Medicine Cabinet Makeover

I think I've mentioned here before that I get some of my best ideas while air traveling.  Not sure what it is about being 30,000 feet off the ground, but it typically gets my creative thoughts flowing.

On a trip last week I was flipping through this month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens and saw this... 

Better Homes and Gardens

 It dawned on me that the medicine cabinet featured, looked a lot like mine.  And at that moment, my weekend project was secured.

It's funny how pretty things can look on the outside...

...only to be a total mess on the inside. 

 First things first, I had to clean out the contents.  How is it that we accumulate so much unnecessary stuff?

 

Once the contents were purged, I had to determine the best backing for the cabinet.  I wanted to use a cute pink and white wrapping paper, but I quickly realized that my leftover pre-pasted brown damask floral wallpaper would be so much easier.  The paste meant that I wouldn't have to worry about glue, tape or adhesive, and we know how much I like easy.

I simply cut the paper to size and carefully trimmed a way the excess, making accommodations for the shelving that would be reinstalled.

Here's where things got complicated.  I had a brilliant idea to add a magnetic chalkboard (with paint).  My thought was that if the door were magnetic then I could adhere my makeup to the door with magnets.  I saw it on Pinterest, where else? Unfortunately, the $20.00 magnetic paint didn't seem to work on the plastic interior of my cabinet door.  Urgh!  Basically, I wasted my money, but never fear, there will be other projects. 

I pressed on and ended up adding the chalkboard spray paint over the non-functioning magnetic paint. 

FYI, do not attempt to spray paint inside like I did. I'm a glutton for punishment.  Although is was much more cost effective, after cleaning up black dust (paint particles) from the entire bathroom, I wish I had just gone with a can of chalkboard paint.

Nevertheless, it was worth it in the end.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how it turned out!  I used old candle jars and small glasses I picked up from Goodwill for $0.29 to hold small essentials. 

And, take this magnetic paint! There's more than one way to get a job done.  I glued magnets to both the makeup and the door to create the storage solution I initially intended. Yay!

The addition of a biblical affirmation and a little personal artwork and, "viola!"

I love easy DIY projects that create pretty spaces for everyday items.  Form and function, who can beat that?

This recent makeover along with the pantry makeover are leading me to believe that I'm ok with organizing as long as it's pretty in the end.  Whatever works, right?

Open Kitchen Cabinet Reveal!

First off, I have to tell you that this blog post has been days in the making.  I'll have to tell you the story a little later, but today I'm excited to reveal my new open kitchen cabinets.

  

You know, sometimes I wonder why I don't just go with my gut when it comes to design and decor decisions.  It seems that when I do, I'm rarely disappointed with the result.  I mentioned in my first Open Kitchen Cabinets post that I've been contemplating the decision to ditch the door (or at least part of it) for some time now.  However, it wasn't until last week that I finally decided to go for it.  Best decision EVER!

 

Minus a few mishaps, the process was fairly simple.  I briefly mentioned Steps 1 (Removing the Door Panel) and 2 (Cleaning out the Cabinet) on my original post.  The subsequent steps were also pretty easy.

Step 3:  Painting the Interior. Luckily, I had a little Olympic Blue Shamrock left over from my Craigslist Chair Makeover project.  I highly recommend the two-in-one paints because it cuts the time in half, eliminating the need for multiple coats. 

 

Step 4:  Styling the Shelves (a.k.a. The Fun Part)  I spent the better part of Saturday having fun playing around with accessories.  Surprisingly, I had everything I needed already, with the exception of two Boxwood balls that I picked up at Stein-Mart for $2.99 each.

NOT the right tool!

Step 5:  Reattaching the Door- It was an interesting process, but after some work and ingenuity, I was able to insert and attach (with glue) my new glass pane to the existing cabinet door.  I think this is definitely a case where having the right tools would've made all the difference.  I'll tell you more about the process in a later post. 

Step 6:  Admire Your Work

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

So loving the results!  Have a wonderful Independence Day!!

 

"Open Kitchen Cabinets"

For a while now I’ve been contemplating an open cabinet in my kitchen.

Contemporary Kitchen by Houston Interior Designers & Decorators Sally Wheat Interiors

Emily A Clark

Pretty Handy Girl

Likely from all of the recent blog posts I’ve come across with design bloggers doing just that.  I like the idea of displaying view-worthy pieces in an open cabinet.  However,  I’m not so sure I’m ready to get rid of the entire cabinet door just yet.

Country Living

I’m thinking about taking the first step by inserting a glass pane in my existing cabinet. 

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Great tutorial HERE!

It’s something I’ve been going back and forth on for some time now, and I think I’m ready to bite the bullet. 

In addition to giving a modern look to my builder grade oak cabinets, it will force me to get rid of some of those awful mugs and cups that seem to collect over time.

So, THIS just happened…..

 

I guess there’s no going back now.  Hey, what can I say, when I make a decision, I commit. I used a fairly bootleg process to remove the center panel.  Because I don't have a saw, and the insert is actually wood paneling, I just used a sharp utility knife and a little weight to force out the center portion of the cabinet.  It wasn't pretty, but it worked. 

I just need to figure out what I’m doing to the back wall of the cabinets and then I'll need to get glass. cut.  Then comes the fun part, styling it all.   Another project in process.  Wish me luck!

P.S. Dear Santa, I need a Skilsaw.  : )

"My Painted Pantry"

Last week was Sherwin-Williams' National Painting Week. 

 

While I didn't get a chance to make it to Sherwin-Williams, by Friday I had the burning desire to paint something.  There is absolutely nothing like paint to completely transform a space with a few strokes of a brush and very little investment. 

 

Since the rain completely screwed up my original plan for Friday afternoon gardening (more on that later this week), I decided to tackle an indoor project instead.  A quick visit to Lowe's and a stop by the "oops" paint shelf (It's the place where they stash all of the returned paints and sell them for a fraction of the original cost) yielded a quart of super fun aqua paint for $5.00.  Jackpot! 

 

 

 

 

Now, here comes the scary part.  To say that my pantry is a mess is a gross understatement.  It looks like the grocery store exploded, like it was hit by a category 5 hurricane.  Seriously.  I can't believe I'm even showing you before pictures.   

Told you it was bad.  Anyway, after removing the contents and throwing away all of the expired inventory,  I really wasn't left with all that much.

I had been thinking about painting the pantry for a while.  I figured maybe if it were "pretty" I would be more likely to keep it organized.  True or not, it was worth a try. 

After taking out the wire shelves, I realized that the brackets weren't nearly as easy to remove. I decided that it would be much easier to just tape them off and paint around them.

 

Since this was really an organizing project, I decided to call in reinforcement.  My friend Jennifer, of Pure and Simple Organizing made a number of recommendations.  First, she said that those wire shelves were a nightmare.  She suggested that I line them with cardboard. Now, because she's function and I'm fancy, I took that suggestion and crafted a similar (more fancy) option with blank canvas, leftover drapery fabric and spray adhesive. 

 

 



 

Simple enough.  I actually only made two liners since I knew I'd be storing more boxes than bottles on the top two shelves.

 

 

 

Jennifer also recommended that I NOT buy any organizational products (i.e. bins, containers, etc), until I had finished the project.  This would allow me accurately assess what I really need.  At her advice, I didn't go out to purchase anything until I knew what I needed. 

 

 

A late night run to Goodwill yielded three baskets that were prefect for storing loose items, at only $5.00 for all three!

 

 

I love the result. It makes me happy every time I open the door.  I also love that while the color scheme is bright and fun. It still ties in with my kitchen décor.

 

And there you have it.  A quick (four hours), cost effective ($10 plus tax) and easy way to update

your pantry or storage space.

 

 

 

P.S. Jennifer also recommended that I relocate my brooms/mop. They were making a bad situation worse.  Why didn't I think of that?  Thanks Jennifer!!!