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!

   

Autumn Owl Vignette

 

I am loving my little Autumn Vignette.  Isn’t the little owl cute?  I got a lot of slack from my family when I brought him home last year, but I quite like him.  I have him nestled on top of my antique storage box {I scored for $2!} with some 75cent thrift store candle holders.  Backed by some clearance mirrors, each about $1, and a old fall leaf garland.

You’ll also see a grapevine pumpkin I have had for years and my newly revamped Autumn sign.  If you missed it’s little makeover you can see it HERE.  I love hanging things from this lamp.  It has a tall base which gives me room to hang unconventional decor from it, like my Egg Basket from last Spring. 

I used some books to help vary the heights in my display.  Layering and varying heights in your vignettes is a must.  This not only shows off your pieces, but also gives a flow to your display to make it pleasing to the eye.

*A couple quick tips for arranging accessories… Vary your heights and colors in such a way that your eye easily follows the flow.  Also, leave some space for the eye to rest.  I like to have a variety of textures and elements that compliment each other. Group like items and try to add interest and your own style.  Play around with your layout and make it feel good to you, that is most important.

Having displays like this around your home gives warmth and character to your home which makes your guests feel at ease.  Most important though, is how it makes you feel.  If you love something and it reflects you, that is what matters most.  Creating a home that is ‘you’ and that makes you and your family comfortable and  happy is {in my opinion} the best decorating plan to follow. :)

Hooked on Houses Fall Open House

 
 

Mirror Mirror...

Remember when I did the post showing those dreamy mudrooms?  Well this is one of the reasons.  I still have a hard time understanding why the architect who designed my house did the laundry and garage entry this way, but that is beside the point now.  As I mentioned before I am going to do a few things to improve what is there and be happy with what I have.  This little project is the tiny tip of the iceberg, but I am very excited about it!  You can see above that poor little mirror is heavily overloaded.  We got this in our very first condo 11 years ago and 4 moves and 3 states later it is still with us!  Don't worry my sentimental side won't let her go, but I am going to fix 'er up a bit and give her a lighter load. ;)

I wanted to find a sturdy mirror with hooks.  I knew for a big mirror that I loved I would be paying a pretty penny and I never did see one that had hooks and the functionality we needed.  So of course I have been scouring the thrift stores and I found this puppy.  If you follow me on Twitter you might remember when I found it.  Oh happy day...only $8.95!!  Now I don't know if you can tell, but she is a big old gal!  This great mirror measures 30" x 46"!  I know, right?!  Pretty cool.  In the words of the nice man who carried it out to my car for me, "They are givin this thing to you!"  He was so cute.

So now you might be saying, "did you say great mirror?  really, Krista?"  But just you wait! :)

I promptly removed the wood applique from the top and decided I wanted to fill in the oval too.  Just a little wood filler and sanding.  Don't look too close please, I am a little impatient.

A light sanding all over and she was ready to paint!  I was going to do my staple black, but Mr. Husband helped me decide on a nice color I already had called twig.  I think he just chose the color I said last, but nonetheless, I am glad he helped me out and he is pleased that he played a role in deciding something for decorating our home.  I added an applique on the top and my super cute hooks, sanded and distressed a tiny bit and...

If I do say so myself, I love it!  I had a hard time getting a great pic because I didn't want the horribly messy laundry room or myself in the pictures. LOL  But, I hope you get the idea.

I for sure wanted a mirror here for a couple reasons.  First, to open up the space because it is so tight right there and most importantly, so we can do one last outfit check as we walk out the door of course!  I think the color choice Mr. Husband "helped" choose is great as well to keep the space light and open.

The hooks seem like a splurge when you pay nine bucks for a huge mirror, but they were the detail that I really wanted to give it the over all character and interest I wanted.  I put these cute ones on the bottom.  They were $2 from Pier One and perfect for little hands to hang their stuff.  I feel like the sort of finish off the bottom too, because I think it once sat on a dresser.

I LOVE these cutie-patutie knobers!  I looked on eBay for some antique ones to get that character I was looking for, but I couldn't find what I wanted for what I wanted to pay.  So I found these little replicas at Hobby Lobby!  Aren't they sweet?  I'm sure they go on sale from time to time, but I was feeling really impatient so I paid $3.99 each, which isn't too bad considering.  I simply measured and drilled holes and then screwed these right in.  They work great because they are long.  This gave me enough to make sure they were in good and still have some length to hang coats on.

Finished up,  my big custom mirror cost me around $4o total.  Which in my opinion is not bad at all!  It makes me motivated to finish up my laundry room and storage issues for this little entry.  Check back for updates and best wishes for all your projects!  Oh and for the record, it will look this clean for about 5mins. Just keepin it real. ;)

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Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party