Before and After

I forgot how ugly the green tile counter tops were. I removed the frilly cornice boards and curtains. I want to make tailored roman shades, but haven't yet.




Demolition was great fun. However since we live in a 1920s home, the plaster behind the tile backsplash was crumbling. I had to scrape it back to the lathes and then cut wood boards to screw in the holes.


An economical solution was buying granite tiles at $6 square foot versus $50 and up for solid granite. As this house will not be permanent, price was important.


The curb-find dresser turned into an island. I wired electricity to it from the basement so it could house the microwave to free up counter space.


Mixing thinset and water and troweling it on wasn't that difficult. But boy, was it messy! Mortar was everywhere, and it was death on my hands.


The little squares on the backsplash are tumbled marble. The larger backsplash tiles are made in Italy to resemble natural stone. Since I took all my tiles to Lowes to have cut, measuring was very important. One of the employees wasn't as exact as the other one. He miscut a few things, but after twenty trips to the hardware store we got it right.




My desk was salvaged from (where else?) the trash. With a matching granite top, coat of paint and new hardware it looks like it was meant to be.

The finishing touch was to be a crystal chandelier I purchased from an advertisement in a home magazine. Beware. The company forgot to tell me that they discontinued that particular chandelier and didn't refund my credit card. My wonderful credit card company stepped in when I claimed fraud and now I just need to find another chandelier. Lesson learned: I think I will shop local!