Although tweaks occur on a daily basis, most of the holiday decorating is complete. Last week, I shared our driveway entry gates and front porch and today, I welcome you inside our home for a holiday home tour.

The Front Hall

The front hall is full of fresh cedar garland and red plaid ribbons. In previous years, the garland on the bannister was wrapped with string lights and this year I chose not to do so, changing it up a bit.

In a corner beside the front door, a 7 foot tree is decorated in all things forest/outdoors~from owls and bears to pine cones and hiking boots. This small tree provides lots of sparkle at night and sets the mood for the holiday.

My husband has all the holiday lights on a remote control so within seconds we can illuminate several rooms.

The Living Room

The large fireplace is the focal point of the room. A deep mantel allows for lots of material. I combine fresh cedar garland, magnolia leaves and faux greens and berries. Since the living room colors are cream and blue, there are blue and white pots that hold bright red amaryllis on each end.

As we get closer to the 25th, the tulipieres on the coffee table will be full of fresh red roses and carnations.

Several battery operated candles and strings of lights provide a warm glow.

A fragrant Christmas tree stands in the corner, but as of yet, it is not decorated. This generally happens around my husband’s birthday on December 13th.

The true meaning of Christmas is reflected in the Nativity scene located on top of the baby Grand piano. Baby Jesus makes an appearance on Christmas morning.

Here’s the view from the foyer into the living room. Fresh cedar garland and red plaid ribbons adore each doorway.

The Dining Room

For years, I struggled with using Christmas colors in the dining room. When I finally make the decision to work with the colors in the rug, I now love the tones of blush and greens here.

Various bottlebrush trees in blues, greens and blush give height to the mantel. These were purchased from Pier 1 Imports a few years ago. The faux snowy tree is in a coral orchid pot from Dear Keaton. It is also available on Overstock for a few dollars less. I love the vintage Virgin Mary in the oval cloche stand which is a thrift store find.

On the buffet, the silver tea service sparkles with blush ornaments tucked about.

Nearby on a pedestal dish is a set of Christmas coffee cups.

Upholstered slipcovered chairs are adorned with preserved boxwood wreaths and a satin pink ribbon. Wreaths are from Ballard Designs and worth the purchase as you can use them year after year.

The Breakfast Room

If you missed my post last week, here is a picture of our breakfast room fireplace. Christmas art replaces the oil painting that hangs above the fireplace the balance of the year. Lighted trees, garland, pinecones, red ornaments complement the red/white beaded garland with tassels.

Family Room

Each year we hang artificial wreaths on the windows using a grommet system my husband created (you can see that post here). Behind the sofa we add two lighted trees which are really stunning at night. A lucky after season purchase, these trees are heavily discounted. With the newly reupholstered sofa (and a dog and cat that love sleeping on it), I use a holiday quilt to protect the new fabric.

All these layers remind me a bit of an English cottage feel~plus the cover keeps the sofa clean. Holiday pillows and quilt are from Pottery Barn

Last year, I did a holiday painting of our cat, Donovan. It sits on a brass art stand on the end table near the sofa.

On a nearby chest a holiday vignette of books wrapped in plaid paper, silver beads and a white pitcher with greens, adds more Christmas to this room.

The same plaid wrapping paper is on small boxes under the faux tree. The decanters on the brass tray have bells, pinecones and holiday greens. I love small lamps tucked into various places to provide a warm ambiance to the vignette.

The Kitchen

I certainly have way too many holiday towels, but it’s fun to hang them on the handles of the double ovens.

Above the gas range, the small shelf is ideal for decorating with Santas and artwork.

On the kitchen island, is a glass two tiered bakers display. It is fun to decorate it seasonally and each year I change it up a bit. By its side, is a short frosted artificial tree that is full of kitchen related ornaments.

I hope you enjoy seeing a bit of our holiday home. Thank you so much for joining me today. Happy Tuesday!

October is the month I designate to assess the condition of the house and make a long list of things to do. I cannot take credit for this idea. Years ago, a neighbor with a busy family lived in one of the most beautiful homes on the street. Yet when you went inside, you didn’t see all the normal dings, dents and scratches on the door frames, baseboards or walls. Their home always looked new and fresh. When I asked their secret, they told me that every October they touch-up paint and fix all the damaged and broken things around the house.

Ever since then, I designate October Repair Month. It typically takes all month to finish the list, and then the house is fresh and ready for the holidays.

Touch Up Paint/Fix Chips and Dings

I always find it a bit astounding that we incur so many paint chips during the year. Plus having pets increases the likely hood of a scratched door or baseboard.

Keeping paint handy for the small touch-up jobs makes the process easier. Normally if I am looking for an old can of paint, the contents are usually dried out or it’s impossible to open the can. Mason jars filled with each room’s paint color (both wall and trim) is an easy go-to.

Larger paint jobs may require the skill of a professional painter, but armed with a small paint brush, I generally tackle these touch-ups myself.

When it comes to plaster or dry wall, I do feel confident to mend minimal dings. As you may recall, I taught myself how to plaster when renovating the back staircase…it’s sort of like frosting a cake. To see that major project, click here.

It is actually time to touch up the painted steps which are showing a few bare spots. The middle of the wooden steps is navy and the edges are white. The jars of paint are located in the nearest cabinet to the back staircase~such a time saver.

Replacing Light Bulbs

When we were restoring our home over 20 years ago, recessed can lights with incandescent bulbs were the only option. Now it is almost difficult to find them on the store shelves.

With the recent pool house remodel, we had all the incandescent can lights replaced with LED self contained ones. The new LED lights have a switch located on the back of the fixture, the user can choose from a range of five color temperatures 2700K – 5000K.

I would love to replace all our incandescent ceiling lights with this LED technology, but at $22 each, it will be a big investment (not including labor to install). My kitchen alone has 13 can lights. The challenge is if you replace your light bulbs one at a time, the temperatures of the lighting may vastly differ. So when you change out your lightbulbs, make sure they are all the same illumination.

Cleaning Upholstery, Cushion covers

The three chairs at the kitchen island have Pierre Deux cushion covers. For some reason, I don’t seem to notice when they get dirty. When I finally look (really look) and silently think how gross, then off they go into the washing machine.

The same goes for the slipcovered chairs in the dining room and any other slipcover in the house.

These Ballard Design slipcovers work beautifully in the dining room and wash well. To see what the chairs looked like beforehand, click here. Big improvement.

For upholstered pieces, you have heard me rave about The Little Green Bissell. I love this machine and it really does a great job on both upholstery and carpeting.

Here is an upholstered chair in the pool house with heavens only knows what type of stain.

With this little portable cleaning machine, I am able to remove ALL the stains.

Really Clean in High Places

Sometimes just a good old fashioned deep cleaning does the trick. Once a year I get up on a ladder and dust, scrub and wash items that are above my head.

Here in the kitchen, there is a decorative shelf above the cooking area. Things look relatively clean in this photo, right?

But, due to the location of the shelf, it is dusty, and sticky from kitchen activity. I remove all objects and wash everything. Then using a solution of Krud Kutter and water, I wipe down the shelf and adjacent raised paneling. This Krud Cutter cleaner/degreaser is a must for deep cleaning. Next I will tackle the stove top, stove vent and tile.

Maybe I need to clean this shelf more than just once a year since it doesn’t take much for it to get dusty again.

Washing Windows, Curtains and Rugs

After a dry and dusty summer, all the windows need a good cleaning. During the pandemic my husband and I did this project and I can honestly say, I prefer to hire someone to do this. If we had big panes of glass, it would be one thing, but with numerous window panes, it is very tiring and time consuming.

I like this foaming glass cleaner from Sprayway. You can find it at Costco or at Amazon here.

A new project this month is to figure out a way to wash the 5 sets of Roman shades in my kitchen. I will need to research to see if I can do this easily. If anyone has done this before, please let me know how it is done.

I am hoping to machine wash them on a gentle cycle, but I may need to take them to a dry cleaner?

It is easy to maintain the cotton washable rugs in the kitchen. Any rug that needs professional cleaning is slowly being taken to Organic Living here in town. They do a fabulous job with a non-toxic cleaning system and we are very happy with the results.

It’s also a good time to check rugs for any damage or deterioration and replace if necessary.

Other Repair/Refresh ideas for your home

• Hose off the outside of the house and patios
• Fix any leaky faucets or running toilets
• Replace any dead bedding plants
• Replace any dead interior plants
• Declutter Counters
• Wipe down/wash light fixtures
• Clean oven in time for holiday preparation

After writing this, I hope you won’t judge me on the dirty corners of my home. Sometimes it is tough to keep up with just the everyday maintenance, not to even mention the big projects that need attention as well. But my theory is that if I get everything looking spiffy before November, then I can enjoy more time with my family and friends during the holidays.

I try to do many of these tasks myself, but it is okay to hire people to help. Everyone can use some extra cash and if it lightens the load, why not?

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

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A few weeks ago, in two separate garbage piles, I found Adirondack chairs and a small table. Typically I do not look for junk furniture in someone else’s trash, but I do love a good Adirondack chair. Several new Adirondack chairs are made with a high density polyethylene and can be pricey. So when an opportunity presents itself, what’s the worst that can happen? If the chairs are in really bad condition, then all I need to do is throw them out again.

Before~The Trash

Here is the chair I found in the alley. I do hate it when people use alleys for a dump site (very irresponsible). Behind the chair is the small table.

The second chair was sitting in a pile across the street during bulk trash pickup. I spotted it pulling out of our driveway on the way to an appointment and my sweet husband went and got it for me.

Even though the chairs are different in style, I think, once refinished, they will look lovely together.

Chair Repairs

Both chairs need new slats as they are either warped or split due to knots in the wood. This repair is rather easy by purchasing popular boards of similar size from Home Depot.

With this chair back repair, my husband uses the damaged piece as a template to cut a new one.

Sanding and Prep Work

The white chair has a plasticky paint that requires a good sanding job. Meanwhile, the other chair’s paint is nearly gone. Sanding will help knock off the old blistered remaining paint.

Make sure you wear eye,skin and respiratory protection while sanding old paint. Since I don’t know the age of these chairs, nor the type of paint, I do not need any fine sand to end up on me. Not attractive, but using safety glasses, mask and gloves are essential.

What Grit Sandpaper to Use?

It’s important to use the right grit of sandpaper to get the finish you want. Here is a handy guide to know the grit levels and what they accomplish.

Using a hand sized (palm) sander is perfect for this project. It is lightweight and easy to maneuver. I start with 60 grit paper to knock off the old paint, and then finish with a finer grit of 120.

Getting Ready for Paint

After sanding is complete, I wipe down each chair to remove any dust or debris. With the new wood slats and nearly bare wood everywhere else, the next step is using a good primer.

After consulting with the painting expert at Sherwin Williams, my husband purchases this Extreme Bond Primer which is a urethane modified acrylic. You can use this for both interior or exterior. I like that I can wash the brushes and all the paint on me with soap and water!

The paint glides on easily and both chairs only require one coat of primer.

Based on the manufacturer’s suggested drying time, the chairs dry rather quickly (also helps that it is 100+ degrees outside!).

Final Coats of Paint

Since we will more than likely take these chairs up to our cabin in the mountains, we decide on a color that will look good in the forest. The paint expert recommends this waterbed alkyd urethane in semi-gloss. Color is Foxhall Green #9184, which is more of a blackish-green.

Each chair needs two coats. Since I haven’t finished prepping the small table (needs more sanding), that part of the project is still incomplete.

The newly cut pieces for each chair are painted separately and affixed once they are dry enough to handle.

Since this paint will be very durable, the manufacturer’s drying time is several days. We put the newly painted chairs on the back terrace where they get the daily heat but not direct sun or rain.

Trash to Treasure

Though a bit more work than I expected, we are very happy with having two “new” Adirondack chairs.

Here is the one with the replacement back slat (found in the alley).

And here is the one that needs new seat slats (found across the street).

Cost of the Project

So, is it worth it to rescue someone else’s trash and turn it into your treasure?

Here’s a breakdown of the costs:

• Chairs/table ~ free
• Popular slats ~ $9.96
• Birch board ~ $19.53
• Primer~we bought a gallon, but a quart would easily do it. Approx.$20
• Paint~ we bought a gallon, but a quart would do it. Approx $20
• Sandpaper~ we had on hand

Approximately total is $70.00; so $35.00 per chair.

Granted we didn’t figure our time, but we spent a few hours for about 3 days to prep and paint 2 chairs.

Before and After Side by Side

Once I finish the table, I will share that with you too.

Have a Happy Tuesday, friends! It is so much fun to share these projects with you.

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The mudroom is perhaps the most used, and abused room in our home.  Located right off the back door of the house, the mud room is also adjacent to the kitchen, laundry room and library. This small room has 4 doors and a back stair case up to the 2nd floor.

The Before

Here is a “before the restoration” picture. Stained linoleum floors, security bars on the window and a Norman Bates style elevator adds to the creepy vibe in this room In adding a new kitchen, we are able to increase the square footage and have a much better mud room floor plan.

The After

Where the old window above the wash sink was, is the new entrance to the back of the house. I just love Dutch doors for their charm and function. Some of these pictures are taken around the holidays so look past the decorations.

Flooring

This room is designed to withstand a steady stream of muddy feet, wet bathing suits, dogs, cats, and sometimes chickens (when one is ill).  The stone floor, a blue slate, holds up beautifully to lots of traffic.

A 2′ x 3′ washable cotton rug from Dash & Albert is rarely clean for long but is surviving multiple washings. The 5′ x 8′ diamond natural sisal rug is from Ballard Designs and still looks new. You can find it in two colors here.

The Desk Area

Originally this area is designed as an additional desk/office space. However, with a 10 foot long countertop that is accessible to the entire family, it became clear that keeping this a personal office space would prove difficult.

Instead, it is an active craft room area. Flat plastic boxes in the cubbies below hold everything from decorative paper to stencils. The green fabric boxes are filled with inspirational catalogs and magazine.

The cabinet doors open up to create a proper knee hole, but close to hide anything stored beneath.

Mail slot cubbies hold cards and stationery. Galvanized buckets from Ikea capture all the pens, pencils and markers.

My ribbon tree is handy for quick gifts. To see how I made this, click here.

Storage Areas

To the right of the Dutch door, there is a broom closet which houses all the cleaning supplies, batteries, light bulbs, vacuum cleaner and tool box. As you can see this 9′ x 15′ room wears many hats.

The kitchen is to the right of the hat rack.  Santa hats go up in the day after Thanksgiving and are removed after January 6 (the Epiphany). The rest of the year the rack is used for every day hats. The cow wall art is a gift from my friend, Gwen.

Command Central

As we move around the room, to the right of the kitchen door, is command central.

All the brains/technology to the house are located in the top 3 cabinets.  The doors have metal screens for mechanical ventilation.

The cabinets and doors are painted a Dunn Edwards Cottage White SP113 semi-gloss and the walls are the same color in satin. Polished nickel pull and handles are used on all the cabinets.

All the equipment is on sliding metal racks for easy access and maintenance.

Gift Wrapping area

Below the mechanical equipment and behind the middle oblong cabinet is the gift wrapping center.

Flanking the gift drawer are several smaller drawers labeled accordingly for miscellaneous items~scissors, tape, glue gun, and ribbon pieces.

Laundry Folding and Gift Wrapping Spot

When we initially designed this room, we hoped to have the washer and dryer beneath this countertop. But the basement staircase is interfering with this space.

Instead we add this pull out table surface as the laundry folding area or a place to wrap gifts. The drawer pulls out when needed and provides a nice, large flat work surface.

The narrow upper cabinet is where various rolls of ribbon are stored.  What a good use of a typically wasted space!

Back Staircase

When you keep going to the right from the command center and gift wrapping area, you reach the back staircase. Here is a picture of it before the renovation in early 2021.

Here is how it looks today. Much cleaner and brighter. To see that complete (lengthy) project, click here.

Laundry Room

Tucked behind the pocket door to the right of the back staircase is our primary laundry room and half bath.  Even though we have an additional washer and dryer upstairs, this laundry room gets the most use.

With a laundry shoot from our master closet, all the dirty clothes land in the basket against the headboard wall.

Library Entrance and Ironing area

Moving past the laundry room, our next stop is the library room entrance and the small area at the end of the long countertop. See the cabinet mounted to the wall? This is one of two ironing boards which is conveniently located next to the laundry room. The other ironing board is in our master closet.

The artwork is now different in this room as all the black and white photos have been removed and an original painting put in its place.

Out of all the rooms in the house, I feel like the mudroom is the most versatile and utilitarian.

Of course, our Maine coon cat, Donovan, likes to sit in the office chair. My little helper.

Thank you for taking the time to read another edition of Room by Room. If you have missed any others, you can find the links below.

Room by Room Series:

A Peek into Our Library

The Wine Cellar

The Butler’s Pantry

The Front Hall

The Master Bedroom

The Living Room

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Here it is nearly mid-September and I long for the autumn weather in our lingering hot climate. It’s a time of year when the property looks tired from the heat and the monsoon storms. Window sills are dusty and spiders and crickets have left their webs and nests in multiple corners. However, there isn’t much to be done yet about outside work~too hot and multiple possible dust and monsoon storms remaining.

However, in spite of summer like conditions, it’s time to do some simple things inside to mentally transition to autumn.

1. Fall Smells

There are many ways you can make your home smell like fall. Scents that come to mind are apples and apple cider, pumpkin spice, coffee roasting and bread baking. I just ordered the Fall Bundle of candles from the Antique Candle Company with scents of: pumpkin spice, fall harvest, cozy cabin, and autumn woods. Once they arrive, I will let you know if they smell as good as they sound. As I am writing this, I have a Freshly Roasted coffee candle glowing by my computer.

Just so you know, currently I am not an affiliate so I do not get any stipend for sharing their candles.

Or if you prefer a much longer burning (200 hours!) candle, I also love Spiced Apple by Rosy Rings. This candle is so beautifully designed. Actually back in 2017 I wrote an entire blog post about this candle. You can see it here.

Stove top potpourri for the fall is so easy to make. My guess is that you already have many of the ingredients, but the beauty is you can create your own recipe. For fall, I like to use apple cider, sliced apples, cloves, cinnamon sticks, an old vanilla bean, and cardamon (either pods or ground). The apples are from our orchard harvest in June and are a bit wrinkly; the cider is past its sell by date and the vanilla bean is a bit dried up. Simmer it all on the stove or in a crock pot and your home will smell like a crisp morning in October.

2. Slipcovers

I cannot wait to tell you all about the rebuilding/reupholstering of my ancient sofa. We just picked it up today and I am so happy with the results. When I purchased the sofa back in 2001, slipcovers by the same manufacturer were relatively affordable. As a result, I have 4 of them~three denims in natural, a pale yellow denim, and cranberry plus a sage green velvet.

With a busy family and lots of pets, being able to remove and wash a slipcover has been a blessing. Now 22 years later, some of the slipcovers are in poor condition (mostly pet damage). With the new upholstery I also have a new natural denim slipcover! This a great way to change up the look of your sofa or chairs by season.

Remember how I added slipcovers to my yard sale chairs for the dining room? If not, you can read it here.

You can find slipcovers online or a local seamstress may be able to make them for you.

3. Pillows

It’s so easy to add a decorative, fall pillow to your furniture. Once you buy the insert, then the sky is the limit on how many seasonal covers you need to decorate by season.

I often use decorative pillows near the entrances of the house. There is a large selection with Amazon here or you can find them with an online search with Etsy or from many retailers.

Target has a nice selection under the Threshold (Studio McGee) name like this one. You can find it online here for $15.00.

4. Use Natural Materials

If you are fortunate to have leaves turning beautiful colors in your area, gather them and put together a natural arrangement. Or this can be done with faux fall leaves also, for those of us without colorful deciduous trees.

It is a great time of year to collect natural grasses, leaves, and pinecones. You can do so much with what may be in your backyard or neighborhood. In 2020, I wrote a post about how to make your 2 different fall wreaths using natural materials. You can see it here.

My friend, Rachel, from The Ponds Farmhouse, makes this pretty fall wreath using fresh leaves she collected. You can see how she preserves the leaves here.

5. Throws or Blankets

There are so many affordable, attractive throws available in all sorts of colors. Depending on whether your fall palette is colorful or neutral, the thought of cozying with a blanket is definitely a fall behavior.

I use throws inside and out. Here’s one on our front porch that I change up every season.

I am so amazed at how affordable this cable knit one is from the Studio McGee line (Threshold) at Target. I have this one in blush but it comes in 5 colors for only $24.99. Find it here.

6. Bring out Seasonal artwork

Since our wall space is very limited due to all our windows and doors, I rotate seasonal pieces of art throughout the house.

If you don’t have any seasonal artwork, there is a plethora of autumn images you can download from the internet. Here is a sweet one from Anderson + Grant and you can find it here.

And how adorable is this vintage pear acrylic painting from Craftberry? You can find out how to download it here.

7. Get a jump on making fabric pumpkins

With this easy DIY, you can truly make fabric pumpkins in any color to go with your decor.

Last year I made fabric pumpkins to go with the tones in my dining room rug. I love how these pumpkins turned out. If you save your pumpkin or gourd stems from year to year, then it is easy to hot glue them onto your fabric pumpkins.

You can search the internet on how to make fabric pumpkins, or I have a quick tutorial on the ones I made back in 2020. You can see it here.

8. Hallmark Movies for Autumn Vibes

If all else fails, according to Collider, here are the top 7 Hallmark movies to get you in the autumn mood.

• Under the Autumn Moon (2018)
• Harvest Love (2017)
• Pumpkin Pie Wars (2016)
• October Kiss (2015)
• Love, Fall and Order (2019)
• Roadhouse Romance (2021)

or check out the current Hallmark movies on Saturday nights.

If you are living in a climate that is still rather hot, I hope this post gets you in the mood for fall. Thanks for joining me today!

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