Fantastic Kids Dresser Makeover Tutorial

To see this complete room makeover (including before and after photos) Please Click Here.

 This fun project is the work of two hard-core DIY warriors.  This project exemplifies  "when there's a will, there's a way".  Sarah and EJ, clients and friends, ran through fire to complete this dresser makeover for their twin 3 year old twin boys room.    









I recently shared the inspiration board I created for the boy's new Vintage Surf Bedroom.    












Sarah and EJ got to work immediately on the design plan.  The room turned out great.  I'm excited to share the final reveal soon.  Today, you'll get a sneak peek so I can share their fabulous dresser makeover.  These guys never shy away from a project.  Using the inspiration board they hit Craigslist to find a great dresser, large enough for twins. It didn't take long for them to find an extra long 1970's dark wood dresser for $100. 

It was very similar to this dresser...








They had a great piece now they needed the perfect paint color.  To get the perfect shade of green, I "chipped" my inspiration board with my Sherwin Williams ChipIt! tool.  Here were the results...






Bam.  Lime Rickey it was. 









Here is the scene, Sarah and EJ have busy lives.  Both professionals, not to mention parents to four small children.  They don't have a lot of time for DIY projects and this room makeover was full of them.  No worries, they had it all planned out.  Grandma would take the kids for an entire weekend while EJ got to work on carpentry projects in the bedroom and Sarah would knock out the dresser makeover.  


{Sarah and EJ's family portrait by this awesome photographer}




The kids left for the weekend with Grandma, time to get started.  
The house was quiet, there were no little ones underfoot, it was just Sarah, EJ, their power tools and an unexplained power outage.  

  
It didn't stop these two.  They had to make hay while the sun was shining, in this case, the sun was a flashlight. 








Here is the tutorial...

The first step was to remove all the hardware and give the piece a good sanding (hand sanding this time, no electricity for a power sander...man they are tough).  
 After the sanding, it was wiped down with a damp cloth to remove the dust.  
A sponge roller was used to apply a coat of primer (Zinsser or Kilz latex primer).  








Then came two coats of Sherwin Williams Lime Rickey Semi-Gloss latex paint. 
After the paint was completely dry, Sarah applied a mixture of glaze and stain to the piece, one section at a time, wiping away the excess as she went along with a cotton rag.  







The stain mixture was one part stain to three parts glaze.  
The stain/glaze top coat toned the bright color down a notch and also provided a nice, shiny, protective finish.  There is a very detailed step by step tutorial over at Sweet Pickins {click here}.  She uses a similar glazing technique and wrote a wonderful "How To" article.







The original hardware looked great with new color which kept this piece authentic and even more budget friendly then we originally thought.








When a dresser turns out this fabulous, it must have a companion.  Sarah continued her thrifting adventure at the Salvation Army where she found this bookcase.









 It also received the Lime Rickey treatment.  







After the power outage debacle,  Sarah and EJ took vacation time from work, and "Grandma Of The Year" agreed to take the kids for a full week so they could wrap up the bedroom makeover.  This time, nothing could stop them.

Except jury duty.  








These two are my DIY room makeover hero's.  With all of the hoops they had to jump through to pull this room together; jobs, four little ones, power outages and jury duty,
they made it look way too easy.  It is one of my all time favorite transformations.  I can't wait to share the final room reveal.  

Thank you, Sarah and EJ, for letting me share your project.  Thank you,  JulesK Photography for providing the beautiful family portrait.  To see this complete room transformation (including before/after photos and many more DIY project details) Please Click Here. 




For information on my affordable online design service, Please Click Here

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod

Fall Inspired Powder Room Design Plan


Today's featured online design plan is for a main level powder room.  This design began with the wall color {chosen by the homeowner}, "Ginger" by Divine Colors.  It's very similar to Sherwin Williams "Reddened Earth".  I was immediately inspired by her color choice.  The warm palette is perfect year-round but given the current season here in Michigan, I was really feeling it.  







The plan includes board and batten style wainscoting, a creamy white painted vanity, dark oil rubbed bronze fixtures, crisp white hotel-inspired towels, dark woven baskets, sparkling glass apothecary jars, and fabulous custom art (already owned by the client).  Needless to say, the crowned jewel of the space is the fabulous espresso quatrefoil vanity mirror (check out the source of this masterpiece...you won't believe the price either;).  


















  

 Thank you, Anna, for inviting me into your home.  I can't wait to see your new powder room come to life.  


For information on my affordable online design service, Please Click Here. 
To see samples of recent online design projects, Please Click Here. 
Thanks for visiting. 

Fall Porch


The other day, I posted about my struggle with Seasonal Decor Confusion due to my recent Christmas decor feature by Better Homes and Gardens.





I've made progress since then and I'm making my way back to seasonal reality.  
Thanks to everyone that weighed in. 






Part of my therapy was decorating the porch for fall.   







This is an extra special task for me each year.  Not only because we all love fall {warm colors, football games, donuts and cider}, but it also marks my wedding anniversary.  









My husband and I were married 13 years ago today {September 25th}.  Our wedding reception was held at my parents home in the country.  Our wedding decor included fall colors {provided by mother nature}, grapevine, mums, cabbages, pumpkins, gourds and twinkling lights.

Each year as I collect things to put in our porch display, I'm reminded of that day.  









The wreath on the door was made by my mom from the actual flowers and grapevine from our wedding reception. 







 It's amazing to me that after 13 years it still looks good {just like you, honey}.  








The welcome sign was a gift from my aunt, folk artist MShaw.  She painted it for the wedding reception entrance to welcome guests.







Not only is this display full of heartwarming memories but it's a great tool for quizzing my husband.  Although, this year when I asked him where our wreath came from...I think he remembered.  








Thank you, for allowing me to indulge in a sappy trip down memory lane.  
Happy 13th Anniversary to my best friend.




Linked up to the Southern Hospitality Outdoor Fall Decor Party and the fall porch party at The Inspired Room.

Christmas Mantel At BHG {Seasonal Decor Confusion}

At the end of this post, please share your thoughts on early decorators.  At what point to do feel it's ok to pull out the Christmas decor and when is it just plain too early?

I'm ready right now thanks to...








I'm known to be a little early busting out the Christmas decor every year but, c'mon, September?  Am I really blogging about Christmas when it's still 80 degrees in Michigan?  
  







I can't help it, I'm so excited to have my Christmas mantel featured at BHG.com.
A few months ago, I was contacted by Better Homes and Gardens about including my Reindeer Antler Snowflake Mantel in their 2012 Christmas slide show.  








After falling out of my chair, I responded with a huge yes, answered some of their questions and proceeded to stalk the BHG.com website every day until it was published, yesterday.








The slide show is a fantastic collection of "real home" Christmas mantels.  It's very inspiring.  So inspiring that now, I'm ready to go into the basement and dig out the Christmas boxes.  
I have a major case of seasonal decorating confusion.  






Here is the link to the BHG.com slide show.  You can also find their Christmas Ideas Magazine publication in stores now {which includes a beautiful spread on one of my favorite Christmas homes}.  My hope is that you will catch the seasonal confusion bug and I won't feel so alone.

At what point is it ok to decorate early?  When is it acceptable and when is it a little crazy?



Thank you, Better Homes and Gardens, for the feature.  



Client Dining Room Makeover~Before and After


Today's "before and after" began as a basic room styling project that ended up being so much more.  This dining room makeover took place in a beautiful executive~traditional home belonging to my clients, Scott, Kristen and their two adorable children. 








 The home sits on a wooded, hill-top lot in a quiet park-like subdivision.  During the day, bright, natural sunlight fills the two story foyer which is adjacent to this dining space.  To take full advantage of this, the homeowners decided to open up the wall between the dining room and foyer {with the help of a licensed and insured builder}.




Here is what the dining room looked like before...




{Before}





And After...

{After}




Opening just one wall, completely changed the look and feel of the entire home.  Bright, beautiful sunlight from the foyer now pours throughout the main level.  The new open concept gives the dining room and foyer a grand presence.  










The construction also inspired the addition of some pretty amazing custom moldings...
{Mike Moore, Moore Custom Woodworking}











...and a meticulous paint job {Scott Liles, Spartan Painting}.













We chose a soft, soothing, green wall color, "Oolong Tea" by Martha Stewart for the walls and crisp contrasting white for the moldings and trim. 











Scott and Kristen already had an amazing dining set and buffet.  We accessorized the table with green dishes and vintage replica wooden salad bowls.
We used large bubble hurricanes filled with fresh coffee beans and candles, to create a romantic and fragrant centerpiece.   











Oliver loves the new area rug.  Not only is it soft and pretty but the fact that it's actually an indoor/outdoor rug makes it a great choice for a young family with pets. 










Kristen found the perfect chandelier for the space.  The scale is spot-on and the clean lines compliment the gorgeous color block drapery from my favorite online custom drape shop, Martha And Ash. 








Speaking of the drapes, they are available in many colors.  We went with "ginger" and "white" to compliment the colors in the new rug. 











Kristen's dining room already had some great accessories like this fabulous standing terrarium.









We brought in a wooden box{that has special meaning to Scott} from another room and placed it on top of the buffet.  Not only does it come in handy for tucking things away, but it also keeps our leaning mirrors in place.  









We found this fantastic round mirror at a discount home store.  On it's own, the scale was a bit too small for the space so, we gave it a bigger presence by layering it over a larger, rectangular mirror.  











Layering and leaning the mirrors created a relaxed, unforced display.
Now that this room is open to the foyer, it's the first space you see upon entering their home.
It looks special, but still casual and inviting.  








This project was a ton of fun.  Thanks, Kristen and Scott, for inviting me into your home and allowing me to share your dining room makeover.











I hope you enjoy your new space for years to come.



***Out of courtesy to my full~service design clients, I am unable to share specific product sources.  Thank you for understanding.






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