Painting, Painting and More Painting

A few posts ago I mentioned that I've been painting something other than walls and this is what I've been painting - cushions.  I bought these from HomeSense a few years ago and I love them, I just needed a change.  I painted the walls a dark gray (Metropolis from Ben Moore) way back here and now the cushions just go better with the walls.  For the cushions, I used some paint called Iron Mountain from Ben Moore that I had from another project.

Here's the before and after.

This is not the first time I've painted on fabric.  I did it about a year ago on a piece of painter's drop cloth.  I had this big space above the landing that I needed to fill.  I painted the drop cloth using Intercoastal from Pratt and Lambert, cut out my pattern and then traced my pattern in chalk before painting it.  I've read a few articles recently online about using a Sharpie to make patterns on fabric which I think is a great idea.  I might try this on fabric when I do my teen daughter's room.

 I also bought a can of flat black spray paint and re-did my gold door handles and hardware.   I used Rust Coat by Beauti-Tone, and what a big difference!!  I  now have about 10 more doors to do upstairs.  This is quite an easy update but a bit time consuming.  I'm not going to do a big tutorial, but if you decide to do this make sure you have something to place them in because they will roll.   Also, just be careful when you put them back on that you don't scratch the paint with the screwdriver, which is what my husband did when he tried to help.  (He's not a handy guy).  It reminded me of the time he tried to re-fasten the rearview mirror in my car, and ended up cracking the windshield.  I could go on....

Here's the before and after.

I've been making some progress in my laundry room, so I'll post about that soon.

Have a great week!

Country Home Kitchen Tour

 On my recent trip up north at Easter I also went to visit my friend who lives in a stone home that was built in the late 1800's.  She's recently renovated, and I wanted to show you her gorgeous new kitchen.  So, armed with an iPad and a cup of coffee, I took these photos to share with you.
(Sorry, no fresh fruit and fresh flowers for props.)

I think she did a fantastic job of making a new kitchen fit into an older home. 
Check out the enormous window sills and medallion (above)!  

I love what she did with this old hutch.  She had it built right into the new cupboards.  What a great way to marry old with new.

I have medallion envy - I wonder if she'd like my stuccoed ceilings instead.

Gorgeous, right?

Trip to the Country

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend.

  We packed up our Valley Bulldog, Po, and the kids this weekend and went up north to our friend's country home for a visit with family and friends.  We were a couple hours north of Toronto near Georgian Bay.  

Every meal I sat at this table and looked at the amazing view above.  The furniture in this home is beautiful and most of it is from Restoration Hardware, including the chairs below.

Po enjoyed the view too!!

I just wanted to show you this old painted church bench that I love. In my recent post here, I talked about bringing new life to old wooden furniture by painting it.  When you enter the home there are two of these benches flanking the door.  Check out the ends of the bench.  

Beautiful detail!!

(Thank goodness they had matching rubber boots that I could prop it with!!)

After days of running in fields, this is what Po looks like now, and she's looked this way for the past 24hrs.  If she could talk she'd say "need sleep".

Happy Easter

via Pinterest

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter.

I just couldn't resist this image of an 

oh-so-chic bunny on a Panton chair!!

Have a great long weekend!!

Paint Gives New Life to Old Furniture

 via Pinterest

I was recently at Restore in my area and saw three beauties like the one above.  These look spetacular painted up.  Most of the pieces in my house have been found at auctions, garage sales or second-hand stores and I've just painted them.  Don't be afraid to paint wood.  It can give an otherwise dull piece of furniture a new life, and most of the time it's very affordable. 

Here's some furniture I've painted around my house.

This dresser ($40.00) and bookshelf (25.00) I found at an auction and painted for my girl's room.  The dresser was white in my daughter's previous pink room,  and the bookshelf actually sat in my dining room on a hutch in my previous house which you can see here.

The coffee tables above and below were both found at garage sales for $25.00 and were both in need of some TLC.  The one below was actually a table and we cut the legs off of it and painted it black which you can also see in  in my previous house tour.  For this house I primed it and gave it a coat of grey paint called Escarpment by Ben Moore.  These bookcases below were actually red when we "acquired" them and I painted them when we moved into this house.  I'd actually like to have some built-ins made or change up this space flanking the fireplace, but for now these bookcases will have to do.

This headboard was pine and I gave it and the matching dresser a coat of black paint about 10 years ago.  They still look amazing.

This desk I purchased for $15.00 at a thrift store and painted it for my girl's room.  (I'm not sure of the colour because I mixed it myself to get exactly what I wanted).  

This end table was found at a garage sale and I bought it for $20.00. It was also painted black in my previous house.

These are my kitchen cupboards which were a dated, light oak wood before we painted them .  I had it painted a dark brown called Obsedian from Pratt and Lambert.  This kitchen actually looks bigger and way more expensive now that the cupboards have been painted.   You can see the before and after pics here. 

This piece above was $20.00 at a garage sale and was light pine. I actually used it in my son's room before but for this house I painted it and used it in the front hall to hold keys, hats, gloves, dog paraphenalia, backpacks etc.  It's been well worth the $20.00.

When you're looking for a piece of second-hand furniture, first and foremost make sure the structure is good.  You also want to look at the lines of it and the detailing - curved legs, carving, etc.  Sometimes the detailing can show up more when furniture has been painted.  The last thing to check out when you're buying an old or used piece of furniture is the smell.  If it's been in a basement or garage and has a musty smell, 

this can be very hard to get rid of.  

I've been doing some painting lately but it's not  been walls or furniture. 

I'll tell you about it soon!!

An Unexpected Trench Coat for Spring?

If you're looking for a new trench coat this spring that's a little different than the classic taupe, might I suggest one of the following:  

 available at White House Black Market 

This one (above) would look great dressed up or worn with casual clothes.  It's a very classic tailored look.

available at Gap

available at Banana Republic

The two above are a little more casual than the first one.  I love how they're all just a little unexpected compared to the standard trench coat.   The trench coat is a fashion staple for any wardrobe.

Enjoy your weekend!!

I've got some new great pins on Pinterest.
Pin with me!!

Using a Suzani in Decor

 via apartment therapy

I've been a big fan of Suzanis for a long time now, and am thinking about doing something like the above in my teen daughter's room.  (She's after me every day about her room, so I better decide soon).  You can purchase a Suzani quite reasonably on e-bay, and they range from $20.00 - $200.00 depending on the size.  You can use them as cushions, headboards, throws, rugs, canopies, art, etc. etc.  They're a great way to inject some art and drama into any space.  Here's some of what I've sourced for you to show you how you can use them.  (All of these pictures are via Pinterest, and I have put sources if they were available).

I first fell in love with Suzanis when I saw this photo (below) in House and Home a few years back.  I love the purple, pink, yellow and taupe colour combination - gorgeous!

 via Atlanta Homes Magazine

 via High Gloss Magazine

Below is Suzani inspired crib bedding and an outdoor rug from Rosenberry Rooms.

You  might also like the Suzani pillows below which are available at Etsy.