Molding Mull-over Mostly Decided

Board and batten it is! My light fixture arrived but damaged, so they are sending a replacement. What better way to fill the time than add a little board and batten to solve a little of the molding crisis (or at least push it off a little for a little longer).

My inspiration:

Love of Family and Home Blog

My current situation:

My dining area in all its messy glory. (I didn't bother cleaning for the photo.)

My plan of attack:
I have seen board and batten that has more detailed molding and very simple molding. It seems the very square, simple molding lends an either mission or modern style (depending on the the wall color and rest of decor). The more detailed the molding the more formal and traditional it can sometimes feel. Although I find detailed white molding very beautiful and elegant, I don't think it would work for our current style. If I decide to go the route of replacing all the molding in the house I may look for a molding with a little detail, but it will be fairly minimal. However, for the board and batten I am going to stick to straight boards with no flourishes.

I plan to have the height at 60 inches, since my ceiling is pretty tall, anything less might look out of scale. Then the vertical pieces I will place roughly 16 inches apart. I might start by having pieces at either end of the wall and then finding the middle and working out from there. Hopefully, that will work around our outlets and vent.

Stay tuned...work will commence hopefully this weekend : )

UPDATE:
So, trying to get anything done that requires making some noise in the house is next to impossible when you have a child who still takes two naps a day. Therefore, the project is taking a little longer than I first anticipated. Throw in a girl's weekend, which I am about to embark upon, and a family trip to Chicago next week, and you get a three-week-long project (which probably could have been finished in a few days). Oh well. Good thing I am not on a particular timeline!

This is what I have done so far. I was originally going to use wood boards but it was near impossible to find non-warped boards. After doing more research online it seems that many do-it-your-selfers used MDF. After making several trips to both Lowes and Home Depot, I finally decided to purchase two sheets of MDF from Home Depot ($33 ea). I bought the 8 x 4x 3/4 sheets. Since we still don't have any power tools besides a drill I had the extremely patient and helpful worker cut my boards for our long wall (I stupidly didn't take measurements for the short wall).

I decided on 6 inch baseboards, 4 inch boards going across the top and 3 inch boards for the batten. I mentioned before that we have a tall ceiling so I wanted the wall treatment to be a little meatier.

Short boards

Long boards and extra pieces

Before installing, I sanded and primed the boards. I found it easier to roll them out when they were flat instead of on the wall. After priming, we were able to borrow a nail gun from a friend and with the help of my husband (and the kids at a sleepover) we nailed up all of the boards on the long wall. We started with the baseboard and then played with the measurements of the batten pieces so that we wouldn't have to make any special cuts around outlets. After the batten pieces, the last to go up was the top piece. 

 Oh, I almost forgot, before we nailed up the pieces I did prime the wall first. The treatment was going on a chocolate brown wall, so I thought it might be a little easier to paint if I primed everything first before it was up.

After the boards are installed, comes filling the nail holes and caulking between all the boards and the wall. Caulking allows for a cleaner finish, no gaps. For filling the nail holes I just used a wood filler and for the caulking I used a white paintable caulk. Remember to get PAINTABLE or the paint will bead and look awful.

Caulk usually needs about 40 minutes to cure and then you can paint. Here is the long wall with one coat of paint. We just added the picture shelf, which is a pine lattice board (about 2 inches wide). When I get back from my girl's weekend all that will be left is completing the short wall (which you can see a little bit in the picture above), adding the decorative molding under the shelf, and painting a second coat.


Come back to check out the finished product!

....And here it is!...I am trying to get better angles and lighting but I wanted to post some pics today. I will try taking some in the morning when there is better lighting. You can see in the first picture our new French doors and the much anticipated light fixture from Inmod. I absolutely love the result of the board and batten along the wall. It gives the dining area (which is attached to the kitchen) a separate more distinct feel. I have always wanted a separate more formal dining area and this was a cheap and relatively easy way to get that feel without having to buy a new house! 

Here is a closer look at the board and batten. You can see we added a picture ledge with a little extra detail molding underneath to give it a more polished look. I still have to add my other molding on the far wall and I have some touch up painting to do, but the bulk of the work is done!

Completed board and batten! 

About Me

After teaching high school for 8 years, I have decided to hang up my work clothes and trade them in for sweats. Whether I am covered in paint, flour, compost, or some mix of sticky residue, I feel more at home in my skin than I have for years. I don't really know what is in store for me as I embark on this new adventure of being a stay-at-home mom, but I do know that I am very excited about discovering the possibilities.

I am not a decorator, or stylist, or master gardener, or chef. I am a learner and an explorer and I hope to use this space to meander through my passions and reflect on where life will take me. I began this blog a few years ago, but now I feel like it is finally really just beginning.

OFUK: WWBVD?

While I patiently, or not so patiently, wait for my new light fixture I am beginning to eye up the next step in my kitchen redo: the molding. However, I feel a bit befuddled as to what I should do with it. Should I keep it and paint it or should I dump it and install some taller molding? So I ask myself: What would Bob Vila do? He would probably say keep the wood, but since I don't even think it is really all wood and it is in poor shape he might actually be disgusted.

So let's play a little game called "Reasons to Keep and Paint and Reasons to Chuck and Buy New" (this has been copyrighted so please ask permission before using this title for a different game).

Keep:
Cheaper
Possibly easier...only priming and painting

New:
More attractive, taller molding
Last longer
No priming
Match new molding around cabinets


Hmmm.... I wonder if I am biased? What would you do?

This is the current molding; the white will be the future color of all the molding. (So far all that I have painted is the door casing and molding around our new French door, which is what you see).

Then the questions is: if I rip out all my molding, doesn't it make sense to just use this opportunity to replace the flooring too? Don't tell my husband. 

OFUK: Lighting

Currently, our kitchen sports a reasonably nice set of matching light fixtures: a chandelier over the dining table and a downward facing open light in the kitchen area. However, they seem like they were put in by the builders...builder standard just like our cabinets. I want anything BUT builder standard for my new kitchen. I want moments of awesomeness all over my kitchen. So I am on the hunt for unique and affordable lighting.

I started at my local Lowes store, because - let's face it - they are pretty great at providing a plethora of options. Fortunately, it didn't take me long to spot a style I liked because of course within moments of arriving some undesirable smell was emanating from my squirming 1 year old and I was without a diaper bag.

These are my inspiration pieces:

Allen Roth Edison from Lowes

Allen Roth Edison Mission from Lowes

Next, I turned to the Internet to find more ideas on mixing and matching. I do not want a matching set, rather, I'm seeking pieces that enhance each other. I found this photo and loved it:

What is great about these fixtures is how harmoniously they work together even though they aren't technically the same style. They have a couple common elements that allow them to play off one another. First, they are all round in some manner. Second, they all have a black element, either the metal or woven into the fabric. And third, their sizes vary, so none seem to dominate the other. (This picture comes from: http://www.bobvila.com/light-and-style/27591-trending-now-pendant-lighting/slideshows)

From here I have spent countless spare moments searching and pinning possibilities until I kept going back to the same fixtures. Unfortunately, the one I REALLY wanted for above my dining table won't work because it is a flush mount and my ceiling is at an angle...all the pendants would bang against each other in an unpleasant way.

 I adore the charm of mason jars. Sadly, this chandelier needs to be mounted flush with the ceiling.

My search brought me to West Elm (need I say more). I discovered these gorgeous organic blown glass pendants. PERFECT! This has that cage appearance with the simple elegance of clear glass. Beautiful but understated.

 This is another fixture from West Elm that reminded me of my inspiration picture. Again, the simplicity lends it elegance. I could see this over my table and the blown glass in my kitchen.

 Although I liked the previous pairing, I still like to see all my options. I came across this fixture at Pottery Barn. This cluster would allow me to have the mason jar look but it would still hang crookedly.

Finally, this beauty popped up on my screen (inmod) and I knew I was in love. The woven wood would play up the baskets I have in my open shelving and provide the warmth only wood can provide...which will soon be lacking once I paint all my molding. However, it is a statement piece. Having it over my dining table would mean that the light in my kitchen needs to be more simple, meaning no organic blown glass in the kitchen (maybe in a different room).

Instead, I will go with the simple yet charming Edison pendant from Lowes.





These are my current fixtures. They are nice, but they don't really fit our style or my vision of my dream kitchen. The new fixtures will be quite the upgrade! I can't wait to get them installed!

The Kitchen and the Beginning of De-Oaking!

I am beginning to believe I have a serious case of decorating ADD. Looking around my house, you can see room after room with an idea in mind of what the room was supposed to look like, but was halted prior to actually being actualized. Case in point: my "new" nursery. After spending countless hours creating a beautiful argyle wall I never really finished putting the rest of the room together.

Well, now that I am beginning a new chapter in my life as a stay-at-home mom, I think I am going to make a conscious effort to complete what I begin: starting with the kitchen.

Since we moved into our house 7 short years ago, our kitchen has been 4 different colors. Now you might be thinking that we either REALLY love to paint or...we hate our kitchen. The latter would be correct. It was far from my dream kitchen. Being public servants, actually I guess now one public servant and one family servant, we don't exactly have the cash flow to create my dream kitchen. But this minor detail will not stop me from at least trying to obtain a bit of the dream.

The week after the final week of the school year I began Operation Frugal Updated Kitchen or OFUK.

This was the second color (red). We liked it but decided to neutralize to try and sell our house.

The above red color is the second color we painted the kitchen. When we moved in it was white and blue. Then we painted it a yellow color, which was hideous with the "oak" cabinets. I never took a picture of the yellow because it didn't last a week. We liked the red but when we decided to put our house on the market, we thought people might think it a little strong. So below you can see the current color, which is one of the few colors that seemed to not look hideous with our honey oak molding (and which you can find in our hallway, nursery, bathrooms, and master bedroom).

Current color and before OFUK. 

 So the first step of OFUK was painting the cabinets: 4 weeks later or 4 bottles of wine later:

The color is called Bedford Gray from Martha Stewart, sold by Home Depot.  It is hard to tell from these photos but the color is a warm gray-tan, which actually works perfectly with our latte walls and less-than-favorite green-gray counters.

(I wish I could say my house in normally very clean; however, this is the state of my kitchen on a daily basis.)

Miraculously, there was no sanding involved. I just used a gripper primer and two coats of paint. The most difficult part of the process was waiting between coats to avoid any tackiness. I also was pleasantly surprised that I could avoid all paint brush marks by using a high density foam roller.

The Process:

• Remove doors, hinges, handles, and drawers. 
• Wipe them down to remove dirt, grime, and grease
• Prime
• Paint two coats
• Put back together! 

Because I have a 1 year old and a four year old who like to get into everything. I did my kitchen in sections after bed time to allow for at least 9 hours drying time before put to the test by little fingers.

To give the kitchen  more of a custom look, I bribed my husband into turning the cabinet to the right of the sink into open shelving by hacking away the middle piece and adding decorative molding. I also had my husband attach bead-board to the breakfast bar so it didn't appear too plain. And lastly, I painted chalkboard paint next to my growth ruler. That way I can make notes when I take the boys' growth pictures.

The NEXT step of OFUk will be the molding and lighting...stay tuned!

The Nursery in the Making

When I first discovered I was having another boy, truth-be-told I was a little disappointed. NOT because I was having a boy (I LOVE having two boys!), but because I wanted to finally create one super girly space in my house.  Being the only girl in the house, it would be pretty great if I could have one space just be all girl. I was utterly confused as to how I could go about creating a really cool space for another boy, especially since the typical boy-related decor doesn't really fit me or my family (we are not big into sports, cars, or the stereotypical boy stuff). But after conducting a little "research" on the Internet I came across this blog of a nursery inspired by argyle scrapbook paper. Instantly, I knew that was what I was going to do. (Plain Jane Boutique Blog)

I would have to say when painting an argyle wall the beginning steps are the most important and the most tedious. First, decide how big you want your diamonds. This will dictate how many rows and columns you will have. I actually ended up using this really handy tool that calculated the number of rows and columns and therefore the size of the diamonds based on the proportion of my wall (unfortunately the site is now down). I ended up with 10 columns and 4 rows (23 inches tall by 12 inches wide). Then I drew 10 vertical lines and 4 horizontal lines using a tape measure and level. (It is difficult to see in this picture, but the lines are there.)

I then mapped out the color pattern on my computer simply using a Word document. I wanted something random with pops of color. To save money I bought Valspar samples, two of each color (and I actually have a lot to spare...possibly to use on other projects). It is somewhat difficult to see in the photo, but the colors I chose were a dark brown (it looks black in this photo), light and dark blue, a sage green and pumpkin orange. The dark brown I used to repaint the below dresser. 

This is with all the colors finally done. You can see my little helper. 

A smaller side-project I began along the way was painting my Grandmother's old dresser. You might also notice from the previous picture to this one: we finally tore out and replaced the aqua carpeting (the previous owners allowed their three year old to pick the color...not something I would have chosen).

The final step of painting the wall was adding the cross-hatching. My husband helped me tape it out. I again wanted it slightly imperfect (something that drove my husband to swearing fits). So the lines are not all the same width, and they aren't really the same distance apart. I like it a little organic. Plus with the really rough surface on the wall I knew I wouldn't have completely clean lines. So this is the completed wall. I LOVE it! I don't know if this is the best or easiest method of painting argyle, but it worked for me with a very textured wall...I was also able to do it over the course of a couple months while very pregnant, working full-time, and with a toddler...So if I can do it, I am sure anyone could do it and probably have an easier time!

I am happy to present the "almost-finished" nursery...the baby came before I had energy to complete the last bit of decorating and I haven't really had a chance to complete it since. However, now that I am done working I hope to finally complete it!

Almost finished! 

Modge Podge Name