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By Andrea, on December 17, 2011
Today I went shopping in my basement, where I knew I had a stash of river rock. I decided to fancy up my boot tray. It’s a small thing, but it’s so nice to spice up run-of-the mill household items.
Here’s the recipe…
Take 1 standard ugly black boot tray (black standard poodle optional).
Add black river rocks.
(You can find them pretty cheap at your local craft store or discount store that has a craft section.)
Add boots and other dirty shoes.
Another little thing that makes a big impact in your home!
By Andrea, on December 12, 2011
It’s not just the big stuff that makes for great decor…it’s also the little stuff. The little stuff personalizes your home in a way that shows you pay attention to every little detail. Plus the little things are quick and easy – and usually cheap!
My latest little update is to this table at the base of my stairs…
Nothing wrong with it. In fact, it’s one of my favorite vignettes in the house. But thought it could benefit from a little improvement. So I switched out the boring black wooden knob…
…and added a vintage-look clear acrylic knob…
For a more vintage funky look that I love!
Best of all, this project only took about 5 minutes to complete and cost me a mere $4.19, paid for with a Home Depot gift card that I already had burning a hole in my wallet! My favorite kind of project!
By Andrea, on October 23, 2011
Feeling frustrated? Life got you down? Things just going wrong? Take it out on your home.
No, I don’t mean that you should punch a hole in the wall or run around tossing breakables to the floor.
Instead, after you’ve tried your usual coping methods – mine is napping my troubles away – if you still feel like crap, don’t throw yourself out the window, throw yourself into a project in your home!
It doesn’t have to be a major project. Any old project will do. And if money is what’s causing your angst, no need to spend more…just start cleaning. Decluttering is free and most people have cleaning supplies hanging around.
Throw yourself into a project and something interesting may happen. You may just get into “the zone” and forget about your problems…at least temporarily, and every little bit helps.
By Andrea, on October 20, 2011
Coming soon to a trash-picked ottoman near you…
By Andrea, on October 20, 2011
With decorating, it’s important to think outside the box.
For example, the white armoire in the upstairs hallway looked boring, and well, white. And I saw it every single time I walked to my room.
So I decided to think outside the box and hang a picture on the side of the armoire.
Now every day when I walk by I see my favorite print ever, Kitten with Scissors, by Mati McDonough…
And every time I walk past that formerly boring and white armoire, I’m filled with joy from this amazing print. It pays to think outside the box!
By Andrea, on October 16, 2011
Let me tell you how I got to this wonderful chandelier transformation…
It started out like this…
I bought 2 cans of Rustoleum’s Universal Metallic Paint & Primer in One in Champagne Mist from Home Depot and took to the garage and used the box the the chandelier came in as my painting stand. Additionally, I covered a plastic bin in a lawn bag and placed the chandelier box on that, so I wouldn’t have to be bending over and straining my back. Since there were a lot of little parts and pieces that needed to be painted too, I poked a bunch of toothpicks into the flaps of the box and placed the pieces and parts on them.
Feeling a bit like Vlad the Impaler with all of the toothpicks
So I just kept the chandelier in the box and started spraying it. I decided that since this really needed to look terrific, I should probably be a little more patient than usual, so I sprayed in thin, even coats, and actually waited until the coats dried before applying the next coat. I was definitely impressed with my own ability to delay gratification. I’m not usually too good at that.
Once the this part was sprayed well and dry, I turn the chandelier upside down in the box and sprayed the other side. Lather, rinse, repeat.
In the meantime, I was also spraying the other parts, since the chandelier arrived unassembled.
Midway through this project, one of the cans of spray paint stopped working, even though it was only half empty. I took it back to Home Depot and they exchanged it with no questions asked. Now that’s customer service!
Ultimately the hardest part of this project was hanging the chandelier. What I didn’t know is that it’s a two-person job. Or at least it was for me. Fortunately, my sister had planned to come over and I drafted her into service. And, as always, it took a lot longer than I thought it would. Most of my projects work this way. From start to finish, which included turning off the power (NEVER skip this step) and taking down the old chandelier, plus assembling the new chandelier, it took 3 hours.
What was difficult was holding the very heavy chandelier up while connecting the wires and screwing it into the electrical box. My sister and I combined have the arm strength of a gerbil, so both of us holding our arms over our heads was bad enough…lifting a heavy chandelier with me balancing on a 6-foot ladder and my sister standing on a folding chair was damn near impossible. We’re just not that athletically inclined. (I don’t recommend using a folding chair, and encouraged my sister not to use it as well, but apparently she likes to live on the edge.) And who knew that standing on a ladder would induce leg cramps. What a mess!
But finally, we finished the task, turned the power back on, and voila! It worked!
One important thing I learned from this whole debacle is that I will probably need to hire someone to hang the chandelier that I have for my bedroom, which has a vaulted ceiling, and the light fixture I have planned for the two-story ceiling in my family room!
So what about the cost? I bought the chandelier for $35.96, and the spray paint was $7.98 each. So including tax, the total cost of the chandelier was $55.43. Not too bad if you ask me for all of this chandliering goodness!
By Andrea, on October 16, 2011
Finally, I’m bidding good riddance to the old brass octopus in my dining/living room and saying hello to my brand new chandelier!
Let’s start with a little chandelier retrospective. I started with this…
Bought this…
Spray painted to turn into this…
Rather than keeping the brushed nickel finish, I chose to spray paint with Rustoleum’s Universal Metallic Paint & Primer in One in Champagne Mist…
The reason I went with the Champagne over the brushed nickel was so that the chandelier would be more in line with the other warmer tones in the room, such as the beautiful carved mirror…
And the side table with birdcage lamp…
I love this lamp, and there is actually a little bird on a swing that works…
In fact, it was this lamp that inspired me to get the chandelier in the first place. Initially, I thought that I would get a drum shade pendant fixture for this room, but realized that would cut the room in half. The room really needed a fixture that you could see through, so the view into the room doesn’t stop at the light fixture. When I saw this one, it fit the bill.
The chandelier also reminded me of a the shape of a birdcage, but without being too literal. I didn’t want the room to become a birdcage-themed room. More of an homage to the birdcage. I think it’s perfect!
I love my new chandelier!
Showing off on Funky Junk Interiors and Remodelaholic link parties.
By Andrea, on October 10, 2011
This weekend I was perusing the The Restoration Hardware 2011 Source Book yet again (think back to the days of reading the Sears catalog toy section over and over and over…this is the adult version, courtesy of Restoration Hardware), when I happened upon their Belgian Linen Drapery Collection (page 514 in the Source Book).
I couldn’t help thinking how much my drop cloth curtains look like the Belgian Linens…
Even the textures look similar. Here’s the drop cloth up close and personal…
And the Belgian Linen texture…
Looks pretty similar to me, and at $10 per panel, the price sure is right! What do you think?
Let the drop cloth revolution continue!
By Andrea, on October 8, 2011
…the old brass octopus…
Notice the burned out bulbs that I never replaced because this thing is so hideous.
…and say hello to my brand new chandelier!
Sort of…
Sigh. Assembly required.
I suppose it’s for the best, since I plan to spray paint it. But still. What a let down! I wanted to open the box and voila! Oh well. Spray painting pics coming soon!
By Andrea, on October 6, 2011
Here are a couple of paint colors that I’m considering for my bedroom…
Why yes, I am feeling a little bold, now that you mention it!
But not just bold…neutral. Gray is the new neutral. At least in my world.
Originally I was leaning toward a standard taupey beige. But then I saw this and this and caught the gray bug. My master bedroom is light and airy, with 2 large windows and a vaulted ceiling, so it could handle a dark color without becoming a depressing cave. Plus I have these lovely tile floors in my master bathroom with lots of gray and blue, so it will all tie together beautifully…
Gotta love my leopard slippers! No animals were harmed in the making of my slippers.
Right now I’m leaning toward #1 and #3…
#4 is way too dark, and #2 and #5 are too muddy with too much yellow.
1 = Glidden Seal Gray
2 = Martha Stewart Living Zinc
3 = Behr Pewter Ring
4 = Martha Stewart Living Magnetite
5 = Behr Suede Gray
I may still try on some other paint chips for size, plus who knows when I’ll get to this painting project, since I do have 14-foot ceilings and a case of acrophobia (fear of heights) and an empty wallet (no money to hire a less fearful painter-type).
What do you think? Would you go this bold and dark in your bedroom?
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