Another Drexel server....

Several years ago I shared a Drexel server I repurposed for my dining room…

The “breakfast room” in our new house is almost identical to our old dining room.

Including the Drexel server.

I love it…it is one of my favorite pieces.

So when I spied ANOTHER Drexel server on Marketplace I could not help myself.

As I have mentioned, I have pretty much retired from the whole repurpose/upcycle/refinish business. My hands and back just can’t take all the work that goes into refinishing pieces on the scale I have in the past.

I have refinished a few doozies…just looking back at all the pieces I have shared on this blog blows my mind. There were some pretty nasty pieces that were beautifully refinished and restored and readied for another life-time of love!

When I saw this piece I couldn’t help myself. I had to have it and I wanted desperately to work a little magic on it.

Here is my plan…MAYBE I can discipline myself enough to pick up just one piece at a time, refinish it, sell it, then pick up another…just one at a time. Just one dresser/buffet/nightstand at a time.

Hum…I’m a pretty “self-disciplined” person so I am going to start with this one.

One week into this plan…I have failed. Last week I picked up ANOTHER piece that needs a little TLC….a pretty beat up china hutch.

I have these creative juices in me that have just been screaming for a project.

So, “the plan” ….specifically for the vintage Drexel piece. Strip and oil the drawer and door fronts using THIS process. Shine up the brass hardware….no secret there, just lots of Brasso, steel wool and elbow grease. Prime and paint the “cabinet” a high gloss black lacquer.

For the china hutch…I went to Etsy for inspiration and looked around. There are some beautiful china hutches that have been painted black with the insides painted white…LOVE them.

I THINK that is what I want to do. Sometimes the process takes on a life of its own and I find myself drifting in another direction. We will see.

Right now they are sitting in my AMAZING shop. I was in there last week rearranging everything so I will MAYBE have room to make some kind of paint booth. The shop has electricity and I can easily heat and cool it for temperature control but just not sure I will have enough room since we do use it for mower/yard equipment storage as well.

I can’t wait…this is a “job” that doesn’t really pay well, but it is one I do love.

All-season room reveal...again!

Last week I shared the new cabinet I bought for the all-season room and the changes I made to it to turn it into a giant litter box. Brian was a tad miffed that I would buy something only to hack it up for the kitties, but if you have ever had a litter box and all the mess that goes with it, you certainly understand my attempts to corral it.

The litter box is hidden away and the critter food is stored in the drawers!

One week later, it is working perfectly!

The outdoor couch I bought for this space arrived Friday night. I am always amazed that such a large piece can fit into a relatively small box…until I unpack it and start putting it together. Geez!

If I have learned anything in 57 years it is FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. While they may not make sense, they make sense. When they say “hand tighten only,” hand tighten.

It is in place and I love it!

It’s not near as plush and comfy as our living room couch but it is an “outdoor couch” so I didn’t expect it to be.

I was a tad concerned about the fact that it is a “canvas white” and the cushion covers weren’t zippered for easy removal in a house full of critters. Our new puppy (oh yes, we got a new puppy! To tired to share that news just yet!) managed to christen it within the first 10 minutes…muddy paws. Fortunately it cleaned easily!

The coffee table LOOKS like teak wood, but it is actually metal. Kind of chintzy if you ask me so eventually I want to get something a little better quality and much smaller…it is just too big for the space.

I am still debating the height of the kitty cabinet…I THINK I want to cut it down but I am living with it for the time being. One day the bug may hit me and I will drag it outside and hack on it some more!

For now I have a space perfect for watching the leaves and snow fall. In the winter I put out corn and bird seed so this will be the perfect spot for critter watching as well.

A few months ago I put a kitty door in one of the windows between the living room and the all-season room so the cats can could come and go without having to leave the door open.

Since this has turned into the “cat room” they will LOVE watching the critters. And no, the cats never go outside so the critters are safe.

Hopefully we will use the space now that the changes have been made…the cats certainly do!

All-season room revamp...

I seriously love this room….

…it stays cool in the summer and relatively warm in the winter. I honestly thought we would spend a great deal of time here.

But we don’t.

When we want to sit “outside” for dinner or drink our coffee in the morning, we always sit on the screened porch.

The “all-season” room has become a place for the litter box and a dumping ground for all my outdoor critter food and seeds.

The rest of the room was still good, but again, we just never used the space like I thought we would.

So I am making a change….

Last week I ordered an outdoor couch. It should be here this week. I moved the big “bar table” to the screened porch, and I decided to corral the critter mess.

I searched Craigslist, flea markets and Marketplace trying to find a credenza/buffet/cabinet type thing I could convert into a storage/“kitty cabinet”….kind of like the one I made for our master bathroom.

I found this….

I like the “style” well enough in this space, but I am not sure about scale…seems kind of tallish so I may eventually cut it down and eliminate the void space. I think it is meant to be a tv cabinet and that space is for Blueray players or such. Who knows. Again, I kind of like the style for this space, I knew I could convert it for the kitty box and the drawers would give me storage for bird seed and critter food.

I decided to leave the bottom right drawer intact and just set the litter box in it. It fit perfectly after I cut the height down a bit and I can easily pull the drawer out to clean out the box. I trimmed the side of the drawer down just a tad using a jig saw. I used a skill saw and jig saw to cut a hole in the side for access….

To give the kitties “head room” I had to remove the guts of the drawer above this one and then glue the drawer front back onto the cabinet…so it’s not really a drawer, it just looks like one.

TIP: To glue the drawer front back onto the cabinet, I applied wood glue all around the edges and put a blob of hot glue on each corner. The hot glue quickly sets up to hold the drawer front in place while the wood glue dries.

Again, not sure about the scale of the cabinet but all in all I am pretty happy with it. It sure beats the mess that was there.

Hopefully the new couch will be here this week and we can get the room completed. Again.

Sometimes you have to live in a space for a time before you know what you REALLY need.

Until next week…..

Fireplace reveal...,

It is done.

As I mention HERE, I had several goals for this room.

The first was easy…replace the paddle fan. Check.

The second was a tad more difficult. Reface the fireplace.

Difficult only because I couldn’t “see” what I wanted which resulted in a spur of the moment “demolition” of what was there….

As I have said time and again, often what “is there” keeps us from seeing “what can be.” I see stuff on Pinterest and in magazines all the time that I love, but I can’t visualize it in my own space because what is there clutters my vision. I have equated it to trying to paint a landscape on a canvas that already has a portrait painted on it.

That is when I advocate painting the canvas white. Base neutral. Painting the piece of furniture or wall white or taking all the furniture and fixtures out of a room so you can visualize what you want rather than what is there. Even if it is a piece of furniture you plan on keeping, take it out…that way you can “see” it in a different spot or even painted a different color.

Once I did that with this fire place, I could visualize “the plan.” Rock the bottom…big beefy walnut mantel.

I shared the stone HERE.

Last week Matt and I dragged out the table saw and chop saw and went to work on the mantel. Four coats of Waterlox (I LOVE this stuff) and presto-bingo….the vision came to life. Waterlox is my new “go to” finish…a tung oil finish that gives any wood durable protection while allowing the beauty of the wood grain to shine. And it is SERIOUSLY idiot proof! Just sand, clean the entire piece with a tack cloth and wipe it on. Use 0000 steel wool and tack cloth between each coat. I usually apply 3-5 coats. LOVE!!!

I intentionally choose walnut with tons of grain and a few knots…”character.” This house doesn’t lend itself to the “farmhouse look” but I didn’t want formal and fussy either.

The final result was exactly what I envisioned…and I LOVE IT!

Here is the BEFORE (obviously last Christmas)…

And AFTER….

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in getting a project finished as quickly as possible, we fail to live with the results in our minds for a time. Trust me, you will love any DIY project sooooo much more if you will get rid of what is there and take time to live with what you think you want in your mind before you start slathering paint or ripping out walls.

Remember every space is different….just because something looks amazing on Pinterest or in a magazine doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. It might, but spend the time to tweek it in your mind before you jump head long into what can be a time consuming and expensive “oops.”

The fireplace makeover...Part 2...Airstone Faux rock.

The stone work is done….

…and I love it.

I highly recommend the Airstone product. At least as far as installation. It is a relatively easy product to install. Lightweight and exceptionally natural looking.

When we fire up the fireplace in a few months I will let you know how it holds up to heat.

This stone product would work well for a kitchen backsplash, fireplace face or a covered porch area. It SAYS you can use it for exterior application…I can’t attest to that since I did not use it outside.

I think this is a relatively easy DIY project.If you choose to install this product find a tutorial that works for you. More importantly though, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!!!

I do have a few tips.

Start at the top. Then the sides…them the bottom. That may seem backwards, but it is the way to do it. Start at the top by adding a temporary level brace….I just used some scrap 1x4. I let that dry over night, then did the same on each side, then the bottom. The Airstone mastic sets up fairly quickly.

I used pennies as spacers between the floor and the stone. I do this because wood swells and moves and you don’t want the rock sitting on something that has movement. Same would apply if you were using it as a backsplash…don’t set any wall product (faux rock, tile, marble, etc) directly on a top or floor.

Use a tile saw to cut it. I have a wet saw so if you do not, rent one. Makes easy, precise work of tricky cuts.

Pay attention to how to apply the mastic…it’s like frosting a cupcake, not buttering toast.

The tub of mastic specific for the faux stone SAYS it does 30 s.f….it does not. Maybe I “iced” to thickly but I would suggest buying more than you think you will need…you can always return it.

Layout the rock on a template or floor before applying it on the wall and number each piece so you know how to property transfer it to the wall. Also, make sure you pull from different boxes…mix it up. Each box has several different “colors” and “textures”and each box may come from a different run…so you want to make sure you mix it up!

I used the “edge” pieces around the face of the fire box…I think it looks neat.

I should have wrapped it around the entire bump out. I would have loved to take it to the ceiling. I am still debating on adding a hearth.

But the “coulda, shoulda, woulda” is always a brain worm until the project is finished.

I didn’t want to take it to the ceiling because I don’t want to remove the crown then have to paint the entire ceiling. I don’t think I want to add a hearth because this is a small space and I don’t want to crowd the space. I didn’t wrap it around the entire wall because, well, I just didn’t.

Hopefully when I get the mantle on, it will all come together.

So the mantel. I think I thought I knew what I wanted but now I not so sure.

My plan is to make a beautiful walnut mantel…smooth…perfect grain…low sheen. Now I am debating on a more “rustic” look with a lighter finish.

What to do, what to do.

As usual, I have searched Pinterest and found dozens of looks…I like them all!

This house style really does not lend itself to that “farmhouse/rustic” look so I think I am going to go with a more smooth, low sheen look. Sometimes you have to “read the room” when making decor decisions.

I bought some walnut boards (dang that stuff is expensive!) and specifically picked pieces with lots of grain and a few shallow knots. Just a smidge rustic but still the beauty of walnut. I know if I apply Waterlox (like I did here with my kitchen cabinets) it will have a dark finish. And I think I am okay with that. The stone is light and I think the dark walnut will be a nice contrast.

Now I am just waiting on my son to have a day we can work on his table saw. I shared HERE about my phobia of table saws. I bought him one for Christmas last year so I have one available and have a “saw buddy.”

Hopefully next week I will have a beautiful new fireplace to share!

The fireplace project...taking it to base neutral!

As I mentioned when I first shared the den, one of my “eventual projects” was to reface the fireplace.

But as I have said before, often “what is there” blinds us to “what can be.” So the absolute best thing you can do with any mentally blocked project is to take it to “base neutral.” Whether it be a room, a dresser, a fireplace….take out what you don’t want or paint it all white…and start with a blank slate.

After months of being mentally blocked, I took a hammer and crow bar and took it to “base neutral.”

I love that this house has two fireplaces…and the one in the living room is fine ….for the time being….

(Yes, fall puked in my house!)

But the den is a “less formal” space and I really want something less formal looking…like stone and a big beefy wood mantel.

I’ve dropped a few “inspirations” into a computer file…

…and I have found several looks I like on Pinterest.

I like the look of stone or brick to the ceiling but that would entail removing the crown, which would then mean I would have to paint the ceilings throughout the entire space…kitchen, den and breakfast room. And that is just not a project I want to even think about at this time.

My plan is brick or stacked rock and a big beefy wood mantel…preferably walnut. I have been researching the Airstone product (sold at Lowes) and if I go with the stone look, I may give it a shot. But I also like the brick look so I am looking at brick tile as well….

That’s the plan…I think…maybe…

I don’t know. What I do know is it will be much easier for me to visualize what can be now that what was is gone.

I better get to visualizing because as you can see, I will need both mantels for stockings in about two months!!!

Bathroom makeover on the cheap....

I consider myself “apolitical.” In other words, I have an opinion, a personal “ideology,” but I really try to avoid all the political “fodder.” It’s just too depressing, stressful, overwhelming…

It eats into my personal happiness.

But with all that is going on, I found myself sitting on the couch mesmerized by the news ALL DAY FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK!

I was so overwhelmed.

I HAD to get moving and my little morning walk and ride wasn’t cutting it…just too much time left in my day.

So I tackled a project I could not have cared less about lifting a finger or spending a dime on…the guest bath.

It gets used MAYBE 2-3 times a year when the kids come for overnight visits. I threw down a few comfy rugs, stocked it with “guest necessities” (this stuff is important) and hung a nice curtain. I would clean it when I knew we were going to have over night company…other than that…out of sight, out of mind.

The fact that few used it or saw it on a regular bases was just fine by me.

It wasn’t completely offensive.

It was just “blah.” Beige walls, off-white cabinets, dated, boring lighting and fixtures…just blah.

Again, who cares…

But I needed to get moving and put my body in motion. And this was the perfect project. Inside in the AC but away from the TV.

Inspiration…anything “unblah.”

My plan…”unblah” it.

Budget…as little as it takes to “unblah” it.

Usually I am all for finding an inspiration, making a plan, and working with a sound budget. In my opinion, it is the only way to attack a big project like this.

But I need to move and I didn’t have the time or patience to sit and think about this for weeks. I decided my MAIN objective was to use the materials I have on hand and try to make a few changes that would “unblah” the space without breaking the bank.

First on the list…get rid of all the gold fixtures. The style wasn’t TOTALLY offensive but they are gold…gold towel and hand towel bars and gold TP holder. I decided to “repurpose” the hand towel holders and TP holder by painting them black. A little primer, a little black paint…both in my stash. Cost…zero.

I also replace the faucets…the existing weren’t totally offensive but these were pretty inexpensive on Amazon…less than $50 each.

I removed the towel bar and added a little bit of board and batten with hooks for towels. Similar to my entry….super simple…again look for a tutorial that makes sense to you! Less than $50.

I used some leftover trim paint to paint the board and batten and all the trim. Cost…zero.

I painted all the doors in the main part of the house before we moved in…but again, this space got completely ignored! I even ordered black door knobs but never put them on these doors. I used the left over black paint and the knobs I bought over a year ago. Cost today…zero.

The cabinets….I used the leftover paint from my master bath cabinets. Cost…zero.

I did buy new inexpensive hardware. About $4 each so less than $40. (But I could have painted the existing hardware with black paint I had on hand.)

The ceiling needed to be painted. Big water spot around the HVAC vent. I sprayed the spot with some Kilz I had on hand and dug out the leftover ceiling paint! Cost….zero.

The beige walls needed to be “deblahed.” I painted them white…plain ole’ pure white. I only needed about a gallon and my son had some leftover from their house. Cost…zero.

I would have loved to change out the 23 year old tops…maybe add a pretty tile backsplash…but the tops aren’t terribly offensive (just a bit dated) so for now they stay. Just added the new faucets.

Three new light fixtures…two vanity lights and a pendant light…again, Amazon. All three for less than $250.

I could have repurposed the lights that where there with a little paint but the new were worth the investment.

Again, this space only gets used 2-3 times a years so it’s not like I need something expensive.

The flooring could stand to be changed…but again, this is a room that is rarely used….soooooo…..

The only other thing I would love to do in this room is change out the mirror…or at least frame it. I found THIS tutorial for a wall treatment I absolutely LOVE….

Not necessarily the gold mirrors…I think I would go with round wood framed. But I love the wood slate treatment and I may eventually tackle that project…someday…maybe when we have another national crisis and I need to focus on something constructive.

Sadly at the rate our country is going, that may be next week.

With all the negative looming over our heads…fires, hurricanes, Afghanistan, Covid, inflation….I can not stress enough how important it is to stay focused on the positives in your life. Believe me when I say I GET IT. It is hard to stay positive when people we love are sick and dying, our retirements are swirling the drain, you can’t meet you monthly financial obligations, the very fabric of our great country is being shredded.

Turn off the tv…shut down your computer….turn your radio dial. I’m not advocating bathing yourself in complete ignorance….just turn off and tune out the onslaught of negativity and focus on something that makes you happy.

The laughter of your children as they play.

The sound of the the crickets and birds on your morning walk around the neighborhood. (Get out and breath fresh air…EVERY DAY)

The babble of a brook in a nature park.

Coffee on the porch early in the morning before the heat and humidity sets in.

A tiny bit of “quiet time.” (Whether you do yoga, meditate, read your bible, just sit and stare…ALWAYS carve out a little bit of quiet, alone time EVERY DAY.)

A stroll down the aisles of Hobby Lobby…fall and Christmas are just around the corner!!!

I’ll admit it…my life isn’t all roses and peach fuzz. Somedays I really struggle to find something positive to focus on. But as I said HERE, you choose your “hard.”

Choose wisely.

Coffee Bar...

When I looked to Pinterest for inspiration for a coffee bar I realized that there are some super serious coffee connoisseurs out there. I just wanted a nice organized place for a few coffee necessities.

My stove top area in the kitchen is a bit tight for a “coffee station”…

…but we managed because I have TONS of prep space on my island. Regardless, I wasn’t happy with having my coffee maker in this area….and I didn’t want to have a full sized coffee pot taking up even more space so we would have to remake coffee all morning in our little 4 cup maker.

I decided to utilize a corner of the counter top in the laundry room for a “coffee station.”

Even though we make coffee every morning, the distance from the kitchen trash can and water source was almost equal so it really was no biggy to put it in there vs. on the kitchen counter.

Right now I am on a quest to use up some of the wood and materials I have accumulated over the years. It would have been real easy to go out and buy new materials to make shelves but I decided to get resourceful.

When I remodeled Katie’s room eons ago I removed the black floating shelves she used as her makeup station….

(Man my photo skills sucked!!!!)

I’ve kicked those things around for YEARS thinking I would eventually use them.

They weren’t the size I wanted for my “coffee station” and not even the style. But I decided I would try to make them work.

The first thing I did was cut them down. Not difficult since they are constructed out of fake wood and cardboard. I did have to take a metal grinder to one of the metal support brackets to make it shorter, but that was seriously no biggy.

I did add some wood support inside the corners of the cut down shelves because my next step was to clad them in wood.

I had some leftover “bead board planks” from another project…similar to this…

…so I used that to clad the tops and bottoms of the shelves (just glue and a few nails). Then I used some 1”x3” pine boards I had for the fronts and sides. A little stain…a little polycrylic to seal.

Repurposed floating shelves…they didn’t cost me a dime because I used scrap materials I had on hand.

My goal was “rustic” shelving…I think I accomplished that.

I did purchase a few new canisters…one for coffee, decaf, and cocoa.

The old silver tureen has held my filters for years…love it.

I found this cute little office supply thingy…originally labeled for paperclips, rubberbands, erasers, stamps etc.

I decided it would be perfect for all the different sweeteners my family insists on…God forbid they use the one I use. I relabeled each space for my purposes.

A fake plant. (BTW I keep reading fake plants are a decor faux pas…ask me if I care!)

We did purchase a larger coffee pot.

Again, this space is right off the kitchen so it really isn’t a bother. I like that it freed up a little bit of kitchen counter space.

I would like to add that 1) I now have a HUGE laundry room and 2) it is just Brian and me so rarely are there piles of laundry demanding my attention. I can see where some may not have the room or desire to use the laundry room for this purpose! But for us, it worked out perfectly.

I am a HUGE proponent of looking to Pinterest for inspiration…but sometimes we get a little intimidated by what we see online and forget we don’t NEED all that froo-froo or even have the space for it….

Don’t get me wrong…I think these spaces are amazing…but for YOU are they realistic? Hopefully my tiny little corner will inspire you to “think outside the box” if you need to create a space. Know that you don’t need a huge space for a basic coffee bar if you just need a place for a few basics.

Making a table or bench top...

One tool I wanted for years was a “biscuit joiner.”

One of the many things I love about my kids….when I ask for a specific tool for Chirstmas/birthday/Mom’s Day, they listen. So several years ago I got a biscuit joiner for Christmas!

This little tool has allowed me to make a few things I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to make. It allows me to join together several boards to make a larger board. A necessity if you want to make benches or table tops.

Let me give you a few examples….

The first was this bench….

Source

I was able to join together the three 1”x6” boards and the ends to make a strong top.

Brandon and Taylor wanted a plain pine table and bench for their new house. I guess they could have spent a fortune like we did for a custom made table but that isn’t really an option for a young couple.

So we went to Lowes, picked out some straight, nice boards with good grain and used the biscuit joiner, glue and clamps to create a table top and bench top.

After some serious construction, a LOT of sanding, a polycrylic clear coat, and some nifty bases, they have an AMAZING table and bench!

Last year I went looking for some shelving…I found one I absolutely LOVE. It was from the same company that built our dining table so I knew the quality would be amazing….but the price tag was just a tad too steep!

SOURCE

I love everything about this shelving unit….the look, the style, the quality.

So I went looking for a less expensive option. I found one I thought was okay on Overstock.

Waaaay less expensive…and for obvious reasons. The frame is metal vs welded steel and the shelving material is MDF vs. beefy solid wood.

The look and style is very similar…almost identical sizing…but the MDF shelving HAD to go. I knew immediately I wanted to replace them with solid walnut.

It has only taken five months to get around to this project.

The biscuit joiner was a life saver.

Walnut is a pretty expensive wood…and finding pieces wide enough for the needed 12” shelving was pretty much impossible (without a serious outlay of cash.) What I did find were 7”ish board we ran through my son’s table saw and joined together….

Using a biscuit joiner is NOT difficult…just take your time and follow the directions.

One little trick I did learn was how to mark the joints so they lined up perfectly. Just put your two boards together then run a mark across the joint….

Then just line the joiner up with the mark and plunge away…the joints will line up perfectly!

Always dry fit everything to make sure it all lines up perfectly before you apply glue….

Apply glue and clamp….

Joiners are NOT difficult to use. Just follow the directions and watch lots of YouTube tutorials.

I sanded each piece with 220 grit sand paper, tack cloth and sealer.

I used Waterlox as a sealer…no stain…same stuff I used on my kitchen cabinets and I have been extremely pleased with it!

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

I was able to take a shelving unit fit for a dorm room and turn it into a beautiful accent piece!

LOVE!

A little tweeking to the laundry room...

There weren’t too many “structural” changes to be made in this house. Most of the big stuff was done before we moved in but there are a few little things I have been tweeking since we move in,

One is the laundry room. I installed the window before we moved in (featured HERE) , new tops and sink, shelf above the washer and dryer, and replaced the light fixture. Since we moved in I have painted the cabinets, changed the hardware, and added a coffee bar (to be featured later!)

I don’t know who the moron was who thought 4’ was wide enough for the washer and dryer opening….

Why is this an issue?

And worse, I have been having issues with the dryer properly venting. Another moron ran the dryer duct under the slab of the house to the back yard, a good 40’. An absolute no-no. Why? Because the length is entirely too long for a normal dryer to push the warm damp air AND they can potentially (as mine has) take in ground water. So you end up with water in the duct and moist lint sticking to the inside of the duct. Which of course sets off your dryer and shuts it down repeatedly.

I can’t even periodically pull out my dryer to at least attempt to clear the duct work without first pulling out the SUPER heavy washing machine, then moving the dryer sideways.

Hence the problems with the narrow opening. (Thank God I don’t have a dryer with a drop down door!)

Serious pain in the rear and a problem I knew I was going to have to deal with..,..eventually.

What has been causing the serious case of procrastination is my knowledge of framing.

When you frame openings for doors and windows, you have to put a “header” above the opening….let me TRY to explain.

SOURCE

Normally walls have studs every 16” to carry the load of the ceiling weight. The header is to provide solid support over an opening. Now, you have to remember that a 2” x 4/6/8 is actually only 1 1/2” thick, so in order to make a “header” you sandwich two 2xs (usually 10” or 12”) and a 1/2” piece of plywood together…making a 3 1/2” thick header, the width of a 2x4 stud (because it is actually 1 1/2” x 3 1/2”). That header stretches the width of the opening and sits on a “trimmer stud,” which is attached to a “king stud.”

I suspected that when I removed the 8” of wall on the left to widen the opening, the header would be sitting on a trimmer stud, which meant I was going to have to take the entire header out and make and install a new one long enough for the new, larger opening. MAJOR pain in the rear because that meant removing all the sheetrock above the opening to the ceiling, install a new header, then repair and paint the new sheetrock.

The day came…the dryer was no longer getting it done and it was time.

I removed all the trim around the opening and cut out the wall on the left….

BY THE GRACE OF GOD the moron who framed the opening too small made the header too long!!!!!

I was able to slip a few studs in the wall under the header, trim the opening, paint and….

…WALLA. Problem easily solved with no major reconstruction or sheetrock mess.

Well, not “solved” per se….I’ve really only made it easier to clean the vent periodically (and open the door all the way.) The next big chore will be rerouting the dryer vent up the wall and across the attic. A much shorter distance and should solve my problem. But it is hot…super hot…and the attic is even worse. I have no desire to pass out and fall through the ceiling so this chore will wait until it is waaaay cooler in the attic.

Now, the downside….

…the flooring. When I removed the wall, I was left with this gap in the tile where they had tiled around the original framing bottom plate. Boo-hoo.,..now I might have to replace the floor tile in my laundry room! Of course I will have to conveniently forget that there is an entire box of this tile in the garage.

I want to replace the tile. I know this tile is original to the house because I used the exact same tile in my apartments 23 years ago…around the time this house was built.

So I want new…the question is do I NEED new. Or do I just replace the few pieces that need to be replaced.

Only time will tell. Knowing me I will wake up one day and take a hammer and crow bar to the tile….

But not today….today I am still recovering from getting my first Covid shot. I had Covid in December so I have used that as an excuse to not get the vaccine.

I am not a ”conspiracy theorist” and I rarely believe most of the crap posted on Facebook. And I certainly don’t believe this whole mess should have been politicized.

But this new variant has raised a few hairs on the back of my neck….and after having it and knowing how sick you can get, I decided to get the vaccine. We are also flying to Colorado in 8 weeks and at the rate things are going I worry that the airlines will require proof of vaccination to fly. I certainly don’t want to wait until the last minute.

So I got the shot….they say if you have had the virus the first shot will kick your butt. It did.

But I am much better and just about ready to take on another project. Hum…that floor is really starting to bug me….