Months ago I painted our master bedroom a dark navy. It turned out really well and I even put stripes on the back wall using a the same color but in high gloss. I will admit I did not document this well so I didn’t blog about it previously. I’m sure like a lot of women in America I moved on to other projects through out the house and well sort of forgot about attempting to finish the bedroom. Well I got back on track after a labor day furniture sale perked my interest and motivated me to finally get an “adult bed“. It’s a sueded material with a nail head design on the headboard. I really love it and it is extremely sturdy! My next project is to create curtains behind the bed which surround an unsightly chimney. Here is a little mood board that will hopefully keep me on track!
Color that I chose for the walls – painting tip (use aluminum foil on the tray so you don’t ruin it and can reuse it just throw away the foil when your done! )
I have made several references to the big project of the foyer renovation that Micheal and I have worked on. I am the worst because I have yet to post my final reveal. The project was big, and tough, and there was a lot to learn. I want to be sure to help future step painter’s to see possible pit falls in their big project- AHEAD of time! As I am working to write that post, I remembered one simple project that made a huge impact in our foyer. Our DIY Hanging Hemp Lamp.
On my tour of Katie’s new home I saw some of her own DIY hall lights. Although in the end I decided on a different DIY lamp style – it was the inspiration that I needed! With so many choices on the market, and none of which I loved enough to pay full price … a DIY was the solution to my problem.
After a short time hunting I found this tutorial on Pinterest. Here is how it came out:
The author states that you will need: A deflatable ball, two bottles of tacky glue, a spool of hemp, and a hanging light cord. All of which will total about $30.00 !
You will also need: Electric tape, Electrical Wire Covers, A tire Pin (if you wish to reuse the ball), a cheap plastic table cloth or wax paper to cover your work space, and an attractive light bulb. Something to rest it on when it is drying.
Shopping was not simple. It took a bit more of my own creativity and problem solving than I anticipated.
Here’s what:
THE BALL: FYI – those big bins of balls that are ALWAYS at then end of an aisle … are not as easy to find in the winter months! After several failed attempts at several Targets and other stores we did find them at a local Walmart (for less than $3.00). Once we found the ball bin we chose a diameter of about 14″. We then went to the craft aisle where the hemp and glue were nearly side by side.
THE HEMP: Hemp comes in several thicknesses, your choice is a matter of preference. I chose what looked like the middle of the road on the thought that too thin and the project would require too much hemp, too thick it might require too much glue.
Disclaimer: Skip the wine, your hands will be too sticky !
Obviously Ella my pup jumped on the ball and deflated it just minutes after we got home. So off we went to grab ball #2.
The Bulb: Well, I learned you don’t just walk into Lowe’s and find those really cool clear light bulbs that you can see the filament thread, and that filament thread just happens to look old-school and awesome. In the end I found something clear and round. We decided LED was the best choice. the bulb is not dreamy – but who’s going to look when the lights are glaring anyway?
We ended up with something similar to this. Although it is clear – not opaque.
Hanging Wire: We also needed the perfect hanging wire, ceiling plate, and a light bulb worth featuring. We found these things at Lowes. The wires that they had to choose from were not as attractive as what the blogger I chose to follow had found for her project. We ended up finding a Portfolio “Polished Nickel” Recessed Light conversion kit.
This was perfect for our project. The kit is designed for the consumer to buy the pendant separately. Buying the kit only = $20.00 !
Now it is time to get to work. Here is how we did it:
That’s it! Now leave it out of sight of THREE DAYS.
I would suggest covering your drying base with plastic wrap and maybe even spritzing it with nonstick cooking spray. When we eventually pulled the ball from the base the glue had dried entirely to the base. We slightly hurt the circle shape of the opening in doing so.
Deflate the ball. You will need to flake dried glue out of the openings.
I am lucky. Michael knows how to wire things. He cut the end of the recessed fixture at the end of the light wire. Measured the length. Wired the wires. That is it!
I LOVE it! What do you think?
Last weekend we decided to repaint the bathroom. When it hit me I needed to redo our bedroom. I had been toying with the idea but I was set on finishing the living room first. Well I’m still on the search for the most amazing oversized club chair that won’t break the bank (more on that in a few weeks). After painting the bathroom and in between Pinterest breaks I found the inspiration that I simply needed to have. I had my hubby take down the odd shelves that were on one side of my bed and the vision just starting pouring out. I knew I wanted to go with either a deep tone probably in the blue family or a very light grey to contrast with our woodwork white woodwork (that also needed repainted).
Do you like the weird concrete chimney thing in the middle of our accent wall??
On Tuesday night we headed out to Home Depot after I spotted a must have color in the HGTV magazine (ps if you haven’t seen this mag you need to get your hands on it). It was Deep Irish Sea by Ralph Lauren and it was so amazing but me being reluctant I went ahead with my original plan and purchased a very light grey sample as well. We got it on the walls as soon as we got home and knew that deep navy cobalt was the winner!
Behold!
Needless to say I painted the entire room and wood work this past weekend and the color against the white is so dreamy and romantic. I am still in the process of finishing the accent wall so more on that next week. I am starting to collect things to make the room cozy and more like our own. I created an inspiration board of things that I’m feeling for our room.
What are your must have’s for having a soft and serene place to relax?
I have always lusted after homes with chalkboard art, bars with chalkboard menus, and parties that label all things with chalkboard. During our renovation of the foyer, we took down a long coat rack leaving me with a large open space. My original idea was a mirror. I was only able to find very expensive vintage mirrors, very cheap oddly shaped, or poor kept mirrors.
All along Michael had nagged and reminded that we have an old dresser mirror stowed away in the house somewhere. Why he does not understand the concept of fung shui- I will never comprehend. He would go with out any furniture (and DID) if it weren’t for me!
Suddenly I realized, it is finally time for my very own chalkboard! Now I had to convince Michael to build and paint it for me. (Note; I looked to purchase one at a flea market and they retail used for over a $100 for half the dimensions that I was hoping for!) Now Michael chimed in again about the old mirror… and this time it worked!
We had an old dresser with a mirror that did not stay put and really did not fit into the room at all. It is laminate which is not my favorite thing in the world, but the color was exactly what I had planned to try and create with much time and stain. After all the hours put into staining the steps, the laminate began to look just fine to me. We put our heads together and realized we could remove the mirror, flip it over, and paint the underside – that way if we wanted to use the mirror down the road it would be reversible!
We bought a can of Rust-Oleum Flat Black Chalkboard paint(small, about 30oz) for $6 or $7 dollars. I wish I would have advised Michael to tape off the mirror, because our brilliant reverse plan will now involve paint stripper. Otherwise we did 3 coats with a traditional roller brush, letting each coat dry entirely. I spoke with an acquittance who did a similar project over wood. She had some chipping when she started to draw. I would suggest MORE coats than less.
A tip that I stumbled upon while looking for art inspiration advised that I first season the chalkboard before using. I am so glad I found this pointer! Chalkboard paint can create dimples on the surface. The dimples will collect any chalk dust from first contact and it will not go away. The blog suggested one go-around with seasoning… I did it about eight times with white chalk, green, blue, and purple. I wanted to fill the dimples and ensure they looked gray rather than bright white. To season the chalkboard, simply hold your chalk vertically and rub it first from top to bottom on the board. Then a second layer drawing from left to right. Cover the entire surface this way. I periodically erased and started again with different colors.
I forgot to take a picture of this step, so here is a borrowed image from the blogger that I read the tip from!
Now I can start the art!
I use a 3ft level to draw a grid on the board ( I hope to one day get one that reaches the entirety of the chalkboard.)
It does not have to be perfect, just a frame of reference !
I make small marks to identify the center of the board. I make small marks to remind me the height or width of a particular picture or letter.
I keep paper towels and q-tips handy to erase as I go! I also plan to buy a ruler to help perfect my lettering.
A few personal preferences:
I never use water to erase. I like the ghosty look of ‘pictures of the past’ as a foundation of my drawings. You certainly can erase with water without damaging your new chalk board if you need a fresh look as well! For instance, if you decided to have a sidewalk sale, you would really want your sign to stick out … now would be a great time to erase with water to allow your new lettering to POP on a flat black background.
Also, I prefer to use traditional chalk (Crayola brand so far has trumped the target store brand chalk I also bought). Some choose to use washable chalk pens. These make for a beautiful precise finish. I am currently enjoying the challenge of finding new techniques to hold or sharpen my chalk for different desired outcomes. Every board has a different purpose, a different audience, and each artist uses a different medium – so do what makes you the happiest.
Each board has taken me some time to complete. One took 20 minutes, another took several hours. My goal is to update the board monthly. Pinterest has shared so many great ideas! I have noticed I have progressed each months with my art skills and techniques. If I learn to work faster, I might change it more often! It has become a great escape and stress reliever to sit in quiet or with calming music and complete a master piece that makes me feel proud and my home feel more homey!
In order of my first to my most recent… here is how this project has added to our home:
NYE
Steeler’s Play Offs!
To help us get through a cold January !
In honor of Valentines Day !
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