TGIF! (And My Super-Secret Project)

Oh, I'm so glad it's Friday! For some reason, this week has seemed to drag on and on for me. I'm soooo ready to turn my attention to my little condo this weekend and get some things done.

Actually, I have one project in particular that I'm going to be focusing on. I'm not going to tell you what it is. I'm keeping it to myself.


Nope, you can ask...you can beg and plead...but I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to check back on Monday and see the completed unidentified project.


I know it's cruel to keep you in such suspense, and I do apologize. But really, I'm just going to keep my lips sealed on this one.


So I hope to see you back here on Monday! If you'll join me, I'll show you my completed, top secret project.

Have a fantastic weekend!!

A New Project Begins (Bedroom Redesign)

I'm about to start on a new project, and I'm super excited about it! This is a project for a client...not in my condo. (Heck, sometimes I get tired of talking about my condo, so I know y'all must get tired of it, too!)

Anyway, the homeowners had been leasing a house, but recently decided to buy it. So naturally, they're ready to make some changes--from rental to personalized home. We'll be starting in the bedroom--my favorite room to design--and the master bath.

Here's what the room looks like right now.


It's pretty much a blank slate, with builder's beige walls, no window treatments, etc.

So here's the vision...


The main goal is to add warmth and texture with:

• natural woven Roman shades;


• cream silk drapery panels;


• a diamond-tufted headboard;


• pendant lights;


• wood bedside tables;


• accent pillows;


• and artwork above headboard.

You can run your mouse pointer over the photo below to see a quick change view of the "before" room and the design plan.


We'll be getting started soon, and I'll be sharing the process and projects (like the diamond-tufted headboard) with you along the way.

DIY Project:: How To Make An Upholstered Headboard With A Wood Frame

When I was trying to finalize the design for the upholstered back on my banquette seat, I spent about two hours one evening looking at headboards online. Upholstered headboards are so incredibly popular right now, and while I knew that, I was still a bit surprised at how many different styles there are available today. Of course, most of them also have a pretty high price tag.

Since I needed a non-standard size, with custom colors--and my budget is miniscule--I naturally had to make my own. The one that influenced my design the most was this one I found on Overstock.com.


Of course in the end, I ended up doing my buttons and tufting a bit different from the ones shown in the picture, but the overall look is still very similar.





So anywhoooo...

I have written a the DIY instructions for making this headboard. It took forever, so I really hope some of you can get some use out of them!! And if you decide to try your hand at making your own, I'd love to see it! You can send photos to me at addicted2decorating[at]live.com or you can upload them to the Addicted 2 Decorating Facebook fan page.

Click here for detailed DIY instructions to make a Wood Framed Upholstered Headboard.

**I'm linking this post to:

• DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land


• DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff

Have a blessed day!

My (re)New(ed) Dining Table

My cute, bright, quirky, fun little table is now a thing of the past.


I loved this little table top, but just not for this space. It was fun while it lasted, but my little table has grown up now--become more mature.

I started by gluing a piece of 1/4 inch oak cabinet-grade plywood to the top of the table. I secured with clamps, leftover pieces of my butcherblock countertop, paint cans, and any other heavy objects I could find.


I waited 24 hours to ensure that the glue was dry, and then I used my jigsaw to trim away the excess plywood around the edges.


That left the edges pretty rough...


So I used my little sander to smooth the edges.


Next I adhered the 2" oak veneer edgebanding using my iron set to the "cotton" setting.


And then I carefully trimmed off the excess edgebanding using a utility knife.


Some areas (like all four corners) needed some...*ahem*...filling...because I didn't exactly cut them perfectly, so the edgebanding didn't lay completely flat. Nothing that a little (or a lot) of wood filler can't fix!


After it was sanded, it looked just fine.


After giving the entire surface a light sanding...


I began to stain the new wood top.


Okay, now that's just hideous. I did three coats of stain according to the directions (brush on, wait 15 minutes, wipe off excess), and every time I would "wipe off excess", it would look exactly like the above picture. That just wouldn't do, so I decided to forgo the official instructions on the can of stain, and do it MY way.

Using a sponge brush, I applied the stain just like paint. I didn't wipe off the excess...I just let it dry.


Definitely better. Oh sure, it took forever to dry (about 36 hours), but it certainly didn't take as long as it would have taken for me to apply the 400 coats of stain it would have taken if I had done it according to the directions.

And now, after a bit of light sanding and a couple of coats of polyurethane, my table is ready for its big reveal.



I have to admit, that grain has really grown on me. I wish you could see it in person! It's really beautiful, and doesn't look like cheap oak. It actually looks like some kind of exotic wood species.

Oh, and remember me talking about the mistake of having the grain run the width of the table instead of the length? Well, as it turns out, I'm actually quite glad that I wandered off into lala land while the Home Depot guy cut the wood for me, because I really like the grain running that way. It's different, and because it's different, it actually gives the table a more contemporary look. A happy accident indeed.

Here's another look at the before and after:


The only thing I'm NOT pleased with is the sheen. I used satin polyurethane, but there's nothing satin about that finish. It's glossy if I've ever seen glossy!! I'll have to figure out how to remedy that. It could have something to do with my painting on the equivalent of 400 coats of stain all at once. :~D

Alrighty...enough of my rambling. I must get my busy week started. I hope your Monday is off to a great start!



(By the way...you may notice that the taupe wall color is finally gone. Yay! Don't worry...what's there now is only primer. Hopefully I'll have time to paint one evening this week. I'm anxious to see how the new color is going to work!)

I'm linking this post to:

• Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch


• DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land


• Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented


• Diy Project Parade at The DIY Showoff


• Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

The Answer To Your Question Is...YES!!

Well, that is, if your question was, "Can grout be painted?" Okay, so maybe that wasn't so much your question as it was my question. And it's a question that's been on my mind for about three weeks now.

I know, I know...I can hear you now. "But Kristi, isn't your grout brand new?"

Yes. Yes it is. And I've been unhappy with it from day 1. I used a pre-mixed grout from Home Depot. I checked and double checked to be certain that I was purchasing Bright White, and I know for sure that I used it according to the directions. But for some reason, it turned out looking dingy and dirty. There was certainly nothing "bright" about it.

So yesterday, I decided to go for it and see if I could remedy the situation.

I grabbed my paint--not pure white, but the same white I'm using on all of my trim.


And I used the best tool I had for the job.



After applying paint to a few lines of grout, I used my handy sponge (don't worry, this isn't the one I use on dishes) to wipe away the excess paint. The green scrubby side of the sponge came in handy on those spots where the paint had started to dry on the tile.


Here's a comparison of the painted grout and unpainted grout. Ummm...I'm hoping I don't have to specify which side is painted and which side is unpainted. :)





Can you tell a difference? The difference is even more noticeable in person.

It's probably seems like a pretty tedious project, but it actually goes quite fast. I learned that it's much easier to do just a three or four lines of grout, and then sponge off the excess, rather than doing a larger section of grout before sponging it off. That way the wet paint wipes right off, and there's less (or no) scrubbing necessary.

I also want to point out that I used this process on glazed tiles and unsealed grout. I have no idea if this process would work on sealed grout, and I would certainly never...EVER...try this on an unsealed/unglazed tile, like an unsealed slate. I would also be hesitant to use it on a floor (especially in high-traffic areas) and wet areas, like bathrooms. I do think it's perfect for a backsplash, though. So if you happen to have unsealed grout, and your not happy with the color, this is a great solution!!