Why is it that my projects always spur additional little projects?  I guess that is all part of being addicted to DIY.  I am simply never finished!  Today I have finished my Master Bathroom refresh as part of the $100 Room Challenge!  I would love to replace the original builder grade floor and wall tiles.  But, we recently upgraded our kitchen and replaced the floors on our main level with LVP.  So, basically we have exhausted our budget.  The remainder of projects throughout the house, for now, will be mostly cosmetic upgrades completed with products, materials, and furniture that are all sitting in my garage.  Today, you get to tour my master bathroom refresh that was completed for under $100.

Here are some pictures of the bathroom before this challenge.  When we moved into the house almost 20 years ago, the master bathroom walls were a hunter green mottled by a horrible attempt to faux finish.  A few years ago, we removed the popcorn ceiling and painted the entire room white.  I love it.  But Mr. Blu is ready for some color.

So we selected a pale blue that sometimes appears grey.  You can read all about the color here.

Refresh for Dated Vanity Lights

In keeping with my $100 budget, I decided to upcycle my Hollywood (also original builder grade) vanity lights.  I will be posting the process soon. 

It was so much easier than I had anticipated.  The fixtures disassembled easily.  I simply sanded and painted and reassembled.  And the lights are much more contemporary.  What do you think? 

The only expense was one can of grey spray paint to match my vanity which had previously been stained with General Finishes Grey gel stain.  I had a nice selection of gold spray paint in the garage from previous projects.  I selected Pure Gold to match the hooks on my towel bars.

                                                                                 

Caulking = Fresh and Clean

The next project was to re-caulk the garden tub.  I tried to remove the caulk but even after soaking with acetone, it was not coming off easily.  So I cleaned and dried the area and simply re-caulked.  Again, I didn’t spend any money because I had one tube of Tub and Tile caulk sitting in the garage.  I removed old and discolored silicone sealant from around the shower door and replaced with fresh beads of Tub and Tile caulk.  There is nothing like a freshly caulked surface to make an area fell clean and revived.  Here is a post on how to apply caulk from Week 2 of this same challenge.

                                                                        

Frame Out the Mirrors

Time to build mirror frames around the vanity mirrors.  I used old pieces of oak from the garage.  I was lucky to find two pieces that were 3 inches wide by 100 inches long.  Additionally I found 3 smaller pieces that matched the wood.  I used my miter saw to cut the appropriate lengths.  I used the miter saw again to make the 45 degree cuts on each end. 

                                                                  

I applied Liquid Nails to the back of each side piece and placed each directly onto the mirror.  I used duct tape to hold the wood in place while the adhesive dried.  Custom look for the price of one tube of Liquid Nails!

Spray Painting the Faucets 

Next project is to spray paint the vanity sink faucets gold to match the new accents in the room.  I cleaned the faucets, sanded the surfaces lightly, cleaned again, and taped off the surrounding area.  Since I had already installed the new mirror frames, I used brown paper to tape off the new frames and ensure they were blocked from any potential overspray.  I used Rustoleum automotive primer. 

                                                           

Once dry, I sprayed several light coats of Pure Gold.  I finished up with two light coats of Rustoleum Lacquer Spray.  Shout out to Kristen who blogs at My Homier Home for documenting this project in her blog.  I simply followed many of her suggestions on products.  

Our intent is to eventually replace both vanity faucets and the shower assembly with gold toned products.  Our garden tub faucet broke about a year ago and we had already replaced that.  So, the spraying of the faucets is a quick and budget friendly upgrade.  I will keep you posted on durability.

I Just Could Not Stop

Originally I had planned to either 1) spray paint the shower enclosure gold or 2) remove the glass door assembly completely and replace with a curtain.  I was able to clean the glass doors to my liking so it was not necessary to remove the doors.  I was going to leave the door surround silver until we could upgrade.  But here I was admiring my newly painted faucets and thought to myself…why not??!!

So I taped off the glass and sprayed away.

At the onset of this master bathroom refresh, this was probably the most intimidating project.  I just didn’t think it would be easy to tape off all of the glass.  I was afraid that the paint would look like more of a cheap afterthought.  Wow!  was I wrong.  Once the glass and tile was taped off, the application was so easy.  As with the faucets, I will keep you updated on durability.  If it holds up for a year, I will be happy.  We will be ready for new tile and a shower/tub update by then.

I am so happy with the additional gold in the room.  

List of Expenses for this Master Bathroom Refresh

Here is a list of expenses:

• 1 Gallon Behr Marquee Satin paint                                                       47.95
• 1 tube of Liquid Nails                                                                                 7.99
• 2 spray bottles of CLR Shower glass cleaner (BOGO at Publix)       4.53
• 1 can Rustoleum Auto Primer in gray                                                    4.27
• 1 can Rustoleum Lacquer spray                                                               4.18

               GRAND TOTAL:           $68.92

Let me offer a great big thank you to Erin of Lemons, Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry for once again hosting this challenge.  This fun bi-annual event holds me accountable.  And my home is becoming a haven!  

Here are all of the wonderful reveals for this edition of the $100 Room Challenge!

The post Master Bathroom Refresh Reveal $100 Room Challenge appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Here are our limiting factors:

1. Both bath vanities are stained in General Finishes Grey gel stain.
2. I made these towel racks from an antique door and I love the chippy patina.
3. Silver accents will be replaced with gold. 

I decided to stay with a more neutral palette.  Surprise!!  So grey, beige, taupe, greige, etc. is where I started.  Here are the finalists:

SW 6064 Reliance      SW 6057 Malted Milk    SW 6037 Temperate Taupe    SW 6246 North Star

They are in this rainbow:

And the Paint Color is…

North Star!  It is the perfect mix of dusty pale blue and a light grey.  During the day it looks grey and in the evening it looks blue!

I matches well with the grey vanities and the chippy beige and brown accents on the towel racks.

I have a ton of work to do.  And I have another special project that has taken over my life!

A Passion from my Past

I’ve been sidetracked for the last 2 months trying to save my high school in Philadelphia from closing. #saveHallahan.  I will be posting more on that soon as it is on my heart!  In the meantime, if you are a history lover or a lover of women’s empowerment, google John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School, Philadelphia, PA.  Or just look at my FB page. 

She was the first all girls’ Catholic high school in the entire country.  Started in 1901, we will celebrate 120 years in September.  On November 18, 2019, amidst a universal pandemic and shortly before placing the school on remote learning, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced without warning that the school would close at the end of the current school year.  This is a disservice to the 40,000 graduates. The Archbishop refuses to allow the alumnae to fund the school, a privilege extended to every other school that has been closed.  They accepted a freshman class and now have thrown 354 families into panic and despair.  It is an affront to women’s education and the legacy of the iconic school. 

The city of Philadelphia, neighborhood community, and business community of Center City Philadelphia ALL support the school.  It is simply unbelievable that at this point in our nation’s history women can be so blatantly disrespected, disregarded, and ignored.  Here is a fantastic article on the history of the school and the woman who made the donation for the school to be built.  She was amazing!  More to come!

To Do List

So, I have yet to:

• steam clean all of the tile and the tub/surround in an attempt to whiten these focal points. 
• I might be removing the shower enclosure and replacing with a curtain as the glass is badly limed from southern water.  
• purchase or sew a new shower curtain.
• paint the faucets gold or see if I have suitable replacements in the garage…who knows what’s there!
• paint the existing vanity lights to revive them.  I’d love to use special light bulbs but I probably will not have the budget for those.
• paint all of the trim and doors.

I also need to decide if I want to return the giant vintage mirror to the wall over the tub.  Thoughts???

I should really upgrade these towel racks.  But you know I’m an uber chippy girl so for now they will stay.  I’m loving the rustic elegant feel that is starting to emerge!

$100 Room Challenge

My final reveal will be next week!  Below are the current updates from my friends who are participating in this $100 Room Challenge.  You can read about this fabulous event on Erin Meyer’s Blog Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry.  

The post Choosing a Paint Color for the Master Bathroom appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Welcome to Week 2 of the January edition of the $100 Room Challenge.  This week I caulked the gap between the ceiling and the walls in the master bathroom.  Caulking is my new favorite skill!  There is something weirdly satisfying about removing imperfections.  My first experience with using caulk was for my Entryway Project.  I used caulk again when I replaced my carpet with painted stairs. 

Caulking Made Easy

I quickly sanded the area to be caulked.  Then I wiped the area to ensure it was free of dust.  My caulk of choice is Dap Alex.  I loaded it into my Ryobi battery operated caulk gun.  When you cut the caulk tube, do it on a 45 degree angle using a sharp utility knife.  Always cut away from your body to avoid injury from the sharp blade.  A great tip is to sand the edge of the caulk tube after you have made your cut.  This allows the tip to move smoothly along your wall or ceiling during application.  Using the caulk gun, I laid a bead of caulk into the crack.  I used my finger to smooth the caulk and then wiped the area with a damp cloth.  It is really that easy!

Here is a quick video of the process:

This caulk is easy to remove.  It simply wipes away with a damp rag.  So it is easily forgiving.  With all DIY, the more you practice, the easier it gets.

                                                                                        

The next task is to select a paint color.  I am torn.  I still love the dramatic white but I feel like it is time for some color.  Why are these decisions so difficult?  I was late to the farmhouse craze and I suppose I am late to the rebirth of color.  I’m off to Pinterest for inspiration!  See you next week!

Here are the other blogger updates for Week 2 of the $100 Room Challenge!

The post Master Bathroom Refresh – How To Caulk! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

The history of this room is similar to that of My Tuscan Inspired Kitchen reno last year.  We originally started both rooms a the same time.  We used a Staycation in July 2016 to scrape popcorn ceilings in the Master Bathroom and the Kitchen.  Eventually both rooms got a new coat of paint.  The Master Bathroom looked like something out of a bad episode of Trading Spaces when we moved into our house in 2002.  I’m still trying to find the actual photos, but imagine hunter green walls with very poorly Walmart bag rolled white faux finishing.  It was really really bad.  Imagine taking a squished up plastic bag, dipping it in white paint and dabbing it from ceiling to floor on a hunter green wall.  That was my bathroom for over 15 years.

I  will always applaud someone for stepping outside of their comfort zone and going for that look they want.  So no snide remarks here.  My critique falls solely in my own acceptance of this look for so long!  This project, being hidden behind our master bedroom, certainly was never a priority!  But when we thought about the project with the most dramatic improvement…winner!

And so, we simply painted the entire room white.  The effect was dramatic and the room seemed incredibly large and airy.

With a large family and the daily demands of a retail store, the project, like so many in our home, was never completely finished.  Last year, I started to fill some of the gaps between the walls and ceilings.  But I was quickly discouraged by my handiwork.  Turns out I was using the wrong caulk.  I learned the ins and outs of proper caulking technique and, more importantly, the impact of utilizing the proper type of caulk for your project in my Entryway Makeover.  I now have the knowledge and the tools to finish this job.

So here is a list of the projects needed to finally finish this room:

• Prep and caulk wall/ceiling seams and tub surround.
• Select color and repaint the walls.
• Treat Shower glass to remove hard water build up.
• Transition Vanity faucets and shower metals to gold to match tub fixture.
• Rub and Buff vanity knobs and pulls to compliment faucet gold.
• Renew tile grout in shower and on floors.
• DIY both vanity lights to compliment antique crystal chandelier.
• Add accessories to compliment the space.

As with all of my projects, I expect to hit some roadblocks, stumble a little, change my route, reassess and, of course, create the perfect room for my home while coming in under budget.  

So, I will be starting with the caulk and browsing through colors to develop the perfect compliment for my somewhat rustic, somewhat elegant Master Bathroom.  I’m totally rustic and always working on the elegant.  My dalliance into Elegant Clutter (if you remember The Blue Building Antiques and our catch phrase) continues!  

Follow along with all of the participants in the $100 Room Challenge in the links below!  The $100 Room Challenge is open to anyone who basically has a blog and project!  Started by Erin of Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry in 2015.  Erin started the challenge armed with the realization that you can create a beautiful space you will love even if you don’t have thousands of dollars to spend.  Here is my project form my very first $100 Room Challenge, my $100 Bathroom Makeover.  I guarantee you will find some wonderful tips and budget friendly suggestions in these posts.  So pick a space, and get to it!

The post $100 Room Challenge – Master Bathroom appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I’m so glad that I stumbled upon my old friend The $100 Room Challenge!  Erin Meyer from Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry started this challenge back in 2015 to challenge herself, other bloggers, and all of their readers to redecorate a space in their home with a $100 budget.  I had participated in this challenge back in 2017 and the result was this beautiful bathroom.

The premise of the $100 Room Challenge is this:  Don’t spend alot of money!  Rather, use what you have!  We have so many idle things lurking around our home that can be utilized in other areas of our home.  Why not repurpose and reuse these things to freshen up our home?!!  Repurposing keeps the budget down and that in itself is a rush!  So now, in my home, project #3 of 15 is completed and we only have 12 more areas to update!  Whoohoo!!!!

September 2020 $100 Room Challenge

Here is my entryway after installing the feature wall back in July:

I really enjoyed the last few months with this bright and airy entryway.  But those carpets were certainly not bright and airy.  Once the new door unit was installed, trim paint was needed.  What better time to update the stairs and finish the door!

The Plan

If this is your first visit, here is a brief synopsis of my project:

Week 1:   ENTERING THE $100 ROOM CHALLENGE

Week 2:  FRONT DOOR INSTALLATION:  COMMENCE THE CHALLENGE!

 Week 3:  REPLACING THE CARPET WITH PAINTED STAIRS

The new front doors were finally installed and this was the catalyst to participation in this challenge.  I have so many looming projects right now, that this challenge was a welcomed solution to holding myself accountable and actually getting the project done!

Bye Bye Carpeted Stairs

So, first step was to  rip up the existing carpets from the stairs, and fill and paint/stain the risers/treads.  I’m not gonna lie…I think I put six coats of white semigloss on the risers.  Those babies just didn’t want to cover!

This process was more entailed than expected thanks to the original builders taking advantage of shortcuts.  So, much sanding, filling, and caulk was utilized to complete this project.  Eventually, we will install a runner.  The final goal will be Vinyl Planking on the stairs.  But this was not in the initial budget so hopefully the stairs will be finally completed in 2021. 

In the meantime, here are the completed stained and painted stairs.

Railing and Spindle Refresh

Our railings were the original contractor installed oak rails that every house has.  So, I stained the oak railing with General Finishes Gray Gel Stain.  Mr. Blu, however, did not like the lighter gray stain so I applied a coat of Cobalt General Finishes Gel Stain.  Unfortunately, I failed to follow proper recommended application and the stain was so thick that it would not dry.  I had to remove the stain with acetone.  I purchased a dark gray paint which I applied liberally.  The paint dried nicely and the finish is lovely.

All of the spindles on the railings were repainted white.  They are crisp and clean.

A fresh coat of paint was applied to all of the walls.  Fortunately, I had 3/4 gallon of Benjamin Moore Simply White leftover from the Woodgrain Entrywall Project.  

Painting the New Door Unit

After priming the interior side of our new front door per manufacturer’s recommendation, I chose a classic black satin finish for the front doors.  I painted the side lights, the door and the transom.  And I must say, I love it!  I had several paint samples as I need to paint the exterior of the door and the shutters as well.  I couldn’t decide on an interior door color.  I just kept putting that off.  I thought I would wait until I decided on a color for the entry furniture piece, which I had not yet selected from my garage to refinish.  It was time to select a color and what better neutral than black!!!  Mr. Blu approved!

A Statement Piece

The stairs are finished.  The railings and spindles are painted.  The walls are painted.  The last project is to select a furniture piece for this space and revive it to fit the area.  Here is what I selected:

I gave this beauty a totally new look in under and hour!  Remember, painting furniture is my specialty.  I will document this process soon in another post.

Update Lighting

And I almost forgot about, well other than the carpets, the most annoying part of this before entryway…the dinky dated light fixture!  Just look at this beast!  

I had found a sweet french-inspired light at a yard sale many years ago.  I was planning to use it in the entry.  I dug it out of the garage and dismantled it to clean.  It was $10!  And it was perfect for the space.  I was ready to spray the gold black.  

I went to clean the glass bowl in my gorgeous hammered copper sink (read about that here) and this happened…

Yikes!  So mad!  So infuriating!  It took so much time to disassemble without breaking that glass.  Oh well.  Plan B…take the chandelier from the dining room.  Added bonus…I have an extra $10 to spend!  Here is the lighting…

And here is my finished entryway!  I am thrilled with the pop of color and the contrast with the black door, sidelights, and transom!  Check back to see the instructional post on creating this finish!

A Tribute to a Friend

I did add one more element to my entryway at the last minute. 

On Monday, a dear friend passed away.  My friend, Mary Stout, was a beautiful and without a doubt the most gracious southern lady I have EVER known!  In the 18 years that I had known Mary, she never spoke an ugly or unkind word about anyone.  And trust me, being in the retail business this is quite the impossible feat! 

Mary and her husband Carl were long time Blue Building dealers.  Both would work the front desk for me!  If you ever frequented The Blue Building, you would surely know the Stouts.  They were the resident antique experts, well known in the Birmingham area as they had several booths for many years in all of the premier antiques shops.  Carl was the muscle and the prankster.  Mary was the expert and the designer.  Their antiques were carefully selected, polished and staged for sale.  They prided themselves in their selection and consistency.  They specialized in European beauties and I mean beauties…rare burled pieces, and barley twist features, rare pub tables and English sideboards.  I’ve acquired many items from them over the years. 

As I was staging this secretary, I realized I had the perfect piece to grace my entry!  And so this beautiful wooden well bucket greets our guest at our front door just as Mary did for so many years at The Blue Building…with grace and style! 

Godspeed Mary Margaret Stout!  Those pearly golden gates are no doubt shining a splendid polish today…as I am sure you are sprucing up the area with your timeless graceful way and that beautiful gentle smile!  I thank God for placing you in my life!

In concluding this challenge, here is my list of supplies and breakdown of cost:

              Supply Item                                                      Use                                                            Cost

• Great Stuff  2 cans                                         Fill gaps btwn stairs and wall               $8.95
• Kilz Primer *                                                   Prime new door and risers                    $0
• Dap Alex Caulk 4 tubes                                 Finish spaces btwn stairs and walls    $20
• Behr Black Interior satin                              Front Door, transom and sidelights    $19.95
• Behr Turquoise *                                            Paint secretary                                         $0 
• MinWax Polycrylic Satin *                           Seal secretary                                           $0                        
• 36″ cove molding  *                                       Base of upper stairs                                $0
• Benjamin Moore Simply White*                Paint walls                                                $0
• Behr Pure White Semi Gloss-trim             paint trim, risers, spindles                    $0  
• General Finishes Gray Gel Stain *             Paint rail/bannisters                              $0
• General Finishes Carbon Gel Stain *        Rail (not used)                                         $15
• Behr sample size Poppyseed satin             Paint rail/bannisters                             $3.95
• light fixture                                                     removed from dining room                 $0
• Frog Tape *                                                     mask steps and railings                        $0

TOTAL SPENT:    $52.70

* Indicates this supply was already on hand from previous projects.

Thank you again to Erin Meyer for coordinating this wonderful challenge.  Head over to her blog to see how you can participate in future challenges! 

Below are the projects completed by all of the other participating bloggers for this September $100 Room Challenge!  Check out what these projects!  Get some ideas on how you too can revamp a space for $100!

The post Entryway Reveal $100 Room Challenge appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Our New Front Door is Here!

We have a new front door!  It’s only taken 7 months but it is installed!  Blame it on delays caused by the pandemic. We started looking for a new door back in February.  The home improvement stores were just overwhelmed with people stuck at home doing DIY projects.  We had trouble getting estimates.  We had trouble getting measurements.  Our order was delayed because a salesman left the company.  Warehouses were not running at full capacity.  We completely renovated our kitchen during the pandemic without any major delays! The door was another story completely.  But now…the door, sidelights, and transom are installed!  

I am so anxious to get this beauty painted so that the door looks complete!  But first, there is some important prep work.  

Necessary Steps

When you purchase a new door with sidelights and a transom, it comes as one piece.  The installers remove the old and slip in the new.  New molding is installed around the door and sidelights.  Some of the new molding is primed and some is just raw wood.  So my first task is to prepare the newly installed door assembly for paint.

First I filled the nail holes with putty.  Once dried, I sanded for a smooth finished look.  There were so many more nail holes than I expected.  They were on the transom, both side lights and the door frame.  So this took a little time.

Then I installed the screw plugs along the sidelights.  Plugs are tiny plastic caps that fill the holes where the glass was installed in your door or sidelights or transom.  The plugs make the unit look seamless.  Easy peasy!  Tip:  put the plugs in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you install them.  This will allow you to easily pop them into their appropriate holes.  As the plugs adjust to room temperature, they expand slightly ensuring a snug fit.  I tapped each plug gently with a hammer and block of wood to ensure they were inserted completely.

Um…Front Door Disaster!

Next I caulked around the door trim and the sidelights to fill in any gaps.

Insert phonographic needle ripping across a vintage record and coming to a screeching halt HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Y’all!!!  I have been doing DIY projects since I was a child.  I know the rules and basics on planning and proceeding through a project.  But this next paragraph is a testament to the fact that everyone makes mistakes that eat up time and make you want to scream.  You know…the stupid rookie mistakes that you can justify…when you are a rookie, but not when you simply know better!  My tip…slow and steady wins the race.  Don’t rush to get through your project!  

                                                                             
 

My Stupid Rookie Mistake

Imagine, just for example (winks her eye)…you lend your daughter your Ryobi battery operated caulk gun because she just bought a sweet little camper that she is renovating.  You have it already loaded with caulk so she can use it.  The caulk gun is returned with caulk still installed so all looks normal.  And you have a brand spanking new beautiful front door that you’ve waited for through a pandemic so you excitedly grab the caulk gun, which is ready to go, and start to caulk around your beautiful and newly installed freakishly gorgeous new front door.  

The caulk seems a little loose.  But you tell yourself…oh well maybe I just don’t remember correctly.  But when you go to smooth the caulk, it really is thin and gooey and, well, quite frankly a mess.  So then you do WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE FIRST before you even got near that beautiful door with that already loaded caulk gun…YOU CHECK TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF CAULK is in the gun.  And then the fireworks and the really loud gong and the WOMP WOMP WOOOOOMP!  Kitchen and Bath SILICONE.  IV had a leak on the camper and had switched the caulk to make that repair.  So proud of her!!!  So pissed at me!

Why Use the Right Caulk?

If you haven’t used the wrong caulk before, let me tell you what a nightmare this is:

1. Silicone caulk is waterproof.  It is petroleum based.  Therefore, you cannot paint over it.  It is primarily used for waterproofing outdoor projects or in bathrooms and kitchens and is usually white in color.  So for my (eventually to be painted a super cool color) new front door, this simply will not work.
2. Normal caulk for paint projects is water based.  You can paint it.  You cannot install it over silicone because it will not stick, just like paint over silicone…it beads up and looks hideous, and well, basically it fall the heck off. 
3. To remove silicone caulk, you must try to scrape it off with a putty knife and then scrub with alcohol to get what you couldn’t scrape off. It is time consuming and tedious work.

I even called DAP, the manufacturer of my go to caulk to see if there was any way to avoid the horrible process of removing the silicone.  But, alas, there was not!  Jesse, the customer service expert, was wonderful!  So I scraped and peeled and scrubbed and wiped.  And finally, I was ready to caulk…with the real caulk, the right caulk!

Just a Little Delay

And so my friends, as of this writing, my two hours prep and paint the front door project has turned into a two day project.  The result of which is that I do not have a photo of my beautifully painted new front door.

I do, however, have a picture of my beautifully primed front door:

My plan was to prime the entire door unit and then paint it white for the time being.  I know that I definitely want to put a beautiful color on the inside of the door, but I think at this point I will wait until I have completed the stair project and selected a color for the furniture piece that will sit inside the front door.  I tend to tweak and change my projects as I proceed with each step.  Inevitably, there will be surprises.  I can’t wait to see what surprise pops up next.  

Next Step

Next project is to tear up the carpets on the steps and prep the steps for paint.  

I suppose this is a good time to select a paint color and possibly a stencil design as well.

The post Shut the Front Door! Our new front door is installed! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Life is so very busy.  We meet new people everyday.  In today’s technologically based world, we find countless new websites and things that interest us.  The onslaught of information is overwhelming to say the least.  You are enjoying your morning coffee and browsing your favorite websites, checking FB, IG, etc. when it happens.  Something pops up on your screen and you are pleasantly surprised!  It is a contact or a blog or even an item that you used to follow, use or frequent.  And you think to yourself…why haven’t I seen that?  How has this wondrous thing/person/event evaded me for so long?  Why did I stop seeing/doing/loving this?  For me it is as simple as SQUIRREL!  I am bombarded by information everyday.  That is when I know it’s time to re-evaluate and prioritize my daily routine. It’s a constant shuffling of new and old things.

This happened to me just yesterday.  I was strolling through Instagram and clicked on a new friend’s stories and read about a challenge that she was participating in this month.  Shout out to a new Haven friend and fellow Woodgrain challenge veteran Brooke Cribbs who blogs at Cribbstyle. The bells and whistles and happy fairies started to sing.  I had done this challenge years ago and it was a fun and very fulfilling event.  Why did I stop?  

The answer, as always, is plain and simply…life!  And I guess that is the beauty of life.  You can go through phases and make room for things you love when you can or when you need to!

$100 Room Challenge

So guess what??!  I am participating in the September $100 Room Challenge. 

The $100 Room Challenge was started by Erin who blogs at Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry in 2015.  Bloggers are always finding shortcuts and ways to stretch a dollar just like YOU!  Like many DIY bloggers, Erin wanted to get the message to her readers that you can decorate a space with flair and tenacity without spending a fortune.  And so the $100 Room Challenge was born.  I participated back in 2017.  HERE is the link to my bathroom that I upcycled for under $100.

Target Area

Recently, I’ve been working on my entryway.  I used molding to create interest on the main wall.  You can read about that project HERE. 

We were waiting on a new front door and it was installed last week.  It is time to finish off this space!  

Game Plan

Project list for the Front Entryway:

1. Finish woodwork around the new door:  Fill nail holes from new door trim and install plugs on sidelights.  Caulk where needed.
2. Remove carpet from stairs.  Paint or stain steps and risers.
3. Update wooden rails and banister with paint or stain.
4. Paint walls and trim.
5. Shop my garage for a statement piece of furniture.
6. Refinish or paint this statement piece

Below are the projects from the other bloggers who are participating.  Follow along as I am sure you will find some inspiration!  Check back every Wednesday for updates.  The final reveals will be posted on Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

The post Finishing the Entryway: The $100 Room Challenge appeared first on Shop at Blu.