Goo Gone!

In the spirit of Halloween ... Goo rhymes with Boo. Goo is the essence of haunted houses. I'll post my kids costumes later on; for now I have a story of immediate success and accomplishment...

My oven has been installed for exactly a year. The sticky marks left over from the packaging have also remained on the stainless steel panel for a year.  Did they bother me. Absolutely! Ugly and unfinished looking. But was I worried? Not so much.  Sometime during the few years of my blog reading days I had read about a product made just for this kind of thing. In the back of my mind, I knew some day I would deal with this unjust sight. And yesterday, on our last minute Halloween costume making dash through A.C. Moore, while trying to find the two things I needed to make a costume and returning to the shelves, 3 stuffed animals, one puppet and some yellow yarn that Lucy had added to the cart, my eyes landed upon a display rack at the end of an aisle containing various sizes of bottles and tins and different brand names all containing that Golden Liquid. The time had come.

Mulling over the different options, and a convincing discussion with the sales clerk I was sold. The golden liquid was mine; a clean surface waiting to happen.

And it did. 30 seconds of application and then a soapy water rinse and the stainless steel panel was sparkling like new. Now I walk by and smile at the ease it took to make the panel gleam. Unfortunately there are no other surfaces in my home that require GOO GONE, but it claims it removes clothing stains as well. And I got a lot of that to test the golden liquid.

This is not a sponsored post, but I wouldn't be opposed! :) The stuff does work, and I went with the brand that the sales clerk had used.

Kitchen

Sometimes I look at the blogger stats and click on the links to see where views have come from. When there are widget links, I follow them to my old posts, to see what interests a reader. AND OMG, the links that take me to the in process kitchen renovation photos kill me. I die. Did we really live amongst all that stuff. The family room filled with all the shiny new kitchen appliances and IKEA boxes. Aye, nuts. But thankfully, a year and more later, a home that has more sense and belonging. I wont link to those disturbing pictures, they are easy to find in the links below the post.

There is frost on the ground and it's time to call the contractor to help install the pantry, which has taken over the dining room. And the open shelves above the kitchen sink, which have been leaning against a wall behind a door for half the year. 

Above, a view to the kitchen from the living room. The large kitchen drawers and IKEA SVEP hardware. The hardware that was discontinued before I bought the last two handles I need for the pantry *groan*.  I suppose that allows me to get creative and find a different solution for pantry door hardware.

Another kitchen angle - before and after

WOW! I got rid of the bathroom door and replaced it with a slider. Removed the huge rotting window and replaced it with french doors (which had to be custom ordered to fit).  New tile (NOT ON TOP - yuck). Tore out the vinyl flooring down to subfloor ... no way I could handle tiling on top, not with knowing how filthy it would have been undearneath.  (This before picture shows the water damaged door (which was on the bottom of the cabinets too). The vinyl floor, hideous.

By getting rid of the bathroom door (that was never shut), light was able to flood the space. French doors and balcony give us much needed access to outdoors.

A kitchen angle - Before and after

Organizing my photos into categories, I came across a move in day photo of the kitchen. I always wondered why before pictures look so bad, like one is purposefully making the before worse then it is in order to accentuate the after. But now I get it, I wasn't thinking of documenting a kitchen reno on move in day, just was taking pictures and unloading boxes.

These are all taken from the dining room, same angle. You can see we tore out all the lower and upper cabinets. Got rid of the angled stove (I didnt like that at all). Moved the position of the sink. Got rid of the half wall that was separating an unused area.  The idea was to make the kitchen brighter and more spacious. I think I achieved that. The old cabinets were dark and water damaged. The white cabinets and lack of upper cabinets make the area more spacious and lighter.  The wrap around counter provides much needed counter space, which the before kitchen lacked.

One day Ill get some real after pictures.... but for now, I thought this was an good reminder of what was and what is.

Old wood plank

After testing the old barn wood plank with tung oil versus a walnut stain, I decided that I prefer the colour that the tung oil brings out.  The walnut stain was too dark and brown for my liking, I like the redish tones that the oil enhances and a wet look. It is also a closer match to the exotic piece of wood above the cooktop, which is also covered in tung oil.

Its an old wood plank that my contractor dug up in his 100 year old barn.  I first washed it with water and a scrub brush. Scrubbed it until my fingers froze. Then I brought them in to dry. Hauled a piece upstairs to test the tung oil, applied on the top side. Above right is the first day, but it slowly got darker each day. 

The original rough cut appears on the sides, smooth on one side and the original, large markings on the other side. I poured the oil directly onto the wood and after trying to spread it with a fabric remnant, I decided that using my fingers to spread the oil was most effective.  No splinters so far! And then I spread the access with fabric - I had a piece of thick ticking. Once this settles, I'll flip and do the other sides.

I bought some simple black brackets to support the planks and once the tung oil settles and the smell disperses (a few weeks -  I did testing (and the rest of it) in my dining room (roll eyes) and the smell lingers!)) I'll hang them above the sink.

And to get an idea of what it will look like ... the plates. I cannot wait to have a proper and convenient place for my dishes!

A painting diatribe

Well not really. Im not going to raise my voice or get too passionate about it. But do you rinse your paint brushes between coats?

I always do. I have a fear of the paint drying and hardening on the bristles and I don't want to toss a favourite brush.  I'm not sure of the time allowed for a brush to sit and become unuseable. I may return to painting quickly or I may get side tracked and start another project. Sometimes I'm washing the brush and then return to paint 30 minutes later. Its a drag though, because water invariably drips down the wall.

Speaking of sidetracked, I got sidetracked testing paint samples. I bought three+ samples for the bathroom, 4 different whites for somewhere and a couple of tinted shades of white for anything else. A gallon for my bedroom. What I really needed to do was finish that one portion in the kitchen. Can't put up the shelves until I paint. So I gave my self an ultimatum.

I took a day for the task. I took the time to set up. Found some music. Gathered my tools and stool. Spent a few minutes taping the counters. Don't want splatters on the soapstone (learned that from the primer stage). Laid down the old towel and green airplane blanket. And then I end up painting the unprepped side. That is how my brain works.

I don't need to paint this close to my sink or counter as eventually a back splash will be mounted, but just in case that's a year later, I took no chances and went to the bottom.

My favoured painting tools. A few small brushes. The free wooden sticks that come with paint and metal can opener. I bought too many can openers' over the years before giving this small but very effective tool the respect it deserves. A stool and airplane blanket. Where's the roller you ask? I don't like to use them. I don't like the little micro clumps&dimples of paint pattern that it leaves on the wall. And although efficient, its often unruly and hits the next wall over or the ceiling or....   Small brushes for me.  My first all time favourite was an ACE brand, 2".  Eventually it died. I must have left it in a bucket of shallac.

Then I bought that stunted handle brush. ITs OK. My fingers cramp up so I don't love it. But that's the only angled brush I have right now and its working well for cutting in. And painting everything in between.

The little one has become my favourite.  Maybe a 1" brush. Found in a paint tray and roller kit.  Its not angled and its great for cutting in. Im learning the finer points of applying pressure and maneuvering the bristles. Sometimes cheapest simplest is the best.

And the widest one was great for the chalkboard door.  But a little on the heavy side.

A lot of painting going on around here.  Perhaps I'll make a meme and call it Month of Painting. Kitchen almost completed. Chalkboard sliding door done. Trim, frames and baseboard touch ups all around. Test painting in dining room and stairway. Next up bedroom.

The key to painting and liking it is figuring out the tools that work great for you.  I say this with experience now. ;). Its all in the timing and brush. All the painting I have done recently has been with brushes and I think hope the strokes are therapeutic and healing for my injured shoulder. Reminds me of Karate Kid 1.

Since the counters were semi emptied, I decided to oil them. The oil on soapstone is mostly to enrich the colour over time. It doesn't protect it from scratches and knicks, but it does look shiny and pretty. Until the cat walks across it.

And since pictures of a painted white wall are not all that exciting ... how about the knitted wash cloth. Owls, so last year, except I bought it several years ago in a little craft market! Knitted by a Nova Scotian blind, 80 year old woman. Now that's inspiring.

Music listened too while painting: 2 rounds Bebel Gilberto and 2 rounds of Tom Waits, The Early Years and the kitchen painting is done.

Do you listen to music when you paint or do you enjoy hearing the strokes of a brush? Do you wash your brushes in between coats?

Kitchen update: Knobs

Another productive day with the contractor. For KNOBs you ask? Well yes. He is good company and can measure and drill faster them me.

In fact, he emailed the other day, wanting to replace the battery in my smoke alarm. The last time he was here he spotted the dangling, broken battery and lectured me.  He was looking for a day away from his home, so I compiled a list of little nitty gritty things for him to do; thresholds, replace broken glass in window, knobs (why not, it was a task for me that I never got around to doing), kitchen shelves, a coat rack and replace battery.

I couldn't find guidelines or standards for knobs although learned from my BIL kitchen installer 2 inches down and 2 inches in for a door front.  I have seen many many different options in stores and pinterest and magazines; knobs on upper cabinets, handles on base.  Knobs on pantry doors; long handles sideways on drawers. So many options. No rules.  I finally chose the IKEA Svep knob for all the doors and drawers. And handles for the 36" long drawers. I liked the wrought iron look of them.  And although I have had the knobs since Christmas and the task was meant for me,  I only started measuring this morning.  I quickly turned it over to contractor. He didn't have a full range of drill bits so we took a run to Lowes for some bits and material.  And, you see below, I need to take another 4hour trip to IKEA for one more package. I'm short two knobs. (I had bought the IKEA drill template and opted to go 4 holes down, which was the center of the drawer frame, not quite 2 inches)

The knobs work, I no longer need to worry about grimy finger markings on the side of the drawers and doors.

While we knocked off a few other things on the list, my task list grew: 

Along with having to buy paint for the baseboards, I'll need stain for the thresholds he made for me today. Two entrances into kitchen, two thresholds. He cut and beveled the oak pieces. And I get to stain them.  I'm leaning towards a black/dark gray stain, to tie into the smokey gray tile.

I have been searching for old barn wood planks to use as upper shelving above the sink. So happens my contractor has an old barn on his lot and he dug up this long piece of wood, just long enough to cut into two shelves. He thinks they are 100 years old. My job, scrub and clean the 100 year old dust and chicken poop off of them. And then gloss them up with tung oil.   While he beveled the thresholds, I scrub the soon to be reclaimed wood. I scrubbed and watered until my fingers froze. These guys are really heavy and cleaning up nicely. More on the shelving to come.

And a "Necessity is the mother of invention" idea; tired of my small vestibule and pile of jackets on the butterfly chair, I decided a row of hooks on my living room wall was needed. Got the wood up today. More painting to do. UGH. Contractor pre-drilled the hook holes in the wood for me, so when I paint over it, I can still see the markings. No excuses to delay. This idea just materialized the other day, so am anxious to see how the living room evolves ...

La Toilette

After the baseboards and trim were installed last week, I was tasked with a painting job. Not my favourite task, as I've complained before. But when FUN is involved, that amps up the motivation and determination.  Fun?.

Base boards and trim, finishing touches. ooh la la

And today, while all the stars and moons were aligned for precise painting and Lucy was at daycare, I was able to crack open the chalkboard paint and finally get at it.  And since the baseboards and trim are kind of in the way, they some of them got a couple of coats of primer too.  Should give me some motivation to finish them, later on.

If you zoom in one may notice I didn't bother painting the edge around the door. And its quite obvious my focus stopped right at the corner where sliding door meets french door. And the baseboards in the bathroom, they were ignored too.  And company, the cat trying to get to the sink to drink her water. And later in the day, when I gambled a third coat with a present Lucy. Well, it all worked out.

The door. The sliding door is a perfect place for a chalkboard.  And it looks great. One thin coat of primer, 3 coats of black chalkboard paint.  And three days for curing (so says this brand) and then I can scribble La Toilette on the master piece, lest any one is looking or wondering.  And my first attempt at a chalkboard painted wall at the bottom of the stairs can become a new creation.


Wall paint: White Dove by Benjamin Moore
Baseboard and trim: Kilz2 latex primer; 2 coats
Door: Rust-Oleum Chalkboard paint.