My apartment is the whole top of this very vintage building:

I'm starting over at 52. Recently widowed, I have had beautiful homes all of my life. But now I'm renting a $400 a month apartment. It looks horrible now. But it won't for long.
That's where I live. I think it used to be an insane asylum. I hope so! Let's go inside.
Before:

and with some stuff



and after:


and, at night

Before:

and after:

(

Here's the livingroom.
But here it is now:





Oh the best part? It doesn't have a bedroom! But it does have a bed nook.
Here it is at night, shrouded in mystery

I mean, what was she thinking? "Hey I know!" I'll find pictures of gut-wrenching looking foods and plaster them all over my counters!"

Yes, it can be done. And when you've finished, let's just hope it doesn't look anything like the counters shown above or below: UGH!

Okay now that you've seen how NOT to do it, lets get started. These are my counters before:
< Now paint a layer of laytex Kilz on your horrible counters and let it dry about 45 minutes. No smell!
and here they are better




The walls are crusty and lumpy! We can just cover them up with some nice paper and mod podge. MP is a glue but also a sealer, so we'll put it on top too.
oh dear this won't do at all!

and now.... yes, the lumps are still there, but at least you can't tell. Hey, I'm not a contractor, I'm a decorator.
so its better




I'm not even scared! Here, look at my old kitchen:
I know, that threw me off too. Sorry.
But it used to be ugly too! (But not as ugly as this one)
I just love how the floor and counter are the same. HaHa! Gross!!!

so lets get going-

ahhhhhhh

now a fresh periwinkel, complete with rug





Okay let's get going here
Remember don't be scared! Like you could hurt something this hideous!



So just put some latex Kilz on the horrible curled up cheap plastic floor tiles on your counter that makes you physically ill to look at. It's easy! It doesn't smell either.
Then, let it dry for about 45 minutes. Now get your mod podge and the pictures or designs you've been printing out or getting from somewhere. Paint a thin layer on the back and position them. Smoothe out with a credit card. Be careful not to rip the paper.(your photos)
Well the backsplash looks better already! I did roll on regular periwinkle paint over the counter/floor tiles first, but I probably didn't need to.

Wish the post office hadn't lost my "real" camera. My phone cam is horra!
The drawers "boasted of" forty years of gunk


I love the sink stains. I feel confident that with a little "Barkeepers Friend" the sink will look... well, better. The "pass-thru". LOL Like I will ever, even once pass anything through this hole. Still, it must be made to look "fancy."
The walls are crusty and lumpy!

so its better




I'm not even scared! Here, look at my old kitchen:

But it used to be ugly too! (But not as ugly as this one)


I just love how the floor and counter are the same. HaHa! Gross!!!

Okay let's get going here
Remember don't be scared! Like you could hurt something this hideous!



So just put some latex Kilz on the horrible curled up cheap plastic floor tiles on your counter that makes you physically ill to look at. It's easy! It doesn't smell either.
Then, let it dry for about 45 minutes. Now get your mod podge and the pictures or designs you've been printing out or getting from somewhere. Paint a thin layer on the back and position them. Smoothe out with a credit card. Be careful not to rip the paper.(your photos)

Well the backsplash looks better already! I did roll on regular periwinkle paint over the counter/floor tiles first, but I probably didn't need to.

Wish the post office hadn't lost my "real" camera. My phone cam is horra!
The drawers "boasted of" forty years of gunk

I probably don't need to tell you that the drawer is clean and nice now. More pictures of finished kitchen: