Another Quick House Project

We are starting school at our house this week....so, in case I am too busy filling little minds with all sorts of facts and figures....here is another quick house project....

I am trying to lighten up my house, including the kitchen, which has really nice, granite countertops....but, they are black and the cabinets are a dark, cherry stain.

Before....I know I need to clean off that counter....

So, I removed some of the doors and wanted to put something pretty and bright in the back.

I got a partial roll of wrapping paper from the Habitat for Humanity Restore site for $.25.  I carefully measured my space....measured again.....marked up my cardboard....measured once more....cut  the cardboard......carefully placed the cardboard....it wasn't perfect....but it was pretty good.

Then I wrapped my cardboard in my pretty, partial roll of wrapping paper.....put the backs in and then went to put the first shelf in....

Yup.  It ripped.

The shelves were too tight.

So, I started the process all over.....measured my separate shelves....a few times each....cut my cardboard.....re-wrapped my pieces....being very careful not to use too much because I just barely had enough the first way.....and...

It worked!!!

This quick, easy, DIY project took me over 4 hours to complete. 

I know. 

4 hours.

I was pretty crabby by the time I was done....and sore from climbing up and down the ladder.

So, I just put my dishes in and they are going to stay that way for a while.  I am sure I could have arranged them more artfully....but, oh, well....

Really, my new lighter, brighter, fun colors do NOT go with the earth tone backsplash at all....but I have decided I don't care about that right now either!

Oh, here is one more tidbit of a project.

My new colors are a pale yellow, a citrus-y green and aqua.....my living room is yellow, the dining room is the citrus-y green and I was thinking my bathroom would be the aqua.

It is a really little bathroom right next to the front door.  It is a very good thing we don't get much company, because if we did they would get lots of views of little hineys going potty with the door open!

Anyway, it is little and dark....just like lots of parts of my house.  So, my thought was that I would brighten it up with a fun color.

Before....just a blah, tan, bathroom.

Here is what happened....

It sort of glows in the dark.  It really does.

The kids all love it.  I just think that it is just too much.  It is really bright and sort of claustrophobia inducing at the same time.

But, the kids really love it.....so before I totally paint over it, I am going to try a white wash technique to tone it down a bit.  We will see what happens.

But, again, you can see how fancy this house is based on the mirror and the sink stand....so not me....I am really NOT a fancy schmancy person.

So, those are my updates for now.  I will show you what my school portion of the basement turned out like once I get my students in there!