Our major main floor makeover...

I am so thrilled to say we have finally completed our main floor makeover...it has been a long process that we started back in the spring....well actually it started last winter when we started to approach the local heritage committee as our house is a heritage protected property...we knew we wanted to make some changes to the wainscotting but we didn't know if we would be able to make these changes...but after meeting with the committee we realized how we all have the same goal and that is to preserve  and cherish this building.

 Painting the very damaged v-groove wainscotting was what we were hoping, this would allows us to conceal the damage and discolorations in the wood and in fact most buildings of this age would have had pine painted trim work...The wood work had been recently stripped by the previous owner.. they had stripped away a faux finish that was meant to remain...but it worked in our favour since this faux finish was removed there was no longer a reason to prevent us from painting the wood work...and painting is always revers able. We were also cleared to replace a pine flat stock trim with a more appropriate baseboard...we were ready to go...

I was so pleased to have Metrie on board to sponsor this major makeover....it was amazing the difference adding the right trim and a bright and light color made to this home. Metrie is a trim company with a real grasp of current trends and classic profiles...they truly have it all and this being my first experience using Metrie products, I think it is safe to say I am hooked...there is a huge difference in quality of design and materials...keep in mind I have been working with trim for 14 years so I have sampled many different types of trim...and I am thoroughly impressed with Metrie's products.

Even though our trim was going to be painted I felt it was important to use wood trim...adding MDF to 140 year old wainscotting wasn't a right option for me....I love working with poplar it actually stains beautifully and it paints so perfectly...during this project I made a switch to my mitre saw blade...what a difference switching to a proper trim blade makes...I switched to an 80 blade, there is a big difference, this blade cuts through trim like butter.

 this is the profile I chose, it is a 7.25" poplar Scene II from the  French curves collection

You can really see what I mean by irregularity, it was so blotchy....and there was a trim piece missing from under the chair rail...this needed replacing.

We were also preparing for our new custom windows at the same time...the clock was ticking...but just painting all this trim work was a huge undertaking...I caulked in between each and every v-groove board...my husband Todd helped out and painted a lot of the window trim and all of the baseboards...so grateful.

We felt that everything the same tone of orange was very overwhelming and not my favourite shade....you never like everything about a new house...right?

I think the wood floors look so much better now...I painted the risers white last minute, it is simply white...my husband thought I was crazy but it was 100% the right choice, it ties all the trim together and makes the room feel wider.

I knew I had to address the newly added half walls, they were stark fresh drywall and they felt jarring...I clad them with v-groove to help them blend in with the perimeter walls.

Filling in the gap beneath the chair rail with this classic panel moulding felt clean and completed the trim...

I also tweeked the kitchen during this renovation...I flipped the island top and finished the rough sawn side and stained it with a custom color...added open shelving and more tile, oh and I stained the grout grey to make the tile more prominent.

Each corner had a filler strip which made mitering the trim impossible so I used a baseboard corner, I love this detail, I am so glad I needed this solution. 

I wish I could thoroughly describe how happy this transformation makes me...beautiful trim makes my heart happy...

I clad the wall with v-groove panel moulding and a cap I custom made from flat stock 1x10"with routered edges...it turned out sublime....it is no longer a corner I hide...coffee corner is what I call this spot and now it looks like it has always been a part of this room.

 I also tackled the entry during this renovation, I opted to create an open concept closet...it works so much better than the sliding mirrored doors...I recently added two pieces of this panel moulding to the header of the closet casing...it makes a big difference, design is all about the details.

We also replaced the front door...this has been a big undertaking...

You can see why I just couldn't live with this wainscotting the way it was....

I primed and painted and painted some more...

We also extended the entry tile to create a larger more balanced space...

French curves scene II

 One last detail I cooked up were these reclaimed wood headers for the two doors on the main floor...I wanted something unique and that followed along with that old house feeling...it was a risk but I think it was a successful result....I upgraded the small flat stock with a much larger flat stock and installed these reclaimed pieces...so easy.

I think it is a cohesive mix...

It's actually quite amazing to look back at where we started...

I want to send a big thank you to Metrie for providing all the beautiful panel moulding and baseboard trim...you've got to check out their new line Option M....

*disclaimer this is a sponsored post but all the opinions are my own and are truthful...

Weekend bathroom update...how to frame a bathroom mirror

 I have been slowly but surely moving along with the bathroom updates in my youngest daughters bathroom...this week I built a frame for the mirror...it just finishes the mirror off.

 Here it is in my shop all ready for painting

 I used my kregjig to make a simple frame with pocket hole construction...a little bit of detail moulding and I had myself a simple frame.

 A lot of people were asking how to attach a frame to an existing mirror.It's easy I just cut up some strips of thin plywood, it is just slightly deeper than the frame and clips. Attach the strips to studs in the wall with a couple of screws.

 Then paint the frame and make sure to paint at least an inch of the back of the frame so that the reflection is the same color as the front of the frame.

 I just used my nail gun to attach the frame to the strips of plywood, filled the holes and touched up the paint....really, it is that easy. Waiting for the paint to dry was the longest process in this project.

 I also finally took out my sewing machine and hemmed these drapery panels I bought months ago for this bathroom...what a huge difference full length double panels make to this area. I find shower curtains so....wimpy, they are too short and not nearly as full as they should be...so I chose these seersucker white drapes. I had to buy two shower curtain rods one I installed as high as I could for the drapes and one just slightly lower for the liner, I had to also find a longer than average liner...I got it from Bed bath and beyond...it was actually so long I had to trim it a little bit but that was easy enough. The drapes I found at Homesense.

 Seersucker and subway tile...love

 I also got to the job of building the face frame for the vanity yesterday...next I will cut out and install a foot detail, if all goes well...then I will be adding drawers slides and building basic drawers. I still have to decide if I want to build the drawer fronts and doors or if I will just have them built by a local cabinet door company....I'm just not sure what the best decision is on that.
 Don't even get me started on what color to paint this vanity cabinet...Sophie said maybe white would be too much white, but is that even really a thing? Maybe light grey to go with the faux marble tile floor and real marble accents on the wall....actually the accent tile comes off a little grey especially in photos but it is white it's just not as white a white as the subway tile is...I kind of like that.

Now you are up to date if you are following along...thank you so much for stopping by.