My Country Peanut – Long Weekend Fun!

The weather was SO nice this weekend I spent hours in Peanut making some big changes. Saturday morning I prepped the kitchen wall for a peel and stick backsplash. I removed the curtain rod hooks, paper towel holder and outlet cover. I started to tile from the upper left corner and worked my way across and then down.

Tools needed: cutting mat, exacto knife, metal ruler and measuring tape

The tiles I used are Art3d subway tile with grey grout. There are 10 sheets in the pack. I used all but one as I had several strange cuts to make (and messed up once). This brand of tile had the better of the reviews I’d read online. They were super easy to install, a pain to cut and aren’t as sticky as I expected. But they are holding up and they look great installed. I chose Peel and Stick as I didn’t want to add any more weight to the trailer than necessary.

By 1:30pm I was done. What a difference. I haven’t painted out the cupboards yet which will make the kitchen look much nicer but this was a great start. Once I installed the outlet cover and caulked the area just under the cabinets I hung the vintage spice rack. Cute cute cute cute cute!

After the backsplash was done I used the marble Mac-tact to cover the white table… I’m currently undecided about whether or not I like it… Perhaps once Peanut’s interior is complete and the fabric isn’t so awful.

For my next project I ripped out all of the old framing to the left of the kitchen. This framing needed to come out so I can prep and install the framing for the new bathroom. There is also the old propane furnace in that space that will need to come out but I will have to wait to have someone out who is trained to use propane disconnect and cap it off. I do still need the propane for the two burner stove.

There are some small wires coming out of the floor where the toilet will be going so I will be building up the floor a couple inches to keep the wires safe. Once the framing and walls are in I will paint everything in a fresh coat of white paint.

I found the box of Trafficmaster vinyl plank flooring in Brushed Oak Taupe it has only 24 square feet which means I will have to buy a couple more boxes before I lay the floor down. It is currently on sale – so bonus!! And the colour is perfect.

And the final two projects on Peanut were to caulk above the door frame where it was peeling off and to do touch up paint all around the body.

Nothing like a fresh coat of blue paint. Thank you for following Peanut’s journey. There are many more projects to come. Stay tuned!

Peanut parked for the winter with a fresh coat of blue paint

My Country Peanut – Weekend # 1 With Peanut

This weekend I decided to do a mini project on the interior of Peanut. To the left of the kitchenette is a framed out bench area with a shelf at countertop level. I took it upon myself to remove that shelf so I can open the seat compartment and assess what work needs to be done. Under this compartment is a raised subfloor, propane furnace, tire well and some pipes for the furnace.

Since I do not want to keep the furnace it will be the first major item to remove. I will have to cap off the propane line correctly to prevent any incidents from happening. Once it is out and safe I can remove the piping that goes to the exterior for venting. I will then frame out this area for a shoe shelf, fridge and an additional shelf for storage.

Now, the foot print for the bathroom is actually larger than I thought it would be. I can easily put in a water closet that is 40″ long by 24″ wide. This will give me more than enough room for the new toilet which is 14″ wide and 17.5″ long. This will leave me approximately 10″ of space on either side of the toilet and 22.5″ of leg room. It will be the roomiest closet bathroom ever! HA!

For fun I decided to hook Peanut up to the hydro line and check out all the lights. Man is this trailer cute all lit up!

On Sunday night I took advantage of some sales on Amazon.ca. Here are some of the items I purchased for Peanut:

Swivel Mirror $39.00 / HTTMT Advanced Portal Flush Toilet $154.19 – Rg $170

6″ Clip on fan $20.75 / Hisome portable space heater $40.99 (regular $45.99)

And for the kitchen:

Art 3D Peel and stick white subway tile backsplash with gray grout $49.99 / Grey marble contact paper $17.99

And finally this afternoon on my lunch break I went to Service Canada (equivalent to a DMV – Department of Motor Vehicle) to change over the ownership and get the license plate. I really wanted to do a custom plate (something cool like ’76 P-NUT’ but the cost to do that is over $250… And a basic plate is $38… So I took the savings. The total cost for the HST, license plate and sticker it came to $174.

So far of my $1500 budget I’ve spent roughly $561.00.

Stay tuned for more little projects as I plug away before the weather gets cold.

🙂

My Country Farmhouse – Peanut Vision Board

One of my absolute favourite parts of renovating is the design process. Because I am returning Peanut to her original floor plan there will be two new walls going up. This will be a new bathroom addition. Once that is done I will add a fridge area and upper shelving over the dinette for clothing storage.

Here is a look at an original 1976 Rambler Peanut (This is not my Peanut) but is a great example of what she would have looked like:

There is no question that I will be adding a toilet (I’m more of a glamper than a camper). Since there are no holding tanks in this trailer (likely removed in the past) I’ve decided on a kleankin Outdoor Portable Travel Toilet Flushable Tank with Level Indicator. This unit has a built in holding tank, holds 2.6 gallons of freshwater (for flushing), 5.3 gallons of black water (sewage), and can flush up to 50 times on one fill. This unit retails for $179.99 (with a $20 coupon).

There are so many options when it comes to refrigerators (extra small, small, medium, large, fridge freezer combo, fridge only, double door or single…). To be budget conscious I will be adding a 1.7 Cubic foot fridge. This little guy is the size of what would have been in the trailer in the 70’s. At a cost of $129 from Wal Mart it is the most affordable brand new. What I have been doing is trying to find the same size fridge on the classifieds for a cost of $30 to $50… Maybe I’ll get lucky.

The look I am going for is light, cozy and airy with pops of colour. The walls and ceiling are already white. I will also be painting the cabinets white (covering the dark grey) to lighten the space which will help since I am adding two new walls. With pops of pink, yellow, green and blue this little lady will be cottage chic. Some new fabric on the cushions and curtain panels will definitely liven up the place. Floral patterned melamine dishware (which I already have), contemporary wood and steel cutlery (have), soft lacy sheers under the curtain panels and a thick double layer curtain to hide the water closet.

White cabinets, pops of colour, natural wood

The Kitchen is only 5 feet wide (possibly a little less) which means being super creative with storage. There are two upper cabinets. One for food and one for dishes and glassware. There is one little drawer for cutlery and a few other small items. There are two lower cabinets as well. The one under the sink will house the grey and fresh water leaving no room for anything else which means the one under the stove will be for larger items (pots/pans). Plus I will add a new shelf under the stove to really utilize the vertical height under the counter. As I create a list of what I need to make this trailer fully functioning I question if there will be enough space.

The floor is just a painted plywood which is functional but not that appealing (and overtime water will damage it). I have an unopened box of vinyl wood flooring that I can use which is easy to install and waterproof. It simply clicks together. I may however have to buy a second box. But that is okay since I haven’t really touched my budget yet.

The highest cost item will be recovering the cushions. Cost of fabric and employing a sewer to do the work (I am not that skilled…) To try and save on overall cost I will be looking for prefab curtains online. Luckily all of the curtain rods are perfectly in tact so there is no additional cost there.

Fabric ideas:

Since the small guest room in my house has a twin size bed I already have some sheets that are off white and a duvet. There will be no added cost on bedding since I will also be using my pillows from my master bedroom.

Here is a list of some of the smaller things I will have to get to finish up the project:

Bathroom

Toilet paper dispenser
Wall mount tooth brush holder
Mirror
Mountable baskets for towels, face clothes and products

Kitchen

All small appliances will come from the house (peeler, shredder, scissors, knives)
Wood cutting board
Vintage spice rack (wall mount – already have)

Exterior:

Folding chair & table (small)
Propane BBQ
Umbrella (already have one)

Hopefully I can get the weird old framing out and get the water closet framed in before it gets too cold outside. If I can that means early spring I can work on all the cosmetic work until I head out on the open road. I can’t wait!

Stay tuned for updates on Peanut’s progress.

🙂

My Country Farmhouse – Say Hello To Peanut

Since I’ve done nothing but neglect my Blog over the past month and a half I’ve decided to post some exciting news for you all. After over 5 years of searching, bidding wars and losing out I’ve finally crossed another item off my bucket.

On Sunday September 13th as I got home I received a Facebook message from my mom and a link that read “Did you see this?” Quickly opening the link to see what it was I soon got super excited that the link was only posted within the hour and I MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE A CHANCE AT IT.

Within a few minutes I sent a private message asking if “It was still available? And, Can I see it tonight?”. I waited 30 minutes in anticipation for a response I feared would be the usual “Sorry, sold”. But not this time. The response “Yes, it is available. Does 7pm work for you?”. I couldn’t believe it. Only 3 hours to wait… UGH

I left at 6pm to make a 50 minute journey to Oshawa, Ontario for my 7 o’clock appointment. I arrived 10 minutes early. And there she was sitting in the driveway in all her 12 foot glory. The cutest thing I’d ever seen. And one of the items on my bucket list I created over 15 years ago. While sitting in my car I received a message “Hey Michelle, I’m going to be 5 minutes late. Hope that’s ok?”. Since I had to wait for her I asked if I can walk to property take a look at her. And she said “Yes!”.

Here she is my new (not new) 1976 Rambler Peanut. She has a 9 foot body (12 feet to the tongue). She comes with updated electrical, 2 propane tanks, 3 new tires, a functioning original double burner, kitchen sink and super outdated fabric. She weighs in around 1200 pounds.

This little lady needs some cosmetic work in the interior: curtains, cushion fabric, lighter colour paint, vinyl flooring and some shelving for clothing. The largest renovation will be adding a water closet for the porta potty addition (which this trailer would of originally had). I am retuning her to her original look.

Here are some interior photos:

I can’t wait to get started on all the pretty fun stuff (decor and design). My next blog will be of my vision board for Peanut. Colours, textures, toilets, decor and more. This is going to be one of my favourite projects outside of renovating my house (which is on hold until next fall).

My budget for this little lady is $1000 – $1500.

Hope you all follow along on this fun journey.

Stay safe and smile!

🙂

My Country Farmhouse – The Completed Laundry Room & New Family Room (Updated: Dec 4, 20)

Before

Please visit My Country Farmhouse – The Laundry/Mudroom Design and My Country Farmhouse – Laundry Room Progress for everything leading up to this moment.

I can happily say that the washer and dryer have been installed. With the dryer outlet directly on the opposite side of the wall (in the kitchen) all the electrician had to do was remove some drywall and feed the cable through a new hole to the other side, they even reused the same outlet box. They also installed the new exhaust for the dryer which exits out the west wall and cannot be seen.

The electricians (Jason and Kevin) were so good at removing the piece of drywall that I was easily able to put the cut out piece right back in to it’s place. Money saved! A little plaster, sanding and some paint finished the job.

Next the plumber (Brad) moved the plumbing in to the new laundry room opposite the same kitchen wall as the electrical. Unfortunately there was no way to move the plumbing so it would all be under the floor and not seen so, it will stick up about 1″ – 2″ from the floor in the kitchen. Luckily I’ve designed the kitchen so that it will sit under a cupboard and you will never see it. In the new laundry room there are 3 holes; hot, cold and the drain pipe. With the washer sitting in front of them you will only see the tops of the water shut off valves and the drain pipe which needed additional height to ensure no flooding would occur.

With the washer and dryer in place it was time to start decorating the space. The French doors were trimmed 3/4″ to avoid hitting the slope in the floor as they open. The walls have been painted in Benjamin Moore’s Grey Beard (which was a full can from my previous house renovation – savings!) and I spray painted the old vent covers matte black to match the French door handles, brackets and pantry hardware.

20200620_164709

Over the washer and dryer I hung two shelves with black brackets using reclaimed wood I purchased a few years ago that was laying around. I added a piece of art from a collection I had in storage, a couple faux plants and some laundry jars. On the west wall I added a straight 6″ hook made of steal pipe that I had in the basement and added a couple wood hangers for items that need to hang dry. Style and function.

20200620_170646

The final step will be to add the 3 ceiling medallions and the 3 new farmhouse style light fixtures. As much as I am not a fan of the florescent lights currently installed – they do make the space feel larger (they are so big). Also, I’m in no hurry.

Note the beautiful 5mm with under padding Beckham Brothers vinyl plank floors in Nottingham Oak. They are waterproof and super durable. The largest investment I’ve put in to the house so far —- AND SO WORTH IT!!!

And here she is – The new Laundry Room with pantry and Recycling station. Who wouldn’t want to do their laundry in here?

And on the opposite side of this 300 square foot room is the NEW family room. With space for my large couch, chair, tables and antique hutch. And since it is the coldest room in the house it will be a nice place to relax on those hot summer days. Or to just sit and fold my laundry.

Entrance in to the family and laundry room

The Family Room

20200620_172115 20200620_165421 20200620_180244 20200620_170838 20200620_170755 20200620_171140 20200620_172151

Here is the final tally for the Laundry/Family Room:

Pre-covid budget was $5000 / Covid budget became $3000

Floors – $1750

French doors – $100

Brackets and screws – $23

Lighting – $200

Electrical – $406.80

Plumbing – $680

Current total – $3159.80

This is now my second favourite room in the house (the landing upstairs still being my first). What was an outdated room with purple carpet, burgundy valences and bi-fold doors is now light, bright and airy. Definitely a space I will want to use often. Stay tuned for the total cost of the renovation.

🙂

My Country Farmhouse – Laundry Room Progress

Nothing makes me happier than hearing the words “your floors have arrived and we can install them in two days” instead of waiting 3 weeks. They are in and they look SO good!!!!

Here is a sneak preview of the floors going in:

I’ve purchased the baseboards from Home Hardware at a cost of $162.00, painted them white (reused paint from other projects) and began installing them which will totally transform the space. Thanks to my neighbour Alex for letting me use his chop saw – the baseboards were cut and installed in 1 hour and 10 minutes. They’ve also been wood filled and had paint touch ups.

20200606_100529

For the closet there were plain by-fold doors that I have decided to replace with the set of frosted glass French doors ($100) that were originally going to be used for closing off the laundry area. The best part is they are the exact measurements needed for the framing of the space. Since everything in there will be fresh, new and updated I don’t need to hide anything. It’s going to look so good and feel so spacious.

(Old door on the left)

20200603_153920

I’ve hidden a small imperfection on the pantry by adding a small trim detail. Since the walls are not 100% straight there was a tiny gap between the upper and lower cabinets. I used a small piece of trim salvaged from the old singer sewing machine that I took apart, some white paint and voila – free fix!

I had an appointment with the plumber today (June 9th). They will schedule in the work to be done in the next few days. Unfortunately the old stone foundation will prevent the plumbing from being under the floor in the kitchen. It will be moved 18 inches to the left so that it will be hidden once again under a cabinet. I’ve contacted another electrician today in hopes that he will be available to move the dryer outlet. Fingers crossed!

I’ve decided to use Grey Beard paint for the walls which I have left from my Alma Street renovation (Full can FREE!). I simply need to bring it to the hardware store for a good shake since it has been sitting a while. Let the plastering and painting begin.

I hope you continue to follow along as I complete the laundry room renovation. Stay tuned as the exterior of the house is nearly complete and I will be posting the before and after pictures for everyone to see.

🙂

My Country Farmhouse – Week 8 Update: Designing the Kitchen

With all this time on my hands I’ve decided that I would finalize the kitchen design so that when we are back to work there will be no time wasted getting started. My original budget was (for me) on the high end at $20,000 – $25,000 which is a lot of money. Now, with being out of work I’ve come to realize that that is no longer what I want. It’s not me. Of all things I am a frugal person. There are a lot of things I can do myself, purchase prefabricated cabinets and install same with prefab countertops, install a new light fixture, paint, tile, flooring the list goes on. What I cannot do is where I will have to spend a few bucks – mostly plumbing and electrical work.

Here is a breakdown for my 11′ X 12′ space:

Cabinets – $3500

Countertops – $1200

Hardware – $200

Sink and faucet – $800

Backsplash – $800

Flooring – $1000

Electrical & Plumbing – $1000

Lighting – $300

Wood/drywall/trim – $1000

Paint – $100

Buffer – $500

Total NEW Budget – $10,400

I will no longer be removing the entire wall between the sitting room and kitchen. Once the stove and fridge is moved the kitchen will have an additional 25″ of space to move around. And maybe a bit of room for a slender island.

Here is my design for the kitchen:

Hampton Bay Edson – Grey/Taupe Cabinets Shaker style (Home Depot Canada) Prices vary per cabinet

Screen Shot 2020-04-29 at 8.26.23 PM

Acacia Wood Countertops – Light Oak (Home Depot – Canada) $485 EA

Screen Shot 2020-05-07 at 2.50.33 PM

Merula Tile Artisan Azul Decor (Home Depot – Canada) $169/box (14 sq.ft.)

Screen Shot 2020-04-29 at 10.04.32 PM

Brass Classic double porcelain handle faucet with Shipping (Amazon.ca) $180.00

Screen Shot 2020-05-03 at 6.46.04 PM

White Quartz Classic 33″ x 18″ Undercount Kitchen Sink (Wayfair.ca) Reg. $982.99 FOR $439.99 / Plumb Pak Keeney Deep thread cast brass sink power ball basket strainer 3.5″ White (amazon.ca) $26.45

Richelieu Regency Brass 3″ Handle (Home Depot Canada) – $7.06 EA (X17) / Summer Street Home Hardware Small 1.5″ Centre Ring Pull (Wayfair.ca) $10.40 EA (X6)

Ceiling medallion – free (handmade) found two in a bin headed to the garbage at work. SCORE!!!

20200507_160610

Andrews 5 – light candle style classic/traditional chandelier with crystal accents (Wayfair.ca) $269.99

Pine plank flooring painted blue (complimentary colour to the tile)

20200430_082424

Here is the layout of the South Wall

20200507_152940

Here is the layout of the North wall

20200507_152945

As you can see I’m heading in the direction of French Country – which I absolutely adore. Rich brass tones, natural wood, crisp whites, rustic tiles – sigh!

I’ve decided to increase storage space by putting a double stack set of upper cabinets directly on top of the countertops on either side of the fridge. Here is an example of how that would look:

To save on cupboard space I like the idea of hanging my pots on the wall which is usually wasted space. Even lids can hang on the wall if the design is right. Here are some inspirational photos:

Screenshot_20200508-221005_Samsung Internet

Screenshot_20200508-221056_Samsung Internet

And I will continue to hang my wood cutting/serving boards on the wall which also makes the kitchen feel a little rustic and cozy.

20200509_161546

Once the kitchen has been assembled I will pick a fresh paint colour to enhance the final feel of the kitchen.

Since I won’t have the eat-in kitchen I really love I’ve decided to turn the “sitting” room in to a little dining area and library. Just outside the kitchen will be my table and chairs and on the far side by the windows I will build custom book shelves that will look like they’ve always been there and add a chaise to curl up on.

And that concludes the new kitchen design.

Since it is Mothers Day I’d like to take a second to wish all the moms a light and happy Mothers day. Although not everyone can be with their moms with our current situation I hope you get to Face time or Zoom or just call them to make their day a little more special. I’ve decided to paint my mom a picture and bake a loaf of homemade bread which I know she will love (well mostly the bread 😛 )

20200509_161530

Stay safe, stay healthy and be kind.

🙂

My Country Farmhouse – Stairway to Heaven

Potential Potential Potential – That is all I saw with the L shaped staircase. Some sanding, paint and a gorgeous traditional runner. That is all this staircase needs to come back to life and become a show stopper. The stairs are in front of you as you walk through the front door. I decided to paint them white to match the trim and to brighten them so the runner will pop but won’t compete with the dark wood table and mirror.

I knew that I would need to install a runner to make the stairs safe for myself and the dogs. The painted stairs are super slick and although I would one day love wood stairs with dark treads and white risers I also know that would cost several thousands of dollars and for around $800 – $1000 (tax included) I could have a gorgeous staircase. I knew the runner would have to be traditional. With all the neutral colours, white, incredible white, cream, beige and browns, something has to bring in the colour. At the local flooring store in Campbellford (Van Huizen Flooring) they have rows of gorgeous carpeting. Solid colours, patterned, textured and all at incredible prices. I used them to do the carpet on the stairs and landing at the Alma Street house.

Since I knew exactly what I wanted it didn’t take long before I had a couple runner samples in hand and headed home to see which one I would like best. Most stores will allow you to take the samples they have in house for 2 – 3 days so you can take your time to make a big decision. I knew after only a few minutes.

Here is the sample runner that will be installed on the stairs:

Since the lower portion of the stairs were painted during the dining room refresh I will be painting the upper portion with the landing reno. The spindles and rails will need 2 – 3 coats of paint, the treads will need to be swept, scrubbed, sanded and painted two inches down both sides of the tread and risers (27″ wide runner vs 29″ tread/riser). On Monday January 20th Bill came out to take the measurements and book the appointment for installation (which the date changed 3 times).

2 coats of paint

After many many hours of painting, cleaning and prepping the staircase, as well as painting and caulking the walls around the stairwell (to avoid getting any paint on the new carpet after install) the stairwell is complete. Here are the final pictures:

20200214_103036 20200214_103043 20200214_103050 20200214_103109 20200214_172513

At a total cost of $1000.00. I couldn’t be happier. This gives a pretty neutral area some life. It is so comfortable to walk on and helps keep any foot traffic noise down (non-existent really).

I am back to work Tuesday and will only be at the house weekends. The only other project to do is the mudroom conversion in to a laundry and recycling room which might be done by summer time (fingers crossed). I will plug away at more little odd jobs until August / September when the electrical panel is replaced and upgraded from a 100 amp fuse panel to a 200 amp breaker panel. I will also hopefully be scheduling in the garage doors to be replaced with new carriage house style doors.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the progress made over the last 3 months. Stay tuned!

Happy Valentine’s Day

🙂

My Country Farmhouse – The Main Bathroom

20191102_172755

This is the biggest bathroom I have ever personally owned (house or rental unit). My previous house and current apartment are so small you could brush your teeth and pee at the same time. Your knees were that close to the vanity. I never thought it mattered about the size of a bathroom until this house, it’s just so spacious.

This is the most modern room in the house. New vanity, sinks, faucets, mirror, tub, shower head, tile, toilet, floors and paint – DONE. There was little to be done in here. But there were a couple things that had to change.

There was no toilet paper dispenser. So I purchased a stand alone with spare TP holder attached that sits across from the toilet. There was no where to hang a hand towel or any towel for that matter. After looking on Amazon.ca I found a set of 4 towel and toilet paper rods. I used two upstairs; the ring and a rod for my hand towel. Downstairs in the powder room I used a rod and the toilet paper dispenser as that room didn’t have one either.

20200208_191449

It has excellent storage. A section of shelving, cupboards, and drawers in the vanity. I used little bins to store the smaller items – staying organized. And some little bins in the drawers. Since the toilet was so far out from the wall I felt like there needed to be a shelf to hide the 4″ gap. I reused some wood and brackets from my supplies and Voila! a cute shelf to add some decor to.

And finally the beautiful wood trim had to be painted white (it just did not work in a bathroom that was all grey and white). I hate painting something original… but it made a huge difference.

I did purchase some new towels, hand towels and face clothes at Wal Mart to match the decor in the bathroom in a soft grey. And at Winners on the clearance rack a soap and tooth brush holder and shower curtain. At a total cost of roughly $130 the main bathroom is done.

20200208_183451

20200208_183519

20200208_183715

20200208_183700

🙂

My Country Farmhouse – A Guest Room for Two

I love decorating rooms for other people to stay in. I haven’t the slightest clue what I want to do in the master bedroom for myself but I knew almost immediately what I wanted to do in the guest room with the queen size bed.

This room had what appears to be off white walls with a green accent wall, mostly white trim, a large window and an LED 4 light fixture. The closet also has some super fancy Care Bear wall paper (my childhood).

I removed the words and shelves that were on the walls and did some plaster touch-ups a head of time. The room has been emptied out (excluding the bed) which has a tarp on it. The next step is to take the light off the ceiling, paint it, and start painting the trim white. After that I will be priming the one green wall and painting the room with the Incredible White that I’ve used throughout the house (since I have a couple cans leftover).

I’ve purchased a new more modern light fixture ($97) that ties in to the one in the landing (it is simply a smaller version), I have a gold curtain rod ($24.99) that is the same as the others installed in the house, soft grey linen sheers ($39.99 at Homesense) and a Roman blind ($87) to hang.

The repurposed sewing machine will be in the room along with the little white dresser with attached round mirror, water colour of my first home, oil painting on canvas of birch trees from the previous living room, black wall sconces and black metal headboard. I will use the little wood bench and build some floating side tables to complete the look. Total cost to complete the room: $249.00

I hope you like my quirky guest bedroom!

20200207_141515

20200207_111854

20200207_111905

20200207_141548

20200207_141528

20200207_141536

20200207_141613

20200206_172446

Dates are confirmed for the Electrical update which will be Tuesday February 11th and the stair runner date has moved to Wednesday February 12th. That will be a busy week. Stay tuned!