Updating the Guestroom

I had a wonderful post planned. However, I don’t know anything that ruins a good before and after like losing the before pictures! I know that I took them and I have searched high and low but I cannot find them anywhere! It is so frustrating. You will have to trust me and use your imagination. Imagine a flesh colored room, trim and all with a 90’s floral wallpaper border at the top and bottom of the room. Now add some beautiful floral comforters and pillow shams and plaid bed skirts. I hope you get the picture. It was lovely at the time but severely in need of updating. Last year, on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I decided to run everything through the washer to knock the dust off. Much to my dismay, the comforters came out in shreds! So, like any woman with a brain in her head, I made a mad dash to TJ Maxx to find a replacement. That was a no go. So I ran to Target. That also was a no go. I ended up purchasing new sheets and white down comforters to get me through the holiday until I had time for an all out redo. Last spring I found some fabric that I liked and sewed the duvet covers and pillow shams during the summer. Having my goal of completion by Thanksgiving, I used a steamer to remove the wallpaper borders last week and painted the room a fresh color, Coconut Milk by Valspar. I also painted the trim white this time. Now, I should be ready for company tomorrow!

The pencil post twin beds were made by a local craftsman and we purchased them about 25 years ago when we built this house.

It’s hard to get good photos because the bedposts are always in the way!

The fabric that I chose is by Braemore. The pattern is Wonderland and the color is Pearl. It has a lot of texture to it that I like.

It has a lot of color and coordinates well with the blue carpet that was already in the room and still in very good condition.

I tried to keep the bedside table uncluttered so that guests would have room for their phones, etc..

A small water pitcher sits on a vintage silver tray.

A few fresh blooms cut from the garden are always a welcoming touch.

I made this little lamp from a pitcher from my rabbit collection a number of years ago.

I found the yellow pillows at Stein Mart and used them for a little contrast.

Previously, I had a collection of hand painted floral plates hanging above the headboards, but they didn’t flow well with the new fabric so I made these mirrors for a little interest. I’ll do another post on how I made them.

There is a small sitting area with a comfy chair and another rabbit lamp.

I purchased this lamp in New Orleans about 25 years ago. It sat in our den for many years. It survived 5 children and only sustained one broken ear which has been glued back on. He’s almost like the Velveteen Rabbit so I can’t part with him now!

My original Cabbage Patch doll also lives in this room in an antique wicker stroller.

This oil painting is one of my favorite treasures. It hangs on the wall as you enter the room. My Aunt Grace painted it for my grandmother in 1968. The picture does not do it justice.

A year after I started, I’m checking this off my list!

On another note, there is a Thanksgiving sale going on at Bethlehem Christmas. Now is a great time for Christmas shopping.

I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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

I’m also linking to Tips, Tidbits, and Tutorials at Stone Gable.

 

Transforming a Thrifted Silver Tray

I recently ran across a silver plated tray for $5. I know, I have silver out the wazoo and could live the rest of my life without purchasing any more silver. But, I decided this one was too good to pass up and, I didn’t have one exactly like this. So, I plopped down my $5 and brought it home. Then I went to my go-to miracle worker. One swipe and I knew that I had made the right decision.

Can you believe the difference with one swipe? I used my Wenol metal polish.

You can read about how I used it on these brass table feet here. It is very easy to use and I am always pleased with my results.

I had to take the picture from an angle to keep it from looking like a mirror! It turned out beautifully! I decided to put it to use as a coffee station.

That may not be its permanent home, but for now I’m loving it there. I hope that your holiday preparations are coming along as well as mine are.

I’ll be linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style.  I’ll be sharing at Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits at Stone Gable. Click over to see lots of inspiration!

On another note, Bethlehem Christmas Dinnerware is on sale at great prices for Thanksgiving week in appreciation of great customers. Click here to go directly to the website. All pieces are in stock and we have very quick shipping, so now is a great time to do a little Christmas gift shopping!

Basement Storage Cabinet

I decided to add a little flair to our basement storage cabinet. It’s an old armoire that we purchased at an antique sale. I started by painting it black. Then I decided it needed a little more punch.

You can see in the photo above how it looked before but I had already drawn the lines for my harlequin checks when I remembered to take a picture.

I painted the checks the same color as the wall then added a little glaze to soften them up a little.

I devised a system to hold the shelves on the inside so that I wouldn’t have to put screws into the sides.

It consists of two pieces of plywood standing on each end with supports for the shelves screwed to them. Then, the plywood shelves are cut so that they rest on the supports tight enough that no screws had to be used. We use the cabinet to store towels for the lake, outdoor tarps, etc.

The shutter sign covers the electric panel box. You can read about it here. The vintage oar covers a much needed electric outlet.  I like the cabinet much more now that it has a little more “form” to go with its “function”.

I am in full pre-holiday preparation mode and should have some other projects checked off my list soon!

Have a great week!

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

Rescued Chairs

I recently completed work on these rescued chairs and checked them off my project list.

I found the pair at a Habitat Restore and decided to give them a good home!

The chairs were very sturdy but had a few nicks and scratches and one had a tiny tear in the cane back.

After a little painting and distressing, the scratch has completely disappeared.

New linen cushions complete the transformation.

I think they were worth the effort that I put in them and am pleased with the final results.

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

Fresh Apple Black Walnut Cake

It’s that time of year again. Fall is in the air and it is apple season. I had a call from my daughter who was coming home this weekend requesting an apple cake, if I had time to bake it. Of course, I obliged. Fresh apple with black walnut pound cake is a family favorite. We even eat it for breakfast! This is a heavy batter and you will need a heavy duty mixer. (My personal preference is my Kitchen Aid. I consider it a must-have for anyone who bakes.)

The recipe is :

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups oil

3 eggs

Beat the first 3 ingredients well, then add:

3 cups sifted flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Next stir in

3 cups diced apples

1 cup black walnuts

1 cup coconut

2 tsp vanilla

Stir well and pour into a greased tube or bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

I hope that you try this recipe and love it as much as my family does.

I’ll be linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and to On the Menu Monday at StoneGable.

Another Update with a Lampshade Slipcover

You may remember my slipcovered lampshade on my entry table from this post. It sits on the table that I made from parts of my grandmother’s piano. If you missed that post, you can read about it here.

After living with that for a few months, I decided that I needed a little color so I made another slipcover for the lampshade using leftover silk from the window treatments.

As you can see, this table sits in a little niche right next to the refrigerator. The new shade slipcover is close to the color of the walls.

The niche is at the end of our narrow entry hall. In addition to switching out the shade, I also moved the antique cigar box. I love the wooden box, but opening and closing the lid was not working. I switched to a decoupage plate for dropping keys.

Here’s a better shot of the plate.

The new arrangement works better for us as a quick place to drop our keys and charge our phones. As a side note, the flowers are from a $4.99 grocery store bouquet and are 3 weeks old! That’s a lot of bang for $4.99!

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

Also, if you missed my last post,  I want to remind you that there is a GREAT sale going on at LydiasHouse.com on Bethlehem Christmas dinnerware because I just learned that we will have to move our warehouse by the end of the month!!! Click on this link to go directly to the products page.

Please help me get the word out. The prices are our lowest ever because I would rather sell at a deep discount than move the inventory. Also, please pray that we will be able to find affordable warehouse space!

Have a great week!

I’m joining the Metamorphosis Monday party at Between Naps on the Porch. Drop by and visit for tons of inspiration.

My Annie Sloan Dining Table

In the early Spring of 2009 I just happened to see a television show on PBS with a wonderful furniture painter by the name of Annie Sloan! She was doing a demonstration of one of the projects from her latest book at the time. At the same time, we were in the process of building our summer cottage which you can read about here. My mother had given me her dining room furniture to use since it was in storage as she no longer used it. I decided that the Annie Sloan treatment would be the perfect match for it. All of this was before I even knew what a blog was, so I don’t have any before pictures!

The Queen Anne style dining set was purchased in the early 1970s, was made in the USA, and is solid cherry and in excellent condition.

After seeing the TV show, I immediately ordered the book from Amazon.

The copyright date is 2008.

The dining table project is on page 82.

The book is loaded with great pictures and instructions.

I was amazed that Annie said there was no need to sand or prep the wood first. I then started to look for the paint, only to find that it was not available in the US! When I went to order it from the UK, shipping for a small “pot” of paint was more than $85 bringing the total cost of one small can of paint to more than $100!!! Needless to say, I decided not to order it as I thought the risk was too great. So, I did it the hard way. I sanded the table and all 6 chairs! It really went rather quickly using my electric palm sander. Then I painted the base coat. I followed the instructions in the book. Annie suggested freehand drawing to give a more painterly look, so that’s what I did.

In addition to the band of silver leaf, I added a band of the wall color on either side of the silver.

The lines are not perfectly straight and I’m good with that.

I added a little motif to the chair backs for interest. The inside of the motif has silver leaf too.

I used a weak wood stain instead of dark wax to give an aged look. I also added the stain to the silver leaf to tone it down a little. The unevenness of the stain is intentional to give a look of age over time.

I was pleased with the aged look.

I used the same technique on the wood and iron chandelier that I purchased on Ebay.

While I had to put a lot of effort in to my “knock off” project, I am very pleased with the results! In case you live under a rock, Annie Sloan products are now readily available in the US and bloggers every where are singing the praises of her wonderful products. In this case, I guess you could say I was a few days early and a few dollars short!!

I’ll be linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch; to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style; to Tips,Tidbits, and Tutorials at Stone Gable; and to the Open House Party at No Minimalist Here.Stop by each of the party links for loads of inspiration!

On a side note, some of you are aware that I have a small business, Lydia's House . com where I sell the Christmas dinnerware, Bethlehem Christmas, that I designed and had produced.

You can see more of it in this post. I have just received word that our warehouse has been sold and we will need to relocate by the end of the month!!! So, I have reduced many items to 50% off in an effort to sell before having to move. These are the lowest prices ever and will only be for 2 weeks! So, now is a great time to make a purchase if you are interested. Click on the link above to go directly to the website.