Our "Before Kitchen" had seven small drawers. The "After Kitchen" has one very large drawer to replace two of the seven plus one small drawer next to the range that holds spatulas and whisks. Definitely some tradeoffs!!! I now keep my towels in a basket in a cupboard instead of a drawer. But I have a great place to store cookie sheets and cutting boards that were formerly in the garage! Worth losing some small drawers. Those two new drawers had to have drawer pulls installed to make them fully useful. Imagine! Here's how Bytes did it:Count out the number of pulls needed.Place them on the copier glass very carefully so as not to scratch or mar the glass.Press copy. If the resulting image is not readable, it may be because the top of the copier won't close over the pulls. Try ... [Read More]
DIY
How to install cabinet knobs and create your own installation template
The kitchen remodel was just part of our get it done blitz. We got the cabinets installed and in use, then moved on to some other big projects while my brother was here with muscle and know how. For several weeks we used the cupboards with handles made of blue tape folded back on itself. They wore out and were replaced with green tape before we had time to take care of details -- like real cabinet knobs! Turned out to be quick work! Bytes kept telling me to buy cabinet knob installation templates at the home improvement store on my daily supply runs. I could NOT find them -- until after we were done with this. But I think the alternative he constructed was better anyway. Certainly more cost effective! Bytes cut a corner off a thin (quarter inch thick) paneling. Use a square, a ... [Read More]
How to Add a Chunky Frame to Your Favorite Poster
We've had a gallery wall along the basement stairs for - evah! Because we live so far away from family, this was the landing place for all the graduation, wedding, new baby photos from the extended family. Add our own family milestone photos as well and it was an impressive number! I picked out half a dozen that I wanted to keep on display elsewhere and put the rest into an album. It was refreshing to have all that open space!!! And boring. It needed to have a pop of color, a place to rest the eye. To the rescue, Hobby Lobby. Posters 66% off. I loved the colors in this women's watch poster, the background went beautifully with the new wall color, the roses added the pop so badly needed! I already had a poster frame from a grocery store clearance -- even better at 90% off! ... [Read More]
Basement Makeover
Remember this unique wallpaper from the Stair Makeover we did a while back?? It was here when we moved in and I'm so glad to say it's no longer a part of the scenery! Those ships have sailed into the sunset!!! One of our projects over the holidays was to work on the Basement room. It was a playroom, a model train room, an exercise room and, eventually, a very tired room. A fresh wall made that even more obvious. Here's what was here -- besides the ships: A wall full of overflowing bookshelves. I sold many of them, donated a bunch and whittled almost 5000 down to about 500. Model trains, cars, and anything else that had wheels were displayed on the two long walls at head height.Unpainted doors covered the water meter.And this "lovely" carpet that has been here literally for ... [Read More]
Kitchen Remodel: Improve Storage Part 3
Just a peek into the rest of the cupboards in our new kitchen. Plus a few more takeaways for you to consider in making over your kitchen! This cupboard is only 15 inches wide, but it is worth its weight in gold. Cutting boards, cooling racks, pizza pans, trays, jelly roll pans and various sized cookie sheets are stored here. I can take one out with ease and not have to move more than one or two pieces to do so. Previously these were all in one pile in the garage storage! Plus more. I got rid of six jelly roll pans. SIX! I have never made a jelly roll and have no plans to ever make a jelly roll. I use the pan once or twice a year for big sheet cakes. I have no idea how I accumulated six!! This little drawer is the other 30 percent of the drawer space in the kitchen. It is next ... [Read More]
Kitchen Remodel: Create workstations to Improve Storage
The peninsula is the main work space in my kitchen, as it is in many kitchens. Chopping, mixing, rolling out cookies, kneading bread dough -- a lot of food preparation happens here. So you'd think that storage in the peninsula would have to do with food preparation. Like most kitchens, this one falls a little short of the ideal. I like anything that requires less time on chore stuff and makes life easier so come along and I'll show you some of the ideas behind this part of the kitchen storage. This drawer represents a full 70% of the drawer space in the kitchen! The left half is closest to the dining room so that's where the tableware is stored. The right half does indeed have tools for food preparation and is used at the peninsula - ideal! Dividers essential in staying ... [Read More]
