Pottery Barn Knock-Off Idea

Ever since I started this blog, I've wanted to recreate and post tons of ideas, but I just simply don't have time to make them. So, I thought I'd just share the ideas I have and let run with it if you feel so inspired.

I see things all the time and think, "I could make that!". The trouble is finding the time. Generally, the only pieces I get to redo are ones someone either wants or I need and we can't afford the original.

This particular idea is one I've had for a little while because it's so easy! Ready?

via Pottery Barn

Plant basket, burlap, and hanging light kit...knock-off for around $25 versus PB @ $179.99!

Here's the materials list I'd get:

Black hanging basket for around $11.87.via Pinterest

Burlap via Amazon

$3 p/yd!

Pendant kit via Lowe's.com

Chain to thread cord through in order to hang basket from light cord. $8.98 for 10' but could probably get by with less at Lowe's. It would need to be adhered to the fixture cap at the ceiling and again at the end of the chain to the basket chains.

A simple lamp parts would suffice, but you'd have to take apart the top of the pendent kit to retro fit it with a metal ring like this:



This image clip was taken from the original pottery barn picture above so I can't get it any bigger.

Some hot glue and a halogen round bulb from Walmart ... and you've got yourself a beautiful chandelier that no one will ever know you didn't pay a fortune for (unless you tell them)! I actually like telling them and watching their faces:) Aren't I a stinker?!

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Thanksgiving Blessings

"Fall Leaves 1"
B.E. Photography

"Fall Leaves II"
B.E. Photography

Did you have a great Thanksgiving yesterday? Ours was wonderful although a little bittersweet. We had so much fun just catching up and hanging out with family we've not seen in a while, but were acutely aware of a certain missing couple. All of us had so hoped that hubby's grandfather would be able to join us, but instead he was readmitted to the hospital for a massive blood clot on Tuesday. Hubby's grandmother spent the day with him there having what he called a "Silent Thanksgiving". We really do have so much to thank the good Lord for. I know she was counting her blessings for having another day with him.

So, what did you do? Did all the family get together and cousins all play football/baseball/tag, etc while the grown-ups chatted away? That's what happened here! After a wonderful meal and even better fellowship, we all packed up and made our rounds to the hospital. It was truely a wonderful day that could only have been better if the grandparents could have joined us. Even my nearly 94 year old grandmother joined us! Amazing!

Life events have just not allowed me to blog much over the last month, and I have really missed it. Hubby has taken the three boys hiking for the day and I'm enjoying some much needed time alone. So, I though I would start catching you up by sharing photos of my dining room all ready for guests yesterday. The sun was shining, temperatures were in the 70's and it simply couldn't have been more beautiful! With the sun streaming through, I had a little trouble getting some shots in before everyone arrived.

My "new" dining room!

I wasn't sure about putting the love seat in the foyer, but everyone seems to love it there, so it'll stay. It's a nice extra seating area now. Scottie Dog obviously approves!

I bought these placemats a couple of years ago and have been waiting to use them somehow. I love the form and organic quality of them. They fit perfect in the "new" space.

I found these gorgeous little gold mercury glass votive holders and they made the perfect table "runner".

They just glitter when the tea lights are lit!

Like my last minute brainstorm for a buffet?! The palms had to be moved in from the screened porch as it's finally hitting below 40º at night...thus no pretty urns. I need to get some if they're going to sit in here for the winter.

It's three pine beadboard, tongue -n-groove  planks (samples hubby was just going to toss!)
laid over some storage cubbies.  Linen fabric was stapled around and black/gold Greek key ribbon was adhered with super sticky hemming tape to hide the staples and add a touch of black to tie in with the lamp/accessories.

See?! Just cheap old storage cubbies turned on end underneath! It's actually a good place to hide kids shoes:)

Black ribbon with a gold Greek key pattern was added to the lampshade.

See my new draperies and side chairs? Aren't they just gorgeous? The drapes add the much needed drama in this room.

The back of the side chairs was done in a black fabric with gold & copper embroidered dots. Then a soft gold cording was added to both front and back of all chairs.

The head chairs were done in the reverse... black on fronts and plaid on the back.

I couldn't find a third coordinating fabric until I stumbled upon these 95" curtain panels in a faux silk plaid on clearance for about $12 each. They were perfect, so I just cut them up and used them on the chairs! Wha-la!

I fell in love with these large candelabra sconces and waited until
Hobby Lobby ran their 50% sale. Two for the price of one!

Gotta have some magnolia branches!

I was captivated by the flickering mercury glass!

Loving the way the light plays around in here with the chandelier dimmed and candles all lit:)

There's only a few more things to do and I can call this room a wrap! I'm not sure I'm leaving the ceiling blue, but it'll stay for now and a painting may or may not get done at some point. Regardless a rustic gold frame is being made for the boys current art as soon as I can get to it.

The four slipcovered chairs need to be reupholstered, but the slipcovers will stay on unless we're entertaining. The boys have been informed those are the only chairs they are allowed to TOUCH! I ended up with quite the headache when I realized (AFTER tearing off all the upholstery on the back of a head chair) that the back was not made as I thought. It was all one solid piece with a 3/8" groove for a staple gun to fit into! I don't have a gun with a nose for grooves, couldn't rent one, and couldn't install upholstery tacks in such a tiny space!!!!! UGH! What's a girl to do? Hot glue, baby! I decided if it could hold the piping on for ten years with three boys, it was good enough to hold on more fabric as well. So, I only pulled off the piping and just installed new fabric over the old with hot glue. That way it was glued to old staples that were going nowhere, added cording and called it a day.

To sum up all that has happened in this room over the last three months:

1. ceiling was painted,
2. chandelier was refurbished,
3. chairs were upholstered,
4. buffet was created,
5. rug was bought,
6. draperies were made (2x!),
7. slipcovers were made,
8. walls were painted (3 colors - 2 coats each)!)
9. wainscoting and trim was painted (2 colors - 2 coats each!),
10. lamp shade was trimmed,
11. front door was painted,
12. new wall sconces were purchased and hung, 
13. furniture was repositioned (multiple times!),
14. and several nervous breakdowns/tantrums were had!

Whew! Whoever thinks designers don't earn their pay, just hasn't walked in their shoes:) 

"Fall Leaves III"
B.E. Photography

Happy Belated Thanksgiving, Ya'll!

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Finished Armoire & Furniture Refurbishing: Part II

Well, after a week, here’s Part II! Like I’ve said before, my top priority is my family, then blogging/business. One thing I’m finding out is that keeping with all three this time of year is tough. Talk about a busy time! Even thought we try to limit activities so as to not always be rushed, it still seems like all we do is run from point A to point B.

O.k. enough whining. Ready to see the finished Armoire?

Let's see the before one more time:

Lovely, wasn't it?!

The Ugly Duckling had become a Swan!

I have to say, I loved this finish! Believe it or not, this was probably one of the easiest I've done.

Chalk paint just rocks! That's all there is to it.

I wasn't sure what that old decal would look like if I just left it, but the relief is so pretty. Wouldn't a monogram in gray look pretty in it? I may offer that as an extra service when I sell it. It'll be interesting to see if anyone takes me up on it.

See how I added the trim piece at the bottom to cover the rippling, loose veneer? The casters are just on for ease of moving and can be removed after it gets to the booth.

I even made sure to preserve and seal the old manufacturer label on the back. I can't believe it was still on there and in one piece!

Bet you wondered which fabric I went with, didn't you!

I was momentarily tempted to go more beachy with the fresher-more colorful fabric,
but this was just seemed more appropriate for the piece (more neutral).

See that center back panel? The fact it was off-center drove me batty! I even contemplated adding trim to make it more symmetrical! See, being a perfectionist can sometimes drive me nuts!

Even the drawers are lined.

Furniture Refurbishing: Part II

With Part I, I walked you through the process of coming up with a design. I’ll pick up where I left off, which is bringing that “idea” to fruition.

Once I have my colors and formulations picked out, I then set about analyzing how I’m going to apply the idea:

1. Before I can start, I have to decide if the piece needs to be stripped or not. If I’m going for a distressed, painted look and it’s in overall good shape, then I can skip this step. If I am staining or want smooth, clean lines then it will be stripped to the bone.

2. Once stripping is either skipped or done, it’s sanding time – lightly for no stripping to increase adhesion or heavy if a smooth finish is desire or marks have to be removed.

3. Now I’m ready to apply one of three things: primer, chalk paint or wood conditioner for stain.

4. Next, it’s time to apply either paint, decorative finish/second layer of paint or stain…depending on if primer, chalk paint base coat or wood conditioner was used (in order following step two).

5. Again, sand – only this time with a very fine steel wool or high grit paper if achieving a smooth finish or staining, and very rough for distressed pieces.

6. At this point, it becomes a layering game to get the desired finish-repeating steps 4 and 5 until satisfied.

7. Once I’ve gotten the finish I desire, I topcoat with either wax or poly. I NEVER skip this step…even if I’m after a very distressed look. There’s too great a chance that kiddo’s or everyday life can mar it and take distressing too far!

8. Finally it’s time to apply the fabric and topcoat with Mod Podge.

I’m not a crank-out-as-many- pieces- as-I-can kind of girl, but I try to move quickly. How quickly a piece is finished is determined by a couple of things:

• Did the redo process go as planned? (rarely!)
• Is it sports season or summer break (during these two or three times of year, it’s about all I can do to get a shower)?
• Is my booth full or do I have room to put more in?
• Am I working on interior projects within my own home simultaneously?
• Do I have custom work orders (those take precedence)?
• Are the kids all healthy?

Any one or all of the above can mean I take longer than anticipated on a project. It’s just a reality and my family comes first. Sometimes I fight frustration with how long it takes to get something completed, but then I have to remember why. This is such a short part of my life (raising children) and I don’t want to get so sucked up in the rat race that I forget to stop and enjoy every little momentJ. 

Linking up with:
http://www.remodelaholic.com/2011/09/for-sale-by-owner-69-shop-link-up-party.html
http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2011/09/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link_22.html
http://junkinteriors.blogspot.com/2011/09/sns-100-pallets.html
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2011/09/feathered-nest-friday_22.html
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/09/vintage-inspiration-friday-56-more-from.html
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2011/09/wow-us-wednesdays-33.html
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2011/10/decorate-your-pumpkin-with-ribbon.html 

Minor Wall Repairs with Joint Compound

I have a confession to make. I haven't painted the dining room walls yet. Nope. But, there's a reason. When I got ready to start last week, I realized that the area I'd taped out and painted as a "frame" on the wall was going to show through the paint! Oh, no! What's a girl to do?!

Well, let's see. Sand it? Tried that. I now have a layer of paint & drywall dust all over my dining room...probably on my "new" chandelier as well. I know it's all over poor Scottie Dog! After sanding, I painted it and guess what? I could still see it...plain as day. So, I realized I was going to have to do a little repair. Remember this monstrosity that was over our family room fireplace when we moved in?

See that lovely "architectural detail" over the fireplace? UGH!

It didn't come off the wall without a fight. A lot of patching was required, as well as a lot of paint, but I got 'er done! I'm proud to say that now you can't even tell it was ever there (thank goodness!). I've done a lot of repair work over the years, but nothing of that magnitude with drywall and wasn't how sure it was going to come out looking when I finished up (pregnant, mind you!).

This is now:

Oh, sooooo much better!

Well, it would seem that my repair "skills" were needed again with the dining room wall. (This room has become anything but easy to get done! Can just one thing go as planned?!)

Here's what it looked like prior to starting this whole renovation thing:

See how I'd painted out a white "frame" around the artwork? Yes, it has come back to haunt me!

And this is what it looked like after priming the walls, thinking I was going to leave that "frame" and adding yet another two layers of paint to it!

Now it was about 4 or 5 layers thick! Made a nice CRISP line!

After priming over it twice, thinking I would just cover it up and paint the walls, this is what I was staring at:

UGH!

So, I made a quick trip up to the building supply and got this. Those guys love me (wink, wink). I think I'm the only woman that comes in that doesn't work there! :



This stuff is just amazingly smooth...like Bud-ah!


It's very important to use JOINT COMPOUND on a repair like this...not spackle! It should be quite creamy and fairly thin. Once stirred up (if needed) it should look like this:

Using the dry-wall knife, I put a glob (like that technical word?) on the end:

and GENTLY drug my knife down the wall straddling the area needing to be patched, like so:

Initial application for coverage.

Then, I started smoothing by dragging my blade at about a 30 degree angle from the wall with gentle pressure...first down, then in an "X" pattern over the area. This stuff dries really fast, so don't over work it. Dried clumps can get in it and marr your finish. Just get it fairly smooth and move on. Better for it to be too high than too low (not enough). It sands like a dream and that's how you'll get it totally smooth...not with your knife. This stuff is also very forgiving...unlike spackle.

After one coat, it looked like this:

See the rough spots from appling with the knife? Just sand those babies out till smooth as silk!

I then took a fine sanding sponge like this:

Hi-tech equipment needed here (and some focus! Had the kids helping with these shots:).

and sanded in large circles smoothing it down until it was smooth as a baby's bottom!

Sanding in large circles.

There were just a few places that still didn't seem filled in enough, so I applied another thin layer.

When dry, I sanded that layer. I wiped down with a dry rag to get all the dust off (make sure to do this between layers of joint compound as well!). Use your hands to tell you if it's even and smooth... as well as your eyes. That's the trick to stuff like this: use all your senses you can...not just the obvious. Your fingers are super sensitive and will see things the eye can miss initially.

This is what it looked like once all patching and sanding was done:

Finished patch job.

Now it was ready for paint. On went the first and second coats of primer to get it even with the walls. And now, that wall is FINALLY ready for the paint treatment!

Really boring shot, but that's the point. No lines! Smooth as silk and ready for paint.

Rediculous! If I wasn't so hard headed, I'd probably just slap some paint up there and call it a day, but I really want the wallpaper look, so I'm determined to get my dragging technique on there!

In other news.....here's a few things that I'm working on for you in the near future:

1. How to make no pattern, pull over, dining chair slip covers,
2. How to make a stick/twig mirror, and
3. More furniture reveals, of course (speaking of, I may have to take a day or two and get caught up)!

I've got more up my sleeve, but I have to pace myself so I'll keep those a secret until I get to them! Now, go patch up those wall repairs that don't require tape. If you have kids, I'm SURE you can find at least one to practice on. We'll tape on another occasion (although I don't need it to be too soon....BOYS!). Are you reading this?!