The ceiling fix is complete and the new lights are installed!  My contractor brother (Dean) was right that the job would take about four days - most of those were spent waiting for things to dry.  To review, on days one through three he demolished the old ceiling and put up the new drywall with the subsequent tape and mudding applied.  He also wired for a new light fixture - we had the choice of going for one with several lamps coming down or simply having two or three single drop lights.   You’ll see what we chose soon!

After all the mud was dry and the ceiling was ready to texture and complete, another heavy coat of joint compound or drywall mud was applied.

We picked up a texture brush at the local hardware store.

Dean dipped the brush into the mud so both the brush had mud and the ceiling had mud and began to tamp it down (up) hard.

Once he finished the entire wet surface, he did a few spot checks so there was no visible interruption between the old and the new.  He believes we may have to eventually paint so the entire ceiling will be the same shade of white, but so far it’s not too distracting.

Dean then moved on to the lighting.  First he connected the neutral (or white) wires from the ceiling wire to the light fixture and tied it off with wire connectors.  Then the white wires and the black wires were connected.

After all the wires were connected, he began to actually put up the fixture and then moved to the fixture in the kitchen.

(That’s me helping by handing some parts to him that actually held the light in place.)

And VOILA!  Two new beautiful light fixtures … only the ceiling fan behind this pendulum light was an older one, but the other photo I took wasn’t as good so you’re really seeing only one new one here.

And the only damage was to the watermelon which got some drywall splatter on it.

We ate it anyway and it was delish!

Today my contractor (aka brother) wired for the new light over our counter, put the drywall up, and mudded the drywall.  Now we wait for it to dry, although when the temperature cools, he’ll be on the roof fixing the flashing that caused the leak.

Hoping by the end of the weekend I’ll show you some new photos of my kitchen light fixtures! Have a happy weekend!

We’ve started the demolition of our damaged ceiling.  Here’s a “before” picture.

First we went to buy our supplies at the home improvement / hardware store.  Next we took down the light fixture, then prepared the room.  Like an episode of Dexter, it was important to cover everything in plastic because of the mess that was about to happen.

Then the messy demolition.

Don’t believe it’s messy?  Look at the floor.

Cleaning is a two-person job.  One to scoop up the insulation with a dust pan (or a piece of sturdy cardboard would do) and the other to hold the bag.

Next we’re going to replace the blow insulation with the kind you unroll so we can keep the heat from sweeping into the house.  Then my brother is running more electrical wire so we can add a couple of pendant lights over our the extension part of our L-shaped counter.

I haven’t picked the lights yet.  I’ll wait so my husband and I can decide together.  I liked the “orange” one from yesterday until someone told me that’s what they have in Starbucks.

Will decide tonight!

During the torrential rains and subsequent flooding in Tennessee and Kentucky in early May, we had a ceiling leak due to “wind driven rain” (according to our insurance adjuster).  My contractor (and brother) has finally cleared his schedule to come and make the repair.

While he’s working on the ceiling, we’re also adding some drop lights over our kitchen counter.  With hundreds to choose from, we still haven’t quite made up our minds on which ones to get and the debate is on.

My husband’s pick:

And my pick:

The joy of these lights is that you can change the globe as your moods and tastes change!  Will post more about the actual work as we make progress!

You don’t need a jackhammer, saw, or nails to make a nice room divider.  A little bit of cardboard, some white paper, and a creative streak for the inside design is all that’s necessary!  From Instructables, here’s a Cardboard Shoji Screen,

To read the directions on making this great room partition, click through here.

My youngest son tore a window screen in my house, so to YouTube I went!

Say hello to warmer colors, and goodbye to minimalism. It
appears that several interior designers and industry insiders are saying you
should be ready to introduce color into your decor. According to Sean
O’Driscoll of the Associated Press in an article Hot Trends Of Home Design for 2008 , Minimalism is out.

“Susan Gutfreund, who designs for some of the most
expensive apartments in the U.S and Europe, said that minimalist white and
beige are being pushed out in favor of color, textures and layers. Speaking
from Paris where she is redesigning an apartment, Gutfreund said there is a
move toward warmer colors and away from the shininess and flatness of interiors
over the last few years.

In 2008, red tones take on a decidedly soft, warm feel,
such as watermelon or a carrot orange. Black and white continues to be used,
but with unexpected combinations of yellow, lime orange and fresh green,"
she said.

Janice Simonsen of IKEA Designs said

“fruit colors such
as lime yellow, kiwi and tangerine will be very popular in 2008, especially
when used in the kitchen. But blue will continue to be the number one color
choice for homeowners. In 2008, blue will be combined with camel and tan, pale green
and yellow,” she said.

Think you’re ready to try out 2008 colors but not sure
what fits your style? CALFINDER (the source for certified remodeling contractors) has an excellent post about basic color
psychology. They say,

"All too often homeowners choose colors without
understanding basic color psychology. Color impacts our mood, appetite, and
energy level. Years of color response research have shown

that certain colors
elicit specific and often strong responses."

Check out their awesome post Color
Options-Painting for a guide to help you narrow the choices when choosing
colors for your home.

Also remember you can get FREE ESTIMATES from CALFINDER for pre-qualified
contractors in your area to do the work for you when you’re ready to add that
splash of color to your life! From painting to general remodeling, to complete home renovations, they have the expert for you.

What colors do you plan to decorate with this year? Leave us a comment, we’d love to know!

Would you like a Christmas craft that is eco-friendly? Recycle your plastic bags and make a pretty wreath! Two Peas In A Bucket has a great tutorial here! I think you could make these a lot smaller and have some great ornaments as well.

Via: Craftzine

Finding a good contractor for your remodeling project can be a dicey proposition. A friend of mine recently interviewed a contractor who got into a screaming match with his ex-wife on his cell phone while she was interviewing him. My parents hired contractors who left the state, leaving their job unfinished and with their money long gone. We’ve all heard the contractor horror stories before.

If only you knew who to call, to avoid getting ripped off. Well, now you do; our friends over at CALFINDER has started a network that has taken the worry out of the process. CALFINDER was developed by homeowners for homeowners.They do the screening of contractors for you as well as conduct ongoing monitoring and customer satisfaction surveys. All CALFINDER’s contractors are carefully pre-screened and monitored. Here’s just a few of the services you get when you partner with CALFINDER to find your next contractor;

"Before we certify a contractor we perform a variety of checks. Below are just a few of those checks:In-depth check of current license and insurance coverage   

• Personal interview with at least 10 previous clients ensuring customer satisfaction and business reliability
• Ongoing monitoring and customer satisfaction surveys
• Follow up with each homeowner we work with to ensure that our contractors are providing a great service

CALFINDER’s founders, who have a diverse background in construction,
computer technology and business management, realized that planning and
executing home improvement projects are incredibly time-consuming and
expensive and believed they could fill a void by developing a reliable
source to help local homeowners find high-quality contractors. CALFINDER was established in 2005 covering main home improvement
projects including home remodeling, painting and window installation. Working with a vast network of 200 top-notch,
professional contractors, CALFINDER handles more than 600 homeowner service
requests per month."

We at Shakhammer think this is a great solution to taking the worry out of finding a good general contractor who is good
enough to work on one of your most valuable assets- your home. Check out their home improvement and remodeling blog too for the most up-to-date information on home rejuvenation trends and remodeling projects.

My kids love to make "forts", either by using the sofa as a prop, or the dining room table as a prop. The only problem with that is they use dang near every extra blanket we have and then I end up having to put the blankets in the laundry because kids and cats are messy.

Maybe I wouldn’t have to do this, if I had a nifty table cover like this! This is good stuff, I need to think about making something like this.

HT: Craftzine
Photo: Melissa Goodsell