My Home in the Heights

Friday, September 7, 2012

Roxies's Friday Quotes

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”

-Dr. Suess

Have a great weekend!

Autumn is Almost Here

Summer is almost over and for my money it's never too early to think about Fall. Autumn is my favorite time of year. Most people that know me will tell you that Summer is not my favorite season, but Fall, that's the ticket. I love the cooler temperature, the crispness in the air and am exhilarated seeing the leaves change to all those beautiful colors like rust, brown, orange and burgundy. The traditional way to decorate for fall is to create centerpieces or floral arrangements using a variety of gourds and dried leaves. Maybe this is a good year to incorporate something more substantial like an amber bowl, glasses or a lamp. You can also go softer with a throw blanket or make a couple of pillows with an amber colored fabric. I have a few amber colored pieces but want to add something special to the mix. Here are a few amber pieces to give you some inspiration.

National Mosaic Supply

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Thriftstore Thursday - 9.6.12

Here is the latest treasure trove from the local thriftstore. They were having another 25% off accessories sale so I picked up a few things. All of these items totaled less than $10. They just needed a bit of cleaning up.

I also found these two metal bowls. I think would look great on a table but would they be better silver?

I also found this large pink picture. This is a big oops. Trust me, it was bright pink, kind of like Pepto Bismol, but I painted it before I shot it.

I have plans for these pieces but I haven't quite figured out how to make it happen so I can't share what I want to do with them just yet. Need to give it a little more thought.

Stay tuned.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Painting The White Door White

"Say What"? That is probably what you are thinking but let me explain. The cabinet doors for my bathroom had these silly little square pieces of Corian in the corners. The color matched the decor but when I removed the Corian countertop it didn't make sense to keep the chips any more so I removed them. I always thought they looked like a cheesy afterthought anyway. Unfortunately they didn't peel off easily and since the door is not wood it just took the top layer of the paper off.

No biggie and nothing that a little drywall compound can't fix.

To start I took the doors of the hinges and laid them flat so they would be easier to work with. I removed all the hardware and cleaned the doors with a little soap and water.

Next I used a scraper to spread the compound in the corners and smoothed it out. It wasn't necessary to do the whole door. If you want you can also use spackle. The idea is to make it an even surface otherwise no matter how much you paint you are always going to see where the paper peeled.

After letting it dry for 24 hours I sanded it down so it was nice and even.

Whether you are working with drywall compound or spackle, let it dry thoroughly before trying to sand it. After sanding and before painting use a cloth or an old sock to wipe off all the dust.

Next I sprayed the doors with white spray primer and two coats of white paint letting the paint dry thoroughly between coats. One tip: Let the doors dry for a full day so it has time to harden. The paint may be dry to the touch but if you pick up the door it will leave fingerprints and then it's back to the drawing board.

Last step is to replace the hardware. The pulls on these cabinet doors are made of nickel and are very heavy. I thought about replacing them with something more plain and streamlined but for now these are more than fine.

That's all there was to it. This looks so much better don't you think.

To be honest I was a little concerned after I ripped off the Corian chips. I thought about replacing the doors but this worked out fine and I'm very happy with how they turned out.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Fun in the Kitchen

Just because you have a neutral kitchen doesn't mean everything has to be beige, white or stainless steel. Today both large and small appliances come in all sorts of bright cheerful non-neutral colors. I am not quite ready to invest my hard earned money on a blue stove that I may tire of after a year but I'd love to bake with a Turquoise mixer. My beloved Chock Full O' Nuts might be tastier brewed in a Magenta coffeemaker. Who wouldn't love a racy red toaster. There's nothing wrong with loving neutrals but we all could stand to embrace a little color from time to time. I'm ready to do some work on my kitchen and I think I may have to treat myself to one of these cuties. It's sure to be a conversation starter.