Extending Your Home

The Garage: Embrace the Extra Space

I see many homes which have an unfinished garage. Why not leave unpainted, right? It is the place where we keep our garbage cans or where we throw items we are not sure if we want anymore. The more unfinished the better until it becomes a forgotten area we avoid. Cars no longer fit inside and we park in the driveway - we promise ourselves that once we get around to going through all that tossed aside "stuff" then we can park back inside... until 6 months later the pile has only grown. A year later even more.

So what do we do? Treat the garage like it is an interior space. Paint the walls a warm color - it welcomes you as the first walls you see when arrive home and pull into the driveway. If the walls are not smooth, don't worry, that can be embraced. Add texture to the paint - like sand or stone treatment texture - you will enjoy the look and feel as you disguise the imperfections.

And the walls... so much square footage! These are wonderful blank canvases to show off some of your personal touches. Consider a contrast wall, or add a welcome sign... let your imagination guide you. Once the space is welcomed into your home it will becomes easier to keep it free of the clutter. It becomes too pretty to just put "stuff" there... and now your cars have a nice place to stay!

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Create A Sign

By Adrienne Barker • December 14, 2022

Online and in many box stores there are signs to decorate our homes... some for the welcome area, kitchen, laundry and many more. It is pretty easy to make your own with a little creativity and sweat equity you can create something special that can fit and coordinate perfectly. This sign started out as a 48" pine board... nothing special. I added a custom faux stone finish but it could also be painted solid or with stripes whatever your personal taste is. Letters can be purchased and painted the right color for the project. Most craft stores have a variety of sizes and font sizes. If you are not feeling this creative, but like what you see and are interested in ordering, please email us and we will get back to you!

Window Boxes on Siding

By Adrienne Barker • October 25, 2022

Window boxes on a home bring warmth and charm to the facade. But what happens if you have siding on the house and do not want to put holes through and create permanent damage? Not an issue! There are hooks that are designed to hang objects on siding and each can hold up to 10 pounds... usually used for wreaths and other decor, it will work to hold a light weight window box if you use an appropriate amount of hooks for support. The window box in the photo is easily obtainable from most online stores - it is lightweight even when it has dirt included and it can hang on multiple hooks as there is a frame supporting the woven basket inside. Keep in mind that the weight will increase when you have plants that grow and have water added to the soil.... it is important to use enough hooks for security. However as I started executing the plan, I encountered an issue. Siding is usually about 4-5 inches tall and each one snaps into the one above and below to cover the house facade. It is between the joint of two pieces of siding that the hook slides in and anchors due to the curved design. In my particular case, the hooks would have been too far from the window and would not have achieved a natural look. Upon measuring, I determined the window box was the perfect height to sit ON the hooks, but then the frame needed something to keep it from tilting forward. I realized that mending plates - about 2" long could be bolted into the frame of the window box. I used 4 plates and connected them into the holes on the frame. Because they were on a bolt, I left the nut slightly loosened until I pushed the plate into position behind the window casing that the siding slips behind. Once in place, I tightened the nut. It has been extremely secure, even with changing out the flowers. Now with the fall coming, I have added some fall leaves to the plants and it provides a festive look to the home.

Working with Crackle Finish

By Adrienne Barker • October 22, 2022

Applying a crackle finish to a piece is beautiful and allows many variations in color. The steps can be done quickly, and there is a thrill as you see the finish separate in a unique, sporadic pattern across the surface. It can provide charm and individuality to an otherwise ordinary item. The instructions seem simple enough. Apply a base coat, then apply the glaze, and then apply the final coat which cracks in order to show the contrasting paint underneath. What the instructions don't explain is how quickly and purposefully you have to work. In my experience three pieces of advice must be given. Use a good bristle brush - the glaze creates a finish that is almost chalky in feel, despite its transparency. A sponge brush will not spread the top paint coat properly. The second piece of advice is apply the paint in an even, measured fashion, painting with the grain without retouching the same spot multiple times. The cracking begins VERY quickly. If you repaint the spot it will ruin the affect. Trust the application - the cracking will disguise any paint strokes from being visible. Lastly, no two applications are exactly the same. The type of wood, the dryness, and age all seem to affect the way the paint reacts. One application may show delicate breaks and small divisions, while the next try may create large breaks and jagged cracking. Have an open mind and let the piece develop its own unique outcome. Best advice I can give? Trust in the process and then sit back and enjoy the result!