Friday, July 17, 2009

loving...

Two-toned railings. I have been dreaming of staining my railings a dark espresso color! Mr O' is not very good at visualizing my ideas so I had to find some pics to show him exactly what I was thinking. This is the first one I found, off a MLS listing for a home in our area. (the home is dreamy btw) After seeing the picture he was on board.


This week, one of my favorite bloggers, Centsational Girl, posted pictures of her staircase that she recently stained. I cannot get over her before and after pics. It really makes such a difference. It's amazing how such a simple change can really make your home stand out.





Thursday, July 16, 2009

diy showoff!


I'm so excited! The fabulous blog diyshowoff has featured some of my recent projects! Click here to see the article and many more gorgeous projects!

Monday, July 13, 2009

diy cork board

I've been searching for a large cork board for my craft room for a few weeks now and have not been able to find exactly what I'm looking for. So I decided to make one of my own! I went to a local Goodwill over the weekend in search of a large wood picture frame to paint. I found this terrible pastel picture that had a solid wood frame and the detail I was looking for. And it was only $10!

The first step was to take the paper backing off and disassemble the pieces. After getting it down to just the frame it was time to spray it with some white primer and two light coats of Heirloom White spray paint.


While the frame was drying it was time to attach the cork to the cardboard backing that came with the frame. I purchased a roll of cork from a local office supply store for about $12.






I used some foam sticky squares I had from a previous project to attach the cork to the cardboard.



Once the frame was dry all that was left was to place the cork board back into the frame! I did have to move the hanging hardware from the top to the side so it would hang the way I wanted it to.


Here's the finished look! I spent a total of about $25 on this project which is close to what it would cost to pick up a large cork board from an office supply store. However the detail and the look is so much nicer! And you could save money by using a frame you already have!



Sunday, July 12, 2009

and the after...


So I can't find the before picture of the side table I recently purchased off Craigslist, but here is the after! I think it turned out beautifully! I used an oil based primer and two coats of my favorite Rustoleum Heirloom White. Lastly I added a glass knob to give it a girlie touch. It's a perfect addition to my office!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

loving...


I have to share the most adorable store I went to today! It's called Vintage Home and is in Paoli, PA. If you are in the area you must check it out! The have the most gorgeous refinished furniture and accessories with a clean shabby chic look. It is truly inspiring.


This chandelier was adorable for a bedroom, or perfect for my master bath. And at only $72 it is such a good deal!They had this beautiful white secretary desk that looks exactly like the one I just refinished!


I absolutely love this black chair and the side tables. I love the look of mixing light and dark furniture in a room. And that damask seat on the chair!


Tuesday, July 7, 2009

the big reveal


Here it is! I'm so excited to finally reveal my $15 yard sale dresser. It has really come a long way, and I'm so happy with the final result! Total cost was about $30 considering I already had the painting supplies and just needed to buy new knobs. Again, to the right is the before and below is the after!

Monday, July 6, 2009

up next...

Quite a few things going on at our house! I finished painting the side table and dresser and am just waiting on some fab knobs to arrive courtesy of eBay! Promise to post pics as soon as they're on. I'm currently working on some curtains for the guest room that I hope to post soon!



Next up will be repainting our living room. It's currently a tan and chocolate brown combo but it really is not my style. I know I've said this about almost every room in my house but I was way to quick to pick colors when we moved in. I'm thinking about doing Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage for the walls, and be done with the accent wall. We spend most of our time in this room and it needs to be more calm and relaxing.

Some other exciting news... I'm taking some interior design classes at Philadelphia University. Tonight is my first class so wish me luck, it should be interesting! I'm sure it'll provide some good articles for the blog!

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!