Category: Projects

Here are some fun projects I’ve done around the house.

A Purple Christmas Wreath for My Front Door

Purple Christmas wreath for my front door

You’ve all seen my purple front door, right? The one I painted for my purple summer front porch makeover? Well, what do you do with  a purple front door when Christmas rolls around and all the holiday finery is typically red and green? Paint it? Nah. Embrace it!

This is what I’ll be hanging on my purple front door over the Christmas holiday–it was a special order from TwoInspireYou’s shop at etsy.com. Isn’t it gorgeous and totally unique? Now all I need to do is find some silver sequined pillows to adorn my purple chairs and add some gem tone rugs on the porch and I’ll be sporting a totally unique holiday look. What do you think about this look? Fabulous or too unconventional?

Here’s another pic:

Purple Christmas wreath

Fireplace Makeovers–One Fireplace Three Ways

Navy blue fireplace makeover

Aqua fireplace makeover

Fireplace makeover in light blue

I’ve been hard at work overhauling my blog this week to make it more user friendly and give it a fresh new look. What do think of my new design? I’m really liking the touches of fresh lime.

While going through old posts I found these photos of my fireplace featuring several different shades of blue and thought I would share them today. I frequently repaint my rooms. Repainting a room is one of the most economical decorating tricks up a decorator’s sleeve. The change is always dramatic and all it takes is one afternoon of work and about $150.00 per room.

Which color is your favorite, the navy, the aqua, or the light blue?

Pink and White Outdoor Chevron Rugs–You Had Me At Hello

Purple porch makeover

You Had Me At Hello
It was love at first sight when I found these pink and white chevron rugs by designer Annie Selke on the Dash and Albert website last spring. I was in the middle of planning a spring porch makeover and was looking for colorful outdoor rugs to complement my purple wicker chairs, gemstone colored pillows, and colorful accessories. So the moment I saw these pink and white beauties I threw down my money and did a happy dance. The rugs were on back order but that was fine; it was early in the season so I had plenty of time to pull my porch together.

But my happy dance was short lived when the estimated delivery date for my order was delayed until June, and then delayed again until July, and then again in August. I considered cancelling my order and began a search for a suitable replacement but I couldn’t find anything else that rocked my world. So I waited, and waited, and waited for my rugs to arrive, and pulled my porch together without the rugs. It was a nice makeover, but the porch looked unfinished without the rugs.

You Complete Me
Last week my rugs finally arrived so I swept the porch, dusted the furniture, cleaned the cushions, ran out to a nursery and picked up a few flowers and planted them in colorful pots and finally–FINALLY–my porch makeover is complete. This makeover was a long time coming but oh so worth the wait. Dash and Albert, rugs you complete me. Here are a few more pictures.

Purple porch makeover

Purple porch makeover

Purple porch makeover

Aren’t these pink and white chevron rugs the bomb?

DIY Footstool Makeover

DIY_Footstool_Makeover

In the evening after all my household chores are done,  I like to pour myself a cup of coffee, throw on my jammies, prop my back against some fluffy pillows, and work on my blog from the comfort of my bed. Sounds fabulous, right? But the problem with this scenario is that I’ve been getting way too comfy and I keep falling asleep and waking up in the middle of the night with the TV still on, the laptop on my lap, and a half-written post. My solution? Create a comfy blogging spot in my room–but not too comfy, so I won’t fall asleep!

So, with that goal in mind, last weekend I did a quick DIY footstool makeover so I can prop my feet up, sip on a cup of coffee, and work on my blog without dozing off. My budget for this makeover: a mere $25.00. Here are some before and after photos (don’t you just love before and after photos?).

Footstool makeover before

This footstool was a freebie from a friend. It had seen better days–the fabric was dirty and worn and the legs were scuffed and chipped. But it was sturdy and had good bones and I knew that a quick makeover could take this charming little stool from trash to treasure. So with a can of spray paint leftover from another project in one hand (cost: $0)  and a half yard of designer fabric in the other (cost: $25), I transformed this stool in one afternoon.

First, I removed the worn fabric, then I lightly sanded and cleaned the legs so the paint would adhere properly. Next, I gave it two light coats of spray paint to prevent the paint from dripping and then allowed the paint to dry thoroughly. It’s important to wear a mask and choose a well ventilated area when using spray paint. I normally throw a tarp on the lawn and spray paint outside, or if it’s a particularly windy day, I paint inside the garage with the door open.

Once the paint was dry (about an hour is all it takes), I cut a piece of fabric (mustard fleur chinoise from Caitlin Wilson Textiles) to fit the top of the stool, folded the corners to fit around the legs, then stapled the fabric to the underside of the frame using a nail gun. What a difference a little spray paint and a half yard of fabric makes! Here’s a close up view.

footstool makeover after

To complete my new blogging space, I shopped my house and placed this cute little wicker table next to the chair so I have a handy place to put my coffee and added this pretty aqua lamp that I bought at Target last year. The end result of a couple of hours of work: this cute little blogging nook, no dozing while I work, AND this completed post.

DIY_Footstool_Makeover

Where’s your favorite blogging spot?

Decked Out for Summer Entertaining Part II

Colorful deck accessories

Now that my deck furniture has been freshened up with a new coat of stain, I couldn’t wait to bling out my deck with lots accessories in bright colors. Since the umbrella I bought last year is still in great shape, I chose a palette of green, orange, yellow, and red to complement the umbrella then added some fun stripes and polka dots.

Colorful deck accessories

The sea grass chargers and wooden napkin rings are from Pottery Barn.

Colorful desk accessories

The polka dotted pots from A. C. Moore came in handy for storing plastic knives, spoons, and forks.

Colorful deck accessories

I bought the green place mats, colorful candles, plastic plates, dip bowls, and napkins at Target. It’s a goldmine for affordable outdoor accessories.

Colorful deck accessories

The cute plastic pitcher was a gift from my mother. Thanks, mom!

Colorful deck accessories

What would I do without my two favorite stores, Target and Pottery Barn? What’s your go-to place for inexpensive outdoor accessories?

Decked Out for Summer Entertaining

Outdoor Dining Furniture Makeover

Remember this beautiful Faraday outdoor dining table and chairs that I bought last year from Pottery Barn? Well, they weren’t beautiful for long. After exposure to the sun and summer rains the finish faded, bubbled, and peeled off. So within a few short weeks after I purchased the set, it looked like it had been exposed to the elements for years.

I’m typically a big fan of Pottery Barn, but this purchase was a huge disappointment. Normally, I would have returned the item or asked for a replacement but I loved the style of this set so much I figured I’d just strip the finish off and refinish it in the spring. Well, that’s exactly what I did this past weekend, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

deck furniture makeover

Just look at this beautiful finish. It not only looks as good as new, I think it looks better than new. First, I stripped off the old finish with Strip-X Paint Remover, then I gave it a really good sanding (that was the most time-consuming part), and followed that up with three coats of Minwax Wood Finish in red mahogany. I love the new stain, the color is deep and rich. The type of Minwax I chose also contained polyurethane which resulted in the beautiful glossy finish shown above. And I’m pleased to report that it rained like crazy today and the finish is A-OK.

I found the cute lime and white polka dot pots at AC Moore. I bought the pots of fake grass at Pottery Barn several years ago. I’ll be posting pictures of my decked-out deck next plus photos of this weekend’s family summer watercolor fest, so stay tuned.

Quick Spring Bedroom Makeover

Quick and easy spring bedroom makeover

I continued my spring home refresher project this weekend with a quick, easy, and inexpensive makeover of my of daughter’s bedroom. Her bedroom walls used to be chocolate brown–a color she chose. I’ve never been a fan of neutral colors; I think they lack energy. Plus the brown paint made her room feel small and dark. So for this makeover I chose a light green paint (Hampton Green by Benjamin Moore). It transformed the room from dark and dreary into a fresh and soothing sanctuary. And I accomplished all this in one day with very little money. Here’s another picture.

Quick and easy spring bedroom makeover

I bought the matelasse coverlet, dust ruffle, pillow shams, lamps, and shades at Target. I love shopping at Target. It’s a treasure trove of great design at fabulous prices. Add a gallon or two of paint and you’ve got yourself a quick and inexpensive one-day spring makeover. Here’s a close-up view of the pillow shams. I love the pops of orange and bits of yellow.

Quick and easy spring bedroom makoever

And here are before and after photos. (I always love it when magazines show before and after shots.)

Quick and easy spring bedroom makeover - before and after photos

And here’s a picture of my dog, Mary, helping me work. My dogs have to be at the center of every activity.

My dog, Mary, helping during the photo shoot

More Fun with Spray Paint–A Little Rust-oleum Changes Everything

Rust-oleum spray paint in Seaside

I came across a new shade of aqua spray paint–called Seaside–by Rust-oleumat Home Depot when I was shopping for paint for my colorful spring porch makeover and couldn’t resist it. So I bought six cans for a future project. Since I was in a spray painting mood last weekend, and I was dying to paint something aqua, I painted this iron nautilus bench and side table for my back yard.

Aqua bench and table painted in Seaside by Rust-oleum

This color practically glows in the early evening light. Throw on a coordinating pillow or two and you have a colorful and comfy spot to sit down and enjoy your garden.

Aqua bench and side table in Seaside by Rust-oleum

The aqua and white pillow is from Pottery Barn’s outdoor pillow collection. I’ve used this pillow inside and outside. I just throw it in the washer when it gets dirty and it’s good to go for another season. I used three cans of paint for this project. I can use the remaining three cans to repaint this furniture when it gets battered by the elements, or I can find something else to paint. Hmm, what else needs a coat of aqua? Let me think…

Making an Entrance Part III–Colorful Porch Makeover

colorful porch makeover

Hi everyone. I hope you enjoyed the long Memorial Day weekend. My brother and I spent all three days power washing and painting my front porch. It was a ton of work. Everything got a fresh coat of paint. Painting the rafters, porch pillars, railings, and all those spindles took forever but it was well worth the effort. Just look at this sparkly clean porch.

Freshly painted colorful porch makeover

Does this say welcome to my house, or what?

Purple front door

I really love my freshly painted purple front door (deep amethyst by Glidden) and chairs (grape by Rust-oleum).

Purple front door and colorful tulip bouquet

And this colorful custom-made tulip bouquet by TwoInspireYou at Etsy.com  is perfection.

Colorful porch furniture and accessories

The porch is coming together very nicely but I’m STILL waiting for the pink and white chevron rugs from Dash and Albert to arrive. Come on slow pokes, at this rate summer will be over before you know it. When companies advertise new outdoor rugs they should be ready for delivery by spring, not the fall and winter season.

Colorful porch furniture and accessories

In addition to the rugs, I still need to add some live plants and flowers, but that’s a job for next weekend. This solitary plant was all I had available for my photo shoot.

Colorful porch furniture and accessories

These gorgeous ruffled and micro-fiber pillows are indoor pillows, but I couldn’t resist the scrumptious colors and textures, and my covered porch should shield them from the elements for the most part. Sometimes you have to be creative and flexible to get the look you want. The colorful flower pots were a gift from my mom several years ago. She bought them at the local dollar store. What a find!

Enjoying a snack and a good read on my freshly painted porch

And the best part of all my hard work? Enjoying a home-made iced mocha (get the recipe here), a snack, and a good read on my comfy and colorful new porch–and meeting all the neighbors who stopped by to introduce themselves and take a peek while I worked. I hope I’ve inspired them to make the most of their outdoor spaces and banish beige wherever it’s lurking. Be gone, you drab non-color!

Pretty Flowers for My Front Door

Pretty flowers for my front porch

I just ordered this custom-made flower arrangement by TwoInspireYou at Etsy.com to hang on my front door. But instead of pink tulips, I chose the colors in the second photo. I can picture this colorful arrangement hanging on my freshly painted purple door. I can’t wait for it to arrive. I still have to power wash and paint the front porch and I’m STILL waiting for the rugs to arrive. I need to find some fun/colorful accessories, plant more flowers, set out the pillows, and sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor with a magazine and cold glass of iced tea.

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