PAINTING CABINETS WITH GEL STAIN & A REMODEL OF RUEBEN'S MASTER BATH

PAINTNG CABINETS WITH GEL STAIN & A REMODEL OF RUEBEN'S MASTER BATH

A few years ago, Carrie and Rueben asked me to paint their pickled oak wood guest bath and powder room cabinets to a darker stained finish.  Rueben liked the finish so much that he asked me to do the same technique on his cabinets in his master bath.  Recently, he was remodeling his master bath with new tile, flooring, glass shower enclosure and new granite counter tops.  He thought the stained cabinets would be the finishing touch to his new decor.

All of the colors blend so well and look so nice.  Everything looks "finer", now.

The large mirror did not have a frame, so he had someone make one.  All of that mitering is not easy.  At least, not easy for me!

New frame pieces.  Look at that mitering job.
I can't get over how well the miters match.

Picture of pickled oak cabinets "before".  And, new mirror frame.
I used a gel stain for the cabinet finish.
Gel stains can be used on an already painted or sealed surface.
Thank you, Rueben!

KELLY'S NEWLY REMODELED & NEWLY PAINTED POWDER ROOM & HALL BATH

KELLY'S NEWLY REMODELED & NEWLY PAINTED POWDER ROOM & HALL BATH

Kelly remodeled her hall bath and powder room.
She asked me to paint the cabinets, walls, ceiling and woodwork trim.
I like that she wanted white ceilings with the gray walls.

She got new granite counter tops, new flooring, new everything.

A carpenter built new cabinets for both rooms.

This is Buffy.  Sweet doggie.  The whole time I was painting she slept in the hallway nearby.

The tile people installed two new transition pieces between new tile and existing wood flooring.
They were unfinished.  I used two different gel stains to match the existing wood.
Then, sealed with three coats of clear sealer.

This is how the hall bath and powder room looked "before".  Really dark colors.
Kelly was ready for changes to a lighter decor.
Mirrors were changed to stainless silver frames.
Looks so nice now with all of the different shades of gray and white ceilings and white trim.

AN EXCITING NEW & MODERN LAUNDRY ROOM FOR MY CLIENT ~ PAINTING & REMODELING

AN EXCITING NEW & MODERN LAUNDRY ROOM FOR MY CLIENT ~ PAINTING & REMODELING

My client wanted to remodel her laundry room.  She asked me to paint her cabinets, walls and ceiling.  The darker color in this picture is the actual color I painted on the cabinets.  The light from the window is playing tricks with the new paint colors.

She added new granite counter tops and flooring.  A newly built cabinet is on the left of this picture by the sink.  It goes all the way to the ceiling.  To make the cabinets look consistent, she had her carpenter add new panels above the existing cabinets.  (picture below) 

The overall look is so nice, now.  One of my favorite things is the new enclosure and granite top added over her washer and dryer.  Before, the washer and dryer were free standing.  Her carpenter building and adding this enclosure gives my client more flat surface for folding clothes, etc.  

These two are new cabinets.  I think they were just doors and cabinet, before.  These new enclosures are room for tall clothes hampers.

New tile flooring.  I love her new floor!

New light fixture with a fan in it.  

On the left is the newly built cabinet that goes all the way to the ceiling.

This pictures shows you the new panels the carpenter built and installed so the cabinets would be consistently tall to the ceiling.  It makes the whole room look better.

Me painting the new upper panels and trim.

I forgot to take a picture of "before".  This is a wonderful laundry room re-do with lots more cabinet/storage space and it is really beautifully decorated.

HAYLEY REDECORATING LITTLE GIRL BEDROOM ~ PAINTING A WOOD WALL & NATURE BABY WALLPAPER

HAYLEY REDECORATING LITTLE GIRL BEDROOM ~ PAINTING A WOOD WALL & NATURE BABY WALLPAPER

Hayley was redecorating June's bedroom and found this wonderful wallpaper.

Isn't it the sweetest!

The one wall had very dark boards that were glued on.
 She asked me to paint the boards to match the other pink walls.
I painted on and wiped off with a rag, making the color uneven.
Hayley liked it.

Love the wallpaper!

UPDATING HAYLEY'S STAIRWELL FROM VERTICAL WHITE SPINDLES TO PAINTED BLACK HORIZONTAL IRON RODS

UPDATING HAYLEY'S STAIRWELL FROM VERTICAL  WHITE SPINDLES TO PAINTED BLACK HORIZONTAL IRON RODS

Hayley has such good ideas for decorating her home.
She wanted something different for her stairwell.
It had white spindles, oak handrails and finials on the posts.  (picture below)

She wanted a horizontal design, so she asked her carpenter to remove the existing wooden vertical white spindles and install these iron rods.

Doesn't it look wonderful, now!!

Hayley asked the carpenter to remove the finials.

Then, she asked me to paint the new iron rods, oak handrail and top of posts to black.
To get any oil residue off of the new, unpainted iron rods the paint store told me to use alcohol with a rag and clean them really well before painting.

Hayley is very happy with her new look.  I think it looks great, too!

The carpenter removed the vertical spindles then he drilled alllll of those square holes for the new iron pieces.  That was a lot of measuring, leveling and drilling.  He did a great job.

"Before" looked nice, but it's updated and young again.

REPAIRING A WINDOW MURAL FOR THE PINEAPPLE SCHOOL (TOTAL IMMERSION SPANISH LANGUAGE)

REPAIRING A WINDOW MURAL FOR THE PINEAPPLE SCHOOL (TOTAL IMMERSION SPANISH LANGUAGE)

The Pineapple School is for babies and preschool age children.  This school is "total immersion spanish language" spoken to the children.  Almost five years ago when they were building their first school, they asked me to paint several colorful mini murals.
They wanted this large area to look like a patio.

Recently, they called me and said they had some minor damage on one of the murals and had to paint over part of it and could I come repair it.  I always try to remember to keep a file and write down all of the colors I use.  Thank goodness I had all the colors in my file for this job.

Last week, I went by to get started.  While I was working, several of the children around 4 years old came over and in spanish were asking me what I was doing.  I answered in english and they immediately switched over to speaking perfect english.  I was amazed that they could switch and speak perfect english as fast as they were speaking spanish.  One of the teachers told me it was so easy for kids of this age and, usually, could be speaking spanish in a two week period.

I was sooo impressed with these children!

What a great concept for teaching!! 

This is one window I drew and painted.

My client wanted RED geraniums.

Another window across the room.

They wanted me to draw and paint a door.

I textured with mud and faux painted this arch yellow.

This is the window mural that was damaged on the right side. So, with tracing paper I traced the good side of the window frame, turned the paper over and using graphite paper re-drew and painted the side that had been painted over/damaged.  That was a lot easier than having to start over to measure and draw again.  Also, the repair guys were very careful and only painted out the frame.  I noticed they very carefully painted around the geranium sitting in the window.  I appreciated that.

Getting started I had to measure a lot and then draw and paint.

Original post:  5/4/2015

HAND PAINTING TOY SOLDIERS ON A LITTLE BOY'S FURNITURE

HAND PAINTING TOY SOLDIERS ON A LITTLE BOY'S FURNITURE

My client had an old chest of drawers and asked me if I could paint it for her little boy's room.

She said he loved toy soldiers.

She was decorating his room with red white and blue, so those are the colors 

I used for the artwork.  The toy soldiers are guarding the castle.

Her little boy was very happy with his toy soldiers.

And, I had fun painting the furniture for him.

The chest of drawers "before".

There were handles and knobs missing. so I painted wooden ones to match.

Original post 4/26/2015.

PAINTING SUSAN'S ORANGE/TAN OAK DINING CHAIRS & CHINA CABINET TO A BLACK DISTRESSED FINISH

PAINTING SUSAN'S ORANGE/TAN OAK DINING CHAIRS & CHINA CABINET TO A BLACK DISTRESSED FINISH

Susan was moving into a new home and making lots of changes in her colors and decor.  Her very nice, older "orange/tan oak" dining set was not going to work.  So, she asked me to paint the chairs and china cabinet to a black and a little bit distressed technique.

My house is small, so when I have big furniture to paint I have to move things around in my living room and dining room to make room for it.  Then, it is sooo nice when everything has been picked up and I get my house back in order.

So many clients ask me to paint their older brown stained or lighter furniture.  Many times they want it to be painted black.  It always looks so nice, updated and like new again.  Susan is going to put her collection of blue and white dishes in her new black china cabinet.
Won't that be stunning!!

Susan only wanted the edges distressed.  The design on these chairs was so beautiful and looked really great after painted black.

Waiting to be picked up.  These chairs were soooo heavy!!

Looks much better, now.

"Before"

Thank you, Susan, Marsha and Kara.

PAINTING VERONICA'S KITCHEN ISLAND & WINE CABINET TO A BLACK DISTRESSED FINISH & HER NEW BLACK & COPPER STOVE VENT HOOD

PAINTING VERONICA'S KITCHEN ISLAND & WINE CABINET TO A BLACK DISTRESSED FINISH & HER NEW BLACK & COPPER STOVE VENT HOOD

Veronica has a very large kitchen that is open to a very large great room.

As beautiful as it was, she thought there was too much brown and beige. 

She thought some black accents would break up all of that brown and beige.

She asked me to paint her kitchen island and her wall wine cabinet.  

I painted some samples for her and this is the one she chose.

Painted black and distressed the edges.

UPDATE:  VERONICA'S NEW STOVE VENT HOOD

Isn't that beautiful!! 

I got to go back to Veronica's to paint some new cornices that were built for her kitchen.  These pictures are her new kitchen design job completed.  

Her wine cabinet after I painted it.  Wow!  Love the dramatic lighting.  (I lightly distressed this cabinet, but it doesn't show in this picture.)

These are the wood cornices that were built for her kitchen windows.  I painted them the same black as the island and wine cabinet.  Then I painted metallic copper in the middle.  After the metallic copper paint dried the carpenter attached custom wrought iron pieces that fit over the copper.

BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POST:

Her wine cabinet was open and did not have doors.  She had new doors made and added glass to them.  Also, she added lights inside so you could see the wine.

I painted the inside of the wine cabinet black and more distressed than the outside.

This is Joe Henry working on her new tile.  He is a contractor and has his own company.  He does beautiful work!

Her vent-a-hood was very large and stained wood like the rest of her cabinets.  She asked me to paint some black on it to see what that would look like.  But, she had her heart set on a huge round black metal one with copper bands.  So she said she would just wait for that to be ordered.  She even invited me to come back and take pictures!  That, I will certainly do and share the pictures with you.

There was a lot of construction, so lots of dust.  See the orbs?

I really enjoyed working with Veronica.

Maybe I'll get to work with her again.

(Repost from December 3, 2014)