More Beautiful Flooring, Gorgeous Fabrics, and DIY Projects Galore!!
Good morning, all! I hope that all of you had a fantastic Independence Day (those of you in the U.S., that is)!! And I hope that you did take time to reflect on those brave men who fought for our independence and drafted one of the most beautiful documents ever written that gave us the freedoms that we now enjoy today. (Unlike the Domino’s Pizza guy, who told me, when I went to pick up my pizza, that July 4th was the day that we celebrate our independence from World War I. Seriously, what goes on in our schools today?!)
But that’s a completely different topic.
I love long weekends, but I’m so thankful we don’t have many of them, because I feel so completely unproductive!! I’m not one to just sit and relax, so I get a bit antsy. I’m ready to get back to work…and there’s plenty to be done!
The new flooring in John & Alice’s house is finished. Wow…that was a massive undertaking for those installers! I’ve already shown you the gorgeous vinyl “wood” plank flooring that was used in most of the house. But now, let me show you what we used in the bathrooms. FYI–These photos are the master bathroom, which will be the next room I work on after the master bedroom is finished.
Isn’t that tile pretty? But here’s the secret…it’s VINYL also!! It’s separate vinyl tiles, and they’re actually grouted! They install in a similar way to regular ceramic or porcelain tile, and they’re grouted just the same way. I’m telling you, vinyl flooring just may be my new favorite thing. The tile is gorgeous (and there are many different ones to choose from), and it’s not as cold on the feet as porcelain or ceramic.
Now I’m anxious to get started on the master bathroom!! But first, there are several projects that must be finished in the master bedroom. Here’s a peek:
First up, I needed some pillow shams to go with the white quilt that I bought for the bed at the bargain price of $29.99 at Marshall’s. Unfortunately, they didn’t have matching shams, so I bought some other white quilted shams that will blend just fine.
Then I bought some gorgeous medium brown linen, and I’m going to add a little detail around each sham, and I’ll also use this fabric for the bedskirt. This linen was my biggest fabric splurge for the room. It was $14.99/yard, and I used a coupon to get 40% off, but because of the quantity I needed, I spent more on it than any other fabric for the room. I think it’ll be worth it, though.
Next up, I’m going to make some little lumbar pillows to go in the two accent chairs that I’m refinishing and reupholstering for the room. The striped fabric was regularly $24.99/yard, but it was on sale for 50% off, and I only needed one yard. The other fabric is a cotton decorator fabric, regularly $9.99/yard, and I used a 40% off coupon. Not too bad, huh? I love sales and coupons!!
Next is this fabric that I absolutely fell in love with. It was the most expensive fabric of them all, at $39.99/yard. But it was on sale for 50% off, and I only needed 1/2 yard. If you’re working on budget, this is definitely the way to add more luxurious fabrics to your room–in small amounts that make a big impact.
The last sewing project will be with this natural cotton canvas, accented with this beautiful dark green and brown ribbon. Any guesses what this fabric is?
Oh, I’m sure you know (y’all are so smart!!)…it’s a canvas drop cloth from Home Depot. If you’re looking for a lot of yardage of a neutral fabric at a great price, this is the best way to go. One drop cloth that measures 9 feet by 6 feet costs just under $10. Add some accents (or don’t), use clip rings, and you’ve got some gorgeous (and insanely inexpensive) drapery panels.
Now with these, I’m actually going to line them with blackout lining and turn them into actual drapery panels, sewn the way I’d sew any other custom, lined drapery panels. But if you don’t require lined panels, it doesn’t get any easier…or cheaper…than drop cloths. I’ll also be using the canvas/ribbon combo in one other place in the room, but I’ll keep that to myself for now.
So anyway, all together, this is what my fabric/accent selections look like:
These details are what make a room!
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
all those fabrics look absolutely amazing. I wish i could sew!!! You are doing such an amazing job. I look forward to your progress.
Dianne
Love how it all coordinates without being matchy-matchy. Love the colors too. Beautiful! Can hardly wait to see the finished room.
We used vinyl tiles in our kitchen/dining area in the U.S. and I loved it! Wish we could get better quality vinyl here. But ceramic tile reigns! Ceramic tile is killer on anything glass. In less than 2 years I've broken about half the dishes I brought, several vases, and one decorative platter. *sigh*
Kristi,
I have really enjoyed your blog, and I am a fellow (native) Texan. I have been shopping for flooring to replace my carpet, and wanted to know what sold you on the vinyl plank flooring? I love how it looks in that bedroom! Did your installers have to prep the subfloor (concrete?) What kind of threshold/transition pieces were used? I have wanted wood floors, but after seeing what my 2 yr old dog did to other wood flooring I installed, I am leaning more towards the vinyl.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi K~
There were a couple of things I really liked about the vinyl plank flooring: (1) You can use it in areas that you can't (or shouldn't) use real wood or laminate, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, (2) it's quiet–I find the noise of real wood and laminate to be quite irritating, even if a noise reducing pad is used underneath, (3) the way it looks–I actually prefer the look to most laminates (now unfortunately, there's still no beating a really beautiful real wood, but you pay the price for that look), and (4) according to the flooring store owners, the vinyl holds up to pets (and their accidents) better than real wood or laminate flooring does.
The only areas where the installers took time to do some prep work were in the areas that were previously tiled. They had to remove the tile and grout (of course), and then grind off the old mortar to get a smooth surface. The areas which were previously carpeted didn't seem like much work at all–simply remove the carpet and pad, pry up the tack strips, sweep, and install flooring.
Much to my surprise, they didn't use any type of threshold transition pieces. They simply butted the tile right up to the wood plank. When they told me they were going to do that, I was hesitant at first, but then decided to trust them since they're the pros. After it was done, I really like it. Then I realized it's actually a very practical choice. With no thresholds, sweeping the house is much easier than it would be if there were thresholds at the doorways under which dirt and grime could get caught. So I would actually recommend this method now.
Kristi–Thanks so much for the thorough response. It's because of your original post about the Mannington flooring that got me looking at that brand. I've decided on a style, just need to order it! I'll be DIY all the way, so the info about prep and transitions is very helpful. The installation guides don't really cover transitions.
I have 3 cats as well as my dog, so something that can handle their messes is important. And like you, I think this plank flooring looks so much better than laminate.
I love your work, your style is really to my liking of so many of the blogs I see out there. I look forward to your posts. Thanks
Kelly
I LOVE the canvas drop cloth idea! I have been looking for new dining room curtains but have been putting it off because of the expense. This will be perfect! I really like the idea of adding the ribbon to spice things up. Are you sewing them on with a sewing machine? Is there any other way you could reccomend to avoid seeing the sewing lines? I would like them to look as seemless as possible. Thanks!
Kristi,
I found your blog about a month ago, and stayed up for HOURS reading your posts, all wide-eyed and in awe. We both have the same drive to make and design and get a steal of a deal off of craigslist. Anyways, I’m taking you up on your drop cloth curtains idea. If I don’t add a liner to the curtains, will these seem cheap? My hope is to have the curtains only fall on each side of the window as much as possible, since I need every. drop. of. sunlight from my windows. Also, would you use grosgrain ribbon as well for the curtains? For now, I think I just want to get them hung and will go back to add detail and design to them once I know the color of my walls and get all the pieces of my furniture off of craigslist. Thanks again for all of your posts and your advice on decorating. I’m loving it! Hollie
Kristi,
I found your blog about a month ago, and stayed up for HOURS reading your posts, all wide-eyed and in awe. We both have the same drive to make and design and get a steal of a deal off of craigslist. Anyways, I’m taking you up on your drop cloth curtains idea. If I don’t add a liner to the curtains, will these seem cheap? My hope is to have the curtains only fall on each side of the window as much as possible, since I need every. drop. of. sunlight from my windows. Also, would you use grosgrain ribbon as well for the curtains? For now, I think I just want to get them hung and will go back to add detail and design to them once I know the color of my walls and get all the pieces of my furniture off of craigslist. Thanks again for all of your posts and your advice on decorating. I’m loving it! Hollie
Hollie, I've seen many people use these drop cloths unlined, and they don't look cheap. And I would definitely use grosgrain if you like the look. I love the added detail.
This is definitely the way to add more luxurious fabrics to your room–in small amounts that make a big impact.
Hi K~
There were a couple of things I really liked about the vinyl plank flooring: (1) You can use it in areas that you can't (or shouldn't) use real wood or laminate, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, (2) it's quiet–I find the noise of real wood and laminate to be quite irritating, even if a noise reducing pad is used underneath, (3) the way it looks–I actually prefer the look to most laminates (now unfortunately, there's still no beating a really beautiful real wood, but you pay the price for that look), and (4) according to the flooring store owners, the vinyl holds up to pets (and their accidents) better than real wood or laminate flooring does.
The only areas where the installers took time to do some prep work were in the areas that were previously tiled. They had to remove the tile and grout (of course), and then grind off the old mortar to get a smooth surface. The areas which were previously carpeted didn't seem like much work at all–simply remove the carpet and pad, pry up the tack strips, sweep, and install flooring.
Much to my surprise, they didn't use any type of threshold transition pieces. They simply butted the tile right up to the wood plank. When they told me they were going to do that, I was hesitant at first, but then decided to trust them since they're the pros. After it was done, I really like it. Then I realized it's actually a very practical choice. With no thresholds, sweeping the house is much easier than it would be if there were thresholds at the doorways under which dirt and grime could get caught. So I would actually recommend this method now.
How do you you feel about bamboo as hardwood flooring? My friend has it and she says she loves it, but I really like vinyl too. I'm not sure which one to go with!
Hi There,
Thank you for the information.
I found it quite interesting and I can use this
for my business which is http://www.thesolidwoodflooringcompany.com/products.php?search=bamboo&showcase=search&x=0&y=0
Best Wishes
Graham C
It’s so good! In my opinion, this floor is very simple but
very nice and classic. And your work is very good at sewing. I really want to
try it. I have a garage and I have designed my garage flooring by design
"Creatively Funky Floors". I really liked this design, because I
think this design are very unique and interesting.
I keep reading many of your blogs and it seems your readers like vynil plank flooring. If you contact me David Hill owner of Texas Best FLooring Company, Inc. I give them a great deal if they say they are coming from your site. My website is http://texasbestflooringcompany.com/ 214-780-1883 I also have many videos up on youtube. I hope and look forward to helping your readers. http://www.youtube.com/user/TexasBestFlooringCo?feature=mhee Thank You, David Hill President Owner