Front Porch Re-Paint

I knew our front porch needed to be re-painted. The mat had peeled away the (poorly done) paint job of the previous owners. I had a stencil all lined out, but our vacation to New Orleans found me some unexpected inspiration. At a deli in Midtown I spotted these beautiful distressed floors. Mind you, distressed from years of wear, not a faux job. The graphic pattern made me change the entire scheme of my front porch. I used this stencil paper and cut out the simple pattern. I chose a dark blue, white, and the blue of our door for my color family then sealed it up with a concrete sealer.

Some tips for stenciling your own porch...

• Everyone recommends paint especially for concrete and porches. I didn't have any. I'll report back if it starts to come up.

• Don't put very much paint on your mini-roller. It seeps under the edges of your stencil.
  
  
• Make a grid so you can keep the pattern as straight as possible.
  
  
• If you're rubbish at keeping things straight, go for an all over pattern that can overlap and doesn't need to be precise to look good.
  
  
• Don't want to attempt making your own stencil? No sweat (or guilt). Buy one of these amazing stencils on Etsy!

I recently added some campy flare to a mirror in my hallway using used shot gun shells. To add to the outdoor-hipster-crafty look I decided to paint a small scale pattern on the surface of the door. Red arrows fit the bill and were easy to paint with a small brush and red acrylic paint. It doesn't matter that each arrow is different from the next. I think it only enhances that hand-drawn, craft camp kind of look. If you're looking for something prefab, check out these fabric stickers, scrapbook stickers, and wall graphics all in eye-popping arrows on Etsy.

Vintage Coffee Table in the Works

I recently saw a great idea from Design*Sponge for turning vintage luggage into a practical and stylish coffee table. I've only been on the hunt for a few weeks. Today I visited my family for Easter and happened to tell my mom about this project. She's the kind of mom who has furniture stashed in her basement, so we popped down for a look. Voila! Just the suitcase I needed for my project. It's sturdy and has straight edges (unlike the kind that taper toward the handles). I'm looking forward to having a smaller coffee table that does double duty as storage.

Easy & Cheap Artwork

Bare walls, while at times can be part of the design plan, often look like you ran out of oomph to finish a room. One reason why? Art is expensive! D*S recently offered up some excellent examples of DIY wall decor, which prompted me to share my homemade art with you. Frankly, if you frame something up, it will look like art. Seriously, take old newspaper or feathers or gum wrappers and put them in a frame. Looks pretty nifty, doesn't it?

1. Rows of cardstock bulletin board edges found in my mom's basement. Lined up they look like a continuous piece of art.
   
   
2. Wrapping paper purchased while studying abroad. A useful keepsake.
   
   
3. A yellowed US Flag from a newspaper taken from the break room at my office.
   
   
4. Scraps of fabric pieced together to look like a quilt block.
   
   
5. An empty frame around a picture simply taped to the wall. Adds depth and interest.
   
   
6. If you craft and don't have a jar of buttons laying around you're crazy (or maybe just organized). Glue buttons onto cardstock or whatever and place in frame. Stick to a cohesive palate or go crazy.

IKEA and thrift stores are my favorite sources for frames. You can easily get a new piece of glass or mat cut to fit, so don't worry about finding a frame by itself.

Cheery Front Door

I know, I know. I haven't written a post in a long time. You know how it goes. Sometimes school, work, and life just get you busy. I have been busy around the house, so look forward to several posts with changes in The Robinson House, which is known to us and our friends as The Homestead. Our front door was a lackluster white when we moved in. I painted it a vivid blue and decided to add some embellishment. I used Plaid's Stiffy Fabric Stiffener (purchased at Michael's) and this idea from How About Orange to create a simple giraffe and welcoming message.



Just apply the fabric stiffener with a brush to your fabric of choice. Let it dry completely then cut out your shape or letters. Iron on your images to a painted surface and enjoy. The fabric does peel off fairly easily, but I found it left a bit of a spot on the wall where I first tested it. It didn't discolor the paint, but I can definitely see the area on my craft room wall where I ironed my first fabric. If you are planning on painting your own front door, be sure to use some polyurethane around the edges so your paint doesn't come off when the door is opened and closed.

New Look for Nightstands

The nightstands in our bedroom were looking a little tired. Rightly so, since they are the same nightstands my sister-in-law had when she was a little girl. Wes brought them with him to college and now they sit on either side of our bed. As part of my bedroom redo, I wanted to change the nightstands. Without a budget for new ones (or a desire really, because they function very well), I opted to paint them out. I kept the inside and top the natural wood because I quite like how the finish has worn away to create sort of a zebra effect. The grey is the same color I used in the bathroom "wallpaper" finish. It's also going to be used on a few more cabinets in the house, making it well worth the purchase. Instead of using a handle for my dresser, I recycled some of the knobs we replaced in the kitchen. I used two instead of one to keep myself from filling old holes and drilling a new one. The stacked books keep our lamps a little taller: a request from Wes.

Painted "Wallpaper" Bathroom

Recently I showed you a vintage linen towel of (of all things) New Zealand. The colors were the perfect inspiration for my hall bathroom. The old color scheme of grey and blue was a bit too cold and dreary, especially since this room doesn't get any natural light. I wanted something warmer and the creams and red oranges of that towel were the ticket! I found some inspiration from a grey and abstract floral wallpaper. I kept the design simple, using large circles and a few leaves I made with stamps. You can see how to make your own stamps here. Unlike wallpaper, my design was cheap and semi-permanent. I'm still missing a few items like a frame for my towel, but it's well on it's way to being an awesome awesome bathroom.


Some advice for doing something similar on your own

• Find some inspiration. Working from a photo of wallpaper you like will be easier.


• Keep it simple. Unless you're a perfection whiz, don't pick a pattern that has to be completely straight. My design has plenty of flaws, but they aren't as apparent in a diagonal.
  
• Paint in stages. I started with the circles, then added leaves, then connected them with lines.
  
• Use paint from the "oops" section of hardware stores or even paint samples to keep from buying more paint than you need. I had all of these colors at my house sans the dark grey, but since I'm using it to repaint the bathroom cabinet and several other items in my house, I don't mind.

P.S. Notice our artwork? I like a traditional monogram, but this one is twofold. Not only do they hang in our water closet, err, bathroom, my name is Carly and my husband is Wes.

Bathroom Inspiration

After church this morning I stopped by one of my favorite flea markets, STD East. I picked up this vintage linen towel in the very last booth I stopped in. It's the perfect inspiration for my bathroom redo. I started with a color scheme I really liked, but the lack of natural light left the bathroom feeling very washed out and dreary. I want to punch it up with some brighter greens and oranges. Now I have the perfect jumping off point.

Bedroom Makeover

Over the Christmas holiday (mine is longer as a full time student) I will be swapping the craft room and master bedroom. When we first moved into our three bedroom house, it didn't occur to me that we should pick any room other than the largest for our master bedroom. After about six months, I'm realizing how much extra space there is around my bed and how squinched our combo craft room-guest bedroom has become. In our new master bedroom I'm going for a vintage-cozy-chic-farmhouse in the mountains-worn quilt sort of vibe. This gray and yellow pallet fits well. It also takes advantage of the gray coverlet we already have. I'll be making my own version of the West Elm duvet but in negative. I have some large white sheets that I'll be printing with an antiqued gold in a similar pattern then sewing up into a quick duvet cover (Hint: future post). Our old nightstands (from Wesley's parents) will get a fresh coat of paint on the bottom and a dark stained top similar in style to the table above from the Miss Mustard Seed blog. The walls need to be painted, but other than that, the room will mostly be things I already have just in a different room. I made sure to take a "before" picture and will be excited to post the before and after photos in a few weeks.

Chalkboard Paint in the Kitchen

My husband Wes recently built a cabinet that provides extra storage and counter top space for our kitchen. The side that faces our open-to-the-kitchen living room and dining room needed a little something. Since we entertain frequently, I decided to use chalkboard paint to make it fun yet utilitarian. I bought Folk Art chalkboard paint in Slate Gray from Amazon. An 8 ounce jar cost about $10. I had to use three coats instead of the two recommended to get a really good coating on my cabinet. Be sure and sand your surface well before painting. I use my chalkboard to keep an updated list of all of the soda we have in house. We literally buy 15 cases of soda when it's on sale, so we have a lot of variety to offer to all of our guests. This list makes it well known what we have to offer instead of having to ramble off ten different sodas each time someone asks what we have to drink. Write the evening menu, grocery list, or the daily chores on your kitchen chalkboard or use it as a drawing station for your kids or guests.

Frosted Window Film

Over the summer I had my husband install an old door to replace the awful 70s door that led from our kitchen to our garage. I wanted to add some character to the kitchen, and this was a quick way to do it. The new door has a large window of glass. I liked that I could see into the garage and let in a little more sunlight from the tiny garage window. After a while though, I started to hate that I could see so well into our ugly, messy garage. Today I decided to fix that with a little frosted window film. [Kindly ignore the lack of hardware in the picture.]

I bought my film at Lowe's for $18. It can be a bit tricky to work with, but once you get the hang of it the film glides on. Read the instructions carefully, as they actually help you work with the film. They are serious when they say to clean your surface really well before applying the film. It's easy to cut. The hardest part for me is cutting in a straight line.

Instead of doing a full sheet of film, I decided to do horizontal stripes that would still allow me to peek into the garage. If you're thinking, "Carly, there's no way I can cut those lines straight and it will bug me forever," then just opt for something a little more abstract like wavy lines or angled lines. That may be an even better match for your style.

I cut my film into 4 inch widths on a craft board with one of those wheel cutters. It was pretty easy, though I will admit my cuts are still not super straight. I applied the film leaving a quarter of an inch gap. The instructions call for a squeegee, but I didn't have one. You know what works just as well? A bowl scraper. Instead of paying for a $8 squeegee that I might not ever use again, or more likely ever be able to find in my garage again, I used a 60 cent bowl scraper that I already had. I am very pleased!

The bonus of this film is that it's removable. It's also not that expensive and the roll is big enough to do several projects. I also used the film to cover up the window in my small bathroom. The view before was a sad look at our neighbor's unpainted window trim. Now it's a soft glow of light and added privacy.

Ribbons Add Razzle Dazzle

Ribbons are so beautiful and so versatile. A few years ago I was given some Martha Stewart Decorative Tape (available at Michael's) which I have used for a lot of little projects. My husband recently put up some shelves in my kitchen and though I tried to be careful, the edges of the boards he used had drips. Instead of sanding and repainting, I added a little glam to my shelves in just minutes. The decorative tape, which really looks like ribbons with an adhesive back, is thick and sturdy enough to look polished on the edges. I also used some in my little bathroom as a purely decorative addition to my cupboard doors. In short, this project is easy, cheap, and quick.

Hall Bathroom Gets Painted Wallpaper

I relish finding out what my friends' houses look like. I think it's such a literal insight into their personalities and preferences. My husband Wesley and I recently purchased our first home together and spend a good chunk of our time (hmm..."our" time sometimes means my time or time that I ask him to do things for me) decorating, organizing, and sprucing it up. Here's a hint into our hall bathroom. The walls are a soft dove gray. I love love love wallpaper but hanging it in our bathroom would be expensive and labor intensive. We also don't plan on living here for more than 5 years, so decorating just to suit our own wildly personal tastes isn't going to fly when it comes time to re-sell. My solution? Paint on a pattern. I found my inspiration from, of all things, a pair of underwear I recently purchased. You can see I'm using only two colors. I'll fill you in with a "How To" when the project nears it's finish.