Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Metal Cabinet Revamp

My sister claims that Macklemore's song "Thrift Shop" is the soundtrack of my life, due to my propensity to take home things that other people might consider garbage. Because they put it out next to their trash cans. Whatever. I found this cabinet, *not* on the side of the road, but in my own attic when I purchased the house.  So ha! 

There was a little problem... It was disgusting. Really, really gross. Like squirrels all up in this bitch gross. So I left it in the attic and avoided it at all costs, hoping it would magically go away and take a shower on its own. Alas, the cabinet showed quite alot of chutzpah and just sat there. So it was up to me.  Sure it was covered in narst, but when have I ever backed down from a challenge? Also, it was free, which made up for many other defects. 

Musical Interlude: Thrift Shop Video


Before cleaning on the left, After cleaning on the right

Interior before cleaning and removing lovely contact paper.

I believe I used every cleaner I own, but mostly Bar Keeper's Friend. I even wore rubber gloves! It was at least 2 solid hours of crud murder. This is my idea of fun. I think. Anywho, after cleaning, the bottom edges were a little holey and rusty, but nothing that couldn't be covered up fixed with spray paint. Rustoleum to the rescue! The chrome after a scrub was perfect, so I removed the handles and taped the edging and sprayed away. In the stairway, in winter, with no ventilation. I would not recommend this at all, but sometimes things just have to get done. Right. Now.


Yey! No more squirrel pee!

So this was supposed to be a project for the kitchen. But then it didn't work at allllll in the space I was going to put it in it. So much for planning! Its new home is now is the side staircase. It holds cleaning supplies, which were forever falling off the wire shelves I have out there, as well as leftover beverages from parties that I host pretty regularly.  It's also a handy spot to throw tools and project bits with which I'm not quite done.  

The Big Ta-Da

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Coat Closet Upgrade


I am lucky enough to have a large coat closet in my house.  Until recently, it was the only room in the house I had not tackled (ignoring the whole first floor, natch). Trim and walls still covered in the world's cheapest paint, coat hooks everywhere, primer only on the ceiling, which I had partially scraped. A depressing little space, saved only by the fact that it had a lovely window in it.


*Before*

In September when my sister told me she'd be moving in, I realized that everything that I had been storing in the guest room needed to go somewhere else. Ack! There was only one shelf in the coat closet, with plenty of room for another above. I could have just thrown up another shelf and gotten on with my life, but it seemed this was the time to tackle the closet for real.

So with a budget of exactly zero dollars, I went about fixing it up.  Out came everything. I scrubbed and scraped and primed and took down the coat hooks. I measured and cut a new shelf from wood left over from the old pantry shelving.  To hold up the shelf, cleats taken down from the bedroom closets were a perfect fit and just needed a coat of new paint. 
*During*
new shelves and more storage space!

All the trim was painted to match the rest of the house using leftover paint.  Then the walls were painted with the color from the hallway, as I had  a lot of that left over and I love a darker color in small spaces.  It also went well with a blue painted wood cart that I planned to use in the closet.  The shelves were painted to match the cart as a fun accent.  I spray painted 3 of the hooks black and re-installed them on the back wall.  The final piece was hanging up the Ansel Adams print - an old calendar page - in a frame I had in the attic. I no longer cringe when getting my coat in the morning and now the closet finally looks like it belongs in my house!


*After*


So glad to say goodbye to this!