New Front Door Part 1

We've now officially been in our home for three years and have FINALLY gotten around to an item that's been on our to-do list since day one. Yeah, I painted it and pretty much "put lipstick on a pig" just to hold us over until we replaced the door. That quick fix served us well, but it took us a lot longer to get to this project than we anticipated. That's life.

We could not wait any longer to fix our front door problem! I drew the line when our dog, Molly, decided she liked to scratch the front door where there was some damage. "Let me in, let me in!" Poor Molly.

Molly's favorite place to scratch.

Out with the old.....

.....and in with the new!

Buh-bye, old broken door! Hello, new, more durable door!

We decided to go with this door from Lowe's. It has a cute little window that would allow for more light in the foyer. Yay! It's also fiberglass and should be a lot more durable in the long run that just a wood door.

As far as the hardware for the front door, we went with oil-rubbed bronze. The one we chose looks almost exactly like this one, but I couldn't find the exact one we bought on the Lowe's website so I could show you, but you get the picture. The one we bought, we found at the store and it was a bit more inexpensive than this one.

So now, the door is in but I have to finish painting it (no, it isn't staying white). My hubby spent this morning filling in nail and screw holes that are in the trim and then I have to lightly sand and paint it on the inside and outside. I also have some places to touch up on the foyer walls around the door. I'm going to be working on it today and will hopefully get it all done and will be able to share the finished product with you by the first of next week. Be sure to check back!

Painted Parquet Floor

This is my parquet floor in my foyer. You know....pronounced Par-KAY. 

But not to be confused with this Parkay.....

Before all of you Parquet Floor Purists get all in a tizzy, let me explain why I decided that painting our floor was the best thing to do. 

Our home once boasted cream colored carpets in ALL of the living areas; great room, formal dining, office, hallway. The carpet was not in good shape and we replaced it with espresso, wide plank, laminate wood floors.  We bought enough flooring to replace the parquet floors, but that stuff is glued down to the sub-floor and it was going to be a big mess to rip out. 

Other than a little water damage, which is repairable, and some cosmetic issues, the floor itself is in good condition. So, thus, the decision to paint it. 

When we bought this house, this floor already had some paint spatter on it, and we had planned on replacing it or painting it so I didn't worry too much about getting more paint on it during the two times that I have painted this foyer already in the two years we've lived here. I am the President of the Messy Painter's Club!

Besides the obvious paint spatter issue, there was the issue of the flow.  The orangey glow of the parquet floors clashed with the espresso floors in the rest of the house. This further bolstered my decision to paint it. 

So here's how I prepped the floor for painting.  

I sanded down spots in the floor that were a little raised from water damage. Then I filled in gaps with wood filler and sanded again. I only sanded the damaged area, which is a small area confined to right in front of the door. 

Once that was completed, I was ready for primer.  I used Zinsser primer.  I can't say enough about this stuff. It eliminates the need to sand. (The only reason I sanded was the damage.)


And here is the foyer with one coat of primer on it.  Even though it is splotchy, it is already an improvement. I will be working on this project today and will hopefully get it finished. I have to put one more coat of primer, the base coat of paint, then the paint treatment that I am doing. But I'm not gonna tell what that is yet.  You will just have to come back and see when I am finished! I hope you will!

**You can view Part 2 HERE!

Frugal Spring Decor: Shop Your Home

With spring approaching, I was getting a little impatient to see some blooms and spring color in my home. I wanted a new, fresh look, but didn't want to break the bank to get it.  I love my home to look pretty and inviting, but I have to keep budget in mind while bedecking our home seasonally. It just seems frivolous to spend a ton of money on seasonal decor that we can only enjoy for a short period of time each year. 

So, I decided to shop my home and yard and see what I could come up with without spending a single penny.  I wanted to show you that making your home look festive and pretty is attainable on a small budget.  You can do it, too.  You just have to get a little creative. 

I looked around my home and yard to see what I could use to create a fresh look. I used items like bird cages, books, vases, ribbon, and fresh cut blooms. I came up with six spring looks for my foyer without spending anything. 

1. Flower Power

I started by going outside and cutting blooms from one of my Camellia bushes, then snipped some branches from what I think is a Bradford Pear tree.  An old vase, tied with ribbon left over from Christmas, holds the branches, and a milk glass vase holds the Camellias. 

A bird cage sits atop a stack of books on one side, and a smaller bird cage and a bird figurine flanks the vase of pear blooms. 

2. Star Studded

This was a simple swap out.  I traded for the milk glass vase of Camellias for a mirrored star votive holder I got over a year ago at Z Gallerie. I only changed one thing, but it made for a different look. 

3. Middle Height

For this look, I cleared off the dresser and added two stacks of books symmetrically on each side. I put the height in the middle instead of on the side.  The books are topped once again with the bird cage on one side and an antique glass float on the other. 

4. Poetry Rules

Once again here, I put the books with bird cage on one side and the vase with branches on the other.  I added more elements this time; the star votive holder, the bird figurine, and the smaller bird cage all made an appearance along with a framed spring poetry printable in the center. (You can download the free printable here.)

5. Elegant Pairing 

For this look, I took away the bird cages and added the glass float, the milk glass vase, and a convex mirror.  I really love this pairing.  

Isn't it so pretty how the mirror reflects the the flowers?


6. Mirror Mirror

For this last look, I kept it simple.  The framed printable was put away and the convex mirror takes center stage.  I left everything else how it was in the previous look. 

So there you have it. Six spring looks without spending a penny.  

Here's what you need to keep in mind to get a new look for your home:
1.) Fresh cut flowers and branches are an easy way to brighten up a room. Look around your yard.  Look around your neighborhood.  I'm sure friends and neighbors wouldn't mind you getting a snip or two if you just ask.  Add your flowers to any existing vases you have. Freshen the look by tying ribbon around it.  Don't have a vase?  Use an empty tin can. Cover with pretty paper and you've got an inexpensive way to display your blooms. 
2.) Look in all the rooms in your home. Look for things like books with bright, spring colors, framed prints, figurines, or decorative candle holders.  By borrowing from other spaces in your home, you can get your new look without breaking the bank. 
3.) Play with it.  To get the look you want using your existing items may take changing things out a few times before you like it.  Do like I did and see how many looks you can come up with. Then, leave the one you like best. (I left #6.)

Go check these out! Linking up to:

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
The DIY'ers at Homecoming
Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Tip Me Tuesday on Tip Junkie
Tutorials and Tips at Home Stories A to Z
DIY Spring Crafts at SITS
The Weekend Link Party at Remodelaholic

Foyer Before and Progress

Hi, guys!  Just stopping in today to show you before and progress pictures of our foyer.  I am still trying to get you guys caught up with what all we have done around here.  Just a couple more "catch up" posts and we should all be up to date.  

Before:

I snapped these right after we moved in.  I had lots of paint samples sitting in the floor as I was trying to figure out what color to paint.

This light fixture is adorable. The picture really doesn't do it justice.  I will reuse this little guy in another space---maybe my walk-in closet.  It is too small for this space.  

Whoa, this picture makes the walls in the foyer look neon. It wasn't bright green. It was more of a dark "country" green. 

During:

I got the bright idea that I wanted stripes in the foyer.  I had drooled over some beautiful striped foyers that I had seen on Pinterest.  When I was completely finished painting, though, it really reminded my of a little boy's nautical bedroom.  Not the look I was going for. This taught me it's okay to make mistakes when designing and decorating. If and when that happens, it's okay to change it. In this case, it was just paint.  Easily changed. 

Progress:

Here it is!  I decided since I have such a bold living area, that I wanted the foyer to be soothing with pops of color that I have used in other rooms.  I painted over the stripes with Nimbus by Benjamin Moore. It is a shade lighter than my formal dining room.  This room isn't finished yet, but I like the direction it is going!

Still to do:
Replace light fixture
Refinish and paint or stain parquet floors
Add more artwork
Add long console table and move blue dresser to opposite wall in foyer

Stop back by tomorrow for before and progress pictures of the formal dining room and office.