I hope you all are doing well and that you enjoyed another beautiful, fall weekend. We had a full weekend here! We have been working after hours and all day on Saturday to wrap up the trolley house flip. It’s still not quite done, but we are hoping it will be in the next week or two, and then it will be up on the market!
If you’re having trouble viewing the photos on this post, click here.
We’ll be doing an open house for FunCycled fans on October 28th! Contact us for a link to register for the tickets. The house will be going on the market soon!
If you know of anyone looking for a small house full of history and charm, send them our way! We’ll be offering showings to FunCycled buyers only before it hits the market!
For this week’s makeover, I wanted to share a dresser that we recently did as a custom order. Here’s the dresser before:
We painted the whole piece with Benjamin Moore’s Eclipse. We also added new hardware, and did quite a bit of repair work to the drawers and slides.
This piece isn’t available to purchase, but be sure to visit our SHOP page to check out what other pieces we have available for purchase or custom order.
Or contact us to get a quote to let us redo your furniture for you!
Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.
We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do.
Saturday was the day I’ve been working all year toward, I finished the 40th new experience with a full heart! The loudest voices in the media are saying, “set boundaries, say no, do less”, but this year of saying “yes”, trying new things, and getting out of my comfort zone has been wonderful!
If you have trouble viewing any photos on this post, click here.
Ready to learn all about them? Here they are in no particular order!
1. Go on a spontaneous trip ✔️ John planned a day trip for us ,and completely surprised me! We went to Newport, RI for the cliff walk, and then to Providence Rhode Island. I loved not being the planner for the day, and going with the flow! I’m always the family trip planner so this was a new experience that I could get use to!
2. Take a class to learn a new skill (glass blowing) ✔️ This was ok… I knew pretty quickly into the session, it was nothing I’d really want to do. The owner of Prism was a nice guy though, and it was fun to do a date with John were we were also learning something new.
3. Treat myself to luxury sheets ✔️ My friend Jo Ann took care of this one for me as a birthday present and they are so soft!
4. Go to a cat cafe ✔️ The cafe was creepy and dirty, but the kitties were so cute! It was in a different state so I’d be open to going again somewhere else.
5. Go to the biodome in Montreal ✔️ This was really fun! I enjoyed that I was able to do it as part of a field trip with Harmony, too!
6. Meet with a nutritionist ✔️ I don’t have a photo for this one, but it’s been such a huge help to our whole family!
7. Go to a music festival ✔️ This was fun, but I think it’s because we stayed offsite and went back around dinner time all day. I don’t think I’d want to be there all day for 3 days. I love worship music so Soul Fest was the right kind of music festival for me!
8. Eat a new food ✔️ knish, whale, fermented shark, puffin, horse, caviar, arctic char, buffalo I loved that I stretched myself to try new food. Many of these were in Iceland, and part of a food tour or Michelin star restaurant experience.
9. Try a new drink ✔️ new york egg cream
10. Win a survival show ✔️ Is this one allowed to count? It didn’t air until my 39th year even though I did it when I was 38. So I’m counting it! :) Read all about our experience being on BYU Survivalist Show Here.
11. Get permanent jewelry ✔️ Loved this one!!! I have had it 2 months and can’t even tell it’s on. If I leave the house without putting jewelry on, it still looks cute. I want more!
12. Go to a country I’ve never been to ✔️ This wins my very favorite memory! I loved our trip to Iceland even more than I thought I would! Tara and I had so much fun. Read all about it here.
13. Swim in the blue lagoon ✔️ This was other world! I felt like I was on Mars… well, what I picture Mars feeling like. It was really cold outside (30ish) and the water was 100 degrees. The water was also not clear. When I put my hand in, I couldn’t see my hand. I could have stayed in here all day!
14. Make my own ring 💍 ✔️ This was a blast! I’d do this again and I love that Heather and Aubrey were up for trying it along with me at Sawtooth in Troy.
15. Dye my hair an unnatural color ✔️ Even though my hairdresser did a great job, I didn’t feel like this was worth it. I went with rose gold, it was really expensive, and it only lasted 2 weeks. I don’t plan tot do this again.
16. Drive a Lamborghini ✔️ This was fun, but really short! It only lasted about 5 minutes so I’m not sure I would do it again.
17. Pedal car in the Adirondacks ✔️ I loved this one, and would love to do it again! We went with our friends, the Myles, in the early morning which I would recommend because it would get hot without and shade.
18. Tour the Vanderbilt Manson ✔️ Loved this and love that it’s close to home!
19. Go to church at a different religion ✔️
20. Visit the CIA ✔️ If you’ve never done this, you should! The Culinary Institute of America has some amazing restaurants that you can have high end meals with a budget friendly price point. You can also do it on a day trip and it’s so delicious! I loved having a day trip with my friends, Tara, too!
21. Take a pizza making class ✔️ This was fun because the food was yummy and I was with my bestie MaryGrace.
22. Learn how to do latte art ✔️ This was one of my favorites because I love Jacob Alejandro, and I love making lattes. I’ve been wanting to learn how to create designs from the frothed milk.
23. Sleep in a castle ✔️ This was a pleasant surprise; close to home, inexpensive, and a fun treat! Check out more details here.
24. Sleep in a treehouse ✔️ This was our whole families favorite experience on the list. Check out all the details here.
25. Go to high point market ✔️ High Point Market is an interior designers paradise. Over 11 million square feet of designs and products to check out. It was so inspiring and I can’t wait to go back!
26. Go to an orchid exhibit ✔️ This was an originally unplanned stopped, but when the designer expo in NYC wasn’t quite what it was in other years, we skipped early, and went to an orchid exhibit at the NY Botanical Gardens.
27. Go sailing ✔️ This was so fun! Sailing out of Salem… just north of Boston with my dear friends Kori, Kristine, and Mary Grace.
28. Do a photo shoot for someone ✔️ I’ve always wanted to do a photo shoot for someone. I’m used to photographing furniture and rooms, but people… they are my favorite. I was able to capture my beautiful friend Alisha!
29. Gamble at a casino ✔️ Wouldn’t do this again, but it was fun for a one time attempt! I made a little money and didn’t stay long, but checked it off my list! lol
30. See a geyser erupt in person ✔️ While in Iceland, I watched a guyeser erupt for the first time and it was such a thing of beauty!
32. Eat at a Michelin restaurant ✔️ This was another item that was checked off in Iceland! It was so good and I’d love to try another Michelin restaurant in the state next!
33. Go to the race track ✔️ It’s crazy to me that I grew up in Saratoga, but have never been to the racetrack. So I went to the Saratoga Race Track for the first time with my friends Tanya and Aubrey.
34. See the broadway show Hamilton ✔️ My sister in law, Jessica, and I went to see the broadway musical Hamilton for the first time. Yes, it was amazing!!!
35. Fly an airplane ✔️ While I was in Atlanta, my friends Elise and Jacob (who are both pilots) recommended that I fly an airplane as one of my 40 by 40 experience. I was nervous about this one, but loved every second!
36. Go to Charleston, SC ✔️ I’ve been wanting to go to Charleston since my friend Nicolle told me about how dreamy it was there so on our way to Florida we stayed overnight, and did a historic tour of the city. She was 100% correct, it was absolutely dreamy and I would love to go back for longer.
37. Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge ✔️ I went to visit my sister and soaked up the Golden Gate Bridge. What a thing of beauty!
38. Visit Alcatraz ✔️ I didn’t think I would love this, but I did!! One of the more interesting things that I’ve done on the list, and I loved being with my sister to experience it together!
39. Visit a salt room ✔️ This was a funny one because a group of us met to do the salt room together, and once we got there we were told it was a time of meditation so we couldn’t even chat. We just whispered to catch up on life. lol I still loved getting time with Brielle, Eileen, and Elise.
40. Second earring ✔️ I liked the look of a second earring, but after 3 month they were still hurting my ears so I gave up on it. I should have known. That same thing happened to my mom and to Harmony.
If you have other ideas of local experiences that could be fun for people, please comment! I’d love to keep trying new things!
I hope this inspires you to try new adventures as well! Dream big! Say yes!! We are never, ever promised tomorrow.
How are you? I hope you all had a nice weekend! I started the celebrations for my birthday this past weekend, but my birthday isn’t until the 7th so I have a few more days to fit in all the 40 by 40 experiences. It looks like we’re going to make it!
If you’re having trouble viewing the photos in this post, click here.
For this week’s makeover, I’m sharing another airbnb design that I did for a VERY tight space. We had one small room and needed to fit a kitchen, small living room, and seating area into it. Believe it or not, this is the room I walked into when I was asked to design the space. It was hard to even move around to get the measurements of the walls. It also had one large wall full of windows so that made the design a little challenging, too!
Here’s the design boards I created for the space to get approval before moving ahead on anything:
Could your home or airbnb use design help? I’d love to be a part of the project! Please message me today to set up a consult and get the project started!
Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.
We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do.
As you probably know already, I’ve been doing 40 new experience before I turn 40! My birthday is October 7th so it’s quickly approaching! One of the things on my list was sleeping in a tree house! I looked at tree houses all over the country and the pricing was really high! Since I’m trying to do quite a few new experiences, I had to be careful with the cost for each adventure. Then I found this tree house stay in Pattersonville, Ny!
If you’re having trouble loading the photos on this post, click here.
The pictures don’t do this tree house justice. You can tell it was created by an artist! The stonework and twigs woven throughout the staircase were beautiful. Since there was no hot water and only a composting out door toilet so we only stayed one night which was perfect. We have been pushing our energy levels a bit by pressing hard to get the CO of our trolley house, while also having company staying with us for a week, and of course normal work that pays the bills. :) We went into Friday night all feeling like we didn’t even want to go to the tree house, but the whole stay was so refreshing!
We arrived and were surrounded by creation, animals, quiet, creativity, and kindness. It was just what our family needed. We all agreed this was probably our favorite stay of the year! (And we did a lot of fun things this year.)
They also had what felt like an art installation in the woods filled with old cars, broken mirrors, and a trampoline. I couldn’t decide if it was creepy or cool. Harmony loved the trampoline!
When we woke up and started our campfire to take the chill off. We were quickly surrounded by sheep and goats who wanted to be a part of the party. While we sat there soaking it all up, the owner came out and brought us a hot breakfast. Boiled eggs, fresh hot biscuits with local jam, delicious cider in a mason jar, coffee, and fresh fruit and yogurt.
We met one of the owners, Ed, who lives in this little house (off the grid as well).
The shed next to it is for the goats to live in!
If you like the outdoors, trying something new, unique artistry, and farm animals, this is an experience I would recommend… unless you’re not nice. Ed says only nice people are welcome. :) Visit Mariaville Goat Farm for more information.
I hope you this helps you have some fresh new ideas if you’re looking for a weekend trip from upstate Ny! If you have any other spots you love in these areas, please share it in the comments below for others to enjoy!
There is a box at the top right of this page to enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Please sign up today!
Happy FunCycling Friends, Sarah ;)
If you like what you see, please like FunCycled’s Facebook page to keep up to date on the newest travel tips, interior design trends, and kitchen and furniture repurposing projects.
Send us a note with if you’re interested in our design services or custom furniture using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our furniture for sale page.
If you’re having trouble seeing the photos on this post, click here.
It’s been over a year since I started the design work for Deb’s kitchen, and I’m elated to share the story with you. If you’ve met Deb, and you’re reading this, you know why I’m saying that getting to know her and call her friend by the end of this design journey is the highlight of the job. She is such a kind, thoughtful, caring person with a spirit of adventure. I loved sitting with a tall cup of her sun tea, talking through the why behind each decision, hearing about her 15 grandkids gathered around the island, and even the smallest details that she took time to appreciate. Like how the sun hits the glass shelves and creates a rainbow reflection on sunny days.
The inspiration for this kitchen came from these items that Deb showed me during her first consult.
She loves the ocean, calming blue and green tones, and hints of gold, but she also wanted the house to feel period appropriate for her 1890’s home. Deb asked me to select items locally and made in the USA as often as I possibly could. So no online shopping here! I went to local lighting, tile, and appliance stores to pick everything out.
This was the kitchen before I started working on the designs:
This before and after may be a little confusing because we moved walls, doors, and windows. The space really needed that change to be a better layout for Deb and to be able to increase the island size. The radiator also came out and they installed radiant flooring instead!
I’ll go angle by angle by angle and try to explain the changes in the layout that was done.
In this picture you’ll see that the microwave was moved to the island, a larger door was installed, the window above the sink was removed, and the sink and dishwasher were moved.
In this photo you can see that the fridge was moved, the wall next to it was taken out, and the opening into the dining room was widened.
This shows that the stove stayed in the same spot, but all the other appliances moved. They also added in a wine fridge.
This shows a wall that was taken down so we could fit a larger island in the space. The wall included a brick chimney that had to be completely removed (and is no small task).
On to some of my favorite details in the kitchen!
I love this counter top SO MUCH! It looks like you’re watching the ocean waves swirling in smokey gray and pale turquoise colors. It’s Maldive Quartzite in a satin finish. Mined in a mountain next to a lake in Brazil.
This backsplash… I can’t get enough of it! It’s a recycled glass, basket weave pattern that doesn’t use any grout. It’s definitely the show stopper when you walk into the room. My 2nd favorite part of the design!
This flooring… It’s soft green/gray color and a pattern that would have been used in a home from the 1800’s. It’s just perfect in my opinion. Mix the design with the fact that it’s now radiant heat flooring and you have a winner!
Running the counter up the back of the stove and adding the brass pot filler was another part of the design that I liked! Also, the new appliances and hood vent are beautiful! The hood vent was not only beautifully built, but the company had excellent customer service, and the items arrived ahead of schedule.
Deb loves plants so I also liked that she wanted to incorporate them into the space and liked the design (which isn’t common) of putting glass shelves in front of the window for her plants to thrive.
Deb’s dishwasher wasn’t old so I also love that she let us paint it to match the rest of her brand new appliances instead of scrapping something that worked well!
She also added a skylight to let more natural light into the space and added light blue shiplap on the ceiling.
All the cabinets are brand new, but Deb gave her old cabinets away to be repurposed again! Which is another win in my opinion!
What a beautiful transformation!! Thank you so much for working with me, Deb! You are such a beautiful soul! I’m sure Deb is going to read this post so let her know your favorite part of her new kitchen in the comments below. Also, a huge thanks to the contractor who made this happen, Charlie!
Could your kitchen use an update? We’d love to help!! We can help pick out colors, finishes, product and do the cabinet painting, tiling, add new hardware. You can use our Contact Us form to request our design services or a quote for painting your kitchen. Please check out other kitchen projects on our For Sale page. We’ll need to see a picture of your kitchen, a list of how many doors and drawers there are, and where you are located to email you an estimate. This change ups the value of your home and gives you a whole new look at a fraction of the cost of new kitchen cabinets!
Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.
We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do.
How are you? I hope you had a great weekend! We had friends in from out of town and went to the Washington County Cheese Tour on Saturday. It was so much fun!!
If you have trouble viewing this post, please click here.
For this week’s makeover, I wanted to show you a bathroom design that I recently did for an airbnb in Schenectady! If you’d like to rent this airbnb, click here.
Here’s the bathroom before:
Pretty bad, right?
First, I came up with the design board for the client. We tweaked the vanity because the one I picked went out of stock.
My favorite part of this design was the floor tile! It brought a retro vibe and the orange we wanted to have in the space.
Ready for the afters?
Could your home or airbnb use design help? I’d love to be a part of the project! Please message me today to set up a consult and get the project started!
Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.
We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do.
How was your holiday weekend? I hope all my upstate friends are enjoyed their last full week of summer!
If you’re having trouble viewing the photos, please click here.
For this week’s makeover, I wanted to show a bathroom that I designed in Schenectady, NY as part of a complete design layout, furniture selections, and decor for 5 airbnb’s. I want to say a huge thank you to Adnan for working with me on all of these projects and trusting me with the designs. If you’d like to rent this airbnb, click here.
I don’t have a before photo of this bathroom unfortunately, but I’ll share links to order any of the product to make it up to you. How does that sound?
Here are the product links if you’d like to order anything.
Could your home or airbnb use design help? I’d love to be a part of the project! Please message me today to set up a consult and get the project started!
Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.
We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do.
If you’re having trouble viewing the photos on this post, click here.
How are you? I hope you had a nice week. We just got back from our 14th annual Ocean City, NJ trip with most of my family. The weather was perfect and spending time with family was even better!
I’m excited to share this week’s kitchen makeover with you because it’s something out of the ordinary! We completely refigured the island, did the interior design, installed some new cabinets, and painted the existing cabinetry.
Here’s the kitchen before:
We started with the design board and then Laura asked for a 3D rendering of the space so she could visualize the changes.
Once she gave the OK for this layout, we got to work!
We painted the main cabinets with the color Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and the island was painted with Kendall Charcoal. The biggest layout problem was the posts in the kitchen (that had to stay). They made the island spacing odd so I decided to incorporate them in the island, and paint them to match the cabinets. It helps them blend into the space instead of blocking portions of the island and feeling like an eye sore.
If you’d like to see how we paint Kitchen Cabinets, click here to check out our video on YouTube.
Ready for the after photos?
We added shallow cabinets to the one side of the island for extra storage.
We added shaker paneling along the front of the island to tie it into the rest of the design.
What an beautiful transformation!!
Could your kitchen use an update? We’d love to help!! We can help pick out colors, finishes, product and do the cabinet painting, tiling, add new hardware. You can use our Contact Us form to request our design services or a quote for painting your kitchen. Please check out other kitchen projects on our For Sale page. We’ll need to see a picture of your kitchen, a list of how many doors and drawers there are, and where you are located to email you an estimate. This change ups the value of your home and gives you a whole new look at a fraction of the cost of new kitchen cabinets!
Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.
We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do.
How was your weekend? I hope all my upstate friends are enjoying their last few weeks of summer, and I hope all my southern friends who have kiddos are enjoying the rhythms of the new school year.
If you’re having trouble viewing the photos, please click here.
For this week’s makeover, I wanted to show a room that I designed in Schenectady, NY as part of a complete design layout, furniture selections, and decor for 5 airbnb’s. I want to say a huge thank you to Adnan for working with me on all of these projects and trusting me with the designs. If you’d like to rent this airbnb, click here.
Here was the bedroom before:
I know, not the best photos, but it’s what I have friends. lol
Here are the after photos:
Could your home or airbnb use design help? I’d love to be a part of the project! Please message me today to set up a consult and get the project started!
Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.
We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do.
We had a busy work week and then a restful weekend up at Indian Lake staying at our friend Tanya and Aaron’s cabin! It was such a relaxing, beautiful spot!
If you’re having trouble viewing this post, click here.
For this week’s makeover, I wanted to share a buffet that we recently redid as part of an interior design project. I love when I can redo furniture instead of buying new as part of a project.
Here’s the buffet before:
We painted the whole piece with Benjamin Moore’s Dakota Shadow and sprayed it with a protective clear coat. We also added this hardware.
This piece isn’t available to purchase, but be sure to visit our SHOP page to check out what other pieces we have available for purchase or custom order.
Or contact us to get a quote to let us redo your furniture for you!
Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.
We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do.
