Little by Little

This little bathroom upgrade is coming along little by little, we are getting there I promise.  Here are some detail before and after pics to hold you over until we have more major things to show you - I just know you all are losing sleep as you have been anxiously awaiting which bathroom towels we are going to choose so just hold tight, that's coming soon.

Our little storage cabinet not only got a paint job it also received a cabinet hardware upgrade.  I couldn't bare to put these eyeball knobs back on so I opted to use more glass ones like I used on Silas' dresser that I had laying around, I love the sparkle.

The old white metal bathroom hardware is now replaced with shiny new brushed nickel.  I scored this towel bar at Homegoods for $7.99.

We also added a new hand towel ring, once again scored at Homegoods on sale - $5.99.  I kind of like the fact that they are not the exact same style, it might have looked a little too matchy-matchy.  Keeping with the same finish in brushed nickel brought the two together nicely.

Bye-Bye tooth brush holder, none of our guests want to look at our used tooth brushes while they wash their hands (at least I don't think so).

We still haven't installed our new faucet

We were in need of a new shower head since our old one was not only rusty but leaking too.  We went with the 3 cycle Moen Nurture shower head that is supposed to use 1/3 less water while still maintaining good water pressure.  I have to say that we have enjoyed our shower head so far, I cannot tell any difference in the amount of water pressure - actually it's better since it isn't leaking.  Changing the shower head was a very simple project.  First Justin unscrewed the old shower head.  Next, he removed the shower flange - it just popped out.  After popping the flange out he unscrewed the arm and screwed in the new arm - adding Teflon tape to both ends of the arm to waterproof the seal.  Finally he just added the new flange and screwed in the new shower head.  Super simple and major upgrade.

I don't know why but adding a little plant like this one has given so much life and atmosphere to this space.  I read somewhere that plants help to improve your overall mood and can help you feel relaxed, I just might agree with that after adding this little guy in there.

These are all really simple and affordable upgrades that anyone could do in their home.  It's amazing how the small details of a room can make a huge difference when it comes to style.  So what about you guys?  Any easy upgrades going on in your homes?  Comment and share with us!

Cabinet Bling - The Square Method

So yesterday you got a little sneak peek here on some projects we've been working on around the house. One of the projects I have been most excited about was finally finishing our cabinet revamp and adding the bling - the hardware.   This has been a work in progress as Justin has added two or three more cabinet knobs a day when he has a few minutes here and there.  That's just how we roll.  Side note, our blinds are going up the same way - a new day, a new blind, I guess by Friday we should have them all up in our kitchen and living room.  Back to the knobs - Let me give you a reminder of what the cabinet hardware looked like before -

Country Chic?

This is an example of how wonky our cabinets are, take a gander at the hinges on the left - I think they were overlapping.  Also, for some reason we have two small doors here on the end while every other door is wide and single.  Someone was trying to be a bit too creative I say.

First off, it was a grand adventure trying to find hinges that would fit appropriately, let's just say it included 4 trips to Lowe's where I ended up buying something, returning it and ended up buying it again mixed in with a few frustrating moments that all came together with a hinge that we do really love.  Some things I learned, bring a sample of your old hinge with you to the store, not all hinges are created equal - some are inset, some are overlay and finally old cabinets are totally off center and crooked.  The next big search was trying to decide what to replace the cabinet handles with- since handles are not made in this size anymore, of course.  We ended up choosing a lovely knob I found at Lowe's for a mere $.87 a pop and a different style drawer pull that adds a little more interest I think.  After Justin painstakingly re-hung our uneven jerry-rigged cabinet doors we made an executive decision that we would eventually be replacing all of these cabinets down the road.  They really are just a wanna be carpenter's dream and our current nightmare.  After we were satisfied with the cabinet door alignment we waited several weeks before adding the final touches with the knobs and pulls.  This is when I walk in to the kitchen and find Justin already on the job, I ask him "How are you making sure all of these knobs are straight?" (fair question since I knew how hard it was getting the cabinets straight).  His answer was - "The square method".  At first thought I assumed he meant a square tool, like one of these 

but no, he meant a square - like a piece of paper square.  Here is Justin's square method guide to hanging cabinets knobs straight:

1. Determine where you think the knobs would look the best
2. Create your paper square (Justin used an index card) by placing your knob in the place you would like it and measuring (starting from the top of the cabinet) the distance from how far over from the top of the cabinet and how far down from the side of the cabinet  - this will give you your two measurements you need for your square 
3. After you have your square, line up the square flush with the inside of the cabinet to mark the spot on each square corner 
4.  Drill your hole and screw in your new knob



We ended up not painting the inside of our cabinets since we will eventually be replacing them  - don't judge.

There you have, the square method of hanging cabinet knobs, we not only diy our projects, we diy our methods.  Justin did a wonderful job, and I love admiring our cabinet bling - even though we are still a few knobs short.  Some final pics of the kitchen cabinets, for now - 

I would say they are a far cry from how they used to look.  If you want to see some more pics of our cabinets before, I have put up a House Tour Page for your viewing enjoyment or you can check out my original post here.  So what about you? Have any diy methods you have created lately that worked?  Comment and Share!

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