Master Bedroom Refresh

Hello sweet friends!

Since I've taken many blog breaks over the past year or so,

I realized I have not shared a bunch of updates done around here.

(I may eventually need to do an updated home tour.)

So, today I'm going to start with the master bedroom.

Here is what the bedroom looked like before:

We had very dark mahogany furniture.

I somehow managed to convince my husband
that the furniture needed to go.
However, when we began shopping I realized
that the dressers nowadays seemed very small.
The drawers seemed very small as well.

You have to understand, we live in an old house.
Closet space is practically non existent in old houses,
so dressers need to store a lot.

After much thought, I decided to paint our furniture.
My husband was not crazy about this idea, but
I went ahead with it.

We painted the walls Cottonwood by Ralph Lauren.
Then the furniture got covered by
Annie Sloan's chalk paint in Pure White.
We bought an upholstered head board and
a chandelier and just like that,
a completely different look.

We were going to change out all the original brass handles 

on the drawers for new hardware, 

but decided to keep them instead.

And because I'm nothing if not real,

I'm showing you this picture...

I like a TV in the bedroom.

I'm am so happy with how it all turned out.
It feels so much lighter & brighter now.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

A Table Rescue

Don't you think it's amazing how quickly this summer is flying by?

I can't believe it's the last week of July already!

Last year, after my new living room furniture was delivered, 

I found I needed a little side table...one that would fit between the couch 

and the radiator.  I knew this would not be an easy find

because the space between is so narrow.

One day, I dragged my poor husband out into the middle of nowhere for

an estate sale.  And there, I found it!  The perfect table!

I know you're probably thinking, 

"This was the perfect table?"

I know, I know, my husband was skeptical as well.

He was also not happy that I paid $20.00.

He thought it too much for something so beat up.

I brought it home, got right to work using

 a little "miracle elixir" which I know

you all know about.  :)

Annie Sloan's Old White chalk paint.

See now?  She's looking pretty good, huh?

I stenciled the top for a little added something.

Exactly what I was looking for!

She really was the perfect table!

Don't you just love it when you rescue something

and transform it from ugly duckling

to beautiful swan?

Have a wonderful day, friends!

 

The Painting of the Clock Tower

Well hello there friends!

Summer is moving along so quickly.  My weekends have been jam-packed with activities.  We've finally ceased with all the rain, but man it's hot...and humid.  Oh is it humid!  I'm not complaining though.  I will suffer in silence because that's all I seem to do is complain about the weather.  Before you know it, I'll be complaining about the snow.  Right?  So no complaints here.

Anyway, as I type, this is what my dining room looks like: 

And this...this is what my dining room looked like last summer:

 



Notice anything different?  Maybe you need to scroll up and take another look?

 

Anything? Anything?

 

I painted the clock tower over in the corner of the room!

 

See it now?

 

The clock tower was a pretty piece of furniture.  Dark finish and flowers painted in orange, gold & red.  My husband bought it for me from Pier 1 many years ago.

 

 

Trouble is, pretty or not, it was just too dark for my taste.     

 

So, against my husband's advice (I'm a rebel, LOL), I gave it a little Annie Sloan's Old White chalk paint. 

 



 

I know that some of you who prefer a darker, richer tone to your furniture are probably scratching your head, wondering why I painted it.  Honestly?  The dark finish just didn't go with my dining room or with the lighter cottage look that I love. 

 

Anyway....

 

I found this graphic from The Graphics Fairy,

 

 

and transferred it to the clock tower by using this technique.   I was a little intimidated at first,  but I found it was a very easy technique to use.   

  

I then took out my handy dandy little paintbrushes and some paints, and painted it all in.   Now this I was VERY intimidated by, but I managed it fairly well.  

 

Of course, I had to give it a sanding after I was done.

 

I added some pretties to the shelves.  

 

And that was that! 

 

 

It is kind of amazing how everything stands out against the white finish now.  Before, unless it was white, it would get lost on the dark shelves. 

 

I'm glad you took the time to visit me today.    Much love to you.♥♥♥

 

Linking to:  What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

 

 

The Year in Review 2012- Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my 2012 Year in Review.
Part 1 can be found here. 

 

Let's get started, shall we?

 

In May 2012,

 

I did a little restyling.

 

 

I gave my Easter burlap rag wreath

a new look.

 

I got to spend some time in the kitchen too.

 

 

Yummy...Strawberry Pretzel Squares.

 

In June 2012,

 

I revealed my next completed project.

 

 

I painted my stairs.

 It was a huge undertaking, but oh so worth it!

 

I took my dining room hutch

from black,

 

 

to Annie Sloan's Old White.

 

In July 2013,

 

with some old windows found in the trash,

 

 

 

I created this gallery wall for my family room.

There's a cute story about finding the windows in the

trash if you'd like to click on the link to read it.

 

I had a little fun outdoors too.

 

 

The mister & I created this crooked planter

to fill an empty space in our landscaping.

 

In August 2012,

 

 

I played with my dishes and created a

French Country Tablescape.

 

I also took on a project that I never thought I'd

be able to pull off.

 

 

I painted & reupholstered a chair! 

Click on the link if you'd like to see the

awful before picture. 

 

 That's all for today folks.

Stay tuned for my Year in Review 2012- Part 3!

 

 

Have a Seat (Chair Reupholstery Reveal)

Sorry for the seriously cheesy title. 

Can I just say that I am really excited to share my little project with you today?

You see, it seems as though everyone in blogland has recovered or reupholstered a chair at one time or another.  As much as I have "oohed"  and "aahed" at all these beautiful chairs, I never thought I'd be able to actually reupholster one myself.  I just don't have that kind of skill.  

My mom has had this old chair hanging around in her attic for who knows how long.  Her plan was to reupholster it, but she never did.   So, I stole it rescued it from her attic.  I figured I couldn't possibly destroy it any more than it already has been.

It took me some time to decide what color I wanted to paint it.  It also took me some time to find a fabric that I liked.  We only have Joanns and Hobby Lobby around here, so my fabric options were limited.  Also, I had no clue where I would put the chair should it actually turn out okay, so I thought it was best to go with a neutral palette.

I painted it Annie Sloan's Old White and decided on a Waverly fabric at Joanns. 

It took a little time and I made a few little mistakes along the way that I had to redo, but here she is in all her glory:

I'm not sure who was more stunned by this...my Mom (who was floored when she saw it), my husband (who insisted I bit off more than I could chew) or me (who was pretty clueless about what I was doing)!   

I found the perfect location for the chair in my dining room.  I'm sure I will also like it in my bedroom once I change to my fall bedding. 

I am so happy that I decided to take a risk and try something new.  The risk paid off and I love my chair!  Now I better keep an eye on it before my Mom steals it back! lol

Linking to:
Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage
Live Laugh Linky Thursday at Live Laugh Rowe
Tutorials Tips & Tidbits at Stone Gable
Share Your Cup Thursdays at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Pin the Tale on the Bloggy at Debbiedoos/Fox Hollow Cottage
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Old Windows

One day in late June, my daughter and I were driving home & I took a shortcut through a nearby neighborhood.   It was then I spotted 2 windows leaned up against someone's trash. 

I did not stop for those windows because:

1.  My daughter was with me & I know the whole thing would have mortified her & perhaps scarred her for life & then I'd have to hear about it my whole life how I scarred her for life.

2.  I know people in the neighborhood & honestly I was kind of embarrassed to be caught picking trash.

The next morning, my daughter & I were the only ones awake as she was getting ready for school.  I remarked to her that I had forgotten to tell her Dad about the windows last night.  (I was hoping he'd go get them for me.)  I knew it was too late at this point & I gave them up for lost.

That afternoon, coming home from work, I was pulling into our driveway,  when I spotted the craziest thing leaning up against our garage...it was the windows!    I couldn't believe it!

Here comes the crazy stuff:

I ran into the house & asked my husband how he knew I wanted those windows!
He said he vaguely heard me (in his sleep!) commenting to Olivia about windows in the trash.

I never mentioned the location of the windows!
He drove around the nearby neighborhoods until he found windows & figured those were the ones. 

He rescued them before the garbarge truck had come!
I guess it was just meant to be that I have these windows.

So here is one of the two:

My husband thought I was crazy when I asked him to take the glass out of it.  He thought I'd be happy the glass wasn't broken.  So much for that.  lol 

With a little paint & some chicken wire, this is what one of them looks like so far:

So stay tuned, my friends, because this is not the end of this little pretty!

From Black to Old White

Sometimes I get an idea in my head.

Sometimes that idea scares me.

I just know you can relate to this.

I decided that I hated  strongly disliked the black hutch and chairs

in my dining room.

Somehow, and I'm not really sure how,

I managed to convince my husband that I needed

 all that black to just go away.   

Enter my new chairs.

Now the crazy part. 

I refused to get rid of the black chairs because

suppose, just suppose, I wanted them back?

Yeah, my poor husband,

I don't know how he tolerates me sometimes.

I now have 6 black chairs, just sitting in the basement

for the day that my fickleness decides

it wants the black again.

Anyhoo, geez this is getting long,

I was also going to buy a new hutch and store

the old black one in the basement.

However,  I knew all these extra pieces

in the basement would surely send my husband over the edge.

Six chairs are bad enough. 

Not to mention all the other crap I have down there.

So, I painted it.

I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in

Old White.

Surprising I know, because I have a love/hate

relationship with chalk paint.

Once she was all painted and it was time for sanding/distressing, I started

to panic.  How I wished I could snap my fingers and make a few of you

furniture painting divas appear to lend me a hand!

The piece had the worn & distressed look to begin with,

so I just followed what was already there.

 I suffered through and now I have to say,

I'm thrilled with the result.  I love seeing this hutch in white.

The black was just not my thing.  

Time to cue Martha Stewart now:

Paint.

It's a good thing.

Wishing you a wonderful, sun-shined filled weekend!

Linking to:

Swing into Spring at DIY by Design
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Painted Stairs (The Reveal)

Do you remember some months back when I said we were thinking of ripping the rug off the stairs?

Well, we did it and it's finally painted and ready for the big reveal.

Warning:  lots of photos ahead!

You can find out the whole ugly rug story by looking at this post, but if you need a reminder, here's what the rug looked like when we bought the house:

I know you are all slapping your foreheads saying, "Oh yeah, I remember now, how could anyone forget that atrocity?"

After a few years living in the house, we had this berber installed:

After almost 8 years, it started to look worn & dirty...so in March 2012, my husband happily ripped that rug of the stairs.

This is what we found under the rug:

Not too pretty, that's for sure!  Hmmm...here's a closer shot so you can get the full horror effect:

Oh yes, my friends, we always get more than we bargained for in this house! 

Having no clue what we were going to do, I started working on the stairs with a heat gun, trying to remove all the paint.  (That is after a good cleaning & my husband removing all 132,648 staples.) 

My sister-in-law walked in one day while I was heat gunning.  Needless to say, she made me come to my senses (something my husband had been trying to do).  Aside from the fact that she convinced me that I would likely still be removing the paint 48 years from now, she also brought up the fact of the old house & loving all of its imperfections for what they are. 

So after some thought, and with the arrival of April, it was time to prime the stairs, imperfections and all.

It took another month for me to decide on a paint color.  Lots of back & forth on that one.  I really did not want black treads, although I knew that was the most practical solution.  I wanted to paint the treads the wall color (Ralph Lauren Nantucket White) but I knew that it was too light for walking on.  So on a whim, I chose Sherwin Williams Baguette, a golden brown color with white semi-gloss for the risers.

It seemed as though the painting took forever, having to do every other step so that we could still use the stairway, not to mention all those baseball & softball games in between.  However, when it was finally done, I could breathe a sigh of relief!

It did require some touching up and caulking after this photo was taken, but still I knew it needed something else.  I know that painting numbers on the risers is popular, but I wanted something different.  My husband kept telling me to just leave them alone, but I don't always listen. No surprise on that one.

I found some pretty vinyl decals in a vine pattern from Abby's Vinyl Wall Art on Etsy.  With little effort in applying them, they added just that something else that I was looking for. 

So now in June, they are finally finished and ready to make their debut:

The whole process took alot longer than I expected, but I'm so pleased with the results!

From ugly to pretty......

They are so much easier to keep clean too.  No more lugging the vacuum up & down the stairs.  

So much better now...I really do love them!

Happy Monday everyone...it is so hot & humid here today, I feel like a wilted flower. 

Linking to:

Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes

Swing into Spring at DIY by Design

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Thursdays are Your Days at 52 Mantels

Share Your Cup Thursdays at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

I Gotta Try That Link Blog Hop