Kitchen Cabinets Are Furniture, Too!

How do you know when our grandson Presley has been in the house?  It all comes down to cabinets and shoes. I've tried to get him to stop.  I try and this is the reaction I get in return.  I will keep trying.  I find every single one of our kitchen cabinet knobs turned loose.  Same goes for the buffet, the hutch, the dresser in the bedroom and sink cabinet in the bathroom.  For some unknown reason, there is not a drawer/door pull that Presley hasn't tried to loosen.  He turns them to the left.  Lefty loosey, righty tighty.  He never tightens except when it comes to shoes.  Everytime I try and put my tennis shoes on they are super tight because he insists on walking by all of the toys and reaching for my shoes.  Then he grabs them by their laces and slings them over his shoulder.  This means I can't just slip them on and go, I have to take the time to loosen the laces or totally relace them.  

Do you suppose the owners of the two kitchen makeovers I'm going to show you today also share the same struggles as we do?  Maybe we can form a support group.  Eh, on second thought...I'd rather form a group called "We Had The Courage To Paint Our Kitchen Cabinets And We Don't Regret It For A Second!" 
(There's our club shirts.  You can send me your first years dues via Paypal.)
 
If you are on the fence about painting your cabinets, here's your chance to join our group!  Do not fear because Kathy of From Trash To Treasure is here!  She's the talented lady behind these two makeovers.  She's so talented that she's completely booked up into summer with kitchen redo's!  Let's take a look at the first one...

The homeowner loved her Maple cabinets but felt something could be done with the plain, boring island.  She surfed Pinterest for an idea and upon finding one, turned the job over to Kathy.  Kathy with the help of her handsome handy husband went to work by adding mouldings and balusters. Then Kathy painted it using Shabby Paints in Licorice.  She sealed it with black reVax and Shabby varnish.  When all was said and done, it went from boring to stunning!  It looks like the truly custom piece that it now is.  (I love black cabinets.  Love them!  Have them!)

 














This next kitchen was a bigger undertaking.  The homeowner was tired of her outdated Oak cabinets.  (Been there, except only the front of our cabinets were Oak, the rest was crap.  I think the technical name for what we had was actually ugly crap.  Thus the reason why we added beadboard to the sides of our cabinets.)
They had their island painted black years earlier but the finish on it was chipping off.  Since all of the other cabinets were getting a makeover, Kathy suggested the island be painted in a complimentary color.    

The main cabinetry was painted in Shabby Paint's Worn White and sealed in a custom ratio of Hazelnut reVax and Sheer Vax. The island was painted in Shabby's Cali Taupe ( a beige gray color), it was sealed in the same ratio of Hazelnut reVax/Sheer Vax. Kathy's client then chose new hardware. You'll see that the addition of a new colors & new hardware equals basically a brand new kitchen!  (At a sliver of the cost OF a brand new kitchen.) 

Isn't that awesome?  It really does look like a NEW kitchen. 
I love the difference it made.  Now even the gorgeous light fixture above the island pops, too!  

I'm a big believer in painting kitchen cabinets.  We painted ours six years ago and have not regretted it at all.  A few years later when we replaced the broken tile countertops and backsplash (I hated those with a passion) I chose a countertop and backsplash that would go with our current black cabinets but also lend itself to a lighter color if we should choose to paint again someday.  It's really an economical way to give yourself a new kitchen without forking out the cost of a new one.  

You can see more of Kathy's work (she does non built-in furniture, too) on her From Trash To Treasure Facebook page.  She's based in the Chicagoland area.  Head on over there and maybe your kitchen can look as fabulous as these two do!  Let her know you saw her kitchen flips on Furniture Flippin'.

Thanks so much for sharing your redo's Kathy!  I look forward to seeing more of your remodels in the future.

That's not a bad way to start the week, is it?  One down and four more flips on their way.  Have you submitted yours yet?

See you tomorrow!

~ Stephanie 

To Grandmother's House We Go...

I thought I knew how I was going to approach this post today.  You see, when I get a flip submitted to me, I like to check out the subject I'm writing about.  They have taken their time to share their hard work with me and I want to write the best possible piece on them.  My longtime readers know, I interject a bit of my own life into each post, too.  To do that, I look for something about them, or their website, or their flip that sparks something in me.  Today I am introducing you to Tarah of Grandma's House DIY.

I visited her blog and started to construct Tarah's piece in my head while simultaneously singing "Happy Together" and replying to a text my husband sent me. (I'm an awesome multi-tasker.) It was coincidental to me that her name is Tarah Lynn because last night I was part of a group text message from my niece Tara Lynn.  My niece just purchased her first home and is excitedly making it her own.  She is enjoying it so much.  I am one of the Aunts she is keeping updated as she decorates her home.  Reminiscent of the time when Tara was the first child of the next generation to arrive on the scene, and we would all watch her twirl in circles and sing for us grownups, we are watching her as she takes this journey of first time home owner and delighting in every decorating decision she makes.  You've met Tara at least once before on this blog.  So, when I saw Tarah's blog I thought I would correlate the tale of two Tara(h)'s.

Then I read her blog further and not just one thing resonated with me, but so many other things did as well.  I think this is why we fall in love with a blog.  We connect with the author.  We see similarities of ourselves in them.  Yes, we may be total strangers but once we read what they are sharing we relate to them.  

Tarah's Grandma's House

Tarah and her guy Joe are renovating her grandparent's farmhouse.  It is the house her grandparents called home and where her mother was raised.  They have graciously opened the doors to this house and let us follow along.  

Presley and Ma

While reading of Tarah's Grandma's house, I think of my own house.  Here my three siblings and I were raised and this is where I raised (raising) my own three children.  I may still be in the "mom" category with one child at home, but I also became Grandma Steffie almost 18 months ago.  Which means in young Presley's eyes, this is now "Grandma's house" or "Ma" as he calls me.  My hope is that Presley will have fond memories of the times he has and will spend here visiting "Ma & Pa".  I also wouldn't mind if he took whatever furniture of mine that may end up as his and puts his own spin on it.  (Presley, about the house - don't swap out our big windows with smaller versions.  Don't get rid of the clawfoot tub.  It's original!  Keep the integrity of the outside & remember Ma's rule on shutters.  Or, I'll haunt you.  Well, I'll be doing that anyway.)

Jack's Grandparents, his mother, and aunt.

So many special feelings are tied to our grandparents.  I correspond with my friend's 80 year old uncle Jack.  His late grandparents built the house we own and they raised their 9 children here.  Jack has many fond memories of being here as a child and an adult.  He shares stories and pictures of this place with me.  I now treasure his memories as well as my own.  I'll have to tell you someday what I have learned about our house.  I find old homes and their stories fascinating.  

Photo Courtesy of Grandma's House DIY

While "Grandma's House" makes up two-thirds of the title of the blog, we mustn't forget the DIY part.  The house is not the only thing that is featured on their blog.  Tarah writes, "By the spring of 2013 I had lost both of my grandmas and had a garage full of ancient furniture and so much sadness I could barely breathe. It seemed there was only one thing for me to do: I started refinishing every last piece."  These pieces are featured as well.   

Today, we will take a look at this old radio cabinet.  Tarah said she knew what she wanted for her kitchen.  Her list of wants were a red kitchen island with a butcher block top and it had to be on wheels.  It took her awhile to figure out this would fit the bill.  

Many times, I have been sent a picture of a similar radio cabinet as a "What Would You Do?" feature on our Facebook page.  They all have the same thoughts that Tarah had, "If you stand it against a wall it is either useless as a shelf or you have to face the prettiest part of the whole piece to the wall."  

Tarah went to work transforming this into her ideal kitchen island.  It would serve as a work station and also house her cookbook collection.  She sturdied the piece up, painted it the red she wanted, added a base, a butcher block top and then wheels.

Here's the back...

and take a look at the front.

You can read all of the steps Tarah took on her Grandma's House DIY blog.  

While you are there, please read the story of her grandparents.  So sweet.  What a wonderful way she is honoring them.  

There are a LOT of tips and tutorials on their blog.  You will find yourself spending some time there.  Don't say I didn't warn you!  Head over to her Facebook page and let her know you saw her on Furniture Flippin' too! 

Thanks so much Tarah for sharing your fantastic furniture flip!  It's also a great new use for an old object.  I will see you on Twitter lady!

That wraps up another week of Furniture Flippin'.  What do you think about that?  See!  I was true to my word.  I'm back and I just delivered 7 new furniture flips to prove it!  There will be five more next week.  If you haven't submitted yours yet, please email me before/after pics and all the details you'd like to share to furnitureflippin@gmail.com .

If you have already submitted your flip, please know I've seen it and I'm not ignoring you.  I get a lot of them.  It takes me awhile to feature everyone.  So, don't get mad at me.  Your number will be up soon.  I seldom know more than a day ahead of time, who I will feature next. You can always touch base with me again, too, if you have something special going on (sales event or if it's your birthday).  Until then...

Have a great weekend!

~ Stephanie

Happy Wife, Happy Life...

There are some things that go on inside the walls of our house that you need to know.  "Enter At Your Own Risk" is what the sign above our doors should say, instead of the friendly "Peace To All Who Enter" signs that hang there now. (Halloween pic - the bats are not everyday decor.)  

What goes on?  Chances are great that when you open any door, be it inside or outside at our house, somebody will jump out at you and try to scare the crap out of you.  It happens daily here.  We call it "Zombie Apocalypse Training".  It's meant to make you have nerves of steel and teach you to stay calm if you find yourself confronted with walkers.  Man, I've scared so many people and it never gets old.  I do it, my husband does it, and my son does it.  It.  Is.  Fun.  For us, at least.  Maybe not for the scarie (or is it spelled scaree? That doesn't look right either.  I think it's scaree.  Actually it's a made up word anyway, who cares?)

The other thing you must know is that I will sing all day long.  I make up songs.  Or I'll sing random songs constantly.  I do it because I know that if I do it long enough somebody else is going to pick up on it and find themselves singing it, too.  It'll get in their brains and there it'll stay.  It drives my husband and son crazy.  That's fun for me.   It works with whistling, too.  Yesterday I was singing the "Smurfs" song..."La la la-la la la, Sing a happy song" and before too long, my handsome handy husband comes in and he is singing it, too.  I looked at him, he stopped and the look on his face was priceless.  "You!", he says.  I'm still laughing about it today. 


This morning I walked into the kitchen where my son was and started to sing, "Good Morning, Good Morning!  How did you sleep last night?" and I heard the distinct thud of the bedroom door closing.  My husband wasn't about to fall for that again.  He tuned me out really quick lest he be singing it all day long.  Oh, gosh.  I love doing that to people.  Get inside their head...but in a good way.  My poor husband and son.  They love me though.  They are pretty good at ganging up on me and paying me back for my torturous ways.

Back to the title of today's blog post.  We've all heard that saying, "Happy Wife, Happy Life".  Well, it really isn't all one-sided like that in a relationship.  It takes two baby, it takes two!  (Now, you'll be singing THAT song all day long.)  Today we feature another husband-wife duo.  Roni and her husband Gary from Roni's Rescued Relics.  They tackle many tough flips together.  They tag-team it.  This time they took on this old and battered work bench.

It had been hanging out in their basement for awhile.  Roni saw the potential in it and the two of them went to work.  The piece had been sitting on metal crates so her husband built a new frame for the piece to sit on.  It will soon be sporting some wheels, too.
 
Inspiration struck Roni again and she had her husband incorporate two old sewing machine drawers. (There he is making up his plan of attack.)  (Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work he goes.)

It's looking good!  

Let's take a look at what's going on with the back of this piece.

Baby got back!

Can it be anymore fabulous?  I don't think it can.  Wait...Roni isn't done.  She has something else for her husband to do.  

I love this picture of it upside down.  This was snapped when it's wheels were going on.  It reminds me of how the "Dumpster Dresser" we did used to hang out in the garage on a dolly in all sorts of positions.  

Roni wasn't finished yet.  Her imaginative brain was still churning out ideas.  This time she asked Gary to install an outlet on the top.  So, in keeping with the title of this blog post, he made his wife happy and their happy life continued.  I've seen my husband work a chisel before and I marvel at it.  I've tried it and it's not easy.  I leave that up to him.  Give and take.  

Were they done yet?  Nope!  Good ol' Gar' made her a crate out of old pallet wood and attached it to provide additional storage.  He also added an additional shelf. Roni pulled a Stephanie and did the finishing work, paint, stain, poly, etc.  TEAMWORK.

Let's take a look at this project in all it's finished glory.  

First the magnificent back...

...and now the front.  

Very unique!  It provides just the additional storage that Roni was looking for in her kitchen.  I've glossed over some of the steps of this redo but you can read more about it and see additional photos on their Roni's Rescued Relics Facebook page.  Get over there, give them a "Like" and let them know you saw them on Furniture Flippin'.  

If you want to see even more items of theirs that I've featured here in the past, then check out their Kitchen Island, their French Provincial Chest of Drawers, and their gorgeous Dining Room Furniture redo.  They are located in Long Island, NY.  You can also find them on Etsy.

Thanks so much Roni for sharing your wonderful furniture flips!  Keep 'em coming!

You dear readers, quit your slacking.  Either submit a flip or submit a comment.  One or the other.  I need something to read, too!

See you tomorrow!

~ Stephanie   

It's A Good Day To Have A Good Day! And So Was Yesterday...

So yesterday.  Let's talk about that.

It was a good day.  No, let's make that a fantastic day.  A much better day than the prior day.  

One day prior I felt like doing a little baking.  Baking is a good thing (I wrote that in Martha Stewart's voice, I hope you read it that way).  I love to bake.  I love to be in our kitchen.  Absolutely adore it. Somedays I even pretend I am on my own cooking show.  (Not really.  Okay, yes really.  My son has a video of it.)  On Tuesday I offered my handsome handy husband three choices for baked items:  chocolate cake, chocolate pie or chocolate chip cookies.  He chose cake.  

I printed out a recipe for Black Magic Chocolate Cake that I found on a blog with delicious recipes.  I prepared the recipe but then realized that I didn't have 9" cake pans.  I had 8" ones.  I used those.  I should have known better.  The batter rose over the edge of the pans and dripped onto the bottom of my oven.  I quickly grabbed them out and dumped the contents into the sink. I started over.  Made another cake batter and used a 9 x 13 pan instead.  Success.  It was the best chocolate cake I've ever made.  My son and husband raved over it.  I was able to salvage the day despite the baking misstep.

What does this have to do with Furniture Flippin' and the fantastic day I had yesterday which brings us to today and my reappearance on the blog?  One thing leads to another and it's just my rambling way of sharing a delicious recipe and showing you what was posted on our Facebook page yesterday.  

I was missing all of you on Facebook and here.  I do think of you often.  Yes, I know our followers have now reached over 7,500 on Facebook (which is crazy since I only post sporadically) and you probably don't think I know who some of you are, but I do.  I missed our daily interactions.  I missed seeing what you all are working on.  I missed hearing what you are having for dinner.  I missed seeing the pics of your little ones, whether grandkids or your own kiddos.  Even though we've never met in person, I do like hearing about what's going on with you all.  I'd start naming names here and singling you all out but there are too many.  I'll start with one of you today.  I'll single the rest of you out on another day.

Missy.  Missy Severson of the Antique Barn stands out.  Yesterday when I casually asked you all what you were working on and what you were having for dinner (as our dinner - homemade pizza was baking in the oven) Missy replied and knocked my purple toed socks off!  She made Shepherd's Pie for dinner!

And...she shared these pictures of her latest creation.   

Wait.  It gets even better.  Although that's subjective because look at the front of that 7 1/2 foot cabinet.  How can that possibly get even better?  Well, look at the back...

See!?!?  Can you imagine owning that?  Having that be the centerpiece in your kitchen.  Oh my gosh.  This is going to be one of those pieces that sticks in my head and that I think about over and over and over again.

Missy said that this was a circa 1950's cabinet that had languished in her shop for the past three years.  Then she and her husband Allen decided to give it a new look.  They added reclaimed wainscoting to three sides, then painted and distressed the doors and drawers, and added old pulls.  The top of this piece was made from three pieces of wood salvaged out of a container they purchased from Liverpool, England.

This piece is available for sale.  You can hop over to Antique Barn's website or visit their Facebook page for more information.  They are located in Gallatin Gateway, Montana.  There are only 141 days until their 2016 Junk-Fest At The Antique Barn!  You won't want to miss that.

Thanks so much Missy for sharing that gorgeous furniture flip!  I can't wait to see who ends up with that in their kitchen.  Repurposed pieces with a history attached are always more fun to own than everyday run of the mill stuff.

Okay, furniture flippers, get your flips in!  Email me at furnitureflippin@gmail.com.  Send me before/after pics and all of the details.  The more details the better!  I'll have another great flip for you tomorrow! 

See you then!

Stephanie

Flippin' Plastic Can Be Fantastic!

Don't believe me?  Well, you are in for a treat.  Gather up any young ones you know because these TWO flips are geared towards them!  That's right.  I'm showing you TWO flips today.  One I did and one my friend Rachel at I'll Just Paint It did.

Ask your baby if he really likes sitting in that generic straight from the store high chair you bought him.  Go ahead and ask.  I'll wait...

I bet he said NO!  If he didn't say it, trust me.  He's thinking it.  He wants to be hip and cool.  He wants a highchair that looks just as comfortable at the race track as it does in your kitchen. He wants you to paint that plain white chair...

Then he wants you to use the old babyish seat cushion as a pattern so you can make a new one out of this wipe-able fabric from Hobby Lobby. 

Then he wants you to put them all together.  The spray painted black high chair with the new awesome cushion. (I used Rust-Oleum's Paint Plus 2X Ultra Cover spray paint in black semi-gloss.  It bonds to plastic.  Before I began I called the company and not just one, but two employees assured me that once the chair cures for 7-10 days, it will be perfectly safe to serve food on the tray.  If you do this to your own high chair, call the company of whatever paint you choose to use like I did.)

Your baby wants to be seen eating his meals in this...

That's my youngest baby (who is now 12) pictured above on his 1st birthday.  If my first grandbaby turns out to be a girl will I be redoing it?  No. 

Because girls can be drag racers and be interviewed on ESPN, too!  That is my niece Tara in her Jr. Dragster and being interviewed by Dave Despain on ESPN.  She's all grown up now and a 3rd grade teacher.  

Now, onto our next flip folks.

So, your young one wants to flip some furniture, too?  Well, let's give her some encouragement.  Let's show her what Rachel at I'll Just Paint It did with some help from her little girl.  

Rachel found this used Little Tikes Picnic Table for the bargain price of $4.00.  

She took it apart and painted the sides with black spray paint for plastic.  Then she bought some stylish vinyl Contact paper for $9.00 and covered the seats and table top with it.

Check out her little darlin' at her fancy flipped table...

 

So stylish.  It's what ALL of the toddlers of today want to own.  Read more about that table flip at the I'll Just Paint It Blog. 

There you have it Mommies & Daddies.  Your children don't want to be placed in the same old soft pink and baby blue categories that their parents were assigned as children.  Primary colors?  They're okay.  But, let's make those babies little trendsetters.  Flip that old furniture of theirs and make them the envy of the 3 and under crowd.  

You can find Rachel on her I'll Just Paint It blog where she covers a variety of topics.  You also met her here before when I showed you a $3.00 table she flipped.  You can track her down on her I'll Just Paint It Facebook page, too.  

Now, readers please do me a HUGE favor.  Rachel recently lost her wonderful father.  He was the driving force in her life and a big champion of her painting business.  His absence has left a really big hole in her family.  She doesn't know that I am featuring her today.  I searched out this flip of hers so I could cheer her up.  It would mean a great deal to me if you could help me lift her spirits and encourage her to keep on painting.  You can leave your comments here or on her blog or Facebook page.  

That's it for another week of Furniture Flippin'.  We'll be taking a brief break to enjoy the weekend while dreaming of warmer weather.  That's when my own drag racer, my handsome handy husband, will be hitting the track in our 1964 Olds F-85.  While my nephew races this 1967 Camaro...

If you get bored this weekend, check in with us on our Furniture Flippin' Facebook page.  Let me know what you are working on and join in on the fun we have there.  Or, better yet, submit a flip to me at furnitureflippin@yahoo.com .

Have a great weekend!

~ Stephanie

From Science Geek To Industrial Chic...

I absolutely adore when people incorporate furniture into their kitchens and in particular into their kitchen islands.  A-D-O-R-E it.  It ranks right up there with using furniture for a bathroom vanity.  L-O-V-E it.  Today I am showing you a kitchen island that was made from an old discarded school science lab table.  There is what it looked like when Pam from Wild Heart Studio got a hold of it.  
 
Pam said it was in really rough shape.  There were no drawers, a lot of names carved into it and a ton of gum stuck underneath, too.  

She rebuilt the drawers and added color to the base of it. 

The top was heavily damaged.  It is made of Richlite (layers of recycled paper and resin).  Pam knew that no sanding could fix it.  So, she took pre-mixed concrete and troweled it onto the top.   That was followed by a coat of Aqua Stone and several coats of satin Aquathane.  Though it is a concrete veneer, you wouldn't know it from the weight of it.  It was heavy to begin with, having been made originally from several layers of wood laminated together.

Pam paid close attention to the details when finishing up this island.  You might remember just how detail oriented Pam is when you check out the last time I featured her.  That time I showed you a bench she made from a bed, only it looked like it was made from the tailgate of an old Chevy pickup.  (I still dream of that furniture flip.  One of my all-time faves EVER.)  

Pam added four locking casters so this island can be moved easily.  Check out the final finished to-die-for kitchen island...

I love everything about that.  The color, the industrial look of it, plus the touches she did to make it totally unique and one of a kind.  To see more of this transformation, head on over to the Wild Heart Studio blog.  There, you will find more pictures and details.  Get ready to be inspired because there is a ton to see there, including more phenomenal kitchen islands.

Thanks Pam for sharing your talent and for having such a big heart.  All of the proceeds from the items that Wild Heart Studio creates and sells benefits Wild Heart Ranch which is an animal rescue that Pam operates on her ranch in Tennessee.  What a wonderful use of her talent.  

Pam sells her Wild Heart Studio items online, and at Architectural Salvage in Chattanooga, TN and The Caboose in Cowan, TN.  You can also find Pam and see more of her work on her Wild Heart Studio Facebook page.  Let her know you saw her on Furniture Flippin'.  

That's the first flip of a brand new week here on Furniture Flippin'.  Have you submitted yours yet?  What are you waiting for?  Email me at furnitureflippin@yahoo.com .  Until then, leave a comment here or come hang with all of us at the Furniture Flippin' Facebook page.  We have a lot of fun there. 

~ Stephanie

His Name May Not Be Gilligan, But, He's Got One Heck Of An Island...

thanks to the very talented Dee at DeeConstructed.

Don't you love how the World Wide Web and the whole wide world is chock-full of talented people?  And, we get to follow them!  Not in a stalker kind of way, but as one of their fans.

Dee was given the word by a friend of hers to be on the lookout for a kitchen island for his bachelor pad.  She had her radar on and brake stompin' foot ready one day she spotted this...

 
(Again, with the Early American handles! Wouldn't you LOVE to be the person who designed THOSE handles?  They got to be rolling in it.  Underlined = Improper grammar, I know!)

We've all seen a desk like this.  We may have even owned a desk like this one.   Well, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

Dee "DeeConstructed" this desk and keeping in mind her friend's wants in an island she totally revamped it.  It even has a place to hide his garbage can.  This clearly is no ordinary desk job.  

Want to see the finished piece?  

Here you go!

Isn't it Dee-lightful?  You have to see all of the work that went into this desk makeover.  Head on over and let Dee from DeeConstructed  show you the transformation from start to finish.  I NEVER would have come up with something like that!  I'll never look at another desk again in the same way.  

Facebook friends, go check out Dee on her DeeConstructed Design Facebook page!  Let her know you saw her on Furniture Flippin'!

Thanks Dee for letting us feature your furniture flip!