2 Thumbs Up! Looks really, really god - you must be so proud. I know I would!

OMG --- AMAZING transformation, Looks Fantastic!

If I didn't see the exact before pics I would have thought it was a totally different house--simply amazing!

Love what you've done! I am crazy for the painted paneling look. So cottagey! Love it! Great job!

Wow...What a transformation!

Truly amazing! You should have your own show on H&G titled "Budget Redo"!

Fantastic job!! Just like a story in a decor magazine!

Really well done indeed!! :)

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

WOW Factor +100 !!!! this is a very nice transformation from dungeon to inviting, warm, comfortable workspace/pantry YOU made excellent choices all the way around from ceiling to floor. Turn around I want to pat you on the back, excellent job! Thank you for sharing.

Lori

Really beautiful room. I can't even comprehend how hard you must have worked to do this job. CONGRATULATIONS!

I love the makeover! You sure took that space from "cave" to 'cottage'.

I am curious about the counters. You say "The counters got put on after I got the kitchen counters in." Is this another one of your faux paint jobs like you did for your fabulous Avacado bathroom makeover?? If so, are there close-ups?

wow, that does not look budget AT ALL!

I am very envious of your laundry room, especially that it is off the kitchen. That was one of the things I REALLY wanted when househunting,(I have never had a laundry room) but we ended up with tyhe W/D in the garage. :( So enjoy it!

Your room is so spacious and looks so functional. And now it is PRETTY!

Absolutely beautiful!! It went from dark and dingy to sunny and bright! Nice transition from your kitchen. It will make doing laundry fun!

Fantastic job. I'm so impressed you put in the floor yourself, too! Wish I could do that.

Thanks for all the compliments. I'm so glad we own a paint sprayer, because getting primer and paint into all the grooves of the paneling didn't go well with a roller when I first tried it. And because I wanted to paint the cabinets, trim, ceiling, etc, I could basically just shoot paint in all directions and touch it up later!

Dilly, I bought the laminate counters from a local shop and installed them myself. I wanted them to match the kitchen counters (which had to be all new because we changed the original layout), so I didn't attempt my faux finish. I kept the old counters for a garage worktop, though, so I'm going to paint them eventually and try out another faux granite look.

You did this by yourself? Wow! I love the vintage style you have in there.

My mom has the same set of white dishware you have on the upper shelf. Do you know the name of it because I was wanting to look it up. I think she bought hers in the '60's.

Looks great!
Which brand primer did you use for the paneling? Thanks!

You really have talent with a capital T !! Yowsa...budget..I don't think so. It looks fantastic. How did you learn to use all that equipment ? And did you buy it 1st and then learn or learn on someone's workshop and then purchase your own ? Anyway around it you did a FANTASTIC job and you sure should have your own TV show. Also you could probably make a fair amount teaching women how to use all that workshop stuff. I know I would love to take lessons. c

None of the serving piece on the upper cabinet have a makers mark, but I pieced them together from thrift stores to go with a set of 60's Independence Ironstone that I had. I just sold the set on CL, but I kept the tea pot, soup tureen, etc. because they're more neutral and technically didn't go with the place-settings. My black and white pattern was called Millbrook, but they come in many patterns and colors, even solid white. Johnson Brothers also made a pattern called Heritage that has the octagon shape but had a beaded edge instead of the reeded trim like mine.

{{gwi:1779705}}

Sorry catkin and trailrunner; I think we must have crossed posts. I appreciate your kind remarks!

Catkin, the primer was Kilz2 Latex. I didn't thin in, I don't believe. I know I added some Floetrol to the paint so it would spray better, but I'm pretty sure the primer was applied straight. I didn't even sand the paneling (Kilz recommends that for glossy surfaces, but my paneling was so old, it wasn't terribly slick). I just washed down the walls and cabinets and started spraying ;-)

Trailrunner, the power tools were acquired individually has my husband needed them for working on our last historic house. He wasn't very experienced, but woodshop class flashbacks and trial and error worked for him. I was always too intimidated to try them myself until now. DH gave me some safety tips and then I practiced on a few scraps. On tricky cuts, I make a template for myself out of cardstock, marking and cutting until it fits and then tracing the pattern on the wood, just as I would do for sewing or upholstery. The miter saw and jig saw are easy; I still don't like to use the circular saw (too much blade doing hidden things below the surface concerns me ;-), and I haven't played with the router yet, but I think I'll really like it.

I think we need to start calling you the makeover queen!

Laurie

It looks fantastic! What a nice change, and what a HUGE change for $300! I am so impressed with you :) Love the color too.
Jen

What a beautiful space you've created. I'm very impressed.

Thanks again everyone. Msrose, I think that's one of nicest nicknames anyone has ever given me!

amazing, lots of work !! looks really beautiful !!

Wow !!
You have impressed me! You are running over with talent.
Its easy to have "people" come in and do it for $$$$$$ but
to do all the work yourself ,on a budget and have it look like a picture in a mag is more than luck.
I salute you!

You did such a wonderful job taking the dark space and making it so bright and cheery. Your floor looks fantastic, I'm so amazed you tackled that by yourself. Big way to go!

wow you did wonders with that space! and the bathroom! amazing- will be so much nicer to work in now. much nicer just to walk thru the area - won't it be? dh think so also?

what's the flooring in it?

if ya got some spare time coming up I'll be in need of help here in AZ...lol!

I'm so thrilled that everyone likes the results. There are always things I might have done differently or additionally if we chose to use extra money, but we are striving to live below our means. It's kind of a fun challenge to stay on a grad student's budget with a professor's salary, but we had several years of practice ;-) It's almost harder than not really having the money at all, though, because it's there and we make a conscious decision not to use it. Sometimes I wonder if I should have spent more on the project for a better end result, but all your compliments soothe my fears and reaffirm our choices.

That is one thing that I admire about you. Everyone should live below their means, I don't think anything you have done, shows that it is not on a big budget, and you use what you already have, you should be commended. I am tired just looking at your results!

Definitly the "makeover queen".

Could you please tell me about the pictures in your bathroom?

I'm incredibly impressed . . . with your makeover AND with you, Equest17!!! You deserve a medal for doing this yourself and doing it so well! I love how you've taken this from a dark, cabin/cavelike room to a fresh, Cottagey one. Painting the cabs the same color as the walls has visually expanded the room. Your work area is wonderfully practical, too. BIG congrats for a job superbly done!
Lynn

Reader, the prints in the bathroom are called Serengeti I and II by Tandi Venter. The artist is from South Africa I believe. DH and I had the opportunity to go on a safari in SA with our church group a few years ago, and although these are just common art posters, they make me think of our personal trip. I bought the prints on eBay and made the frames out of door casing trim. They are fantastic posters, but the odd size made buying stock frames impossible (and custom was more than I wanted to spend ;-)

Lynn, thanks so much for the kind words. I'm glad you commented on the cabinet color; I haven't seen many painted to blend with the walls, so I wasn't sure of the reception it would get. Those original cabinets are extremely sturdy and well built but didn't have anything going for them in the looks department. I wanted to downplay their appearance and size but maximize their function. It didn't hurt that using all one color allowed me to just spray on the paint willy-nilly, either!

You did a wonderful job! I love it. Your post and pictures are very inspiring, especially doing it on a budget as you did. Thanks for sharing.

FlowerLady

equest17, thank you for the information on the pictures, I will go see what I can find.

Wow! Simply amazing.

yep-I'd watch your show anyday-"Makeover Queen on a Budget"

This is gorgeous! Wow!

Thanks! You did well!

Desertsteph, somehow I missed your post and questions above. My DH really likes the room, also. He came home to a surprise after I painted everything, because he didn't even know I was working on it while he was away. He was kind enough to assist with cutting down and hanging the extra cabinet, and he was instrumental in moving the w/d, so I couldn't have done it without him!

The flooring is "handscraped" laminate by Faus. I think the surplus place called it some sort of walnut, but since it was already discontinued and only available in seconds, I never saw the real packaging or name. I have enough in the garage to lay all through the dining and family rooms, so that will hopefully happen this fall. Those rooms should be a breeze compared to the laundry and bath!