Mid-Century Inspired Open Concept Living Room

The lakehouse is far from "done," but with the completion of the kitchen makeover and dining room credenza, the open concept living/dining/kitchen combo is probably already unrecognizable for the former owners.  Today I wanted to share a quick tour of all three spaces together, because so far you've only seen them discombobulated.  While I'm at it, I might as well chat about my ideas for what's next - and what's getting in the way of my plans.
 
First, though, there's a sweet and simple change that I'm way too excited about.  Where there was once a redundant light switch, there is now art (the watercolour painting of chairs from Paris).  The dining room light was controlled by a switch beside the patio door as well as a switch on this wall and we really didn't need two, so Hubby worked his electrical magic and removed this switch which we covered with a blank wall plate.  He's not an electrician, so there's no tutorial, but we did do everything to code and it's been safely hidden.  The painting was strategically hung to cover the blank wall plate.  Moving from a townhouse with more rooms and three floors to this single level open concept space has meant a serious wall shortage - bad news for our burgeoning art collection - so I'm happy to have reclaimed a wall.

Here's a quick reminder of before:

Sometimes I forget how much it has changed.  I wish I could accurately capture the brightness and liveliness of the lakehouse but my pictures just don't do the house justice.  I'm still learning how to properly photograph a space flooded with light (what a fabulous problem to have). 

Here's a flashback to a year ago:

There are still so many things I'd like to do in this space but I have to keep an eye on our budget.  We have to buy a new furnace this summer and get a land survey - both of which will cost thousands.  And both are un-fun ways to spend cash (although not freezing my butt off next winter will be fun).  Still, I'm on the hunt for new dining room chairs or the perfect fabric for the ones we have because I'm really tired of the brown leather.  Similarly, I'd like to make a smaller, more mod ottoman.  Do you know I have a secret sofa?  This mid-century sectional is languishing in the garage but I'm still waffling about spending the cash to have it recovered because our cream leather sofa is in perfect condition.  But a sectional would mean more seating so I'm saving up for the fabric and upholstery job, despite my reservations.  Hey, I'm sure I could always spend the money on something fun like shingles or pumping our septic tank...

Ultimately, budget can't stop us and we're steam rolling ahead with some smaller paint and upholstery projects in here, as well as tackling projects all over the house. 

DIY Plywood Topped Ikea Hack Floating Credenza

When we couldn't find the perfect dining room credenza, we made one!  We turned three Ikea Besta units into a floating "fauzdenza".  Now I'm sharing how we finished off the look with a sleek, grey-stained plywood top.  (In these photos we still hadn't added the furniture grommets to hide the lamp cord holes, but already the faudenza looked so sharp!)

If you would like to build your own budget-friendly, Ikea fauxdenza, read below for our full tutorial, plus tips and tricks for applying edge tape to plywood and staining/varnishing wood.

For comparison, here is our floating credenza, back when it was topless.  We used the Ikea Besta "extension units," but Ikea changed up their links and some products since we made our purchase, but I think these are the same.  We used the Ikea Besta suspension rail kits to mount them to the wall.  It looked cute already, but the seams gave away that this is an Ikea hack!

The plywood top we built nicely disguises the fact that our "credenza" is really three wall-mounted Ikea Besta units.

I explained in an earlier post that this is in no way an idea original to me, but we did put our own spin on it.  I really waffled about the finish and short-listed a walnut stain, the grey stain I intended to use for the counters, and the white I did use for the counters.  I even considered a glossy solid aqua paint or stain.  Dark wood ultimately didn't thrill me because it competed with the walnut-stained birch flooring.  White was a little too matchy-matchy with the kitchen.  Turquoise would have solidified my status as "insane blogger who paints everything turquoise".   I settled on the grey stain because I really wanted to try it after deciding it looked too purple on our maple kitchen counters.  It's a great neutral and complements the grey painted fireplace, but doesn't compete with the bold turquoise kitchen right beside it.  It also has a subtle driftwood look, which is my nod to beachy decor. 

And yes, I spent way too much time over-thinking this decision.



The next tricky decision was determining what kind of top: solid wood, laminated solid wood, or veneered plywood?  Solid wood was ruled out because of cupping/warping concerns (the Besta units are fairly deep).  We didn't have the steam to make a laminated wood top after making our kitchen counters - too much labor!!  Veneered plywood won my heart because it was the easiest and cheapest solution. 

Once the big design decisions were made, we headed to the lumber yard and were faced with the final decision (oy vey): what kind of veneered ply?  And what thickness?  I had some criteria: I wanted something with a yellowness to warm up the purple tinge of the stain, and I wanted something with a lot of grain so it wouldn't look like a flat slab of concrete.  We had a clear winner: good-one-side Caribbean Pine.  It only came in 5/8" thick, so that answered that question about the depth.

With the decision-making settled, here's how we turned Ikea Besta units into a chic floating credenza!

Materials:

• 5/8" thick sheet of good one side veneered plywood
• Edge tape (pre-glued kind)
• Old iron
• Edge tape cutting tool (we used a double edge trimmer)
• Stain 
• Varnish
• Brush and lint-free rags
• PL Premium construction adhesive
• 220 grit sandpaper
• Screws
• Drill
• Clamps
• Hole saw

Despite being avid DIYers, we still don't own a table saw and we knew Hubby's method wouldn't cut it (pun intended), because we needed the cuts to be exact.  No problem!  We simply brought the measurements of the credenza to the local wood supplier where we sourced the plywood, and the resident carpenter cut everything in minutes!  It felt like cheating.

With our pieces cut, we applied edge tape using an old iron.  We applied edge tape to the front of the pieces that run along the side of the credenza, and across the front and both side edges of the top.

When it was adhered, we trimmed the sides using a double edge trimmer.  We splurged on the tool, after hacking away at edge tape with a knife for previous projects.

Finally, we gave the whole piece a very light sand with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth any lingering roughness, especially between the ply and the edge tape.

Next I applied the stain, using an old brush.  I applied it kind of messily (not wanting it to accidentally dry in really definitive brush lines), waited a few minutes and then wiped off the excess with a clean rag.  I used a gel stain and found it had great coverage so I got away with one coat. 

I let the pieces dry overnight and then applied a quick-dry clear varnish, using a clean brush.

As per the instructions, it dried within one hour but for sanding between coats it's recommended it dry overnight.  I patiently waited, and the next morning gave it a light sand with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth any raised grain.  Then I applied another thin coat and let it dry.

One tip: don't forget that the edges might show when the credenza is opened, so stain and clear coat those spots too!

Installation was simple, but we added a step: cutting holes for the lamp cords.  We've rigged it up so the cords disappear through the top and meet inside, at the back, where we cut out a hole to the outlet.

We first laid the top piece on the credenza and placed the lamps to position the cord holes, marking them in place.  Using a 1.5" hole saw Hubby cut the holes first through the plywood top, and then through the top of the credenza.  He sawed through half from one side, then flipped and finished the hole from the other direction.

Finally, we affixed the top to the credenza.  To do this Hubby pre-drilled some holes in the credenza to be able to drive some screws up from the inside into the bottom of the new top.  He did the same on the sides, drilling from the inside.  Drilling from the inside reduced tear-out visible inside the unit.

Starting with the top, we ran a bead of PL Premium construction adhesive all over the credenza surface, ensuring not to go too close to the edges so it didn't squish out.  We put the top in place and drove the screws (two per credenza section) up from the inside to tighten the wood in place.  Once the adhesive is dry the screws will probably not do much.  They are basically there clamp it tight during the drying process - although we did use an extra clamp on a place where the screw didn't grab perfectly.  A little scrap of wood kept the metal clamp from damaging the freshly finished surface.

With the top in place, we repeated the process with the two side panels.  The sides are not actually attached to the top panel, only the credenza itself.  We opted for a butt joint instead of a mitered corner because it's simple and our counters don't meet in a miter, so there's a subtle similarity only I will notice and enjoy.

Here's the one thing we still need to do: order some grommets to disguise the credenza holes we cut and make them look finished (the same way grommets hide a hole in fabric).  They are directly behind the lamps and difficult to spot anyway, but they will look really sharp when properly finished. 

Once the grommets arrive and we've snapped them in place, I'll show you in more detail what we did with the cords.  If I do say so myself, the cord situation (or lack there of) is nothing short of incredible.  It's long plagued me: "what to do with the darn cords???"  Home decor magazines rarely answer this burning question (and sometimes even monkey around with cords, hiding them of photoshopping them out for photos).  Now ours are permanently hidden!

 

UPDATE!  We did the same kind of Ikea hack to another Besta we re-purposed to hide the screw holes on the top:

See the Ikea Hack tutorial here!  And don't forget to check out the last step: making the cord holes look finished with grommets. 

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How to Clean Black Marks + Baked on Grease from Vintage Pyrex, Plus Tips for Bringing Back Shine to Dishwasher Dead Vintage Pyrex

I didn't always have a massive turquoise Pyrex collection in my kitchen:

I got my first piece of vintage Pyrex (a butterprint fridgie) when I was a teenager.  My grandma and I were yard-saling and she scooped it up.  Conspiratorially, she told me it was special.  It was aqua, so I was sold!  After that, I bought a few more pieces here and there, normally at yard sales for a really good price.  In 2011, my vintage Pyrex collection was actually still pretty small:  

I don't know how I moved from just buying pieces we needed to starting an official "collection," but by 2013, I had a lot more turquoise Pyrex in my collection, plus an overflow cupboard of other colours:

Now I have a kitchen designed around my collection, which has largely stopped growing.  I have splurged on a few rare pieces online, largely because I can no longer find any vintage Pyrex in thrift stores or antique shops - it's so rare to find any locally these days.

I started buying non-turquoise vintage Pyrex (like these) and I've even started buying imperfect pieces (something I never did before).  I've begun experimenting with bringing dishwasher dead and filthy vintage Pyrex back to life.  I've tried a number of tricks for cleaning vintage Pyrex, from Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (awesome!) to Coke soaks (didn't do a thing) and I thought I'd share my Pyrex cleaning results - for fellow Pyrex collectors.  Even if you don't collect Pyrex, I've got a trick for cleaning utensil marks off china - I made my worn-out cereal bowls look brand new again!

Getting Rid of Black/Grey Metal Marks on Vintage Pyrex

What causes these black marks on Pyrex?  I see them often.  I've read that they're metal marks but it's peculiar so many pieces have them on the outside.  My best guess is that they're from nesting bowls inside each other, shelf wear, or maybe from sitting inside of metal pots and pans.  Utensils create similar grey/black striations, but they're found inside bowls.  In my experience, I've found that Bar Keeper's Friend - the powder, not the liquid - gets most, if not all, of these black marks off  Pyrex, but it can also take the finish off coloured Pyrex.  I accidentally made a piece look a little dull by scrubbing too hard, but a gentle touch with the barkeeper's friend can help remove what soap, scrubbing or even Magic Eraser cannot:



I've also used Bar Keeper's Friend on my cereal bowls to remove utensils scratches and within seconds of scrubbing they looked brand new.  It took a little bit of elbow grease, but all four bowls took me fewer than fifteen minutes to clean!  In this case, there was no wear to the finish at all but the utensil marks were 100% gone.

Restoring DWD (Dish Washer Dead) Vintage Pyrex Pieces

Dishwasher dead Pyrex pieces make me so sad.  Sometimes the pattern has been washed clean off, other times the finish is gone and the piece looks dull and matte.  I found a set of four turquoise mixing bowls at the thrift store and my heart leaped out of my chest when I spotted them.  Then it fell to my toes when I saw the damage - and the outrageous Value Village price!  I just couldn't leave them behind (plus I had a coupon), so I took them home and worked some magic.

First I tackled the black marks.  Each piece looked like this:

I let them soak for a good long time in hot, hot, hot soapy water.  They were severely dishwashered and had lots of grey scratches so I went to town cleaning them with my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, then Bar Keeper's Friend.  This combo took off not only the marks, but also some of the dull white residue making them look more dishwashered than they were.

Sometimes the opacity on DWD vintage pyrex is from a built on film (often from hard water), not actual damage.  In this case, there was damage beneath the film but scrubbing still helped reveal the colour hidden beneath the grunge.

Once they were cleaned, although they were a little less dull and hazy, the dishwasher damage remained - it's irreversible.  Upon the advice of some fellow collectors, I grabbed some coconut oil and rubbed a tiny bit onto the surface and really worked it in with my fingers - much like I would work it into my skin.  It worked like a charm to revive the dishwasher dead Pyrex bowls!  The pieces are a tiny bit slick to the touch (but only barely so, because I really worked in the oil).  Once they're oiled, a Pyrex piece should no longer go in the oven but you can definitely use it for mixing, serving, or display.  After a bunch of washings, the bowls could use another oil but I haven't bothered because they still look leaps and bounds better than when I bought them.

I think that, if I'm being honest, the oil is best for pieces on display or those that are rarely used, but it's nice to see that dishwashered pieces can be somewhat revived.

Here's the difference: on the left it's oiled and on the right (toward the bottom), it's still dull from the dishwasher.

The difference shows up more clearly on this piece, where the oil has been applied to the right:

Now my little thrifted set has been revived and looks awesome on my shelf.  I'm eager to try the oil on some other dishwashered pieces, although part of me hopes I don't come across any more of them.

One thing I noticed: the oil didn't make a difference on white pieces with coloured pattern (like my butterprint fridgies) - the best results were on solid pieces or those with a lot of colour (like my bowl above). 

I went a little nutty and, in a stroke of good luck, picked up a few more aqua mixing bowls (two from an antique shop and another thrifted one) and tried to revive them as well.  Sadly, one lost its finish a bit, but the other two cleaned up perfectly.  I really have to go easy with the Bar Keeper's Friend - something I learned the hard way.

How to Clean Baked on Grease + Grime from Vintage Pyrex

I found a turquoise snowflake space saver at a local antique shop for a steal ($6!), but it was in rough shape with caked on grime that was burned into every nook and cranny.



I soaked it in hot soapy water a couple of times, for a few hours each soaking.  I scrubbed with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser but it did little.  I scrubbed gently with Bar Keeper's Friend and some came off.  I soaked some more.  With these steps I was able to remove quite a bit of the goo, but there was still more to tackle:



I picked at parts with a toothpick and removed what I could that way.  I opened up a pack of dishwasher liquid and let it soak in that, which helped a bit.  Desperate, I soaked it in Coke, which seemed to do nothing, even though I've read rave reviews from other collectors.

Finally, I grabbed some glass stovetop clean and a soft scrub pad and that worked.  The combination of the soaking, the Bar Keeper's Friend, Magic Eraser, some picking and elbow grease, and the stove top cleaner worked to get most of the grease off, without damaging the finish at all (it had some paint loss when I bought it).  I was lucky that after all that rubbing it stayed as shiny as when I bought it.  I didn't get 100% of the grime off (it had worked itself into the texture of the design), but it was at least 80% improved.  It was a good way to experiment with different methods, and I'm happy to have scored such a pretty piece for such a good price (although I doubled the price in Coke, I'm sure).

I'm going to have to keep experimenting because buying imperfect Pyrex is totally new territory for me.  I'd love to find a way to get off the black marks without jeopardizing the finish, but Bar Keeper's friend seems to be popular among collectors (see more of it's magic here).  I've also read some other tips for getting the baked on grime off.  I need to track down some more supplies, and muster up some more energy, and then maybe I'll tackle the last bits of grime on the snowflake space saver.

UPDATE: After some fellow collectors and commenters (see below) suggested it, I tried oven cleaner for that really baked-on-won't-scrub-off grime.  Here are the details, but, long story short, it worked really well!  I just popped the offending Pyrex into a bag, sprayed some cleaner on, let it soak and then rinsed it off before giving it a good, soapy wash.  I did hear from one person who said oven cleaner left a hazy film on her Pyrex, so perhaps save it as a last resort or test on a small area first?

Please feel free to share your tips and tricks in the comments below!  I love hearing advice and picking up tips from fellow collectors, so feel free to link to your own blog posts or Instagram pages so we can ogle your vintage Pyrex collection and soak up your vintage Pyrex cleaning advice!

Looking for more cleaning tips? 

Here's my tip for how to make chrome and stainless look (and stay looking!) brand new and gleaming.

This is how I clean lampshades without a vacuum (it takes two seconds).

Cleaning my glass fireplace doors used to be a nightmare, until I discovered a product that cleans brunt on soot in minutes! 

And, if you're updating a space, find out how I turned worn our lacquered brass into bright, brushed gold with one magical ingredient and two easy step!

Last but not least, here's how I wash ( and de-pill) dry clean only cashmere and wool at home - great for laundering delicate vintage woolens and even pretty wool rugs from the thrift store (because who wants to spend $30 dry cleaning  a $3 find?).

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