Mirror in the Bathroom

So happy to have another room checked off my list.

Although the powder room is the smallest room in the new abode, it was the room that was in the worst condition.  The walls had more lumps and bumps than Tara Reid’s botched boob job. The baseboard that runs along the wall under the sink was in two different pieces and not even adhered to the wall.  The pipes under the sink were covered in rust, the light was tossed into the sink and the utilitarian mirror housed a medicine cabinet more shallow than a Kardashian. 

 

 

 

I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on this room, but I wanted to tackle it before I did any other room because it was the room most worthy of a Cinderella story.  I was the fairy godmother who used items that I had on hand into a ball gown and carriage (OK, total exaggeration, but I did use mostly items that I already had).  So here’s a breakdown of the make over, challenge by challenge.

1.    Window Coverings: Although the windows are unattractive (but being replaced by July according to the management company!), the room is flooded with sunlight, so I didn’t want to cover them completely.  I faced two dilemma’s here – 1. I can’t sew… like, not at all… not even a button, and 2. Because of the window design, I needed a side mounting bracket, which is not the easiest thing to find I have since found out.  The curtains that I bought for the bedroom window required three panels.  Since these curtains are sold in sets of two at IKEA, I had a spare panel left over.  I trimmed the panel to the size of a café curtain and I used the fusion tape that comes with most IKEA drapery to hem them to avoid a sewing disaster.  After several failed attempts at side mounting gear to hang the drapery rod, I found these self-adhesive bad boys on Amazon.com and the worked a treat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.    Walls & baseboard: OK, DAP drywall compound was the actual fairy god mother in this story.  I had a tub of it on hand that I completely used every last drop of on this project, starting on the walls to fill in the lumps & bumps.  Now if you are a home reno enthusiast I strongly recommend viewer discretion at this point, in fact, you may want to stop reading right now.  I realise the proper way to handle the baseboard situation is to remove the board from the entire room and reinstall new.  However, I did some reconstructive surgery that would have made Joan River’s plastic surgeon proud.  I adhered the baseboard to the wall using the drywall compound and then patched the gaps using a layering process.  It took a lot of sanding to make it smooth, and my floors were covered in so much white powder it looked like the bathroom of Studio 54, but the end result was worth the effort.

 

3.    Paint & wallpaper: I love a black & white colour scheme and had been planning on this colour combo for the powder room.  Luckily had loads of Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White and Blackberry paint left over from the kitchen make over, so I used it here.  When I moved in the ceiling paint was peeling pretty badly.  I scraped off most of it, but it still looked pretty bad.  I disguised it with textured wall paper and painted it Benjamin Moore Ashley Grey which I had left over from the hallway.  I do love the wall paper – it gives the room a faux tin ceiling look – but I am not thrilled with the paint colour.  The Ashley Grey looks grey in the hallway, but looks beige in this room.   I think I will be painting over it in the near future.

 

 

Before - the peeling paint dilemma

After- all disguised

4.    Bathroom Fixtures – Once I put the light up after painting, I found that I didn’t detest it at all.  Which is a good thing because the electrical outlet is on the lighting base – and as of yet, I am unable to find an old school replacement.  Plus the shallow medicine cabinet is not so bad either – it actually makes a great storage for nail polish.  I spruced up the rusty pipes under the sink with some CLR and some elbow grease and it looks brand spanking new.

5.    Accessories – It is our ability to accessorize that separates us from the animals.  I picked up the white apple for the window sill (to keep with the NYC theme of the room), the shaggy (yeah baby!) mat, the black & white basket and the black wire table as finishing touches.  As for the abstracts, I have to admit that I totally plagiarised these paintings from a picture of a black and white bathroom that I saw on Pinterest.  I bought some plain canvas and replicated the design myself.   Hope that I don’t get sued for intellectual property rights!

 

 

Kitchen Botox

Happy Friday!

The on-going task of making my aging, tired abode look hip & young continues. I figure that if I can do this to my own looks without looking like mutton dressed as lamb then I should be able to transfer this skill to the world of home decor. 

Luckily the kitchen just needed some cosmetics and accessories. The paint job and drywall patch was like Botox!  It solved all the fine cracks & took years off the appearance & it no longer frowns. 

When it comes to accessories, I'm not ashamed to admit that I have faked it before. Judge me if you will, but I have visited Canal Street in Manhattan to purchase fake Prada bags. So why not fake some accessories in the home?  After unsuccessful attempts at trying to find replacement cupboard handles that I liked and were the right  size, I decided to paint the existing handles. They turned out OK--not a show stopper, but very passable. And to be honest, although I have no qualms about buying shoes that cost the national debt of Bolivia, I have a hard time justifying spending $10 and over per handle when I need 17 on them in a rental unit. 

I used Benjamin Moore Blackberry on the backsplash wall and Benjamin Moore Decorators White on the cupboards.  Pablo somehow heard "cheese" and miraculously appeared out of nowhere.  He likes the idea of a kitchen where he is camouflage.

The two colours make a good contrast. And the handles...not half bad.

On the opposite side, I used Benjamin Moore Dove White on the walls against the Decorators White on the cupboards for some white on rice action.

So all in all--not bad.  I'm a little jealous though because the kitchen is more put together than I have been lately. The drywall patch and paint is not at all flattering on my cuticles. 

A Whiter Shade of Pale

Although the blog posts are slowing down, things have been super busy on the home front.  There have been all sorts of home improvement activities on the go.  The new abode is a bit like me – old, but with some cosmetic touches and some accessories it doesn't look bad.   However, although the abode is slowly starting to look spiffy, my hands have gone to shit.  Manicures have been put on the back burner and my hands and nails have been constantly covered in drywall patch compound and latex paint.

The biggest decision was what colour to paint the living room, dining room and hallway.  I have become a big fan of the whole Swedish/Finish décor trend of the white with black accents colour scheme.  I think that it looks chic, funky and modern.  Plus, picking a nice, crisp white paint is easy-peasy, right?  No, not so much.  There should be a book called “500 Shades of White”.  If you choose something too yellow, it will look like you are living in a jar of mayonnaise.  Then there are pink based whites – which were the colour of the walls when I moved in – and although freshly painted they looked dingy.  I didn’t want a stark white either – you know the kind of white that would look like you were living inside an Osmond family member’s mouth.

After reading umpteen décor blogs and decorating magazine articles, I decided upon White Dove by Benjamin Moore - a nice, soft shade of white that was recommended for complimenting oak coloured floors.  I used Benjamin Moore Ashley Grey on the accent wall - just to mix it up a bit.  Whatcha think?

Before shot - the paint actually had a pink undertone although it doesn't show here

 

After

 

After

As per usual, Pablo likes to lend a paw by brushing against freshly painted walls

So far I have just finished the hallway.  The living room and dining room are still pending.  This old gal sure is slowing down - twenty years ago I would have had it all done in a weekend. 

Happy Easter folks.  Here's a little Procol Harum to get the long weekend rolling.

 

You Light Up My Life

Well, the move happened.  I am settling into my new abode.  I forgot how much work is involved in moving and I am exhausted!  I have a lot more work cut out for me.  Although I lucked out in getting such a large space (hello, you had me at walk-in closet) that is located downtown in a clean, quiet building, it is an old apartment and it does require some cosmetic T.L.C.

First order of business – the dining room light fixture.    The lighting fixture looked like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit all the branches on the way down.  This eyesore lasted a total of 48 hours in my domain. 

I trekked off to IKEA to purchase a fixture that had caught my eye on a previous outing.  Although I am quite a handy chick, when it comes to plumbing and lighting I draw the line.  Luckily The Fella has electrical acumen and lovingly offered to swap out the fixture for me. 

The light fixture came with an extremely long chain - The Fella shortened it for me to hang at an appropriate height.

The Fella - You Light Up My Life

Hmm...could re-purpose this for naughty things....

 A world of difference!

RENT Rant

Yay!  I'm moving! 

In less than two weeks I will be moving from my infamous veal pen in the sky to a way bigger place in a building  not far from where I am currently living.  I am so excited about the extra space and lots of storage.  Currently I have only one storage closet which is always reminds me of the closet in the movie  "Uncle Buck" -- I am terrified to open the door because inevitably a barrage of stuff will come raining down on my head. 

It's not just the space/storage issue, there is also major neighbour issues going on.  To the left is  the neighbour that I affectionately like to call "The Douche Bag" who likes to party until 4am (and I get up for work at 5am).  To the right of me is "The Nutbar", who looks a bit too much like Jamie Crumb (a.k.a. Buffalo Bill) from The Silence of the Lambs for my comfort.   I avoid him at all costs if he is in the hallway because I am afraid he will offer me a choice between a bottle of lotion and a hose.

I have been on the fence about renting vs. owning.  I’ve done both and each option has both pros and cons.  Owing a house is not for me.   The constant exterior care such as shovelling snow and mowing the lawn does not fit with my lifestyle.  There are also unexpected issues such as basement floods, sewage backups, roofing repairs/replacement, etc.  Been there, done that.  No more thanks.

As for condos, the fees are utterly ridiculous.  Starting at $350 per month if you are lucky (on top of your mortgage and taxes) they only cover the very basic of maintenance.  If any major building repairs are required, the invoice is divided and split amongst the condo owners.  There is also the issue of dealing with a condo board – which is comprised of owners in the building who are not property management professionals, who you have to seek approval from to do any sort of renovation.  The newer buildings also have what I refer to as  Stepford Syndrome – your exterior views must be uniform to the other units—therefore your choice of window coverings, etc. are dictated to you.  Sorry, I really don’t want someone dictating how my place should look.

For me, at this point in my life, renting makes more sense.  There is a definite snobbery when it comes to renters.   A home is what you make it.  Owning property does not make you a home – it just makes you a property owner. And there are plenty of condo and house owners who are douche bags like my neighbour – at least I will not be stuck living somewhere until I am able to sell the property.

Over the next year I will be blogging about the cosmetic DIY projects that I have planned for the new place complete with before and after pics.   Look out Home Depot, Rona, Lowes and IKEA.  Here I come!   Stay tuned!

                                     This is why I don't currently bowl.