One, two, three art caddy

Well HELLO! Hope you had a fantastic weekend! We finished up marching band season (for the most part – more on that soon!) and I am SO PROUD of my hubby, the staff and those kids. They are so crazy talented and they work their tails off all summer and fall.

But I am glad to have my hubby back – for a few weeks anyway. ;)

Over the past few weeks I’ve been working like a mad woman trying to get the office redo completed.

YEAH. That one. The one I started (early) last year. I’m so incredibly efficient, it’s just shocking. :)

My to-do list is dwindling though, and this project was so easy and fast! I just love how it turned out – couldn’t wait to show you!

It all started with my sister, and the Pottery Barn gift card she gave me for my birthday. She knows just what I love! (OK, she asked where I wanted a gift card and I told her Pottery Barn, but still. She’s awesome.)

I went to spend my free moolah (the best kind!) and of course…couldn’t find a THING. Gah – that is so frustrating! You walk in with a gift card and find nothing, and the next time you have two cents to your name and find EVERYTHING.

Can I get an AMEN?

:)

I went to another store at the fancy mall, then went back to PB – I was determined. I walked around so long the staff was giving me the stink eye.

Finally I found something I thought I could use:

It was filled with towels and I loved that, but we don’t have a great spot for it in our bathroom and besides that, I wanted to have it out where it would be seen.

The nice little surprise was that it ran up on major sale – I think I paid $30-something for it? Rock. on.

Anyhoo, I came up with a great use for it in the office! But the wood tone, although lovely, wasn’t doing much for it.

So I painted it. :) Oh yes. I did.

I started by spray priming it in my workshop spray paint station on a sheet on the floor in the garage:

At least I covered the snow blower. ;)

Then I finished it up with a coat of Rustoleum flat white:

 

Remember when spray painting:  shake the can really well before and during, use a mask or spray outside (or both!), and use small, short bursts – not big long ones. (DRIPS!) Oh, and numerous light coats are better than fewer thick coats!

I didn’t even sand it down, because the outside of it really won’t get much wear and tear. I did, however, use my sanding block to distress the edges up a bit:

I just sanded down parts that would show wear…if there was going to be wear. Which there won’t. But whatever:

I planned to use the caddy for the Bub’s markers and crayons and stuff, so I wanted to dress up the front with something kinda cute and fun.

I got the Silhouette machine out and cut number stencils out of vinyl and put them on the front of each shelf:

If you’re real good you’ll measure them out and place them just right. I just eyeballed it and was real lucky they weren’t wonky. :)

I used the extra blue green color I had leftover from the book nook to paint in the letters, (I believe it’s called Lake from Valspar?) then took off the vinyl.

I LOVE how it turned out!:

I loved the wood, but the white pops against the floors and the black dresser!:

    

And dang…it’s CUTE!!

The top shelf holds crayons, the middle is markers and the bottom is filled with paints:

It’s super easy for the Bub to get to everything and super easy for him to put everything away. (Ding! Ding! Ding!)

I love that blue color – it’s a perfect match to the Target lamps on the Craigslist dresser:

And the whole thing was free (for me) – I used paint and spray paint I already had. Love when that happens!

One more project down – WHOOHOO!

The next time you see this room, it will be D.O.N.E. Geez Louise, that took forever. Anyone else taken 18 months do redo a space? No? Just me? :)

Mini Transformations

Hey hey! How are you? I’m super excited because it’s only supposed to get up to 79 tomorrow – ahhh, I’m in heaven! Although that is perfect deck staining weather, unfortunately. Fortunately? Whatever.

I’m back with one more post about the family room redo – are you tired of seeing it yet?

Don’t answer that. :)

Many of you had questions on the little details in the space so I wanted to get the info on all of the accessories in one spot.

First up, the TV area – the old TV spot was a thorn in my side, and now I couldn’t be happier:

The dresser was (another) Craigslist find. I told you it’s story here. It’s a Henredon and I adore it – it’s one of my very favorite pieces in our whole house. It’s GORG.

The lovely lady lamps were from HomeGoods last year – they are a beautiful green with a gorgeous finish. LOVE.

The mirror was also a HomeGoods find and it started out black. I got it months ago for another room, and it didn’t work there, so I put it back in my car to return it.

When I went to open the back of my SUV to get it out, it fell out in the parking lot. GAH. So…it wasn’t going back. ;) Drats.

The corner was busted and it had a few scratches (I can’t believe the mirror didn’t break!), so I sanded those down a bit. It was way too dark in black (I wanted something brighter above the black hole of a TV), so I took the mirror out and  spray painted the frame bright white. It turned out beautifully!

I haven’t found the mirror again, but I did run across this one at Target just recently:

It’s so close, and I think it’s the same exact size! I love how the mirror balances out the dresser and TV and all that jazz.

I showed you the mantel changes awhile back:

And it mostly stayed the same, but that brown candlestick needed some color!

Enter my Mountain View spray paint:

It was just what the mantel needed!:

That mossy “S” was a crafty project using sheets of moss:

I showed you how I hot glued my fingers made that one here.

The IKEA sofa table got a little accessory redo too, yet again using what I already had:

I had never done much to accessorize the top before:

So I went hunting through the house. :) The lanterns were a smashing deal a couple years ago – I got them for $10 each at Walmart. They used to sit on our deck and looked like this:

I wanted a brighter look, so I busted out the brushed nickel spray paint and there. you. go:

The tray was a $4 Goodwill find I’ve had for awhile and was black, originally white:

Someone had spray painted it black and I sprayed it back to white. Again. Got it? ;) I picked large blue books, again to pull some blue over to that side of the room. The faux greenery puff ball I showed you here.

And the lamp has gone through a few transformations – the latest being a coat of blue:

It’s a vintage light that started out ivory and brown with a different shade:

Then went to black, then green:

I luuuuurve the funky shape of it! We’ll see what color it is next. ;)

The very first thing I do when we get a new sofa (which is all the time, you know) is to take off the pillows that come with it. I ditch the matchy matchy and use pillows as a chance to pull in some color and customize the space:

I used the pillow forms that came with the sofa and made the striped pillow covers with Waverly fabric from Joann’s. The large furry cream pillow in the corner is from Target and IT’S SO FLUFFY!!!! (Name that movie!)

The others are all Pottery Barn pillow covers I picked up last summer. The embroidered one on the left was a total splurge but I. LOVE. it. I don’t buy my pillow inserts there though – they are insanely expensive and I actually don’t think they are firm enough anyway. I use old pillows to stuff my cases, or get forms with a coupon at Joann’s or Hob Lob.

Whew! I hope that helps to answer any questions you had about the space! Other than a few pillows, I used what I had to finish up the accessories and wall decor for the whole space. I’m really, really pleased with how it all came together!

If there’s something I missed, let me know in the comments and I’ll let get back to you there! And…I swear, that’s the last I’ll mention the family room for about, uh…a few days? ;) 

So tell me, have you transformed something with spray paint lately? It’s magic in a can, I tell ya.

From Mossy to Beachy

Well, it’s the end of July and I’ve just finished up my summer vignette in the foyer – welcome to my world. ;)

I’ve had most of it done for umm…weeks. Since May? There was one small detail I’ve been putting off all that time that I FINALLY just finished up. More on that in a smidge.

I don’t think I’ve ever really decorated with anything beach-inspired in our house…like, ever. Until now! It must have been the summer Pottery Barn catalog this year, because all of the sudden I thought that look was just lovely.

And no, we don’t live anywhere near the coast. I don’t care. I do what I want.

It started with a beautiful blue spray paint I picked up at True Value a couple months ago:

I’ve been adding more and more blue to our home over the past few years, and this is a lovely smoky tone. I sprayed my old Southern Living pedestal with it:

It was brown, which was beautiful. I just wanted it to pop and now it does. I can always spray paint it back. ;)

I filled it with decorative stuff – some shells, twine-covered balls and even some rocks from our vacation.

We picked a few pretty rocks at the beach and of course they needed to be included:

(The writing is for next year when I’m purging and I see the rocks and go,
“What the heck? Rocks? Why do I have rocks?” And toss them.)

I’ve wanted something LARGE on the buffet in our foyer for a while now, and while at HomeGoods last month, I saw a gigantor wood lantern and it had me at pretty window paned doors:

It is SO close to the Pottery Barn version, by the way:

Mine was $20 – there’s is $80. Boo to the YAH.

Yet again, I’m fairly sure Pottery Barn will never become a sponsor at TDC. ;)

I put a trio of white candles inside, and then wrapped some rope I picked up at True Value around them:

LOVE!

The rest of the goodies I already had:  

The lamp used to sit on the sofa table in our kitchen, but I thought it worked so much better in the foyer.

Lately I’m smitten with the fresh look of silver or brushed nickel, so I grabbed some Rub ‘n Buff in a silver color and changed up the raised part of the mirror:

  

I’d love something chunkier up there, but I’m trying to use what I’ve got! The Rub ‘n Buff is so easy to use it’s just silly – and one tube will last you foreveeeeeer. Seriously. A tiny bit goes a very long way.

When all was done, we had a slightly sea-inspired vignette in our foyer:

And I must say I’m lovin’ it! That lantern rocks my socks off – big fat heart that thing.

Sp you want to know what’s held me up all this time? The one thing I needed to finish up?

I started painting the inside of our front door black the weekend of the back door disaster.

Yes, when we had a hole in our house, I did what any smart person would do. I started painting another door. :) I think I was trying to redeem myself…either that or I have some serious addiction to painting doors black. I don’t know, I just went for it.

I did a coat of grey primer and a coat of black and then it sat…and sat. For all this time. Till this weekend:

I love it, I knew I would. I used my Behr Black Suede paint in an eggshell finish and I’m pretty much obsessed with how it turned out.

Here’s a comparison, with a way before photo:

I know some like a shiny, high gloss door, but I only like shiny on my molding. ;) So the eggshell finish I already had worked out great. It’s taken three coats so far -- I actually need to do one more, but for now I’m calling it done.

I’m just happy to have the painters tape off the door for the first time since the first week of June. :)

No, I’m not painting the trim, at least for now. I’m lucky this got done in 2011 people.

So, are you a decorating with seashells kind of person? Don’t worry, the beach police won’t come find you if you’re name isn’t Sally and you don’t live near the seashore. ;) You can incorporate it all you want – it is your house.

Do what you want!!

**Cassity’s black door project encouraged me to start painting our front door black, and Shelley’s got my booty moving to finish it!

 

I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as my writing about my experience. I have also been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Candlestick turned Table

What up what UP? Are you ready for a fabulous holiday weekend? I’m looking forward to bunches of family and friend time and TONS of fireworks. And lots of food. Lots. :)

I’m so excited about a little project I finished up today and I couldn’t wait to show you. My first day of No-Spend July went off without a hitch – I already had everything for this project. (And have for awhile.)

It all started with a chunky candlestick I found at Goodwill last year (yes, last year) for $4. The process was pretty simple, and I took pics of all of the details for your viewing pleasure. ;)

First up, the I-like-em-chunky candlestick:

No sanding here peeps, just some cleaning:

(I. hate. sanding.)

A wooden plate from Hob Lob:

(On sale…holllaaa!)

Some Liquid Nails around the top:

I laid the plate on the floor and did everything upside down so I could see to make sure it was centered:

A couple coats of spray primer:

And then a coat of Heirloom White:

I like eggshell or satin for furniture projects, but glossy will do just fine!

After it dried I scuffed it up a bit:

Because I didn’t want it too look like there was a PLATE sitting on top (even though there was), I added a mirror from Hob Lob:

Half off, in the candle section.

I didn’t even glue it – just set it in the center. It was a perfect fit:

And now I have an itty bitty table perfect for this small spot:

I LOVE IT. Seriously…in love.

Love that candle too – have you seen the little holders at Bath and Body Works? Super cute, and that one was only $3.50.

The table is surprisingly sturdy – the candlestick is nice and heavy (the bottom is weighted). It holds a drink or the remote just fine, and that’s all I need. ;)

I know many of you are so excited to see the sectional!! The room has been a mess with holes in the walls, drywall dust and sawdust lately…but I will show you the space next week for SURE. I’m SO excited to show you! Hang in there with me!

I hope you have a wonderful, fun and SAFE holiday weekend!

 

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

and

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!