Today's Home Improvement Quiz:

Q: How many middle-aged women does it take to paint a tiny bathroom cabinet?
A: 20 would be nice, but I'm still looking for the other volunteers.

Q: How many spiders live behind the plumbing and pipes under the bathroom sink?
A: 12 per square inch.

Q: Are any of them poisonous?
A: I'm not sure, but this may be a moot point as I've already painted over them.

What colour did you paint them, Meredith? Even my brother wants to know...

I bet she spent hours painting little red dots on their black tummies, then put them in a container to show her hubby! Then he'd come in and rescue her and paint the cabinet for her. The end. Well, sort of - don't you believe in Fairy Tales?

Hi, Meredith: Are the spiders frozen in time or did they manage to limp away leaving a trail of paint behind?

the painted spiders are providing wall texture.

I would not want El Hubbo to paint anything because he wouldn't do it right. However, he did clean the kitchen while I scrubbed the bathroom, and he washed the floor this morning, plus he plays chauffeur to the home improvement stores.

The cabinet and trim in this bathroom is vanilla-color. I'll also be floor tiling and want an aqua glass block, but couldn't find exactly what I wanted at Expo so will have to troll for tiles maybe all day Thursday. The good news is, there are ~30 tile stores within 10 miles of here. The bad news is, there are ~30 tile stores within 10 miles of here. As soon as I find the tile, I'll choose my wall paint color, probably a mid-light turquoise, teal or pistachio.

I painted the back bathroom and cabinets last winter. I also need to tile that floor as well, but won't get to it soon.

Aqua glass block? Do you mean those blocks where you can see through, like 3-D? I've seen those in the Canadian Pavilian at a Expo in Germany. They are ausome!
So you must have a streamlined modern bathroom. Can you post a picture?

Hey Meredith,
We're going to be renovating our bathroom soon too.
We can complain to each other!
I'm looking at bisquit colored fixtures, so I'm thinking we're even in the same color range.
The one we want to do is a half bath.

OMGosh...I wish we all lived closer so we could schedule a "help-a-sistah" day. We could go from home to home and help each other with projects. Can you imagine how quickly things could get done?

I have floor tiles I bought for a small bathroom off the Master bedroom. I want to first hang some tongue-n-groove 3/4 way up, paint the cabinet thats in there, paint from the TNG up, new light fixture, then lay the floor. Whew....

I also want to paint my kitchen cabinets, get a new floor in there (it's WHITE now, ick!) and get a new diswasher.

I need to just move.

Meredith, I LOVE the blocked glass look. So 30's/40's....love it!

I love vanilla everything (eating it, looking at it)! It sounds beautiful and you're managing to do tons of work. I painted my apartment when I moved in and love the colors but only went so far since I don't own and didn't want to spend more than necessary. Always wanted my own house so I could paint and decorate for real. Still have the dream and I can live vicariously through y'all!

Oh JJ, I love that idea. Help a Sistah!
If only . . .

Back in college, a gf and I used to schedule cleaning day once a month at each others' house. The task seems so much lighter with someone else there to help.

My house was built in 1976 and we bought it in 1981. Very Southern California suburban tract housing. The first few years I lived here, I painted everything EXCEPT the 3 bathrooms and the kitchen. I did the downstairs tiling with help from Hub and a friend 20+ years ago, and have not done flooring since. It's high time. Carpets are threadbare, but I won't install until it's all painted.

Every winter and some mid-summers, I have a chunk of time when business is slow so I can tackle a project. In the past 5 years, I've re-painted ~75% of the walls. This is the first I've done anything in the upstairs bathrooms, except put in new faucets.

The glass block I'm looking at is frosted/translucent and much thinner than the wall blocks, which I absolutely love. Even so, tiling this little bathroom will run over $300, and I'm doing all the labor. And then there's the medicine cabinet, and the light fixture, and the mirror, and... At least I've already bought the towel racks!

My general decor vision is color-intense, arty, ethnic modern. I don't feel obligated to stick to anyone else's concept of theme. I buy what I love and work from there.

TVC and Jawjaw, any idea when y'all start?

We bought the floor tiles already Meredith and we might start on it in the coming weeks. Right now there is absolutely no tile in there so we won't have any major demolition to worry about.

We have to remove the bowl and sink first though. We had well water here up until last year. Our home was built in the 70's (I think or late 60's) so the bowl has some nasty iron stains that I can't remove. I'll be happy to see it go!

We do all our own labor too, which helps keep the cost down.
We'll buy things as we go along. I'd like a new mirror and light fixture too.

Your glass blocks sound pretty, as does your home's intense color scheme. I'm not brave enough for that. I'm one of those people who are afraid of color. LOL I think that dates back to our first living room sofa, which had intense shades of orange, gold and brown flowers all over it. I was sick of it by year two and we owned that thing until it completely self destructed. Now I keep everything very neutral with a lot of black and beige running through almost every room.

What year is this? I've had the tiles a long time already, so I guess one could say I'm pacing myself.

I'm a cottage, 30's, 40's, kind of person. I love shabby chic, antiques, big overstuffed chairs and lace. I love color but mostly the soft ones, pinks, yellows, and sea greens...Oh and purples, lavenders, etc....and WHITE! Like my bedroom is a soft yellow with a high-back antique bed and tons of pillows, old quilts, and layered dust ruffles. I'm a romantic at heart even though I can't seem to sustain a date! hahaha ... ahem...what the devil am I laughing at?

Right now my first priority is a new couch. Then carpet, then the other stuff. I've worn out everything in this house.

JJ, your bedroom sounds so country -cozy. I have a country bedroom too. And I think you just described my room! I have patchwork blankets as well, and soft yellow and white Laura Ashley wallpaper. Off-white wooden panel boards decorate the lower half of the walls. A large white fan-lamp hangs from the middle of the ceiling.
Then a couple of wicker chairs with cream lacy pillows, two old burros, a large wooden clothes closet and a bookcase are up against the walls. We just had the floor laid out with high polished wooden ship deck slabs, (with real wooden nails). Most of all I love my light airy curtains that billow out when the breeze comes in.
Gee, we could swap bedrooms, and really get confused. Am I home or not? heh?!

JJ, I love shabby chic but nobody sells it in Daytona Beach. I traded the couch I bought at least 20 yers ago with a friend for hers 5 years ago and I'm stuck with it. I won't buy something I don't like just to have something new. I want shabby chic everything!!!!

Oh Hannelore...that sounds just like heaven to me. I love the description you give. I've always wanted (no laughing...)a pink house with white trim....a screened-in back porch with wicker swings at both ends, lots of plants and flowers around....ceiling fans......dogs running everywhere....sigh....

Here's a great link to see all different types of rooms, styles, and the publications they are in:

http://www.cottageliving.com/

Just click on the OPEN UP TO SPACIOUS KITCHENS and then click on the rooms you want to see. Lots of them and all different kinds of styles.

Here is a sample of a house I would LOVE to call my own...don't you love it?

TVC, that orange-gold-brown color scheme was soooo early 70's. When we moved in here, the carpet was orange and brown shag. *GAG* I love orange, but this was certified ugly. Your neutral color scheme sounds soothing. If you ever want to spice it up a bit, buy some bright throw pillows. If you get tired of them, they make great pads when you're gardening!

Jawjaw, that's exactly how I imagined your house! Maybe with a weeping willow in front and a magnolia tree in back. And on the porch, all the boomer gals would be hanging out with tall glasses of iced tea

Saundra, what kind of furniture is in Daytona Beach? You can get just about anything around here, so I'm lucky in that respect.

JJ, thanks for the link...they have beautiful ideas! I think I'll forget about work today and just surf...tee hee.

That country cottage is so like 'Agatha Christie'...don't you think? It's darling. With all the successes coming your way; who knows...never say never! I sure can picture you there, and I can picture us Boomers, just like Meredith said, all coming and visiting, drinking summer cocktails...ah,… iced tee...and fanning ourselves with those over-sized southern fans.

I have a dream too. I would love to have a cottage overlooking the ocean. I got a picture of one next to my computer. It's what I need to motivate me. And I think these dreams keep us young. As long as we are healthy, we are never too old to dream… and never too old to strive for it!

Meredith, if you decorate like you make jewelry, I wnat to live in your home! And it sounds like you do.

Hannelore, I would also love to have a home that overlooks the ocean but every time I seriously think about it, I have a hard time removing myself from our family and friends who live nearby. I would love to decorate a beach house. I would use white, shade of blue and yellow, in the common areas, then be bold with color in the bedrooms. It's fun to think aobut even if it won't happen. Change is so hard for Ross and i since we were both raised in this town and ahve lived in our home for almost 25 years.

I recommend creating a folder and filling it with pictures of lushily decorated rooms so that when the day comes, you're ready to decorate.

Meredith, it's funny that you said my colors were soothing. I've already painted two rooms in my house using the "Serenity" collection of paints from Benjamin Moore.

JJ, I love that picture. Please invite me over when you get that house!

Dotsie, I'd love a beach house too! That would be my dream. And after we had iced tea at JJ's we could all take a swim in "my" ocean.
Pina Colada, anyone?

Hannalore, yours and JJ's bedrooms sound so comfy!

And Saundra, I agree. I won't buy things I don't like either. That's great that you were able to make a trade for a couch.

TVC, I love, love, love, BM paint. It's the best, don't you think? I mean if you're gonna paint, (and who likes to do that?) then you might as well get what you pay for and use the BM paint. BM...hmm..that doesn't sound right. Think I'll spell it out from now on...Benjamin Moore! LOL!

I have NO desire to live on the ocean or any water for that matter. I had a place for years on a river here. Nothing but work. But..............I'm ALL FOR visiting you TVC and sipping on that Pina Colada! Wuhooo!

Dots, when I built a house years ago (another lifetime) I had a note book divided off into rooms with pictures of every single thing I wanted. Talk about a time saver AND a budget reminder. It was wonderful! I still have it. The book, not the house. Sigh.....

Hannelore, I would love to see a pic of your cottage!

I spent 4 hours today in 30 tile stores and I am sooooo burnt out. Also a little bummed --- there is no such thing as large glass floor tile, because it's considered too fragile. And the $200 estimate for the tiny bathroom???? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! That was wall tile, not floor tile. Floor tile is 3x as thick and 3x as expensive. Since I can't get large tiles (which I really wanted), I need to reconsider my plans -- which translates into 4 more hours trolling for tiles on Monday or Tuesday. Maybe large ceramic tiles surrounded by the 1x1 glass? which of course might change my color scheme Bummer.

Hi, Meredith: Have you considered mosaic tiling with 1 x 1's in combination of ceramic and glass? Would that be cheaper and still allow you to get the effect that you want?

Meredith, you got me fascinated with the idea of installing glass floor tiles and found these links that may help you find manufactureres in the States:
http://www.aboutglasstile.com/en/articles/floors-walk-sunshine.php
and
http://www0.shopping.com/xGS-Glass_Floor...earch.yahoo.com

The first time we painted in here, someone told us about a Bejamin Moore color called Opal. We used it and loved it. We have since had to paint the entire unit twice and certain parts even more (due to our flooding "event" not the paint) and we've used that color every time. I love it. When you first look at it in the daylight, it appears to be a soft white, but it takes on the colors in the room. We had a burgany/red rug in the dining and living room area and it took on a pinkish color and a warm glow at night. Now we have tile in the dining room and the same burgandy in the living room and it still looks great. We had that in the bedroom, changed to hunter green for a while. It took on the green and looked totally different in that room. Now we are back to the burgandy in the bedroom. Ben makes a good paint.

Okay JJ, here are pictures of my dream recluse. Would just love to sit out on the deck and write and paint.


...


Actually, I think I got to find that peaceful recluse within myself. I can paint and write everywhere...don't understand why I even need this place; but it is nice to look at.

Oh ye-ahhhh....I love this. Such a gentle place. I can see us up under the porch on extremely hot days...lounging and sipping the julips....then moving to the deck and the sun when needing to grab more energy from the rays. Oh yeah girlfriend...this would work for me!

Feel the breeze? Can't you smell the ocean? I can. Thanks for sharing!

You don't want to see me paint, but I'd love to sit ther and write.

Wouldn't it be fun for all of us to rent a beach house and hang out for a few days together?

JJ, thanks for the eat-my-heart-out site. Drooling now! Love the pic of your dream house. I want it too.

Hannelore, thanks for the links. I appreciate having several brand names that have been created to function as floor tiles, to reference when I go back shopping on Wednesday. The technical pages on installation are also very good. I'm attending a tile installation workshop this Saturday, but it will talk about tiling in general and not just glass or floor.

Louisa, I've never heard of that opal effect in wall paint, but it sounds really lovely, especially the way it changes with the light.

Lola, since this is a once-in-a-lifetime project, I'll pay whatever I need to. I never skimp on household purchases, because aesthetics and durability are so important to me. However, I need to find out if glass floor tiles can support the weight of the toilet.

I'm using Behr paints, which got a very good rating from Consumer Reports.

And I have friends taking bets on when this will all be done

Weight of the toilet, Meredith? I thought you work around it as in cut the tiles to fit then fill with grout. Can't this be done with glass tiles? Gosh, shows you how little I know about DIY.

based on the brand names I got for floor-specific glass tiles, I just got back from another tile store that carries some of those brands. I'm still drooling at the gorgeousness of some of them, but hitting my head over the cost. The floor tiles I've been looking at so far have been $18-22/square' -- these are inching towards $36-48. Youch!

Lola, most DIY projects are on a need-to-know basis. Until I started looking, I had NO IDEA what was involved in choosing glass floor tile. The sturdiness depends on how the glass is made. The more expensive tiles will support a toilet, but the cheaper ones won't.

I've been in 20-30 tile stores this past week, and this is the first one that had glass tile installed on the floor of their showroom. The expensive stuff, natch, but it was so beautiful.

Tomorrow is allegedly my last day looking for tiles. After that, I really need to decide so I can buy the wall paint.

How about some green products - recycled glass. Think it would be as expensive?

recycled green glass:
2x2 $38/sq.'
2x2x2 hexagon $45/sq.'

OUCH! How 'bout recycled plastic?

Meredith,
How far are you from Mexico? Seems like it was somewhere south of Tijuana where I saw the most beautiful glass and clay tiles very cheap.
I took glasses home on the plane from Guadalajara because I saw little children with wagons gathering blue and brown beer bottles to sell to the glass blower who made recycled glasses as I watched. I had to reward that kind of industry somehow. I still love those glasses.

Of course you might need a truck and getting back over the border might be a problem, but it's an idea...

If you do it, I'm sure it will be beautiful.

smile

What a problem? There's a problem getting back and forth across the border? Since when? TEEHEEEEEEEEE....mahahahah...I couldn't resist.

Hey, the problems must be recent, cause I used to cross all the time. Never had a problem. Of course I guess it depends on what you're bringing in.

Even once got across with a half pint of Morphine and a guy with an open IV.

Long scary story, but hilarious. NOW that is.
smile

smile, you going to leave us hanging like that? I want to hear more of that story.

Passports are required now (or, at least soon) to pass over Mexican and Canadian borders. I heard this on the news last night. They made comment about the people on visiting sides and who don't have passports. There will be a grace period so they can get home, if they do it in a timely manner.

I'm 120 miles north of the Mexican border, but since Day 1 I've heard horror stories about people taking their vehicles in. Cars impounded, phony tickets that can only be paid off with huge bribes, etc.

There's a lot of less expensive recycled beach glass tile, great for walls etc., but it hasn't gone through the processing to make it durable enough for floor tile.

I spent 4 more hours today driving around and looking at tile. Wrote down all brand names and style #s. Another headache -- surprise! I believe I'm "tiled out" for the moment -- no more stores -- and I need to look up those companies online and ask which of their lines are for floors. Maybe tomorrow. I've narrowed my selections down to 2 stores.

Could someone explain to me why it seems I go through cycles of preference change? I've painted my dining room red and had oak accessories, for a while I only wanted white or off white walls...for a time I was into light houses and nautical themes...I was into yellow and flowers for a short time..now that I have my own house again, I want to paint my bathroom purple like wine purple and have a cream garden tub and commode. I want my dressing room cream colored with purple accents and the adjoining bedroom khaki tan/sage green trimmed in cream...with purple and cream sheers.
In the past I would have thought that was dreary, now I want that atmosphere.
Any ideas why our tastes can change that dramatically?

Meredith,
You think the tiles are bad, try checking out the prices for the toilets and sinks. Ouch!
Your tile ideas sound so beautiful. I can't wait to see the pics of your finished room.
New leaf,
I think it's normal to change your ideas. If not we'd all get bored with our homes. I pretty much sticke with the same colors but like to add decor changes.

True, but sometimes I think my tastes in colors and themes evolve with differing stages in life and circumstances.

Just a thought. I've known women who have always loved roosters in thier kitchen and by golly, they will always love roosters.

The tiles sound wonderful. That's one of the beautiful things about women and some men, we have such a wonderful bent toward expressing ourselves through our homes.

I have always used a leaf theme in my home. Don't know why I'm drawn to them so much but I am. Anyway, my new bathroom will be no different. I've chosen a tile border for it that has a leaf pattern and just found a toilet paper stand that has a similar pattern. The color scheme is bisquit and the sccessories (and border) are brushed bronze, which is actually black with copper (rust) overtones. Of course I couldn't choose regular (brown) bronze, that would have made finding pieces that go together too easy!

Meredith, how's yours coming along?

Bet all you gals are great at interior decorating. I seem not get a rm. right....which is at odds with my other skills in sewing, enjoyment in photography, painting, etc.

But it must be related to 3-D, spatial skills.

However it's a pleasure to walk into a beautifully and innovatively designed rm.

I DID IT!!!

Yesterday I finally picked out my bathroom tile. Today I bought the paint and primer, and will start priming after lunch. (defined as whenever I finish this post.) Bathroom is already prepped and clean. I'm sooooo excited about this I've been wanting to do it almost forever but work and life keep getting in the way.

Tile arrives in 2 weeks, but then I'm right in the middle of major jewelry sales, so I won't install until early June. My goal is to have the painting done within 1 week.

Paint is brightish turquoise.
four types of tile:
majority is 2x2x2 hexagon pale frosted turquoise recycled glass
bright shiny irridescent turquoise glass 1x2 ovals, running in a swirly pattern throughout. I cut out 150 construction paper rectangles to lay out on the floor to get the pattern, and then took pics.
matching 3/4" bright turquoise circles, which will be installed in random places
sand-colored marble little mosaic pieces, which will fill in gaps where the hexagons don't meet the ovals

Oh yeah, and total cost of tile for this teeny weeny bathroom -- a little over $1,000

If you don't see me for a few days, I'm painting

Meredith, the colors sound wonderful! I hope you'll post pictures!

So happy for you Meredith. I know from your newsletter that this is a very busy time for you. Hope you meet all of your goals. It sounds lovely!

Meredith, you HAVE to post pics when you're done!! What color is the sink, toilet, etc? Did you get rid of those pesky spiders under the sink, or will they be painted turquoise too?

Turquoise; the color fo caribic. You'll never leave that bathroom. Samba Samba!

Meredith,
Your bathroom sounds gorgeous. I hope to see pictures when you get it completed.

I hope you aren't having to take out old tile. We did that and what a job. I'm still cleaning mortar dust out of stuff.

Laurel

Taking a short break here...

Primer finished. Started edging color. Stopped for dinner.

Sink and toilet are boring white. Shower tiles are boring white. I'm really not up to removing existing tiles, so they'll stay until further notice. There are other things I'd like to do in here, but I'm painting and tiling one more bathroom later this summer, and won't have funds to do much else.

I'd really like to replace the mirror, old and flaking around the edges. I'd also LOOOVVVE to replace the counter tops, but again, can't afford construction people to do that work. Speaking of counter tops -- does anyone have any ideas how I can de-uglify faux (formica?) marble? -- Short of plastic explosives, or covering it with a blue tarp. -- The ugly isn't from old age; it's from the previous owners having really hideous taste. The counter top is glued solid into the counters.

Kathy, the spiders have run away and hidden. They probably smelled the paint and decided to relocate to another area of the house. Orange County real estate is pretty steep, even for spiders, so now that they're vested, I doubt they'd move out.

What about contact paper? Remember that from the 70s? We put it on the panels of our bedroom doors, covered our trash can, dresser tops, etc. Mom and Dad weren't real happy but we did it anyway.

Dotsie, contac paper is ...not...quite...me.

Mitzkity, fixtures are white. Cabinets are painted vanilla. Death-ugly faux marble countertops are swirly beige tones. What kind of paint would you use?

I was hoping to finish Saturday but I got a migraine, probably from the combined straining my neck back to do the ceiling, and staring into the light fixtures too much.

http://www.gardenandhearth.com/PaintandWallpaper.htm

Meredith,
If you go to the site I've posted above and click on one of the recent discussion' linkstowards the bottom of the page, you will be in a discussion forum for the paint and wallpaper lady at Garden and Hearth. I'd start a new topic there about the formica. (I don't think she has an article for that one yet) Anyway, she is a professional painter and she is just wonderful. Her name is Carina and she has helped me out many times before. It may take her a day or two to get back to you if she's busy but if there's a way to paint formica, I know she will know how to do it.

You can also post a question at the bottom of any page, at the questions link but that may take a bit longer as it has to process through the site editors before being published.

For anyone with paint problems or questions, check out her articles. She's really good!

My next door neighbors painted their bathroom countertops. They sanded them down, then painted them, then put a sealer of some sort down. You couldn't tell it was painted either. They did a nice job. The hubby was a painter anyway so he knew what he was doing.

Thanks Robin and JJ. I don't even know if I want to paint the counters, but I'm not sure if there are many options. I submitted a question to the paint lady at Garden and Hearth. If I do decide to paint the counter, it would have to be something creative, not just a flat color.

Even knowing the price of the floor tile, Hubbo still wants to buy a new big mirror. One less piece of ugly YAYYYYY!

And as of 1:30pm today, the painting in this bathroom is DONE!

At least until we buy the new mirror, and then I'll have to paint behind the old one, but that's pretty minor.

Meredith you work circles around me. All I did yesterday was put together a push mower. Tomorrow I might even put gas in it.

We have vinyl siding so no outdoor painting for me!
Meredith your bathroom is coming along quickly. Good for you!

Meredith, you've been on a roll since attending the Booming Women Conference. Does any of this have to do with what you learned there?

I am focused on gardening now that the weather is changing. Nothing will get done inside until fall. I can't help myself. I've got to be out there.

Dotsie, what I got there was the energy and momentum to do all that cleaning/filing stuff I wrote about last month. Getting rid of the old weights so I could move forward.