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IKEA Kitchen Update – What Worked & Regrets
It’s been a few years since I completed my Ikea kitchen and decided it was time to give an update. For the most part I still love it, but I do have a few regrets. Are you looking to do a kitchen reno? Even if you aren’t planning on using Ikea cabinets, you might want to consider the benefit of…
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Front Door Painting DIY (& What Not to Do)
Painting a door is easy – right? Well, that depends on the door. My front door had a large window in it and I think it was a custom made. The plastic frame had got yellow over time and I wanted to spray paint it. The wood parts of the door also had a lot of scratches and gouges. I…
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DIY Budget Walkway with Screening
Are you considering making a walkway on a budget? For many years now, I have wanted a walkway from my guest apartment #2 to their driveway. I had the path to #1 repaired last year. It was concrete…and very expensive. All of the quotes I got to add a little curved walkway from #2 were beyond my budget at this…
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DIY Chalk Painting Furniture Tips
Have you ever tried chalk painting furniture? It can be a time saving method…or not. The main benefit of using it is that sanding and priming the item isn’t required. I have used it for several pieces of furniture and recently transformed an old dresser that was given to me. My new old dresser… I loved the mid-century modern look…
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Beautiful Back Deck Makeover – Part Two – Before & After Decor
Do you like to spend time on your back deck? I hate to admit it, but I spent very little time on my back deck because…well… it wasn’t very inviting. It’s been a long time coming, but the time for my back deck makeover is finally here. I was inspired by my next door neighbors when they rebuilt their deck…
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Budget Front Porch Summer Refresh
Are you looking forward to enjoying your front porch this summer? With my porch looking a little tired and my budget being minimal, I needed a plan. This year I decided I would actually like to use the space for more than just for a pass-through to my front door. Front porch this spring. North side front porch before. South…
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Back Deck Makeover – Part One – Repair & Resurrection
Over the years my back deck started looking very sad with peeling paint. With the cost of lumber and building these days, ripping down the deck and doing a total rebuild were out of the question. So I decided to do it in stages, like I did with my kitchen. The deck floorboards were a priority. Next would be the…
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Decorate Your Christmas Tree – Top Ten Designer Tips
For years I have struggled to decorate my Christmas tree to look beautiful and Pinterest worthy. I know it doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things. There is beauty in all attempts to honor and celebrate this special time of year and I look back fondly on my childhood trees with bright coloured lights and sparkly garlands. I…
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Pre-Teen Boy’s Room Reset – Game On!
After doing his sibling’s back-to-school room resets, we finally got to my oldest grandson’s room. As a pre-teen young man, he is all about gaming and basketball. (He is a huge Raptor’s fan.) Closet cleanout already started. Room Reset Step One…Decluttering of course… It always looks worse before it gets better. The decluttering had already been well under way when…
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Boy’s Room Refresh – Less is More
After doing his sister’s room, my grandson was eager to get his room refreshed before going back to school. His room was twice the size, but he had some massive furniture and a MASSIVE Lego collection. To say it was a little overwhelming was an understatement. After scratching my head about what to do, where to start, we finally came…
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Decorate & Organize a Tiny Girl’s Room – Top Tips
With back to school just around the corner, I thought it would be a great time to help decorate and organize my grandchildren’s rooms. We started with my granddaughter’s tiny room which had already been painted in her favorite pink and purple. Organizing and decorating small spaces can be particularly challenging. Left side of room – Before Right side of…
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Back Patio Refresh 2022 (Budget-Friendly)
This year I finally got around to doing a refresh on my back patio for my guest suite #2. Everyone likes to have a nice place to sit and enjoy the sunset. What can you do to make a special outdoor area for yourself? Even small areas can be transformed to make your own special oasis and be budget-friendly. Back…
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How to Make a DIY Planter Patio Umbrella Stand
I came across this idea to make a patio umbrella stand with a large plant pot on You Tube. My backyard gets unbearably hot in the afternoon and my middle patio area really needed some shade. I also didn’t want to spend a fortune on it and wanted to re-use things I already had. Waste not, want not. Planter Patio…
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Airbnb Guest Suite #2 Updates Before and After
My Airbnb guest suite #2 had the biggest transformation over the last couple of years. From little repairs, to some new furniture and accessories, to a major kitchen renovation. As you enter my Airbnb guest suite #2… First the entrance door was replaced and I got a new screen door. Unfortunately, a windstorm wrecked the hinges on the screen door…
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Airbnb Guest Suite #1 Updates 2022
It’s been a couple of years since I started my Airbnb guest suites and I’ve made a few minor changes to my guest suite #1. Whether someone is coming for work or leisure they like to have a safe, homey place they can stay. New Barbecue. My newest Airbnb update to guest suite #1… I have added a little barbecue…
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Living Room Refresh – Add Accent Wall
With spring just around the corner you might want to refresh your living room with a little paint. It’s amazing what a difference just a little paint can make to a room. Your walls may be scuffed or dinged up or you may be bored with the colour. Paint is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to transform a space.…
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Guest Suite #2 Makeover Part Two – Bedroom Refresh
My guest suite #2 also had a little update in the bedroom this year. It’s amazing what a little paint and a few “new” accessories can do. Some “Before” bedroom makeover pictures… Before makeover Before with antique dresser Corner bedroom – before I had originally painted the pale lilac colour for my mother, but didn’t have time to repaint when…
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Guest Suite #2 Makeover – Part One Bathroom Refresh
This year I began to get my guest suite #2 bathroom refreshed, starting with some subtle repairs and maintenance. Bathroom Refresh Part One… You can’t see it, but the original fan was so noisy it sounded like an airplane upstairs when it was on. I looked into getting a new one but all the new ones required different venting. The…
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IKEA Kitchen Stage Four – Finally Completed!
I didn’t think the day would ever come when I could say the kitchen was finally done, but it is here! If you have followed my blog you will know that I have been renovating it in stages. The big thing I was waiting to do was the floor and then I could finish off the kickboards and trim and…
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Flooring Update! What Not to Do!
When I bought my house seven years ago, it had had a lot of renovations – some good, some not so good. The previous owners had done all of the flooring and they did a very good job with the installation. However some of the selected materials were not so good. Individually they were fine – the ceramic tiles, the…
