Installing a wall mural is a great way to create a view in a viewless room! Last year I told you about a mural I installed in the studio. (you can find that studio mural installation post HERE.) More recently, I installed a different type of mural and thought jotting down a few tips about this particular installation, which was different, would be helpful. This viewless room I just created a view for is a small game room in our lower level. It is without a view, (I mean really without a view, as in no windows) and no matter the amount of prints and ... Keep Reading...
Dry Stack Stone Planter
Yay! Spring is here and with it come many gardening and landscape plans. My husband and I actually made this dry stack stone planter last year. I've been saving it to share with you until now in case one of you is considering to DIY your own dry stack planter for the first time. Hopefully the tips I've figured out in the process will help with your project. A huge advantage to building a dry stack stone planter, (or wall) is what it doesn't require! For a mortared stone wall, we'd have to have footings buried 3 or 4 feet in the ground. We are in the ... Keep Reading...
Fabric Covered Buttons
I recently shared with you how I created a bed pelmet. There were a few steps in creating it. One of the finer details to make it look completely finished was to cover the screw heads with fabric covered buttons. In case you missed it, HERE is the post with the DIY tips to create a bed pelmet. Creating the fabric covered buttons adds a lovely custom look to the pelmet and they are super duper easy to make. For my DIY fabric covered buttons, I used a kit, LIKE ONE OF THESE. Later on in this post I detail how I added a little extra ruffle around the ... Keep Reading...
Furniture Facelift
This furniture facelift features a pair of second-hand end tables that needed a change. Though they were sturdy and the size was good for what space I hoped to use them in, it was the color that was not so great. It took me nearly 10 steps in the process of redoing these to get the look I wanted, but truth be told, if I would have planned a wee bit better and knew what I wanted at the start I could have avoided a few steps. If you have a piece that needs a furniture facelift and you want a similar finished look, I'm going to share what I did and what I ... Keep Reading...
How to DIY a Bed Pelmet
I'm so excited I finally found the time to make this DIY bed pelmet for our bedroom. By embellishing premade drapery panels for part of the project and a using little ingenuity made this DIY project fairly easy. This is the only 'before' picture I could find! It gives you a rough idea of the bare look we've had in the bedroom since we completed the whole house renovation and moved in a few years ago... So many other things were taking my time and energy, detailing this space got set on the back burner. When I was younger I would start a project ... Keep Reading...
More than just a Dog Shower
The other day when I was giving my houseplant a rinse in the dog shower, I thought I'd share this handy design with you! A dog shower? Yup, and a whole lot more... Let me start from the beginning... or nearly beginning... As our mid century home was being re-modeled, (HERE you can read more about our mid century renovation). I was able to tweak just enough space in the mudroom/laundry room/back entry/pantry/bathroom floor plan design, (yes, it really is all those things in one space) to fit a small dog shower. Here's a picture I took ... Keep Reading...
Identifying Style Granny-Chic
Are you familiar with some of the decorating style terms flying around? There's 'Neo-Victorian', 'Maximalist', 'Grandmillennial' and 'Granny-chic' or 'grandma-chic'. My identifying style 'granny-chic' is me through and through, and I'm so tickled that it's a style being embraced once again. These terms are gaining popularity as there is a growing sector of Gen-Y, 20 and 30 somethings, that are fully embracing the maximalist style in their decorating. (Maximalist style is the opposite of minimalist style) A 'Grandmillennial' is a 'millennial' or 'Gen-Y' ... Keep Reading...
Proportion: High Back Sofa Needs
Proportion is so important in decorating. A new higher back sofa caused a need to address the proportion of the furniture in our living room. Are you familiar with what I call the 'mushroom effect' in decorating? You know, when you get one new thing, it affects something else you weren't expecting to change, but you need to address that, and then that in turn affects something else, and before you know it, it's kind of like a mushroom cloud exploding with changes. In a small way, that's what happened to me when we changed our sofa. I actually never ... Keep Reading...
DIY Inspiration for Curbside Freebies
Oh my gosh, I just love curbside freebies, don't you? If you're lucky, you may happen upon a freebie that is good as it is, but mostly it's something that needs a little TLC and creativity. That creativity can need a kick in the pants with some sort of inspiration. Last week I finally finished a project I started a few months ago after this DIY inspiration struck me for these curbside freebies! This summer I picked up a pair of tin jack-o-lantern pots in a free pile on the curb with the thought of repurposing them somehow. Then I stumbled upon this ... Keep Reading...
Vintage WWII Christmas Ornaments
In front of the south facing patio door of the dining room I have a new tree display this year. On it is a collection of vintage WWII Christmas ornaments. This spot, where the sun can beam through the clear ornaments, turned out to be a lovely location for such a display. The past few days I've had fun sharing some of my vintage ornaments with you. I've been collecting them for a while and highlighted this year's way I displayed them. If you missed the last 2 days, here are those posts: 'Vintage Christmas Tree Reflectors' and 'Vintage Christmas on ... Keep Reading...
