Hello my friends!
The house is rocking along, making progress here and there. After Haven, I jumped back into things, while my parents went up to their mountain house to take care of their garden. Mom met up with 3 of her brothers up there and they had the chance to catch up, which doesn’t come often enough these days. And I painted my interior doors dark brown.
After they returned home, my dad has been hard at work in his garden in Marietta as well and one afternoon while I was sitting on the porch, he came in with a whole 5 gallon bucket of tomatoes that he had just picked.
He wanted me to be sure and show off his crop of tomatoes.
Take a picture of these, he said, and show them on your blawggg. 🙂 And so I am.
While they were gone, I took time to do a few updates at the house, some painting and updating. It’s looking goooooooooood! Yes, I’m excited and happy.
Before: These are the old brass hardware that go on my stair railings that I took down to paint the walls and they needed freshening up, so I got out my Rust-Oleum Oil rubbed bronze spray paint that they nicely sent me to use. Rust-Oleum is a Haven sponsor and I got to know those girls. They have been great to send me some products to use in my house. Big thanks for that!
Freshly sprayed with Rust-Oleum (my fave oil rubbed bronze spray paint), they are now freshened up and ready to rehang.
Another update with Rust-Oleum spray paint is my vent covers for the house. They are old, yucky and definitely need an update. I could go out and buy new, but I figured with some spray paint, they will be just fine. I took the first batch outside with my Primer and favorite off-white spray paint, Heirloom White, the perfect neutral in satin.
Lined up waiting for their spraying debut.
A nice coat of metal primer and they will be ready for the paint.
Two thin coats of Heirloom White and they are looking a whole lot better.
Back on the wall, they look great now. I haven’t put screws back in the wall, but I’ll work my way through the house getting these painted and mounted again. Easy update and saves some money. I love that part!
Next, it was time to tackle those doors. I told you a few weeks ago that I was painting my interior doors black and I did it! I decided on a really deep dark brown/black like I did in my old house for the vanity. It is not quite as stark as jet black and it will have a warmer feel with my brown wood floors.
I used Valspar paint and primer in one and it really covers great. It would have been nice to cover in one coat, but it did take 2 to get it nice and smooth. The color is Fired Earth by Valspar.
My favorite way to paint doors and furniture is with a brush and small foam roller. Those foam rollers leave a nice smooth surface once it dries.
And here’s the first door after 2 coats of paint. I love them! This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I absolutely love it in this house with the light walls.
I’m not finished with this one yet, don’t worry. My door knobs in this house are all over the place, from bright brass to antique brass. I plan to replace them all eventually with antique brass lever style. Maybe a few at a time when I find the right ones.
Check out these retro ones from the 70’s. I don’t hate them, but they don’t all match, so I think it would be better to just replace them all and I do love the lever style. You know, for older folks like me. 
My hinges are antique brass too, so I’ll just stay in that family.
And just so you can see the hallway with all the doors coming off it, here you go! Imagine this with my dark wood floors and I think it’s going to look smashing. Just the way I envisioned in my head. Love when that happens!
Other side of the hallway. There are 6 doors total coming off this hallway and I finished them all. Now I just need to move downstairs to the den and finish painting that room along with the doors there. Ooooo, it’s all coming together nicely.
So, that’s what I was up to last week! As always, you can follow along with my house renovations by clicking on the house on my right sidebar, which will take you here, for all the updates.
I wish you all a very Happy 4th of July tomorrow. Enjoy and celebrate.
There’s a song I’ve been listening to on the radio that has really touched my heart lately: Steven Curtis Chapman’s Long Way Home. It’s sweet and happy and has such a nice message and it really speaks to the journey towards home that I’ve been on this past year, getting back into a house of my own. Of course, I know my “real” home is not on this earth, but as we all follow the road that will ultimately lead us to that home, this song speaks volumes to me and makes me get teary-eyed every time I hear it. I smile and cry all at the same time.
Sometimes it is just a long way home….
You probably won’t be able to resist singing along with me. So tell me what you think!
Amen! to Long Way Home. Love that song. Doors look great and the tomatoes too.
The black doors are awesome! Now I am thinking of doing it to my house. Just beautiful, Rhoda!!
Your daddy is such a sweetie and what a green thumb! The doors look great, can’t wait to see how they look with your new floors. Have you checked Tuesday Morning for door knobs? I’ve seen the lever type there many times. That’s a great song, may be a new fave for me- thanks for sharing it. See you Saturday! 🙂
Thanks, Sheila, I’ll have to check Tues. AM, love that store. See you Sat!
Love the dark doors with the light walls, Rhoda! Can’t wait to see it with the dark floors. Looking great!
I’ve had great success with the Rustoleum Painter’s Choice as well. The vent covers when we moved were very yucky – a trip through the dishwasher and a few coats of spray paint and they look like they just came off the assembly line. Which, I guess they sort of did.
The metallic paint in Dark Steel we used to update a brass light fixture and it SPARKLES!
Those are some serious tomatoes! Tell Dad he did good.
Like your dark doors. You were right, they will look fab in the space and add that modern cottage feel.
Beautiful! Have you used latex for doors before? I’m planning to do mine – I’ve seen recommendations to use oil-based paint and I’d really rather not. Also, how did you manage to spray paint in our unbelievable Atlanta heat? I’ve got a few projects that I’ve put off until we get some cooler weather (which might mean September).
Hi, Stephanie, I avoid oil based paint most of the time & have always used latex on doors too. They were primed well so should hold up fine. It was hot, but I got in a shady spot and sprayed away.
Love the black doors – great idea! Something to think about down the road, I saw in a magazine where someone has used trim on flat panel doors to create interest and depth. They look great as they are though.
Hi, Nancy, I’m doing that too! Wrote about it a couple of weeks ago with inspiration pics. Definitely going to do it later on after I move in. Too much else to do right now.
http://southernhospitalityblog.com/painting-interior-doors-black/
Rhoda, the hOuse is looking amazing! The doors give it such a High end look! That song is special to me for a lot of reasons too 🙂
I love the doors. Really adds a lot. Perfect. Tell your Dad his tomatoes are wonderful and I wish I could have one. LOL
Rhoda,
Love the idea of painting the doors darker. They really stand out against the molding. You dad is so sweet! Those are some mighty large tomatoes. He’s not only a great gardener but a great carpenter too!
The doors look fantastic! I spray painted my scratched, bright brass doorknobs when I moved into my current house – it was an easy way to update them for very little money.
Rhoda,
Your Dad-love him! Tomorrow is Independence Day…how great to have your own place and celebrate your personal triumphs! Calls for fireworks and lot of pats on the back for all you’ve been able to accomplish! -gina
Rhoda, you are such an inspiration to me. I am about a year behind you in this whole process (I am in the middle of divorcing a man I THOUGHT I knew for 30 years…). My college-age kids and I are currently fixing up the old house in order to move to a new “cozier” home. Just when I think I can’t paint one more wall, I open your blog and I am filled with renewed hope. The Lord is definitely using you and your blog to show me the possibilities of my new life. I appreciate you more than you will ever know! God bless.
Love that picture of your dad with all those tomatoes!
I love how you write about your parents. I like it too, when what we envision in our heads starts coming together!
I bless you today!
Wow. I love the dark doors, and I wasn’t sure I would. I know what you mean about mismatched door knobs…I have them here but that’s a summer 2013 job. And your Dad is just something else. Congrats to him and all of you on his summer crop of tomatoes! They look beautiful! Tasty, I’m sure! God Bless and Happy 4th.
I don’t know if your Dad could be any cuter! Those tomatos look yummy!
I am in love with the doors!
Rhoda, I’m enjoying your house redo so much! Also, your parents are so precious – love your daddy showing off his tomatoes on your “blowg”. Linda p.s. Black doors are very striking and pretty.
Your Dad makes me smile!!!!!
Your dad is amazing. What a hard working man. I’m so glad you shared his tomatoes on your blawwg!
Those doors WILL look stunning with your floors…I can see it too!
Wishing you An Extraordinary Independence Day!