Hidden Wine Storage at Back of Countertop | Pretty Handy Girl

Hidden Wine Storage at Back of Countertop | Pretty Handy Girl

Today’s the day I’m finally sharing the Pantry Reveal, complete with a Coffee Bar and Hidden Wine Storage! Let me warn you, this isn’t your ordinary pantry. This space is multi-functional. The dreams of a better and more organized pantry started four years ago while I was in the thick of our kitchen renovation. For 48 months I’ve mulled over the plans to have food storage that works better for how my family lives.  At first I used painter’s tape to try to figure out better spacing (excuse the poor photo quality. This was taken before I improved my photography skills):

Pantry Before | Pretty Handy Girl

The shelves were only 12″ deep in a 36″ deep closet. That’s 2/3 of the pantry not being utilized. I’m sure you or someone you known has a similar 6 foot wide pantry with bi-fold doors. Be sure to share this post so they know there is hope for a more organized pantry.

As another year past, my plans began to take shape utilizing more of the depth of the pantry:

Open Pantry Concept Sketch

Then my plans evolved into this chicken scratch sketch:

After the plans sat in my head for a while, I used Sketch Up to utilize every square inch of space in the closet side. . .

. . .which you probably saw when I showed you how to build chalkboard front drawers

Make Your Own Chalkboard Front Drawers | Organized Pantry | Pretty Handy Girl

and how to use vintage rulers as shelf stops.

How to Use Vintage Rulers for Narrow Pantry Shelf Stops | Pretty Handy Girl

The closet side of the pantry holds roughly 2/3 of what the original 6 foot wide pantry did!

Pantry with Coffee Bar and Hidden Wine Storage | Pretty Handy Girl

The other two thirds of the pantry area was set up with upper and lower cabinets and a walnut counter top. I ordered the cabinets from Kith Cabinets (the same manufacturer that made the rest of our kitchen cabinets) because I worried that I wouldn’t be able to match the quality if I built them myself.

Hidden Wine Storage at back of countertop | Pretty Handy Girl

The upper cabinet is deceiving because it is actually 18″ deep (as opposed to a normal 12″ deep upper). Which means we have a lot more storage within those cabinets.

We have some amazing storage now! Large pull out shelves hold all the chips, pretzels and snacks. I debated ordering  a three drawer cabinet, but ultimately knew I’d prefer the deeper storage that the trays offered.

At some point, I’ll build custom dividers for the chips and snacks. The baskets work well, but there is a 3-4″ gap behind them that I could use. (I’m all about utilizing that space wasted space!)

The drawer is perfect for coffee stirrers, extra k-cups, plastic utensils, straws and more.

Speaking of coffee, it’s a wonderful feeling having a dedicated coffee station now.

When guests come to our house, the first stop (after the mudroom) is the coffee bar! I wish I had a photo of the bi-fold pantry doors before. They were uninviting and bland. This is essentially what they looked like:

Bi-fold-closet-pantry-doors

Source

BORING!

This is what greets us now:

You may recall our DIY Chalkboard Calendar wall. We still use it for the kids’ and family’s activities. It helps the boys feel more connected with our schedule and lets them keep up with events and upcoming travel.

But wait, that’s not all! Are you ready to see the hidden wine storage?

Hold onto your wine glass!

Hidden Wine Storage at Back of Countertop | Pretty Handy Girl

How cool is that?

We can remove the doors if we want.

This makes the perfect spot for self serve wine at an open house party.

Normally we access half the wine storage at a time.

The real star of this pantry makeover is the rustic reclaimed wood plank wall. (I need to mention that I was approached by Timberchic about working with them on a sponsored post. A year passed before I contacted them back with the idea to use their wood panels in my pantry makeover.)

Those planks are a super DIY friendly product called Timberchic. The wood is salvaged from logs lost during lumber transport in the Maine river and lake systems. You can read the amazing story here and learn how Timberchic is helping the local ecosystem.

The planks can be purchased in 3″ and 5″ lengths.  I chose 5 inch planks in a variety of natural and whitewash, then cut them into thirds for my project. (I’ve suggested that Timberchic should sell these thinner planks. Be sure to send them a tweet letting them know you like the thinner look too!)

Pantry with Coffee Bar and Hidden Wine Storage | Pretty Handy Girl

In the meantime, I put together this little video to show you how easy it is to install the Timberchic panels:

 

Now we have a beverage center for day or night!

What do you think? Do you like the new pantry, coffee bar and hidden wine storage area?

I’m not sure I can still call this a pantry. A Pantry with Coffee Bar and Hidden Wine Storage?

or does it qualify as a butler’s pantry?

I don’t know for sure, but I do know that I love all the storage. . .

. . .and the view when we come into the kitchen.

Do you have a 6 foot bi-fold pantry? Why not turn it into something you’ve always dreamed about.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Timberchic. I was compensated for my time and promotion of the Timberchic products. As always, I’m very particular about the brands I represent. I only work with products I love and want to share with my closest friends.

Make Your Own Chalkboard Front Drawers | Organized Pantry | Pretty Handy Girl

How to Use Vintage Rulers for Narrow Pantry Shelf Stops | Pretty Handy Girl

While configuring the new pantry, I knew I wanted to use up any and all available space to maximize storage. A shallow shelf took advantage of the 3 inches behind the door frame in the closet side of the pantry. To prevent items from tumbling off  these shelves, you can use thin slats of wood. But, I utilized Vintage Ruler Stops on the Narrow Pantry Shelves. Not only do the rulers prevent items from being bumped or knocked off, but they provide a rainbow of color.

If you remember, this was the pantry before:

And these are the plans I made to transform the pantry into something beautiful with more storage.

Installing Vintage Ruler Stops on Narrow Shelves:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Optional: Painter’s tape

Instructions:

Cut vintage rulers (or other thin wood material) to the width of the shelf cabinet box. Squeeze a line of Iron Grip Silicone Adhesive along the bottom edge of the shelf and about an inch up on either side.

Press the ruler into the glue and line it up with the bottom edge of the shelf.

Use painter’s tape or a few brad nails to support the ruler while the adhesive cures. Once the GE Iron Grip Adhesive cures it will hold the ruler firmly. Without the adhesive, brad nails will eventually work their way through the wood or fall out.

Repeat for the remaining shelves.

Make Your Own Chalkboard Front Drawers | Organized Pantry | Pretty Handy Girl

Your shelves are ready to load up with jars and cans!

Make Your Own Chalkboard Front Drawers | Organized Pantry | Pretty Handy Girl

I love the side storage that was reclaimed in the closet. That was definitely one of my biggest pet peeves about the old pantry — wasted space.

It’s amazing how many jars and cans I can fit on the side.

 

Make Your Own Chalkboard Front Drawers | Organized Pantry | Pretty Handy Girl

Do you have a pantry or closet that can use narrow shelves for additional storage? I bet you do ;-).

I’m really anxious to show you a sneak peek of the pantry renovation project. I’m not 100% done, but the finish line is close. This is a good spot to give you a pantry progress update and show you the process of turning a bi-fold door pantry into something with more functional storage, not to mention coolness factor.

This is where the project began:

That was our 6′ wide and 3′ deep pantry back in 2012 shortly after a small water leak left us with a gutted kitchen. After the restoration crew installed the new subfloor (because of the asbestos abatement), I took the ugly bi-fold doors off and fully intending to include the pantry in my complete DIY kitchen renovation. By the time I finished the kitchen renovation, I was exhausted and longing for a break. Four years later, this is where the pantry progressed until a few months ago.

Big difference right? Just kidding. I installed flooring and a new light fixture, but that’s it. I had dreams of making an open pantry and showed this sketch to my friend Sandra from SawdustGirl.com back in 2013.

Open Pantry Concept Sketch

She and I talked through some ideas and then I sat on the project for a couple of years. By this time I had revised my idea on the pantry and drew up a new sketch:

(Please don’t show that to my illustration professors. That’s one rough sketch there.)

The idea was to partition off the right hand side of the pantry and create a small closet with a door. To get the most storage possible, I moved over to SketchUp to draw out plans for the small closet.

Next it was time to cut the shelves out and get this project rolling.

Our dining room took over pantry duties as I began the framing process in the gutted pantry.

I’m sure you’re going to ask me why I didn’t remove the framing over the doorway. I decided to leave it in place because the door frame is made up of a large double header and the kids’ bathtub is directly over the header. Basically I didn’t want to risk the tub falling through the ceiling.

New wiring was run for two outlets on the left side and I moved an outlet down toward the floor on the right side.

You may remember when I showed you how to Add Energy Efficient LED light fixtures in recessed can lights. Those lights were the ones I installed on each side of the partition.

I tried to hire my favorite electrician to install a door frame switch for the light, but he explained how to do it and left without taking my money. (I owe him big time.)

In the end, I’m grateful for his advice and for pushing me out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t as hard as I expected.

Next up on the to do list was to build the cabinetry for the closet.

I constructed two boxes. One deep box for the back and a shallow box for the side shelves. I’m not going to show you how to build cabinets because Sawdust Girl does it so much better than I do!

After the boxes were built and painted, I carefully installed them into the closet. Some white caulk and trim moulding were added to give it a more finished look.

Next I built the drawer boxes for inside the larger cabinet box. Again, Sawdust Girl has the best instructions for building drawer boxes here. But, here’s a tutorial to show you how to finish off plywood edges.

Blum drawer slides (affiliate link) were used on the drawers, per Sandra’s suggestion.

Make Your Own Chalkboard Front Drawers | Organized Pantry | Pretty Handy Girl

Want to see the full reveal? Click here to see my Pantry Reveal with Hidden Wine Storage.

Make Your Own Chalkboard Front Drawers | Organized Pantry | Pretty Handy Girl

How to Make a Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign | Pretty Handy Girl How cool! You can use this technique to make or transfer any sign graphic.

Holiday Home Tour 2016 | Pretty Handy Girl

I’m so happy to see you again this year! This is my annual holiday home tour and each year I can’t wait to invite you in to see the decorations. (These are my home tours from 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015.) This year I tried to keep it simple, but I did take two days to make a really fun vintage sign. I hope you’ll come on in and see it (and the rest of my holiday decorating efforts.)

Before I start decorating, I like to choose a theme. This year I wanted to create a nature or woodland inspired theme. I pulled the storage bins out of the attic and assessed what I had to work with. Then, I made a list of some items I could use to fill out the room. Next stop was my local At Home store. This home tour has been sponsored by At Home. This year I’ve been thrilled to be an At Home brand ambassador. (You can see a photo tour of the At Home store in this post.

At Home Store Tour | Pretty Handy Girl

Or come take a tour of my patio decorated for a garden party using several At Home finds (feel free to stay a while if you need to shake off that winter chill by looking at summer photos.)

Outdoor Garden Patio Party Decorating Ideas | Pretty Handy Girl

Finally, you won’t want to miss this drab to fab screen porch makeover that I accomplished with help from At Home.

Installing the Most Beautiful Ceiling Fan | Haiku Copper Luxe Ceiling Fan | Pretty Handy Girl

Have you warmed up yet? Well come on inside and get cozy. I made you some hot chocolate and salted caramel chocolate chip cookies for the tour.

hot-cocoa-side-table-boots-background

Did you notice the little silver twig tree? That was an At Home find, I couldn’t resist it. The little white lights make the tree glow at night. I also picked up some faux poinsettias from At Home and popped them in my 3 Step Little Red Wagon Planter.

Holiday Home Tour 2016 | Pretty Handy Girl

green-side-door

May I take your jacket? You can kick off your shoes if you want to get more comfortable. The shoe storage bench and coat rack were early DIY projects. This mudroom spot is my sanity saver because it holds our daily assortment of coats, backpacks, shoes and socks!

side-view-mudroom-bench-shoe-storage-coat-rack

These topiaries from At Home have seen a lot of use. I bought the unlit versions to save money and added my own lights for the holidays. But, honestly the lit versions are only $10 more, so splurge if you buy some for your home.

mudroom-bench-full-view

I decorated the shelf with some reindeer and two DIY cone trees (hot glue and moss or leaves). I also used some wall decal stars from my friend Leen the Graphics Queen (affiliate link.)

deer-mantle-view-faux-snow

The “Post” box keeps all our epi-pens close at hand but not in sight. Anyone else have a collection of epi-pens? 😉

epi-pen-storage-in-post-box

Come on in the living room and sit down. I just finished decorating the tree.

living-room-rustic-sleigh-ride-mantle-horizontal

I brightened the tree with lots of feather boas and red ornaments. Plus, I added several of the kids’ ornaments they made in preschool. Those ornaments may not be pretty, but they are precious to us.

feather-boa-christmas-tree

Want to make your own decorative bird house topper? It’s a fun little project that will satisfy your doodling desires.

birdhouse-tree-topper

I have to share with you these beautiful pillows I bought at At Home!

moose-drawing-pillow

They look a lot like some higher end store pillows, but for much less. I especially like the faux fur pillows. They might stay on the couch year round.

living-room-sofa-tree-view

Speaking of pillows, I had to buy Bandit a cozy bed from At Home. They have the best prices and selection I’ve ever seen for dog bedding. Good dog, Bandit. It’s about time you fell asleep. This dog is non-stop energy most of the time.

sleeping-dog-athome-dog-bed
The other find I couldn’t resist at At Home was this pretty shell tray. They have an amazing assortment of trays in all colors, shapes and sizes.

seeded-eucalyptus-candles-at-home-tray
I love using this easy to make shutter screen to display our Christmas cards each year.

shutters-christmas-card-display-old-runner-sled

This year I added a strand of lights and the vintage sled.

shutters-display-christmas-cards

living-room-rustic-sleigh-ride-mantle-vertical

Did you spot my new vintage inspired sign?

reindeer-sleigh-rides-rustic-wood-sign

close-up-rusted-sleigh-bells
I made it this week using all scraps from my workshop. Here’s the tutorial to make your own Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign!

stockings-hung-rustic-wood-fireplace

I know I’ve probably overstated this, but At Home has everything for your home decorating! For instance, birch logs can be purchased in the wedding section of At Home. (I’m not sure why they are in that section, but they are.) They were 6 feet tall, but I cut each log into three for display by the fireplace.

boots-birch-logs-by-fireplace

I bought the white lantern from At Home to round out my collection. You may not realize it, but that little black lantern was actually transformed from a $5 dated light fixture.

trio-lanterns-on-hearth

la-z-boy-cosmopolitan-wingback-chair-by-fireplace

A note about that metallic dot pillow—yup, you guessed it—another At Home favorite find!

wingback-yellow-chair-metallic-lumbar-pillow-metallic

angel-bottles-holiday-decor

Let’s head into the kitchen.

open-wood-shelves-holiday-decor
open-wood-shelves-kitchen-holiday-decorated

bay-window-seating-gold-white-pillows

Every year, I like to make a little something I think the kids will enjoy. This year, I created a little snow scene in a cloche.

glass-skier-cloche-snow-globe

The cloche is actually the globe from a hanging light. I ditched the light and used the globe to make a fun little snow globe scene.

glass-skier-cloche-snow-globe-close-up

I used more wall decal stars from my friend Leen the Graphics Queen (affiliate link) to decorate the windows. These little stars add a festive feel in minutes.

gold-white-holiday-pillows

On the other side of the kitchen is a desk aka our family command center. The raised desk was a DIY project I built using more ReStore cast offs. And the hutch was built using an old table top. . . seriously!

kitchen-desk-hutch-holiday-decor

kitchen-desk-hutch-holiday-decor-closer

The little galvanized village scene was created using a variety of At Home accessories. The lighted pine cones came in a set of three and have a timer switch so they’ll shut off at night. That’s one less thing I have to turn off before bed.

galvanized-village-christmas-decor

small-boxwood-wreath-oven-range-hood

I usually let my boys decorate a small tree. This year they added blue lights to this little faux ivy tree. I actually like the soft blue glow at night. My boys. . . they love to go against the grain. 😉

advent-calendars-holly-tree

Thank you so much for coming over. I enjoyed your company.

double-wood-front-doors-storm-doors-lime-green

Stop by sometime next week. I’ll be sharing my frugal holiday tablescape with you.

PHGFancySign

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for At Home. I was compensated for my time writing this post. At Home also provided me with a gift card to purchase items to use in this post. All ideas and words are my own. I was not told what to write.

 

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Check out Pretty Handy Girl's Holiday Home Tour for holiday home decor ideas and inspiration! | Holiday decor for the home #prettyhandygirl #holidayhome #holidaydecor

My Home Paint Colors | Pretty Handy Girl

Paint Colors in My Home

I owe you an apology. This post has been on my “to do” list for at least two years. But like many of my “to do” list items, it got pushed back many times.

I get many questions about the paint colors I use in my home. Each color has been chosen to evoke an emotion in the specific room. At this point, I’m very happy with all the colors with one exception. I’ll explain later.

Without any more delay — you’ve waited long enough — here are the paint colors in my home!

mudroom-majestic-mauve

Paint Colors in My Home

Mudroom: Benjamin Moore Majestic Mauve

This is actually a color match. I liked the color I used in our old home’s hallways so much, that I used the leftover paint in our new home’s mudroom. Unfortunately, I used up the can and forgot to write down the color. It’s the perfect neutral lavender color. The color picks up some of the purple tones in our faux slate floor.

Laundry Room - Glidden Tropical Surf | Pretty Handy Girl

Laundry room: Glidden Tropical Surf.

 I tried using Glidden paint for a sponsored post years ago. I absolutely love the color, but the paint — not so much. It just doesn’t have the coverage that Benjamin Moore Aura paints have and therefore I had to paint three coats to get good coverage and scrubability without taking off the paint. Many people ask what the valance fabric is. It’s Waverly Pom Pom Play Spa (affiliate link). And the Flow Wall organization (affiliate link) has really held up and gets my stamp of approval!

Kitchen - Cabinets: Sherwin Williams Copen Blue and Benjamin Moore Oxford White - Walls: Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White | Pretty Handy Girl

Kitchen: Sherwin Williams Copen Blue, Aesthetic White and Benjamin Moore Oxford White.

Adjacent to the mudroom is our kitchen. The colors were carefully chosen to be soothing and cheerful. The white color was pulled from the Kith Cabinets as the closest match to the white cabinets and used on all the trim and planks.

You may remember the year long saga of our kitchen. We had a leak and I built it back by myself from the subfloor on up. It was definitely a defining year in my life which has lead to some amazing goals I’ve set for myself.

living-room-sea-salt

Living Room: Sherwin Williams Sea Salt.

The living room was the most recent room I painted and this is a color I’ve admired in many bloggers’ homes. The blue/green/gray color blends in perfectly with the kitchen since they share an open doorway. I get many compliments on the color and like how it changes into many hues depending on the weather and time of day.

Powder Room: Sherwin Williams Quietude | Pretty Handy Girl

Powder Room: Sherwin Williams Quietude.

 This is another color match. Oftentimes I’ll mix several leftover paints until I get the desired color. Quietude is a close match and I’ve since seen the same color in a friend’s home and it is almost an exact match.

dining-elmira-white

Dining Room: Benjamin Moore Elmira White. 

This is the first room I painted a light off-white. Previously I thought to have a colorful home you had to have colorful walls. Over time I learned that I had more “color freedom” if the walls were a neutral color and I could change the look of a room by swapping out rugs and fabrics.

Interior Doors - Benjamin Moore Yellow Hilighter | Pretty Handy Girl

Foyer: Benjamin Moore Hilighter and Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White. 

After painting our kitchen walls Aesthetic White I knew I wanted to extend it into the adjacent foyer. This color is the perfect off white but not too fleshy colored. It continues up the stairs and will eventually be painted in our upstairs hallway (another lingering “to do” list item.) The yellow doors was a last minute decision when I was struggling to paint the exterior doors. I ran into an issue with the exterior paint and had to spend 5 days stripping them. I needed some sense of accomplishment so I painted the insides before continuing on the outside. This is the color that greets me every morning and I love it’s sunny disposition.

exterior-doors-perennial

Exterior: Benjamin Moore Perennial and Sherwin Williams Anonymous.

This is the outside view of those same doors. The color was one I experimented with and had to change twice. Now it’s such a bright and welcoming color that stands out from the traditional black and red doors in the neighborhood. One of the most asked questions I get is “What is your house color?” Sadly I don’t know, but recently matched it with Sherwin Williams Anonymous. The color is a deep warm gray and it doesn’t show dirt or the mildew that plagues our southern local.

master-bedroom-kendall-charcoal-revere-pewter

Master Bedroom: Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal and Revere Pewter. Dresser: Benjamin Moore Deep Ocean. 

When I set out to paint our master bedroom I had fallen in love with the dramatic look of white furniture against dark gray walls. But, I couldn’t bring myself to darken an entire room with the charcoal color. My compromise was to paint the headboard wall dark, but create an ombre effect leading into a lighter greige. When we are headed to bed, we climb into bed looking at the dark charcoal. But, when we sit up in the morning it is facing the lighter walls. It’s a nice way to set the mood.

boys-room-gray-custom-color

Boy’s Bedroom: Benjamin Moore custom color.

Remember how I like to mix paint colors? That’s exactly what I did to get this color. I knew what color I wanted in my mind’s eye. But, I none of the color swatches I brought home were working for me. This gray has a bluish cast, but it’s not harsh or cold. The color works perfectly with the red/white and blue theme in the bedroom.

Bathroom - Benjamin Moore Slate Blue | Pretty Handy Girl

Boys’ Bathroom: Benjamin Moore Slate Blue. 

I painted this room many moons ago and a color was chosen that would transition from childhood to adulthood and never need to be painted again. So far, this paint color has lived up to that goal and acts as a perfect backdrop to the gray and aqua accents in the room. Many ask and sadly I can’t remember where the shower curtain is from. It was either Ross, Marshalls or HomeGoods several years ago. The vanity received a makeover and was painted Valspar Beige Shadow (a good match to Annie Sloan French Linen.) I have a funny story about that branch towel bar. When Better Homes and Gardens came to photograph my home, the art director wanted me to paint the branch white. I flat out refused for many reasons. The main reason was that it was a memento of one of the camping trips my husband and I made to Yellowstone, Acadia, Nova Scotia or somewhere else. It’s funny that it’s a memento and I can’t remember which trip it was from. Regardless, we were young and un-married, but that branch holds many memories and has moved with us many times. I’m sure the movers thought I was nuts for packing up a branch. The other reason I wouldn’t paint it is because it would blend in with the walls. And this branch needs to stand out because it’s not “just a branch” to me.

guest-room-climbing-lily

Guest Room: Ralph Lauren Climbing Lily.

This is the one room in the house that I can add feminine touches. This is my English Garden room and the light green works well with the pink flowers.

art-studio-revere-pewter

Art Studio: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter 75% strength.

The art and craft room needs a neutral color so as not to influence the colors we use to create. I love the Revere Pewter, but wanted a light color to help bounce more light around the room. Ask your paint person to mix this color at 75% strength and you’ll agree, it’s the perfect greige that doesn’t darken the room.

home-office-hot-spring-stones

Home Office: Benjamin Moore Hot Spring Stones. 

I almost left this room off because I’m not thrilled with the color. I painted this room when I began blogging. It’s a big improvement from the dark and dreary color that used to be here. But, I’m still craving more light and a color that has less warmth. At night the color turns a bit fleshy. This is the next room that will get a makeover this year. I plan on adding a much needed window to the back wall where the desks are. I’m also planning on repainting the room (not sure on the color yet. Do you have a favorite paint color?) and adding wall shelving on the same wall as the window.

Final notes: 

I didn’t mention my trim colors. Most of the trim paint is the straight up white paint from the Benjamin Moore Impervo line. But, I’ve fallen in love with our white kitchen cabinet color and have been using Benjamin Moore Oxford white more.

I’m a huge fan of Benjamin Moore (especially their Aura low VOC paint.) But, this past year I’ve been using more Sherwin Williams paint (Pro-Classic and Cashmere.) And although it has a different consistency (not as thick as the Aura), I’m really liking their paint as well.

Paint colors are challenging. They can change color depending on the time of day and the season. If you live somewhere that has deciduous trees, I urge you to never pick a paint color in the winter. The green outside your window the other three seasons of the year can change the look of your paint color. Need some tips on picking the perfect paint color? Read this post.

Any other questions for me? Did I forget anything?

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Questions on home paint colors? Pretty Handy Girl shares all the details on the paint colors in her home | Home Paint Color Scheme #prettyhandygirl #paintcolors #homepaintcolors