Monday, April 27, 2009

Half Note Kitchen

Jessica painted the Kitchen on Saturday afternoon. Here are the “before and currently’s”:

BEFORE:

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CURRENTLY:

Kitchen 2

BEFORE:

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CURRENTLY:

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Unfortunately I don’t have a BEFORE shot of this side of the Kitchen, but here’s how it looks now…

CURRENTLY:

Kitchen 3

I had some leftover chalkboard paint, so Jessica painted the rectangle on the old ironing board closet with it.

It’s a great place to jot down things they need to remember to pick up at the Grocery store!

Chalkboard Paint

Here’s a close up of the linoleum:

Floor

She didn’t want to remove the wallpaper border in this part of the room, so I put on my thinking cap and came up with a quick and attractive solution for her.

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We attached a little piece of trim with wood glue and painters tape to the top edge of the wallpaper border:

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Once the glue had dried, she removed the painters tape holding it in place, taped off the new wall color, and primed and painted over the wallpaper border and the trim piece:

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Here’s how it turned out:

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I love how it gives the appearance of taller wainscoting.

Next up- the Den/Office on the back of the cottage.

It’s a small room, currently covered in burgundy-colored paint and plaid, navy wallpaper, with a door that leads out to this…

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…sigh….merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream back here…

58 comments:

  1. I don't know what it is, but I am in love with this "cottage". She's doing SUCH a great job, and she's so lucky to have you as her mentor!

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  2. Sorry the flea market was a bust but y'all looked like you were having some fun. Glad to see that you found a few gooe things. The pictures are great....as always. Love before and afters!

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  3. I can't believe the HUGE difference a coat of paint has made. The kitchen is so BRIGHT now! Lookin good.... :)

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  4. Layla: Great progress in such a short time and with little money. This home is going to be so cute and that backyard.....how relaxing will that be!

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  5. It's amazing how much serenity that new wall color brings to the kitchen! Can't wait to see more.

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  6. What a creative way to deal with the wallpaper border. and I love the chalkboard pain as well, and what a great place to add that little touch! I just discovered your blog and love it.

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  7. wow...what a great weekend! I feel bad that I didn't do anything around this house this weekend. :) love the "currently" pics and ESP the chalkboard paint idea. go you!

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  8. Looks better already! Don't you love paint? Such a huge bang for your buck.

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  9. Wow...what a difference! That kitchen flooring actually looks quite nice now with the new wall color.

    I have been following along with the transformation, and I can't wait to see what comes next!

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  10. It is coming along. I love seeing what you are going to do next.

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  11. It looks great. I love what a fresh coat of paint can do to a room. Love the fix for the wallpaper trim and I think those tiles are amazing! So pretty.

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  12. wow, don't you just love love love the way a gallon of paint transforms a room?!

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  13. Wow, can't believe what a little paint can do! :) The kitchen looks so cheerful and charming, a perfect place to spend some time sipping coffee!! Love the "wainscoting" idea you had, very clever! And I always love a chalkboard :), so I think the little one on the ironing door is perfect!! Boy, you girls sure are working quickly over there! Wanna come help me paint once I move LOL!!! :)

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  14. could oyu have just gotten the talle wainscoting and done wainscoting over the border? or would that have meant for too much wasted wainscoting.

    also, why did you glue the top trim on instead of nailing it on? just wondering.

    i have a similar problem in my daughters bedroom up at the ceiling line. haven't decided what to do with it though. WHY is wallpaper border so hard to take down!!! if i had known ... i would have never put it up in the first place!!!

    love your blog!

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  15. ...a cute little place really. i love the brightness and crisp clean look of the new paint. jessica is working hard with all of that painting i must say! xo, mickey

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  16. This little cottage is soooo cute! I love all the light in her kitchen from those windows!
    And that backyard IS dreamy!!! How wonderful!

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  17. Something seems to be wrong with the blog - the pictures are taking forever to download.

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  18. I love the kitchen. It is so pretty in all the wonderful fresh crisp white. The chalkbord paint on the door is such a great idea. I also really like the added trim above the wallpaper border. It really adds another dimension of architecture. The outside looks wonderful, very secluded and what a great place to have a nice chair and just enjoy nature. I can't wait to see it all finished. Hugs, Marty

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  19. Love the chalkboard idea. And I like the Linoleum; it looks like old tile. Is it staying? -susan

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  20. Love the renovation with paint thus far! I cannot wait to see the final results with furniture, it's such a cute cottage! Can you please note the name of the paint color used for the kitchen on your blog?

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  21. Why did she not want to actually remove the wallpaper border?

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  22. I love the transformation paint makes to a room! Can you please share the name of the paint color Jessica used on her kitchen walls?

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  23. I recently discovered your blog and am enjoying catching up. Today I got a smile and a sigh when I saw the "blue tile" floor in the Half Note cottage. My last house, built around 1958 had the same linoleum on the kitchen floor till I covered it up with Pergo flooring. One thing about it, that tile pattern sure never showed dirt like the Pergo did!
    Thanks for sharing your ideas!

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  24. I am really loving the wall colors!

    Julia

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  25. Wow, what a transformation already! It makes me want to go and paint all of my rooms a creamy beige.

    When I looked at the wallpaper border that she painted white, I immediately thought about painting it with chalkboard paint. And then the next picture was the ironing board closet door.

    It would be fun to have that little part painted with chalkboard paint with a fun "kitcheny" quote around the dining nook.

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  26. There are great bones here and it is going to look beautiful when ya'll get through! I can't wait to see it! I love what ya'll have done so far...it looks WONDERFUL!! It just takes vision :) Thank Goodness God Blessed me with GREAT vision!

    Lou Cinda

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  27. I love this house and am so glad to see the TLC it's getting. Thumbs up!!

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  28. What a difference some paint can make! Love the ironing board cabinet- cute : )

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  29. I have that same exact floor covering in my bathroom! Small world.

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  30. ooo..cute! what a lovely backyard!!!

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  31. Hi Layla. Nice to meet you! Actually, I've been lurking here for just a little while and I have to say, I love it! We're in the process of purchasing a house that I am eager to start fixing up, so I found your blog while surfing for ideas. And I... read all your posts. Yup, all of them. :)

    If I had a million dollars, I'd fly you to GA and have you do my whole new house for me!

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  32. Wow, a great start! Looking forward to it being accessorized. Fresh paint does wonders for a room!

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  33. I love the transformation and I wish I could do it to my kitchen. I don't know why, but the painting over the border bothers me. Was there border on the door frame too? I would change the light swithch plates to white also. Just saying. Linda in Oklahoma

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  34. I see now that there is a chunk of wood out of the door. Now that imperfection doesn't matter at all. Perfectly imperfect! Linda from Okla.

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  35. Ah ... very nice! She's making progress!

    Don't you love chalkboard paint? I used it to paint the sliding closet doors in my office (2nd bedroom) years ago. So handy! I sketch out room arrangements I want to try, measurements of areas and furniture, mantras that I want to remember ... my granddaughters draw, play hangman and practice math. Chalkboard paint rules!

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  36. This house is really coming along. Love the clean look, the scallop edge on the shelves above the washer/dryer, and the outside view from the open door is a major sigh inducer.

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  37. nice! What is the wall color? It looks as if it's a bit darker than the trim/cabinets? We are planning to paint our now blonde wood cabinets white in the near future and wanted to do a different shade on the walls. I like the look of this! ;)

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  38. Hi Layla,
    Your design talent continues to just wow me. It is wonderful what you are doing to the little cottage that your friends are going to rent and make their home in. I have an idea, when I saw how you painted the area where the wall paper was I immediately thought of painting "Kitchen" type words along the border. Similiar to what Melaine {MySweetSavannah}did in her kitchen. I would never pressume to suggest anything to you because you truly are a design genius but I could not help passing along my idea. Can't wait to see future posts of this fixer upper.
    Pat
    PS. Received my Inspiration Jar today and I love it, thanks very much!

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  39. What is the paint color in the kitchen?

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  40. Can you tell us what the paint color is in the Half Note kitchen?

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  41. Thanks for the update Layla! The house is coming along wonderfully. Can't wait to see what's next!

    ~Misti

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  42. Very neat idea with the trim and paint over the border. And I can just see some cute plates/photos/old signs hanging on that area going around what I assume is an eat in area in the kitchen. Love the paint color...please share what she used!

    Carol

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  43. It is looking great! Crisp, clean and cheery!

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  44. English garden? French bistro?
    OH! the possibilities!!

    If she ever wanted to paint that border the chalkboard paint- that would really be cute too!

    I would love to help transform that coutyard...awesome!

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  45. Just a thought...the front panel on the dishwasher probably comes out and can also be painted white to match the cabinets.

    Love the pictures and the update!

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  46. The miracle of paint! Love that sweet little backyard, too.

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  47. I love watching your remodeling jobs.

    I'm currently house hunting. You've helped me be able to see much more into a house with what can be done with it.

    Love your blog!

    Adrienne

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  48. It never fails to stun me how much paint changes a room. Awesome job!

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  49. I think it's just turning out perfect! LOVE the paint color! Can you share with us what it is??

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  50. That space between the wanscotting and trim is a great place for some lettering and would really personalize the space even more. Great job!

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  51. I'm really enjoying the before's and after's. Love the idea you had with the border in the kitchen. Looks great. Paint is amazing.

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  52. Great job and I love where the chalkboard paint was used! That linoleum is not bad. That's a good thing since it has to remain.

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  53. I'm not a big fan of white or off-white or antique white, but I have to say, these posts are making me re-think that. I love how clean and bright the kitchen looks. Jessica is doing a fabulous job. I hope she's feeling better soon. :)

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  54. I'm pretty sure you already said the paint color didn't you? It's "Antique white" all over...everywhere! and it adds sooo much to every room it's been painted in thus far!!!
    Gorgeous.

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  55. Hi Layla,

    What a cute cottage, I love the old cabinets, and the ironing board door with chalk board paint is adorable.
    i love, love chalk board paint!

    So, I've got a thought and I'm just gonna throw it out there, what if you used the chalkboard paint over the wallpaper area and write out cute sayings?
    " Life happens at the half note cottage"

    xoxo,
    Cathleen

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  56. Kitchen looks fabulous. So clean. Simple. It would look so much better to remove the wallpaper, though your solution was a good one given the constraints.

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