Monday, March 26, 2012

DIY Tutorial on revamping a Louis XVI cane chair

i know, we didn't need yet another chair in our house to add to my chair obsession {where did that come from?}
and my husband had already said that for every new chair i brought into the house, one had to go.
but even he couldn't pass up the killer deal i got on the lovely, Louis XVI style cane chair.  and he knew i could make it cool.
here's what i did {click on photos below for larger view + to read my step-by-step instructions}:



after, close-up...

...now it's the perfect addition to my dressing room!
i just love it, do you?  feel free to comment below, i'd love to hear from you

Thursday, March 22, 2012

DIY tutorial on recovering a chair using an eggcrate for foam!

as soon as i saw this thomas paul oceanic fabric*, i knew it was perfect for our florida coastal home!
i had learned that i could recover our beautiful, but now flattened, chippendale dining chairs using the eggcrate that my husband desperately wanted off our mattress.  perfect.
i got the fabric in "bark" and it worked perfectly with our color scheme.
plus, it was super easy- here's a tutorial showing how i did it:



*"In the United States, coastal areas of great wealth such as Palm Beach, New Orleans, and Rhode Island's Newport have a history of decorative objects graced by sea creatures...  {the creatures in this thomas paul print} are inspired by the historical prints of sea life seen in lithographs, wood engravings and copper etchings from the 1700s and 1800s." courtesy of gaslampantiques.com

Sunday, March 18, 2012

shakedown street



check out my original collaged grateful dead light switch plate, featured in this collection curated by DiscordThreads on artfire:  shakedown street

to purchase, click here:  Original GRATEFUL DEAD Mail Order Tickets handmade Light Switch Plate!!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

record album art- frame your old records for instant artwork!

album art- nothing can replace how wonderful and original the artwork was on vinyl album covers.
the colors were intense and the designs fantastic.
create an instant art installation by framing your old records or album covers
Or, overlap the two and use the cover as a background/matte!



ready to hang
available in black or silver, your choice~
To Purchase, click here!



Wednesday, March 14, 2012

{one of} our latest home projects- door headboard

we made a headboard using the original doors that came with our 1925 historic home.
we love these doors but we weren't using them and now we are!
...and we love it!
if you or your hubs is as handy as mine is, it will take you no time at all...



Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Tip of the day: frame an open book

frame an open book for instant gorgeous art that you can change as you fancy...  just turn the page to keep it fresh when you're ready for something different!

books are an excellent source of beauty + decor.  of course, you can even use an actual art book to frame something by your favorite artist that you wouldn't normally be able to afford to buy framed as a painting, print, or whatever...

what i did was double up 2 frames for extra drama.  then, we used ours to hide the ugly black cave that is the inside of our fireplace when we're not using it!  what do you think?

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

a Great tip for cleaning tile countertops

unfortunately, we still have the tile countertops that came with our home and, until we redo our kitchen next year, i have to live with them.
ours are black and it drives me crazy that when i wipe them down, they show all the streaky wet marks.

well, i found the trick for cleaning them in one step {without having to towel dry them to get rid of moisture marks!}--  Baby Wipes! 

try it- it works!  and the scent is so pleasant, too! ☺

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

How to Sanitize your kitchen sponge and make your home smell good, too!

quick tip- lots of us already knew that you can sanitize your kitchen sponge by throwing it in the micro for about a minute.  but, next time, try dripping a few drops of anise on the sponge first.
you will have a lovely smelling home for the rest of the day that will remind you of being somewhere in the mediterranean {you pick the place}!
...it is recommended that you do this at least every 3-4 days- dont forget, it will be hot...