WEEK #4 – Half way through the challenge.

 

AN OUTDOOR ROOM

Hey Peeps,

Another week of craziness!

A trip to San Diego to browse furniture showrooms, puttering around with clients,  running a household as tiny as it, while keeping the freshman doing what he is supposed to be doing, at least “supposed to be” on my terms- how I was raised. That is another blog post on to itself. That was just the the highlights of the past week.

Now I am back here at my desk typing this blog post for week #4 of the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE and I am wondering how am I going to explain that plan for the butcher block has changed twice. 

Just to remind you, this old Island lives on our Patio/Terrace to provide a working surface for the grill and extra storage for the kitchen. See picture below.

After sanding  it was apparent that an oil finish was not going to work, not for durability, look and overall appearance . Then we attempted to stain it with a “compromise stain color” my other half purchased at the big box store and we soon realized that color would not work either. 

Apparently, the big box stores are low on stain colors and variety of finishes. We were after a black stain with poly so we would only have to use one product. But when my husband went there was no variety of colors at all, and definitely not a two in one product. He purchased one that was Espresso and with a poly and I suspected it wasn’t going to work and it didn’t. So, I am calling this the “compromise stain color”.

Check out the whole ONE ROOM CHALLENGE progress week by week here: 

Week 1 – Week 2 – Week 3 – Week 4 (you are here!) – Week 5 – Week 6 – Week 7 – FINAL REVEAL

 

JUST A REMINDER OF WHAT WE ARE GOING FOR

 

 

Our original plan for the old island was to sand the butcher block, cure it with mineral oil and apply an awesome peel and stick wallpaper to the front and sides. However, as most plans go, we had to readjust.

We sanded the top of the butcher block as best as we could but some of the grease from BBQs for the last almost eight years have penetrated the wood so deeply that they are not coming out through sanding. Now we must stain the butcher block dark to hide those stains and put a finish coat on it and start using a cutting board instead. Note: That was the unspoken rule, we always used a cutting board when this piece lived inside, but I guess my guy cannot be trusted outside when he is grilling. Although, he puts out a mean Ribeye and a tasty Salmon.

The Espresso stain my other half got has Poly already in it a two in one, and although it is convenient as all in one the coverage is just not there. 

 

OLD ISLAND AFTER ALMOST 8 YEARS OF USE UNDER A COVERED PART OF THE TERRACE

 

 

This is a situation that sometimes presents itself when working on client’s projects too.

When designing, styling or decorating we make plans, selections and decisions to construct our visual of the space. However, those plans sometimes have to be rethought, adjusted and believe me- it is best to stop, re-think and re-evaluate the situation and come up with an alternative plan. I call this remaining flexible so that the design concept can evolve as it wants to, as opposed to forcing something for the sake of the decision previously made; only to find out that it just doesn’t work.

While working on your own projects with or without a designer I suggest, you give this a lot of thought, an apparently small detail or decision can sometimes make or break the end result. It is the accumulation of great small and large details that will make the design and vision come to fruition and be -with ease. Not contrived nor forced, but with ease and flow as the space, it’s function and it’s form demands.

 

https://www.oneroomchallenge.com/blog/orcspring2021wk4

 

Question to readers out there.

What would you do with the brushed aluminum look of the pulls on the island. I am pretty sure if I attempt to paint these the paint will peel off over time. I don’t think wrapping the paper around these will look good either.

A do you have any tricks any of you might have tried for patting smooth aluminum?

Please, let me know in the comments.

 

 

THE OLD ISLAND

Not all is lost, we have a lot of black accents on the Patio/Terrace so a black top for our Tropical Cuban/Miami vibe wallpaper will only look better with the black we are now using on the used-to be- island.

 

THE  BUTCHER BLOCK TOP

FIRST ATTEMPT TO APPLY THE ESPRESSO STAIN

THIS ISN’T GOING TO WORK, LET’S SEE HOW THE BLACK STAIN DOES.

 

Regarding additional progress, I have to be honest not much else has been accomplished because we had a lot going on, but I can give you a preview of some of my plants and some cute pots I have found.

 

SOME OF MY PLANTS ON MY NEW OUTDOOR PATIO

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Since I have more work to do on this piece now than originally thought, I am going to cut this short and tell you that am needed out on the patio. It is Memorial weekend and this Challenge, is my Challenge,  so everyone is going to the pool and I am going to be here working away at the progress on the OUTDOOR ROOM.

Till next week.