As seen in Real Homes

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

 https://www.realhomes.com/news/before-after-bathroom-sink-farmhouse



A DIYer found a farmhouse sink in an alley, and what she did with it is truly stunning

What a transformation!

bathroom sink transformation
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Pet fur rake

Monday, March 21, 2022

 Good morning and happy spring!! I have to share this because I saw a fellow blogger with one of these and their review was it was life changing, and being that I have two large dogs and lots of dog hair I wanted to try it on my furniture.

Let me tell you this little rake is my new go to for my hardwood floors too! It pulls hairs even after you vacuum! 

Life changing. Here is the link 



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Updated Peel and stick vinyl tile going in the kids bathroom…

Wednesday, December 29, 2021







 


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Tutorial for Herringbone peel and stick planks

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Good Morning! I wanted to give you some details on how I laid my peel and stick flooring over my ceramic. Now I know you are supposed to remove your old flooring and lay these on the sub floor, but I have demoed quite a few old homes with 6 or 7 layers of flooring. So 2 layers isn't such a crime. Plus I live in an old home from 1901 so I need the extra "insulation"! 

Also I did not fill in the grout underneath. I am sure it would be wise to do so if you have deep grout lines, I had done the floorpops in my half bath here right off my kitchen and had no sinking into the grout so I was willing to take the chance on these not sinking.

*****PRO TIP……Be very careful picking up the boxes from Lowe’s my dear friend Amy ran out to get these and dropped the box on her foot. Wound up in ER with stitches so please don’t grab the box from the hole!😉



Supplies needed

  •  square here
  • tiles here
  • paper cutter here
  • grout for vinyl here (I ordered slate gray)
  • floor cleaner
  • vacuum 



Clean and your floor really well. Let completely dry before you start laying the peel and stick tile.

I first started with laying the border. I took the planks and laid them end to end around the perimeter of the entire room. I had tried to use tile spacers but they didn't work with the herringbone pattern. So I just eyed the spaces. It wasn't hard to do with this pattern.

I was able to use a metal putty knife to lift the quarter round on my trim to slide the tiles under the quarter round without having to remove any of it.


Once if finished the perimeter of the room, I started on the right side. Nothing in my home is level or square so It didn't matter where I started my pattern. I went off the border I had created and made my first "V". Cutting the tile end at a 45 degree angle.

I took the plank with the paper on still and laid it at the angle I wanted to start. I used my square to make a straight line from end to end. Take a pencil and mark your line to cut. ( do not use a marker it wont wash off easy)

I first tried using a utility knife and a level for the straight edge, but the tile kept shifting. My cuts looked awful. You really just need to score the top of the tile and then bend it to snap at the cut line. So I decided to try and use a paper cutter I had and it worked perfect. I got perfect cuts! It is so much easier than using a razor blade!
Plus the paper cutter didn't hurt my fingers like using the utility knife.



I had made some mistakes and had to lift the tiles and re-position them. I had first laid the V pattern and kept laying each plank end to end. Forgetting what I was trying to achieve is a W. Once you get the hang of the pattern it goes fast. I had to move my island to tile under it so if you do I would advice to use some furniture sliders that don't scratch. This tile does scratch easy. So be careful!! 

I was so thrilled to cover that ugly ceramic it was always so cold and never ever looked clean.





As you can see my spacing isn't always perfect or the same, but again I'm in an old home so nothing is square. But once the entire floor is finished you can't really tell.




I just kept going in the same pattern. You only have to make the cuts when you get the edge  otherwise laying them is really quite quick


Excuse the mess, I had to keep vacuuming the ceramic as I went. I have two dogs and two kids that kept walking thru and using the kitchen.











I did not have any sinking. The tiles laid nice so far. It does take a few days to let the adhesive set.




Once you have the entire floor finished and you are happy with your design you then apply the grout for vinyl. I did have to you tube that. Grouting wasn't as easy as laying the tile to me.

Once grouted the flooring really is waterproof and so easy to clean.
 


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Friday Amazon finds for your front porch

Monday, June 21, 2021

 Updating your front porch for summer is easy and is more just about layering. It just takes a few great pieces to add design and style to your home. Not to mention great curb appeal. 

Layer your entry rug for a  more grand appearance link this one you can find here


topped with this rubber hello matt here

or for more of the buffalo look

Start with this plaid pattern you can find here


Layered with this matt found here


adding some farmhouse lanterns is a great way to freshen your front entry



here is a fun wreath to add to your entry

Adding your street address on your front door with these vinyl letters here









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Kitchen updated with peel and stick planks

Wednesday, June 16, 2021


Good Morning friends..I have the most exciting news. I finally finished my kitchen floor!!! I have been procrastinating it for over 2 years. Many of you had asked from my bathroom updated floors here how I was going to do the transition. I really wasn't sure because I was unsure of the floors. Do I paint them? Do I do a floating floor? 

Peel and stick tile has been around for decades, its not like the "peel and stick" wallpaper. Its not removable. I realize that the proper way is to remove the ceramic and start with a nice even sub-floor.
BUT....I tend to not follow directions and do what works for me. I have demoed 100 year old homes before and tore of layers and layers of flooring. So I am not worried about adding one layer onto my ceramic tiles.
Plus my house is old and drafty and I hate, hate, hate ceramic tile. Its cold on my feet, its hard to stand on, and it never ever looks clean.





So this week I was online browsing flooring and the tiles I had my eyes on went on clearance for .57 a tile.
Jumped in the car and ran to Lowes. The lowes closest to me said a contractor came in yesterday and bought all of it! All of the peel and stick because it all went on clearance! Lowes was changing their flooring out. UGHHHHH. So I had the kind man check the nearest one and it was about 40 min away. I did not care now I was on a hunt. I knew if I didn't find them I would forever regret not buying them sooner.


So I was able to pick up 5 boxes from of these  My flooring was under $100


Hope this post inspires you to try something new in your home!

It’s been a few years and I still don’t regret adding them right over the cermanic. They are easy to care for and stay clean looking longer than the ceramic did!

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Amazon Friday finds

Friday, June 4, 2021

These faux boxwood. Great way to add box woods to your entry for a lot less the actual real plants. I am super impressed with the size of these 


 

A great way to update your outdoor furniture is changing out your existing pillow covers, fun way to freashen things up and can change for different seasons...like this 4th ones here 



Look how cute these citronella candles are. Fun way to add candles to your outdoor space.



Adding some mood lighting with battery powered faux candles either indoor or out. These are a great addition to any space in your home. 


When I use a product I do try to link it for you and if you decide to purchase the product I am affiliated with some of those companies. Its the only way to offset the time it takes building my how tos for decorating and DIY.

I am in no way asking you to click and purchase any items but it makes it easier for all the info to be on one site. Many different stores carry the products I use. But the links I provide is where I had purchased.

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New hardware for sliding barn door

Saturday, May 8, 2021

 Good Morning.

My home office is so tiny that it was the perfect place for a sliding barn door. I didn't need to waste any room with having a door swing into the space. So I was on the hunt for hardware.






I have to tell you about my new find off of amazon! Barn door hardware can be quite pricey with it being such a fad. So I searched for a more economic kind of rail system and let me tell you how I look this one you can find Here.







The entire install was super easy. The rollers are great quality and my door slides smooth. I was lucky enough to have this door already left in my barn so I was able to just paint it, add some trim pieces to adjust the height for my opening and now its the perfect addition for my office. 



when I use a product I do try to link it for you and if you decide to purchase the product I am affiliated with some of those companies. Its the only way to offset the time it takes building my how tos for decorating and DIY.

I am in no way asking you to click and purchase any items but it makes it easier for all the info to be on one site. Many different stores carry the products I use. But the links I provide is where I had purchased.


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As seen in real homes

Monday, April 19, 2021

 



So exciting friends! My sink was shared and liked so many times that it caught the eye of an writer for real homes magazine!

here is the link


A DIYer found a farmhouse sink in an alley, and what she did with it is truly stunning

What a transformation!

bathroom sink transformation
(Image credit: Nancy Joerger)

The guest bathroom is a great place to make a statement with wallpaper, tiles, or in this case, an old-school sink. One avid DIYer transformed a retro sink that had been thrown out in an alley into a stylish bathroom feature.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure - and this couldn't be more true in Nancy’s gorgeous bathroom. Her half bath is a little unusual because it runs off her kitchen, but having a statement sink totally distracts from the quirky layout.

BEFORE

bathroom sink transformation

(Image credit: Nancy Joerger)

The cabinet that was thrown out with the sink had lots of rust on it, which would have made it a big job. 'I wasn't up for that kind of redo,' Nancy says. Instead, Nancy just took the farmhouse sink, and found an antique dresser on Craigslist big enough to hold the sink’s frame. 

So she removed the top and back off the drawers and shortened them to allow for plumbing. The top two drawers can’t be used, but the bottom ones are great for storing toilet paper and extra hand towels.

AFTER

bathroom sink transformation

(Image credit: Nancy Joerger)

The first step in the transformation was to clean up the sink - which, luckily, had no cracks or chips on it - just a lot of grime. She soaked it with CLR cleaner to loosen up the residue, before scrubbing it with bleach. Once it had completely dried out, Nancy gave it a good scrub with a soft cloth and Comet powder.

Finally, she went over it with a Magic Eraser to remove leftover scuffs. Nancy fitted a new faucet found at her local Menards, which has a handy soap tray and traditional style like the original piece.

bathroom sink transformation

(Image credit: Nancy Joerger)

‘The sink I had before was just standard and boring,' Nancy says. 'I decided to go dark with the walls in Graphite Charcoal from Behr since the new sink was so white and such a show stopper for the room.’

bathroom sink transformation

(Image credit: Nancy Joerger)

‘This sink is so large and gives my half bath so much character,’ Nancy says. ‘The crazy thing is I had been looking for a sink just like this. Adding this sink has just made this half bath such a show stopper.’

‘My home is from 1901 so it's pretty cool to have a true farmhouse sink for our guest bathroom.’ We think it works brilliantly in her small bathroom. If you’re renovating your own bathroom and looking for a new basin, our guide on how to pick the best bathroom sink will help.

We're feeling so inspired - something that most people would walk straight past, Nancy has made into a unique design statement.

Millie Hurst

Millie is a homes writer renting in North London. She loves vintage furniture, candles, Interior Design Masters and a Facebook Marketplace bargain. She has previously written for Fabulous, Stylist and Marie Claire.

Please check it out here 

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