INDOOR WINTER PAINT PROJECTS

With the colder winter days now in full swing, including our first snowfall of the season Sunday morning -- it's time to focus on indoor projects. Before diving into several projects running through your mind, it's good to start a project list, especially room by room, and tackle each space / project over time. Along with giving the kitchen & bathrooms a deep after holiday cleaning, plus reorganizing closets that became disarray during the holidays, I started some small painting projects - one of which is a simple mirror makeover...

Since paint is the easiest, least expensive and most effective means of getting the biggest bang for your buck, reusing leftover paint you may already have is a sure way to create a transformation using zero dollars. Another means of stretching your paint makeover dollars is purchasing sample jars of paints - especially when they are on sale. One of the colors I had when I lived in AZ and used to whitewash walls and makeover accessories was Clark & Kensington's Vanilla. Since I couldn't pack and ship liquids when we moved, I've been slowly building back up go-to my paint assortment - again including C&K's vanilla, here I used to transform the look of a basic round mirror I have in the dining room...

Here is what I used:

• Wide frame round mirror (clearance find at Garden Ridge 2013)
• 1 drop cloth (folded on table for extra protection)
• 1 Chip brush
• 1 small sponge stick
• 1 small detail painters brush
• Clark & Kensington Vanilla (sample jar from Ace)
• Ralph Lauren antique gold (had from last year - qt. from Home Depot)
• Ebony stain (picked up a qt. for $2 last year at a local builder supply store)

Here's what I did:

• Covered the well-lit kitchen dining table with the drop cloth.
• Wiped down the mirror with a damp cloth (to remove dust).
• No tape needed - I just gave two coats of vanilla to the center wide band.
• Sponge wiped the edge + inner rim with the RL gold paint.
• Detailed inner rim with the ebony stain, which allowed some of the existing burnished gold to still come through.

That's it!

 

old basic round mirror

 

rough brushed wide rim with vanilla

 after 2 coats of vanilla, painted edge + inner rim with sponge in gold...

Yes - I love my black, but for Spring & Summer, I love to lighten up!

Besides renewing the mirror with white & gold, I'm also refreshing the dining room with a major dose of green, white and gold. If you've followed me over the years, you know I also love are shades of green  and my beloved palm fronds - which even though we're back east, have been hard to come by - especially during the winter months. What to do when you you want to surround yourself with a atmosphere you love? Create it yourself...

Here's a sneak peek of another paint project I'm working on inside, to not only refresh the dining room, but also update a console I scored from thrift & refinished back in FL in 2006... again re-using existing pieces collected over time, injecting color with paint sample jars, and layering in a new palm print pattern with existing textiles...

 

Color inspiration from Carolina thrift finds - vintage creamer, gravy boat & books...

 

Sample jars - on sale for $5 at Sherwin Williams - perfect for small projects such as painted furniture makeovers...

Collected inspiration from a design book (surprise! NOT Pinterest!), framed photograph wall art (I created back in FL in 2008), fabric samples old (lattice) and new (palm print - banana leaf) 

Since the room foundation is already neutral (grey walls called Porpoise from Behr paint) with white trim & dark wood floors, it makes creating seasonal changes super easy - and without the cost of a major renovation. Ideally, I'd like to cover the top portion of the walls in grass-cloth and add moldings below the dado (chair rail), but those changes can't quite fit in the budget at this time - and that's just fine.

Here are a few projects from the past where I've also used palms, greens and whites...

 DECORATING WITH FAUX & FRESH PALM FRONDS

DIY WHITE WASHED WALLS 

 GATHERING UP THE GREENS FOR A RESTYLE

 DIY - A FRAMED FABRIC FOCAL POINT

A TALE OF oops! PAINT

What projects are you up to this winter?

Thanks for stopping by!

Rental ReStyle: A Stripe Mirror Makeover

Do you have an accessory that works in a room, but it looks a little tired? Are you trying to balance a room with the addition of layering patterns without it being too much? Or have you just moved, and you're trying to create a wow factor for a focal point in your space? Try this: pick an accessory, like your favorite mirror, and don't just repaint it - stripe it! It's a great way to add a dash of the stripe pattern trend, especially for renters needing to do something a little less permanent than painting a wall.



Since white & gold is also another hot trend, painting white stripes onto an already painted gold mirror was a win-win! However, even though I used blue painters tape, the white paint bled through. So a quick solution I came up with was to cover the bleed with what I had: black electrical tape. This was another win because the touch of black relates to the other black items in the space, but it's kept lighter for spring b/c the bolder stripes are white & gold.

1. Locate center.

2. Mark mirror into quads

3. Mark & tape 8 pizza slices

4. Note which side of line to place tape for painted sections.

5. Mark every-other section with tape to leave gold

6. Paint sections with white latex + be aware of drips along edge.

7. After paint dries, carefully peel off tape.

For clean-up: razor blade edges on mirror.

8. For the crisp graphic look (and hide bleeding paint), cover paint seems with black electrical tape

(electrical tape is $.99 for a roll 4xs larger than decorative

Scotch black tape at $3.39 - either sold at Ace)

9. Take tape to the edge on mirror: trim with blade. Wrap other end to back of mirror for clean edge.

 10. To ensure tape stays in place, seal mirror finish with a clear top coat and

let dry well before hanging.



Painting stripes on the round mirror created a bold & graphic starburst effect.







I've had this round mirror for about 15 years now - Ironically, it was gold at first, then silver for about 10+ years, then I painted back to gold about two years ago. It worked behind the sofa as a simple backdrop during holiday, but after creating the updated gallery wall, I had moved it to another room. Since I refreshed the sofa arrangement for spring with a stripe throw from another room, the living room needed a little more balance with the pattern mix. Adding the stripe mirror back above the TV unit /bookcase brought that pattern balance to this side of the room.



The simple shift of the updated mirror plus relocating the brass sconces from the stairways to flanking the mirror made a greater difference in the impact of the focal point for this wall...

With all the hard, straight lines in the room, it usually feels its best when

one round piece is added.

More about the Spring Style update next...

Thanks for stopping by!

LINKING POST TO:

The DIY SHowoff - Project Parade

Between Naps On The Porch - Metamorphosis Monday

Under The Table & Dreaming - Sunday Showcase

What It Is Wednseday - Ivy And Elephants

Transformation Thursday - The Shabby Creek Cottage

My Romantic Home - Show & tell Friday

Miss Mustard Seed - Furniture Feature Friday

Finding Fabulous - Frugalicious Friday

LOVE THE LOOK: ROUND MIRRORS

The addition of a round mirror - over a bed, over a sofa, or even at the top of a stairway landing - is a great means of creating a dynamic and dramatic focal point for a space. While I was sourcing online for decorative elements to add to my client's space, I came across some amazing and stylish round mirrors. The style is mainly in the frame and the finish. Something so ornate and gilded can add elegance and eclecticism to a very linear space. And then again, a mirror frame and finish can also be graphic, and re-enforce a pattern in a space. Either way, mirrors are the perfect way to add glamour, light, and depth to a space. Here are some of my faves I spotted while sourcing...

BLACK FINISHES:

COOPER CLASSICS

LAMPS PLUS

TARGET

Z GALLERIE

SILVER FINISHES:

LAMPS PLUS

LAMPS PLUS

Z GALLERIE

BALLARD DESIGNS

SILVER & GOLD FINISHES:

LAMPS PLUS

LAMPS PLUS

Z GALLERIE

GOLD FINISHES:

(VERY ON TREND NOW)

LAMPS PLUS

LAMPS PLUS

BALLARD DESIGNS

QVC

LAMPS PLUS

PIER ONE

PIER ONE

Some round mirrors can be used in a series, for example a group of three to line a hallway or over a bed. A mirror can be used to create a great backdrop for a foyer vignette. A round mirror can be layered onto a bookcase to create a focal point in a space. And some round mirrors can be used in pairs, on either side of a bed or together over a sofa...

Windsor Smith

ELLE DECOR

PHOEBE HOWARD

TOBI FAIRLEY

One thing is for certain, especially the more detailed the frame is, adding a round mirror is an excellent way to create a focal point in a space...

Two of my favorite designers are masters of using mirrors in a space:

Tobi Fairley and Phoebe Howard...

TOBI FAIRLEY DESIGNS:

PHOEBE HOWARD DESIGNS:

Even if you have an old mirror, in storage or already up on a wall, why not refresh its look with a fresh coat of paint and reinstall it in a new location in your home? By doing this, you can simply refresh the look of your space as well as add some glamour to a room. This would also be a great way to refresh your space for the upcoming holidays... A round mirror is great to layer a wreath on...

Add a wreath to a round mirror for the holidays...

It may be hard to believe... but yes.

It is THAT time of year again..

LOVE THE LOOK

Miles Redd



Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!!