Mitchell garden revisited
If you recall, last year misterarthur and I finally got around the sprucing up the side of our house, which had become a gravel pit (that reminded me of a kitty litter box). You can read the first exciting episode here.
Here are the before and after photos taken last year before and after we planted several Variegated Willow trees in said gravel pit. To read the second exciting episode, follow this link.
Our little trees have now grown and are well on their way to becoming a beautiful all?©e.
What a difference a year makes. We bought these at Detroit’s Eastern Market – the place to go for all kinds of plants at great prices. Be sure to go early on Saturday to get the best choices.
Later this week I’ll post some photos of our neighbor’s roses. He’s got a golden green thumb that even Mr. Pigglesworth would admire.
DIY project: Covering an ugly brick fireplace surround with metal
Design Hole reader, Elisa, sent me photos of a terrific project she and her husband did themselves. They covered their brick fireplace with sheets of steel. I asked her how she did it. Here’s her story.
Creating a metal fireplace surround
We first got the idea to cover our brick fireplace from a design magazine years back. This was a stainless steel fireplace with a curved design. So we went to Supermarche du Metal, in Lachine, Quebec City, to see what they had. The bottom line was we couldn’t afford to copy the exact design. It was waaay too expensive.
Before: boring brick and a tired brass firescreen
Then, we saw they had sheets of the polished gridplate that was in our budget. We bought two sheets and the very nice man from Supermarche directed us to a place where a guy could bend the corners. Luckily, we had exact measurements. We had the two sheets bent and delivered to our home.
The two metal sheets meet in the middle
We screwed the metal sheets into the brick with small screws on the side and middle. You can barely see the screws. If we ever get bored with it, it can easy be removed. We also sprayed the brass fireplace doors using heat resistant black paint to give it a more modern look.
Elisa did an excellent job, don’t you think? The end result looks very professional. Having perfect measurements is the key to a job well done. Thanks for sharing this with us Elisa!
If you’re interested in ordering sheet metal online, try McNichols.
Do you have a DIY project you’re proud of? Send me the photos via the “contact” link.
Before and After: from Rejuvenation
I’m fairly impressed at the high aesthetics of the entries in Rejuvenation’s current contest. They’re asking everyone to vote for their favorite. This is mine.
The couple bought this bungalow after it had been a rental for ten years. That was brave. Fortunately, most of the molding was still intact.
I think the 2 things that make this room so beautiful are (a) the lighting detail over the mantel, and (b) the historic green color teamed with the dark brown trim. Well done Julio!
Scoot over to Rejuvenation and vote. Get some styling ideas while you’re at it.
(Contests seem to be everywhere all of a sudden, don’t they?)
Before & After: Chum Bucket, part two
Did you read yesterday’s installment of my beach house transformation? If not, click here to get up to speed on the project.
Today, we’re taking a look at the bedrooms. There really isn’t a whole lot to say about the before photos, except, “Huh“? Maybe, “Egads” or “Eeek“?
We painted the entire house light blue using Sherwin Williams’ satin oil-based paint. Love the art on the easel thing! Fail. Toss.
We bought new blinds from Lowe’s. Cheap! The art in every room is from IKEA.
The house needed a king-sized bed to attract more renters. I chose IKEA’s Hemnes bed. We still need to change out the bedside chests. But I can’t decide whether to paint them or chuck them. Suggestions?
The chairs came from our basement. I had new cushions and pillows made. I know the plant is “eeeew.” But I’m cheap and can’t find any fake plants in my price range. Suggestions?
I love this mirror (from Lowe’s – cheap!). I hate those blinds. I’ll change them out to curtains next year.
See the other bedrooms and bath after the jump. Read More…
Before & After: Chum Bucket, part one
Often, when you buy a beach house, you don’t just buy the house. You get everything inside – whether you want it or not. This was the case when we purchased Chum Bucket a few years ago.
Over the next few days, I’ll show you the wonderful transformation of our rental home on Sunset Beach, NC.
Did we buy a cabin in the woods or a beach house? Did someone say, “dumpster“? Almost all the existing furniture went to Habitat for Humanity.
I started this project with a new space plan, and fresh “bones”.¬† New “wenge wood” floors (covered with an Olefin, “sisal” rug) and light blue satin paint let the sunshine in. The pillows on the sofa reflect the color palette – navy blue, turquoise, white and a touch of red.
Too bad I took this photo after taking down the “artwork” hung on the door. I moved the dining area to the right, so we could access the closet, and painted the door the same as the walls, so it blends in. The backs of the bookcases were painted blue to match the color scheme.
The new space plan allows for a main traffic path, seating for ten at the table, and storage.
A beach house should be light, breezy and fun. Not creepy, right? I harvested the sunlight by using reflective surfaces and using a satin paint finish. The painting is by Daniel Stewart.
More photos, info. and resources after the jump. Read More…
