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In Makeover

From Trash to Treasure – A $0 Makeover

I feel like I could title more than a couple of my posts that…  But today’s post is really about a road side find that was exactly what our living room needed! And, it cost me $0 to do the makeover! Win, win!!

End Table Makeover

Let me set the scene, pawn the kids off on my mom { Thanks, Oma!! } and head out for a drive with Michael for a coffee in Tatamagouche, where we always end up for a coffee.  Coffee in hand, we decide to take the scenic route back home, driving some roads we haven’t travelled in a while, which is one of my favourite things to do.   I can’t help but look at the piles of ‘garbage’ at the ends of the drive ways, I’ve scored lots of goodies that way.  And sure enough, I spot what I know to be a solid hardwood end table.  So, I do what anyone who likes to remake furniture would do, I whip the car around and pull up at the end of the drive way. I had pulled a back muscle earlier in the day and sitting wasn’t doing it any favours, so I crawl out of the car, look the piece over quickly and then try to lift it….barely left the ground!  Michael had to come to my rescue and help me put the end tables in the back of the car, much to his dismay.  He’s isn’t fond of my road side rescues.

When he tells the story, it involves shot guns and being run off the property, but it wasn’t nearly that exciting or dangerous.  😉 He loves to juice up his tales….

End Table Makeover

When I got it home, I discovered that the missing knob was inside the drawer, which made it even easier to plan a makeover.  I knew I wanted this piece to go in between the two Barcelona chairs in the living room but the colour was the question.  My first instinct was to paint it navy, but I secretly, or not so secretly, want to paint my walls navy so then it would blend in.  White would be too bright, the coffee table is already teal, so I decided on grey.  Rosemary and Steve of Phillips & Chestnut had gifted me a pot of Homestead House Black Wax for Christmas, and this seemed like the perfect piece of furniture to try it on.

Game plan in place, I went to work. I washed the piece down and gave it a quick sand…honestly, not something I do every time. I’m not a huge fan of prep work. 🙂 I used a special mix of Fusion Mineral Paint in Ash and Casement to mix the right grey for me, not too dark, not too light.  I painted a table for a friend in a similar mix and really liked it, so I combined some leftover paint and went at it!  Two coats of paint later, and I was ready to wax.  Let me tell you, that wax is dreamy! The knobs got a quick spray of black paint.

Here’s a close-up of on of the details:

Black Wax

Besides needing a table between the chairs, we also needed a lamp on this side of the room.  With the Christmas lights down, it seemed dark and glum in there.  So, I tried to come up with a plan for a hanging lamp with an old Ikea lamp cord I had, some old lamp shade frames and then somehow wall mount it….but that was a bust.  Nothing I had would work with anything else I had and I’m sure I could’ve made something or other, but I wanted something sooner rather than later.  So, I dug into my stash and found some old wooden lamp bases I had bought a few years back at a yard sale.  I also had a lamp shade from a lamp I broke…ooops….and they actually worked together!! Let there be light!

IMG_8277

I added my crazy fern, tucked under the lamp and it adds just the right amount of homey-ness.  I love pulling in the driveway at night, seeing the warmth of the lamp and the randomly pokey bits of the fern in the front window.  I also stuck a tray with antlers and some wooden beads on the bottom shelf.  I’m thinking I may look for a basket to stick some magazines in, there seems to be a few around…or maybe some the games the girls are currently loving.  But for now, it’s just fine.

I follow this account on Instagram, Ferpie and Fray, and they always line their drawers with pretty paper.  I thought this little makeover deserved a little extra.  So, again, I dug through my stash of scrapbook paper and found something I thought might suit my living room.

End Table Makeover

I think, all things considered, this zero dollar makeover was quite a success! What do you think?

To be continued,

Lori

5 In Clear Day Farm/ Makeover

The Veranda – Part 2 – The Reveal

So, yesterday I showed you how we took a space that was filled with junk and what we did to it. { You can see it HERE } Now, I’m going to show you how it looks now.  You might have seen bits and pieces in the other pictures, and that’s because I wasn’t very patient and I had to do as much as I could before the space was really even ready!

The Veranda

The Veranda

Pretty amazing, no?  My little helper is pretty cute, too!

I’m thrilled with how it turned out.  I love the colours, I love how it functions and I love being out there.  In fact, I’m sitting out here now, writing this post. { Secretly, I love that there’s wi-fi out here, too!! } The wind is blowing through the trees, there’s a noisy squirrel in the orchard giving me a tuning.  At night, you can hear the coyotes howling.  This season, we frequently hear geese flying overhead, too, as they  stop for a rest in Dad’s fields. We eat out here a lot.  This space has been such a wonderful addition to our home.  And to think, we were just using it to store saw horses, sleds and campfire wood.

The Veranda

The Veranda

I had fun collecting a few ‘new’ things to dress The Veranda with while out and about.  The birdcage and glass fishing balls were scored during a yard sale trip, the hanging basket was an Ikea gift from Kristie, whose fault it is that I even wanted a screen room.  The plant stand I bought at Forbes New to You, a while back and did nothing with.  I think the bamboo fits in here quite nicely.  Our Heathrow Airport placemats even work really well out here!  I knew I wanted some plants out here and since it was getting closer to the end of the season, I got some great prices on them, too.  I’ll have to see how they winter in the house under my care….

The Veranda

When this space was just storage, we referred to it as the lean-to or the lattice area….boring names, really.  But now, we knew it needed a much better name, although, during the transformation, we called it the screen room….again, lackluster.  I told Lena I would look up what screen room was in other languages to see if that would help.  First I googled screen room in Spanish, but I couldn’t pronounce it, so then I tried French…..and guess what it translates to – Veranda!!! It was perfect!!  So, now this is called The Veranda.

The VerandaThe Veranda

Lena has a good eye and when it came time to decide on the fabric for the chairs, I wandered through the local fabric store and nothing that grabbed my eye.  I looked through my stash and had an okay option.  And then Lena came out with this fabric and I knew she was right.  Retro, colourful and free, sounds good to me!!  { Thanks, Cindy!! }

The Veranda

Here’s a shot of the magnetic screen.  It works very well, closes by itself and does a great job of keep the bugs out.  It’s basically two flaps with a weighted bottom bar and magnetic strips where they join.  We just stapled it in place and ta-da, we’ve got easy access that keeps the bugs out.  I really wanted a screen door and tried REALLY hard to convince Michael, but I lost out.  I will admit that this doorway works really well when you’ve got your hands full of dishes and supper.  I’ll be curious to see how it winters.

The VerandaThe Veranda

The painted rug was the funnest part of this project.  I had a rough idea of what I wanted to paint, I did a quick sketch but then once it was ‘done’, I knew it needed more.  So, I would add a little more, and then a little more….it was hard to know when enough was enough.  But I love how it turned out, and judging from the comments from yesterday’s post, you guys liked it, too!

The Veranda

I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour of The Veranda.  It’s a great place to hang out, quiet { except for the squirrels… } and private.  Definitely a better use of the space – wouldn’t you agree?

To be continued,

Lori

2 In Clear Day Farm/ Makeover

The Veranda – Part 1 – The Process

I blame it on a supper with friends.  And the black flies and probably the mosquitoes.  Follow me? Yeah, I know… I’ll fill in the gaps.

My dear friend, oh, let’s call her Kristie 😉 , invited me and my littles over for supper a few months back.  We sat on the covered deck, screened in, safely away from those pesky bugs and ate a tasty supper.  It was so relaxing and enjoyable, it left a huge impression on me.  A few days later, I was mowing the lawn and scoping out the back yard to see where we could put a screened room.  I mentioned one location to the handsome Mr. Byrne, but it didn’t go anywhere, which is a really good thing as it saved us a lot of money!!!  Fast forward one week and another round on the lawn tractor and true inspiration hit.

Our garage had this area along one side that we were using for storage of some useless things.  It was closed in with lattice on two sides.  It. was. perfect. And the best part was it was already built, it just needed a few changes.

So, here is the journey from random storage to our favourite hang out spot.  Here is what it looked like when we started.  I’m so glad I snapped this picture quickly on my way to work the day after we decided to go ahead with this project.  This tells the true story.  The mess, the useless stuff we had stashed there and how if you think of re-using an existing space for something different, great things can happen.

The Veranda

See? Not a nice space.  So then we started to clean it out and sort through the junk that was in there.

The Veranda

Looking better already!!  Because of the openings in the lattice and the way the wind blows through, it fills with snow and leaves.  Thus, we have a few years worth of leaves collected in there.  Once it was cleaned out, it was time to freshen it up with some paint.  We primed and painted just the one long wall and by doing that, and taking down the plywood on the end, it was so much brighter and felt like a completely new space.

The Veranda

The girls were a huge help on this.  They primed and painted the wall and helped with lots of the other parts of this, too.  I think because they helped so much, they feel like they were part of the process and lay claim to it and proudly show it off to company.

The Veranda

Then it come time to see what we had on hand that might work for this space.  I knew I wanted dining and relaxing to happen out here.  Thankfully, I have some extra furniture kicking around.  So, we drug in a couple of chairs and a table, and we also took the cedar chairs that we’ve had for a long time in for some comfy seating at the end.

The Veranda

Now, we could’ve left it like this and it would’ve functioned well for us.  But…..we all know me better than that!  Time for COLOUR!!!

The Veranda

I knew I wanted it to be bright and a little on the boho side.  This table runner, which I found at Winners, was perfect!  I couldn’t believe it!  We used that to pull in the colour scheme….bright green, coral and navy, with a side of patio lanterns for good measure!  The table got painted with a retired colour by Miss Mustard Seed called Apron Strings.  The chairs got spray painted Ivy Leaf by Krylon and the cedar chairs and the bench I built got painted a special mix of milk paint, some Artissimo and Flow Blue.

And then there’s the floor…..

The Veranda

Hard to see with the sunshine/shadow pattern from the lattice, but this is Jalapeno Pepper by Benjamin Moore.  It’s bright and just adds the right element to the floor…..except I wasn’t going with just a solid floor….

The Veranda

I hand painted a rug on the floor!!!

The Veranda

I think this might be my favourite element of the room, even.  It was fun to kind of plan it and kind of wing it.  The girls thought I was crazy and I was afraid to even show Michael because I thought he would hate it!  But I love how a rug finishes off a room and this space was no different.  So, the perfect solution was a hand painted rug!

Then it was time to really change things up!  Down came the lattice!  Michael had some little helpers for this part of the project.  It was so strange to see it without the lattice.  It felt so open and so exposed! But, so much brighter and we could see out into the orchard so much better with the lattice gone.

The Veranda

Then Michael built a partial railing so people wouldn’t go through the screen.  It created a little shelf, and somewhere to lean against.  After they were all in place, it was time to hang screen.  That was a little trickier than I thought it would be.  It’s hard to get it straight and wrinkle free, but we did the best we could and now we don’t see it at all anymore.

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We put the lattice back on the lower portion, again to protect the screen.  We also had to build a wall to divide the end of the area off from the walk through into the garage.  We used a magnetic screen that you can just walk through and let me tell you, it is so easy!!  I really wanted a proper screen door, you know the kind that slams shut?  But, alas, I lost this battle.

The Veranda

The Veranda

So, there you have the process of what we did for the new screen room – tomorrow I’ll show you the actual finished product and I’ll tell you the story behind the name, too.

To be continued,

Lori

PS I apologize for all the cell phone pictures…..no idea why I didn’t use my real camera!!!  Kicking myself now…..

In Clear Day Farm/ Decorating/ Makeover

Lena’s Bedroom Reveal

Finally, finally, finally!!  Lena’s room is ready to show you!  It took a while because we threw another makeover in the middle of that one – which I promise to show you soon!  But, now it’s done!! And tidy enough to show you around, even!  In case you want to see the Before Post – click HERE!

Lena's Room

This room was the one of the few rooms that didn’t get a coat of paint when we moved in, it had been painted blue by the previous owners, shortly before we bought the house.  But Lena was tired of the blue and after two more years, it was due.  Lena was allowed to pick out the colour and she opted for Wickham Gray by Benjamin Moore, a soft gray tone that keeps the space bright and works well with everything.  We found a painting that we used to draw our colour scheme together by the talented, witty Mary Maureen.

Lena's Room - Before

It was all easy stuff – painted the ceiling, the last of the beige trim and then the walls.  Spray-painted a few things, too, including a cheap light fixture and a book case made by the handsome Mr.Byrne as a high-schooler.  My wonderful father-in-law hung the new light fixture for us, I don’t do electrical stuff EVER!  We were able to keep certain things from her previous room, like the patio lights, which I still love!!

Lena's Room

Lena's Room

Lena painted her new desk and chair in Farmhouse White by Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint.  I love that she worked hard on this make-over and made it her own.  She has great ideas and a style all her own.

Lena's Room

Lena's Room

Lena's Room

One of the big goals of this makeover was to free up some floor space for her and make the room feel bigger.  It is the tiniest bedroom in the house, but so cozy and she does love it.  We talked about building a built-in bed for her, tucked into the eave, but that never panned out.  We took out the red bed, that’s been hers since she was born, except for the bit of time she had the top-bunk in our previous house.  We ended up trimming a couple inches off the top bunk and sliding it into the eaves, it’s a prefect fit and I love the day-bed effect it creates for her.  She’s reader, so it isn’t uncommon to find her tucked in a corner of her bed, with a good book in hand.  By being able to tuck her bed along that wall, her room really opened up.

The curtains were a score from Wicker Emporium – perfect colour and they were on sale! The ombre is great, too, keeps it fun and girly, without being too pink and fru-fru.  The rods are new, as she had a roman shade before.  The mother-of-pearl finials are so pretty and yet, simple.

We looked around for new bedding but didn’t find anything that fit the bill.  So, her ‘new’ quilt is her old quilt, flipping over!  It’s the perfect shade of pink and the best part was the price 😉

Lena's Room

The white dresser was an unexpected addition.  We had other plans for the lay-out but she asked if she could have it in her room, and it is the perfect fit beside her bed, giving her a night stand, extra storage and a mirror. { There is a mirror, spray painted to match her light fixture in the studio now…. }  The dresser was my mom’s when she was little and I’ve had it for years, and now Lena is excited to have some history in her room, too.

Lena's Room

We did another gallery wall for her, above her bed this time.  As you can tell, it is pretty heavy on the horse-themed goods, as is her whole room.  I love all the fun things we added, horse shoes, prints, the painting from which we drew everything.  It’s a great way to compile a bunch of small items plus it fills a very awkward wall.

Lena's Room

The major theme is horses, without being too themey and tying us into that for years to come.  Making a change down the road would just mean switching up a few accessories and pictures…that is, if she is ever NOT horse crazy anymore!  I’d rather horses than teen-aged rock stars or whatever other girls are into these days.

Lena's RoomLena's Room

So, there you have it!  Lena’s new room!  As with any of our rooms, they do change continually and I’m sure this room will be no different.  The girls love to recreate dorm rooms, cafes and shops in their rooms so any given day, it could be anything other than Lena’s room.  And that’s all good by me!

To be continued,

Lori

1 In Makeover

Walnut Dresser Makeover

Hi – happy to have a minute or two to sit down and share this makeover with you today.  This is a makeover I’ve been planning for a long time and finally got around to doing it.  But, as always, one thing lead to another, so in the middle of this makeover, I decided it would also be a good time to paint the bedroom walls and trim….you know how it goes, everything always snowballs!

dresser before

Let me give you a little back ground on this walnut dresser.  I’ve had it for close to 10 years, probably.  It lived in our first house in between the dining room and living room and it looked gorgeous against the green walls.  Then we moved to our mini home and it lived in our bedroom and I used it as my dresser.  When we moved into our new house, of course, it came along and stayed as my dresser.  This is one of the beautiful pieces I actually paid real money for.  Shown below is a picture of the top of it for a guest blog post I did for Beck & Boosh a few years back.

walnut dresser

Now, I know some people would be horrified that I painted this beautiful walnut.  But this dresser is old and has seen a lot of life before I even got my hands on it.  The veneer from the top and front edge had been removed long before I had it.  There are major marks along the sides.  So, when I saw this picture on Pinterest, I knew I now had a plan to refresh my piece and still keep the stunning walnut.

Here is proof that it was damaged and needed a refresh:

dresser damagedresser damagedresser damage

So, I sanded and wiped the dresser down and mixed up some Miss Mustard Seed Typewriter Milk Paint and had at it.  It was easy to paint for the most part, except for around those turned legs on the front…that takes some time!  It only took two coats to give it a nice cover.  Then I sanded it down again lightly and did a coat of Hemp Oil over it to seal and offer some protection.  As it’s my dresser, this is enough protection, if it was for the kids, I would’ve used something more durable.

I also had to find and reattach some of the knobs.  The old screws had stripped the holes and so that needed to be addressed, too.  There’s nothing worse than trying to open a drawer that has no knobs…

This project probably wouldn’t have taken nearly as long as it did, but in the midst of it, I did paint the bedroom walls and trim.  So, throw that in the mix of starting a new job…it took much longer than it should’ve.  But, I think it was worth it!

Dresser after

dresser after

I really love how you still see the beautiful graining on the front of the drawers, but all the damage is masked by a rich coat of milk paint.  No, it still isn’t a perfect dresser, but it is mine and I really enjoy this piece. I’m very pleased with the end result of this makeover!

Now….to finish off the rest of the bedroom make over…..

To be continued,

Lori

PS A little sidenote on the mailbox painting: It belonged to the people who lived in this house when I was a teenager, and they gifted it to me way back when….and now it has come back to live here! No idea who the artist is or anything more about it, but to me it exemplifies country life, the life for me!