When I Was Your Age

Cabinet Room

Apparently I haven't met a china cabinet that I didn't feel the need to paint. On the left is my current cabinet here in Rhode Island and on the right is my cabinet from our house in New Jersey. Like I said, I have a really easy-going husband. We have a spectacular collection of MacKenzie-Childs china in the Honeymoon pattern and it really cries out to sit in something very special. When I first acquired the china, I wanted to create a cabinet that was in keeping with the whimsical feel of this line. This time around, I wanted the cabinet to showcase the china instead of mimic it. We also added lights, which really shows off these beautiful pieces.

Say It In Style

Make any occasion a little extra special with our medallion banners. Spell out a name, an occasion, a saying or a sentiment. Place them on a wall, a door, a fireplace mantel, the back of a chair, on a bulletin board, you name it. They're colorful, fun and an inexpensive way to make a statement.

With a Little Paint and Imagination

Not to suggest that you attempt this on your first try but it's not impossible. A little forethought and some guts. This is the fireplace from our old house in New Jersey. I do miss it. When we moved in, the original mantel was white brick. Nothing to speak of. This new mantel was built by my husband and I did the painting. I went through lots and lots of sketches before I landed on this design.

Our new house in Rhode Island has a very non-descript fireplace that I will happily tackle before next winter. Just brick. No mantel. As a matter of fact, the entire house that we just moved into is a complete blank canvas. Just waiting for color and imagination. Stay tuned.

Recycle and Reuse Part 2

Before and After...

I love these old metal chairs. These green and white ones above aren't the old, old ones that you find in antique stores and flea markets. These were bought several years ago from Restoration Hardware. But, like all metal chairs that sit out in the elements for a while, they show their wear and tear after a while. The chipping paint wasn't the bothersome part, though. It was the color. The pale green no longer worked for me and I wanted something more dramatic. Which, of course, like everything else leads to thoughts of paint.

Repurposing these for our front porch wasn't difficult at all. The prep was the most time-consuming (and boring.) The whole project took about an hour and a half. Not bad.

If you're going to tackle a similar project, a few things to keep in mind. First, clean your chairs thoroughly to remove grime and other unwanted stuff on the surface. If you're dealing with terribly rusty chairs, do a little light sanding w/a medium grit sandpaper (150) and use one of the many rust primers available. Also, work in the shade. Enamel spray paint doesn't react well to sun while it's wet and drying. Finally, do your project outside or in a garage w/the door open for ventilation and make sure there's little or no wind.

After the chair is cleaned, tape off the parts that you don't want painted with painters tape and newspaper. If you're painting the entire chair one color, you're in luck and your prep will be even easier and faster.

Use a high quality, high gloss spray paint in the color of your choice (I used a Rustoleum product). Best to use a few light coats than one heavy. Enamel spray paint can sag and look really unprofessional if it's applied too thickly all at once. Let each coat dry thoroughly. Finally, remove tape and paper and admire your work.

I love the new look of these new chairs. I've paired them with one of our Summer Camp tables which, like the chairs, was painted in a color I could no longer use. The same paint as I used on the chairs gave this table a whole new look. Black enamel high gloss paint has a look all of its own. Try it.

Got Boring Shades?

Window shades are a necessary evil, especially in childrens' rooms. But they needn't be boring. Paint them to coordinate with the room. A beautifully painted window shade can even stand alone -- no other window treatment needed. If you don't have artistic talent, buy a stamp or do as above and paint a checkerboard. Checks are a neutral style that coordinate well with other prints.Cotton shades are easier to paint than the plastic/vinyl type, but they can be painted, too. Just make sure you get the kind of craft paint that works well on a plastic surface. Finish off the look with an interesting shade pull --- a tassel, a cluster of glass grapes, etc.

Cheap Tricks

I have a very easy-going husband who lets me put floral wallpaper on the risers of our front entry stairs. I love these stairs and I miss them very much. They were from our charming center hall colonial in New Jersey.

This staircase treatment is a super easy, super inexpensive way to make a statement on your steps. It's done with wallpaper and all told it took me about a day. This set of stairs was the focal point in a center hall colonial. If an entry hall seems to daunting, try it on your back staircase or basement steps. The good news is, that like wallpaper on walls, it can always be removed and repainted. If you've ever wallpapered a room, this project will be a breeze.

Start with a roll of wallpaper, wallpaper paste, wallpaper brush, wallpaper burnisher, scissors, a ruler, a straight edge, a damp rag and lots of razor blades. Many wallpapers come pre-pasted. Pre-pasted wallpaper doesn't always adhere well. So even if you purchase the pre-pasted kind, use paste anyway. You can use gloves if you prefer, but make sure they're the surgical kind that allow for finger mobility.

Measure the depth and length of the front of the stair riser. Cut pieces that are approximately 1" bigger around for however many steps you'll be covering. To begin, brush the wallpaper paste onto the front of the stair. Place the paper over the glue and smooth out with your hands. You'll have time for moving it around before the glue dries to get it right. (using a floral or other pattern works better than a geometric, which can be difficult to get straight). Once the paper is in its proper place, smooth it out with your hands and then take the wallpaper burnisher and smooth it out further in all directions. Make sure you don't skip this step. The burnisher is what really laminates the paper to the wooden stairs. You will have extra wallpaper glue oozing out a bit. That's normal.

Now you have to trim the excess paper. Take your straight edge and align it to the edges of the front of the stair. Holding the straight edge tight, make a cut across with a fresh razor blad to get a neat, close cut. Once you have trimmed all 4 sides, take your damp rag and wipe off the excess wallpaper paste. Wipe it off in the edges where it's oozed and the paper itself.

Remember to also: Rinse your rag regularly to avoid glue buildup. Change razor blades often. They get dull quickly and if it's not sharp, you'll end up ripping the paper instead of cutting it. You can usually patch mistakes. (Another reason to get a highly patterned wallpaper. Mistakes are less noticeable).

As was done here, you can also finish off the stair by painting stripes.

Grocery Store Decor

Here's my solution to boring switchplates...I call this "legume art". I've used dried beans on switchplates, mirror frames and even dressers. They're very cool, super cheap and always a conversation piece.

In my house in Rhode Island, one of the few things I was lucky enough to inherit with the vanilla box of a house we bought was a roomy bathroom (it's all relative --- this is the northeast and it's not new construction) with the original black and white tile.

Black and white beans from the supermarket, a glue gun, some polyurethane to finish and my black and white bathroom has a black and white lightswitch unlike any other. This template was an unfinished wooden switchplate that can be found in any craft store. An even easier solution is to glue over the existing switchplate. Just remember to leave enough space for easy mounting with the screws.