Subject: My New Dining Table

Melissa -

This post has been a long time coming! I first told you about my dining table here, when I asked you to go pick it up for me. Yes, I search Craigslists in other cities where I have friends/family in the hopes that if I find something, they can get it for me and then I can figure out a way to retrieve it. So, the table is originally from Atlanta. Then my cousin, who lives in Charleston, told me she was going to the SEC basketball tournament in Atlanta and agreed to get the table from you, Peach, and take it back to Charleston. I was hoping that her mom (my aunt) would be able to bring it back down when she came, but it would not fit in her car. So then, about a month later, my uncle drove up there in a big SUV for my cousin's son's 1st birthday party (my second cousin, I think?), and he brought it back for me. It was quite a production getting it down here, but it was so worth it once you see the finished product and now it has earned the name "tri-state table!"

So, here it is before:

It is a solid oak table that I got for $100, which felt like a great price considering the guy said he hardly ever used it and it was in really great shape. It came with a leaf, which I planned to keep in it so all six of my dining chairs would fit around it. It actually measures slightly bigger than the table I had before, which was nice to for having people over - I could always add more chairs since there were no corners to contend with.

The only problem with keeping the leaf in is you can see in the picture above that the trim on the leaf doesn't match the rest of the table. When I originally got the table, the leaf had no trim and I didn't like the way it looked. So I went to Home Depot and had them cut me two pieces of 12-inch-long oak that was the same height as the existing trim around the table. Thankfully, the trim is plain so I didn't have to try and match it up with a piece that had grooves on it or anything. I was also pretty proud of myself because I went to The Depot all by myself and picked out the wood and had it cut. I paid about $3 for both pieces, which felt like a steal. I used L-brackets and screws (which I also picked out myself) to attach the new pieces to the leaf:

Once I had all that done, I got to the business of re-finishing. First I used Liquid Sandpaper to take the finish off the table to ensure the paint would then stick. I like Liquid Sandpaper because it's quicker than using actual sandpaper, plus it combines the step of cleaning the piece while sanding it. I applied it using a piece of an old T-shirt and wore gloves when working with it, which is so important. Liquid Sandpaper is available in the sandpaper section at most hardware stores and looks like this:

After the sanding step, I then primed it. I used Behr Premium Primer & Sealer because that's what I had on hand. I didn't have long stretches of time to work on this project, so the primer dried for about 24 hours before I started painting. I think it's important to wait an ample amount of time between each step - read the directions on your product - but sometimes I get impatient and rush things. So it was good that I had a finite amount of time each day to work on this project.

After priming, I then applied my paint. I used white trim paint that I also had on hand. For furniture, I always use latex paint and I think a semi-gloss finish is just right, so that's what I used. I applied 3-4 coats of paint, waiting for each coat to dry before applying the next. My dad advised me that oak is a thick wood and the grains of wood can sometimes bleed through the paint, so I was determined to put on as many coats as were necessary. Plus, I knew this piece would be heavily used, so I wanted to make sure it had plenty of coats for that reason as well.

Once I had my coats of paint, I then I applied a protective layer of polyurethane. There is a relatively new product called Wipe-On Poly by Minwax that is awesome and that I used on this project. You just wipe on the polyurethane with a rag (and gloves!). It comes in a glossy or satin finishes and the container looks like this:

For this project, I used the satin finish. Once the first coat has dried, you sand it with a fine-grain sandpaper, wipe it down and then apply another coat. Originally I was only going to do two coats on the top, but then I realized that people's feet would probably kick the pedestal and potentially chip it, so I applied two coats of the poly there too.

So after all that was done, I moved the table into the kitchen and put it together and voila! all done:

I love how it looks, with the wall color and the chair fabric and the tile. It is seriously such an improvement. Here is a picture of the dining area before, when it was green:

And here is the whole area now:

I looooooove it. I think the whole look is so much more refined and has so much more focus - like I actually had a plan beforehand and thought it all through! There are more details from this dining area to show you, but I'm exhausted from telling you about this table, so I will save it for another day!

Toodles,

Kara

Subject: Catching Up

Melissa! My long-lost friend!

I am so, SO sorry for my silence. Last week I literally needed a few days to recover from the big party (which was perfect, BTW, and I cannot wait to share pictures when I get them!) and then on Wednesday I got hit with a head cold/sinus funk thing thanks to every tree and flower in town bearing pollen! So that carried me into the weekend, and now this week Suz has decided she no longer needs her morning nap. I don't know how I am going to deal with this! Good thing I painted my kitchen and stained my grout when I had the chance! So now I am figuring out life with a once-a-day napper. It's a new experience and season for us, but I'm kind of excited about it too. I'm also banking on a really long afternoon nap now, which hopefully will afford me enough to time get everything done that I can't do when she's up and crawling around in the morning. So, yeah. Here I am - finally!

First, I love your new bedside tables! They are exactly what you were looking for! Ours also have a drawer with a little shelf underneath. It's nice because you can hide stuff you don't want people to see in the drawers, and then do a nice display of books or boxes or whatever below. Excellent choice! I'm not looking to get anything new for our room anytime soon, but if I was, I would consider these night stands from Pottery Barn:



I think they look really light (vs. the black wood we have now) and would reflect so much light. Of course, from a purely practical standpoint, they would be impossible to keep clean. Suz is way into seeing herself in the mirror right now, so I am picturing all the baby handprints on them!

Your curtains are perfect too! I am thinking about doing curtain panels in my room as well and have been trying to locate some fabric with gray in it - or bed sheets, per Jenny's suggestion. I will show you pictures soon of everything I am talking about one day, but I am still concentrating on my downstairs until June, so nothing until then!

Also, your laundry room turned out amazing! I just saw the episode of Sarah's House where she created her laundry room. She used a tray to corral all the detergent and soap bottles. It's hard to see from this picture, but here is the 'after':

Maybe you could find a low basket or something for your detergent and other bottles? Maybe a wicker tray? Or something clear? Just a thought. I also loved your art selection. I love pictures that elevate everyday homemaking chores into something beautiful and artistic. It makes me feel like the mundane task I am doing is actually really beautiful...which I guess in a way it is? Have you ever seen the prints on Smitten Kitchen? They do the same thing with cooking and everyday ingredients.

And lastly, I love your new bedding inspiration. Describing it as something you found at a market in another country is the perfect way to describe that fabric! Let me ask you: is this your house, or a picture of the bedding from the Internet?

Whatever it is, I love the composition of pictures above the bed! I am trying to figure out something to so above our bed (not 'til June!) and pictures like that would be an interesting idea. I have also thought about doing different sizes of plates and platters in varying shades of white and cream, but I haven't really looked at all, so that is a discussion for the summer!

Okay, I think I am all caught up. Look forward to a post from me tomorrow with all the treasures I found at one of our favorite craft stores!

'Til then,

Kara

Subject: Kitchen Table

Hello!

Okay, so you know I have been doing a ton in my kitchen, right? I promise I'm not trying to delay an "after" picture, but I feel like little projects keep coming up so I want to make sure I have as much done as possible when I finally do the big reveal. Today I need your thoughts on my kitchen/dining table. As a refresher, here is the "before":

Now it is the color of my living room (Benjamin Moore's Dunmore Cream) with stripes on the wall behind the table a la:

My chairs are still black, but I re-painted them so they are shiny and lacquered-looking. I am going to put this fabric on them:

At first I was nervous about doing black and white fabric with black and white floors, but I really think it will look nice and neutral and I won't be tied to any one color when it comes to my table linens. At some point I may decide to put a jute rug under the table, but that is a low priority at this point. This is also an indoor/outdoor fabric which I think will hold up really well and the dark color with hide spills and stains.

So, now that you are all caught up, what should I do with my table? The table there now belongs to one of my aunts who is letting us borrow it indefinitely (it's been about 2.5 years so far) because she wasn't using it and we needed something. For awhile now we have been talking to my dad about building us a farmhouse-looking table using these plans. My grandmother has all this old wood in her garage that is weathered-looking and would make for a really interesting table. Then we talked about doing it a dark-ish stain and making it about the same size as our current table.

But now that the walls are light and the whole room has a lighter, brighter feel, I wonder if I want a table that is lighter and brighter too? So now I am daydreaming about a pedestal table painted white. When we first moved into this house I was in love with the idea of a white pedestal table because of a picture I saw in Crate & Barrel of a white table under a white chandelier, and that is why I painted my bright brass chandelier white. But then I got away from that idea and fell in love with the farmhouse style. And now I am back to the white pedestal.

I have been doing some major Craigslist stalking the past few weeks to find something cheap that I could paint and make my own. And finally I struck gold! Of course, it's not in my state but it is right down the street from you, so could you be a dear and fetch it for me and then store until I make it up there again? Thanks. Here it is:

Not much to look at, I know. I talked to the seller today and apparently I am the only one interested...score! So now I just have to make up my mind. In the picture it is round, but it comes with a leaf, which would make it oval. With the leaf it measures 4 feet wide by 5 feet long. My current table is 58" long and 40" wide, so the new table would be slightly bigger than my current table. But my current table isn't great for seating six - the pairs of chairs on either side are kind of squished, plus the table legs get in the way when scooting in and out. I also like the idea of a round table because when we have more than six people over to eat and need to pull up extra chairs, it is easier to scoot in more chairs because there are no table legs to negotiate.

The seller said the table is solid oak and in great shape. He said there is one gouge on the pedestal that is about an inch long. When I mentioned painting it and filling the gouge with wood putt, he offered to do it for me! What a guy! He is asking $100, which seems like a good deal for the size and quality.

So, here is what I have to decide: oval vs. rectangle? Corners vs. rounded edge? What are your thoughts?

Patiently waiting,

Kara

Subject: Kara Ketchup

Well, hello!  Figured this was an opportune time to play catch up on all your posts from last week.  Hope you are not still down in the trenches!!  I actually know exactly how it feels to be sitting on the floor with toothbrush in one hand and grout stain in the other.  Definitely not what I would call a fun project.  However, once it's done, it's ALL worth it.  I have to admit though, I never sealed my grout.  Shame on me, I know.  I have only restained two small areas in my house though.  Maybe this weekend I will seal them??


I cannot wait for the reveal of your kitchen.  The one glimpse you texted me was AMAZING!!  A big, "Ha! Ha!" to the readers who have no idea what I am talking about.  (I mean that in the nicest way though.)  Just wait for Kara's reveal, it will be worth it!


So, there are a few things I didn't write you back on:


1.  Your dinner list.  I'm definitely going to be stealing some of those during the week ideas.  You do a lot of chicken for me though.  I really wished I liked it more, but most of the time it totally grosses me out.  I am dying to try the crab cakes.


2.  The Williams-Sonoma soup looks to die for.  Did I tell you I was going to try to make it on Sunday for the Super Bowl, just as you suggested??  Well, you can't buy alchohol in GA on Sundays and then Hubby offered to grill, so basically my plan went downhill.  I'm thinking it could be a delicious option for this Sunday night though.


3.  The mirror and dresser you picked up while thrifting...WOW!!  Can't wait to see how they turn out.  And I am totally jealous because I never feel like I find anything that cool.


I have SO much to share with you, but I need to get back to work.  I will leave you with this gorgeous image, which I will share more information on tomorrow.

Subject: In the Trenches

Helloooooo friend!

I am coming to you from the trenches found between two tiles. Yes, the grout. As you'll remember from the pictures of my kitchen (which is painted, by the way!), my floor is black and white tile, which I have a love/hate relationship with. I've noticed for a long time how dirty and gross the grout is, but thought I just had to keep scrubbing to get it clean. Um, no. That would be impossible. Instead, I've leared of a technique that involves staining the grout. It's a three-step process that involves letting the grout sit with water on it for one hour to start things off. It is seriously the most time-consuming, labor-intensive, meticulous project I have ever done. Nice, right?

But, behold! The results:


Seriously. You cannot even believe how much better it looks! So I think I might fall in love (for the first time) with my tile once the grout is no longer dis-gust-ing. There is a lot of grout, though, so I'm hopeful that I'll be done by this time next year :) But the 'after' is a motivation of its own and I know that I cannot leave one small area with nasty grout when all the rest is sparkling white. Basically, this is a project where you go all or nothing! As I'm staining a section I go back after it has had 24 hours to dry and seal it. And then seal it again. I can't decide if I'm going to seal it two or three times - I don't want to have to do this again! Seriously, people: SEAL YOUR GROUT! It will save you so many headaches later on!

I was not a Gilmore Girls watcher, but I love the picture of those chairs! Is it bad that I was indifferent to the office chair before realizing it was a 'real' style? I don't love them in black - that green is awesome, and I really liked the blue of my MIL's too. I think with the black it's harder to see the bamboo-ish details on the chair. I did not spray paint but instead used a craft brush to apply the paint. Another plus of the craft brush: no brush strokes! It took three coats plus one touch-up coat. I didn't spray because my MIL wanted a specific color of blue, plus the cushion wouldn't come off, so that would have been tricky to spray (not impossible, just tricky). Plus it's super-cold here still so I wouldn't have been able to spray it for awhile.

I just realized I never responded back about your couch ordeal! So annoying, but I'm so glad that it worked out. Way to go hubby! And yes, a bomber jacket is the perfect way to describe the leather. It makes me think of this:

Ahh, the good old days. So glad you are enjoying it now!

Well, that is all for now. My correspondence may be patchy this week...the Internet connection isn't great in the trenches :) Can't wait to send you pictures of the kitchen once it's put back together again - hopefully next week!

Staining away,
Kara

Image courtesy of Obsessed with Film.

Subject: Catching Up + Something Sweet

You win the prize for blogger of the week!  To get caught up, I figured I would combined your response to the French Onion soup post and your two new posts on painting the kitchen and chairs all in to one post.

Here are all my thoughts on everything:

1.      I don’t know if I 100% knew you didn’t like onions.  I thought you were just way in to hygiene and wanted to ensure your breath was always fresh!  Since they are sautéed though, the onion flavor isn’t ridiculously overpower, but I don’t want to talk you in to anything. 

2.      When it comes to dinner and recipes, we definitely have a rotation going on in this house!  We should swap our favorites and hopefully that will help add to our individual rotations.  Last year, I tried to make one new recipe a week, but I have to say, it didn’t last long.  Once a month is a bit more feasible.  I just bought this adorable Anthropologie recipe book that I’ve been admiring forever.  It got mixed reviews, but it was free shipping, so I figured what the heck?!?  Hopefully I will get it this week and can start organizing my recipes for a swap.  Also, on the subject of new, yumminess (I don’t think that’s a word) my mom recommended this DELISH quesadilla recipe by Pioneer Woman.  I tried it last week and as long as you love shrimp, it’s a winner!!  (Just omit the onions in your case!)  Plus, it cooks up in no time, which I love during the week. 

3.     Okay, so on to your project of the year…painting the kitchen!!  I think the green is such a fun pop, especially against the black and white tiles that I LOVE LOVE LOVE, but I could understand needing a change.  I think you need to plan the entire room out before making any decisions.  I do like the idea of a more neutral wall, but I think you need to decide on your chair fabric and any potential valence fabric before 100% committing to the stripes on the walls.  Have you come across any pictures with the black and white checkered floor and stripped walls?  Just in general?  Maybe that’s something to Google, as I myself definitely like seeing stuff first to confirm the final product is going to be exactly as I imagined.

4.      So, the dining chair re-do is on!  And thanks to you, I remembered I had those extra chairs I picked up in Tallahassee sitting in my attic, so I too spent some of my weekend painting away.  It’s taking SO long.  I have a lot of detail on my chairs and it’s hard getting into those crevices.  But with three different size craft brushes (I knew just what you were referring to in your post), I am making progress.  I would say I’m half way done, and already on two coats.  I chose the lacquered look, too, but in white.  Super glossy, it’s the new trend for Peach and Lass!

5.      The something sweet part of the e-mail…Due to the record amount of snowfall, and on account of everyone being cooped up inside, one of our super sweet neighbors invited Hubby and I along with two other families over for dinner.  She made a HUGE pot of Louisana Gumbo that was to die for!!  Of course, I couldn’t show up empty handed, and with Publix being closed I has only a few options.  I went with what I believe to be a fast, no fail dessert - Brownies.  Here is my recommendation for the number one thing I think everyone should keep in their pantry - a box of Ghiradelli Brownie Mix.  (They should be paying me for this plug!)  They are the most amazing boxed brownies!!  I think they made a nice presentation and one of the neighbor’s kids, adorable 2-year-old Rebecca, saw them and said, “Can I have a snow brownie?!?”  My heart melted and I was ready to let her eat the whole tray.

That’s it for now.  I have so much to write about though.  Here’s my e-mail blog to-do list:  Couch post, tv stand post, bathroom post, laundry room post.  Maybe I can turn everything into one big post called "The House of Peach renovation/furniture updates."

Hope Suz is better and that she’s allowed you to read Brown Bear, Brown Bear in addition to The Very Hungry Caterpillar.     

PS - The TJ Maxx lamp was a great find.  Love how you asked some unsuspecting shopper for their opinion. 

Subject: Two-thirds!

Hi-eee!

Just a quick check-in to let you know that we are 2/3 through the weekend and I am 2/3 of the way through painting my chairs. I ended up doing three coats of a high-gloss black paint. I applied the paint using a craft sponge (I think that's what they're called - it has a wooden handle and a little black sponge thing on the end) because I like that it applies coats in thin layers and allows me to control the amount of paint I am applying. Some proof of my progress (sorry for the picture quality...I took it on my phone):

The one on the left has not been painted, while the one on the right has three coats. I know you can't tell a huge difference from the picture, but trust me - it's good. As I've been painting each chair, I have found drips of paint and spots that barely had any paint on them. I remember the first time I painted them I just wanted them done and clearly did not pay much attention to the quality of my work. That is one thing I am trying to do with each project I am doing these days: I just keep reminding myself to take my time. At some point - when it's not literally freezing outside - I may spray a clear coat on all of them just to protect the paint and give them all the same amount of shine. I am remembering now when I first painted these chairs that I sprayed some and handpainted others, so the paint going on now isn't giving an identical finish because the bases aren't the same. Awesome.

On another note - here is my entry table as it was yesterday morning:


Mostly focus on the boring, blah lamp that I bought when we first got married and I wasn't all that adventurous:


Are you asleep yet? And then here it is yesterday afternoon, after I decided to run into TJ Maxx en route to Publix:


So much better! And another close-up:


Not that this lamp is all that adventurous, but I have known for awhile that table needed a different lamp, but I just hadn't taken the time to look. I got this one for $29.99 at TJ Maxx and it came with the shade. The original shade was a shimmer-y silver - which I hated - so I switched it out for this one on another lamp. I'm not sure if you're allowed to do that, but no one stopped me so oh well! There were three college-y age girls on the lamp aisle too and I got their opinion to see if the proportion was still okay (the silver lamp was a little bit bigger than this white one), and they said yes. Sometimes I love asking - and giving! - advice from/to random strangers! My father-in-law suggested black ribbon around the top and bottom of the shade, so I might pick up some ribbon the next time I am at the craft store.

How is your weekend so far? A three-day weekend isn't all that exciting when you work from home!

Shivers,
Kara

Subject: Do I Paint My Kitchen?

Mel -

Ahh! Okay, here we go. So this is probably going to be the biggest project I do all year, so before I embark on it, let's make sure we've thought it all the way through. (I say 'we' like you're going to help me paint, but really, your input is so valuable! But if you want to grab a paint brush the next time you're in the area, be my guest :D) Also, my apologies for not posting this yesterday - I know you were on the edge of your seat! I finally understand why mommies look so exhausted when they say the words, "[Baby's name here] has been sick." I experienced it for the first time yesterday. It's one of those situations where nothing can make them happy, and then you feel terrible when you start to get annoyed, because you know they are uncomfortable but have no idea why. I guess I should embrace her being so snugly, but at some points during the day all I could think about was what I wanted to get done and what I could be doing, if I wasn't reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar...again. Which is why my dining chairs only have one coat of paint on them so far. Maybe today they will get a second??? We'll see.

Okay, so on to my kitchen.

Some background: The current color is Pressed Leaves by Martha Stewart (back when Martha Stewart was at Sherwinn-Williams) and I really do love it. I tried it out in the apartment we lived in before this house, and it is a color with a lot of depth to it. It's a very vivid green, but still seems sophisticated and changes depending on the amount of sunlight. It also goes with so much and I think wall accessories really "pop" against it. People always comment on it when they come to our house. (I'm assuming it's a genuine compliment and not just, "Wow...look at that green...") Also, it looks really good against the white cabinets and white trim. It looks kind of preppy and just really crisp. The walls have been their current color since we moved in in 2007, so you can understand why, after four years, I might be ready for a change.

Now for a few pictures. The kitchen is basically the entire back half of the house and it's a really long room, with two sections: the dining area and the cooking area where all the appliances are. On the dining area side there are two windows with a door in the middle with access to the backyard and a little covered patio. Here is the cooking area:

Basically I'm just sort of "over" the green, but I'm not sure what color I want. The living room, which connects to the kitchen with a big doorway, is currently Dunsmore Cream by Benjamin Moore, and I'm considering painting the kitchen the same color. I think it's a sophisticated color and it also looks good against white trim. Plus, I envision us moving out of this house in the next 2-3 years and we would probably need to paint the kitchen then anyway, but at least now I have the time and am in need of a change. (I'm not advocating living in a house that's for show only, but it is something I'm considering as our family is growing and we'll need to move a bigger place in a few years, so if I'm going to spend the time and money to paint, why not paint it a color that would aid in helping sell our house?)

Some more pictures, now of the dining area and how it connects to the living room:

You'll notice the black and white floors. I pretty much cannot stand them and in a perfect world we would rip them out and continue the wood from the living room, but that is not going to happen so I need to figure out a way to work with them. At this point I feel like the room is really "loud" with the green on the walls and the tile on the floor. (The phrase "Alice in Wonderland" keeps coming to mind!) So since I can only change one thing, why not change the walls? I've also realized that in the past I have been very heavy-handed with color because I like it a lot, but as my tastes change and evolve, I am finding that I want to be more deliberate with color and part of achieving that may be to paint the walls a neutral color and then bringing in pops of color through wall accessories and fabric, you know? So that's why we can start referring to my new kitchen as having "sophisticated" walls.

I'm considering doing this to the wall behind the table:

I think the stripes would give that wall some interest and keep the neutral color from seeming so dull. My other concern is the countertops. At some point we hope to replace them with black countertops and a new sink too, but until that happens, the countertops and walls will be almost the same color. Will I hate that? Will it motivate me to save up for new countertops?

A major 'pro' of this project is no longer having to consider the green in picking out accessories or fabric, either for the kitchen or the living room. That is the one nice thing about neutral walls. Plus it seems very Sarah's House of me, which is always a good thing!

Okay, tell me what you think!

Kara