Tag Archives: makeover

Farmhouse Kitchen Reveal

Hello! Happy start of a brand new week! I’m very excited to finally be sharing the reveal of my farmhouse kitchen makeover. I have a lot to show you so I’m going to break it down into 2 or 3 posts to avoid photo overload.

Here we go!

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And after…
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The first thing we did was give it a fresh coat of paint. We used Benjamin Moore Crystalline, the same color we used in the breakfast nook.

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While my husband painted I got busy on my window treatments.

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Fifteen years ago when we replaced our tiny little kitchen window with this huge window, I was unwilling to cover the view at all. So I have not had any window treatments on it for all that time. The problem is, the window faces west and just about time to prepare dinner the sun is at its brightest / hottest. After pondering what to do to add softness to the window and provide protection from the sun, while not obstructing the view I finally came up with a solution I love.

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I wanted something that I could take down completely rather than just push aside. I also wanted to add some rustic elements to the window. Step one was to focus on the center portion of the window. My husband and I stripped the green paint off two big window screens that just happened to fit perfectly in my two windows (one had to have some slight tweaking to the size.) Then I added old hooks from which I would hang fabric that I tea stained.

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I can easily hang them at that time of day when the sun is an annoyance, as well as at night if I want privacy. The rest of the time I can hang them on a vintage coat tree in the corner where I keep a few aprons.

Once that issue was solved I started thinking about making Roman shades for the two smaller windows that flank the larger one. I found a great tutorial on making faux relaxed Roman shades using vinyl roller shades as the base. I knew I wanted a grain sack look so once again I tea stained some fabric and then painted on the stripes using painters tape to create straight lines in the widths I wanted them to be.

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I can roll them up as high as I want and pull them down to the bottom when I want complete coverage.

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I’m so happy with my new window treatments!

The other window in the kitchen / breakfast nook had the same story, so I used the second stripped window frame with added hooks to create a similar look.

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And when I don’t need the fabric up I love the bare rustic wood frame propped in the window.

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Here’s what it looked like before:
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Just a few more shots before I conclude part one of my kitchen makeover.

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I’ll soon be replacing these glass baby boos with the real thing from my garden.

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I thought I’d show you the view from my desk since that is the next area of my home I will reveal in a couple of weeks.
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This is what I’m looking at as I write you each week.

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In part two I’ll show you the other side of the kitchen and some more DIY projects and vignettes.

Thank you so much for allowing me to show you around my kitchen!

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Linking with: Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson,The Scoop, Mod Vintage Life, Between Naps on the Porch, From My Front Porch to Yours, Cozy Little House, A Stroll Thru LifeIvy and Elephants, Common Ground, Shabby Art Boutique, French Country Cottage, Amaze Me Monday , VMG206, That DIY Party, Funky Junk Interiors

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2015 Home Goals: First (Tiny) Reveal

So way back in January I posted a list of my 2015 DIY Home Goals. I am happy to say that there has been some progress made with some of them but not to the point of showing much on here yet.

I will always be eclectic in my taste and make no apology for it. But my aesthetic includes cohesiveness. There’s eclectic and then there’s hodge podgey. My current decor is a mix of French farmhouse, granny’s house, a bit of traditional and a little shabby chic thrown in. I want my new look to be predominantly rustic farmhouse with a lot more natural elements, a touch of contemporary and OF COURSE some French flair.

With redecorating one thing always leads to another so wouldn’t you know it, my list has grown instead of shrunk! In keeping with the rustic farmhouse design, I have several pieces of furniture that are in line for a makeover. I can count five right off the top of my head. I am excited to show you the first one in its pre-makeover state.

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This double seat school desk dated 1899 sits in our breakfast nook. I have never been at all excited about the dark finish on it.

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Paired with the other woods from the oak table and mix of chairs, cohesive is not a word that could be used to describe the space. The solution began with a good sanding.

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Working together, my husband and I sanded it down to the bare wood. I had planned on giving it a white or gray wash but decided I love it just the way it is. So after it gets a clear matte coat of sealer on the wood to protect it and on the cast iron to give it a cleaner look it will be ready for its new environment. I promise to show you the whole new nook a bit later in another post.

As for introducing more natural elements into my decor, this pile of helicopters will soon become a piece of art for my walls.

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Thank you for stopping by. Do come again!

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