TEASER: Molly's Screened-in Porch Makeover

Okay, so usually I don't blog about a space
until AFTER I've transformed it.

But today,

I'm doing something a little differently…

I'm going to give you just the BEFORE
of a screened-in porch makeover
I'm doing for my client/friend, Molly.

Why you ask?

Because I haven't finished it!!!

I'll be working on it all Memorial Day weekend…….

I love sinking my teeth into a project like this..

Molly is the bomb to work with!
She loves the things I love,
like reinventing, recycling, working with what you have, etc.

So….grab your bloody mary and without further ado,
let's take the tour:

This is a great space.

Molly just wants to spruce it up a bit.

I love her use of salvaged pieces and family heirlooms.

Vintage wicker sofa...

Screen door leads to the backyard.

Coffee table is glass over a pedestal. 

Floors are painted tan.

Screened in on three sides...

A little mini-fridge sits beside the door leading into the kitchen.

I think I definitely need to replace or paint this door……

(As I was here for a consultation, 

hailstones actually flew in through this doggy door.

It was some storm!)

Around the three screened-in sides is a ledge for plants...

Couple of black wicker chairs with little stools….

Molly's outdoor entertainment center is over on the back wall. 

Ha. A wicker etagere with a basket for cover.

Right hand side coming into porch from back door.

Looking into house.

Celing fan could use an update too...

And the ceiling is in disrepair.

Have any ideas what I might be planning?
Stay tuned for the transformation, folks!!!!!

Surprise Vacation Makeovers! While the mouse is way, the cat will play!!

As the school year comes to a close
and folks are planning their summer vacations,

this is the time of year when I will often
 get the opportunity to do my favorite thing!

While the family is away -
beaching it or whatever -

SheShe, the little worker bee,
is in the house doing her magic!

Taking care of whatever eyesore it is
that you've lived with 

all these years and haven't dealt with.

When you return home from vacation, 

it's all done! 

Amazingly complete and renewed, 

and you feel like you are on vacation all year long now!!!!!!

Isn't life swell?

Here are a few things I've done while folks are out of town……

BEFORE: Institutional looking bathroom…...

AFTER: Becomes a stunning cottage bath! 

I even painted the floor! 

Beadboard, paint, a new pedestal sink, 

freestanding console, and medicine cabinets.

BEFORE: This homeowner wanted to convert 

an office into a child's playroom.

These drab cornices block the light and need to go...

AFTER:  Boy were they surprised!

I brought in lots of poppy color and storage pieces…

I created a daybed by covering thick cushions in corduroy,

and hung a canopy above, 

New custom valances now don't block the light, I painted

the table and chairs, made a cushion for the storage bench, 

and created a bulletin board...

 

Leaning bookcases on either side of a thrift night stand becomes

an entertainment center!

BEFORE: This new homeowner needed some help 

bringing her house into this century!

AFTER: Ahhh, now she has a light and airy living room. 

I painted the room, mantle,

and rearranged furniture to open up the space.

BEFORE: A dated kitchen with honey oak cabinets…….

AFTER: Becomes this while the homeowners are in Tuscany.

I painted the room and all the cabinetry and woodwork 

and added new oil rubbed bronze hardware.

I helped select a light toned countertop, 

and new appliances complete this amazing transformation!

BEFORE: This house was going on the market...

And the basement was in dire need of a spruce up!!!!!!!

AFTER: The walls and floor were painted, and I staged the area

with the homeowners items and several SheShe pieces.

BEFORE: A cramped and chaotic bathroom...

AFTER: Gets a soothing makeover with lots of storage, 

paint, light fixture and bead board. And new towels.

BEFORE: Time for a kitchen renovation on a budget.

AFTER: Amazing!!!!!! 

I painted the cabinets in a two tone treatment,

changed out all the hardware.

Painted the room in a soft aqua, and added bead board 

that I painted the same color as the base cabinets.

Now they look like built in hutches!

BEFORE: A teenager's blah bedroom…….

AFTER:  Get's a surprise makeover while she's away at camp.

I painted the room, painted a faux headboard

and added beautiful new linens.

Amazing….huh?

What needs a makeover at your house?

How my brain works: Repurposing……...

You hear these words all the time……….

Recycle

Reuse

Repurpose

What's the difference you ask?

Well here's a good example:

Recycle:

You may recall this ugly Ikea set I found in the trash recently.

I saved it from the dumpster.

(That's recycling.)

Reuse:

A little spray paint, 

and I have a like-new child's set!

Perfect for dining, or playing…….

(That's reusing.)

But the set hasn't sold………

it's  still sitting right here in my dining room.

(That's aggravating.)

So a thought occurred to me:

 I have three of these old plaster bases……..

which I use in the front of my house for plant stands…….

Garden stuff is hot right now, 

so in the car they go to sell in my booth.

Repurpose:

 Guess what I'm now using for plant stands?

Yep, there they are.

A little nontraditional, 

but they work.

(That's repurposing.)

The table is the perfect size for the deck…

 I whipped up a slipcover and now it's an ottoman!

And the last two chairs are up on the deck now, too...

 They've made friends with a couple of houseplants.

The wheels are always turning..

And that, my friends, is why nothing ever stays the same

over here at the SheShe ranch.

Have a great week!

I'm Greenwood bound.

Sprucing up the Vacation Home

It's that time of year!!!!!!

When you start thinking about that vacation home (if you're so lucky!)………

wherever it may be: 

River, beach, mountains……..

I love this kind of assignment!

Going in before season,

doing a little work,

and surprising the homeowners when they arrive for vacation!

The WOW factor!!!!!

Many times, these homes are pretty rustic places….
and homeowners don't want to make a huge investment in
the fix up, nor do they want to lose the rustic charm
of their sweet vacation home...

So take a look at some of the homes
I've had the privilege of working on!!!!

 BEFORE: River house kitchen…
pine cabinets with dated hardware..

 formica walls...

oooh, and some very old appliances, like this range hood.

 AFTER: I covered the formica with bead board,
painted the walls, panelling and cabinetry.
 
Moved a cabinet in from the bathroom…

New inexpensive pulls for the cabinets.

Rather than replace the old hinges, 

I just painted them so they disappear.

And no, this isn't a new range hood.
I simply primed and spray painted the old one!

 BEFORE: Not much to say about this bathroom,
other than it is d i s g u s t i n g.

Lacks storage…
in terrible disrepair..

AFTER: Paint and beadboard!!!!!!
What a difference!

A thrift store etagere replaces the old piece,

and provides a place to store all those unmentionables!

 BEFORE: The 80's rattan furniture in this beach house needed an update!

AFTER: I slipcovered all the cushions, 

changed out the art,

 made pillows and added a rug.

BEFORE: This river house guest room had a case of the blahs….

 dated ruffled curtains…

and one bed. No style..

 AFTER: I swapped out a smaller bed,
added new linens and accessories.

 New blinds and panels dress the window...

And I made a custom headboard from a piece of drywall and some fabric!

BEFORE:  Dark and dingy kitchen...

 If these cabinets could talk. Yuk..

AFTER: This is the same kitchen!!!!!

All the cabinets were primed and painted.

Walls painted, and I did a little painted pattern on the bar back.

And I added new $1.00 pulls.

I love how the vintage formica works now 

with the whole retro look of this kitchen!

Small investment….huge improvement.

BEFORE: And finally, this upstairs bedroom in a river house was SO DARK

it's even hard to get a good photograph.

Ugly dark rustic panelling, 

but look how cool the architecture is in this room...

 

Low slanted walls, and ugly brown wall-to-wall carpet

that the homeowner wasn't interested in ripping up yet.

 They also had a set of wood furniture they wanted to have painted
to use in this bedroom.

AFTER: Amazing…..
I sanded, primed and painted all that ugly panelling in a soft aqua.

Set up this bed,
dressed it in new linens,
 made custom pillows.

 I added thrift store finds everywhere...
 
All that dark furniture was painted a soft off-white.

I turned this piece into a secretary and painted the interior
aqua as well.

 It has a pearlesque glaze added so it really gleams.
I found the little chair, painted and upholstered the seat.

Here's the dresser over in the alcove beside the window,
which has new blinds and cotton duck panels.
Note the woven grass rug I brought in to
 cover up that nasty brown.

More propping -
a storage container becomes a lampshade.
I framed sea life images in frames I painted
and matted with seagrass wallpaper.

This is the sweetest guest room now!!!

And so functional.

The only problem:
Getting the guests to leave!

Do you have a summer home that needs some fix in' up?
All these projects were handled after a SheShe consult on site,
We agree on some basic parameters.…
you give me the key.

Next time you're on vacation,
you are a very happy camper!