the House of Miller


It may seem that I have been busy doing projects at my house. At least, it seems I am busy posting photos of my house.  Actually both are true, I have started a few projects, and I have been posting more about the House of Miller, due to the fact that I don't have the Barn any longer.  Makes sense to me...


My kitchen project has been long over due. 
The project actually started many years ago, but I only finished half of the Kitchen back then. It all started because I wanted a new refrigerator. Our house was built in 1990, and evidently, the refrigerators were small back then.  The space that the old fridge occupied would not house a newer, larger refrigerator, that is common these days.  Once I found the "big dog, Sub-Zero" that I wanted, I knew I was in trouble. It definitely wouldn't fit in the small space we once had a refrigerator in! So we had to rip out the entire wall of cabinets and redo the entire ceiling. Which meant, new lighting and new cabinetry.  All that, and only half the kitchen was touched...Phase 2 is what we just finished up.



Phase 2 is the working part of the kitchen.
Where we wash and cook.

The sink, in today's standards, looks very petite. The stainless is new to us, we are used to a porcelain sink, and I'm still not convinced if I am digging the stainless. 

I do LOVE the dark cabinets on the bottom and the over-distressed white uppers.


Lovely, isn't it!!
I do love how it all turned out.
I painted the cabinets, put on some sassy - non matching knobs, new counter top, sink and faucet, and tile back splash. The knobs are a combination of dark bronze, glass and dark bronze pulls on the opposite bank of drawers.


The vintage cabinet has been here since part one of the kitchen redo...



this is the opposite wall.... the "big-dog fridge" I was talking about, and my coffee station. Part of the first phase of the kitchen redo years ago. As you can see, this refrigerator, was not going into a small pre-built area of any kind.



This is the other side of the fridge.
This bank of drawers was the only thing salvaged from the first tear-out.  I added a new counter top... well maybe not-so-new... It is made from some salvaged wood that my neighbor was throwing in the burn pile.  Score!


The canvas is one from my line that I sell. I did a series of pictures with vintage silverware, and this is one of my favorites and by far, the most popular in the series. They are available in 3 or 4 different sizes.


you can see in this photo the not-so-new counter top. A closer look of the salvaged wood used for this bank of drawers and the coffee station. 
LLLove them.


This is the before photo. ~circa 1990
Original Formica tops from when we originally built in 1990 with a 3" backsplash.
The upper cabinets I had painted white long ago, and I decided to keep the white uppers. The lower cabinets, I had painted brown with a black wash over them. That needed to go. I decided I wanted the lower cabinets a dark gray. I was going to do a milk paint or a chalk paint but I didn't have anything on hand in a dark gray and I wanted to paint immediately, "like, Right NOW." If you know me, you know I must start immediately, once I make up my mind... the closest thing to me is a Home Depot, so that is were I made a bee line to buy paint.

The original can I bought was drying slightly more blueish- gray then I liked, so I grabbed a can of Charcoal chalkboard paint, from Restoration Hardware, that I had on hand, and did a little Lori Miller home blend. 
I loved the results.




This bank of drawers was were I started, and it has the blueish-gray look.  I don't know if you can tell by the photos, but there is a slight difference. I like the darker cabinets with my blend, but that doesn't mean I repainted the bank of drawers. It sits off by itself and it really does look fine.



I love the " one coat " Behr paint from Home Depot.
It really goes on nice.
(I am not getting paid by Behr to say that)


the before countertop




the new stone counter.
It's called "super white"
The surface is honed and antiqued.
The honed surface means they take the polish off and the Antiquing is a technique that will texturize the veining a little deeper then the leathering technique.



If you run your hand across the top of the stone you can feel the texture.


before sink



New sink.
Undermount, single bowl, stainless.
Blanco Quatrus single bowl - medium.



The faucet is a Delta touch from the Trinsic Collection.
Love it.
I wanted something simple, yet industrial looking.


Last but not least, the tile.
This is not the traditional subway tile, but close. I fell in love with this "hand thrown" Artisan tile from Ceramic Tileworks.  Each tile is slightly off, with imperfections and irregularities. Exactly my cup of tea! The tiles are longer then the normal subway tile that is popular, these are 3 x 12" which is really fun.  I used a light gray grout.

You can see how dark the lower cabinets are here.


The combination works for me. 
The stone was purchased at Cold Spring Granite and my Fabricator is AstoniA



Last on the project list was the range exhaust hood.
It was left over from the original 1990's build. It was shiny white with years of grime. YUK.  I had never ordered a new one, so It needed help.
 I painted it also. 
I mixed my Behr gray paint with a charcoal metallic paint. 
I love it also!


My motto is when it needs to be updated just paint it



I hope you had a fun tour of the new kitchen. 
It was long over due on the project list, here at 
the House of Miller.

last but not least... one more wall


the bathroom tour continues...
This room seems larger then life if I can fill 3 or 4 blog posts. It actually is a small room off the entry... I just have it decorated to the larger then life standards.

This little wall you see if you are sitting on the loo.


I found the perfect vintage crate to attach to the wall for a 
make-shift shelf. It is only about 4 " deep so it fits perfectly. 
The color of the wood and the background wood pieces work with all the pretties inside.





A canvas I made years ago.
It sits on top of the crate, giving the vignette, as a whole, a bit of height.


I am often unsure of the collections that make it home....
you just never know what will catch my eye from day to day.


This big lunker... chunky mirror... another Anthropologie find. 
It rises above my wall art of flowers. 
I created this little menage of flowers one lazy Sunday afternoon.



Does that ever happen to you? One minute a vision pops in your head... and then an obsession begins... a project is started and you can't stop until the vision is complete.

Crazy !!
I know it is.
But we have to play it out. Or at least I do.... 



this wraps up the guest bath at the House of Miller.


I am in the middle of the kitchen remake.  
The cabinets are painted and the counters are in place. 
The new sink and new faucet are up and running smoothly. 
The last thing on the list is the tiled back splash.
I am picking up the tile today, which means we are almost finished.

...except, now I think I want a new toaster...
Is it really ever done !!!


whites, greens and pearls and such


Because we all seem to be drawn to the simplicity of white and green, this vignette is among one of my guests favorites. 


I for one, LOVE this sign in the bathroom.
It sat in my dining room for years. 
One day, as I was flipping things around, it found it's way into the guest bath.

I totally cracked myself up.
It has remained in the guest bath from that day forward.


A simple string of pearls again made it to this setting.
...and the green succulents !! Love them for an instant pop of color. 






How sweet would it be if all cold air returns had a metal grate like this one. Our walls would be adorned with art before we even stepped foot in the house.  


water closet
another sign waiting to find a home


This sweet bench came home with me when I closed the Barn.
It has great character, it's sturdy and the perfect height for baby Jax to stand on and get washed up when he visits.



This grand mirror I found one day when out shopping.
A funky Vintage find at one of the local Anthropologies.
It just happened to fit in my car (SUV) so I knew it was meant to be.

Mr. Miller was not at all happy to have to hang such a heavy piece on the wall, but we figured it out.  He has learned that as soon as the job is done - the job is done... if you know what I mean.

...if momma's not happy ....


one more wall to go... next post


Lori 

Layer it on. Change it up.

Time for a refresh. Have you ever looked at an area in your house and thought I am done looking at that mess.   Or maybe it's just time...