Down to Earth Style: October 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

Candles for Comfort

My kids are home from school today due to hurricane Sandy.

We are having a regular rainy day here but hopefully all around the east coast - everybody is doing well.

Yesterday we prepared for the storm by gathering all our flashlights and candles just in case we lose power.

Since I lit the candles I wanted to show you...

I cut twigs and holly leaves from our yard to place around the candles.

The cedar scented candle is wrapped in newspaper print tissue then
brushed with Mod Podge.

Stenciled Welcome in Sharpie (it is placed in the foyer).
Then wrapped in vine ribbon and thin twine.

A pretty, simple and natural display in case of an emergency.

Candles for Comfort.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Back In Black

I am a huge fan of black. Even my wedding was black, white and natural khaki - almost 20 years ago. My first sofa set was black.

My dishes and sheets were all black and white in the 90's.

So it is no surprise that a few things turned black around my house this week.

I will start here in the foyer with my table and mirror....

Notice how I hid the electrical outlet and lamp cords?

I can peak through that old window and see a large metal wall art piece-

not lamp cords.

Here you can see the front door handle set, garage door knob and the back door.

All, of which, got a black coat of paint.

Here's how:

I also spray on a final coat of acrylic clear spray to seal the paint.

And when I close the front door....

So much more updated and a lot more dramatic.

The front screen door is so useful.

I love having it for my kids who don't close doors....

even though it doesn't add a lot of character.

See the brass toe kick and handle?

Much better!

It looks great from the road, too. We have black shutters on the house to match. I gave the white trim around the door and side lights a nice fresh coat of bright white paint which makes a clean contrast with the new black door.

It looks so fresh.

When a dark, rich color is added to a room - the lighter colors and accents stand out that much brighter.

an update to this project January 4th, 2013

Linking with:

Cozy Little House - Tweak it Tuesday #13

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Upgrade Your Builder Mantel {easy}

The fireplace is a huge focal point in our house.

I want it to look beautiful.

(even with the TV sitting above)

This was the mantel shelf....BEFORE!

And now!

How?

I built a 5 sided box from pine -

With these supplies:

1 - 2x8x8 rough pine for the top

1 - 1x6x8 for the front and sides

1 - 1x4x8 for the bottom

2 - Pine Corbels

Six metal corner brackets for 58 cents to 79 cents each

Liquid nails, 3/4 inch screws, drill, nails and a hammer.

I like to use my nail gun and air compressor but you can use a hammer and nails.

My existing mantel shelf measures 6 feet long and 6 inches deep so I purchased longer/wider wood for more display space. Cut the wood length down to size so it fits pretty snug to your existing shelf. Attach all the wood with the metal brackets and liquid nails.

I made mine to fit tightly over the shelf so I can remove it later. We are renting this house so I didn't think I should do anything permanent. If you want yours to be permanent then it would be easier to glue and nail the wood right on to your existing mantel.

Once the box was made I distressed it with the items above.

I then brought it into the house and set it in place.

To make the wood look more "knotty" I followed some of the wood grain with a tiny brush & black paint first. Before it dried completely I wiped it with a paper towel.

I attached the corbels with my nail gun using only one nail going into the wall and two into the shelf itself. The weight of the new mantel keeps it resting on the existing mantel underneath. This is only because mine is a temporary piece. If yours is going to stay then use more nails and glue to attach it securely.