HOME PROJECTS - Bar Facelift

HISTORY LESSON:

 

Where I lived in Iraq. 



I bought my home 6 years ago when I returned from my deployment to Iraq.

That experience left me feeling extremely claustrophobic - so I purchased the largest home I could afford.

What did I end up buying? A 1946 brick rancher -with 7 bedrooms and a smattering of closets, an entertainment room, green house, detached garaged, and giant yard (I detest yard work btw...). I know...that is a TON of space. Now can you see why the dorm room in Germany seemed to teeny-tiny?

Like vintage clothes, I love a home with a history. The house had great 'bones' - but the interior decor was a BAD MIX of 50's/70's and 80's. Over the last few years  I have done a complete gut-and-redo - so it only seems right that I'm ready to redo everything all over again.  Let's take a gander at my recent update:

This space was originally a dining room wall (older homes tend to have a ton of small rooms). I knocked the wall down 1/2 way and built a breakfast bar out of cedar planks.

See the beige wall under the bar? The light color has always bugged me - so I taped it off with blue painters tape and painted it a reddish/brown shade to blend in with the wood.



Remember when I bought these old cabinet doors a couple of months ago with my niece? I didn't know what to do with them at the time - but I finally thought of a brilliant idea.



I removed the hardware, filled in the holes and sanded down the finish. Applied my favorite stain to match the reset of the wood in the house.

 

I attached the newly stained/lacquered cabinet doors and added Germany flea market find of an old metal barrel-top in the middle for balance.

The cabinet fronts now match the bar wood  and make the area look more German inviting. You had no idea I was so crafty, huh?

   


I think the space looks so much better now. The added benefit is people sitting there won't leave marks on the wall from their shoes. It's amazing what a little bit of paint and creativity can do.

xoxo,
Michelle