Thomas Liquid Stainless Steel on my old cook top

Today I am trying out Thomas Liquid Stainless Steel on my 1960's cook top which is the color of poop brown.  I figured I would try this before buying a new one.  Besides,  I would end up buying the same one only in stainless steel and it cost about $500 and there is nothing wrong with mine other than this hideous color.

I first washed it with Windex and scarped off any old residue.  I then taped all around to make sure I didn't spill any on my counters.  I then applied the first coat.  I have a tip for everyone.  Please make sure you really mix the paint well with a that wooden mixer.   I didn't mix it well enough the first time and i got a few globs stuck on my stove.  The first coat was really light and I knew it was ok because I had read other reviews that the first coat will scare you.  It is a little scary.  I again did not mix the paint well enough on the second coat so it was not as thick as it should be.  I finally got the hang of the mixing issue and the third coat was awesome.  I mean, OH MY GOD, AWESOME.  This stuff is the BOMB, as they say.  I have that one clump issue so I went over it one last time and it seemed to smooth it out some.

It matches very well with the factory item stainless steel I have.  It looks like a new freaking cook top.  I am so glad I found this stuff and you better believe I am going to blab about this stuff to everyone I know!

BEFORE and AFTERS to come shortly.

Laundry Room Make-Over!

I decided that it was time for a make over in the laundry room.  See, I hate doing laundry and so I figured maybe if it looked beautiful then I would enjoy folding all those clothes and putting them away.  I actually have a really huge laundry room but it is accompanied by a huge monster boiler that sticks out like a sore thumb.  I dont think the laundry room has been touched since the 60's.  Below are the before.  Its kind of embarrassing to show you just what a pig I am but oh well. I had old cheap ugly shelves.  The walls were a cream color and the cob webs were starting to take over.  Really, anything you would do would make this space look better.  

After. 

I got a lot of inspiration from pinterest.  Once I knew what I wanted to do I went in head first.  First, I pained all those ugly cabinets and shelves white.  I used Home Depots primer and paint in one.  I used a semi gloss finish but I think I would have preferred a satin finish.  I actually was too lazy to sand so I just slapped it on.  I am usually not that lazy when it comes to this detail because sanding is really a must but these shelves are so ugly that I don't really care if they need to be spruced up.  It turned out fine and I really didn't need a lot of coats!  Then, I painted the walls with the same kind of paint, its called BEHR Premium Plus Ultra primer and paint in one.  I painted it Fresh Mint.  I absolutely love this color.  I am more than happy with the color and the way this paint goes on.  It is a really nice paint.  After that I decided to use old curtains I had around the house which were Target brand in white.  They worked perfect for this space.  I also had a sheer curtain with a tension rod and hung it just inside the shelves to hide all that mess.  I saw on Pinterest an idea of hanging apothecary jars and using them for plant sprouts.  I used fishing line and hung them from the ceiling next to a spot that gets some sun.  I actually hung them up with adhesive hooks!  They seem to be fine but I had my doubts.  It totally worked though so I dont have holes in my ceiling. I dont have the pictures up but the next thing i did was cover up that boiler with a curtain.  And YES its far enough away and it is not blocking any air from getting through as the curtain is a good foot or so from the floor.  I hung it with tension wire that I got from Ikea.  Looks great and was an easy fix for hiding that beast.  I am so happy with the outcome.  I bought a rug from Home Goods that matched the paint color.  I love my new space but I still hate doing laundry.  lol. 

Fireplace make over! Before and Afters

Before

This room looked great but the fireplace stuck out like a sore thumb.  It just didn't work for this space very well. The old brass hood was outdated and dingy.  Buying a new one averages at about 2k.  I decided to first paint the brass covering.  I sanded the brass with 150 grit sandpaper.  Then I painted it with Rustolem High Heat paint in black satin.  I bought mine from Home Depot.  I bought the paint type not the spray can type.  It was very easy and only needed one coat.  I then bought a cream beige color for the fireplace itself.  White would be to stark and seeing that it had  a flagstone  hearth I wanted to go with something that would tie in all all aspects of the room.  I painted with a paintbrush as you really need to get in the grooves.  I have to say it was very easy and really only took one good coat.  I used a semi glass latex paint and the results were amazing!

After

The transformation was phenomenal.  It really made the whole room stand out and the colors worked well with everything.  I am very pleased with the job as it was not very difficult and made the whole room look more updated and light.