Thriftstore Finds: Laundry Room Cabinets

Man did I catch a deal. I had been looking for something to replace my laundry room cabinets. I had moved my base cabinet around several times and eventually it fell apart. I first visited the Habitat Restore where you can almost always find good quality used cabinets but often you would have to buy the whole set. I really only needed one replacement base cabinet but would be open to replacing all of them if I found a good enough deal. After several attempts I could not find anything I liked and thought I may just have to pay a little more. 

After not finding what I needed I decided to go to the local Menard's store to get some nice inexpensive cabinets. I  had purchased some previously for my moms house and they turned out pretty nice so I thought this would be a good place to start. I priced them out and to replace all the cabinets would cost about $700. I did not want to pay this much because it is just a laundry room but frankly I was tired of looking. 

After several unsuccessful trips to Habitat and really just being tired of seeing everything I had stored in the broken cabinet sitting on the floor I decided to go ahead and buy the Menard's cabinets. I set out on Saturday afternoon to purchase the cabinets but thought I would take one more stab at Habitat and boy I'm glad I did. 

Habitat was having  a huge sale. All kitchen cabinets were $5 each! Cough cough, choke choke, say what?? I rushed to the back hoping against hope that I would find something, anything close to what I needed and low and behold I found these.

They were at least as good if not better than what I had. I didn't know if they would fit but I had a pretty good idea they would. Frankly even if they didn't I would make them fit. Besides if it was a lost cause I would only be out $5. As soon as I saw them I ripped off the tags and ran up front to pay. OK, I didn't exactly run but I did hurry. I told the cashier I wanted the three cabinets. She rang them up, tagged them SOLD so finally I could relax. Needless to say there were a bunch of people looking at cabinets so I wanted to get mine immediately.  

I still cannot believe I got 3 cabinets for $15.00. That's what you call a steal. My next challenge is to find a counter top. The base cabinet is smaller than what was here before so I will need to find a new one. Hopefully I can get another great deal. Back to Habitat next week.

Cheers!

Barbara

Freshen Up the Kitchen on a Tiny Budget

It's time to freshen up my kitchen. It's not a bad kitchen just kind of ordinary. It's a little scuzzy like most kitchens I imagine so it could use a really good cleaning. I was going to move a couple of years ago and wanted the kitchen to be pretty neutral so I painted the walls this warm gray which honestly I am quite happy with. I don't want to start replacing counter tops and moving walls. It just needs a little pick me up to make it more cheery. 

I have a tendency to get bored with colors after a while and don't want to have to paint my kitchen repeatedly so I am going to leave the walls neutral. I want new curtains, dish towels, accessories, a piece of art or a clock for the only large wall in the room. 

The storage closet still has the original door and it is in good shape but that dark wood has got to go. Since it is a special size it will be cheaper to paint than to buy new so I'll paint it and replace the knob. I think I may replace the paneling on this large wall and possibly replace the ceiling fan.

Also I have to show you this issue. Oh my goodness I am so embarrassed. I've tiled my kitchen twice in my 17 years here and each time this happens because of a sag in the floor. 

We've tried shoring up the floor underneath the house and putting thick plywood down before tiling and it's not working. I finally remembered that when I bought the house the kitchen had sheet vinyl and that was why the floor tile breaking up was not a problem. I don't want to take the chance of this happening again so what I want to do is put vinyl tile down. Vinyl has come such a long way that I think it can be quite beautiful with a lot less trouble. It's an expense I am not ready to have right now so for the time being good old area rugs will do.

I have long term plans for the kitchen as well that I may tackle next year. I'd love new counter tops as this Corian counter gets so dingy and is hard to clean. Also I hate this half sink and would love to have more counter space. My kitchen is too small for an island but I am hoping I can get a peninsula.

They last thing to look at and something I need help with is this kitchen table. It is a solid wood oak table that is one of my favorite thrift store finds but as you can see the color is way wrong. It needs to be updated to match the room which means either paint or stain. 

My other option is to use my moms old table which i absolutely love.

Mom and I use to sit around it looking at all the different shaped stones to see what we could find that resembled something else like a fish or a dog. The top is resin so it's super durable and has lasted for at least 40 years. The only thing it needs is a touch up on the legs which will be simple to do. Other than that it is in perfect shape. I cannot decide whether to keep the stone table or stain the wood one. Either way I am keeping the stone table until I can find another use for it. The wooden table is not so easy to store away so it's use it or lose it. 

So that's the plan. I don't want to spend more than a few hundred dollars so I have to be frugal and shop at home first and then look for some deals. Time to get a move on.

Cheers!.

B.

my Home in color: Olive Green

What do you do when you are a colorphobe but want to add a little spice to your decor? Accessorize with an unexpected color like olive green. This rich color looks terrific paired with light oaks and golden accent pieces. Picture  a painted olive hutch or coffee table in the living room or a pair of nightstands with shiny gold hardware in the bedroom. 

My favorite pairing by far is with anything white like a marble counter top for the kitchen or as an accent color in a bathroom with white fixtures. If using it for anything permanent like accent wall tile scares your consider using it for bedroom linens or pillows. Here are a few pieces to inspire you.  

Olive Green by myhomeintheheights featuring a tufted chair

Universal Lighting and Decor green lamp 
Green table lamp 
Cole Son tree wallpaper 
Green accent pillow 
Flower stem 
Green vase 
Corona Decor rectangle throw pillow 
Olive green throw pillow 
Glass mirror 
Pier 1 Imports green couch 
Dot Bo tufted chair

Blush

Pink can be a color that is difficult to love. You may not be a pink person but what about Blush. Blush is on one of the loveliest color trends in recent years. This is not the bubblegum pink a little girl might like on her bedroom walls. Blush is more of a subtle pale pink color with a beautiful soft warm glow. It pares up well with warm metals like gold and copper and is a great compliment to both dark and light wood tones. If you are too shy to use it on the walls, like I am, try just a few accessories like a table tray, a decorative bowl or a vase. Or go a little bolder and find a couple of nice lamps and paint them blush. You're always safe with putting a couple of decorative pillows on your bed or sofa. If you want to be more daring, hang a pair of blush velvet curtains in your bedroom or even the living room. In small doses this elegant color can bring style to any room. Check out these options for your home.  

1. Dove Mill owl lamp

2. The Little Market blush tray

3. abc carpet & home Tolix chair

4. Horchow tufted sofa

5. Amazon.com

 6. Overstock.com

7. Fabric.com

8. abc carpet & home swivel chair

9. Lamps Plus glass ceiling light 

10. Fabric.com

Inspirational Winter Decor

It took some time but I finally put away all the Christmas and holiday decorations. Now that it's done I looked around my house and my first thought was glad that’s done. My second thought was, now what? It’s easy to forget that although the holiday season is over winter has only just begun. We have at least three long months of cold snowy weather to get through and if you live in the Midwest it could be even longer. 

It gets a little chilly on the main floor in my home so I want to at least make it look warm and cozy by adding a few throw blankets and fluffy pillows. Add a cup of coffee and the latest issues of my decor magazine and all that's left is to curl up on the sofa and stay warm because it's way to cold to go out. 

I checked out my favorite stores and websites like Z Gallerie and Target to get inspired. My brother told me I am into shabby chic because I have a lot of white furniture. I don't think that is quite accurate but I do like a clean, simple look with neutrals and lots of texture. Here are some pieces that I took a fancy to.

1. Z Gallerie candles
2. Deco 79 basket
3. Z Gallerie throw
4. Target pillow
5. Target throw
6. Target throw
7. Z Gallerie pillow
8. Overstock.com candle holder

Before I go making any new purchases I'll take a look around the house and see what I already own and what I can reuse. I'll even take a trip over to the thrift store because I am sure to find something I can use for $1 or $2. It's getting cold and I fear the roads will get icy so off to the stores I go before it's too late.

How did you cozy up your home for winter?

B.

Decorating for Christmas

I so look forward to decorating the house for Christmas. I get to be creative and change up the scenery and just enjoy being festive and generous with loved ones. So this weekend I put up my Christmas decorations, set a pretty table and of course put up the Christmas tree. I still need to put up my wreaths so I'll work on that next. It can be hard work so I just need a little breather. 

I didn't want to spend too much money so I took a look around the house to see what I could re-purpose and only bought a few new ornaments. Instead of purchasing a new tablecloth or table runner I re-purposed some old curtains. Remember fabric is fabric. Shower curtains, drapes, tablecloths and cloth napkins all started out as just yards of fabric.  

I've held on to these ivory curtains for several years. I no longer wanted them for curtains but knew eventually I would find a use for the fabric. They have a velvety texture with a shadow stripe and were the perfect length and width for a table runner. Sorry about the shadows in my photographs. I have very poor lighting in my house and this time of year we don't get much sunshine. Note to self. Read up on how to eliminate unwanted shadows.

Anyway, to make it even more colorful and festive I layered it with a light blue table runner I already owned. Talk about a no sew project. 

To finish off the table I added some branches to a glass vase surrounded by some aqua potpourri 

and hung a few glittery bulbs on the branches. 

 The final touch was to add my DIY napkins.

How are you decorating your home this year.

Happy Holidays!!


Barbara

DIY Napkins and Napkin Rings

For the holidays it's fun to set a pretty table complete with good china, pretty napkins and rings and a lovely table cloth. In our house we mainly use the kitchen table for meals and only use the dinning room for holidays and parties. I don't like to spend a lot of money on items that are seldom used so I thought why buy when they are so easy to make. These napkin rings and napkins require no sewing and can be made mostly with what you probably already own. For this easy project all you need are:

1 empty paper towel or wrapping paper roll 

1 1/4 yard of fabric
Burlap or burlap roll
6 buttons
Twine, raffia or yarn
Hot glue gun

I had this cool herringbone pattern in my fabric stash and thought about using it. I wanted something that had a little more color and decided to use this blue fabric instead. The burlap roll and raffia I found at JoAnn's.

Last year I bought several packages of mismatch buttons. My hope was that there would be enough duplicates to use for a project. I wanted to make six napkin rings and fortunately I had enough of these pretty iridescent shell buttons.

 .  

To make the napkin rings, measure and cut the paper towel roll into 6 equal pieces and cut 6 strips of the burlap tape that are 7" long. Using your hot glue gun, attach one end of the burlap tape to the roll. Next wrap the burlap around the roll and secure it by adding a few more drops of glue. 

To add some color  wrap the raffia or yarn a few times around the burlap tube. If the holes on your buttons are too small to thread the raffia or yarn you can wrap it around the tube first and then glue the button on top.                                                                                                                               

For the fringe napkins I cut the fabric into six 12” squares. To make the fringe I pulled about 1/4" width of thread. It you want it a little wider you can pull more but do it a thread at a time. Remember, once you pull it off you can't put it back so start out with 1/4". 

Lastly, fold the napkin and insert it into the napkin ring. That's all there is to it and yes it is that easy. 

If you have DIY napkins or napkin rings I would love to see them and hope you will share your ideas.

Happy holidays and enjoy your day.

B.