Lady G’s New Room!

Tags

bed room, blue bedroom, chalk paint, design, furniture, girl bedroom, makeover, paint, princess, project, room, Things I've made

I’m so excited to be able to share this room with you all. I refinished this vanity and this bed frame for Lady G a while ago. Last week, her lovely and talented momma invited me over to see the final product. I think this room is fit for a princess!!!

The Princess Bed

The Vanity

And the finishing touches…isn’t Lady G’s Momma crafty too!

The Memory Board

Wall Art

Lady G was so excited to have her room all done up for her. And so was the cat.

So glad I could be a part of this project. What a lucky girl Lady G is. I’m hoping she’ll invite me over for tea!

~Angie

Quick Craft – Chalk Paint Mason Jars

Tags

chalk paint, collection, DIY, makeover, paint, project, quick craft, Things I've made, tutorial, What I'm working on

Chalk paint is all the rage in the crafting world at the moment. It is so easy to use and so versatile! You can paint anything with it with little prep and easy clean up (check out this pin). That makes it a win in my books.

I’ve seen this done around the web lately and decided to give it a try myself. I had picked up these mason jars at a local thrift store and had painted the inside with spray paint (super easy to do!) to match my decor. They sat displayed on the shelf for quite some time, and looked lovely just as they were. But I noticed that I was really enjoying all the decorating posts that used a lot of white with a few accent colors. So, I decided to paint them again, but this time on the outside and with chalk paint.

Mason Jars painted inside with spray paint

I wiped them down and gave them their first coat. Although I didn’t sand in between each coat, you could if you wanted to. When the first coat dried (20 min or so…super quick) I gave it another coat and let it dry again.

applying the first coat

drying

Once they were dry, I took out some sandpaper and lightly distresses in a few areas. What was nice about having already painted the insides of the jars, was that the color showed through in some distressed areas.

distressed and beautiful!

Chalk paint is a super easy way to update your decor! What would you paint?

~Angie

Linking up to:

http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2013/06/inspire-me-linky-party-14/

http://www.thecottagemarket.com/2013/06/junkin-joe-features-and-linky-party.html

http://www.keepingitsimplecrafts.com/2013/06/motivate-me-monday-177.html

http://www.settingforfour.com/2013/06/project-inspired-linky-party-no_10.html

A Bed fit for a Princess

Tags

bed, bed room, chalk paint, DIY, furniture, head board, makeover, paint, project, vintage, What I'm working on

Over the weekend, the princess vanity went to its new home. Such a beautiful piece and Lady G is such a lucky girl! And as Lady G’s mother and I were standing back admiring it we were talking about how the room was going to be decorated. She told me that this was the first piece for Lady G that was not a hand-me-down from her brother. Well, didn’t I have just the piece to create a beautiful set fit for a princess!

Enter this twin bed set. I had originally picked it up (each part in a different place!) with intentions of building a bench out of it. But, clearly, this bed was destined for bigger and better things! And as soon as Lady G’s mother got a look at it, her redecorating plans got a kick-start! We started throwing ideas around for accessories and such! Let me tell you, this is going to be a beautiful room!

Before…she needs some work

The only problem with the bed was that there were no bed rails…all I had was the head and foot boards. Luckily, the next day as I was running errands, I stopped in to one of the local thrift stores that I frequent and there they were (for $4.00)!!!! Sweet! And a perfect fit (as sometimes older bed rails can be fussy). I also picked up another head and foot board set that I hope to turn into a bench.

Now, back to the bed frame. The original paint finish was chipping and there were some stickers and tape that needed to be removed. A scraper got all of the stickers and tape off and a good sanding smoothed out the surface. I gave it a good wipe down and filled in the nicks and dents.

Time for paint! Since this piece was to match the princess vanity, I used the same blue and off white. I painted the posts white and the boards blue.

And the blue goes on

A little medallion attached to the headboard and a little distressing gave this piece the character I was looking for.

Adding some Bling

And now, the finished product!!!

The Princess Bed

Lady G’s mom is so pleased with it! She can’t wait to surprise her little girl with a super girly bedroom that will grow with her. I so loved being a part of this room. Now, off to find something else to paint!

~Angie

Linking up to:

http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/05/happy-monday-project-inspired-linky-party-14.html

Princess Perfect Painted Vanity

Tags

antique, chalk paint, DIY, furniture, makeover, paint, project, vintage, What I'm working on

I’ve been collecting antiques and furniture for a while with the intent to paint them. I just love to be able to be creative and artistic and refinishing furniture has given me so many opportunities to do just that. I’ve refinished many pieces in our home, including our dining table and chairs, our bedroom furniture, my youngest son’s dresser, and some of our living room furniture. Needless to say, I have the painting bug!!

Enter this vanity I picked up at a local thrift store…who donates the proceeds to Mental Health! A win-win in my books! This beauty needed a bit of work. The veneer was peeling, there were pieces that needed some glue, and a little tlc all over. But she had beautiful lines!

Before

First things first, she needed a good wipe down! And doesn’t everyone feel better after a bath? I removed the hardware and started to work on the peeling veneer. After a quick google search, I decided that the ironing method would be my best bet. And it worked like a charm. The old peeling veneer came off and she was looking better and better. A beautiful wooden medallion (for some bling), a bit of wood glue to fix some loose pieces, and some wood filler to smooth out the surface and we were ready for some color!

After a good cleaning

A little bling to dress her up

Painting the top…she’s gonna be purdy!

I chose a beautiful blue with off-white accents to make this piece pop! The drawer pulls got a good cleaning and a coat of paint too. A bit of furniture wax to seal and protect the finish, and she’s ready for a photo shoot! She certainly is stunning and fit for a princess!

Voila! Fit for a princess!

She is off to her new home this weekend. I just know she will be loved and adored. Now, on to the next project!

~Angie

Linking up to:

http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/05/happy-monday-project-inspired-linky-party-14.html

It’s Painting Weather

Tags

chalk paint, DIY, furniture, makeover, paint, project

What a beautiful day we had today!! It’s been raining and gloomy for the past little while and we’ve finally had some great weather. What a wonderful opportunity to sit outside and enjoy the sun…and be a little creative at the same time. I had picked up this stool a while back from a photographer who was selling off some of her props. A sad little stool who was crying out for a makeover!

Before

I removed the top and gave the stool a wipe down and left it to dry in the sun. I had some blue home-made chalk paint left over from my bookcase makeover, so I decided to use it on the stool. She was looking so much better after only one coat, but I added a second coat to even out the color.

A little sanding to add some interest and some new foam and upholstery for the top and she was all finished!!!

After

Now I have painting fever and have the perfect piece to pair her with! Can’t wait to get working on it.

~Angie

Dresser Makeover

Tags

antique, design, DIY, furniture, makeover, paint, project, Things I've made

Last summer was the start of my obsession with furniture make overs. I got this great dresser at a thrift store for $20. It had nice lines and was well made, but full of stickers and needed some tlc.

The dresser – before

I started by scraping the stickers off of the drawers and stripping the paint. Lucky for me there was only one layer of paint on this piece. I filled in all scratches and dents with wood filler, and gave it a light sanding. Then it was ready for priming.

The dresser – stickers removed and drawers stripped

This dresser was going in my youngest son’s room. He’s a real boy and into anything with wheels! So I searched for some inspiration for the perfect finish for the dresser and found it here.

A simple switch of hardware and one black racing stripe later and we have the perfect addition to any little boys room. And he won’t grow out of it for a while!

The final product!

What do you think?

~Angie

Linked up on http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2013/03/inspire-me-please-linky-party-4/

Painted Furniture Reveal

Tags

antique, chalk paint, design, DIY, furniture, handmade, makeover, paint, project, Things I've made, What I'm working on

This week, I decided to update some of my furniture with a bit of paint. (See the post here) I wanted to start with my mid-century credenza turned tv stand but had run out of painter’s tape (I needed to tape off the top because I was only going to paint the bottom). So I ran next door to borrow some (I have awesome neighbors!). Lucky for me, my lovely neighbor had some and she decided offered to help me paint my bookcase as well! This was my first project using chalk paint, which you can read about here.

Here are the pieces before:

Mid Century Bookcase – Before

Mid Century Credenza – Before

These lovely pieces were “rescued” from the side of the road this past fall. Can you believe it? Lucky for me, one person’s trash is this woman’s treasure.

I have scraped, sanded, primed, painted and varathaned furniture pieces before, and I have also used spray paint. I have never worked with chalk paint and now I am in love! You don’t usually have to do much prep work (ie, sanding, priming, etc) besides just washing down your piece, and you can achieve so many different aged and distressed finishes with it. It is FANTASTIC!! Waxing your piece afterwards gives it a protective coating and depending on the wax you use, can add more aging and distressing.

Here are the pieces part way through:

-with a few coats of paint

-with a few coats of paint

Looking better already! Now for a pop of color!

A pop of color

And now the reveal:

All finished and waiting to be “dressed”

What a transformation!

Credenza Turned Awesome!

I just love the color!

The pieces are so bright and give the room a light and airy feel. And by placing a basket underneath the credenza, all the cords from the electronic are neatly hidden away!

Looking back at their former selves, I am in awe of the transformation of these pieces. And the colors are simply stunning! Sadly, I do not have any info on the colors (except the Duck Egg Blue from Annie Sloan used on the top shelf of the bookcase). The bottom two shelves on the bookcase were made from mistints I had on hand (yes, I also hoard paint!) and the color on the cubby of the credenza was made by combining what was left of the two colors on the bookcase.

Next up on my painting list…the roll top desk and the buffet and hutch!

~Angie

Painting with Homemade Chalk Paint

Tags

antique, chalk paint, design, DIY, furniture, makeover, paint, pinterest, project, What I'm working on

Pinterest…it can be a valuable tool and a complete time waster all at the same time. I can’t tell you how often I’ve lost track of time while scouring the internet and pinterest for ideas and inspiration!

This pin had me searching for pieces to paint! And today was the perfect day to try my hand at making homemade chalk paint!

Here are the pieces I experimented on.

Mid Century Bookcase – Before

The recipe was pretty straight forward. I used 1 part Plaster of Paris and 3 parts paint. I scored the paint during a previous trip to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Ottawa. I love checking out all the paints and hardware there. You never know what you’ll find.

Here are the pieces with a few coats of paint on them. What I like about chalk paint is that it is easy to work with and is pretty forgiving.

I have yet to wax and distress the pieces as I’m still deciding if I am going to paint the inside of the shelves or not. I’m thinking the Duck Egg Blue from Annie Sloan that I picked up on the weekend would be just beautiful! And I’ll probably leave the wood unpainted on the top of the credenza.

Stay tuned for the finished product!

~Angie

Inspiration and Motivation

Tags

annie sloan, antique, chalk paint, design, duck egg blue, furniture, inspiration, makeover, paint, project, upcycle

With the end of March Break and the beginning signs of Spring, I’ve been itching to paint something.  Last fall, as I was making over a few rooms in our home, I fell in love with painting furniture. I painted our night stands, our dressers, the coffee and end tables, and the dining table and chairs! It gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride to take something that I already have (or have scored for a bargain at the thrift store) and turn it into something amazing and unique!

This weekend, we went to visit my mom in Ottawa. We had just taken the two-hour drive to her house the weekend before to drop off our oldest son for the week (Thanks Mom!) and I had noticed a few thrift stores I wanted to visit. Well let me tell you…I was in inspiration heaven! And if we had a pick up truck, I think I could have filled it with all sorts of thrifty goodness! Sadly, hubby says I have to finish the projects I already have at home before I can collect new ones.

But that left me motivated and inspired! I had been following this shop on Facebook, and made a stop into her store. Swoon! I left with a pot of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg Blue and my head spinning with ideas and inspiration!

Here are some pieces I have that I’m dying to paint!

Roll Top Desk – a Kijiji find

Mid Century Bookcase

Mid Century Credenza turn TV Stand

Buffet and Hutch

Now, the only question is, do I wait for warmer weather or just go for it?

~Angie

A little peak at my home

Tags

bed room, blue, color, design, dining room, green, grey, living room, make over, paint, red, reveal, room, yellow

There was such a great response to my post on my chair makeover that I thought I’d give you a little tour of some of my favorite spaces in our home.

We live in military housing at the moment and the spaces are pretty standard and boring.  Plain white walls and no character all around!  Over the summer, I decided it was time to give some personality to a few of our rooms.  Unfortunately, I did not take any before pictures, but I’m sure if you think back to your first apartment, you’ll get an idea of what the spaces used to look like.

The Bedroom

The Bedroom

The Bedroom

Our Living Room

Our Living Room

The Dining Room

It’s amazing what a few cans of paint can do to transform a space! Each room cost a little under $250 each in paint and accessories, and it was worth every penny!! A huge Thank You to Jody for her briliant photographs.

~Angie