Upstairs hallway, work in progress...

On Tuesday, the skies over Tennessee decided to soak us.  So, since I couldn't possibly enjoy the day doing any projects that required time spent outdoors, I painted on my stairway beadboard. 

For the last month and a half I have been working on adding beadboard to our staircase walls.  We had previously added new baseboards and beadboard in our upstairs hallway and I wanted to continue it down the stairs.  It has been very slow going.  Mainly because I have been working on it here and there - when I get extra time. Plus, I am notorious for starting about a million projects at once.  When something pops into my head...I gotta get started on it.  Finishing it...well that's another story.  Anyway, now that I have it all up I have to paint it.

Here is what the staircase/upstairs hallway looked like when we moved in...

 As you can see it was very dark.  It gets hardly no natural light, so the lighter I can get it the better! When we created the opening at the bottom of the stairs, it did help bring in some light.  You can read about that here.

Although I am not completely done painting/caulking/trimming, I thought I would show a few pictures of the progress.  It is amazing how much lighter this whole area is.    Paint is some amazing stuff! 

We installed this light when we moved in.  I got it from Overstock.com for a steal but hated the color so I spray painted it using Rustoleum's Oil Rubbed Bronze.  I got the shade covers from Lowe's and I plan on getting some wax covers to replace the plastic ones.

I am slowly working on a gallery wall of old and new family photos in the hallway and I love seeing them displayed like this.  We are also in the process of replacing all our old interior doors.  So what you see here are the old ugly doors... but like everything else in our house, it is a work in progress.

Ace Hardware free paint tomorrow...

Did you all know Ace Hardware is giving away free quarts of paint tomorrow, Saturday, March 10?  I just found out tonight and thought I would pass this little tidbit along.  You have to go here to print off the coupon.  There are limited quanities and I am not sure all stores are participating, so you might want to call your store to check. Hooray for free paint!! Thanks Ace Hardware!

http://www.acehardware.com/coupon/index.jsp

Pining for Lilacs...

The weather has been so wonderful here for the last few days.  As a result, I have been pining for my lilac bushes to start blooming.  I know it will be a while, but I adore the smell of lilacs.  Fresh lilacs have the most amazing fragrance and always remind me of spring! Plus, they are lovely to look at.  Last year was hard on our lilac bushes and they were very sparse.  Hopefully, they will comeback nice and full this year! In the meantime, I have will put the pining on hold and instead start pinning...on Pinterest.  Honestly, what did we all do before Pinterest?!

Here are a few of my faves...

Source: flickr.com on Pinterest

Source: google.com on Pinterest

Source: vignettedesign.blogspot.com on Pinterest

Source: gypsypurplehome.tumblr.com on Pinterest

Source: umla.tumblr.com on Pinterest

Source: triciawilson.tumblr.com on Pinterest

Source: yourcozyhome.blogspot.com on Pinterest

Source: margitta.no on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com on Pinterest

Source: frenchlarkspur.blogspot.com on Pinterest

Source: acountryfarmhouse.blogspot.com on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com  on Pinterest

Source: adogsdream-goldenelf.blogspot.com on Pinterest

Source: ginghamandwatercolors.tumblr.com on Pinterest

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Liebster Blog Award....

After enjoying this beautiful (Spring like) day, I came home to find Chris, from Freckle Face Girl, had chosen me to receive a Liebster Blog Award.  How exciting! After Googleing (is that a certified word yet?) the award, I found the word Liebster to mean "darling" or "beloved"...isn't that sweet! 

The award started as a way to spread some blog love to those with less than 200 followers.  Chris' blog is amazing! She has some awesome style and an adorable family! If you haven't visited her blog...you should! Thanks again, Chris, for the Liebster!

On to the tough part..I had to pick blogs I think are deserving. There are so many great blogs out there!!

There are a few simple rules to follow.  In order to accept the award, the recipient will:

1.  Thank the person who gave you the award.

2.  Link back to that person's blog.

3.  Copy and paste the award to your blog.

4.  Present the award to 3-5 blogs of 200 followers or less that you feel deserve this recognition.

5.  Let those blogs know by leaving them a comment.

Here are the blogs that I have chosen:

1. Becki @ Curious Details

2. Michele @ Summersoul 

3. Ashlee @ A Prairie Cottage 

Such great blogs that really inspire! Check them out! :)

I Just Wing'd it...

The post title says it all-I reupholstered a wing back chair- by just winging it! Never have I ever reupholstered anything more difficult than a dining chair cushion. But I didn't want to spend money on hiring an upholsterer to recover 2 chairs. Plus, I have tons of DIY spirit I need to constantly channel into something.  

This is what I started with...2 of these lovely chairs.  The bones were in great shape-they just needed some new fabric and a little TLC.

I started out watching a couple of YouTube videos which were mildly helpful, and then I just went for it. I mean, I couldn't mess up that old green fabric.  If it failed, it still would have looked better than it started out looking!

First, I removed all the fabric piece by piece, very carefully, so I could use it as a pattern of sorts for my new fabric.  This was the most grueling part.  I stabbed myself with my screwdriver and cut my hands on the staples a million times.  Wearing gloves would have been smart. ;) 

Just look at all those evil staples!! 

I took pictures of how the fabric was stapled on in case I needed a reminder later on.  It helps to also jot down what order you remove each piece.  Then when you reupholster, just start with the last piece you took off.  I basically learned as I went along.  

I have to mention, I have a pneumatic staple gun and an air compressor.  I don't think I could have tackled this project without one.

I decided to paint the legs.  I used regular latex paint and finished them with a dark brown paste wax.  I like them so much better! 

(We are working on installing new base boards in here.  Please ignore them in their unpainted, unfinished state.)

It was such a simple project-once I got all the old fabric off.  Although not perfect, it exceeded my expectations by far. I still want to add some more jute trim along the front, but I need to order more.  I got it at MJ Trim.  Now, I just have to get motivated to finish the second one...I am still having nightmares about those staples! ;) 

I also want some pretty pale yellow pillows to go in each chair but, I haven't found one I am in love with yet.  Any suggestions?? :)

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Armoire Makeover with Antique Ceiling Tin...

 
I rescued this antique armoire from my parents storage building.  They originally bought this piece shortly after they got married and had plans to restore it.  Unfortunately, in the process, it fell over and the original mirror and top section broke. It set unused for 30 or more years until I snapped it up!  This is what is looked like when I brought it home (all except the ceramic knob...I was trying knobs out).

I wasn't sure at first what I wanted for the center where the mirror was.  I pondered several options and at one point thought I might just leave it.  I like rustic, but after starring at it for awhile, I decided it was a little too rustic.  I love the detail in the carvings!

 

I eventually chose to use antique ceiling tin in place of a mirror.  Here is what it looks like now...

(please ignore the curtain rod and curtains.  They need to be raised up and hemmed.)

The centered measured 17" wide by 40" long.  I found this antique tin piece on Ebay. It measured 24" wide by 40" long and knew I would have to cut it to fit.   When looking for tin I had to find a pattern that would not look strange after I cut it.  Some vintage tin is very intricate and would not work for my project.  I paid around $30.00 (including s&h) for this piece.

 

 

I cut equal amounts off each side using tin snips.  When handling tin and using tin snips make sure to wear thick work gloves and safety glasses.  The the edges of the tin and the tin snips are sharp! I laid down a drop cloth to protect my floors.  This was such a messy job!   

 

 After I slide in the cut tin, I reattached the top piece. 

The original paint on the tin was a peachy orange color and didn't quite go with my color scheme. ;)  So, I painted it a pale blue color.  After the blue paint dried I painted the raised areas with creamy white paint to bring out the design.  

And finally, I added some dark wax to age it and seal the paint.  The wax makes the paint extra durable.

 

 

 

 

 

This was such a simple project that really made a ton of difference to the look of this piece.  I liked it before but I  adore it now!

I am still undecided on whether or not to paint the armoire.  I am liking it now, but I am constantly changing my mind so who knows...I'll keep you posted. :)

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