East Coast Living Interview

Sorry for my absence! It was a busy week at school. I'm a classic procrastinator at heart and end of school year activities always get me a little flustered. I should know better and plan posts ahead of time. Alas, summer break is on the horizon... two more days with the students and we teachers finish up at the end of the week. Bring on summer!

I had the exciting opportunity to be part of East Coast Living magazine as a "DIY paint expert". I wouldn't call myself an expert but it's fun to say it nonetheless! Two pieces of furniture that I've painted were featured along with some of my tips for finding that perfect piece and how transform it.

This week I received my copy in the mail. Kind of fun to see my name and Modern Jane mentioned in print:)

Here is one of the photos that was included.

If you are in Atlantic Canada be sure to pick up a copy. It's available on newsstands now!

My friends Sheri Lee and Aaron's home is also included. Their new home, designed by Aaron, an architect, is the first LEED Gold Certified home in Prince Edward Island. 

I Need Paint Help.

I painted the dresser and stayed true to my word.. it's not white! I rummaged around through the paint in my basement and found, among an embarrassing number of cans, a can of a beautiful grey paint. I figured, why not? Saved me from going out and buying some. Plus, it was a snow day so I was confined to the house!

The color is Jet Set by Debbie Travis but was mixed in Beauti-tone's Natura paint line. It went on nicely and I liked the color against the walls. It almost has a hint of purple to the grey. (Yes, I know there is a crack in one of the drawers. I like when things aren't perfect.. or maybe I'm just lazy? :)

Looks not bad, right? However, strangely enough, the paint doesn't seem to want to dry. It dawned on me where the paint came from. My good friend Emily bought it to paint a cabinet in her dining room. It turned out great but 2 years later, it's still tacky! We had the paint here so my dad tried it on a little table he was working on. Same problem!

Hmmm... anyone use this brand of paint before, or run into this problem? I wish I had remembered this before I started. I'm hoping that a coat of water based Varathane with seal the finish. Thoughts? I'd appreciate any suggestions!

On a brighter note. I have 8 pretty glass knobs to add a little sparkle to the piece! Once I get this sticky situation figured out, I'll be back with a proper before and after.

How to Paint Furniture & A Reveal.

I finished the little project I was telling you about! We had little cabinet in the dining room that had beautiful lines but the color and painted floral pattern were far from my taste. On the weekend, I got to priming the piece and giving it a couple of coats of Martha Stewart's Plumage paint. Using this color was a bit out of my comfort zone but I must say, I'm really loving it!

I've painted a lot of pieces over the years so here are my painting tips based solely on what I have learned. This project didn't turn out as well as others so I will also share where I think I may have gone wrong. If you aren't interested in painting furniture, fair enough, scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the finished product!

1. A light sanding of the piece. It was a bit glossy and I wanted to get rid of the sheen so that the paint would adhere properly. I like sanding sponges in a medium grain. 

2. I washed it with TSP and rinsed it well with a damp cloth. Let dry.

3. A good coat of tinted latex primer. It may not have been necessary to use tinted with this color but I had it on hand. It doesn't have to be perfect even in tone. Just make sure it isn't too thick and that it's evenly coated. Let dry overnight or at least the drying time listed on your can.

I had the primer out so I figured I might as well do a couple of other pieces I've 

been meaning to do, as well. More on those another day!

4. A good brush and a small foam roller are my tools of choice. I did two thin coats, allowing drying time between each. Brush in all the nooks and crannies, then roll all the flat surfaces blending the brush strokes. Thin coats are key. Three thin coats always wins over two thick goopy ones!

5. Let paint dry completely then apply a couple thin coats of water based Varathane or Minwax Polycrylic with a sponge brush. This will give the piece a protective finish in a satin, semi-gloss or gloss sheen. This give you that extra protection for those well used pieces and makes it oh-so shiny and pretty! If you are looking for a more matte look I would try a wax.

6. Let it dry at least 48 hours before placing anything on the piece. I think this is almost the hardest part or maybe I'm just incredibly impatient!

So what went wrong with my piece? Well, I really wanted a high gloss finish on the cabinet and went ahead and used high-gloss latex paint. When using high-gloss paint, your brush strokes and "orange peel" effect often caused by foam rollers, become more apparent. I was trying to skip step 5 yet achieve the same effect and failed. If I were to to it again, I would use my typical eggshell paint then use a high-gloss poly at the end. Live and learn!

Also, this was the first time I used a latex primer. Although it's messy and smelly, oil base is my primer of choice. Especially if you are painting a wood piece, you really want to seal out those stains and knots. 

Here is the finished piece, imperfections and all.

Such pretty legs.

All styled up.

Have a ever mentioned how much I love my brass birds?

The paint color with soon be changing and I have plans for what will hang over the piece. The white mirror will be moved to the front entry. I love making changes! So fun :)

Sharing this post over at Serenity Now and Miss Mustard Seed.

Quick Dresser Makeover.

I was desperate for more storage in my bedroom so I welcomed this old, well used dresser with open arms. It's seen better days but I actually liked the cracks and dents in the wood. I've had old dressers before, with drawers that didn't shut properly - that drove me crazy! These drawers work perfectly.

I had paint out from doing some touch ups on the bookshelf so I figured why not give it a quick coat of paint? It literally took me 20 minutes to give it a quick coat then I went back and hour later and gave it another quick coat.

A few glass knobs and it feels fresh and new! Well not new maybe, but newer-ish. Gotta love upcycling!

Now I need a new mirror because the dresser was there before was much taller. If I lower this one, I won't be able to see myself in it! I love my little silver piggy bank from the Dollarama. I actually end up using it and it really does add up. Then, I can buy myself a little treat or Girl Guide cookies when they come knocking :)

I'll be back tomorrow with some progress shots of the bookcase. I was a bit over-ambitious about getting all the styling done. I had to prime and paint the new shelves and then realized I likely shouldn't put anything on them for a couple of days. Bummer. I was able to do a few shelves though. Here's a peek.

People laugh at the dog. I think he's cute. Plus, my Dad gave him to me :) 

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Revisiting The Sideboard.

Remember the sideboard my sister scored at Coulson's?

We knew it could be transformed with a coat of paint. After tossing around some color ideas, she decided to play it safe with white. I think that in this case safe was absolutely the right choice. Keep in mind that she has yet to put on the new black hardware.

I think it looks perfect in her living room against the pale green-grey walls (Tower of London by Para Paints btw... so pretty!)

She is a great gardener so we swapped jobs one day. She cleaned out an overgrown side garden at my place and I styled some surfaces at her place. I get great pleasure out of making a pile of accessories then putting it all together in a pretty way. We scored the lamp at an antique store for cheap and she gave it a couple of coats of yellow spray paint. Isn't it a great pop of color? Draws your eye to the Bruins book too... a little personal touch. Her husband is a HUGE Boston fan.

I think it turned out great but who am I kidding? I love painted furniture! I took some more shots of fun projects around her home so I'll share more later in the week! 

Tomorrow I'm bartending at the Elton John concert here in town. How is that for lucky? Hope I can catch some of the show! :)

Unsure.

I got to work and painted my new thrifted coffee table for the living room. I contemplated going yellow, blue or even green but of course I ended up with my trusty white! But now I'm unsure. I thought white was always right?
I was really happy with how it turned out until I put it back in the room. When placed against the cream rug, it just doesn't feel right. Maybe I just need to live with it a bit and I'll see.

Before:

After:

It is still a bit tacky, so I'll wait a couple of days before I put anything on it, just to be safe.

So looking forward to the long weekend! How about you?

Painted Pretties.

While deciding on a color to paint my new coffee table and giving my new side table a fun coat of navy, I've been eyeing up some great painted furniture pieces that I've come across this week.

I will likely stick with white, but I admire the bold finishes by the people behind these painted pretties!

Decor and the Dog's dresser went from blonde to grey.

This is one piece of furniture I would have walked right by, but it looks incredible with a coat of paint!

 

before:

 

 

Little Green Notebook's Silver-Leafed Cabinet. I love the blue color.. reminds me of the one in my own living room. I think she said she's going to change the color this week though:)

before:

after:

k.f.d designs stunning lacquered yellow chair. Love. I loved her living room before, but for me, I think this chair simply makes the updated look!

This cabinet that Cassie breathed new life into for a client. It turned out great!

Be sure to check out her link party today at Primitive & Proper for more great furniture projects.

before:

after:

Do you have any great painted furniture projects that I should see?

I am eating them up these days so send them along!

Revisiting the Cabinet

A little white ago, I found this cabinet for the dining room.

I gave it a little makeover with a little white paint. (I really believe a little white paint can transform anything from blah to beautiful!)

I threw around the idea of painting the inside of the cabinet another color, and it seemed that my readers agreed with me. A little visit to the basement revealed a multitude of color choices, left over from other projects.
Hiding at the back, I found a can of a pretty blue grey. What from? Then I remembered... the porch cabinet was once painted that color. If only for a few days until I ditched it in favor of black... and then of course white. When will I learn that while I try to be "fun", I am a white girl at heart!
Anyway, it's a pretty color and I think it looks good in the cabinet.

before:

after:

What do you think? I only painted the back and not the whole inside. I figured it I liked the result I could go back and paint the rest. Let's be honest though, I'm not super great at getting back to things..:)

Also, a big thanks to these lovely bloggers who featured me this week on their blogs!

Painted Cabinet

I finally finished painting the cabinet in the dining room. I decided to go with white, since I am still trying to lighten up the space. I just love white paint. I swear, if I have a can of white paint, I'll paint anything that is standing still :)
Here it is before paint:

And here it is finished:

I didn't fill the holes on the drawers before I painted, assuming I could just find new pulls to replace the old ones. Unfortunately, the holes were not standard distance apart, so replacing them was proving difficult. I really didn't want to go back and fill the holes and redo the drawers. I was done with the cabinet at that point - on to other things!

So instead, I primed the old pulls and painted them the same color as the cabinet. I was hesitant, but I'm really happy with how they turned out. For two reasons:

#1 -  They blend into the cabinet. I had been thinking silver or chrome handles, but it may have looked a little busy.

And # 2- It saved me money!

Here is one more with the wallpaper in the room.

I'm so glad to have it finished. One more thing off the to-do list!