House of Hydrangeas

I'm happy to share with you that the kitchen now has curtains!  I mentioned getting some blue ones in a previous post, but since then, my mom purchased a rug for the work space area in the kitchen that is full of browns, greens and reds.  So blue was out and brown was in.  (Please ignore the dust on the table.  Clearly we still need to do some cleanup from sanding the walls). I think the curtains add some much needed dimension to the room (hooray for patterns!).  I also like the addition of the drop leaf table under the window, and can't wait to style it.  (The silhouette painting is a separate project I'm working on for someone else, but I had it up there to dry.) Now all we need is some artwork for the walls, a newly stained/painted table and new chairs. We're on our way to a wonderful new space! And just because I love before and afters...let's look at the transformation as of now...

The kitchen paint is finally up! I finished it a couple of days ago, but just got around to taking pictures last night. Here it is in all of it's non-floral wallpaper glory: Paint color: Desert Fortress by Valspar Here are some comparisons from between the before and after. Before After   And here's another view: As you can see, several other things, aside from the wallpaper, have been removed.  The print on the right wall and mirror that was on the left are both gone.  I'm not sure if the candle holders will return or not.  Also, the beverage cart will be moved into the dining room.   I've added a drop leaf table under the window since shooting these shots. There are still several other things to complete on the to do list before this room will be finished but at least the hardest part is done!  Up next: refinishing the table and chairs, adding curtains and artwork, and adding accessories to the tables. We'll see ...

Last week my mom and I picked out the paint color for the kitchen. The color we decided on is called Desert Fortress by Valspar. This is what it looked like in Valspar's online Color Selector tool.  It's in the orange neutral collection, and I think it will work really well with my mom's dark wood floors.  We also purchased a primer that we got tinted in the same color.  So hopefully we'll only need one coat of paint. I've also been looking for curtains for the space, and these are the ones I'm leaning towards at the moment. I love the pinch pleat, and I think the color will add a little life to the space (contrasting the beige walls and dark brown floors).  Time will tell if there are actually the ones I pick, but for now, the price (and the look) is right! Hopefully I'll begin priming the walls tomorrow.  I'm so ready for this room to be complete! On another note, I ordered our Christmas cards this past weekend.  I know it's early, but I h...

The painting is all done in the entry and halls! I need to do a new coat of paint on the trim and crown molding, but I'll save that for next week. For now, I'd just like to marvel on the finished walls. Here are the final pictures of the newly painted walls called Weathered Wood by Valspar. And here's one more before and after look (sorry I forgot to take several before shots-look in the top corner to see the most accurate color). Before After Have a great weekend!  I'll be back next week with more updates and the paint color for the kitchen!

With Mer's shower behind me, and a good head start on the next one I'm helping host, there is more time to get back to updating rooms in my mom's house. As you may remember, the wallpaper removal for the kitchen began in July . Three months later we're finally getting around to the fixing the drywall holes created from the wallpaper that was installed right on top of the drywall.  Jon has been SUCH a big help in the process.  I'm not sure what progress we'd have without him.  He did the initial sanding and patching of holes last night and has been applying the first skim coat today. The difference in the "before" and the "now" is such a delight to my eyes. Here is the before (excuse the mess...this is before the wood floors were put in): And here is the current "after."  The floral oasis is gone!  Jon will have to add one more skim coat on the right wall tomorrow, and then we'll be ready to prime and paint.   I can't ...