Outdoor Curtain Update

Almost a year ago, I wrote about the outdoor curtains I made using drop cloths. I also wrote about how disappointed I was that they were moldy by month's end - very disappointing! My plan was to launder, then treat them with Scotchguard. The laundering happened, and I found a product online that seemed like it would work, it required that the product be painted on..... Where will I do this and when will I have time? These two questions plagued me for the year!

Then I ran across outdoor fabric for $12 a yard. My Mom sewed them for me as an early Xmas gift, and now I have new outdoor curtains! Like magic!

Michele's Surprise Remodel

One day, Michele's family was living peacefully and the next day, the mold abatement team is at her home tearing up walls, ceilings and floors! Turns out a pipe in the attic had been leaking for quite a while and now there is mold in between the walls, warped wood floors and squishy ceilings. These are pictures I took on my first visit:


On the other side of this paneled family room is the living room. Part of the ceiling and floor is gone and the sheetrock as well, it is not possible to get a picture of this because of the plastic covering the space.

The bathroom is affected as well, along with the master closet that shares the bathroom wall:


The tile wrapped around all the walls, including the area above the vanity and behind the toilet:





This is a 1950's style ranch house, complete with peachy pink tiles and turquoise fixtures. The tiles cannot be replaced, and now the fun begins!

Cathy's Kitchen - Counter & Backsplash

Cathy's family chose a recycled material countertop called Eco that is manufactured by Silestone. It is pricier than other options, but the family wanted to use a recycled product and it met their design goals. The field tile of the backsplash is a cream colored 3"x6" subway. The band is a glass and stone mosaic that brings in the earthy colors Cathy loves.



One of the things we changed in the layout was the shape of the countertops. The picture below shows the old counter shape on the island:


By rounding the corners, we were able to make the space much more functional and Cathy loves it! The new shape:



One of the interesting features in Cathy's Kitchen is the appliance garage:


We added under cabinet lighting to illuminate the space. Perfect for storing and using the blender, mixer, and coffee machine!

Cathy's Kitchen

Cathy's Kitchen is the center of activity with 4 teenage boys and their friends:





The box fluorescent lighting, old Formica counters, and cabinet finish date the space. We will keep the recently re-done floors and the cabinetry, but update with color.


And here is Cathy's Kitchen completed:

Lois' bathroom is complete, to recap this is before:



And this is after:



This is before:



This after:



This is before:



This is after:



This is part of the new area of the closet:



And this is the entry before:



This is after:


What a difference new materials and updated fixtures can make!

Lois' Bathroom - The Doors

This is the "before" view of the entry to the bathroom and closet area when standing in the bedroom:



This is during, here we have added 3 feet to each closet, removed the door and header into the bathroom part, removed the two closet doors and added art niches in the new space:




And this is after, with two antique doors mounted onto a track, these are the only doors in the master bath/closet area:


We used the other two antique doors for the entrance into the bedroom:



There is one more door, the shower door (it opens on the adjacent wall from before, I was able to accomplish this by replacing wall with glass door):



A reminder of this same space before the remodel:


Quite a change!

Lois' Bathroom - The Floor

Half of Lois' old bathroom was carpet, the other half was tile that needed updating. We are replacing all the flooring with a beautiful travertine plank cut tile:


The planks come in varying lengths and in widths of 4", 6" and 8". We ran the planks on the floor in a diagonal direction. Here is another picture: