NEW blog! Introducing Funky Junk Interiors

Ok, call me crazy, but I have to go with this one. Because the mere idea is sending me to the moon.

For many years, I've been an avid antique shopper. The FIND is just electrifying (in a good way) as the implement. I love to find junk and create exitement in a home in unique and surprising ways.

Before Cody was born, I've long loved to go to auctions, flea markets, garage sales, you name it. The tiniest unique cup can become a wonderful conversation piece in the right placement. The once kitchen table, now a coffee table, becomes the most amazing and productive feature you can imagine. The once old beat up sign in someone's scrap yard has become my headboard that I adore and makes me smile every time I walk into my bedroom.

This stuff triggers me. It's abit like playing hide and seek and place with special finds.

With this house well under way of becoming a gorgeous backdrop, my crazy fanatical musings and head boggling images are bursting at the seams. I can't stop. And I don't want to. Imagine being an extreme decorator and having to shut that down for 4 LONG years. Hello to me... I just woke up. And you have NO idea how fast my head is spinning.

I'll continue to enter all the continued renos online with great pictures and immense thanks to those that are continuing to help me through this hump. But at the same time, I have to also share what's sparking me back into life again.

So for you decorator types that are curious as to what's going to continue to happen again and again in this house, and perhaps others, check out...

http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

I'm going to share my finds and what I do with them. I'll show you amazing inspirational footage from other blogs that will having you absolutely drooling to find that old barn wood or old door.

You simply haven't seen nothin' yet.

There's a special plan for all my creative energy. I know it. The house had to materialize to become my backdrop for what's to become. If we are patient, The Plan is implemented in all due time. We just have to chose to take the action and fly with it.

So, I hope you're curious enough to wander over to that 'funky' blog. This reno blog will now resume to regularly scheduled programming, and that's to do with the house finishing. The decorating fun will be at the other.

FUN! Who doesn't like fun?!? I hope you are as intriqued as I am inspired. And get ready to shake your head at a few ideas I have to share... they just might inspire you to be brave with your own decorating... or perhaps need me to help you... either way, I hope you enjoy the ride!

Main bedroom before and after - IT'S RED!

It's about to get a lot more colourful in the bedroom... and Teddy approves!

Over at Nesting Place, they're having a link party with a theme of spending 10 minutes on any given room to improve it. I just want to thank Nester for having this little festival because it really made me motor to further the bedroom! I was no where near 10 minutes. Turning that into 10 hours would be more accurate, but nevertheless, I'm thrilled so far!

Check out this link if you wish to visit the link party Nester is having. You can view many other befores and afters.

http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/2009/02/10-minutes-to-room-you-love-finale.html

This post was geared to cater to The Nester viewing. If you wish for abit more info on the how-to of what's to follow, you can view it at:

http://ourextremehomemakeoverexperience.blogspot.com/search/label/main%20bedroom


Ok, here we go! Way back when I moved in, the bedroom was a dingy yellow with threadbare off white/yellowed carpet. Nasty. I was too embarrassed to take a before pic, silly me.

Next, was painting the bedroom to simply clean it up with brand new hardwood flooring and mouldings. It was feeling like the ritz already.

Next, I scooped up this cool old sign for a headboard and simply had it screwed right to the wall. The wall behind it begged to be RED, doncha think?

Next, the wall went RED. Isn't it awesome?

See all those pillows? I went to two thrift stores today after work and gathered up my treasures for $10.00. Pillows and pillow cases in all the colours I desired. My kinda shopping! All the rest of the following items in the room I already had.

I thought this stool with a checkerboard placed on top was just temporary as I had my eye on a neat tallish nightstand with drawers at Homesense, but after jazzing it up, I like it!

The antique jars really lend a lovely hue of colour during daylight hours. My clock radio is hidden behind the left side of the curtain, which actually works well! Some ugly necessity is hidden anyway. My bed is big enough to simply reach over to the window to turn it on/off.

The biggest frame has no mirror in it. It's empty. All the other frames hold mirrors. You'd never know! The front thing is a little woodsy tray that matched the pickled pine furniture. This display probably won't stay for long. I change this area alot.

All the brass on the handles of the furniture will morph into black soon.

Forgive me for having that honkin' big tv on that teeny weeny little nightstand! But it's all I have to work with right now. We were suppose to shop within our homes for this little project so I did just that.

My friends Dan and Janis graciously gave me the two coke signs. When Dan spotted what I had done with my headboard online, he told me these would also look great in the room. He was right!


This is a shot of the ensuite viewing from the bed. The metal hook holding the towel is MASSIVE and just really cool. Sorry it didn't show up well here.



Here's a couple shots not really worthy of taking, however just to give you an overall of what I had to work with. The furniture is 20 years old or so and in as new shape still. Wouldn't that armoire look great in black?!? But for now, the light bedding ties in the furniture ok.


A few things still need to be done such as getting my bed skirt on the bed again. (did you notice that it hadn't been done?!?) The king sized mattress is just too heavy for me to lug on my own and it's late. But in all, I'm pretty happy with how the room turned out. It's fresh, fun to look at, and so very me to a T.

I'll say this. The room is most definately kitten approved. The cats rarely wander to this room and now that I change things for the better, they have to try it out. It must be cozy if a cat approves... NEXT!

What IS next? Hmmm.. I delayed the stair wooden components install due to continued out gassing of the varnish fuming up my garage, so I may tile my entryway floor next weekend.

Thanks for the visit!

On decorating ~ The 'mom zone' overrules once again

Remember this room?

I had to do it. While running around town today I picked up a litre of red paint and painted the sign wall RED. And it's awesome... sorry, no updated pic quite yet. I was a little busy.

I then struggled to figure out what to do with the bedding and no current budget for new. So I shopped inside my own house, pulling out this and that and tucking things here and there. So I'm in full bed mode.

You creative types know what I speak of. It's that zone you get in when you're on a mission and there's just no stopping you. You don't know what time it is, what day it is or which way is up. Or that you have starving children even. (ok, that was a bit much, but you get the idea) It just doesn't matter when you're in the zone.

I was piling stuff onto the bed musing about what was working, what wasn't, and how neat something looked. I knew Cody was in the room (somewhere) and was sort of waiting for me to do something that I can't even remember. I heard the odd sigh and something or other in the background, but my mind had this beam of light highlighting the bed at the current time and that beam gives you natural ear plugs and blinders towards off topic stuff doncha know.

For some reason, I caught, "Fine mom. I don't want to go to bed anyway." Huh? Oh. That.

I really resisted leaving that room and all my splendor I had piled high on the bed, but I did anyway. It was time to yank the decorator hat off and put the mom hat on again.

I don't often realm in that zone for too long when Cody is around because of time limitations. When you're in the zone, it's so awesome to carry a project through to finalization. But here I went and morphed into there on a (egads!) school night!

Well, I had abit of a deadline of sorts to work with. One of my fav decorator blogs is having a little blog party on how to transcend a room into a haven in 10 minutes. Hopefully I make the deadline and join in her link party by Thursday.

http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/2009/02/10-minutes-to-room-youll-love-part-4.html

It's by no means happening in 10 minutes by the rate I work, but no matter. I'm 10 minutes closer to my goal nevertheless. And Cody still got to bed on time with all his homework completed.

What can I say. I guess I can mother and decorate on the same night. Who knew?

Next: stay tuned for the red wall reveal. Soon! Hopefully...

Weekend project - new headboard for the bedroom

A little surprise project happened this weekend, much to my delight!

My workday changed on Friday to a home day, so I made a quick escape to the local Home and Garden show, hoping for a little fresh inspiration for the house. Then dashed home, left with wondering what to do. The homeshow did nothing for my urge to do something to my bedroom. But I had an idea.

I had been attempting to dream up a unique idea for a headboard for the main bedroom forever. And I had thought of this idea many times, but just never carried it through. So I walked up to this old sign I had in the garage.

The sign has a history in my hometown. Those that see it wonder how on earth it got into my garage. Honestly? I walked up to the owner and asked if I could have it. It was leaning against his building. He laughed and said, "If you wana clean up my yard for me, go at'ter! And thanks!"

No, thank YOU my friend!

So I decided it's now or never. I'm going to try my idea that's lived in my head for awhile, and if it doesn't work, I'll just heave the sign.

First I scrubbed down the sign and removed all the green gunge and dirt. The once red lettering was badly faded to this orange tone which isn't my thang. So I found some red paint leftover from the playroom decorating, grabbed a good brush, and stroked inside of all the red hand lettered areas, careful not to go over the edge.




Now the sign looked too new for my liking. So I went over it and washed it out with some wall paint from the bedroom. I couldn't lose that peach background, so I rubbed on some wood stain I had left over. The background turned more into a mustardy yellow, which was better than the peach.

Janette had paid me a quick visit while I had been painting so she knew I needed muscle to help me get it up the stairs. Magically, the next morning Jake and Ralph knocked on the door wanting to know if I was ready. LOL Gotta love that! I still wasn't 100% on the idea but I led the way regardless. When two strong guys show up on your doorstep, you do NOT turn them down I say!

Up the sign went. Cool! But only the paint colour in the bedroom was kinda too pink for the sign. Ech...

So I got out some Bamboo Beach once again and painted right up against the sign. Ohhh, that's better! And then kept going. Within 2 hours, my entire bedroom was beached out. The picture picks up the paint in an odd tone. It's tauper than it looks.

Tadaaa! This is in rough mode. I have no new cool bedding yet but you get the idea.

I've always been one to like a small element of surprise in a room. Something unique perhaps no one else has. Ya think I hit the nail on the head with my goal?!?

On renos and pets

Many weekends I'm hacking away at something or other on the house on my own. Or am I really alone?



It's totally not out of the ordinary around here to be working away late into the evening when I find one of the critters watching me with interest. You have to wonder what they think of us, all dirty and sweating over some wall or floor or such nonsense. They eventually yawn and saunter off back to some strange place for a snooze.



This cat is alive and well and this happens to be his most favorite place to snooze. Beethoven's head is inside the heat register hole that I've yet to get a cover for. That's just odd. Is this a cat's version of a warm tropical breeze?!?

But have you noticed how great that cat looks in this renovated house and accessories? Just lookit those colour combos there. Does he know how to pick out a great floor mat to lay on or what.



I know. Another odd sighting. But it made me laugh. I mean, could he find any place smaller to squeeze on to? And he's not even enjoying the view outdoors. What's the point of a window seat if you don't utilize the window I ask. Ah, I'm sure he's just enjoying our beautiful new home instead.



And those pets of ours seem to just suit wherever they go. Even a crappy old floor loaded with graffiti looks pretty comfy here to some. Artistic dog maybe? I can relate to that.

Is my dog a good match for me or what? She's HAPPY to be sitting beside a wet paint roller too.

I'm not sure where my passion for pets derived from. When growing up, mom always wanted the barn cats left outside. But we kids attempted a few sneak ins on occasion anyway. You know, to test mom to see if she changed her mind. She answered that test with the end of a gentle broom to scooch the cats out again.

And in a newly renovated home, yeah, pets make a little more housework. But for the amount of stress my critters help me relieve, they are worth every hair I have to swiffer up.

As you can see by this post, I haven't worked on the house this week yet. But the good news is, the varnishing of all that woodwork is now 100% complete! That feels very very good.

I had hoped to start on the tile entryway this weekend but I think I'll have to hold off on that one. Cody wants to do puzzles on Saturday. Works for me!

I know. I sound like a cat now, don't I?

Dapping the hallway - and missing Dave

Folks? This is Dave. My current hero of today. You'll soon figure out why.

And this is one of the things that Dave does really really well. And this is one of many things I DON'T do really really well.


I looked down the hallway Saturday night and decided I HAD to pick up the Dap and just do it. The mouldings look ok in the picture, however, on closer inspection, the old meeting the new is currently in struggle mode. The old is very chipped up and needs sanding and painting BAD. The new requires Dap up and down and left and right and all over. And oh my goodness... this is only but one small area in the entire house that needs Dap!

I've shared my terror on this one in small increments to those unfortunate enough to hear my mumblings. I'm not good at Dap, therefore it's not nice to me. And yeah, it's a total state of mind and a practice thing. I get that. But until I practice more (ok, starting Saturday night I guess), I'm not GOING to get good at this and I will struggle and pout wishing Dave were here. So practice began again.


I started in the hallway. Such a now pretty hallway deserves Dap! Each line I Dapped begged for extreme help though. And needed extreme measures to correct. And being the perfectionist that I am cursed with, I put in so so so much time on each one of those lines.

Because I had to deal with alot of this. I've never seen Dave's Dap leak like this. What's up with that?!? For each line, I made a mad dash to 'The Cardboard.' The Cardboard saved my life on many occasions. I like The Cardboard, but I don't like The Dap.

"Eh, get over it already and just do it!," I encourage myself. So then I'm left with this. Again.



"DAAAAAVE... I MIIIISSSSS YOUUUUUUU", I sing to myself. Singing is good and puts me in a better frame of mind. And I needed all the ammunition I could muster up.

Dave is amazing. When he Daps, he gets lost in a Dap world of sorts. He sings to himself, he doesn't hear you when you talk and then says on occaision, "I shouldn't put Dap in my hands when I need to go home because I'll never stop! I just love doing this because it makes things look soooooo much better!"

I love Dave and for his gift of Dap. And he has shown me the professional way to do it. Cutting the tip just right in two slices on an angle, not making the hole too big. Using a wet finger to glide over the silicone. And following up with a small putty knife to remove excess and a wet rag to wipe away the remainder. All the facts are stored in my mental card file. Check! But for some reason, he didn't include complaining in that list. I think he just forgot to.

So, let's list the positives to get my head in the right place..
.
"Dave says Dap is good because it makes the woodwork look soooo much better."
"If I do this one line, I won't have to do it again."
"Wow, I can paint this if I Dap it first! Weeeee!"
"I like Dave."
"Dap Dap Dap I love Dap (not)"
"Dave's hands don't get this dirty..."
"Whoops..."
"Hey, I am LUCKY to have all this gorgeous woodwork to Dap! LUCKY I say!"
"I miss Dave."
"I miss Dave."
"I envy Dave."
"I envy anyone not Dapping." x 1 billion.

And that's sort of the way it went.

But I told myself, I WILL finish the hallway. Everytime I haggle with Dap, I will do a designated area so if I need a Dap break (imagine...) I can paint! Yeah, I like that!

So I got the hallway done. I was proud of me. I then got somewhat brave and went into the ensuite and started abit, muttering to myself. My confused cats laying in that room weren't use to all the extra conversation (that would be my muttering) during their intended slumber. I decided in order to please my cats, I'd not do the ensuite. YES! Saved again!

But then felt like a loser. So I went into the bathroom out of sheer guilt. Wow, some was already done! I have no idea if I or Dave did it previously (memory becomes an issue after 46 it seems) but I was pleased as punch all the same I didn't have to do much there. So I finished the main bathroom! I can paint there too! Wow, so much painting now... no time to Dap for a good long time... right?

So folks, there are indeed heavy positives in getting some Dapping done. (should Dap have an uppercase D? No idea. I'll forget about it in an hour anyway) The positives, now I have an excuse to not Dap for that good long time because of ALL THE PAINTING I created! I like painting, so that isn't really too much of a chore for me.

And Dave? You were just really missed today for some particular reason. Strange but true...

I treated myself to a movie later. And forgot about the Dap world rather quickly. But honestly? I slept better than I have in a long time that night. For I had started to conquor Dap.

Be very afraid Dap. I'm coming back again sooner than we both care to admit!

Remembering

Here I sit on a Saturday morning with my first coffee, waiting for my morning fog to clear.

It's quiet. I have an incredible view on the day ahead. As there are no window coverings in the house yet, I have a clear wide window (literally) of the new frost blanketing the surrounding lawns. The sky is clear and promises to be a bright and wonderful day. Perhaps that's why I couldn't sleep in. I just woke up and needed to be, well, up
.
The work on the house was fairly constant for awhile, especially when we executed a kitchen install date. I remember rescheduling my work on delay mode for around a month's time so I could keep up with the pace needed to get things done
.
And now that we're sort of at the tail end of the renos, it's quiet. Abit too quiet.

I was going through some older reno pictures a couple days ago, and I flat out laughed while viewing some and sniffed when I saw others. I go through them frequently. Because it's so quiet now.




Many mornings over the past 10 months I was up early on weekends to welcome in a group of eager working folks. I'd race around ensuring they had tools and lunch and drinks. It was like a reno party with many attendees. If you're going to have a party, the ultimate is the kind where you wear dirty clothes and test each other who'll get dirtier quicker! No good hair required! Oh gotta love that!!

Other mornings, such as this one, start out quiet and once I finish breakfast, I put on my workclothes and start to hack on a project I can accomplish on my own. And for company, I have my dog and cats and the radio as Cody is at his Dad's for the weekend. It's not quite the same, but once I find my zone after I force myself to pick up that brush or tool, it just happens. And I do enjoy it. And yeah, it's still quiet.

I suppose this was the ultimate hope for all. To get this house in a good place so Cody and I could simply live in it and enjoy it's beauty and functionality. And boy do we ever! We're following the plan by enjoying it immensly! I just didn't realize how much I'd miss my friends when that day finally came.

I go to these sign meets at Dan's to help out a couple times a year or so. The place is filled to the brim with design type folks like myself so we have much in common. It's a busy happy place with lots of laughter, and shared passion for something we love to do. In quiet Yarrow, this workshop becomes quite a big deal for my little circle. And when it's ultimately time to shut the doors and go home, it gets quiet again.

That's sort of what the end of the major renos feels like. Dan warned me I'd feel the 'letdown' after my reno friends went home too. And he was right.

But luckily, there's the magic of emails and phone. There ARE things that still need doing where my friend/s will wander back to polk around with. Just not at the pace it once was. I'm glad they're back home living the lives they need to, spending it with their own families. Right where they should be.

I'm proud of each one of them. I've bonded with many and have made true friendships this past year. Living in Yarrow has a fresh new meaning to me. It appears the more seeds you sow, the more roots take place. And I love that.

This renovation has really made me feel like a part of this community. Being only 3-4 years new in this funky little town, I'm finally now feeling like I belong. When I drive Cody to school, I wave umpteen times at folks I pass. When I drive through the town with one 3 way stop, I spot a few walkers I know. It's a good feeling!

So, I know there's no need to feel blue about where things are at. Having no sig other at home and being somewhat of a social person, I venture out if things get abit too quiet. I know where they're all at and I know how to do it.

And that leads me back to my Saturday today. I've gotta get my breakfast done so I can get to my varnishing so I one day have TIME to visit my friends again! Time to get going.

Thanks folks, for the wonderful laughs and adventures we shared! I'll be thinking of you today while I yet again varnish my wood for a bazillionth time and laugh at my silly old self. Alongside my radio and pets of course... sigh...

Sat Feb 1 update - more varnishing, woodwork painting.. and truck light

On Saturday, the stair woodwork got another coat of varnish. And I have discovered something that fine sands better than steel wool. I went to Lordco and came across these thin sponges with EXTRA fine sandpaper on them. Much easier to use than the steel wool as it doesn't come apart from movement and does a wonderful job! I'm thinking the woodwork may need one more coat as the more coverage is on the wood, the less you feel the wood grain. I'll keep at it!


So while the varnish was drying, I moved upstairs and coated the inside of the upstairs old vanity. The ensuite houses a new toilet and tap/counter but the old wood part of the vanity remained as I felt it was in good condition.


Then I moved over to the kitchen to finally coat out the beautiful woodwork around the three windows. I adore newly painted woodwork! The look simply can't get any crisper!

And then I ran out of time. Next up was real life in picking Cody up from his Dad's, and starting dinner, and getting ready for a school/work week.

Abit more got done on the weekend, but it wasn't reno related. I've finally settled into a routine for housecleaning once again, so the house gets hit top to bottom on Saturdays once more. I had done this on ugly floors before the reno but is it ever alot more fun cleaning pretty!

Also, a headlight on my truck needed replacing. Others I had talked to told me I could do it myself NO PROBLEM. So I was encouraged to try. I had picked up the light at Lordco and then Saturday, popped up the hood to look at a thick mass of wires. Eh.... I walked next door to Jake and beckoned for his advice and he suggested I crack open the manual. Turned out to be very good advice. You don't pop the hood at all to touch this light. You have to own this minuscule of an allen wrench thing, the kind that is so tiny you can barely hold onto it and turn one tiny hidden screw. Sounds easy right? It wasn't. Our allen wrenches between the two of us weren't working. So I called up guy #2 Dan.

His allen wrenched worked but on the wrong screw. The screw we WANTED to unscrew wasn't cooperating so we called on guy#3 Gord and guy #4 Gord's son. With me encouraging (ok, laughing) while they did all the work, we (they) figured it out, but many drills and what not were used. This didn't turn out to be so easy after all like 'they' told me. I sure appreciate my friends!

It was a good productive weekend with abit of good natured friendly razzing thrown in.

Next up? Finish the stair woodwork already which is priority! Then perhaps the vanity again and paint out some more white woodwork. But that can change pretty quick so who knows.

just edited to add:

Cody just SLID ( I said slid!!!!) this box across the hardwood floors. I quickly suggested he

PICK

IT

UP.

His comment? "You're so worried about the house now."

Yeah well..