Mobile Home Skirting Blues

Sometimes you just can't afford to replace stuff, so I always try to find the next best remedy.  Usually it's paint!  This time it was just what I needed to freshen up the yellowing skirting.

It's been over ten years since I painted the house, so it's no wonder it was starting to look ragged.  Especially the places where there aren't any gutters overhead.  I imagine years of rain splashing mud up on the skirting has discolored it.

So here's what it was looking like.

Yuck, right?  Well I had this great idea to paint it the color of the trim, instead of the house color, just to add a little life.  Well, let me tell you how hard it is to match ten year old paint!  But I only got it wrong once before I decided to take in a sample of the trim color (luckily I still had it).
A couple of nice afternoons and two coats of paint, and wala!

So the winterizing has begun here.  Wrapping up some outdoor projects like treating the roof moss and cleaning the chimney and awning.
The front porch mudroom is cleaned out and the snow shovel is handy (not like last February when I had to wade through the snow to get to the shed, lol).
The firewood is in, stacked and covered.  I'll be wrapping up the hoses in October and winterizing the outdoor faucets.  It could be an early winter for us as our mountains are already getting their first snow!!  That's about one or two months early.

Hope you all are enjoying your end of season wrap.
Till next time!

The 2019 Kitchen Makeover

I have wanted to repaint the kitchen and dining room for a few years now.  The last time was about 2008 I think, or a little later.  My tastes and color schemes have changed since then, plus I needed a new stove, so that's what really kicked this whole thing into gear.

Lowe's has a sale for every holiday, so I waited for the Memorial Day sale and bought a modest, affordable, but very functional stove to fit my space.  I wanted stainless steel this time.

The whole kitchen would be white with accents in stainless steel, black/grey and Caribbean blue.  The dining room would be the same white with beach themed decor to complement the kitchen.

Function is my goal in this tiny kitchen.  I like to cook, I want things handy, I need clear counter space (since there is so little).

So I'll start with the end photo and work my way back over the journey.

Wala!  The finished kitchen.  New paint, stove, backsplash, shelving, spice rack, utensil racks, light bar over stove, knife rack, and hardware for cabinets and drawer.

In the beginning, was this color, sort of a southwestern yellow.

I proceeded to paint the entire kitchen, dining room and ceiling with a country white satin.

The dining room got new or newly painted cup racks, drapes, a beach theme clock and seagull print, mixed in with beach decor I already had.

This last image is my colander rack on an old piece of weathered wood I salvaged off the beach.

My favorite repurposed item is this pots and pans rack.

I have been saving this piece of wood for years.  I purchased the stainless steel rack from KitchenSource online along with two smaller ones for the kitchen.

The old stove left and the new stove was delivered and installed.

I painted all the cabinets and walls the same color.  I had white porcelain knobs, but found these super vintage metal ones at an antique store that I like much better.

So here's a view of the functional side of the kitchen.  These utensil racks are very sturdy and come with a lot of hooks.  The spice rack and magnetic knife holder are within easy reach.  The stainless steel backsplash is from Lowe's online, easy to install.  I added a repurposed wood shelf above it for the light bar and a few essentials.
I have some blank space on the upper wall which I'm not sure what to do with yet.  Maybe just a metal print.

This shelf system was a surprise.  I didn't really know what I was looking for and this presented itself.  Seemed perfect for this wall.

Here's a close up of the utensil racks.

This spice rack I am rather proud of.  It's all repurposed wood with simple brackets.  I white washed the wood for a weathered look.  I wanted several open shelves as I like to have all the essentials within reach.
The magnetic knife holder was a gift.  I love that my counter space is clear for preparation.

 As you can tell I enjoy a minimalist style.  Some of that is cost and some is just simple function.

As I progress, I would like to add new overhead lighting, flooring and someday a new counter and sink.

Thanks for visiting!

Inviting Spring Bedroom Makeover

After that snowstorm I was ready for some color!  

I'd been thinking about reclaiming the original bedroom here but have also enjoyed using it for storage and projects, not to mention the room I'd been sleeping in is closer to the wood stove.  

I began with a fantastic piece of art that I had my eye on for some time.  I love all of Mike Kraus' art pieces, but the birch series are my favorite.  This piece (in the photo) was at the top of my list and I knew the wall color should accent it.

I ordered the print and frame and picked up the paint chip samples I thought would work.  When the print arrived I was able to easily choose the color for that one wall, where there are two windows.

There was prep work to be done, including finishing the window sill woodwork and painting it a very light grey.

I also installed new mini blinds and would later choose a temporary room darkening drape.

But first let's roll through some before photos.

This was the state of that room even at the halfway point!  Before this I had a large old TV on this wall sitting on an old heavy cabinet.
So all this stuff had to go - out - somewhere. Needless to say my living room was a bit crowded for a few days.

Next came the prep work.

Now for wall color.  This is a very light purple, or dusty lavender.

 Then the windowsills were painted and installed along with the new mini blinds.

I painted the nightstand I used in the other room, once yellow, now a light grey.

And the finished look is perfect considering I also have a shade of lavender carpeting.

I have since learned that this shade of lavender goes really well with other colors such as light green and darker grey, of which I also have sheets sets in both!  

I'm really happy how this turned out.  I'm sticking with white or possibly light grey on the other wall and a low key print.  The opposite wall is a large shelf, and the other wall is the closet.

This was a great project, fun and very affordable! 

2016 - It's A Wrap!

Huckleberry hollow underwent some major improvements this year.
To recap, here's an overview, follow the links to read the full posts.

Back in April of 2016 I decided to redo the bathroom - again - and it really turned out nice.  New paint, trim and floor paint.  You can read the full post here:  https://huckleberry-hollow.blogspot.com/2016/04/bathroom-make-over-again.html .

All Spring and Summer a friend helped me install a new 6 foot cedar fence along my property line.  This was labor intensive!  Together we cut the labor costs and although it took us several months of part time work, we were able to finish it in time for some outdoor deck sitting - with privacy.
You can view the complete post here: https://huckleberry-hollow.blogspot.com/2016/07/fence-me-in.html .

In the middle of the summer I started working on new ways to skirt the mobile.  I love Pinterest and get a lot of my ideas there.  I found some great ideas on alternative skirting concepts and used two of them for around my place.
One was a row of concrete blocks placed just under my addition, leaving about an inch of air flow space.  Another was to use cedar fence boards like pickets, around other sections of the home.
Two posts covered this subject and they are here:  https://huckleberry-hollow.blogspot.com/2016/07/skirting-issue.html .  And here:  https://huckleberry-hollow.blogspot.com/2016/07/skirting-issue-part-ii.html .

By the time summer was winding down and had a little more free time from work, I decided it was time to tackle the mud room and front deck issues.  There was dry rot and leveling that needed addressing.  Again my friend helped me with the leveling and I replaced the top deck boards last.
That post is here:  https://huckleberry-hollow.blogspot.com/2016/10/restructuring.html .
 You'll notice some additional upgrades to the paint around the place too.

After that we transplanted 2 of my very large bamboo into 4 bigger pots, as well as dividing them.  They are 12 feet tall now and have occupied those pots for about 10 years.
They add the perfect privacy screen above the new fence!
That post is here:  https://huckleberry-hollow.blogspot.com/2016/10/bamboo-transplanting.html .

By then the weather was changing and it was time to focus indoors.
I needed to finish working on a back bedroom that needed some odd repairs, not pictured, but not interesting in photos anyway.  The goal here is always about insulation and sealing, while still trying to maintain aesthetics.  It's not a pretty place, but it is very functional.
I also worked on the other two little bedrooms, carrying on the same theme with new paint.

I also revamped my first poetry book, Poetic Zen, with new color photographs.  The post is here:  https://huckleberry-hollow.blogspot.com/2016/12/new-book.html , with a link to ordering it.

After the fallout of 11/9 so many of us were devastated by the news of a new leader that when I finally regained some optimism, I decided to pull together some artists and writers and publish a book about hope.  It's called Messages of Hope and the post is here:  https://huckleberry-hollow.blogspot.com/2016/12/messages-of-hope.html .  You can order from the links there.

I wrapped up the year by reopening my Etsy shop and diving back into metalsmithing.  I purchased a new domain name for it as well, you can visit it here: www.jgray-design.com .
My goals this year are to increase my work-from-home income with finished jewelry pieces as well as supplies for other artists in similar mediums which lead to a second shop just for supplies at www.jgdsupplies.com

So the smallest bedroom has been converted into half storage and half art studio.  Upcoming posts on that as I try to squeeze another work space into an already tiny space!

Thank you all for following along with me on my journey to remodel my life.  :)
Farewell 2016, and hello 2017!  May we all prosper and find joy. 

Indoor Projects

After a myriad of outdoor projects and the eminent arrival of Fall rains, I moved my motivation indoors at the beginning of October.  This next project was already brewing in my mind while I was working outside.

I had a plan to caulk the remaining seams in two of the bedrooms and repaint.  I had such good success in the bathroom from earlier this year that I was eager to get started.

I don't have any photos of this project because honestly, seams of walls and ceilings just don't translate well in a photo.  If you've ever done any caulking work you know what I mean.

One of the biggest problems I ran into was an old patch / fix from the former tenant.  I'm still not exactly sure how to make a permanent fix, but for now I have at least made it look better and used a small piece of sheetrock to patch a hole in the ceiling.  Originally there was a really long piece screwed to the ceiling tile that also covered an old water stain.
I just put a few coats of Kilz paint over the stain and it was fine.  (Reminder:  this mobile had previously been rescued from Mt. St. Helen's).  Now of course it has a full roof-over structure, so these water stains were quite old.

The overall goal here is to eliminate the need for trim and give it a more finished look.  I did indeed accomplish this!  Floor trim, of course, remaining.

There's nothing like a fresh coat of paint!  Both bedrooms got a country white which will be greatly appreciated come the long dark winter here.

Skirting the Issue

If you've been following the blog you know I have a large addition built on the back of my mobile.  When I bought the place it wasn't finished.  I threw on some stuff and forgot about it - till this year when I finally took the steps needed to put a nice finish on it.

It's built as post and pier, so there's an open gap underneath.  Mobile homes have skirting to enclose these gaps, buildings usually have foundations or some kind of skirting to finish it, as well as weatherproof it and keep animals out.

I get a lot of my ideas from Pinterest and found this one to be perfect for this end of the addition.
I used treated fencing boards, cut to size as pickets, with a small gap for airflow.  The ground is lined with patio blocks and gravel under that.

 It's a finished look, structurally adequate and adds a little charm to the old place.

I'll be adding gravel back here, rearranging the potted plants and chairs, so stay tuned for future posts on that.

** By the way, in previous posts there was a platform deck in this area and this was called the Privacy Deck Area, however time and weather  took its toll on the re-purposed wood I used and it needed to be removed.

Bathroom Make Over - Again

Who said you should only redo the bathroom once?

After eight years I decided to redo the bathroom once again.  I was actually getting tired of looking at those surf boards, although cute, were starting to wear on me.

So the first version was covered in this post from 2008:  http://huckleberry-hollow.blogspot.com/2011/01/bathroom-makeover.html .

Last Fall I dove in with a whole new look;  calmer, more mellow, minimalist.

I mixed the paint myself, it's a creamy beige.  I removed all of the wood trim and caulked the seams.  Pictured here (finished) with a new shower curtain and new art.

I made a tile back-splash and found a cool old hook for a hand towel rack.  I already had the wood towel racks.

The art is from a new friend I found on Etsy, Edwardo, from Spain.  He paints beautiful watercolors.  These two matched my decor perfectly.

I even painted the floor.  As per my previous success with the dining room floor, this was a terrific idea.  It really lightened up the whole room!

All floor trim was replaced with cove base, made for bathrooms and kitchens.

One last radical redo was this space above the furnace - (yes, it's in the bathroom).  Previously I used it for towels and other bathroom supplies.
Now it is strictly decor.  The salt lamp is a perfect night light too.

So there's my modernized bathroom make-over for this year!

Work Stations

I am enjoying my kitchen table so much that I thought this table design would be a great office work station as well!  

This table is a little taller and I added a lower shelf.  Also did not have the available reclaimed wood that I did with the kitchen table, so I bought the pieces.

I had only two planks of reclaimed wood for this - and still need one more to finish the sides!

But in the end I like it and the light pine is a lovely addition against my dark green / sponge painted wall.

So here it is in action.  Housing the printer, paper and other supplies.  I like it as a standing work station but can also slide a stool up to it for sitting projects.

Happy New Year and Blog-a-versary!

I'm about to celebrate three years with this blog, started on January 16th, 2011.  Wow, where does the time go?  Happy anniversary to me!

Welcome 2014!  This blog has taken you on my journey of remodeling this old mobile home, as well as my own personal self discovery and reinvention.

As I look back over the posts these past three years, it's obvious how much you all enjoyed the building and remodeling projects.

New Pioneers Wood Shed is the most popular post to date with over 1200 views.  Not far behind are others, including painting projects, before and after photos, windows and doors, and the addition.  It's clear that there are many folks out there working on their places and applying their spin on DIY.

So thank you readers!  Also a big thanks to my loyal followers who have been with me through all of the posts - from whimsical to gardening to hairy winter storms!

So to start off 2014, I have cleaned up the blog layout and cleared the clutter.  The additional photos are gone, but you can still purchase garden art images on my website at www.jenigray.com .

This year I picked up the craft of metalsmithing for jewelry, and converted my back bedroom into a full art studio!  It took months to get it just right.  You can learn more about it and my jewelry on that blog at www.jenigraydesigns.com .  I am also selling the new pieces in a shop at Etsy  .

I'm not exactly sure what projects I'll start here this year.  I'm thinking about a slider in the dining room that would open out onto the privacy deck.  This is a south facing wall, so would let in more light.  That will require some assistance.

I may do some gardening again, but on a much smaller scale than in previous years.

Who knows, I'll just let the inspiration arise on its own.

Happy New Year fans and readers!  Thanks for all your comments and support over the years!!

Now for a little photo recap....