Tag: Painting

Recent Home Updates

RECENT HOME UPDATES

After I completed my leopard living room curtains, I kept feeling the itch to check more things off of my summer to-do list. I decided to start with the kitchen curtains.

Breaking Out the Sewing Machine

For these curtains you’ll remember that I was planning to use this fabric.

Waverly Sun-n-Shade fabric “Seeing Spots”

I am not very well-versed in the use of a sewing machine, but I got one for Christmas a few years back and busted it out for this project. I have to read the directions every time I get it out, and sometimes I have to search a YouTube video or two. I thought I was ready to go so I took my picture expecting my next one to be of something complete. And then something just didn’t seem to be going right and here’s what I managed to accomplish:  Oh boy…..

So, I regrouped, reread my instruction guide, and tried again. I also put my camera away at this point and decided to just focus.

New Curtains

I sewed the curtains, hung them on a tension rod and hated them. They were gathering like Granny’s old kitchen curtains, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the gather at all. My original plan was to hang them from hooks like I did the leopard curtains, but I did not like the look I was getting. The fabric, to me, looked better when it was flat. I decided to cut them to fit the width of the window and hung them on small tension rods. They just add a little bit of accessory to the white kitchen. I have enjoyed having them up. And enjoyed even more that I didn’t have to ask my mom to make them for me. 🙂 She was probably glad too.

I just love this fabric, and I recently saw it in black as upholstery on a chair. It was beautiful. The above picture doesn’t do it justice. My camera and editing skills are not up to par at all, but you get the general idea. I think it’s better than the before that you can see below.

Another Rug Switcheroo

I also switched a few more rugs around this week. You can see in the picture above the old orange rug I’ve had for way too long. It doesn’t really “go” anymore and, honestly, needed to be retired.

I think I have enough room for a runner along this stretch of cabinets, but I just can’t pull the trigger so quickly on rugs/runners. Plus, “shopping” my house is much easier on the pocketbook, so that’s exactly what I did.

If you remember my first post that shows the entry foyer to our building you’ll see that I had a rug at our door. Since we don’t use this door much anymore, I decided I would bring this rug inside and put it at the back door. I took the rug I was using at the back door and put it in front of the sink to replace the old orange one. 

Not a major transformation, but something different to enjoy. Always shop your house first! You’d be surprised at what you actually have that works in new ways and in new places.

I Tried to Better the Painting

A few posts ago I showed you an abstract painting that I did to go in our dining space. But if you remember, I didn’t love it. So I decided to add a bit of gold brush strokes around the edges to help it look a bit more like it was “framed”. I didn’t want it to be perfect like I was trying to actually frame it, but I just kept thinking it needed something. I am still deciding if I like the changes. I like it better than before, but I’m still not sure if I love it.

BeforeAfterLike I said, I don’t know if I love it, but I definitely like it better than before.

Anyone else crafting or having fun playing in your homes this summer? Share them with me in the comments.

Sometimes I think something as simple as switching a piece of furniture with another from a different room or rearranging your bedroom furniture is just as much fun as a full on room overhaul/makeover. I encourage you to do that! Especially for your kids. I was always asking to rearrange my furniture when I was little. Putting my bed on a different wall or in a corner. It gets your creative juices flowing and inspires you to make your home a place you truly love. And bonus to you moms who find it keeps your little ones occupied in their rooms while you get some downtime. 🙂

As always, my point here on this blog is to encourage you to make your house a home, a place that you loved to be, a space to express your creativity, and a safe haven for you to be yourself and make mistakes along the way. That’s part of the fun. Lord knows I’m making plenty of them, especially in the way of decorating, but I’m definitely having fun doing it.

 

Painting DIY Fail

I have been getting really tired with my blank walls. And with summer break a mere five days away, I’ve been planning some ways to spruce up my home.

I always start with Pinterest when I’m looking for inspiration for home decor, and this time was no different. I have been wanting to put something on the walls in the dining area of the apartment. 

I searched for something that would “go” if I decided to do a piece on each wall. Something that would match but wouldn’t be too matchy matchy. I didn’t have much luck searching for something like that, but I did find one piece I like.

I tend to gravitate toward abstract art, so while searching Pinterest I found this one. 

Well it just so happens that I already own two square canvases that I got when Paul and I got married. They were one of those mass-produced canvases that came from Bed Bath and Beyond. Well, when we were living in our house in Louisiana, I decided I didn’t like them anymore, and I decided to paint over them. I decided to not use them as a set so I painted different things on each one.  I was a little obsessed with the dalmatian print that I was seeing all over Pinterest. I saw it as art, bedding, and lots of fabrics. I still see things upholstered in that print all the time. It’s quite beautiful and maybe even better in blue and also in pink. 🙂 So, this was one. And the other one……….

Yeah….so….if you’ll let me, I’ll tell you the story behind this. When Paul and I got married, his brother, Ben, wrote us a song. Composed the music and wrote the lyrics-the whole 9. I love it, and it is so special and personal and the coolest thing to have your very own song! But y’all, this was a terrible idea to think that I could free hand anything pretty onto something that would hang on wall, especially not the lyrics to our song. I should never have done it, and it’s definitely the one that got used for this current paint fail. Maybe it’s the canvas. Not the girl who has ZERO experience in painting. Ha!

I mentioned here that I was working on a painting project that I had hoped to share with you before Mother’s Day. But, of course, other things got in the way and the canvas sat half-way painted on this table for (shamefully) weeks. Once I set my mind to it, though, I finished it. Here’s the end result.

Womp womp.

Before I rip it to shreds I’ll say this: I like the way the blue turned out. I like the way it’s darker in some places than others. (Is that what artists call dimension? Or depth? Or just that I need to add another coat?) But I feel like it needs something. Paul said I need to put a word in it, but we see how that turned out in the picture of the song lyrics. Nope.

Another thing I liked about the one I found on Pinterest was the gold frame. I decided instead of a frame I would just paint the sides of the canvas gold. I really like this part, but I wish you could see the gold more head on.

Another thing I’m not sure that I like is the amount of blue in this space. Blue is definitely one of my favorite colors. Probably my most favorite color if I had to choose, but perhaps there really can be too much of a good thing.

I’m living with it for now to see if it grows on me or if I’m inspired by what I’d like to add to it.

I guess it’s not a total fail. It is a completed project, after all. I’m not sure what I’ll add to the other wall of this little nook. I originally wanted to do two similar abstracts, but now I’m not so sure.

If you’re like me and like to try your hand at new things, I hope this is encouraging in some weird way. Even if you mess up a little or fail miserably, don’t give up! I may not be satisfied with what I’ve turned out, but I did it, and I can fix it. And let’s face it, if I can’t fix it, there are always local artists or Etsy shops or my current favorite store, At Home, that can come to the rescue.

So, of course, I want to know what you think. What should I add? Is it fine as it is? Let me know in the comments. Have a great week, everyone!