Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Before and Afters of 2008

Today is the day! The day Southern Hospitality is linking to blogs showing their top 10 before and after projects. Make sure to check out all the great ideas from all the other creative bloggers out there. I don't have ten projects but am showing a few of what I did this year.

I don't have a before photo but I made this headboard for my daughter out of our old coffee table.

This mirror was in the half bath downstairs.



I painted and rubbed antique glaze in the grooves.

Half bath before. Green striped wallpaper, lenolium floor, tulip shaped light fixture, two toned faucet.

After: painted turquoise. We added a wall cabinet for storage. We changed out the light fixture and faucet. We put down wood floors.


Entry before: Our whole house was painted blue-green, even the garage and closets. It looks more blue in this photo but it had green carpet and the wall color had more green than this photo shows. The ceiling are 9 foot first floor and 8 foot second floor so we put up scaffolding to paint and I did a venetian plaster on the tray ceiling.


We changed out the light fixture and this photo shows the tray done with a venetian plaster. We painted a yellowy taupe color.


Desk before. My husband brought this little desk home years ago. It was just a brown desk with no personality. I painted it green and distressed it. I really loved it like this but needed to make it go in my daughter's room so we painted it again.


Painted turquoise. We aged it with stain and sanded it a little.

Desk found at garage sale for $15.00. The right front edge was damaged, but other than that in good condition.



We put wood putty over the damaged edge and shaped it to make a new corner. I painted it a medium brown then applied Elmers glue so that it would crackle when we applied a top coat of a yellowy taupe color. I then applied antique gel stain and sanded parts of it. I also painted the hardware black.



Lamp before. It was blending in too much with the taupe walls and a brown tone tapestry sofa. It needed to be blinged a little.


I added Sophistocate Finishes aged bronze paint with a blonde highlight for the raised parts to bring out the definition of the carvings. It did allow the lamps to live a little longer.



We decided that we didn't need a dining room as much as a bedroom so we moved the dining table and buffet into the foyer and can use it there if we have a large gathering. We closed the wall between the living room and dining room so that we could make the dining room into a bedroom.





After painting, but before changing the dining light fixture into a ceiling fan.


The open passthrough before. This is the color it was painted. We also took up the carpet and laid hardwood floors. We went ahead and put them through the opening so that it can be opened up again later without having to patch floors.

Another photo of the room before. When we moved in we were laying the hardwood in the rest of the house so this room was a storage area for cabinet doors and equipment until we finished.
Foyer before. We removed the carpet and painted 17foot ceilings with a tray ceiling. It took three sections of scaffolding and learning to stand on a rolling board and paint and venetian plaster over your head with nothing to grab onto. I am now ready for the circus.










This is where the furniture is placed but before we did any decorating.





22 comments:

Angie said...

Wow!! You had a busy year, your projects are great!! I love your new bathroom and the desk you painted for your daughters room...adorable!!!

Anonymous said...

Great projects!

I love the headboard. Very creative!

Kristi~The Slipcover Girl said...

I love that headboard! What a great idea! Your home is lovely!

Valarie Lea said...

Let me say I have seen everything first hand and it looks awesome!

Decor To Adore said...

What amazing transformations! Thunderous applause coming from Phoenix. :)

Anonymous said...

I love seeing all of the beautiful after pictures! You have a wonderful talent!

KD said...

All of it is just wonderful! I have left you an award on my blog!
~KD
www.southernwhimsy.blogspot.com

Missy Wertz said...

I have seen some of these posted before. Always love seeing the headboard. Great projects!

The Style Sisters said...

Wow all your projects turned out amazing. You have been very busy this year. Everything is just beautiful

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

I'm SO glad you came to the party! WOW, you've been busy at your new house. I don't remember seeing the black/white in your foyer, but I love it. And you have done some amazing things with all the furniture finds. I esp. love the painted blue things.

Unknown said...

OMGOSH! SO GLAD I found you! LOVE your Blog already! I love to buy things at sales and remake them...I 've been out of the loop of that for awhile and decided to get back into it!! Great Ideas you have! OH and I LOVE your Blog description Picture of your family...IT is BEAUTIFUL! Happy day!

Angie said...

You have really accomplished a lot in 2008! Your house looks beautiful! Love the foyer and that gorgeous staircase and floor!

Lamp Tramp said...

What an exquisite home you have. All your porjects are beautiful, creative, and inspiring. You are an aqua fan as well as I am!

Rue said...

You get big points for climbing onto scaffolding... holy moly!! That and your projects are wonderful. Great job :)

rue

Anonymous said...

I love the blue you chose for the headboard - it's scrumptuous! Great projects!

Manuela

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

It all looks great! But I love that coffee table headboard! I am here today by way fo Rhoda's Before and After. Come and check out my projects if you get a chance.

Heather said...

I can't believe everything you accomplished in a year! Did you get to any weekends off? Love them all!!!

Beth at Aunties said...

You have had a busy year and I have seen some of the projects before ...so I must have visited you before Rhoda's party:)
Your beautiful family are amazing!
Loved ALL of your projects!

Beki - TheRustedChain said...

They're all gorgeous, but I LOVE that headboard! Great job!

(Your blog is one of my faves.)

Steph said...

Love the headboard and mathching desk. You did a lot of great projects!

sandra/tx said...

You have had a busy and productive year. My favorites? The table-turned-headboard -- I'm totally stealing that one. And I love that you turned your formal dining into a bedroom. We have a front room that was probably intended as a formal dining or living, and we've turned it into our guest room.

Melissa said...

wow! I'm so impressed! Love the new bathroom color... your daughter's new bed headboard is Awesome! (again, love that color)

AND -- we have a hutch that looks very similar to yours! (that's what we call it.. it has the long rectangle mirror) We inherited it from my FIL when he passed. He refinished antique furniture and we
were lucky enough to now own a few pieces.