for a reasonable price (I've seen like 5 since, but oh well...). It was when I spotted this baby in the corner of a garage at an estate sale that those gears in my little brain started spinning.

Of course! Why couldn't a regular chandelier be used as a chandelbra? And it was only $16...yes, that's right $16... so I couldn't pass it up.

I removed the metal plate from the top of the chain, and then gave her a coat of black spray paint, and popped short white taper candles in.

She needed a little something extra though (have you noticed how everything in my house seems to be a "she"?), so I bought some "crystals" on Ebay (I'm pretty sure they're plastic, but shhhh....don't tell anyone). I would give you the seller's name, but this was a one time deal for her so it wouldn't be helpful to you. There are plenty on there though.

I also sewed a cover for the chain (which was important since I wound the wires down through the chain and they needed to be concealed). I made the cover in the easiest, simplest, even-a- caveman-could-do-it kind of way.

Step 1: I simply held some fabric up to the chain making a little pocket around the chain. I held it so it was tight enough that it wouldn't slide down, but loose enough that it would comfortably bunch up (I totally eyeballed this), and then I made a little mark on each side of the fabric where the seam should go.

Step 2: I cut a strip of fabric, leaving maybe 1/2 inch on each side of where the seam would be. I also made the cover longer than the actual chain (maybe 1/3 longer?) so it would bunch up a little...can you tell how completely unscientific this process was?

Step 3: I folded the fabric lengthwise and pinned along where the seam would go. I then hand stitched along that line (don't worry, it didn't take more than 10-15 minutes). Oh, and I didn't even hem the top and bottom....seriously, once they're tucked under who's going to notice?

Step 4: I slid it over the chain...and laughed at how surprisingly good it looked despite my haphazard cavewoman approach :-).

I then hung my dolled up chandelabra from the ceiling with one of these handy dandy ceiling anchor swivel hooks (except mine was black). Worked like a dream.

Have a great weekend!

~ AnNicole

Master Bathroom Reveal

I hope you're not tired of hearing about my master bath (since it was all I talked about last week), but I promised I'd give you a bigger view once it was put together a bit more. There's still more to do, but it's finally starting to come together. Yeeha!!

Oh, and I should mention...I NEVER would have gone this direction with the bathroom if I had an intention of selling any time soon (ummm, blue-green vanities aren't exactly on most buyer's wish lists). But I know it will be easy to change if I do sell at some point, and for now it makes me happy...which is what matters right?

I still need to add something between the mirrors (trying to decide what...)

and I need to replace the faucets. I'd like to add "feet" to the vanity too.

And see? I really will be installing new faucets. I'm just waiting for the second faucet to arrive...you know because a smart person installs both at once....and I try to be smart and sensible every once in a while :-). They're the Delta Victorian faucet, and I bought them on Ebay. They retail for something like $200 and I about one for $65.00 and one for $35 (used but in perfect condition).

The chandelier is actually a real chandelier (um...obviously...but I mean it's wired for electricity and bulbs and all that) that I found at an estate sale for $16. I sprayed it black and added candles and crystals. I hung it from a hook in the ceiling (with an anchor)and sewed a little cover for the chain.

I found the shelf at a flea market and shopped the house for candles and other goodies to dress it up. The vintage bottle was my grandma's. She loved antiques as much as I do.

And...one more BEFORE picture just for comparisons sake.

The best part? I was able to give the bathroom a new look for very little money. I did the math, and between paint, faucets and accessories I spent about $250. Yes, I'd love to retile the floors, retile the tub surround, add a nice stone counter, etc....but for now, this bathroom feels soooo much better to me than it did before. I firmly believe that anyone can improve their surroundings regardless of the budget they have to work with. All it takes is a whole lot of creativity and a little elbow grease.

"Glaze Craze" or "Don't Stress the 'Distressing'" ..Ha!

Thanks so much for your patience in waiting for a post about how I painted/glazed my bathroom cabinets.

First, I need to say that my existing cabinets were already painted so It was pretty easy to just add a coat of paint and then glaze. If your cabinets are wood then you'll need to go through a process that's a little more involved. You can read this post a did a while back about painting the uhh-gly honey oak cabinets in my old kitchen. You would follow that process prior to glazing.

So here's how I painted/glazed my bathroom cabinets. I promise it isn't hard. Seriously, if you can paint you can glaze.

You'll need the following:

Primer (optional)

A can of your base paint color (I used Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue)

A can of glaze mixed with paint (I used the Ralph Lauren brand from Home Depot)

Good Paint Brushes (I used a 1-1/2 inch brush with an angled tip)

Foam Roller

Lint Free Cotton Rags (I bought a package from Home Depot, but a clean old t-shirt would work too)

PREP WORK

Step 1: Clean the cabinets really well. I just used a little dish soap and water, and let it dry completely before painting. You just want to make sure you don't have any dust, grime, grease, hairspray, etc, etc on the cabinets when you paint them.

Step 2-3: Ideally you remove your doors from the cabinet base and prime with a good primer (like Gripper or BIN). I wasn't nearly patient enough to do either of those things, though, so I skipped these steps. I know...I'm such a rebel aren't I :-).

PAINTING YOUR BASE COLOR

Step 4: Paint your base color onto the cabinets. I used Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue (although Stratton Blue would have looked great too....it's a shade darker). I did 2 coats, waiting 4-6 hours between coats. I also used a good paintbrush for the detailed areas (I must emphasize the importance of a good paintbrush...it will help avoid brush strokes!) and I used a small foam roller for the flat areas.

Step 5: I let my paint dry 24 hours before applying the glaze. When painting cabinets (and any other furniture) dry time is key. I KNOW how hard it is to be patient, but allowing the paint to dry (or "cure") completely will save you many headaches in the future.

APPLYING THE GLAZE

I used a Ralph Lauren glaze mixed at Home Depot. They mixed the glaze with a color called Tobacco. I really should have gone a little lighter with the glaze color, but it's not the end of the world. Ideally, your glaze should be darker than your base color, but not super dark. You want it to be dark enough for there to be an obvious difference, but not so dark that the difference screams at you. I hope that makes sense.

Step 6: Use one of those good paint brushes you bought (because you're soooo obedient) and brush the glaze on in small sections. It dries quickly so you don't want to apply the glaze to too big of an area at once. Oh, and a word of advice...once you paint the glaze on and see brown slime over your cabinets you could panic and say "Oh my gosh, I just ruined my newly painted cabinets!" Don't worry, most of it will come off!

Step 7: Use a lint free cotton rag to wipe the glaze off. Gently wipe off most of the glaze, but leave just enough to show a bit of a patina. You'll leave a little more glaze on in detailed areas like edges, and around trim. Keep in mind, the glaze usually dries just a tad darker than it looks when you're working with it. So keep that in the back of your cute little brain when you're deciding how much glaze to leave on. Your goal is to have a patina and some depth. You DON'T want to make your cabinets look dirty, and leaving too much glaze on will make them look dirty.

So the glazing process in a nutshell is: 1) paint on glaze in a small section; 2) wipe off most of it immediately leaving just enough for a patina; 3) move on to next small section....and ta da! You're done! See...I told you it wasn't hard.

I hope this was helpful. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions! Oh, and I PROMISE I'll show you more of my bathroom soon. I still have to put paint cans, hammers, and a whole bunch of junk away. Ahhh...the magic of photography :-).

Tell Me More...

Thanks so much for your kind comments on yesterday's post. I can't tell you what a relief it is to finally have my bathroom coming together!

I promise I'll show you the full bathroom once it's all pulled together (I still have to install faucets, a new light fixture, etc.), but I thought I'd answer a few of your questions today.

A few of you asked about my "Keep Calm Carry On" poster. I bought it a couple years ago from Sfgirlbybay's Etsy store. She still carries this seafoam aqua color (click here), and she also offers other great colors. I know everyone has this poster now, but I don't care...I still love it. Seriously...a cute crown and a nice message? How could I not love it?!

I filled my apothocary jars with some bath salts I already owned, some cheap Method Brand soaps from the grocery store (I'd prefer fancy ones, but I'll have to save up for those), and some sponges I found in the art department at Hobby Lobby. Yep, they have sea sponges over by the painting supplies.


I found my locker basket at a local flea-tique store. I saw it a few weeks ago, but left without it (I know...feel free to smack me). I went back to the store over the weekend and miraculously it was still there! I snatched it up immediately. I know you can buy them on ebay as well.


Finally, a few of you asked about the painting technique I used on my bathroom cabinet. Tune in tomorrow for a full post on painting and glazing cabinets! (Ummm, is there any chance the exclamation point makes you less angry at me for making you wait an extra day?...lol).

Have a great day!

Sneak Peak: Master Bathroom!

I thought I'd give you a sneak peak of of what I was able to do in my master bathroom over the weekend...ok, that sounds weird...I mean the painting and decorating I was able to do in there. Yeesh..

More to come!

P.S. I guess I know who to call if I ever get a few free tickets to France! Wouldn't that be amazing? Ahhh, it's so fun to dream.

Keeping it Real: A Decorating Dilemma

Have you ever had a room that ends up being waaaay more difficult to decorate than every other room in your house? While some rooms just seem to come together (somewhat) effortlessly, that one little stubborn room just keeps putting up a fight? Yes?...Okay good. That makes me feel A LOT better.

I've shown you my kitchen (ad nauseum...sorry) and my living room (and I'll be showing you a few other rooms soon) but for some reason my master bath has decided to be a worthy adversary. In all honesty....it's been kicking my butt. I hate to even admit that, because I feel like I should have all the answers in the decorating universe, but man oh man I've had trouble with that room.

Here's the BEFORE photo (again...sorry that you're seeing it for the umpteenth time)

Here's the KIND OF AFTER photo (way too dark and blah....and I truly apologize for the flat iron and paint cans in the photo).


It's blandness kind of gives you a tummy ache, huh? Sooo, obviously, I'm cooking up a Plan C.

I was looking through my inspiration photos over the weekend, and I was struck by this one from Pottery Barn.

OPTION 1

I hadn't planned on using a color as bright as the blue-green on the vanity, but I really kind of like it. It would give the bathroom a focal point and it would also tie in with my bedroom (I'll be showing you soon). If I did paint and glaze my vanity, I'd probably paint the walls a cream color and use white on the trim. So, that's possibility 1.

For possibility 2, I could paint the walls a very pale gray-blue and paint/glaze the cabinets cream. Kind of like the kitchen below from HPJ185 on Rate My Space.

OPTION 2:

Or...for possibility 3, I could always just paint everything cream and white and call it good (with a few carefully chosen accessories to bring in a bit of color and texture). Keep in mind there's no natural light in the bathroom, though, so I'm not sure how all white would work in there.

OPTION 3:

Photo: Coastal Living

I'm opening the lines American Idol style (...minus the actual phone lines) and letting you cast your vote. Yes...I'm that desperate, but I also trust your fabulous taste and judgment. Besides, sometimes you can become so immersed in a project it's hard to see straight...know what I mean?...so I thought it would be constructive to get some perspective from you.

Thanks so much...and please, please, please keep reading my blog. I promise I DO normally have lots and lots of great decorating ideas to share...or, at least a whole bunch, or gaggle, or something like that :-).

Yes You CAN Paint Those Ugly Laminate Countertops

I gave you a little sneak peak of my master bathroom makeover the other day, and I thought I'd go ahead and share with you the process I used to paint my ugly burgundy laminate countertop.

STEP ONE:

Before you touch your countertops get a really clear idea of what you want the end product to look like. I wanted a subtle travertine or tumbled marble look, so I bought a few samples at the store (and kept the receipts so I could return them when I was finished...oh, don't look at me like that) and then I held paint samples up to them setting aside any colors that I found in the stone. If you look closely you should see several colors in there.

I eventually narrowed my colors down to 3 and then bought a quart of each in latex. You could also use craft paint, but I was afraid it wouldn't hold up as well and I'm really picky about what colors I like so I went a different direction. Also, I would HIGHLY recommend that choose colors that have similar values (or lightness and darkness). I personally think if there's too much difference between the values it doesn't look real...but that's just me.

STEP TWO:

Do a couple test boards using the techniques below. Create as many as you feel you need to do until you like the outcome. This was the final test board I did...and actually I may like it a little better than my actual counter...but oh well.... :).

STEP THREE:

Clean your counters REALLY well. Make sure there's not dust, gunk, residue...or what have you...left behind.

STEP FOUR:

Lightly sand the counters. And then wipe them again so no dust is left behind.

STEP FIVE:

Use a really good oil based primer like BIN, and paint a coat of primer. Let it dry at least 4 hours, longer if you can.

STEP SIX:

Paint a base coat over the entire counter. I used the lightest color first, then applied the medium color, and then the darkest...but I'll get to that part. Let the base coat dry at least 24 hours. I let mine dry longer than that and I think it helped it set up a bit before I applied the next color.

STEP SEVEN:

This is the part I was terrified of because I'd never faux painted before...it really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, though. And really, if you mess up you can always add more paint, or even repaint the base coat if you need to. Repeat to yourself "no stress....no stress..."

Lightly dip a slightly damp (but not wet) paper towel in your 2nd paint color.



Lightly dab it onto the counter, being sure that you're putting it on lightly enough to let the base coat still show. I think it's better to start applying the paint kind of sparingly and then add more later if you feel you need to.





Let it dry at least 24 hours. Oh, and if you're anything like me your hands will look like this after this step.

STEP EIGHT:

If I thought I was scared of the second color, I was shaking in my boots by the time I needed to apply the third color. After all that work I definitely didn't want to mess it up at this point. But again, you can always fix it....no stress.


Since I wanted the color of the counters to be really subtle I mixed some of the darker wall color with some clear glaze. I then used a damp paper towel to randomly apply darker sections to the counter. This is where I REALLY studied the patterns in my sample tiles.


I was worried it was still going to be too dark, so I went back over each section (immediately after I applied the paint) and misted it with water and then blotted and sometimes buffed with a damp paper towel.

STEP NINE:

Apply at least 2-3 coats of a non-yellowing polyacrylic topcoat, letting it dry a day between each coat. I used polyacrylic rather than polyurethane because A) I've heard polyurethane can yellow, and since I was using such light colors I didn't want that to happen, and B) I had several different paint stores tell me that since polyurethane is oil based you can't use it over latex paint. I don't know if that's true or not, but I didn't want to take a chance. I think if you use oil paint rather than latex you can use polyurethane just fine.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT A GRANITE LOOK:

I've heard with granite you want to use more of a splatter or sponge method than a dabbing method, so it's more speckled and less blended.

Also, a while I saw this post where a woman had used that speckled stone-look spray paint to just spray her counter and then applied a top coat. She used a charcoal grey version of the paint, and it really does look pretty amazing.

HOW DOES IT HOLD UP?:

Since I painted the countertop fairly recently I can't give you a definitive answer on this, except to say that mine has held up great so far and everything I've read says they hold up reasonably well (as long as you don't poke at it with a knife or anything like that). Also, I'd be careful about having anything like hot pans or curling irons on the counter. But really, for maybe $30-$50 and a whole lot of satisfaction for not having to look at an ugly counter anymore, I think it's worth it.

AND SINCE EVERYONE LOVES A GOOD BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE:

I hope this is helpful. Feel free to let me know if you have any additional questions.

Being a Gemini is Exhausting

Are there any other Geminis out there? Do any of you fellow Geminis feel like it's almost impossible to decorate a room and be happy with it for any length of time because your "twin" will want a different look in a few months?

Why do I ask, you say? Oh, I don't know. It could be the fact that I've worked on my master bathroom for nearly 3 months now and I can't quite finish it because the twins keep bickering with one another.

Twin A: I want a light and airy bathroom.

Twin B: Oh, please. Give me some contrast. You liked the contrast
in the kitchen, right?

Twin A: Yeah, but this is the bathroom. Can't we have
a beachy look?

Twin B: Beach-Shmeach, I want a luxurious European flair.

It's exhausting I tell ya. So since I haven't been able to get my act together enough yet to give you the full reveal, I thought I'd show you what I have been able to get the twins to agree on...and accomplish.

First here's a before photo of my bathroom to refresh your memories.


Perdy right (...heavy sarcasm)? I especially love the burgundy laminate countertop (even heavier sarcasm). And I should note that this photo is with the PREVIOUS OWNER'S stuff. Am I ashamed to claim the burgundy candles and flimsy green towels as my own?...yes, yes I am. Boy I hope they never read this blog.


Well I took care of that countertop straight away by painting it to look a wee bit like travertine. Not bad, eh? Don't worry, I will do a tutorial in the very near future....oh, and I will be replacing the faucets.



I also removed the giant wall mirror and replaced it with two cute little oval mirrors from Lowes. I'll probably hang my faux vintage grain sack between the two (um, ignore the fact that it needs to be ironed...I didn't notice that until now).



I originally wanted the fancy tilting kind, but I was able to get two of these for just a little more than the cost of one of the tilting mirrors. I couldn't argue with those numbers.

I knew I needed to come up with some kind of storage solution for the weird empty space in the corner, so I bought a bookcase that was just the right size, painted it cream and adorned it with a little skirt to hide its legs.


Not bad for $48, a little fabric and a few upholstery tacks.

And...that's pretty much it for now. I'd show you more, but the twins are still bickering so I'll have to get back to you after I've been able to mediate and reach a mutually satisfactory solution.