A little black spray paint goes a long way

The majority of the projects I do can be time consuming. So, it is nice to pull out a can of spray paint every now and then and give something a quick fix and a bit of rejuvenation.

When we had our heating system installed a few years back we were given the basic ugly brown registers to cover the ducts. As I re-do a room, I give the register a makeover too. I am going with black spray paint. I am staying away from light colors to avoid dirt showing.

Because this was in the bathroom, the moisture in the air has caused it to peel and rust.

I gave it a light sanding to remove any peeling paint or rust. I also gave it a good cleaning by scrubbing it with warm water. Once completely dry, I took it outside and sprayed it with black spray paint.

I let it dry completely before putting on the final coat. Once the final coat was completely dry, I put it back in the bathroom. What a change!

While the black spray paint was out, I decided to tackle a mirror that has been put on the back burner. I picked this mirror up at a tag sale years ago for $5. I painted it red.

Since then it has changed rooms, therefore needed to change colors. I decided to go with black. I placed recycled paper on top of the mirror and taped it off. This saves you the time of having to scrape paint off in the end. I sprayed the first coat on lightly.

I sprayed two additional coats. The final result...Not a major transformation, but it sure was easy!

Please take the time to check out my Etsy seller GIVEAWAY

Take care,
Lisa

Paris chic buffet makeover

About 8 years ago I purchased an amazing buffet from an estate sale for $50. I did a gorgeous diamond pattern paint job to it. The process was done by taking an 8 inch floor tile to trace the pattern. It was a long process to trace and paint, but I was very pleased with the end result.

Looks great from a distance, but when you get close up there is peeling veneer, peeling paint, water stains, and knobs have come unglued from the base.

To prep the buffet, I filled the area where the veneer peeled with compound.

Once completely dry, I sanded it to a smooth finish. Although I did not prime the entire piece before painting my new pattern (it was primed before the original paint job), I did prime the area I just covered with compound.

I always liked this color, but it has worn on me after all these years and it was time for a change. I wanted to go with a Paris chic style, so I decided to use the black paint from my bedroom. The color is called French Beret from Benjamin Moore. The contrasting color I used on this piece was the French Beret with a little white mixed in.

I was going to maintain the same diamond pattern. This can be very time consuming, so I wanted the project to go as smoothly as possible. I am not a big fan of taping off patterns on furniture because the lines can tend to be to perfect. So the next best solution for me is to hand paint each and every line. The best way to do this is by investing in a good brush. Many shy away from this because they don't want to spend the $20$30. Instead, many by $1 brushes from the dollar store, the flea market, or Wal Mart. Please trust me when I say you are going to end up spending $25 on those before the life of your good brush ends.

My favorite brush to use is my Purdy.

This brush has been lovingly used for 2 years. I have literally used it for hundreds of projects and room renovations. The condition is still great and it still has tons of life left in it. Well worth the investment. The key is to spend the extra time giving it a good cleaning after each use.

My Purdy brush was perfect for this project because the bristles move along smoothly and the angled bristles help me cut in along my lines and corners to perfection.

Yes, the project is long and tedious, but with out my Purdy brush, I never would have achieved these straight lines. Plus the project would have taken much longer with a crappy cheaply made brush.

When I came to an edge or corner, I used a piece of paper as a guide for my lines. The reason behind this is that the paper will bend where needed helping to continue with straight lines.

Here is the buffet after one coat of paint....

After this, I distressed the piece with my palm sander, repaired broken knobs with gorilla glue, and covered the entire piece with a coat of polyurethane. The knobs are my favorite part of the piece. I purchased these from Anthropologie years ago on clearance for $3 each.

Despite the amount of time, I am very pleased with the end result. I can't wait to refill the drawers and decorate the top.

Take care,
Lisa

I am entering this project in the monthly DIY CLUB contest.

The parties I am linking this to can be viewed HERE

Sneak peak

I thought for sure I'd be revealing a piece of furniture today. I worked almost non stop on this piece most of yesterday and today. It is taking much longer than I had anticipated, so it will be one more day.....

Figure I'd give a sneak peak and you can try to guess what it is. There is a bit of Anthropologie, a bit of shabby, and a bit of Paris chic.

Cassie, you are not allowed to guess seeing that you have some insider information....LOL!!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend....

Take care,
Lisa

Eclectic chic master bedroom makeover.....

It was long over do, but the makeover of my bedroom was completed. It was gutted from ceiling to floor. A new heating system was put in, therefore all the ducts had to be boxed in. Once this and the electrical were done, the sheet rock was put up. Then the ceiling, crown molding, doors, flooring, baseboard, and of course the painting....I'm sure I left something out seeing that it seemed never ending, but I'm sure you get the idea.

Then on to the fun part...THE DECORATING!!! I had a duvet I purchased from Anthropologie years ago. I was set on using this as my inspiration piece. Hence, in order to match, the wall had to be painted black. "French Beret" from Sherwin Williams to be exact. I still feel like there is more to be done like accessories, a fireplace screen, and an area rug, but I have a good palette started.

One of the walls has a fireplace which as I said above, I still have to get a screen for. In the meantime, I have placed some accessories in it. The mantle I showed the re-do for can be viewed in detail HERE.

At a tag sale years ago I found this vintage radiator for $10. It is rusted to perfection. Green and blue stones embellish the front. I am in love with this piece. I am still looking for the perfect decor to go on top of it.

I painted my version of subway art on an old table top. "Dream, Retreat, sleep, Relax".

In front of the window I placed an old table with two ice cream parlor chairs I painted copper. The base of the table is an amazing heavy piece of iron. The top was simply a piece of plywood so I covered it with vintage ceiling tin and painted it. Over time it has rusted on its own giving it the perfect patina.

In front of one of the windows I have what was my Grandmother's iron vanity chair that she sat in every morning and night. In front of it is an antique ottoman that I reupholstered with black suede fabric. I outlined it with a gorgeous lace rosette trim. I purchased it from Etsy from a great shop called Frog Feathers . The curtains are a white gauze I purchased from Ikea. They were only $4.99 a pair. I embellished each knot with an organza flower I purchased from Etsy. The shop is Snuggle Bunny Too They were only $10 for all 4 and that included the shipping.

.

I purchased a great print from Etsy from the shop Black Baroque. It was only $10. I framed it with a frame I already had laying around. You can't beat the price or the uniqueness of it. I hung it on the brick pillar I painted white and distressed.

As I said above, the duvet was purchased from Anthropologie. The white pillow cases are vintage lace ($1 each tag sale purchase), and the black shams are from Anthroplogie. The silver ruffled pillows are from TJ Maxx. I made the bench at the foot of the bed. I posted the "how to" HERE.

The ceilings are bead board and crown molding surrounds them.

Take care,

Lisa

The parties I link to can be viewed HERE