Door in "Barn"

A few weeks ago on a rainy day, I embarked on another house project on our list. On this day, I had posted a preview of the project without any explanation. The photo was a picture of our front door. The front door to our house is something that I fell in love with immediately. It is a gorgeous (original) door made out of solid wood. It has an intricate yet simple design throughout the door.

We were a bit worried after moving in, that the door would need to be replaced. it would not seal properly, and light was shining in around the corners. A noticeable draft was being felt around it, too, as you would walk up to it. Determined to save this lovely door, Z did some research and work. He shaved the door down a little bit and installed a new seal around the door. We also chose a new storm door, and voila! Just like new.

Just as in the recent post, Ultra Fresh, Ultra White, the front door needed a little love and a fresh coat of paint after the seal and storm door were replaced.

The front door when we did our home inspection this Spring with the old storm door.

The door is sanded and wood filler is applied and drying.

For the time being, we knew that we would want to pick a shade of red. I had wanted a rich looking red, to give the door a fresh look. After handfuls of paint samples, we settled on a Martha Stewart Paint (from Home Depot) in the shade of Barn. We were warned before hand that it would go on bright pink, but to expect it to significantly darken - which it did! Two days and two coats later, the door was finished! We installed new hardware on the door to match what we will be slowly installing throughout the remainder of the house.

The only thing that I would like to do with the door is to paint the interior side and the threshold with a fresh coat of white paint.

The door finished!

Would you ever experiment with a fun color for a front door? What color would you dream of painting your door?

-E

Ultra Fresh, Ultra White

We have big dreams for our house. The wish list and the to-do list is quite lengthy. Partially expensive, partially not sure what we want exactly. Regardless, one way we are making our house "ours" is by painting. We can choose the colors. We don't have to worry about painting it back at the end of our apartment lease. It's fantastic! But, painting has more of a job than just making it ours. It can also freshen up existing paint. 

And, that is where you find this post. In our lower living room (stay tuned for photos - it's almost finished!) we installed new wood trim that is also post worthy in itself. After staring at varying shades of white at Lowes, we went with "Ultra White" by Valspar. Clean and crisp. 

Over the last few weeks, Z and I have been working to touch up trim, paint kick plates on steps, and put a fresh coat on existing trim. It's amazing how much more clean and crisp it looks now! 

Take a look!

Painters tape on steps heading up to bedrooms preps for the upcoming work. 

A fresh coat of paint is added to the steps. 

Built in bookshelves in lower living room. No longer dingy, dark, and stained!

The last few days, I have worked on getting small things marked off of our list. Stay tuned - hope to share more soon!

-E

Kitchen Curtains! (No More Rear Window)

A few posts ago, I posted photos of fabric that we had picked out for my Mom to sew us curtains. Needless to say, there is no more rear window peering! My Mom made us a set of cafe curtains, a valance, and a door window curtain. The pictures don't do justice for how amazing these look!  I love how it has changed the feel of the kitchen immediately! The pattern seems more characteristically us and distracts from the sponge painting, too. We went with this pattern because it had a modern design on it, yet with the neutral colors, it will match as the kitchen adapts and changes over the years.

Have you added curtains to a room? How did you choose the colors or style?

-E

Snapshot Sunday

I spent an extended weekend in my hometown while Z stayed back to work and complete some house projects. Here's a few snapshots of the weekend. Enjoy!

-E

Incredible Island Love

Last year, after a cold winter, some friends and coworkers in the area began talking about "First Fridays." I was familiar with the term, because my college town had these - hosted art openings at hipster-esque, trendy, and swanky galleries throughout the downtown scene. Apparently, this was a bit different than those First Fridays.

The one in our region is a collaboration of antique, vintage, repurposed, some new, DIY, paints, and Pinterest enthusiasts. Needless to say, it has something for everyone. And, food trucks! Oh, so good! The gyros are authentic and to die for from the Jerusalem Cafe. Wash it down with a cold Coke and you're ready for more stair climbing and shopping! 

The best part, overall, is the unique items and one of a kind finds. This weekend, First Friday is alive and hopping! As social media continues to flood news feeds with pictures of many unique pieces, this month is sure to draw many shoppers! Ourselves included! 

Here are some pictures of the beautiful, functional, and unique kitchen island! It is exactly what we were looking for - but even better! Tonight we will install wheels on it so we can more easily move it. 

Bon appetit!  -E & Z

Tuesday Take Down

A quick look at what we did tonight & a few nights ago! Master bath demolition is in full swing! 

-E & Z

Sunday Project

A quick preview of my project today! Stay tuned! 

 

Enjoy your weekend! 

-E