Finally the Master Bath is Finished!!!

Here are the final pics from our "Master Bathroom Renovation of 2016"


Until next time...
Marie

Let me introduce you to....

Bar Keepers Friend!



I know there are other more popular creamy cleansers on the market (Vim, Ajax, Comet etc) but I personally found them to be gritty and leave a residue.

One day I came across Bar Keepers Friend at Bed Bath & Beyond and decided to try it out on my stainless sink and cookware.

I was so pleased with how shiny and clean my stainless steel sink and pots/pans got that I decided to try it on other things.

I use it on my glass cooktop too and it works really well at getting that burned on residue off.

But it's perfect for cleaning those "scratch" marks on your white ceramic dishes that comes from your utensils.

My white/off white ceramic cereal bowls and mugs often look like this after a while

It almost looks like they're cracked but really it's just scuff marks from my spoons (almost looks like pencil marks too).

After a quick scrubbing with Bar Keepers Friend, and then a thorough rinsing and washing with dish soap they look good as new!

Here are the before and after pics

Here is my disclaimer - This product contains Oxalic Acid (naturally derived and found in leafy green things) but like a lot of cleaning products it is very bad for your skin so wear gloves and read the warnings before using.  

Also, before going to town and using it on your own dishes & cookware I would test it out on the back to see how it affects your finishes.  I use this on my Pottery Barn & Mikasa off white dishes (ceramic/stone ware) and glazed white ceramic mugs.  I have not had any of the finish come off and you can see in the bowl after pic above how shiny the finish is after I use it.

After you've used this product to clean anything make sure you wash it thoroughly with warm soapy water and remove all residue of BKF from the surface.

Until next time...
Marie

Cedar Hedge Trimming

As our neighbour put it - we "went HARD on the hedge" this year!

We have this huge cedar hedge around our property.

In some places it's 20 feet high (at least) and in front of the house it's probably over 10 feet high and 10 feet wide!

We try to trim it back every year but sometimes it goes a bit longer between trims.

That and the fact that it is in the path of the street rain water run off on one side and in direct contact with our neighbour's sprinkler system on the other has contributed to this hedge getting WAY too big!

Here's some BEFORE pics of the hedge "absorbing" our driveway lamp posts  (taken 2014 & 2015):




The lamp posts have been hit a few times and we have plans to redo them (in 2017?) to look like this (see this post for more stone work ideas):



We have talked about taking out the first cedar tree behind the posts and replanting with new cedars in a V pattern so that we can keep them trim and behind the posts.

I told the hedge guy our "future" plan and asked him to cut the hedge back a bit more behind the lamp posts so we can get into our driveway more easily.

I think he got a bit carried away...

AFTER pics:

From same view as above

My hubby was not too happy with this year's "trim"

From the street view (I think it looks pretty good or maybe I'm just getting used to it?)

We planted some pampas grass temporarily to fill the space until we're ready to do our front of the house reno.

Until next time...
Marie

Kitchen Reno Ideas

Still a long way off but I'm collecting ideas for the Kitchen renovation (next year?).

I'd like to put in a built in bench nook seating area like these...

And I've started collecting storage ideas like these...


Until next time...
Marie

DIY Canvas Headboard

I saw this Benjamin Moore painted canvas headboard DIY project on Cityline the other day.


I love it!

I think it would look so cool done in the natural linen canvas - no painting necessary.


Or you could buy cheap canvas boards and cover them with fabric - using the boards are bases.

I think there are 12 square shaped canvases in 2 different thicknesses in this project...

Unfortunately, I already have a headboard and so does the bed in my daughter's/guest room.

Remember this one we found in an alley and spray painted red...

My son doesn't have a headboard - but he's got posters all up his wall and doesn't want one.

So I'm filing this away (documenting it here) for when he moves out and we change his room into a guest room.

Until next time...
Marie

Knock! Knock!

Our master bathroom was full of brass - taps, shower enclosure & towel bars.

Now that we've gotten rid of it, the only brass left in our house is our door knobs.

I know that gold hardware is making a comeback but it's not my taste.

It's so dated looking!

We have 11 30-year-old brass door knobs left but I'm slowly converting them to brushed nickel.

I did find all the same knobs for replacing the brass ones -  it just takes me time to go through and do every door.

After this is done the next job will be to repaint all the doors and trim in the house (maybe this summer?).

The only problem I've encountered so far with switching out brass for nickel is my pocket door hardware.



I could not find a brushed nickel or stainless pull to fit the rectangular opening made for the original brass one.

So I spray painted the brass one with Rustoleum Universal in Satin Nickel.

There are all kinds of blog posts and articles about spray painting the actual door knobs and I did consider this.  But mine do get a lot of traffic and I didn't know if the spray paint would hold up.

However, now that I have a new can of spray paint I'm looking around the house to see what else I can revive with a Satin Nickel finish!!

Until next time...
Marie

Closet Door Conversion Complete

I finished converting the hall closet to french doors and also did my linen closet.

It was so easy - I did it all by myself!!

The hardest part is positioning the new stationary pivot bracket at the top of the door. But that just took a few adjustments so that the door wouldn't scrape the wall and fit snug against the other door. Then it was all good!

I also had to mount the top magnetic catch on something so it would clear the track.  I used a scrap piece of trim board.

If your doors stay closed without this, then you might skip it, but for $4 extra it keeps my doors nicely closed.

Until next time...
Marie