A Gazillion Little Tweaks

Welcome to the 449th Metamorphosis Monday!

I really didn’t know what to name today’s post because I’ve been like a frantic little bee ever since returning from Ireland. I’ve been buzzing all over this house, working to tie lots of little loose ends together. You would think it was spring…this urgency to get things spiffied up around here. Maybe it’s the early morning waking hours that has me so energized. Or, is it the cooler temps we’ve been experiencing? Mornings are definitely feeling very fall-like these days.

One item I’m working on getting checked off the old “to-do” list is replacing the door that leads down to my daylight basement. It’s in a small hallway right off my paneled living room.

Paneled Living Room, Classic Decor and Design

 

Many years ago I had a kitty door installed in this door since the litter box was in the unfinished part of the basement. I had to go with a larger doggy door due to the design of the door. A kitty door wouldn’t fit quite right with the panel design of the door. I didn’t feel bad about having the cat door installed because after we moved into this home, we discovered the door was pretty badly scratched (on the basement side) from the previous owner’s dog.

Since I don’t plan on adopting another cat, especially with my desire to travel more now, I’m in the process of having a new door installed. Home Depot carries a stain grade, six panel door and I’m going to let them install the new door. This will be the third door they’ve installed and I like that they stand behind their work. Someone is supposed to call me this week to set up a visit to measure.

The hardest part will be getting it stained afterwards. I’ll have to find a really good painter who is talented at matching stain. I think the stain is a standard color because years ago when I had some molding replaced (after our Golden Retriever puppy used it as a teething ring) the painter I used then had no trouble matching the stain. Unfortunately, he no longer lives in this area.

I’m looking forward to getting this door replaced, a long, over-due improvement.

Door

 

Another project I’ve started thinking more about is this unused living room. Several BNOTP readers have asked for an update on this space and I really didn’t have anything to report. Honestly, I need to renovate bathrooms before I work on this room!

 

Many years ago I purchased a mantel that was being removed from another home, hoping I could add a gas fireplace to this room and turn it into a library. I envisioned built-in shelves on either side of the fireplace, so a few years back when I came across these arched cabinets for sale at A Classy Flea, I purchased them. They were from a 1920’s home and had been painted over many times. My plan was to have all the paint stripped off and to have them built into the room on either side of the fireplace.

This weekend I changed my mind. I had already come to the conclusion quite a while back that the mantel wasn’t going to work. To start with, it was too big and overwhelmed the arched cabinets. The proportions were just not working, at least to my eye.

Also, I realized it was going to be costly to pay someone to strip off all those years/layers of paint from the arched cabinets so they could be painted the way they really should be. So recently I consigned the mantel and arched cabinets with someone from whom I’ve purchased furniture before. I’ve decided if/when I do turn this room into the library I’ve always envisioned, I’m going to have the mantel and cabinetry built from scratch. That way the fireplace and cabinets will all fit together seamlessly.

Home Library Design and Ideas

 

I used to think I wanted built-in shelving all down the left wall, but since I’ve added bookshelves to one wall of my office, I really don’t need that anymore.

 

I kinda have a whole new vision for this space. I see the damask, camel-back sofa covered in a more playful fabric, perhaps a stripe. Instead of the wingback chair, I would rather have two cozy reading chairs, one on either side of the fireplace, facing back into the room toward the sofa.

The marble top chest is an inherited piece and I’m not sure if it would stay. I really prefer a non-marble top chest, so this one would probably go to another family member. But I really should renovate bathrooms before pursuing ideas in this room. So, again it’s on hold, but I’m feeling better about the direction I’m going.

 

Another small change I made this past week involves this room.

 

For many years I had a cute bunny hanging over the double windows above the window seat. I came across that painted window in an antique shop many years ago. Unfortunately, the shop has long since gone out of business.

Bonus Room Upstairs Family Room

 

Here’s a close-up of the window. I love how the checked border looked with the chairs in this room.

Garden Bunny Painted on Window

I still love the painting, but a year or two ago I removed it from the window. I just wanted to simplify the look of the window–was ready for a change. It’s dark as I write this and this was the only photo I could find this morning that shows the window without it. I need to take some updated photos of some of the rooms around here.

For the last year or two, the painted bunny window has been leaning against the wall in this room while I tried to decide if I wanted to put it back up or just store it away. I still love it, so I knew I didn’t want to get rid of it. This weekend it finally hit me, I had the perfect spot for it!

 

I’ve been wanting to hang something above my potting bench in the garage and this little bunny was just the thing! I love how it looks here. I may eventually scoot the potting bench over to where it’s in front of a window in the garage, but probably not because I love how the window looks hanging against the wall. You can really see the design quite well. It would be really cute in a potting shed, wouldn’t it?

 

The other thing I’m working on this week is to finish replacing every single shelf in my garage storage cabinets. I’ve already replaced all the shelves in three of the cabinets. Only the two on either end and the one that houses my chargers still have the original, narrow shelves that came with the cabinets.

 

Why am I going to replace all the others? Because of this–the shelves that came with these units are so wimpy, they can’t even support glassware without bowing/bending. Take a look at the second shelf in my glassware cabinet. Is that not ridiculous?! Those glasses do not come even close to weighing 35 lbs, the weight each shelf is supposed to support.

Thank GOODNESS Home Depot carries melamine shelves in their lumber section that can be cut down to the correct size to fit these cabinets. All of the shelving I’ve purchased at Home Depot is doing great, no bowing at all. Plus, it holds more weight than these thin, wimpy shelves that came with the cabinets.

I’ve also been able to store a few more pieces in my other cabinets with the Home Depot shelves, so that’s been awesome. The HD shelves are $7 each, but totally worth it to get non-bowing shelves and even more storage capacity. So I’ll be working on that this week, too.

Dish Storage, Replacing bowing shelves

 

Despite having to replace all the shelves with better shelves from Home Depot, adding these cabinets to my garage has been one of the best things I’ve ever done for my home and my sanity. It has freed up so much space in my kitchen and laundry room cabinets, allowing me to spread things out more inside those cabinets and get much more organized inside my home.

I’ve done a lot of re-organizing inside and I’m loving how much easier it is to find everything now. I can’t wait to create a fall table for you! I know right where those fall dishes are stashed, and they are all together in one place! Yay!

Cabinets for Storage, Garage, Basement, Laundry Room, Home

 

I’ve been on a tear around here. If you stand still long enough, you’re liable to get moved, reorganized, donated or consigned! All good things, though!

Happy Labor Day!

Pssst: I post almost daily to Instagram. Follow Between Naps on the Porch on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch.

Looking forward to all the great Before and Afters linked for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!

Metamorphosis Monday

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Comments

  1. Oh my, Susan, I need just a tiny bit of the energy you have! I’m going to tell my husband that trip to Ireland would energize me, and I’d finish all the projects I’ve started. You think he’ll spring for the trip? Your tablescaping center turned out so great. I bet you feel like you have room to buy more china, etc. Thank you for hosting.

    • lol Definitely, tell him that will for sure do it! I have added a few more plates, nothing major but I’m looking forward to sharing those soon. They should work well in autumn tables. Hope you had a wonderful weekend, Laurie! XXX

  2. We’ve been in our house for about 15 years…it’s almost time to redo and update things, but I just don’t have the energy for that. I would rather be outside by the pool right now or down at the beach. Perhaps when fall really sets in I will get motivated! 😉 Good luck with your projects.

    • Kim, I so agree…seems there is always something on the never-ending to-do list. I vote for the pool since there aren’t too many pool days left…unless you live in Australia and pool time is just getting underway before long. 🙂

  3. Your unused living room changes sound nice. For now, I’d suggest moving your pretty tall glass piece of furniture to the wall where your mantel and book shelves were. You also might try your sofa on the wall where the tall “hutch” was. This might also open up the room to other options in the future. I often rearrange my furniture for a fresh look and sometimes find the new arrangement is much better!

    • Thanks, Jane! It’s definitely a work in progress. I just need to play/win the lottery then I’d do everything at once! And go on vacation while it was being done! lol

  4. My goodness. You wore me out just reading about all you’re doing! I am quite envious of your garage storage. Thanks for hosting — enjoy the holiday!

  5. Dawne Marie Anderson says

    You’re the bunny energized! Love the bunny. The new door will look great. I like change. Reviving old items instead of buying new!

  6. I love fall for the same reason. It gets scorching hot here in Boulder…the sun at this elevation is intense. So starting the fall decor cheers me up as I know cooler weather is headed this way. Love the bunny window, cute. Love all you are doing with storage…storage is great. We turned our walkout basement living room into a library with large built in bookcases. I have a little problem with books, trying to do more library books now. It always feels good to donate and let go of some of the stuff, good for you on that. Happy fall, glad you are back, your posts always brighten my day 🙂

    • Oh, I bet…never thought about the elevation making it even worse. Jillian, that’s such a good problem to have though…if ya gotta have one. 🙂
      Awww, thanks! It feels good to be back. Ireland feels a bit like a distant dream right now.

  7. Yes, we do sort of the same kind of thing around here before winter hits. We need to have some concrete, brick & possibly window work done. Ugh. Always something.
    That sucks about the shelving unit shelves, but I love the bunny window over the purple potting bench!
    If you need a sounding board with bathrooms, I’m your girl. Better get in the queue now if you want them completed before next spring.
    Thanks for having us in. It’s Labor Day, and I hope you aren’t working too hard today! Me? I’ll be in the garden. 🙂

    • Rita, I will have questions I’m sure once I start down the bath renovation path. Bathrooms don’t excite me, so guess that’s why I’ve put it off so long. Hope your gardening went well. I slept a lot today, maybe my body is still getting over the big time change/jet lag.

  8. What a blur you must be 😀 I can see why you want a new door, but my first thought was that after all this time, there are still nooks and crannies we haven’t see before. Loving the striped-fabric idea for the sofa–sounds like fun. Bunny window is perfect over the potting bench–just too cute. And we can’t wait for your fall tablescape either!

    • lol This house does have a lot of those (nooks and crannies) which (I know this sounds weird) is one of the reasons I liked it so long ago. Thanks, Mia!

  9. I’m exhausted reading this! All you do inspires me to make changes in my home. Oh, and please advise which brand of vitamins you are taking :)!

  10. Susan, I’m moving in. To your garage.

    • 🙂 Well, Kem…you could, because all my son’s old bedroom furniture is stored there, waiting to see if they want to use it for their boys. I so badly want to have the floor done out there with one of those pretty garage floor treatments, but gotta wait until all that furniture is gone.

  11. I cleaned out two sock drawers and thought I was doing good! You’re amazing with all your energy.

  12. You are the energizer bunny! I admire your sense of organization and the motivation to get it all done. You know you inspired me to get moving on our garage. It is all clean now with cabinets ready to fill. I started last week before family members came from Houston to shelter at our home. Now that they are back in Houston, I will pick back up on this project. Like you, our mornings have had a nip in the air. It makes working in the garage a tad more pleasant.
    Good luck on the upcoming projects. The living room will come together in time. You have the touch!
    Happy Labor Day!

    • Sarah, that is awesome! It feels so good to get everything organized!
      I hope the homes of your family members are okay. I know they were thankful to have a place to stay.

  13. Susan, all that wonderful country air in Ireland has you energized! What is it about coming home from a trip that motivates you to get things done? Wish you could bottle that energy cause I need some. Can’t wait to open BNOTP to see what your up to! Today is Labor Day rest!

    • Thanks so much, Sue! I did rest today, slept a lot and I never do that during the day! lol Hope I can sleep tonight! 🙂 Hope you had a great long weekend!

  14. Wondering if you know that Home Depot has painters? Check with the paint department for info. They guarantee their painter’s work.

  15. Happy Labor Day!! Thanks so much for hosting!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

  16. Elizabeth Roderick says

    Wow..you are a busy lady. Doors, bunny and shelves, I love it. I’m glad you replaced those shelves. You have too many lovely things to chance any damage. I can tell you from experience, it’s no fun removing shelves and flipping them back and forth. The bunny is in a perfect place where you’ll see him often. I had forgotten your living room. I know it will be great. I am really looking forward to see what happens in your baths and I always watch for any updates on your sugar cookie paint.

    • Thanks, Elizabeth! I don’t think they would have collapsed since there’s not that much weight on them, but the bowing was driving me crazy. Hated how that looked. I don’t know why the company that makes these doesn’t sell them with better shelves.
      Thanks!
      About the paint, do you mean an update on the formula? I can asked them for that when I go to buy more shelves this week…not sure if they still have the sugar cookie paint fan deck thingy stored underneath the counter in the paint dept…but hopefully they do. I do love that color still! Such a soft, warm, happy color for any room.

  17. Snowflake281 says

    Great call on relocating the glass bunny window over your potting bench! It’s such a perfect spot for it!

  18. Susan, what is the name and brand of that soft yellow paint on your walls? It adds such a warmth to every room!

    • Thanks, Mary Anne! It’s an old Duron color called Sugar Cookie. Sherwin Williams bought out Duron and the last time I had them mix up Sugar Cookie, it was AWFUL! They changed the base paint or something. So I’ve been going to Home Depot to get that done. They have an old Duron paint deck underneath their desk in the paint dept and they usually match to that. I’ve posted for formula before, but that was a few years ago and I’m sure it’s changed again since HD keeps changing their base paint. I’ll see if I can get the formula again when I’m in there this week for more shelves. Hope they still have that paint fan deck thing underneath their desk in the paint dept.

      • Those paint samples sometimes walk away. Do you have a leftover can of paint . If you bring in a sample they can put it in the color match machine

  19. I love the energy that cooler weather brings. Thank you for sharing your home and for hosting today.
    Joy

  20. It is always nice to change things up a bit. I like the changes thus far. Glad you got better shelves in the storage system.

  21. Absolutely love the color coded glasses and the built-in bookshelf!

  22. So many things to be working on, I’m impressed! I love the bunny hanging, super cute! And I agree, it’d be super cute in a potting shed!

  23. Just curious how the shelves, in the garage storage, are held up? Possibly the holders are plastic? If they are, you may want to replace them with metal holders. The plastic can dry out and break. Just a suggestion

    • Fortunately, they came with metal supports and when I added some additional shelves, I purchased more metal supports at Home Depot. Thanks for that warning, Colleen. I didn’t know plastic would do that. What a disaster that would be!

  24. Nancy Corson says

    I’ve been after my husband all summer to power wash the driveway. It isn’t a job that he likes to do to say the least. Yesterday, I mentioned it again with a little bit of a nudge saying the weather is getting cooler and it will soon be too cool to be outside getting wet. For some reason, that worked and he spent 4 1/2 hours on the project. Since I was off work for Labor Day, I felt bad just lounging around while he was so busy outside. So, I tackled reorganizing several closets and one dresser. I took 4 bags of donations to the Good Will at lunch today. Yaay!

  25. I wish I had a third of your energy! Something about Fall does get me in the mood to get my house in order. I think it is because of the excitement of the Holidays coming up. Your house is looking great and I know you are enjoying all of that storage. It does make you feel good!

  26. wow! your are on a mission! good for you. thank you for energizing me to get moving. i can’t wait to see all your projects. XO- maryjo

  27. Bowing Shelves:
    My husband just cut little posts from wood and dead-centered them standing up between the shelves. He started at the bottom and worked his way up. You can’t even really see them. Great and cheap solution, too!

    *hugs*
    Kelley~

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