Gray Washed {faux} Wood

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you may have seen this treasure I picked up for $2 the other day.  I am not quite sure what it’s previous life was…maybe sewing box?  It reminds me a little bit of {this guy} and I am seriously loving how beautiful it turned…oh, and it was so simple!

Here is the glorious before…

All I did was give it a good cleaning, of course, and then simply dry brushed a Martha Stewart paint sample I had (Bedford Gray).  I wanted to give it a worn gray washed wood like appearance, so the brown base was perfect.  I used a basic bristle brush.  I dipped just the end in a little paint, dabbed in on a paper towel then lightly and quickly brushed the surface.  It literally took me under 5 minutes.

I love how it picked up the amazing detail in the medallion and how the beautiful lines and curves are shown off.  It is a plastic material, but now has the appearance of carved wood. 

     

I am not sure what her new life will be…maybe house some hair stuff…maybe makeup?…storage for my Rustik Chic supplies in my craft space?

I am sure however, I love price (2 bucks people!) and end result.

Linking up!

   

Painted End Table

  

Like I have mentioned, I am working on updating our family room.  Lightening it up…adding some different colors and making it feel less… brown.  Here is another example of how paint can totally transform a piece of furniture.

I’ve had this little Pottery Barn end table for 12 years!  I bought it when we were first married & I was working as an apprentice at my mom’s hair salon.  We were really tight on money so using my hard earned $49 at the PB outlet seemed like a huge, frivolous purchase. I think I have got my money’s worth by now. ;)

It is sturdy and functional, but just not cohesive with the direction I am headed style wise in this space.  By simply painting it and changing the hardware, it has taken on a whole new look…and I like it mucho better now!

    

        To achieve my desired look, I first used Martha Stewart’s Cobblestone paint and then a layer of Martha’s Flagstone, painting in a very casual manner.  I sanded the edges a little and I may even add some glaze to give even more contrast and distressing.  I bought my knobs on Ebay for $2 each & I lightly dry brushed them as well as the existing hardware with the same paint.

It’s coming together people!!  I am feeling excited about the direction I’m headed with the updates.  It already feels some much better in there!

Happy Weekend!

Framing an Update

Seriously!  Where does the time go?  I have been busy doing fun things around the house, but haven’t been very good about blogging about them.  Here is a little one that is a breath of fresh air for me.  We had family pictures last fall and I have only managed to hang up one picture until now. Slacker!



So here is the before.  Precious, precious pictures that I love, but I just grew bored of the arrangement.  I am going to do something different with these pics, but there time in this area has come to an end.



Here is the after.  Loving the update.  I’ve got my beautiful pictures displayed, added some warmth and color to my kitchen, AND did it for a bargain.  Here is the breakdown…



Love me some Hobby Lobby clearance.  Found this great shelf for $6.  Although the paint finish is lovely, it just wasn’t working for  my idea.  I sprayed it out with Oil Rubbed Bronze.  Next these super cute little frames for $2.80 each…reg $13.  Sprayed them out in the same.  The bigger frames were $4 and $6.  They had a some minor damage.  Don’t let this stop you!  Just play off of it and add some more!  I dinged and banged and sanded them up and then I painted them with American Accents Oregano.  Then I heavily sanded them and glazed them.  I am so pleased with how they turned out.

  

The big guy, didn’t have glass and I needed a mat.  For the mat I simply wrapped the back in burlap, glued my picture on and then trimmed it out with jute twine and upholstery tacks.  A total custom look with stuff I had around the house.  For the glass, I picked up a garage sale picture in the same size for $2 and swapped it out.

      

As far as the arranging goes, I am kinda a fly by the seat of my pants gal.  There are many great ways to make a layout and measure and all that stuff, but I would rather eyeball it and make 45 holes in my walls.  Doesn’t that make more sense? LOL.  I did measure a little, and I did use the level on my iphone to make sure the shelf was straight.  I get points for that, right?  (For those who are itching because the picture on the bottom right needs to be bumped in, don’t fear.  After I took these shots, I moved in it a bit.  Phew! I know.)  But for real,  if you are curious, I will share my “eyeballing” techniques when I do the whole reveal of this room.  Like how high to hang pictures, etc.



I like using a shelf with a wall arrangement in order to get more of a layered look.  Also, throwing in a different element like the tin tile frames adds interest.  Then for some more color, softness and texture, I casually stuck in some silk flowers.
It feels so nice to finally have these pictures up!  We didn’t spend all this time and money on these beautiful pictures so they could sit on a disc or in a closet.  Does anyone else do this?  Get your pictures on display!  Family photos add such a warmth and personal touch to your home.  They don’t have to be professional either.  Snap some photos of your kids or get out those vacation photos and put them out to enjoy.  Little details like this make a home.