Painted Fireplace Doors and Vents

Yup, I painted the fireplace.  I'm so excited to show you because it completely transformed the living room!  But first: here's how I updated the gold fireplace doors, and the vents that are part of the system to circulate heat that would otherwise be lost up the chimney.   The vents, in particular, were awfully ugly.  And cemented in place.  

 
Painting the Fireplace Doors and Vents

Painting the fireplace doors was easy-peasy.  I removed the screws holding them in place and lugged them out to the garage where I first gave them a thorough clean (the glass was so dirty, you couldn't see through it).  Once they were dry, I taped off the glass and gave the metal frames and wood handles a light sand.  I wiped everything down with a damp cloth (just to get the sanding dust off) and let the doors dry a few moments.  Then I sprayed on a few thin coats of Rustoleum high heat enamel spray paint.  Following the manufacturer's instructions, I applied a few thin coats within the span of a few minutes.  The surface was dry to the touch in 1/2 an hour and was ready to be handled within 2 hours.

What it doesn't say on the can is that this paint is magic.  At one point the newspapers I had laid down to protect the garage floor blew up with a gust of wind and smudged the paint.  Panicked, I applied more paint but that only made it looked worse.  Discouraged, I decided to let it dry and figured I'd sand it down the next day and start fresh.  Overnight though, the paint leveled itself into a super smooth finish.  It didn't do this when I sprayed on a vertical surface but on any horizontal surface, no matter how much I bunged it up, it came out super smooth and even.  I've since gone spray paint crazy and painted a ton of other things around the townhouse with this paint (details soon).

Before

And now:

Painting the fireplace vents was another story.  They had been cemented in place by the former owner and refused to budge, no matter how much we chipped at them.

I could have brushed on paint, but I didn't want the look of brush marks or drips on the louvers.  Undeterred (and buoyed by the magic paint), my Mom and I rigged up a spray painting booth with a cardboard box and some plastic drop cloths that she held in place while I shimmied under and spray painted the vents in place.  I didn't cover the faux stone to protect it from overspray because the next step was painting it a dark grey anyway (yay).

I didn't take any photos of the process because I just can't, in good conscience, show anyone how to do it at home.  Even using a mask and eye protection, it was not a good idea for me to spray paint in an unventilated area (I was cleaning paint out of my ears for days).  I hope that anyone else who is making over their fireplace and has these same vents can just remove the screws, as I should have been able to, and avoid the problem altogether.  Despite my trials, the vents look smashing.  Good-bye gold.

Check back Monday to see the full reveal of the fireplace.  I'm just finishing up a couple of details.  In the meantime, take a peek here to see if you're the winner of my First Alert giveaway. 

I partnered with Rustoleum to update the fireplace vents and doors but was not prompted or encouraged to provide a positive review of Rustoleum high heat enamel spray paint.  It will be a surprise for them, too, to see what else I spray painted in my spray paint frenzy, but we have partnered for a couple of other projects (you saw a sneak peek here), so stay tuned.

Ikea Vanadin Flush Mount Light Review

Painting has been taking longer than planned, but the living room/dining room, bedroom, office and hallway walls, ceilings and trim are, finally, all painted a crisp white.  Although there are more rooms to be painted, now the fun can begin and we can start to put some of the rooms back together.  First up: lighting!!  Remember I spotted the pretty and ridiculously inexpensive Vanadin light fixtures at Ikea?  I went ahead and bought one for nearly every room, to replace the assortment of boob fixtures that were there. 

After my Dad installed the first one, with many, many expletives, I heard him bellow from the other room: "don't f%&*ing buy any f#$%ing more of these cheap f%*&ing light fixtures".  I could do nothing but stare at the stack of eight other Vanadin light fixtures I had transported the 1600kms from Ottawa.

What makes them enrage my Dad so much?  Well, they install weirdly (with a zip tie, I kid you not), and they refuse to lie flush against the ceiling.  Normally light fixtures are affixed to the electrical box with two points of contact for security and stability.  This fixture attaches with a zip tie in the middle and is then screwed directly into the drywall, for a less secure and less snug fit.  The icing on the cake: the screws required were not included in our package, which is really inconvenient when the nearest hardware store is an hour away.

At the end of the day, although the glass looks as amazing as I thought it would, the base is poorly made.  But for the price ($24.99), I'm still not complaining.  Although there are indeed a few gaps along the ceiling, the fixture and the ceiling are both white so I can't really tell unless I look closely.  All I can see is how beautifully the facets catch the light.  They kind of twinkle/sparkle and they look more high end than the price tag suggests.

A sneak peek at another project in the works . . .

Frankly, I would put up with a lot less quality just to avoid waking up to what was there before:

Although my Dad and the Vanadins had a rocky start, my Dad says that once you get the hang of the weird installation it's not so bad.  So we're spending Thanksgiving Monday installing some more and painting more rooms (don't I have the best parents?).

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Giveaway: First Alert Prize Pack

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.  CONGRATS ASHLEY (From First Home Dreams)!  THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED.

I'm jealous of whoever wins this prize pack because although First Alert gave me two modern and stylish smoke detectors to review, both are in the townhouse!  The lakehouse, on the other hand, still has ugly, bisque-coloured smoke detectors (one of which has been yelling at me in French since we removed it for painting).  One of you is going to win: a PC900VA Alarm, the new ATOM Alarm, plus a cute and cheery oil and vinegar set (a $110 value, so it's nothing to sneeze at).

This is the new ATOM:

Isn't it cute?  It's smaller than an egg, so it's a lot more subtle than the bulky detectors of yore.  We installed ours in the ensuite half bathroom because I'm so worried about hair straighteners and fires (entirely because of that Friends episode, but it never hurts to be safe).

To Enter:

For a chance to win, just leave a comment below.  For fun, tell my how homely your current smoke detector is.  That's it!  Contest runs until Thursday, October 17th, Midnight EST.  Winner will be chosen by random.org.

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each):

Follow First Alert on Facebook
Follow First Alert on twitter
Follow First Alert on Pinterest

As an added bonus, First Alert is running a Facebook contest, giving away an ATOM per day.  Check that out here (the ad is super adorable).

Good luck and happy weekend!

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Painting the Kitchen Cabinets with a Paint Sprayer

We're bouncing between projects, trying to tackle any projects that we need to work on outside before the icy weather sets in (it hits Thunder Bay a little earlier than Ottawa).  Soon it will be too cold to tackle paint projects in our un-insulated garage (weep), so although we aren't quite ready to work on the kitchen yet, we capitalized on a couple of warms days and quickly gave our kitchen cabinet fronts a coat of bright turquoise, using our new paint sprayer.

As a refresher, here's our oak kitchen cabinetry, au naturel.  We're ditching the upper cabinets in favor of open shelving and finally doing a turquoise kitchen (in addition to updating the counters, sink & faucet). 

How to:

• First I removed all of the cabinet fronts, including the hardware and hinges (what I couldn't remove, I covered with painter's tape)
• Next I cleaned the grease and goo off with soapy water and a chore boy scrub pad, which is excellent for a deep clean
• I also lightly sanded the surface, even though the Zinsser primer can tells me it's unnecessary
• Once they were sanded, I wiped the cabinet fronts with a damp cloth and let them dry 
• In the meantime, we laid down the faux french door inserts I axed from the living room to help keep the cabinet fronts up and away from the garage floor
• Next I applied a thin coat of Zinsser primer with an angled paint brush, starting with the back - it only takes about half an hour for this primer to dry (it cures fully in 7 days)

• We set up our paint sprayer (it took minutes) and tested the spray out on a scrap of plywood to practice a little and fiddle with the settings

Yes, Hubby's mohawk evolved from a faux-hawish mohawk to a full on mohawk.  Go Hubs.

• Then we got to work spraying the cabinet fronts, again starting with the backs
• Spraying the cabinets was ridiculously easy and straight-forward: Hubby sprayed side to side on the surface before spraying the edges, making sure not to start or stop the spray on the cabinet, but slightly before and after, also paying attention to overlap the spray as he went

• Once dry (we waited a couple of days because it started to get cool and it slowed our drying time), we flipped them over and sprayed the fronts
• As recommended by the folks in the Canadian Tire paint department, we skipped a protective top coat because we chose a semi-gloss finish which should be durable enough (especially with the primer)

So far, the fronts look amazing!! 

The Paint Sprayer Finish

The kitchen cabinet boxes will be painted with a roller and brush, but I know it won't compete with the excellent finish the cabinet fronts now have.  The paint was applied rather thickly, but evenly, with the paint sprayer, and we got away with only one coat (it took a couple of days to fully dry).  At first, when it was wet, the paint looked thick and textured as if we had used a roller, which was disappointing.  But then, magically, as it dried the paint sort of sunk into the wood and dried in a super smooth finish.  The paint doesn't look "applied" - it looks like a factory-finish, without distracting roller marks or brush strokes.  There's a bit of the texture of the grain peeking through, which is what I wanted, but with a second application of paint I'm sure we could have covered it up. 

Including our practice sprays, and painting both the fronts and backs of the doors, we used just under half a gallon of paint.  As with any spray painting, there was some overspray:

HomeRight Heavy Duty Paint Sprayer Review

The last time Hubs and I used a paint sprayer was to paint my '92 Dodge Colt lime green.  It was my father-in-law's equipment (serious stuff) and required an air compressor to operate.  It was heavy and a bit awkward, but it did the job.  When HomeRight offered me the chance to review a paint sprayer that doesn't require a compressor (and weighs only 3lbs), I jumped at the chance to add this tool to our DIY arsenal. 

This particular sprayer, an airless paint sprayer from the titanium series, is fabulous.  The set-up and clean-up of the sprayer took about 10-15 minutes each, but then spraying all of the doors took only 10 or so minutes (per side), meaning the total paint time for all of the doors, front and back, was less than an hour (which is crazy fast).

PROS:

• No air compressor needed!!  Just plug it in to an outlet and GO
• Small and easy to store
• Simple to clean (we just ran soapy water through until it came clear and then rinsed with clean water, but the cleaning method depends on the type of paint used)
• Easy to use (with a few seconds of practice, we created super smooth results)
• No need to use the itty bitty canister provided, a tube and clip is provided that lets you work right out of the can which is amazing for larger projects, and makes it even easier to clean
• For major projects, this sprayer can paint a gallon of paint in only 7.5 minutes
• The MSRP is $109.99, which I think is a reasonable price, especially for the avid DIYer or for someone with a big project looming

CONS (I'm really grasping at straws to think of something negative):

• Super loud (not really a big deal - just wear ear plugs, but you have to provide these yourself so don't forget to grab some before starting a project)
• Vibrates a bit uncomfortably, but wearing work gloves alleviates discomfort 

HomeRight provided the Heavy Duty Paint Sprayer for review but I was not prompted or paid to review this sprayer positively.  We genuinely like this tool and are already dreaming up our next paint sprayer projects (I'm thinking of painting the exterior of the house deep grey!!).  The Zinzsser primer, Premier paint in turquoise (it's made in Canada!), and Dream Finish angled brush were generously provided by Canadian Tire, who is helping us take the lakehouse from cottage to contemporary.  I wanted to colour match the turquoise Pyrex butterprint pattern, but the colour-matching machine couldn't read the shade because of the sheen of the Pyrex.  Darn.  But with the folks in the paint department I found a near perfect match: Niagara Mist, available at your local Canadian Tire paint department. 

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Jaw Dropping Den + Workspace Makeover

While I'm tearing things apart at the lakehouse, my friend Erica has just put the finishing touches on her press room/den and it looks gorgeous.  She and her Hubby took the room to its studs and rebuilt a beautiful and airy space with hand-scraped floors, tons of storage, a stunning white porcelain tile fireplace surround, and a bevvy of DIY accessories, furniture and art.  Here are a few of my favorite photos, but head over to Erica's blog, Wicked Bride, to see more photos and get the full scoop on this year-long makeover.

The painting below is an Erica original.  I love the sheen and pops of turquoise (of course).  Check out her post for a more detailed shot of the texture.  Because this room is in her basement, Erica used a wall of mirrored Ikea cabinets to reflect light and add some much needed storage.

The fireplace is a total knock-out, and I love how Erica styled it with an eye catching mirror, which has lots of beautiful texture and reflects even more light around the room, and a meaningful sculpture.

When I last visited Erica the chair by the fireplace was teal, which was gorgeous but just not what Erica wanted.  She scored the black fabric for a great price and paid to have the chair reupholstered which was expensive, but worth it, because now she has a piece that is totally her style.  I can totally relate.  Even though some items were a splurge, I think it's really clever that the core pieces in this room: the sofa, the rug, the fireplace, the chair, are all neutral but she's thrown in colour in the pillows, artwork and accessories.  These neutral pieces will work in the space for a long time and Erica can easily give the room an inexpensive mini-makeover down the road by swapping out a few accessories or introducing new colours.

Will you even believe me when I tell you that this is the "before"?

Don't forget to check out the rest of the photos here.

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Welcoming a Komondor Puppy!

This might come as a huge shock to some people, especially those who know I'm allergic to cats and dogs, but Hubs and I would like to introduce you to someone:

Meet Szuka (pronounced "Sooka"), our four month old Komondor puppy.  Yup, this little girl is a puppy still, weighing in at 36 lbs already.  Komondors are a Hungarian sheep-guarding breed, bred to watch and protect.  We've talked about getting a Komondor for years, waiting until we had a large enough property.  I think having her around will help me feel more safe in the country and if my allergies get too much, she can romp outside.  Right now I'm just keeping Claritin in business.  I was actually thinking of gutting the sauna and making the whole guesthouse hers, complete with a shower room where I can bathe and groom her, but she is already so attached to us.  I'm not sure she'd welcome too much alone time.  We missed out on the itty-bitty puppy stage for Szuka, but here are some photos from the breeders, a sweet couple who have a beautiful farm and a few of their own Komondors.

So adorable!  I'm happy we got her at four months though, because we've immediately begun treating her like the big dog she will become (80-100 lbs, or more).  If we got her teeny, I would not have been able to resist getting her accustomed to sleeping on my lap (or bed), something I might not love when she grows to her full size.  Her relatives are a beefy lot.

  
They all have a short hair-do, which is how we'll keep her, but some folks let their Komondor's natural dreadlocks grow long.  They require a lot of maintenance to shape them into even dreads and not one big matted mess.  They can take more than 24 hours to dry after a bath, and you can imagine how much dirt and goo gets trapped in them!  It's a bit too much work for us, so she will remain adorably scruffy.

Source

Szuka will be making more appearances around here and I wanted to introduce you right away, so you don't wonder what a luckdragon is doing lurking in the lakehouse.

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Updating an Exterior Door

When I first fell in love with the lakehouse, I immediately envisioned colourful doors.  Interior, exterior - all bright hues.  I've never really been bothered by the condo dictating front door colour choices in the townhouse because it helps keep the neighbourhood looking pretty by preventing some garish choices, but I think it has planted seeds of rebellion. 

For now, though, I wanted a quick fix to make the door/window combo leading to the deck a little more modern.  The left side is a proper door, but the right is a door-sized window that cranks open:

After scrubbing like mad with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser I realized the door is actually a crisp white, not a beige or off-white hue (bonus!).  In the process of cleaning I also realized the wood "panes" are actually just cheapy faux french door add-ons that clip in with thumb tacks.  Lovely.  Once I jettisoned those, I also removed the screen from the window, which is easily popped back in to place if I so desire.  Already it looked better, because the asymmetry of the door + screen was driving me bonkers.

Lastly, I gave the oak door casing and trim, plus the trim around the window, a coat of Zinsser primer and then four coats of paint.  After de-oaking so much trim in the house, I've picked up some tricks. 

The primer is great because the manufacturer's instructions suggest skipping sanding (yes!) and it dries quickly.  For the primer and paint, I use an angled brush to wiggle the paint into grooves.  Very thin coats - even if they look awful at first - work best.

The only tricky part is removing the tape.  Scoring is a must because it takes the primer and paint about a week to fully cure and without scoring, the paint peeled in a couple of places and needed touch up.

After a week, though, it seems pretty durable (I'll be sure to update you once I've seen all the trim go through some wear and tear).  For now, it looks fresh and bright - like a brand new door.

This took seconds but it's already such a change! 

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