Update an old dresser yourself!

It's the time of year we all like to update and refresh...SPRING!  Me too. Rather than shopping and spending money on something new, I like to find pieces I have or thrift shop finds, and spend time getting precisely what I want. Here's my formula.  Give it a try and let me know if you like it!


Materials

1. Flat latex paint in contrasting shades - one will be the base coat and one the top coat
2. Primer
3. Crackle medium
4. Buckets
5. Paint brushes 
6. Top coat of urethane or wax- optional

Start by lightly sanding your piece - unless you want bumps and blemishes for character.  Prime it and let dry fully. Paint the first coat of color that will be the one to show through your final color coat. This one is a deep rust color.  Let dry 24 hours.  Pour the crackle medium into a bucket and stir gently.  Using a clean brush, apply a thick layer but do not overwork it. Let this coat dry 1-2 hours (if you go too long the mixture will cure and the next coat will not crackle. Use another clean, dry brush for your topcoat - this one is a creamy beige. As it dries, the crackles appear.  For a worn look, you can lightly sand the edges of doors, drawers, and the box. I like to apply a light coat of Briwax rather than urethane, so I can enrich the sheen many times with ease.

Tile Keeps Your Kitchen Current

Since the kitchen is considered the heart of the home, it's nice to keep it updated. We eat, entertain, and even do office and school work in our kitchens. When you're ready for a remodel, or even a change in appliances and surfaces, you want what you select to be enduring. Flooring is often wood, vinyl, cork, or tile (porcelain, ceramic and stone are the most popular).  Backsplashes are most frequently tile, although beadboard, stainless steel, and even painted finishes are used. We love tile since it's incredibly versatile, comes in a huge array of materials, patterns, colors and you can find or cut nearly every size and shape. The choice to use tile is a good one for flexibility, design freedom, ease of care and customization. 

Large scale tile makes small spaces seem larger.

Using tile is one of the best ways to customize a kitchen and allow for changes later. You can create patterns, add accent tiles, and then pop some out and replace with a different color or material over time.  In a small kitchen, swapping the dated 12" x 12" straight lie ceramic with a safer, larger, 24" x 12 porcelain tile, was easy, budget conscious, and made the room appear larger.  Consider porcelain instead of stone for busy kitchens. It's to care for, and even if you love the look of stone, you can have it since many manufacturers offer stone-looks that eliminate larger grout lines, filling holes, and regular surface sealing.  With rectified tile, you can create tight patterns and minimal grout joints for a very finished, nearly seamless look.

The Arts & Crafts influence backsplash in this kitchen can be changedby popping out the green accent tile and replacing with another materialor color in years to come.

For backsplashes, there are nearly unlimited options that can be combined. Let's say you opt for a 4" x 4" stone backsplash, and decide you want to update in 10 years. You can change some of the tiles for glass, and create a border, a pattern, and make a change in color. For very traditional kitchens, I love to create a custom pattern over the stove or cooktop.  I consider the options the client loves today, and allow for the possibility of changing out some of the decorative tiles over a long period of time, while leaving the field tile in place.  Ten years ago, I designed a backsplash with granite and porcelain tile.  This year, we're popping out some tile and replacing it with metallic tile.   Glass tile is hugely popular now. Some installations are Mid-Century Modern style and will be enduring, and some are highly colored and patterned and may become dated over time. Changing out tiles, especially mosaics, will be easy over time. Recycled glass tiles are less popular, but with environmentally conscious products being more favorable and available, they will likely be enduring for many years.

Glass backsplashes are gorgeous. This one has recycled
tile and a crisp ceramic accent tile.

Spring = Clean Top Tips for Ten Minutes of Clean

I'm always in a hurry to get my home clean; I love neat but hate to clean. When unexpected clients or guests are on their way, doing one room at a time in just a few minutes works well so that I can always keep a neat appearance despite twins, dogs and cats. I developed a system that works for me in about 10 minutes.  It doesn't take the place of a thorough dusting with vacuuming, but does take care of the daily stuff.  I hope you can complete your room in ten minutes but it depends on the scale of the room and what obstacles you face. 

To make this work, you need to have cleaning supplies at hand. I make 'green' cleaning products with water, vinegar, borax, olive oil-based liquid soaps, and essential oils for fragrance. They are stored in clear spray bottles under my kitchen and bathroom sinks so I don't have to go far, and re-fills are easy. Bring out your dust cloths, vacuum, and other cleaning equipment, so everything is within reach before you start. Start with the main rooms. If you’re having guests and you’re trying to clean before they arrive, concentrate on the rooms they are most likely to see such as the living room, the kitchen and the bathroom. Leave bedrooms and other rooms until the end and clean them only if time allows.



1. Start in one corner of the room, and move in a circle around the room. Pick up any items on the floor, from tables, counters, and chairs as you walk along, and anything out of place. For large or joined rooms - like a kitchen/family room combination -  divide the room into squares and complete everything in one square before you move on.

2. Put things away as you move around the room or - if they belong elsewhere - place things into a laundry basket or fabric tote. Fortunately, toys don't have far to go since I have some storage in every room. I load them and then can easily carry clothes and shoes to the bedrooms, or mail and newspapers to the office area. 









3. As I walk and pick up, I carry my solutions to spray. My dusting solution is Murphy's oil and my counter cleaners require no scrubbing. Wood sprays don't get used unless there are messy fingerprints - I have a small "Magic Duster" that I swipe accessories, lamps, tables and wooden chairs with. Start with the right cleaner for the surface, spritz on and move on to clean somewhere else while you wait a few minutes for it to work.  This is great for greasy counters, scuff marks on floors, and letting cleaners work on grout. For living rooms you may just need to dust, but this helps if you have to wipe a window, glass display items, and non-wood surfaces.



4. Go back and wipe up all of your sprays. I use old washcloths or dishtowels instead of paper towels and I use several in one room so the counter one doesn't get used to wipe appliances, or dust tables, or clean mirrors and windows. 

5. Dust, starting with anything that is dark wood, as dust shows more clearly on dark surfaces. Here is where that Magic Duster comes in handy.  The fibers attract dust, and I can do one whole room without cleaning the duster. Don’t use a dry rag since you don't want dust from flying around the room as you clean. Some Swiffer products work well, but their disposable nature is costly and an environmental disaster since they are not recyclable. Again, old towels, diapers, dishrags and underwear work well and can be washed with regular laundry as needed.

6. Now I clean my wood or other non-carpeted flooring. If there was a stain in the grout or a scuff mark on the floor, my solutions have had time to work should make this step a wipe-up one.  I DO have an old mop but I started using a Shark cleaner that takes seconds to lift up everything!

7.Next is to vacuum. Nothing will give a better impression of a clean room than freshly-vacuumed rugs. I have area rugs in every space so I do the wood floor and the rug at the same time.  You can use a fragranced vacuum powder to improve the overall air smell of the room as you clean. Don’t bother vacuuming curtains but DO remove pet hair from the upholstery.

8. Spray a bit of room spray in the air - something seasonal is great - and voila, you are finished!