Moldy DIY

There is always a LONG list of ‘to do’ items when we open up our Block Island shack.  Things are broken, pillows blow away and then there is the… mold.

 
We are obsessive about keeping the house air tight when we close it down for the winter.  All to keep away the MOLD.  But the little bugger manages to sneak in anyway.

We had a nice amount of mold around the fireplace this year.  We scraped it all away and scrubbed the wall and fireplace with Clorox and water to kill it.   I bought a special waterborne bonding primer called STIX to seal the entire area and slathered on two coats.

 

I primed everything, including the baseboards and the brick surround.

 
My daughter and her friends informed me they hated the yellow wall behind the fireplace, so I decided to paint the whole thing Benjamin Moore Aura Bath & Spa white.  This paint is also designed for wet areas – like fog constantly blowing through your windows!

Second coat of paint drying.  It already looks so much fresher.

Since this fireplace is not the most attractive thing I have ever seen, I like the way it now blends into the wall.  The room looks bigger with everything the same color.

 
I switched up what I had on the mantle with other stuff I had lying around the house.  This DIY is costing me a grand total of two quarts of paint and a paintbrush!

Here is the finished product.  The black fireplace screen is too big for this fireplace, so I am going to find a new one and store this screen in the basement for the summer.

For the time being, I will prop this piece by a local painter there instead.  Gives us more space in the living room and adds a nice pop of color.

 

I have a few more projects looming ahead of me this summer, but for now, I am heading to the hammock.

the wry home