Home: From Doorway to Built-In

From Doorway to Built-In

When our eldest daughter moved out, we no longer needed two separate entrances to their adjoining rooms. Our youngest daughter wanted to use one room as a sitting room (or rather her own personal den) and use the other as her bedroom. This left us with a walled up doorway in our living room. Instead of simply closing the old doorway over, we opted to create some much needed storage.

Not only were we able to increase our storage, we were also able to repurpose an old savaged window! 

Home: Using Salvaged Materials - Master Bathroom

Using Salvaged Materials: Master Bathroom

We enjoy using salvaged materials, whenever possible, in our home. Our master bathroom has been no exception. As I have mentioned before, last year we were able to salvage materials from an older home that was going to be demolished. Among the many items saved, were a door with an inlaid beveled mirror and some crown molding. 

After stripping many years worth of paint, the door revealed beautiful wood. All it needed was a little cleaning and a bit of finish. I was even able to salvage the original hardware. The brass shined up very well. When cleaning old hardware that has many layers of paint on it, I use an old slow cooker (purchase and used solely for hardware: don't use one you plan to put food in). I place the hardware inside and then fill with soapy water. I leave it on to "cook" over night. In the morning, the paint is usually falling off. All I need to do is give it a good clean with a wire brush. 

Below is a photo of the finished door. Above the door is the salvaged crown molding. 

While not sourced from the same house as the door and crown molding, our shower/tub tiled surround was also created from salvage materials. We had picked up a truck load of leftover tile from a friend's home several years prior. When we replaced to old garden tub originally in our master bathroom, we decided to put in a tiled surround. Instead of purchasing new tile, my husband repurposed the leftover tile. Using a tile saw, he cut the tiles into the sizes needed. Because all of the tiles were neutral colors, everything mixed well together.

Home: Salvaged Corner Cabinet

Salvaged Corner Cabinet

A few weeks past, I spotted a corner cabinet that had been torn out of an older home. As it was lying on the curb awaiting trash pickup, I decided it needed to come home with me. 

When I brought it home, it was missing the center back piece, and it was missing the bottom portion. It was originally a much larger piece, but during its removal, it was broken.

My sweet husband helped me out - as usual. He was able to give it a new (old) back using some salvaged wood, he trimmed off the bottom portion, and he made a top (also from salvaged wood). He also had to fill in a chunk that was missing along the top.

Now,  all I had to do was sand and paint. It really did turn out to be such a cute little corner cabinet!

Home: Trash to Treasure - B's Bedroom Flooring

Trash to Treasure: B's Bedroom Flooring

Last year, a family friend approached us with a generous offer: She was selling her property to a developer and wanted to know if we would like the opportunity to remove any material from the old home. Ms. Pat's house was originally built in the 1920s. The purchasing company was going to build a bank on the property site, and as such, they were going to demolish the house. Of course, we jumped at the idea of saving as much material as possible. 

We were able to salvage every door and window, in addition to hardwood flooring, trim, tiles, and several built-ins. It was hard, sweaty work: this was during our hot, humid summer. However, the knowledge that we were saving vintage materials, and saving money on our renovation budget, made it all worth it. 

The upstairs bedrooms of the home all had hardwood floors. While I worked on removing all of the house's windows (believe me, it's not difficult), my husband and youngest daughter, B (short for Bianca) pulled up the old bedroom floors.

I made sure to snap a couple of photos. 

B turned out to be a very hard worker! Of course, I'm sure the knowledge that these would become her own bedroom floors helped. I was amazed at how much they were able to save.

Once we removed the flooring, we had to clean them before installing. The house had been empty for a bit, and it appeared as though a few critters had come to visit. Once cleaned, my husband installed the flooring in B's sitting room. All we had to do after that was sand, stain, and finish them. 

I love how they turned out. Now, every time we walk on them, we will remember their history.

I am very glad we were able to save them!

DIY: More Market DIY

More Market DIY

The past month has been a flurry of activity. I seem to have found my niche at the local markets. Which is wonderful since I truly do enjoy rescuing old furniture and repurposing many of my finds. I have always agreed with the old adage, "One man's trash is another man's treasure".  

Years ago, when my husband and I were young and our children were little, we were like many young couples: completely broke. However, I found that my desire for nice things wasn't diminished by lack of funds (after all, who doesn't enjoy nice things?). There was no other choice but to get creative. All of those years of looking at old objects with a creative eye continues to inspire me. I find a deep sense of satisfaction in breathing new life into objects deemed no longer fit to serve. The two pieces I am sharing with you today definitely fit that description.

My husband is a paramedic for a local ambulance service and, he is away from home for two-three days at a time.  During his shifts, my daughters and I usually drop the station for visits. The station is located in an old business district that is on the edge of an older residential area. On one visit, I noticed what appeared to be several pieces of broken furniture on the side of the road, awaiting trash pickup. I asked my dear, sweet, longsuffering hubby if he could bring those pieces home, at the end of his shift. Of course, he obliged. My haul turned out to be an old dresser with a very damaged mirror and shelf combination. The mirror/shelf was beyond rescuing- it had many pieces missing. So, I just dismantled what was remaining of it and put the pieces away for future parts. After sorting through everything, I discovered that all of the drawers were there. Happy Dance! A few drawers needed repairs, but after that, the dresser only needed a thorough cleaning, a new finish, and new hardware. The top was terribly stained - it had nail polish, marker, and makeup stains. Despite that, after a bit of sanding, it was in good enough shape to take a dark stain finish. The rest of the dresser received a distressed black finish. New hardware was added, and Voila!