Client Project: Handmade Orchid Wreath

Just wanted to share a quick client project today!  A client asked that Happy Now design a wreath for her front door using the very silk orchids that adorned the festivities of her wedding day.  We couldn't think of a more thoughtful and unique way to continue the memory of someone's special day through a threshold wreath!

Along with the client's silk Phalaenopsis orchids, we used silk hydrangeas and peonies as accents and some feathery greenery to add soft character.  The wreath itself is twisted grapevine.

This is truly a home decor item she will treasure for many years to come!

Show us in the comments below what types of wreaths adorn your front doors!

Quick Decorative Vase DIY

Today's post involves a quick, DIY project anyone with a little tape and spray paint can accomplish, and in less than an hour too!

As one of the last pieces to my Living Room Redo, this little project adds the perfect amount of shine and shimmer that my Happy little space needed!  If you've been on Pinterest lately, and let's face it, who hasn't spent at least an hour glued to your phone/computer/laptop/etc, Happily pinning away... you may have noticed how much the gold trend is showing up in home decor and accessories.  I LOVE the gold dipped look for accent pieces and I think this look is very fresh and polished and can be used for any decorative item in your home.  Table legs, vases, lamps, frames, the list goes on and on. In this case, I choose a small, circular vase I've had for years that holds beautiful silk roses and dried hydrangea leaves. I used Rustoleum spray paint in Metallic gold for an even and quick application. Here's a pic of the vase before:

Here are the steps:

1.  Choose your vase.  Scuff the surface with a fine grit sandpaper; in this case I used a 120 grit.

2.  Tape off the section that you do not want painted.  I used Frog tape and tried to make as even a line as possible.  Once I had all of my tape in place, I used my finger to firmly seal the tape edge so that no paint could leak through during application.

3.  Prime the vase.  I made sure to prime the vase using a Rustoleum primer in Flat White.  I've found that using a primer allows for a more even finish and allows the metallic spray to adhere perfectly to the surface. Once the primer dried, I applied to coats of the metallic paint.  Again, used Rustoleum Metallic Spray Paint here and I have to say, this is my favorite metallic paint ever.  In the history of metallic paint.

4.  Seal your vase.  After 2 hours of drying time I applied one coat of a spray gloss sealant to provide a durable, protective finish.  Once the paint and gloss had completely dried, I removed the tape slowly and carefully so as to not disrupt the paint edge.

The result was a unique, updated accessory for my living room and it did not cost a penny!  Can't beat a Happy little vase for a Happy little living room now, can we?

Let me know what you think of the new gold accent trend in the comments below!  

And, as always, have a Happy day!!!

Repainted Front Door

A quick and simple way to update the exterior of your home is a repainted front door.  And that is just what I did this week, AND it took less than 24 hours!  Our front door had seen better days; it was worn and weathered and it really made the front of our house look drab.

I decided to go with a rich, dark color that would easily hide the door's imperfections.  The color is Sherwin Williams' Cyberspace and I'd say the hue borderlines somewhere between deep blue and dark gray.  Very elegant and very pretty!

When painting a door, there are certainly methods to master.  Make sure you are using a high quality paint and good brushes.  As in this case, the door is exterior and the paint will need to stand up against the elements.  I selected Sherwin Williams' "Resilience" line which was recommended to me by a paint expert.  I always use Purdy brushes as well as a foam roller for a nice, even appearance with less brush strokes.

Make sure you tape off areas that will not be painted, including door edges and door hardware.  You can remove the hardware all together, but make sure you know how to re-assemble and make sure your drying time does not go into the evening, as you'll want to be able to close and lock your door over night!

Found this lovely spider's nest underneath the old door knocker.  Yuck!

Be sure to prime your surface area with a good sanding and if needed, primer.  Because the paint I selected includes primer, I did not do any additional primer before painting.  Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe away any dirt or dust and once the door is completely dry, you can begin to paint.

Using an angled brush and starting at the top of your door, paint all of your panels first.  Use the brush to get into the corners of the panels and make sure all the edges, whether recessed or raised, are covered evenly with paint.

Once all of your panels are completed, use your foam roller and cover each vertical wood strip, starting with the strip on the left side of the door and moving to the right. Then move on to the horizontal strips, starting at the top strip and moving down to the bottom.  Let the first coat of paint dry and then do another coat, allowing at least 4 hours of drying time in between.  Once you've done 2 coats, depending on the door type and material, you may need to add a third or even fourth coat.  The key is to see absolutely no underlying door color or wood and absolutely no brush strokes.

First coat

Second coat.

Third coat.

Remove your tape and look closely at the entire door, making sure there are no missed spots or splashes of paint on the hardware or surrounding area.  For this project, I did not paint the door edges or the interior part of the door, and this is only because we may be replacing the door all together next year and I did not feel the need to do the entire piece.  If your project involves a more permanent door, I'd recommend painting the entire door for a more even and finished appearance.

Overall, I am so very Happy with the outcome of this project.  The fresh coat of paint breathes new life into the front of our house and as our spring flowers begin to bloom, the dark paint color offers a bright contrast that I must say, is quite pretty!

Happy Spring Everyone!

Easy Updates!

With Baby Boy on the way, I have been busy over the past few months getting things ready for his nursery.  Some pretty awesome projects have come out of that nursery and I am super excited to share them with my readers.  One of the only things left to do in the nursery is actually painting the room itself.  And because we have some super talented family members coming over to assist with that, we must wait until every one's schedules can match up.  So before I can feature the nursery and it's many projects here on Happy Now, I am going to share some quick and easy projects with you and perhaps one medium(ish) sized project soon!  Today's post is all about small updates you can do yourself to create big change.

The first project starts at the front door.  You might remember my Wreath Project from back in Spring.  This project was super simple and created an inviting addition to the front of the house.  You'll remember I used faux flowers and a glue gun.  Great idea in theory but once Summer's hot sun started beating down on my front door, that glue had a tendency to melt.  So the task was figuring out a way to attach flowers and accents without glue during the hot summer months.  I found some flowers on sale at Joann's that had wire stems which were very easy to thread through the wreath vines securely and without glue.  I also tried my hand at twine.  Again, very easy to work with and attached to the wreath by simply tying to the back of the wreath.  I also added in some faux eucalyptus which smells wonderful and threads through the wreath branches perfectly.

So there's the first easy update.  Took a quick trip to Joann's and about 10 minutes of project time to transform my front door into a pretty new look.

The second update is for the kitchen. Our kitchen counters are for the most part, sparsely decorated with only things that are regularly used.  Everything else is put away in cupboards.  I like the look of open space and minimalistic decor in the kitchen. Plus, its super easy to keep clean this way. One of those items is an awesome set of knives given to me by my Mumma for Christmas a number of years ago.  While I do love the set, it has sat out on the counter for about 4 years and endured a ton of abuse.  It was looking tired and kind of stuck out like a sore thumb.  Instead of looking online for a new set, I decided to (you guessed it) paint it to my liking.

Here's what I did:

1. Cleaned and Sanded
2. Painted
3. Distressed
4. Stenciled
5. Sealed

Nothing complicated here.  Took about an hour all together.  And I love the results!

BEFORE

Aaaand AFTER:

I know, I know, how many angles can I possibly show you of a knife set...  But it's just so pretty, isn't it???  Easy, pretty and didn't cost a thing!  LOVE!

The last project involves a little elbow grease and a little more time to complete, but trust me, it's totally worth it!  If you have a bathroom or kitchen or any room with tile flooring then you most likely have dealt with trying to clean the grout.  It can be tough.  Grout is porous and absorbs a ton of dirt.  You may not really notice dirty grout on your floors until you are in the midst of a room renovation or repaint.  Once things around the floor start to sparkle, the floor begins to show it's true colors.  Yuck!  The solution?  Grout paint!  Yes, there really is a product out there that you can simply smear onto your grout and it magically transforms from dingy and gross, to sparkly and pretty!

As far as my own experience with this stuff, AWESOME!  In the midst of a bathroom redo I began to notice how gross our tile floors are.  See below.  Nasty.

I cannot take full credit for this idea; I actually read about it on another fantastic blog and to give proper credit where it's due, you can check out that post here.. 

I found the product at Home Depot and it comes in many different shades.  If you're unsure of what shade to choose, you could snap a pic of your room in question and bring it with you to your favorite hardware or home store and ask someone there.  I choose Snow White based on the shade of my tiles and the overall appearance of our bathroom wall tiles.  Once home, I got to work.

Here's what you need:

1.  Grout Paint
2.  Rags
3.  Unused Toothbrush
4.  Something comfy to sit your bottom on.  I used towels.

Here's what you do:

1.  Follow directions exactly as they are on the back of the bottle.  You can't mess this up.  Seriously.

Here's what happens when you're done:

Take a look at the Before & After. Can't beat that sparkle and shine!

 So there you have it.  Three easy updates for your home.  And that one medium(ish) sized project I mentioned earlier...  Your sneak peek is my sparkly new bathroom floor.  The entire bath redo will be up on the blog very soon!  UPDATE: Take a look at my Bath Redo HERE!

Stay tuned and of course, have a very Happy day!