How to Take the Ugly Out of the Paneling

Photo Credit

Wood paneling. Just looking at the above picture makes me feel like a Keebler elf living in an old-growth hemlock. Fortunately, my paneling issue is not as severe as the above photo. But for me, any paneling is too much.

Our first home was 800 square feet of nothing but paneling. In. every. room. To say I have panel issues would be grossly understated.

Thankfully, getting rid of paneling doesn't have to cost a fortune. It doesn't require a carpenter who specializes in sheetrock and can be completed in a 24-hour period.

How great is that!?!

A couple of weeks ago, I started a new painting project. Our living room had been a dark orange-red, and I got bored. Then I went shopping. To Lowe's. Enough said.

I chose Cinnamon Sugar for the new color and loved it! The only problem was that we had one wall that had dark brown paneling on it. That end of the living room seemed dark, even though it was the wall that housed the entertainment center. I was hopeful that we would eventually sheetrock that wall, but after 9 years, my patience ran out.

Not to mention the remodeling funds.

New color on the walls

To paint a paneled wall, you'll need an oil-based primer and latex paint. If the paneling is shiny, you might want to take the shine off with a fine grit sandpaper.  Thankfully, the shine on my paneling disappeared about the same time that dark wood paneling went out of style.

Looks shiny, but that's the brief moment of sunshine we had peeking in.

Tape off any areas that you want to keep the primer off of. Make sure you throw an old sheet or tarp down on floor as oil-based primer is difficult to clean off the carpet. I used Kiltz Low-Odor primer. It dries in an hour and won't kill too many brain cells in the process. Using a throw-away paint brush (don't spend the big bucks on a nice brush because it will not make it out of this project alive),carefully paint along the ceiling, corner, and floor edges of a small area. Generously coat the brush with primer to paint down the panel grooves. You can use a roller for the smooth portions if you want, or just fill in with the brush. Because the primer dries so quickly, only work a small area at a time.

Make sure you pull the furniture out far enough to give yourself plenty of room to work. I had to work around cables, phone lines, and various wires since my Mister was "conveniently" at work!

Primer is messy, so have a clean-up plan ready for the little "oopsie's". I'm currently sporting a rather flattering speckled pattern over the top half of my body.

Trust me. It's flattering.

After the primer has dried for 1 hour, it's time to paint. Latex paint adheres very well to oil-based primer. I'm sure there's some sort of scientific reason for this, but I'm on summer break and don't really care what that reason is. I just know that it works very well.☺

If using a roller for the paint, use one that has a thick nap so that it will cover the grooves too. I used a brush along the edges, but only had to use it to touch up a few grooved spots. You may need to apply a second coat of paint after the first dries, but that will depend on your paint and the color.

The grooves are not so noticeable when they are the same color as the rest of the wall!

Clean up is easy; throw away the brush, toss the sheet in the laundry, and sit back and enjoy your new wall or room and wonder why you didn't do this sooner!

The Old Pepto Bismol Room Revealed!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it...

That's really how this post should begin. After our dearly departed daughter #4 moved out, we were left in a quandary as to how to redo her old room. See, DD#4, otherwise known as Melissa, really, really, really, really loves the color pink.

I mean really, really, really, really alot.

So much so that when she moved her belongings out, we were unable to enter the room without fear of losing our eyesight.

The Pepto Bismol Room. And lest you think I jest, dare to compare.

It was quite the conundrum.

After careful consideration and a lot of pondering, the Pepto room is now...

...The Truffle Room.

We put up 32" bead-board and painted it a chocolaty brown. The top is capped with new trim, but we re-purposed our old trim on the bottom.

My Mister built the bookshelves and desk. I painted them a cream color (the desk wasn't painted as of this picture) and then sanded it to make it look old. We picked up the pink baskets at Lowe's and used a garage sale chair that will be reupholstered soon.

The mirror, light and garbage can came from IKEA.

I love the Swedish.

The Swedish know that every princess room needs a chandelier, just in case she wants to dance.

Curtain rods are expensive, so we opted for copper pipe and end caps. By adding a little screw into the pipe, it keeps the pipe from moving around when the curtains are pulled.

And if we ever have a leak somewhere, we know where to go.

Add one hope chest and the Truffle Room is complete.



No safety goggles required.

Only one problem since Mandie has moved into her "new" room.

We can't seem to get her out of it!





☺

This is the kind of project we like to tackle during the rainy months. Spring will come all too soon and with it the busy-ness of gardening, animal care, fence building, mowing and other outdoor projects. The last place any of us want to be on a sunny day is indoors.

Until that day happens though, you'll find us working on yet another room.

Next up, the master bathroom!

This post is linked to The Barn Hop at Homestead Revival.

Tales of the Pepto Bismol Room

When I see this color, my mind immediately shifts to memories of childhood. This color does not evoke pleasant memories of cotton candy at the local fair, but rather, of my mom teaching me the value of numbers by saying, "Kimberly Sue, I am going to count to 3 and if you do not swallow that medicine, your tummy-ache will not be the only problem you'll be having!"

I took that as a multiple choice and went with option 2.

Here's the thing, you know something is going to be bad when your mother uses your entire given name. It's just as bad when your adult daughter comes to you and starts her sentence with "Momma".

Adult daughter's should never be allowed to choose their room colors. See, as an adult, my daughter knew that her remaining time here was short. You'd think we would've already learned this lesson. After all, Melissa is daughter #4. Shortly before our eldest daughter, Kelsie, moved away, she chose the downstairs bathroom color.

Her favorite color at the time was neon orange.

Thankfully, the ceiling caved in and the whole bathroom needed to be gutted. Personally, I think the bathroom committed suicide.

I've decided that it's up to me to save the bedroom before it too gets a crazy idea to end it all. Except for the carpet, which is *gasp* pink (!), the room has been stripped clean. It is a blank slate, ready for it's makeover and a new resident. When this room is done, it will no longer be known as the Pepto Bismol room, but as...

...you didn't think I'd tell you yet, did you?

 Here's what I'm working with...



Warning: Must wear safety goggles before entering Pepto Planet!

If radiation had a color, this would be it. Even the deer can see the glow.

Run Bambi~It's not safe!!



Blue/Grey primer to "coat" the Pepto Bismol walls



After primer...it's safe to remove your eye wear now.

Sometimes, when a project consumes me, I can be a little hard to communicate with. Locked in the Pepto room with TobyMac and Bon Jovi blaring from the I-home, Matthew decided that the answer he was seeking was not going to be answered through traditional methods.

We'll be working on his spelling after my project is completed.

A Room of My Own

In the grand scheme of life, a mom's desire for her own space is an often neglected want. Don't get me wrong, as much as a family loves, adores, and admires (in a perfect world) the matriarch of the family, there is not usually the space or the time to provide that often-needed space of retreat.

In the past, to have any alone time, I've needed to go for walks, with my trusty pepper spray and over-enthusiastic Labrador retriever; had to rise before anyone else, which in my house, means it's still hours before sunrise, or stay up later than the rest of the family, which means that I probably shouldn't waste precious quiet time by sleeping. Not when there is likely something to clean!

Then there are the times where an unexplainable trip to town is needed. Not that that results in rest and relaxation, but at least the music in the car is mine and I am free to sing at the top of my lungs, off-key, and oblivious of anyone I know spotting me. Of course, this method is not suitable for the frugal homemaker as money that was allotted for

"Suzie's" new socks ends up buying the frazzled mommy's new nail polish. That is, if she even has any nails left.

Enter my family. Specifically, my Mister. Women see a need and talk about various ways to accomplish the goal. (Since I am a woman, this is an appropriate observation. Not so, if a man observes and has the audacity to mention it.) Men typically see a need and just giterdone. Unless it's a big football playoff weekend. Thankfully, my farmer man isn't too concerned with football. It leaves more time for giterdone mode.

After seeing his rather frazzled wife, eyes wide, babbling incoherently, and possibly drooling after a rather rough day of homeschooling (Algebra is NOT for the faint of heart! And all I'm doing is correcting!), my beloved decided that it was time to give Momma a place of her own.

Definition of "very own": kid, husband, dog & cat free, with frills, ruffles and a collection of Anne Geddes pictures on the walls. May also include various shades of the color pink.

What began it's life as a shared space of office and sewing area, is now mine. All mine.



My sewing area before...



My sewing room after...



The office area, after the desk was removed, before...and slightly after...



My antique table, perfect for quilting and sipping tea, after...

Our shared office/sewing/craft/wrapping paper storage, before...



My scrapbooking/wrapping paper storage, after...

My literature...



My work area...



My artwork...



My tea, in my great-grandmother's wedding china...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need one more thing to make my room absolutely perfect.

A little background noise.



Perfect.

Another Day of Demolition

Over the course of the last several days, I've learned a few facts about myself.

#1. I do not like change.

Especially when it involves moving the coffeepot downstairs.

Have you ever had to maneuver stairs with your eyes still shut?

It's not pretty.

~~~~~~~

#2. I am short.

(I know, it surprised me too!)

My involvement in removing the soffits consisted of me handing my son, Dakota, the sledgehammer.

And then patting him on the head...er...shoulder, and telling him what a good job he did.

He liked it.

~~~~~~~

#3. Plumbing does not come naturally to me.

I thought that we were going to have to decorate around the pipes.

Until my Mister handed me a pipe wrench and said, "Here honey, take those apart."

Riiiiiggggghhhhtttt...

He forgot to tell me that water, still in the line, has to come out somewhere.

That was unfortunate.

But, now you see them...

...now you don't.

I wish I could take the credit for that.

#4. I hate shopping.

Especially at a store full of men whose sole purpose in life is to touch every single little doohicky and thing-a-ma-jig in the store.

For 4 hours.

I snapped.

We'll just blame it on the lack of espresso that Lowe's didn't have.

It's safer that way.

#5. I'm the Energizer Bunny once I get that espresso.

This was a doorjamb with no door.

Now it is a doorway with no jamb.

Here is the door that will fill the jamb, after it gets a paint job.

After I get another round of coffee.


#6. Going green can be overrated.

I thought I would recycle the nails.

That thought lasted for exactly 6 nails.

I am going to reuse them...somewhere.


#7. I am a lucky girl.


No explanation necessary.

New Kitchen: DIY Phase 1

Finally. Phase 1 is underway. The kitchen remodel has officially begun.

Oh, we've been working on it for awhile now, but until the sledgehammer swings, it cannot officially be official.

Know what I mean?

This used to be the girls' bathroom. Notice the lack of girls?

They were mourning the loss of a "boy-free" toilet.

As the official toilet inspector, I completely understand.

They may need therapy.

Just cleaning off the counters made the whole room seem BIGGER.

Hmmm...maybe we really didn't need a remodel.

While I was feeling guilty over my lack of organizational skills, my Mister and eldest son took down the cabinets.

I didn't need to wallow in guilt for too long, most of the cabinets FELL down once the paint had been chipped away from the edges.

Lucky for me.

With the cabinets gone, it was time for some sledgehammerin'.

I knew just the person for the job.

*Please don't try this at home. It takes tremendous skill to not get knocked out by the hangy part of the upper arm, especially once it gets to flappin' in the wind.

My poor Mister.

They make it look so easy on the DIY network.

He had this same look on his face when I came home with a pot-bellied pig.

"Oh woman, why do you torture me so?"

Phase 1 continues today with the removal of the rest of the cabinets, the dishwasher, the kitchen sink and the flooring.

I'll be in town buying a month's worth of paper plates, plastic forks, and a good can opener.

This is our vacation after all!

Lilac Bouquets

My favorite spring flower arrangement is a simple bouquet of fresh-cut lilacs. And since they're in full bloom right now, I'm taking full advantage of their beauty!

To make a lilac bouquet, you'll need sharp clippers, a cutting board, jar of lukewarm water and a hammer. Cut the lilacs with the woodiest branches. Because the blooms are large, you'll need the heavier stem to keep them upright. Gently shake them before bringing them inside. Earwigs like to hide out in the flowers!


Lay the woody stem on the cutting board and use the hammer to mash the end. This allows the water to get up into the stem.

The bouquet should last 5-7 days, depending on the temperature of your house.