Painting @cabin finished!!

So yesterday...we got to go back up to the cabin and put it back together since it was done getting painted. I was so excited to put all my slipcovers back on and Heber was going to finish up getting the trim on the windows and baseboards back up. We also got two more sets of curtains hung in the family room.

I love the paint on the walls!!! We left the ceiling and trim and doors and baseboards dark wood, and I am so glad I chose this option I love it. It helps it feel a little more cabiny than cottage with the wood paneling on the ceiling. You know it's all about comprimise, I have a turquoise sectional and flowered pillows up there, I gotta give the man something.

So you know how men don't get as excited as us women when it comes to before and afters...when I asked Heber if he thought it looked good, all I got was "It's fine, I didn't really think it need to be painted in the first place...and now it smells different when you walk in" HMMM maybe it smells like fresh paint and not rustic wood smell. Which is starting to come back since he cut a ton of new wood for the fireplace. I have to admit I loved that rustic smell too when I walked in. I love that man for doing all that work for me, when he didn't really think it needed to be done.

Dining room
Family room
Bunkroom
parson chair in yellow polka dot with knife pleat skirt
Loft

New windows and painted wood paneling @ the cabin

So this last weekend my dad came and helped up put in three 48"x48" windows on the main level of the cabin which replaced three 24"x24" windows. I can't tell you the difference in light and how much it opened it up. I was literally jumping up and down when they popped out the first opening for the first window. I found the windows on KSL.com (like craigslist) for $40 each, and they had never been installed. When I priced them at Lowes they were $120 each. So with the price of the windows and the lumber, trim, calking etc. it cost $250 total to replace the windows/trim and baseboards. TOTALLY worth it!!


before with small windows on the deck
after with big windows...you can see the small window that we took out sitting on the ground in between the two windows. This was a very happy day for me. The inside is now so light, and not just a dark whole with cute furniture. I love that you can actually see the view now. You can see all the trees and everything. I fall more and more in love with this little cabin with every project that we finish.


Here is a pic of the view from the deck. My nephew Seth also came up to help on the windows and hangout with grandpa and my sisters.



Here is a pic of the opening that was cut for the window...that's my handsome hubby, Heber looking excited to be doing all the work with my dad.


That's my dad skill sawing out the opening with saw dust flying everywhere. My dad came up from California to visit for a few days, so I talked him into helping us with one of our projects. My dad loves having a project. He built almost all of our houses growing up. It was fun to show him the cabin and get his ideas. One of his ideas that I liked was to remove the outside staircase and build the steps into the grade of the slope with railroad ties, then you would enter from the back of the deck. Heber doesn't want to talk about any more projects though.



Here's a pic from the inside after we took off the paneling to frame out for the window. Good thing men know what they are doing. That's my dad.


Then Heber had to hurry and get all the paneling back up on the inside of the cabin, so that my friend Becky could come help paint the paneling. I decided to leave the ceiling and vaulted parts wood as well as the trim around the windows and baseboards. I debated what to do, which would make the biggest impact and not be an insane amount of work. After I saw a post on http://frugalfarmhousedesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/beach-cottage-living-room-before-after.html I finally got my inspiration. I don't have it all put back together yet, but I was so excited to show you the progress, so I'll post some more after pics when the trim and slipcovers are back on.




Here is a before pic that I found of the kitchen.


Here is the after (well the baseboards aren't back on yet) with the walls painted.


another after of the kitchen


here is a way before pic of coming down from the loft into the family room. This was before Heber removed the two small walls and the header at the bottom, and put in bigger windows. Oh and the light fixture got switched out too.

Here is the painting in progress of the family room. I can't wait to get all the furniture put back together, and the curtains hung. The curtain hanging might take some serious persuasion on my end to get Heber to help. His least favorite things are hanging curtains and shelves.

Cabin--- bathroom floor

Logan helping with the wood putty process, he thought it was fun for about 5 minutes, and then decided chopping down a tree outside with a hatchet was more fun then helping mom.

after the stain was applied...see how great it matches at the threshold of the door.

I brought up a footstool for Carter to paint, I bought it off KSL.com for $3. He got bored halfway through too, and went out to help Logan chop down the small dead tree.

So...the cabin has amazing wood floors throughout, except the bathroom (I thought). They had a subfloor nailed on top of them and then nasty disingreating peel and stick tiles on top of that. I started tearing up the tiles, so that we could lay REAL tile. Just as I was finishing that nasty job, I asked my husband if the wood floors continued under the subfloor, because I couldn't see where they ended. He said "probably". So then I started tearing up the subfloor and there they were...a little rough, but they were there.

Just a side note...this discovery of the wood was after we spent $200 on tile and hauled it all up to the cabin in a sled behind the 4 wheeler and carried them up the steep driveway and 26 steps.

My husband still thought we should tile...because refinishing the wood floors would be alot of work...so I told him, "Well I'll do it then". For the record he DID let me do it ALL by MYSELF. But I guess I also let him haul all the tile back down on the sled by himself.

First I had to wood putty all the cracks, I talked Logan into helping for part of that. I had to do it twice, because when it dried it shrunk and some of the cracks were 1/4" thick.

Second I had to sand FOREVER...my mom let me borrow a belt sander that took all my strength to keep it from getting away from me. My whole body was sore the next day.

Third I had to apply a wood conditioner, so the stain would apply evenly.

Fourth I had to stain the wood (that was easy and fast). I actually got it to match the original color outside the door pretty well.

Fifth I had to apply 3 coats of floor grade polyeurethene... that required 3-6 hours of drying time in between each coat.

Finally now the floors are done!!! Now we can set the toilet and take off the rest of the nasty wood paneling on the walls. We are going to put up beadboard.

Heber is up there today clearing away more brush, and might start diggging up the water line so we can fix it and get the water on. My dad is coming up this week to help replace 3 windows on the main level to 48"x48" windows instead of the small 24"x24" windows that let in hardly any light and you can't see any of the fabulous view.

Oh yesterday we got to drive ALL the way up to the cabin, the snow has finally melted off the road and driveway. This is the first time we have had access since January when we got stuck and had to dig the car out for 2.5 hrs with the kids.

slipper chair

Before ---a little too contemporary for my client
After

So I was about to load up this chair to take back to my client and decided I need to hurry and get a pic of it. I love how it turned out with the band on the front in a different fabric. I was able to get a tight fit on it..the fabric was a little bit thicker and had that sticky back on it, so I wasn't sure how tight I could get it. But it turned out fabulous.

Chair for "How to Video"

So last night I taped my "How to Slipcover" Video and demonstrated this oversized chair. I decided to use up the last of my heavy weight white linen that I had on hand and threw on two throw pillows that are a mustard yellow polka dot with a 1" linen pleat ruffle. It turned out really good. It will take about three weeks to edit the video... can't wait to see it.

This chair also has a second slipcover that I made awhile ago that's a tan/khaki brushed twill with the same straight pleat skirt as the white linen cover.

I decided I am going to let this chair go to help pay for the video. So if any of you are interested let me know (email or call me). I am selling it for $300. That includes the chair, two slipcovers (white linen and tan twill), and 2 polka dot throw pillows that have down forms in them. The skirt is lined and the cushion and pillows have zipper openings.

Oh and the chair is super comfy...definitely oversized. It fits me and one of my little boys.

before
after
zipper opening behind the piping on the back corner.
2 - 20" down pillows in yellow polka dot fabric with a 1" pleat ruffle.
close up of yellow polka dot.

"How to Slipcover Video"

So I am playing around with the idea of making a "How to Slipcover Video" that I can market and sell from my blog. I have gotten lots of emails with questions about slipcovering and people asking if I teach classes. I talked to a videographer today about the idea and am starting to formulate it all and may even start taping next week.

I am excited and nervous all at the same time, trying to figure out how to show everything I want to show. I think I may have to do separate videos for wingbacks and pillows. I am excited to show my methods, time saving tips and tricks, and everything I have learned through trial and error over the past 12 years.

5x8 Trailer

Here it is... my darling 5x8 enclosed trailer that I haul all over town. Somehow I manage not to get in too tight of spots that I can't get it turned around. I used to be pretty intimidated by trying to back it up, now it's not so bad. I can fit 6 chairs between my trailer and my car. So it saves me lots of time. I don't know what I used to do without her.

Drop Cloth Slipcovers with French Welt

Before two used dated wingback chairs.
After...wingback in dropcloth.

After...a shot of the whole room
after of the couch in the other room

Close up to show the french welt.

So I have this designer client that was staging a house in Federal Heights for an open house to sell the home. He loves monochromatic and loves to use drop cloths. He always does french welt instead of piping (1/2" flat flange with kiss pleats in the corners). He bought a bunch of used furniture to fill up the empty spaces, as well as using what she had.

I had 10 days to complete the following.... 2 couches with back cushions, 2 wingback chairs, and a chair and a half with a back cushion. oh and two huge tablecloths. So I finished it in time and then the open house was pushed back a week. Gotta love it huh?

Of course I only took a before picture of the wingbacks. The other couch and chair were a yellow chenille with a very modern black/yellow diamond print on the cushions. So the change was very drastic. I loved the final look.

If you are thinking of using dropcloths...just know that they are flawed fabric and may not hold up as long as normal canvas/duck cloth/cotton will. They usually have runs of weaker spots running through them and you can only work around so many flawed areas. This designer loves it and thinks it adds to the character of the piece.

Cabin Kitchen Cabinets

Before...there was a wall, but I had Heber take it out, it was between the cabinets and the dining table.

After...looking into the dining room.

The process...super fun. At least I had Camille there to help get the first coat on.

After

Glass tile backsplash

So last weekend...my running partner, Camille came with me up to the cabin to help me start painting the kitchen cabinets. They turned out great!!! Of course they look way better in person. I think I need to have my photographer sisters come up and do my pictures justice. We went up in the middle of a snow storm with her two little kids...good times. Pulling them up in the sled with all the paint supplies and overnight gear and food up hill after we ran 8 miles earlier in the day was pure comedy!! Oh did I mention it's a 1/2 mile from the parking lot up to the cabin.

I still need to grout the backsplash, but all in all you get the idea of what I am going for. We switched out the counter top to butcher block from IKEA. The backsplash is glass tile. I got it off buytile.com and it was free shipping with $150 purchase. I looked forever trying to find glass tile with turquoise and earthtones. This one didn't have any white in it and I really wanted the white appliances to look like they belonged so I bought a sheet of white tiles and popped some out every so often and put in a white tile. We still need to install the sink...but hey with the water not on yet there's no hurry right?

Now this weekend we are going to start refinishing the bathroom floor. We planned on tiling it... and bought all the supplies and hauled them all up there in the sled and started ripping up the sub floor and found the hardwood continued underneath. So Heber hauled all the tile back down to the car and I got to return everything and saved $200.

heavy weight white linen

I have 23 yards of white linen that I am selling for $9/yd. Let me know if you are interested in all or part. My company messed up my order and sent me way too much. Anyhow it is the same white linen that I used on the couch and chair a few posts down. It is beautiful and is a nice heavy weight that works great for slipcovers and duvets.

shelley 801-789-5931

Wood Arm Chair

Before, a chair inherited from my client's grandma. Sturdy and great lines.



















after...done in a black/white gingham cotton. We chose to let the legs show and not do a skirt. I just finished off the bottom with a row of piping.















I was able to let the wood arm show by leaving an opening. I piped around the opening to make it look more finished and to keep the underneath fabric from peaking out.

Green Damask Arm Chair

Before



















After

Close up of skirt and matching on front

So I am not going to lie....I was a little nervous about how this arm chair was going to turn out, so I put piping in every seam just hoping it would make it looked polished and finished. I decided to do a 4.5" pleat going all one way for the skirt. I like to let the legs show when possible. I was happy with the matching I was able to do on the front with the large repeat. It turned a $2 garage sale find into a fabulous occasional chair for my client.