Drafting and Designing

Don't live in the area?  75% of my clientele is from other parts of the country.  Designing from a distance works just great!!!  Don't miss out on this great deal! 

Star Valley MRI

I felt very fortunate to be able to work on another medical center last fall!

This was a small project but an important one; the MRI suite at the hospital.

Going for an MRI is never fun and some people just don't do very well with tight spaces.  It was important to make the space feel expansive but comforting and relaxing at the same time.  That can be tricky but with the right colors, can be easily achieved.  I think that goal was accomplished.

 The hospital administrators were happy and so was Hitachi so that goes a long ways...the important thing is that the patients are able to feel relaxed while enduring difficult testing and procedures!

Chalk Paint

Ever since I first laid eyes on a piece that had been painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I fell in love.  I read blogs and scoured Pinterest for tutorials and galleries.  I finally decided to take the plunge into the world of chalk paint.

This is not to be confused with chalkboard paint.  This is not chalk board paint.  This is a calcium based paint.  The biggest and best feature of Annie Sloan's chalk paint is that you don't have to sand, prime, or do anything else really to prepare your piece to paint.  Clean off the dust and dirt and that is about it.

 The paint comes in 1 quart containers but it is thick and covers just over 140 sq. feet.  My house looks like an oak tree threw up in it.  All the cabinets are oak and my crazy fireplace has an oak mantel, among other ugly elements!   I have lived with the oak for almost 9 years now and I am sick to death of it.

I have done other painting and distressing methods so I wasn't too scared to try the chalk paint.

Here is the ugly oak mantel.  While we're on the subject of ugly, note the chair rail and the token pieces of ugly ceramic tile.  Not my favorite but in time...it will all go away.

As I mentioned, the paint is really thick so it goes on easy and has good coverage.  I did water mine down just hair.  I should mention here that the longer the paint sits out, the thicker it becomes so I poured a little into a small pie tin so I wouldn't waste the whole quart.  To that, I added about 2 Tablespoons of water.  

The beauty of this paint is that it is so easy to distress.  Unlike latex or oil base, you don't have to use Vaseline or sandpaper to start distressing.  Once I had it painted, I rubbed off the areas where I wanted the wood grain to show through with cheese cloth or a blue scrubbie.  It was easy! 

 When I painted it, I left some of the areas with the wood showing through since I knew I would be rubbing it off anyways.  I also ignored the areas where I didn't get 100% coverage; it added to the distressed look I was trying to achieve. You remove the paint from areas you want distressed, after you paint and before the waxing.

The paint dries super fast so you hardly waste any time before moving on to the next step, the waxing.  The clear wax goes on first and seals the paint and hardens it.  It also adds the most beautiful depth and patina you don't get with other paints.  I was so happy with the wax and it was quick and easy to apply.  This little dab did the entire mantel.

 This is the brush that you apply the wax with. You apply it in circular motions, pressing hard into the painted surface.

 After the clear wax has been applied, I added the dark brown wax.  This is where you really push it into the grain and crevices, giving it the aged look.  You can apply this as heavy or as light as you wish.

 Here is the mantel all finished!!  I absolutely love it!  I can't wait to get the kitchen done.
The finish has a softness that I love and it is velvety to the touch.

There was a part on the mantel where I took too much paint off and realized after I waxed it all that I really didn't like that much distressing.  It was no big deal!  NO sanding out the mistake, I just painted over it, waxed it again and it blended right in.  You can't even tell!!

The mantel was a good place to start.  I think I have the technique figured out so the cabinets should be a snap.  The color I used was called Old White.  I also bought Paris Grey because I wanted to do the island in a deep grey but after experimenting with that, I have decided to do it all white.

Once the cabinets are done, I am painting the whole house and wonderful greige that is really going to set my new cabinets off in a beautiful way!

Custom Home Plans

I've been working hard in a partnership with a brand new company, My Own Floor Plans!  My Own Floor Plans is an online library of custom home plans.  We are different from other floor plan companies out there.  We don't stock plans from 25 years ago, we design current and relevant plans for today's  busy family.

Since the great recession, our culture has changed for the average, middle class family.  People in general have a more realistic view of what they can live in and live with.  Homes are getting smaller and more efficient in size.  

Just because this country has had to downsize in some areas, doesn't mean you have to dial down design.  Each of our homes has been designed by an expert in space planning who understands the importance of family.  Each plan is functional and well designed so you never have to worry about awkward spaces and cramped corners.

My Own Floor Plans also offers complete drafting and design services.  If you find a plan that you like but need some adjustments before you can call it love...no problem, let us fit it to your family.  Have some ideas of your own?  We love a good napkin sketch and can bring your dream alive with a full set of architectural drawings and colored renderings at a fraction of the cost you would pay an Architect.

Head on over to our new website and take a look around.  Pin your favorites and if you have questions, drop us a line.  We can't wait to meet you!

A little artsy

Sorry for the latest absence.  I've been working like a dog but lately, I've missed being creative so when the weekend comes, despite my work schedule, I try to fit in a few DIY's.

I've been de-cluttering my house.
  In the process, I found some pieces I had collected a few years ago.  I have lots of old windows, old doors, old cabinet doors and a bookshelf and the sweetest little table.  I have been tackling them little by little.

Today's post is the piece of art I created from an old cupboard door.  I love it!

You probably can't see what I wrote at the bottom but it say, 'Never had an ordinary day'

Okay, so here's how I did it. 

Start with a handy dandy  notebook, sketchbook, scrap of paper...whatever.  It's always best to practice your design first on something other than the piece you will be using. 

Once you are happy with the sketch, draw it on the cupboard or canvas or whatever you choose to use.

Then, start adding your paint.  I am not a great artist so if I can do this, anyone can.  I used a short square brush.  It helped me get a darker line on the edges of the flowers.

Once the flowers are painted on and dried, I used a fine Sharpie pen to draw the stems and center of each flower. I love the movement in the stems as opposed to straight stiff lines.

Finally, I wrote the words at the bottom.  I had thoughts of sanding over it lightly to give it an aged look but I thought I would live with this for awhile and then decide if I really want to do it.  It looks so great hanging above the bookshelf  I finished a couple of weeks ago too!  That project is coming soon!  

Furniture Painting

Everyone's doing it!  Painting furniture.  I decided to get on the bandwagon this past weekend and tackle a sofa table in need of some new color.  Painting furniture has always scared me a bit.  There are so many nooks and crannies and so many things that can mess up a project like drips you don't notice until it's too late!  I figured, who cares, worse case scenario, I have to sand it all down again and start over so I jumped right in!

 As usual, I forgot to take pictures before I even started the work!  So, here is the table after hours of sanding, seriously...lots of sanding.  The top has the first coat of the color Composed, from Sherwin Williams.

 After 3 coats of paint, I finally deemed it finished.

So, here's the deal...I wasn't sure I would love this color but I love this color!!!. It was hard to settle on this color.  When I work with clients who are changing paint colors, they typically show me something that inspires them or an art piece they love.  We draw colors out of their inspiring piece.  The problem with my house is that there is nothing colorful nor inspiring but not for long.  I am determined to change things up a bit.   I am picturing this with some bright, celery green and coral accessories!

  I am notorious for changing my mind on color as much as I change my socks.  I have lived in this house for 8 years and it still looks the same way it did when I moved in.  In my mind, this wasn't my dream home, it was just a home to get us by.  

That's all changed now, it's still not my dream home but I am going to declare this "home" and start making it feel like one or at least a home that reflects something inspiring.  This piece marks the beginning of change for us.  You can see from my very lousy photography that everything in my house is yellow or some tone of yellow.  

Slowly but surely all that is about to change...Next up on the DIY circuit...grey walls!  Maybe even this weekend if all goes well...What do you think of the color?

Spring Cleaning!

I love how Spring has become synonymous with cleaning!  De-cluttering is my all time favorite thing to do and I've been doing a lot of it lately. I started with a couple of kitchen cabinets.

It's always frightening to see the random things that find themselves a home over time.  It felt so good to throw all of this away!  All of it!

The kitchen is an easy place to start because you don't have to have an immense amount of time to de-junk.  You can easily do one cabinet in just a few minutes, even seconds if it's something you stay on top of.  A couple a day and before long, the kitchen is done!

I have been working hard on the garage, the basement and the living room!  It's coming slowly but surely.

What is your favorite thing to clean?