DIY Play Kitchen Tutorial

Drumroll please . . . because the play kitchen is done!  I'll show you, but you have to keep this reveal a secret until the end of May, when I can finally hand deliver this present to my little cousin, Camilla, who lives in Toronto.

 
We started with a $6.99 microwave stand from Value Village:

Before

We removed the  top shelf and added a piece of wood for support, which was screwed into the existing side panels.  There's still enough room for a little storage up there, but it's easier to access the "sink" and "element" this way.

We traced the hole for the sink (making it slightly smaller than the actual sink) and then cut the hole.  We started the hole with a spade bit and then cut it with a jigsaw.  Tip: make sure your sink, and sink hole, won't get in the way of, or damage, any magnetic catches for the doors, etc., that may be underneath.

We also cut the holes for the faucet and taps at the same time, using a spade bit for the faucet and a hole saw for the taps:

We removed the handles and hardware and gave the whole thing a coat of primer.  I lightly sanded and primed the wood handles that came with the unit as well - but you could replace them with something cuter (like vintage enamel).

Then we applied three coats of paint - the same paint I'm using in the basement.  Try the mis-tint section of your paint store for great deals on small quantities of paint if you don't have leftovers kicking around.  I painted the counter top white (oooo, "quartz"!) so the black "element," which is just a dollar store cork trivet painted black (using leftover paint again), would pop.  Here's a sneak peak:

Late in the game, I decided Camilla needed more counter space (who doesn't?).  Using the shelf we removed and some wood, plus a dowel, we made her a little shelf to the right of the unit.  We cut two triangles from the new wood then drilled an indentation with a spade bit for a dowel.  We slipped the dowel into the little dents we made, glued in place, and then screwed the whole thing onto the unit.  Finally, we screwed on the shelf.  Now there's a place for the tea towels!

We primed and painted some more.

Using silicon, we attached the sink and "element," then we installed the faucet.  It actually moves! 

Small cup hooks from Lee Valley were perfect for hanging teeny utensils from Ikea, and the little hooks from my Ikea Expedit Hack were just the right size for the mini pot holders!

We lucked out because my mom had spare Ikea legs, so we are able to replace the existing wheels with adjustable grey legs.

And that's it!  We went from this . . .

Before

To this:

One more before and after:

Before

After

 

I've been busy accessorizing, and trying to refrain from playing with it (I've been unsuccessful).  The accessories I DIY'd, plus the vintage Melmac, look so sweet.  And check it out: I scored a mini detergent bottle from a hotel:

I am so smitten with this kitchen. 

Although I hate that pink is limited to girls and boys are supposed to favor blue, I mixed in accessories in both colours in the hopes that both Camilla and her brother Jack will play with this kitchen.

We even sewed little Jack his own cowboy print pot holders, with tea towels to come (I sure love this print).  Once I buy Camilla her muscle car, I'll buy Jack some knitting lessons to counteract this manliness.

This photo helps illustrate the scale.  It's so wee:

Cost breakdown (not including applicable taxes):

• Microwave stand: $6.99 (included cute wooden handles that I painted)
• Faucet: $15.00 (with a bit of negotiating, bought from kijiji.ca)
• "Sink": $3.99 (it's actually a stainless mixing bowl from the thrift store)
• "Element": $1.25 (a cork trivet from dollarama)
• Wood for shelf brackets + dowel: $5.00
• Primer & paint: leftovers 
• Legs: Free! (Mom had them lying around)

Total kitchen cost, having paid the tax man (but minus accessories):  $34.65 

I figured vintage and DIY accessories were the only way to go.  In case you missed them, here's a summary of previous play kitchen posts:

• Vintage Melmac dishes are a fun, unbreakable, kid-sized dishware option
• Hand sewn tea towels in just the right size
• Teeny tiny matching pot holders
• Spray painted accessories for some colour
• More play kitchen inspiration

We also bought some utensils, pots, pans and play food from Ikea.  I'm hoping I have time to make some felted cupcakes before delivery day, so stay tuned.

Play Kitchen Craziness: 4 Mini Makeovers

You didn't think I only painted one teeny tiny box, did ya?  Nope.  I was high on paint fumes for days, knocking off mini makeover after makeover for the play kitchen. 

I bought a bevy of silver accessories at the thrift store, that I made more kid-approved with a blast of cheery spray paint (I pulled the colours from the fabric).  While I love the patina on some of these silver pieces, I doubt my 3 year old cousin will marvel at it.  Instead, I think she'll approvingly scream, "Piiiiiiiink!!!"  As a feminist, I am trying not to encourage her to think that pink is only for girls and the only colour for girls.  But darn it, a mini pink cake stand is too cute.  I'll make her a tool box next.  Then buy her a muscle car.

1. I flipped over two lacy candle stick holders to use as two, tiny cake stands.  Adorbs:

   

2. A small-scale colander looked fine as-is, but with a lick of paint it looks like it was meant for kids:

3. A pretty tray with a great patina was just the right scale for a play kitchen, but it needed a dose of fun for Camilla to enjoy it (it's her play kitchen, not mine!):

4. A little butter dish looks like a mini covered serving dish and is now double the fun in a candy pink:

I gave each item a thorough clean, then a coat of primer, followed by many, many, thin coats of spray paint.  They should hold up to wear and tear, but I'll give you an update in a few months, once the munchkin has given my paint job a run for its money! 

Here are the paints I used: 

Primer: Krylon indoor/outdoor primer in white
Pink Paint: Tremclad rust paint in gloss candy pink
Blue Paint: Krylon indoor/outdoor paint in gloss blue ocean breeze

None of these items will be food safe, of course, but they will add some colour to the play kitchen (which is a sophisticated mix of griege, white and silver).  Watch for a post on the play kitchen reveal soon.

I linked these projects up here: DIY Showoff,  Funky Junk Interiors, Young & Crafty, Craft Envy, My Repurposed Life

P.S. We were secretly in Boston, MA from Wednesday-Saturday!  I promise to share some fun highlights.  Hint: think Zooey Deschanel in "Yes Man".

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Get a Market Evaluation - Even if You Aren't Selling

This is a post for the home owners (sorry renters, I'll give you some love soon).  I often mention that the townhouse is not our "forever" home.  We are selling this house, and leaving the city, within the next 2 years.  After about a dozen flyers for a free market evaluation were slipped into our mailbox over the course of a month, I finally decided to contact one of the Realtors to find out how much our house is worth.  Even if you aren't planning on selling, I highly recommend a free market evaluation.  

Here's what happened:

A well-prepped realtor came over.  He had looked at the original listing for this home (you can see before shots in the townhouse tour) and had seen our purchase price before arriving.  Once here, he toured all three levels of the townhouse and made extensive notes.  The three of us then looked at homes in this area that were currently on the market and what homes had been selling for.  He compared similar homes and carefully combed through photos and features to determine what would be a reasonable asking/selling price of our home.

Why it was beneficial:

• The realtor pointed out changes we had made (like two bathroom renovations) that added value to our home (yay!)
• He approved our "spit & polish" (as opposed to full renovation) of the kitchen and main floor half bath (yay!)
• He told us NOT to paint the kitchen cabinets or brick fireplace, in order to keep the house more sell-able and appeal to a broad range of buyers (good to know)
• He told us NOT to put any more money into our house to maximize our return (good to know, but we won't listen - we have basement plans, basement plans I say)
• He told us that adding a shower to the 2 piece ensuite would have added tremendous value (oops)

MOST IMPORTANTLY:

He gave us a wake-up call.  Judging by the list prices of homes in our neighbourhood (and how much less updated they are than ours) we guesstimated a selling price (not list price) of about $10-15,000 more than what our home is worth.  Ouch.  That number may increase if the market holds for the two years we plan to be here, but it is really smart to no longer be banking on an amount we are unlikely to get.  Happily, the value of our home (thanks to some sweat-equity) has increased by about 25% since 2009!  Which is nothing to sneeze at.  All in all, it feels good to now know a more likely value of our house (for the moment, anyway) - I feel like we can plan our future better with this knowledge.

So, if you see a free market evaluation flyer in your mailbox from a reputable agent, give them a call!  I would highly recommend this before renovating, to get feedback on good investments to make (I might have added a shower during renovation).  Also, it's a great way to meet a potential selling agent in a low stress way.

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Bow Box Makeover

I have a thing for bows.  One of my favorite pieces of jewellery is a bow bracelet I bought in Boston (say that ten times fast):

I'm trying to keep the bow obsession is check (she's not helping), but I spotted this cute box at Value Village and couldn't resist.  It isn't anything "special," but I love the shape.  The colour was fine, but it was scuffed and needed some love.  I sprayed it with a coat of primer, then multiple, thin coats of Tiffany-blue paint.  Easy-peasy (except for the waiting).

Before it was good, but could be neater:

Now it's turquoise and even sweeter:

I wish I used cotton balls.  Cotton balls would look good in this! Q-tips will have to do.  Linked up to Young & Crafty.

 

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