Painting Old Light Fixtures…Before and After

Welcome to another edition of Tool Time Tuesday! Do you have old light fixtures that are still ok in their style or shape, but not so much their color? Well, that is definitely my story….not to mention I don't want to spend money on new ones or spend the time changing them out.

My quick fix…paint!!

This is the old color. It is a bronzy copper color.

Come in to see the small change that made a big impact for me!

How to Remove Plastic Screw Anchors...

Hi everyone!! Not much sewing or crafting going on right now. We had old baseboard radiators removed and new hardwood floors put in two rooms and that lead to patching, priming and painting the walls. You know that if something is going on at the house, it's fair game for a post!

I thought I would share this with you for a future project you might have.

How to remove those little plastic inserts that secure a screw into dry wall.

You know these little things…

I had anchors in several places over each window. Some were down low next to the window frame and some were higher when I raised the curtain rods closer to the ceiling. I bought new double rods and of course the holes don't match up to the old ones.

Courtney's Room..Spray Painting Ideas

Hi everyone. Today I want to share some spray painting ideas. I painted Courtney's room gray before Christmas and made the lined drapes with the duvet covers You can click HERE to see that post if you missed it.

This weekend, I'm trying to finish up a few more projects before Courtney graduates Saturday, May 18th and comes home. I have a few sewing projects left which I'll share with you this week too.

Here's the corner I worked on yesterday.  We had everything, just tweaked them with spray paint. (as a side note, the gray on the walls is all the same throughout the whole room...it just looks like 2 colors with the sunlight)

This is the before picture I found from Christmas 2011 of the pink paint. Great color when she was in middle school through high school, but the gray is much better for a 22 year old. Lol

I have a few painting ideas and one quick craft project for the cork board...so pop in for a visit.

Tool Time Tuesday...Painting Mirrors

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today's Tool Time is about painting...paint primer to be exact. The picture below is the "after" of an area in our home that has been on the "to do" list for 19 years. 

Ok, saying 19 years out loud seems crazy, but we all know how things can get pushed aside for other projects. When you move into a new place, you have so many projects to do to make someone else's house your home. Painting rooms, new flooring, drapery and we even had new additions so my parents could move in with us.

This whole wall is a wall of mirrors and would be a daunting task of removing it and re-sheet rocking.

Well, I finally addressed this problem without much effort or money at all. 

Another Waiting Room Before and After...

Hi everyone!! A few weeks ago, I shared a waiting room I decorated for the dental office I work in. Click HERE to see that post. Well, I wanted to share the second waiting room I did for our new office. I had so much fun doing both...different styles in each office, because of the style and ages of the buildings.

Here is the before of the room...

and here's the after...

View from inside the room.

This is the same wall on the right above.

Leather club chairs from Target just like the other office.

Dining room chairs from Marshall's.

Table from TJ Maxx and lamps from Marshall's $30 with the shades!!

Little desk from Ikea and thrift store chair. Rug is from Target...I think $80

The windows in this older home are just beautiful. They were hidden behind vertical blinds. The wood trim, crown molding and details are the reason for the different feel than the other office.

This is the kid's corner.

All the accessories are from Marshall's. The wire baskets were all different colors, so I spray painted them a galvanized metal. Aren't the little club chairs so cute.

All the lamps from Marshall's have pretty burlap fabric shades. Love them!!

Great new chandelier to replace an ugly round ball light. This is from Home Depot $80. Just need to turn the seams on the shades, now that I look at it!!

I have a tutorial for these lined drapes coming up.

Double rods and for drapes and sheers. Sheers are from Ikea...$5.00 for a pair!!

Fabric is from Joann's. Needed the coupon, but it came to about $22.00 per yard. I was sick cutting it! LOL

Lined drapes were easier than I thought.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

I know this is a waiting room, but maybe you can use some of these ideas in your own home.

Have a great day,
~Karen~

Waiting Room Before and After Pictures...

Hello to all...hope you're having a great day! I wanted to share some pictures of a waiting room remodel I did a few months ago. I am a dental hygienist and work in a wonderful office with great people and the best boss who let me redo the waiting room.

Here are some before and after pictures for you. I know what you're saying...I don't live in a waiting room, how would these help me in my own home. The answer....paint. Well, paint and all new furniture, but paint is big.

Here's the before...forgot to take a picture of it with all the old furniture, but it was just tired.

Here's the after...looking in the same corner

Before...

After!!

These are some of the specifics. FYI...you have to put all this furniture together yourself!

• 2 club chairs from Target...2 pack for $300. Color espresso
• dining room chairs...2 pack for $160. Color espresso
• rug form Ikea...$149
• coffee table from Target...$140. Color dark espresso
• round side table...TJ Maxx for $80

2 Kids ottomans...Target $100. I know, but so cute!! and I just love it when I see a little one sitting on them.

Kid's Toy Corner...

Small shelf...Target for $70.

• Wire baskets form Marshall's and TJ Maxx for $8.00 each, but they were all different colors, so I spray painted them silver to match the lamps. Added electrical light covers as name plates for what toys are in the baskets.
• sewed the fabric basket liners to match the lampshades (also from Target)

Found the matching fabric in the kitchen section as a table cloth!!

Here's a before of the red trim :(

Painting tip...PRIME, PRIME, PRIME.

The gray paint is Benjamin Moore called Nimbus Gray. LOVE IT!!

This is the door after.

The valance was an easy project...tutorial to follow soon.

Just fabric sewn with a lining and then stapled to a 1" x 2" board.

then mounted above the window with "L" bracket.

Old pillows covered with more tablecloth fabric.

Lamp from Walmart...shade from Target.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour.

Maybe some of these tips can be used in your home too.

I also did a second waiting room in our other office. I'll post that next week.

Coming soon...2 tutorials on how to make the valance and also how to sew long, lined drapes.

Thanks for stopping by,
~Karen~

Painting Brick...

I know...painting brick! Very scary to take that first stroke of the brush, but boy am I glad I did! Our family room was added to the house before we purchased our home. The lower level of the wall is a brick foundation, then the wall is set back a little to form a ledge. A lot for the eye to settle on. I lived with the two tone wall because I was afraid to paint the brick...no more though.

This "before" picture is last year...Christmas 2010. See the two colors...tan walls, beige brick and then tan radiators.

Here's the "after". This picture is this year...Christmas 2011. I didn't take this picture for this painting post, but you can see the difference in the walls behind the tree...much calmer for the eyes. The color flows evenly.

This is a close up of the before.

First step PRIMER. This was the AHHHHH!! moment when there was no turning back.

Roll on the primer with a thicker roller so it gets into all the grooves.

When I painted with the tan paint, I did use a brush for the mortar areas to make sure it covered well.

Here's the after...much better all one color!

Kind of makes that ledge wall disappear a little. Well, not really disappear, but it helps!

If you've been contemplating painting brick...just to let you know...I'm so glad I did it!!

Happy Painting,
~Karen~