Antique Vanity in Lavender

I have been wanting to try my hand at different finishing techniques and this beautiful vanity was my first experience with both white and clear wax.  This piece was part of a family estate sale and I was super excited to add it to my collection!  Minor scratches and nicks in the finish were easily worked around; I felt they would add character to the finished product, so I did little in terms of repair.

I decided on a gorgeous shade of lavender from Paint Couture's line of acrylic paints.  The color is called Blessings.  Two coats gave good coverage and the finish is matte and almost chalk-like.  400 grit sand paper was used to smooth the surface before a coat of Miss Mustard Seed's clear wax was applied.  Once that layer had dried over a 24 hour period, 400 grit sand paper was used to smooth the finish, and then a coat of white wax was added, also from Miss Mustard Seed.  

Wax is a great way to add an aged appearance, while also giving your furniture a long lasting and protective finish.  Wax will also add depth and bring out the color of your paint, in this case the lavender color became smooth and almost milky and the vanity began to look as if it had aged perfectly, the color softening with time. 

Wax can be applied in different ways; here I used a chip brush to apply and then wiped away excess with an old, clean t-shirt.  Using a high grit sand paper in between coats gives a super sleek and smooth finish.  

Though not pictured in the before pics, one of the side panels on the vanity had peeling veneer.  I decided to remove the veneer on both panels and use fabric to cover the unfinished wood.  The rose print on the fabric gave a romantic look to the vanity and in keeping with that theme, floral stenciling was used on the drawers and distressed, floral knobs finished the piece. 

The result is a soft, romantic vanity perfect for holding your most treasured and beautiful items...

This vanity is part of our Available for Local Purchase collection.  Learn more about this and other items available for purchase here.

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

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!

Spring Wreath!

Just some quick pics today of my latest Spring wreath!  This was made using a grapevine wreath, faux hydrangeas and faux dogwood bush flowers from Joann.  Super simple and super Spring!  Take a look and let me know what you think!  And stay tuned for a front door makeover!

Home Sweet Home

Though my daughter Olivia's father and I are no longer together, we remain good friends and to this day I am still in frequent contact with his family and adore them greatly.  I recently learned that the family is selling their home located in a beautiful, lake-filled suburb complete with wooded grounds and rolling hills and more than a few dirt roads.  This house has been in the family for over 35 years and is filled with many wonderful memories and stories.  In a recent conversation with Olivia's Nana Sherri, we were talking about how bittersweet the last few months have been as they prepared the home for sale.  The house is quite large, and with her family grown and mostly moved away, it now houses only herself and her husband and is of course, dotted sweetly with weekly visits from Olivia.  This is a lot of space for a couple looking forward to retirement and relaxation and it was with heavy but forward-looking hearts, they decided to downsize.  

The house rests in a wooded area and is very close to a pretty lake with boat access.  Sherri often talks about how lovely it was to allow her children to grow up in an open environment, complete with dirt-road walks, campfires, days on the lake and fire-fly catching at night.  It was stories like this that made me very excited to introduce my Olivia to a life that included the robust outdoors and playful, energetic activities.  

Though the family is not moving very far, and intend to stay close to the pretty lake and all of its amenities, it is still very difficult for Sherri to leave the home that has become the welcome retreat and foundation of life for the last 35 years.  It is my firm belief that life expands and flourishes not just by where we are at, but by whom we choose to surround ourselves with and also how we chose to exist in those surroundings.  The lake house is a true testimony to this belief.  When Sherri started her family with the love of her life, they, like many young couples, struggled to make ends meet and provide a comfortable and happy environment for their children.  They both worked hard and Sherri developed an interest in "garage-sale-ing" as an affordable way to uniquely and tastefully decorate her home.  Eventually, their hard work paid off and they were able to decorate the home as they wished, but Sherri's interest in re-furbishing and re-using a vast array of antiques, collectibles, home furnishings and the like stayed with her and she has managed to cleverly mix the old and the new and create quite an eye-catching and gorgeous home.

I was lucky enough to celebrate a milestone birthday with Sherri and her family a few years back and as a gift, decided to put together a photo book of this wonderful home and all of the treasures and memories it stores for those who are close to the family.  After Olivia was born, her father and I lived in the home for some time while getting on our feet during a career change, and the house holds a dear place in my heart because it enabled my family's survival for a short time and also because it held great hope for my own daughter's experiences growing up in and around the lake house.  

I've added a few of the pictures here today to give you an idea of the treasures and life that the house holds and perhaps this small tribute will bring comfort to Sherri as she packs her things and gets ready to move. I wish Sherri and her family lots of love as they embark on the next chapter of their lives and settle into their new house and become accustomed to new smells, sounds and structure. 

Our homes are the heart of our worlds.  Home is where family resides.  Home is what shelters us from the storm and keeps sacred our most treasured and true belongings.  There is something to be said for a person who puts their heart into making a warm, welcoming home for visitors and family alike.  We take pride in our home.  From the very first moment we cross the threshold, to the moment we lock the door behind us for the last time.  Home is where the heart is. 

 Home Sweet Home.