Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

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So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...
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Easy DIY Kitchen and Dining Room Decorating

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Use wooden letters and wine corks to create fun typographic wall art arrangements in your kitchen. Here, we spelled out the word "Cheers" and hung it on the wall above a colorful drink cart.

Stand-alone pieces of furniture are a great way to add additional storage to your kitchen. A fresh coat of paint and snazzy new hardware breathe new life into this old china cabinet. The blotched surface of the mirrored glass -- created using a mixture of 1:1 water and vinegar -- hints at the piece's age.

For a truly unique look, the handles on kitchen cabinets can be made using doorknob backplates and water spigot handles. Vintage clip-on earrings were detached from the clip and secured with metal glue to top off the look.


Coordinate mismatched secondhand chairs with paint and fabric. Sand, prime, and paint the chairs, then add a number to the chair back using a stencil and contrasting paint. Finish the transformation by covering the seat in a printed fabric -- here, we used a numbered fabric to continue the theme.

Fold a colorful blanket and use it as a bench seat cushion. Use belts to hold the blanket in place.

Combine interesting plates and glassware from a secondhand store or flea market to form a tiered serving platter. Prime, paint, and seal the plates with polyurethane. When dry, use glass adhesive to secure the bottom of a glass goblet to the underside of a dish. Repeat with a second goblet and dish. When dry, stack the pieces on a third plate. Since the paint isn't food-safe, use paper between food and dish surfaces.

A simple cheap lampshade gets big style with spray painted wooden appliques from the crafts store. Attach the appliques with hot glue and hang the shade with a pendant light kit for a quick and easy way to add flair to the eating area in your kitchen.

Sometimes decorating is just as much about subtraction as it is addition. Examine the inside of your cabinet boxes to determine if they are display-worthy. The insides may need a fresh coat of paint or just a good cleaning. Remove doors and fill any holes with putty and paint or stain to match the cabinet box. Display favorite dishes, utensils, and cookware or large jars filled with pantry staples, such as flour, pasta, and rice, inside the newly exposed cabinet.

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