how to create a “zinc” finish

April 24, 2013

There is this little alcove between the tub and shower wall in our master bathroom in which we want to put custom built-ins, but since we are getting ready to finish our second floor, I thought hanging a full-length mirror would be a much better use of funds for a temporary fix.  We don’t have…

Read More

diy: safe, nontoxic, eco friendly way to strip furniture

March 18, 2013

I get a lot of emails about refinishing furniture and pieces that I have worked on it the past and the best advice I can give anyone is to pay the most attention to the prep work!  Prepping a piece (aka stripping the finish, or sanding and scuffing it to make it paint-ready) is the…

Read More

diy: gilded picture frame

November 23, 2012

I hope you all had a wonderful Turkey Day!  For those of you uninterested in the chaos that is Black Friday, how about a little DIY? Old picture frames and spray paint go together like peas and carrots, but I’ve got a twist for you today!  I love gilded picture frames, so I thought I’d…

Read More

a few helpful tips before your next diy

June 13, 2012

Lately I’ve gotten quite a few emails about some of the DIY posts I’ve blogged about, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to highlight some of my favorite products for helping with your next project! Krylon spray paint is my go-to brand – the coverage is excellent, the color selection is crazy…

Read More

before + after: whitewashed brick fireplace

May 15, 2012

When my clients asked me to help bring their 1972 ranch home up-to-date, the first thing that had to go was the bright orange/red brick fireplace.  Their family room gets so much natural light, yet the floor-to-ceiling brick seemed to glow.  Instead of painting the brick completely, I decided to whitewash it, instead, to tone…

Read More

diy: bottle lamp

April 30, 2012

Last summer, I found a wine cask on clearance at Pottery Barn for $20.  I had no clue what I was going to do with it or where I was going to put it, for that matter (it’s HUGE), but I liked the seeded glass and figured I would eventually find the perfect spot.  It…

Read More

diy: how to make new wood look old and weathered

April 26, 2012

 In yesterday’s post, I showed you how I made my own custom picture frames for nautical charts and today I thought I’d show how I created the weathered stain – it’s super easy and very inexpensive!  I wanted to create a finish similar to the mirror and candlesticks on my fireplace, since the frames will…

Read More

diy: make your own picture frame

April 25, 2012

  I’ve posted before on oversize art and the impact it has in a space, so I decided to take my advice when it came to my own home!  We have a huge vaulted ceiling in our living room and I needed something big to fill all that wall space over our couch.  My hubby…

Read More

diy: step-by-step guide to whitewashing furniture

April 5, 2012

Lately, I’ve gotten quite a few emails asking for help creating the whitewashed finish I wrote about last year, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to post a step-by-step guide for anyone interested in trying it!  Whitewashing is a simple technique of watering down white paint and literally washing it over a…

Read More

sharpie wallpaper

March 12, 2012

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  Aside from throwing elbows to get through Ikea on Saturday, for me, this weekend was all about relaxing and regrouping after a long and crazy week.  I tried to limit myself to an hour of Pinterest and about fell over when I stumbled upon this guest bathroom…

Read More