Laminate Floor B&A

Next month will mark one year that we began our laminate journey and I have shown some of the before and afters,  but I thought that I would put them all in one post.  I am still in love with the floors! We have had a few nicks and scratches, but nothing a Crayola won't fix! 

Adding laminate has been my favorite change since we moved here and I believe has made the most impact.  I get lots of compliments on the floor and most people are surprised to hear that it is laminate and that it is from Sam's Club.  I hope that when we have some cash to spare that we can add this to the upstairs hallway.  

Little Black Door

My dear sweet hubby spent our anniversary painting the shutters. Apparently we own an awesome paint sprayer accessory that came with our compressor and Matt decided to give it a try on the shutters and the results were amazing and fast!

Here is what our faded burgundy shutters looked like BEFORE:

AFTER

It only took one afternoon to remove, clean, and paint the shutters. We (I mean Matt) replaced them the following morning when they were dry. Supplies needed for the project were a half a gallon of exterior black satin paint ($12.50) and 24 shutter fasteners ($9.00).  We needed to replace the shutter fasteners on the upper shutters and I found the best price at Menards.  Love the new look, but next was the door and it did not come as easy or cheap.  Remember when I thought that I would Rub n Buff the door hardware? Well, that was a no go.  The brass was too slick and the RNB just rubbed off. Plan B was spray painting the hardware silver first, then using the RNB. That did not work either. Plan C, buying new hardware. New hardware is expensive, but we found a set on sale at Menards and had Lowes price match plus 10% off so we only paid the lowest price possible this side of the Mississippi.  The best thing about this new hardware is that it has Smart Key technology and if our keys get lost or stolen we can rekey our locks ourselves.

BEFORE

 AFTER

I love the look of my door so much that I do not want to cover it up with my wreath!

The best part is the inside. I convinced my husband that an interior black door would be FAB-U-LOUS and he was so sweet to indulge me and I am in love!

BEFORE

AFTER

I was even more tickled today to see that Shelley from House of Smith's also painted her door black! I agree with Shelley that the black "anchors" the space and I LOVE the way it turned out!

This project cost a total of $128.50. This was supposed to be a no spend month and rather than scrapping the whole month I will begin my no spend month one week late. 

Transom Window Update

We have a transom window above our front door that has plagued me since we moved in a little over a year ago.  I did a little search on Etsy and found this vinyl that would be perfect! Allison of Single Story made mine 7 inches tall and mirrored it so I could apply it to the inside window. This window makeover only cost me $14.00.  I am so pleased with the quality and results. Pop on over to her shop and check out her custom door vinyls!

BEFORE

AFTER

Next on the list is painting the doors and shutters! I can not wait to give them a face lift. I am also thinking of giving the Rub N Buff a try on the brass hardware. Will it work and look good? What do you think?

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall {Rub N Buff}

My master bedroom is getting a little TLC, after all it is the most important room of the house! I found this fabulous mirror at Hobby Lobby for $18.00 and I snatched it up with my three unruly kids in tow. The frame is plastic and a little ugly. I mulled over spray paint vs Rub N Buff while on vaca and decided to give this RNB a try. I have never used it before and was de-lighted with the results. A little really does go a long way and at $3.99 a tube that is a great deal! I had wanted Pewter, but ended up with Silver Leaf because that was all Hobby Lobby had. In 15 minutes my mirror went from drab to fab! I feel corny today!

BEFORE

AFTER

 

Well, I could not stop there! I gave the knobs on my Ikea dresser and bedside tables a little update too! I love the glam silver! I will show you the rest of the updates to this room when I dust my dresser ;)

BEFORE

AFTER

Outdoor Light Fixtures

Are next on my list! I have been browsing the Lowe's website and I have narrowed my choices down to three. We need two wall mount fixtures for the garage and one for the porch.

Here is what we currently have:






Here are some possibilities:





Matching porch lights:





So what do you think? I am leaning towards the last two in each group.

My Mother's Day Present

I wanted mulch. Really. Our yard needed some TLC. Lawn care was not the previous owners forte and the mulch was gross, moldy, and years past its prime. So hubby bought 40 bags of mulch and we spent the day putting it out. It took much longer than I had anticipated, but well worth it. Next time I will specify mulch, and a landscaper!

Before

After

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One Year Ago

We closed on our new home! This first year has gone by soooo fast! In the past 365 days we have:

Installed garage cabinets, painted 9 rooms, swapped out 22 brass light fixtures for brushed nickel ones, reupholstered 2 wing chairs, bought a dining room set and a leather sectional. Needless to say our wallet took a hit and we are taking it slower in 2011. This has been a fun year and our family loves all the space we have. I am so thankful that we have a place to live and that we love it too! My main home improvement goals for the rest of the year is focusing on the exterior. Shutters, doors, light fixtures, landscaping. We priced out a diy patio... would you believe $1200.00??? I had no idea!!! You can see most of our home here!