Peel and Stick Floor Tiles

I'm on a mission to get rid of all the white tile in my house. I think the original owners must have gotten a deal on bulk white ceramic tile because it is EVERYWHERE.

For my downstairs bathroom remodel, I knew I needed something budget friendly and quick and easy.  Tile removal can be labor intensive and expensive. I didn't want to leave the tile as is, but I knew my options were limited.  My first thought was to paint the floors with a stencil.  I read no less than 100 DIY tutorials and blogs that did this, so I felt like I knew the pros and cons.

• Pros - easy to do and very inexpensive.
• Cons - not sure how long it will last and no matter what it would not be perfect.

That last statement was the hardest for me to ingest. There is just no getting around bleed through with a stencil, it will happen. Being the perfectionist that I am, I wasn't sure if I could live with that.

Then I found peel and stick tile flooring. I saw all the different designs and knew this was the best option for me:

I did some research on this product and like anything there are pros and cons.

• Pros - easy to install, relatively inexpensive, easy to replace a damaged tile, easy to cut to the size you need for partial tiles, and removable if you don't like it or live in a rental unit
• Cons - longevity (the company I ordered from says it lasts 7 years), somewhat time consuming to install depending on how much of a perfectionist you are.

After looking around I decided to order my tiles from Bleucoin. I ordered from Etsy, you can find the link here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Bleucoin

They are shipped from India, but my tiles arrived in 5 days. There are different patterns to choose from but the main reason I picked this business is because I liked the fact that you can order tiles based on the size of your existing tiles. This was important to me because it meant the original grout would still be visible, making the tiles look more realistic.

I ordered the Encaustic Moroccan style from Bleucoin in matte finish. I read in the FAQ section that the matte finish is recommended for flooring as there is a slight texture to it. The tile is a darker gray so I knew it would work well with my dark gray grout. Before ordering its important to measure the tile.  Mine was just under 8". And when deciding if I should order the 7.9" or 8" tile I went with the 8" knowing I could overlap slightly on the grout and it would cover the tile completely. I did not want the white to show through if I missed an edge.

The first step to applying the tiles is to clean the floor really well.  The key to a job done right is all in the prep work. After the tiles were clean and dry I started on one end of the room with the full tiles and dove in. It is just like a sticker, you peel the back off and stick it on the tile, making sure to press down for the best adhesion.

The full tiles were the fun part. That job went really fast and was super easy. After all of the full tiles were done, it got a little more time consuming to install the partial tiles. I know it wasn't necessary, but I measured and cut a template for each stencil before applying the actual tile. I saved the backings from the tiles and used that as my template.

First I did my best to mark the backing with a pencil and cut it to size with a scissors. I love these tiles they are easy to cut with scissors. No fancy tile cutting tools are needed. If it needed to be altered I did that on the stencil and tested the fit. Once it was the correct size, I used the backing as a template and traced my actual stencil. Here is a lesson that I learned - don't trace the back of the stencil, trace the front otherwise it won't fit when you flip it around...

I would say this project took me about 6 hours. I did this project when my toddlers were home, so there were a lot of interruptions, but this is an easy enough project to stop and start at any point, unlike if I would have done a painting stencil because I would have had to worry about paint drying during breaks.

The tile cost me $260 for 88 squares. When counting your tile to figure out how much you need, if you have a lot of partial tiles you can't assume 3 small partial tiles equals one tile, because you can't piece the tiles together due to the design. I could usually piece together two partial tiles from one of my full tile stickers, but that was the limit.


The finished product:

I am not sure if this will last 7 years as the company states, but I'm okay with that. I didn't intend this to be flooring to last a lifetime and, honestly, I change my tastes so often I'm sure in a few years I will grow tired of the design. I like that I can always remove the tiles if I do grow tired of it and maybe soon the white marble tile with gray grout will come back in style. I will update this blog post on the durability of the flooring as time goes on. For now I'm happy with how it turned out, the floors are my favorite part of the bathroom remodel and I'm dreaming up ways to use this product for other areas in my house.

Do you think this is something you would try or have you already?  I would love to hear your experience!

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Mid Century Modern Furniture

Mid Century Modern "MCM" is one of my favorite furniture styles to refinish.



MCM furniture generally refers to the 1950-1970 time period. It is an attempt to put the past behind and to move into the future, embracing a new modern culture and leaving the Depression era of the 1930’s firmly behind.

Iconic mid-century furniture is known for its high-quality construction, use of beautiful woods, rectilinear shape and great modern design.  Most mid-century pieces are made of solid teak, rosewood or walnut.  You may find veneers in these species, but that doesn’t mean it is poor quality.  

A true classic is rarely nailed or screwed.  The Danish mastered the technique of fitting wood together using dowels and threaded bolts.  This makes them easily repairable.  MCM finishes are almost always natural, showing off the true beauty of the wood.  Some or all of the piece may be painted a solid color, especially if the wood is damaged beyond repair. I try to leave at least some part of the piece natural in order to enhance the wood grain.

The furniture is best left "clean" meaning solid colors, no distressing, antiquing or glazing.  It would not do justice to give it an aged look, and its important to honor the original style. If you want to distress or antique a piece, that's best left to the farmhouse-style furniture and not MCM. Also, MCM can handle vibrant colors like bright white that may not seem right for other furniture styles. The lack of hardware on the furniture is a tribute to the built in design that you will find in these pieces.


If you have mid century modern furniture in your home, its important to style it according to the design. Understanding the distinguishing characteristics of the style and find pieces that echo that. Avoid too many patterns and stay within a color range. Consider using greenery like grasses and ferns as opposed to floral. Try not to overcrowd your décor meaning minimal ornamentation; sometimes less is more. An emphasis on function and simple forms compliment the style.

Today, dealers and designers use the term Mid Century Modern or MCM when referring to this time period of style.  It’s a hot trend right now, and has become highly collectible, especially in its original condition.

Here are some examples of Mid Century Modern pieces that I have refinished in the past.

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DIY Patio Table

After we got married, we decided to buy "adult" patio furniture. You know, to replace the fold up camping chairs that had previously perched on the back patio. It was the end of summer so there were a lot of sales going on, and Menards had a cute stone top patio table with 4 matching chairs for $500.  Sold.  Fast forward to four years later and the stone top was literally crumbling and falling apart.


Let me back up for a second and share a little background.  Ever since before my kids could walk, they loved playing in the sand.  I mentioned to my husband that we should get them a sandbox.  He promised to make one.  After quite some time passed I found a used one on marketplace and checked that off the list.  Did I mention he had already bought the wood for the sandbox but never got around to actually making it? Yeah.

So here is a picture of the crappy crumbling stone patio table.  See what I mean? Yuck. Even my kids noticed the mess of a table falling apart.  I decided that the base was in good shape and the chairs were good, we just really needed a new table top.  I removed the table top from the base and gave the base a quick scrub and fresh coat of paint.

The next step was to locate all of the "sandbox" wood to repurpose into a table top.

I cleaned off the dust and gave the wood a good sanding.  I then cut two smaller boards that were the same length as the table and attached it with two screws in each board.  This wood helps keep the table top in place and gives the base something to attach to.

After the base was dry, I attached it to the table top with a few screws.

That's it!  Maybe someday I will stain it but for now I'm liking it natural.  Please note, I am not claiming to be a carpenter and I know its not perfect and I could have framed it out and made it more "pretty" but I think its fine for now. Here is the final product:

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My go-to paint and finish for painting furniture

Let me start off by saying I have tried so many different brands of paint, so I have a lot of experience with different types of paint.  However, my background is business, not science so I can't speak to the chemical make up of each different type of paint, I'm going off my training and experience. Since there are so many different types of paints out there to choose from, which can be overwhelming, I'm going to focus on the General Finishes brand. General Finishes has a great line of water based paints, two of which is milk paint and chalk style paint.

What is General Finishes chalk style paint?  A casual, chalky interior matte paint to be used when you want a textured finish.  A topcoat is recommended with this paint as it is not self sealing.
Advantages: Fast drying, water cleanup, low odor, can be brushed or sprayed, easy to distress.




What is General Finishes milk paint?  A premium interior/exterior rated paint for furniture, cabinets and millwork.  Its mineral based paint named for its low-luster sheen, which mimics the look of old-world furniture paint.  It is not a powdered, casein-based milk paint like some might think, but a premixed modern version that is so durable it does not require a topcoat unless you want to change the sheen.
Advantages: Fast drying, water cleanup, low odor, can be brushed or sprayed, can be distressed, self-sealing.


My first choice for furniture painting is General Finishes Milk Paint.  It sprays so smoothly in my Fuji Paint Sprayer, and provides a nice finish. Even though milk paint is self sealing, I typically spray high performance topcoat in satin or semi gloss to provide even more durability.  Spraying the topcoat ensures that there are no brush strokes, and protects against wear and tear and even spills.


Speaking of topcoats, lets talk about one topcoat that I tried once but will never use again: wax.  Wax and chalk paint seem to go hand in hand, although I don't find any advantage to wax. First of all, the process of applying wax and buffing it is tedious and hard work.  This is why man invented tools (like a paint spray gun) to make our lives easier.  It takes me less than 5 minutes to put on one coat of high performance top coat with my spray gun, why would I choose anything else?  Also wax needs to be re-applied every couple of years, and since my furniture is usually sold to clients I don't want them to have to go through the torture of applying wax on their own every couple of years.  Wax also doesn't protect as well against heat (which is why it should never be used on kitchen  cabinets) or some spills, especially oil based spills.


Something else I never use on furniture: latex paint.  Its meant for WALLS, not furniture.  Even if you find a way to make it into "chalk" paint...at the end of the day, it is still latex paint.  Not to say I haven't done it because I tend to learn best from experience. There are some advantages to latex paint, like the wide variety of colors available and the low price, but you get what you pay for. I have also been tasked with refinishing furniture that was once latex painted.  It tends to gum up when being removed and often peels off in chunks with a stretchy feel to it.  This also makes it more difficult to distress, as the glue can be activated in latex paint so it kind of rolls up or comes off in chunks.  I'm not saying that it can't be used for furniture, I have done it in my own home as a learning experience on my own furniture.  Although latex paint should not be applied unless the proper steps are done to prep, which includes sanding and priming first.  Latex paint should also be sealed with a topcoat for durability, and even then latex paint is not as durable as milk paint or chalk style paint.


To recap, if you are attempting to paint furniture on your own, General Finishes milk paint is a great paint to try.  You can mix colors together (in the chalk style paint or milk paint) to customize. I'm not affiliated with General Finishes in any way, and they have not compensated me to blog about their products.  I'm a firm believer that if I feel strongly about something, I share it.


If you want to see more furniture makeovers, check out my Facebook page Flipping Unbelievable or follow me here on Instagram.

It’s 3:00 PM on a Friday. Do you know where your underwear is?

Ladies and gents if you have missing undergarments, I can tell you where to find them. Want to know how I know? Because I find those missing undergarments almost every day.

 

Try this fun experiment and I’ll prove my point. Remove your dresser drawers, one up and one

down from where you normally keep your unmentionables. In the very back of the dresser I

guarantee you will find a long lost treasure. I find items such as these in almost every piece I

refinish. Surprise! It’s like you went shopping. You now have more clothes today than you had

yesterday.

 

If you want to try another experiment, see if your husband notices your “new” underwear. He

won’t!

 

A few months ago, I was refinishing a bedroom set for a client. I won't mention any names, but

he is happily married I assume. Well of course I found three pairs of ladies underwear in the

dresser when I removed the drawers. I didn't think much of it, because this is so common to me.

I simply put the items in a pile in the workshop and continued my work.

 

My aunt came over the next day to help with the kiddos and she saw the items laying the garage.

She gave me a very weird look. I think she thought we had a 50 Shades of Gray thing going on

in the paint booth

 

I didn’t correct her or provide her with any context. I love messing with my Aunt. Anyways, I bagged up the undies for my client, and gave it back to him when I delivered the refinished bedroom set. He wasn't home at the time, but his daughter was and she let me into their house. I set the bag on top the dresser and left. In hindsight, this was probably not a smart move. What if they didn’t belong to his wife? What if he thought they were mine and I was giving it to him? How embarrassing! He never mentioned anything to me so I am hoping for the best. I hope he is still a client!

 

So, lesson learned, check behind your dresser drawers. Especially before you plan on selling

your furniture or having it refinished. To prove my point, I put my own dresser to the test.  Guilty as charged.

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New Year, New Project List

A new year brings a fresh set of resolutions, new goals, hopes, promises and whatever else you can dream of.  In my case, I have a list of house mini remodel projects that I want to complete.  Now I know I promised my husband that once we went through a complete house remodel a few years ago that I wouldn't do any more for awhile...


But that was a couple years ago and I'm starting to get the itch to redecorate and rearrange and dare I say...remodel.


First things first. Living room seating.  Someone broke our reclining loveseat and one of the seats which no longer reclines and nobody will confess to the crime but the chair is pretty much useless now.  Anyway...a couple of years ago I drove an hour round trip to pick up two wingback chairs that I just had to have and shoved them in my mom's SUV with the hatchback open because they didn't fit all the way.  Those 2 chairs I "had" to buy have been permanent residents in the basement for the last couple of years.  Along with the fabric that I already purchased to reupholster them.  So wingback chair set...you are on my list.

Speaking of furniture living in my basement.  Next up is the stack of dining chairs and new dining room table.  Another one of those "had to have" purchases that I never got around to refinishing.  I'm not sure if its the fact that I have young children that is holding me back from having nice things or if its my lack of motivation due to my dislike of painting chairs and all of their details and crevices.  Either way, look out dining room, hopefully by the end of 2018 you will have a new dining room table set!

Current Set:

Hoarded Basement Chairs:

Now for the project I'm most excited for as it will help with clutter in our house, especially with the cooler weather and the need for extra winter gear.  Wish list: Locker area with seating and storage. Location: after searching my house for a good spot, it has been determined that if I remove the cabinets in the laundry room it should allow for enough room to host a locker area.  Bonus - the laundry room is directly located off the garage entry way and also has a door to shut to hide the inevitable mess of boots/jackets/backpacks/hats/etc.  Due to the fact that I like to DIY, this project will be done by me even though I have never removed cabinets or a countertop before but nothing a little sweat, tears and research can't do!

Last but not least, is the aforementioned basement.  While the entire basement is definitely on my remodel list, I will have to take it a little at a time as it is currently serving as my hoarding area and also over 1,000 finished square feet of straight up 1990's era.  Meaning blue carpet, honey oak wood, shiny brass hardware, and horribly ugly dated lighting.  Within this area is also a full bathroom, and I'm itching to paint over the honey oak cabinets, remove the brass hardware, update the builder grade bathroom mirror and maybe *Ben don't read this part* redo the flooring.  We shall see.  By that I mean, lets see if my husband does indeed plan a trip to Vegas with his friends so that I can start the remodel job without him knowing.


So there you have it.  The great house list project of 2018.  Now that its published I feel like I'm accountable for finishing all that I set out to do.  How about you, do you have any house projects that you hope to tackle this year?  Don't forget to remind me of the list of projects just to make sure I'm actually getting them done.  Stay tuned for updates on my Facebook page, Flipping Unbelievable.  You can also follow me on Instagram.