A Change Of Color Makes A Big Difference

This is my chandelier in the newly painted dining room.

I wanted to share some pictures with you of the light fixture as it looks now with the new paint on the walls.  It is like I have a different light fixture. It shows how much of a difference a change of color on the walls can make not just to the room itself but also to the furnishings.

The built-in needs to be reorganized and I am toying with the idea of doing something with the interior walls. We shall see.

The cool, dark color (Benjamin Moore, Deep Space) is a great contrasting backdrop to the warmth of the chandelier. Previously, the fixture blended in.  Now it stands out. This was how the room had been for the past 6 years.

Looking in from the family room.

I  had removed the sconces, washed them and cleaned up the chandelier. This is what the fixture looked like while we painted....interesting. A glimpse of the kitchen in the background.

 

Sconces were replaced this morning after which I took these pictures.

 

From this..

..to this

It is amazing how a change of color can change the look so much. It is the easiest way to change the look of a room and to view everything else in the room in a new way and sometimes with surprising effects. I am loving the contrast.

The metallic paint from Nova Paints arrives on monday. Then begins the stenciling.

On another note: I apologize if I have not visited/commented on your posts this week. With the kids home for winter break and our internet service being predictably unpredictable it has been challenging sticking to a schedule. I hope to catch up over the weekend.

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Dining Room Painting Progress And A Q&A

We got a fair amount done  with the dining room paint project over the weekend. Some of these pictures were taken at night. I prepped and taped the walls on Saturday. I normally would have this done days before painting but this time I did not have the time. Mid Saturday afternoon the painting began.

 

Remember, this is the color from Benjamin Moore - Deep Space.

I had it matched in Behr's Premium Ultra Plus at Home Depot at a lower price.

I am excited to work on the stenciling. Time to order the metallic paint.

Other links to posts on  my dining room:

Idea For Dining Room Walls

Dining Room Stencil Paint

Last week I got tagged by two favorite bloggers with a set of 11 questions I have to answer; something that is making its rounds from blog to blog. I have decided to answer all 22 questions!

These questions are from Pam of Simple Details

1. What would be the career of your dreams?

What I am doing right now but full-time. There is much more to look forward to.

2. I would eat Top Ramen noodles for a month in order to save up for ___________! Or, I wouldn't eat Top Ramen for anything!

I wouldn’t eat Top Ramen noodles as I have discovered tastier brands but eat them rarely as they are very unhealthy (besides being very addictive).

3. Which would you choose for a date with your husband: Candlelight dinner at a nice restaurant or day of hiking in the mountains?
Hiking in the mountains. Something different (for him).

4. In which sport or athletic activity would you most like to participate?

Indoor Rock climbing. Is bowling considered a sport?

5. What do you wish you were more knowledgeable about?

How to make the most of my all the functions on my camera.

6. Pretend one of your online blogging friends is coming to visit for the weekend, what one thing would you do to your home before she arrived?

Bring in some fresh flowers..always the last thing on my list.

7. What kind of driver are you (speed demon, rule follower, tickets, fender benders, easy going)?
Rule follower, definitely.

   8. It's hard for me to_____________.
   It is hard for me to say "no" to people sometimes.

  
   9. What are your nicknames?

I don't have any.

10. What is your best quality?

   Creative (and compassionate).

    11. What is your best piece of advice for raising children?

Communication is key. Beginning from the moment a child can communicate, always keep the lines of communication open. The first thing my kids do when they walk in the house after school is tell me about their day - about the good and the not-so-good.

Ange from The Blooming Hydrangea sent me these questions.

1. What are your favorite pizza toppings?
I enjoy a regular cheese pizza but we have recently discovered Pepe's Pizza (NY,CT) and they do a delicious roasted chicken pie.


2. If you could swap lives with someone for a day who would you choose and why?
I think currently I would like to spend a day in my 13-year-old's shoes in order to better understand Middle School cutlture. It is a transitional period and the kids are exposed to a social environment that is too mature for them at this age when they need to focus on excelling academically.  Having said that, she would be too young to spend a day in my shoes.


3. Do you drink coffee?
On occasion, a cappuccino after dinner at a restaurant. I am a huge tea drinker largely because of where I have lived growing up as well as it being a cultural thing.


4. If you could vacation anywhere, where would you go?
I would like a relaxing beach vacation in an exotic sparsely populated location which is not too commercialized. I used to want to visit Mauritius growing up and the Maldives would be a close second. New Zealand is also on my list.

5.What was your favorite book as a child?
I would read a lot and loved mysteries of any kind; no one book springs to mind. Anything by Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys series - before I was a teenager.


6. If you were a color crayon what color would you be?
Turquoise.

7.Best thing of 2011?
I discovered blogging and after being shown the basic setup, taught myself a lot about it..still learning.


8. Are you an early bird or night owl?
I have always been a night owl and I get a lot done when the house is quiet but I could be much more of an early bird if I did not stay up so late.

9. Do you prefer a bath or a shower?
I prefer a shower. It is more efficient. A bath would be a luxury!


10. What is your favorite childhood memory?
A lot of roadtrips with my parents and 3 siblings. Whichever country we were in we would do some. In India we had the driver with us and the four of us squeezed into the  back with my mother. In Nigeria, we travelled along the coast (with a view of an emerald-hued ocean) to Togo one summer, passing through Ghana. In the UK we did  the most - Stonehenge, Cambridge, Oxford, Canterbury, The Lake District...North, South, East and West.


11. What do you want to  be when you grow up?
I want to be me!


Thank you, Pam and Ange, for tagging me. I got to share a little bit about myself today.

 

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

New Color For The Jewelry Organizer And Weekend Project

Well, the blue flannel fabric was more than enough for me to make another attempt at framing the jewelry organizer. I also added two different strands of chain links to jazz it up. I need help cutting one of the strands so I can finish this up and I know this will all be accomplished by tomorrow. I used my glue gun and many hot glue burns later here is a glimpse.

I actually prefer the gold against the blue rather than the red flannel fabric I showed you in my previous post. 

You might see strands of glue on the fabric if you look closely. I have to clean up the piece once I am done. This is what I need help with, hopefully this evening.

 

I cannot wait to get it done and to start using it. My jewelry awaits.

 

I picked up the paint for the dining room - Deep Space it is! I have started emptying the breakfront and plan to begin prepping the walls, taping and so on this weekend and hopefully get some paint on, too.

 

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Hardware Decor And Update On My Project

Have you visited your local hardware store recently? When you do, have you spent time browsing the shelves? There is so much available that can be used for different projects, large and small, at reasonable prices. Your local hardware store is a wonderful resource for items that can be transformed into something beautiful that will enhance any space.

Here are some perfect examples of chic and decorative creations using such mostly functional items. The first two are courtesy of Martha Stewart Living.

Hardware Sconce via 

A novel idea!

Modern Wine Rack via

Yes, one would need a hacksaw for this one.

Here are some ideas I have pinned on Pinterest. The following three are highlighted in the book by Stephen Antonson and Kathleen Hackett (authors) entitled 'Home From The Hardware Store: Transform Everyday Materials Into Fabulous Home Furnishings.' Photography by Lesley Unruh.

  

These could be painted or not.

Machine-Age Candlesticks via

Something fun for storage in a kids' space or mudroom.

Chic Wall Storage via

Space-Age Table and Periscope Lamp via

I have been plugging away at my jewelry organizing/display piece which I posted about here and here.

Besides the hardware cloth and garden stakes, I also picked up some shower curtain rings, pin-on hooks and slip-in drapery hooks. I found some pretty metal chains which I knew I had to include in the design. These are typically sold by the foot for anywhere from 99 cents and up. I picked up 3 different designs in different gold finishes (matte, polished, embossed) and paid $2.14 per foot for the priciest chain.

Besides the paint and protective finish, these have been my purchases so far.

I have also sprayed the grid with a protective finish, Rust-Oleum's clear top coat.

And used Krylon Short Cuts metallic paint in Gold Leaf for the hardware. I love combining silver and gold to create a modern look and this is a perfect opportunity to do just that - gold hardware on a silver grid.

I wanted to soften the look of the piece - so much metal - and also cover the sharp edges. I looked through my fabric scraps and found some red flannel left over from a patchwork stadium blanket my kids had sewn for their father a couple of years ago. I cut strips of fabric and used Liquid Nails - my first time using this product -  to glue the fabric around the edges.

Then I proceeded to glue the chain (with the smallest links) to the inside of the frame. This is what part of it looked like.

It started to look good but not for long. Perhaps it was the wrong combination of materials but it would not adhere properly and started to look messy. I could not control the quantity of glue for each application. 

I was not happy so I have ripped the fabric off and the chain, too. I might make another attempt with some cobalt blue flannel I have, if I have enough, or else it is on to Plan B. It is worth another try and would save me having to  make another purchase.

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or sclick here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Please Note: I have not been compensated in any way for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are solely mine and are based on my experience with the products.

Progress On The Jewelry Organizer

My last post highlighted a dire need for some jewelry organizing and from the responses I received I am relieved yet not surprised that there are others in need of the same. This is what I accomplished last week.

I had purchased some hardware cloth. I opened it up and tried to straighten it a little. I placed it beneath two dining room chairs.

Not an easy task.

Meanwhile, I bought some Krylon fusion spray paint for plastic with which to spray the two garden stakes.

That took the stakes from this....

...to this. You can see the textured shimmer. I propped each stake in some wet soil in a pot. It was windy when I did this and I had to rush through this part. Sorry, no pictures. When it was dry I inverted it and did the same for the other end. I did a couple of layers of spray paint.

I searched True Value for something strong with which to tie the stakes to the hardware cloth. I was thinking metallic wire but realized that would be difficult to maneuver through the grid. I came upon some twine - 188ft for $3.29. As the label reads it is twisted nylon and multi-purpose and good for boating, building, crafts. In other words - strong.

Once the stakes were dry I laid out the fencing on an old sheet on the floor in the family room.

 

I began by knotting the twine at one corner.

I did a couple of basic very tight knots to hold the stake in place. A few specks of the textured shimmer paint began to come off a little due to the abrasion but as I had sprayed a couple of layers of paint on the stakes this turned out to be fine. I will add a protective finish when I am done.

Working my way down the hardware cloth I did what is a basic blanket stitch. Attending convent school at one point in my life I had to do a sewing class and was probably taught this stitch then. I forgot what it was called and had to look it up. This seemed the obvious way (to me) to tie the stake to the grid.

Details on the stitch..

Loop the twine over (away from you) and under the part you want to attach it to.

 

When it is under, pull it towards you in the middle like you want to create a knot.

Keep pulling to tighten.

 

 Tighten as you pull in the direction you want to work on next.

And repeat.

One side down. On to the other side.

 

I took the hardware cloth outside and laid it on some newspaper. I wanted to spray it with the same textured shimmer spray by Krylon.

All sprayed.

 

 

I browsed the shelves of the hardware store and found these pieces.

 

More on that in the next post. Stay tuned!

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa