An Upholstered Headboard from Grandma’s Piano

My daughter and I have finally completed another project using recycled parts from my grandma’s piano. We made an upholstered headboard for my daughter’s bed.

You may have seen the entry table for our summer cottage that I made earlier using some of the parts. You can read about it here.

This is what we started with before disassembling!

My son and I disassembled the entire piano! I think I may be able to get 10 projects out of this one piano!!

This is the part that we used. It is the top front area of the piano where the music sits.

The finish was very old and crackled.

Let’s take a closer look.

We used Citristrip to remove the finish.

We applied a nice thick coat and let it stand for a while to work its magic.

We then cleaned off the gunk to reveal a beautiful wood.

We then applied a quick and light coat of stain followed by a coat of satin finish polyurethane.

We cut legs from 1 x 3’s and attached them with screws. The legs will be painted the same color as the wall. I also cut a piece of 1/4 inch thick plywood to fit the opening and purchased a piece of 2 inch thick foam the same size.

The foam was covered with a piece of linen which was left over from another project and stapled on the back of the plywood.

I marked the back and drilled the holes for the tufting buttons then used a 5 inch long upholstery needle to attach covered buttons for the tufting. I always use floral wire to attach the buttons since I have had the thread to break so many times. The tufting is the most challenging part for me! I then used screws to attach the foam covered plywood from the back to the frame.

The tufting does not show up well in the photos.

You can see from the close-up shots that the wood turned out beautifully.

We were pleased with our efforts and are exciting about using it to update my daughter’s room.

I hope that you are enjoying the last few weeks of winter and are looking forward to spring as much as I am!

I’ll be linking to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style.

Painting a Rug

I am always one of the last to get on any decorating trend. I have been thinking about this one for a while and finally got on board after looking for a rug but not being able to find one. I needed a rug for the kitchen to catch water drips in front of the sink and those coming off of dishes going into the dishwasher.

I started by drawing the shape that I wanted and then cut it out of copy paper.

Next, I traced this shape onto a file folder so that it would be stiff and used a an exacto knife to cut it out. Notice that I left a connector strip in the middle.

I decided to start in the center of the rug.

I didn’t even tape down the stencil. I just held it down with one hand and used a 3” foam roller to apply paint.

I went back and filled in the centers with an artist brush and quickly had a full row.

I then added a row on top and bottom.

Finally I went around the border with the foam roller.

Pretty nice transformation for an inexpensive rug from Target and it eliminates a lot of water spots on the floor.

I’ll be linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style.

The Best of the Showhouse

I hope that you have read my last two posts on the designer showhouse in Flat Rock, North Carolina that I visited a couple of summers ago.  As I stated previously, no inside photography was allowed but I was lucky enough to find these photos on the real estate agent’s website since the house was for sale. If you missed those posts, you can read the first one here and the second one here.

The house was absolutely beautiful and I have saved the best for last!!

The pictures above and below are of the entry before the designers came in. Both were quite lovely.

There was a vestibule type area in front of a spacious hallway that ran across the front of the house.

Can you believe the difference? I didn’t care for the glass top table in front of the fireplace but I loved the bold color and the large ceramic planters were beautiful.

There were porches on both sides of the front door and the porch ceiling was painted the same color as the interior foyer. I also loved the drapes on the porch.

If you scroll back up and look at the first photo in this post, you will notice that the rear entry also has porches on both sides of the door. This photo shows the rear porches. One was decorated as a cooking area. I love the old cupboard used here! In the distance, you can also get a glimpse of the dining area. It was spectacular. There were drapes just like you would have in a dining room which coordinated with the floral table runner over a floor length burlap tablecloth. There was also a candlelight chandelier on a pulley system. No detail was overlooked here. This outdoor room was one of the best I have ever seen. These photos and my lame description do not do it justice. Actually, the rear porches were my favorites of the entire house!  I hope you have been inspired.

I’ll be linking to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style. Click over for lots of great inspiration!

More Showhouse Photos

This is a continuation of my last post of photos from a showhouse at Flat Rock, North Carolina a few summers ago. As I stated in the last post, I followed the rules and did not take photos inside the house. I found these photos on the real estate agent’s website. The house and setting were spectacular. If you missed the last post, you can read it be clicking here.

I only have two “before” photos in this batch. The first is a bedroom that is obviously a “before”.

Like the other “before” pictures, nothing is wrong with this room. It just has a very different style.

Only a designer would place a bed in front of a window and achieve such a dramatic effect.

The room above is a great updated look using very traditional furniture.

Notice the soft sculpture on the left wall above. It was really cute. It was called “President Obama and His Cabinet”. The tour guide in the room named each cabinet member in the sculpture and you could definitely see a resemblance! Notice, they also left the small sink on the far wall.

The spiral stairway lead to one area of the upstairs. It was not the main stairway.

The photo above shows the main stairway. It was beautiful!

This is the rear parlor and you can see the stairway from here. I thought it was interesting that the stairway was not at all visible from the front entry and foyer.

This small bathroom above, was tiny compared to the rest of the house.

The above photo is the “before” shot of the kitchen.

The “after” kitchen looks quite different without a major overhaul. Staining the cabinets a little darker and removing the wallpaper made quite a difference.

I’ll be back with one more post and I am saving the best for last!!

I’ll be linking to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style. Kim hosts a great party each week. I’m also linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Click over to see some great inspiration!

Showhouse Before and After Photos

A couple of summers ago, I toured a wonderful designer showhouse at Flat Rock, North Carolina. As usual, no interior photos were allowed. Being the rule follower that I am, I did not take interior photos. I did take a couple of shots of the stunning exterior but somehow I misplaced the photos. Later, while reading through some material given to me at the showhouse, I decided to check the real estate listing since the estate was on the market. Lo and behold, the listing had great shots of some of the rooms, before and after the showhouse. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I have.

This is the rear view of the house! The front is very similar but I don’t think that it had a fountain. By the way, I love the hydrangea trees. I wish that I had made better notes and that I had not lost my original exterior photos!

The photo above is the “before” shot of the front parlor. Perfectly fine.

The “after” shot does not do this room justice. This room was decorated in neutrals and natural curiosities. I especially like the ceiling treatment and the window treatment. The window treatment appeared to be made of a French grain sack panel with loosely woven linen on either side.  The new room has a much more relaxed feel.

The above shot is a “before” of the dining room.

You’ll notice in the “after” photo, the wallpaper has been removed and the chandelier and the mirror above the fireplace have both been replaced with larger scale items. I absolutely love the huge windows in every room. I do remember being told that the house had no central air conditioning because of all of the huge windows. The collection of blue and white pottery is displayed beautifully. Also in this room but not in the photo, was a collection of wooden boxes. They were stacked of course with the largest on the bottom and got smaller going up from the floor. The stack was at least 5 feet high! I really loved that collection too and started my own, but I have quite a way to go to get to 5 feet! To keep the post from being so long, I’m breaking it  up into segments. I hope you’ll come back for more.

I’ll be linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.