1920′s Budget Kitchen Makeover

This 1920′s kitchen was in desperate need of a makeover.  New custom crafted cabinets were added for around $75 in materials,new  counters for less than $200, sink $120, faucet $150, lighting $60, new stainless backsplash $200 and appliances were added.  The old linoleum floor was pulled up to reveal wood floors that could be sanded and refinished.  The result?  See for yourself.

Kitchen Before

Kitchen before

Kitchen Before

Stove area before hot water heater was moved to attic and a new custom built cabinet was added

Kitchen floor once linoleum was pulled up

Kitchen After

Kitchen after

Published in: on February 14, 2012 at 4:01 pm  Comments (3)  
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How to replace electric outlets

A very quick and inexpensive update that you can do in your home is to replace outdated yellowed or broken outlets.  You can buy a “contractor pack” of ten or as singles for usually around $.50-$1.30 per piece!  The plastic covers for each can also be bought as a contractor pack for pennies on the dollar.   Can you believe that?!    Most people don’t realize this because they don’t make it a habit to walk up the electric nuts and bolts aisle at the store.    Even better, each outlet only takes a couple of minutes to replace.

** Disclaimer:   I am NOT a licensed electrician.  However, there are many simple projects such as this, that you can do for yourself safely and accurately, as long as you follow EACH step precisely.  Any deviation or questions, should be consulted further before proceeding.

Materials Needed:   flat and  Philips (star head) screwdrivers, wire strippers, plug in style voltage tester (shows proper ground, etc)

How to replace:

1)  First and foremost, the most important thing to do is to turn off the WHOLE house power at the breaker panel.  The “main” switch is usually at the top.  For good measure, I not only flip this one switch but also each individual switch as well to OFF.  Overkill maybe, but it doesn’t hurt anything.  Of course, just to be certain or if there’s a concern, power off AC’s, computers, TV or other sensitive electronic equipment before you flip the breaker.  Some people still like to double check each outlet before they begin by inserting an inexpensive plug in type of voltage tester that shows “no voltage”.  This is perfectly fine if it makes you feel better, but really, if you have turned off ALL breakers, there should be no voltage. (more…)

Published in: on September 16, 2011 at 10:05 am  Leave a Comment  
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1920′s home renovation portfolio of before and after photos (kitchen)

One of the biggest transformations occurred in the kitchen.  I loved the custom built cabinets, but there was only one.  I also loved the idea of converting the “indoor/outdoor utility room” to be fully enclosed so that I could add a dishwasher to modernize the space.  It was a big job, but here is what was done:

Demo:  removed all pine tongue and groove slat walls, relocated back door from its current spot and removed half window, used Craigslist to dispose of all old appliances, reconfigure stainless counter top to fit a modern sink

Here is what I started with; in this photo you can see the slat walls, the back door in its current location and the lack of an additional upper cabinet:

(more…)

Published in: on June 27, 2011 at 4:52 pm  Comments (2)  
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How to refinish hardwood floors (Part 2-stain and seal)

Now that the sanding is done as seen here in my prior post  http://agirlcandoit.com/2011/05/09/how-to-refinish-hardwood-floors/   the floors are ready to apply the new finish.  For hardwoods, I recommend a stain and 3 coats of polyurethane.  I chose MinWax’s oil based stain in Jacobean, which is a dark brownish black color like coffee beans.  I chose the darker color not only for aesthetic purposes, but as I discovered, it hides imperfections in the floors very well.

In small spaces, I recommend using a brush. but in the larger areas, the stain is applied easily with a paint roller and an extension pole.  Here you can see how it hides all the imperfections and repairs made to the original hardwoods very well.  When patching wood to be sealed, make sure you get the wood filler that says “paintable AND stainable”.

The stain will be “tacky” to the touch for several hours.  You don’t want to proceed to sealing until the stain is completely dry which typically takes at least 24 hours if not slightly more, especially in humid conditions.


Once the stain is completely dry, you can proceed to sealing.  Minwax makes a Polyurethane for Floors; I chose a satin finish which will look shiny when wet as you can see in the below photo but dries to a nice subdued finish.  It applies easily with a lambswool applicator attached to a painters pole.  After about 4 hours, the manufacturers label says that you can reapply a 2nd coat without sanding in between.  If you wait to let the first coat dry, you should plan to sand the area with a fine grit sandpaper and remove all sanding dust before proceeding.  In this case, I opted to reapply the 2nd and 3rd coats so that I could eliminate the sanding.  A word of warning here and that is to wear a face mask meant to block odors because this stuff is very noxious!  Allow at least 48 hours before walking on the surface.

The finished look:

Published in: on June 15, 2011 at 12:26 pm  Leave a Comment  
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