6.17.2011

little projects need a little advice!

So here are some snapshots of some things going on at my house right now...some things I need a little advice on! Will you help me out?!

Here's the first thing. It's the window frame I bought at the Junk Jubilee sale...I had been wanting one for sooo long, and had actually found a really cute one at a super cute store near my house called A Kinder Touch. They have awesome stuff that's priced decently (which can be hard to find with antiques/vintage stuff!). Although I loved the frame I bought there, I ended up giving it to someone else that would love it too...someone I love very much...mom! She had just re-done her kitchen and she had been wanting a window frame to go along with the twig wreath I had given her another time. Well, it was worth giving away because she loved it and it looks perfect with the wreath against her new kitchen walls (I will have to share a pic sometime). Ever since then though, my heart has been pining for my own window frame ;)

 Here it is! The only thing I was semi disappointed about was that it didn't have any glass with it. The one I got my mom did, but then I thought that could maybe be fun for something different. I was then going to hang my twig wreath on it, but it just didn't flow right...I think it's the way the frame is divided. I kinda like it with nothing on it, but I am up for any suggestions!

Rachel shared this idea with me on Pinterest:

 Very cute!

 Another view...


 Onto the next project....do you remember when Rachel posted about Pinterest? Well, if you don't have one by now, you need to get one!! Check out this awesome idea I have pinned:

I absolutely LOVE this!! And look what my amazing sis and bro-in-law gave me after I told them about the idea....

 Ahhhh! I was so excited! I kinda want to paint it, but also kinda don't. Any suggestions?


 Annnd here is the next one....


I've been wanting to paint this baby for a long time after I got it for $10. I love the design of it! However, I do not have a lot of experience with re-finishing furniture, so I wasn't sure the best way to approach it....some people told me I would need to get special stuff to remove the paint after they tried to sand it, others told me I could just paint over it...help please! Janice!! (Maggie's mom) :)
Look at the nice design someone painted on there for me....


I'm also debating the color to paint it. Any of you that know me well know I love pretty much any shade of blue/teal. But, I already have this teal table from another junk sale...


and I have another awesome green table my friend Marissa gave us as a wedding present. 


I honestly was thinking of a shade of dark yellow (my sister has her walls painted this color and it is awesome). I am planning on putting this desk upstairs where the walls are painted a darker green...so I need something lighter. The yellow goes with some other decorating ideas I have for up there, but then again...I have a lot of ideas going crazy in my head with other painting/decorating ideas I have for other rooms in the house. Any advice for color for this dainty table?!?!

Help friends!!


7 comments:

  1. han, that desk is SO cool! what a find! hmmm...i, too, am on the yellow train. i was actually thinking that before i read on to see you were thinking yellow. i have been having the urge to paint something mustard yellow....so yes, i say go for it! where are you going to put your desk? that might be the first question to ask:)

    i also love the shadow box! it would look good natural OR painted...also depends on where you will put it. if you paint it, it might show off the colors of your earrings better.

    lastly, the window. i actually like it without anything on/in it! rachel's pinterest idea is cool too though. so many options:) maybe you could make a wreath that is smaller/bigger, so you like the scale better. i have about 40 of them pinned in my pinterest account, if you need some ideas:)

    i think we need another craft night, yes? love you!

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  2. So I bet you didn't know I read your blog, Hannah?! anyway, to answer your painting vs. stripping question. I would assume that your table was previously painted with oil base paint and that means unless you strip it you can't paint it with laytex without running the risk of the laytex "peeling off". I use a "gel" paint stripper that you brush on, wait 10 minutes and scrape off with a putty knife and it's really easy. We are stripping and refinishing our wood bathroom cabinets and other things (to the bare metal) and it works really slick! ( it bubbles up) one caution... the stripper burns if you get it on your skin, so be neat or use gloves. If you paint over what you have with oil base it should work but if the surface is uneven it will show... either way you would have to sand some. I got mark a "palm"round sander many years ago and LOVE it cuz it works great and isn't too heavy to use... power anything is better than hand sanding. depending on the wood underneath the paint ( maybe it might be oak or another color) you could refinish it natural!. If you need help with those steps let me know.. I have them down with refinishing all the cabinets in our bathroom!

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  3. Ha ha so apparently Maggie and I had the EXACT same reaction. Before you said yellow, I thought to myself, "yellow, like Heidi's walls". I think that would really make the desk stand out. It's suppppper cute. Where did you get it??

    I like the idea of putting something in front of the window. This would change things up a bit but what do you think of moving the "Vetsch" sign either up or down and putting the window above or below it? I think it would add more "layers" to your dining room. Then you could hang either vintage-looking poloroid photos of you guys, letters (as in literally a "v" or "oh happy day" or something), meaningful objects etc. The way it's sectioned off and doesn't have glass could make for some cute displays. I would just not fill all the sections (maybe 3 or 4) and have one of the items in one of the sections be bigger than the rest so it draws your eye to a definite place. I think the frame is a neat focal point and would look good on the main wall when you walk in the house because of it's size. Then the wall with the frame on it could have a collection of small wreaths, or plates, or even spoons or something. A collection of "like" items that are definitely smaller in scale to the frame so the walls would contrast and not compete with each other. You could even carry pretty little plates up the wall and over the door frame or something. Then you could do a few on the opposite side by the window.

    I think painting the earring box depends on where you put it. For instance, if it's above your teal table, I would leave it natural. If it's somewhere with a lot of natural wood, I would paint it. Either way it would look nice, I would just contrast it with the area you are putting it in. If you like the idea of doing both, you could paint the background of the boxes white so your jewelry "pops", or even a light gray or something. Or you could paint the edges white. I say white because I know how much I love my jewelry in the white frame-- it just really makes the beads and colors of the pieces stand out beautifully. OR if you want to do something really crazy, find some old fabric remnants, papers or wallpaper and stick them to the back of the boxes. Or even just do it to a few to make it feel eclectic. Like a patchwork quilt.

    How's that for ideas? Hopefully it doesn't make you more overwhelmed. I just couldn't help but let the juices flow-- now I'm getting excited.

    If you are free for a bit tonight, you should come to the estate sale in Windsor Heights I heard about. I'll forward you the link but with all that Maggie's found lately, I decided we needed to jump on the bandwagon too! Jared and I are going to stop there for a bit tonight while we're celebrating our anniversary :)

    Hope this helps! Love you!

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  4. Wow! So many creative ideas! I will only comment on the table, which looks to me like an old sewing machine table my mom used to have. I think it would look great in the dark yellow you are talking about (nothing too "sunny"). I've refinished a lot of furniture, and I do not recommend home stripping products even though I have used them. They are so toxic and nasty. If your table has some rough spots, you can fill and sand those. You can use sandpaper to just de-gloss whatever paint is on it, too, but have you ever heard of a product called "Kilz"? I used it MANY years ago on dark wood paneling that I did not want to spend months sanding, then painted the paneling a khaki color. I used it on the little blue night stand Maggie just finished. We are using it now on oak cabinets in our garage which were covered with polyurethane and which we are painting. Just paint it on as a primer and it seals whatever was on the piece. Then paint on your top coat. I recommend oil-based paint for pieces that get a lot of use. You have to use paint thinner to clean the brush, but the finish is much better than any latex paint. Whew! I wrote a book! Let me know if you need help when you get this project going!

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  5. Two more thoughts. Don't be sanding that table unless you have tested to be sure the paint is not lead-based. Ask Maggie about that. And be sure to get a tack cloth to go over it after all sanding is done and before you prime or paint. Makes all the difference in the finished product.

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  6. Wow....I don't really know what else to add with all the above comments except your sister sounds really AWESOME with her mustard yellow walls that is inspiring everyone for your table and for the cool thing she gave you to put your jewelry in. She just sounds really cool:)

    Seriously....yellow for the table.

    Great ideas in Rachel's comment for background of your jewelry holder.

    I also agree that it depends on where it is going for if you paint it or not....I like it natural against a colored wall the best I think (maybe with cool paper or something in it like Rachel said)

    However you decide to finish it you know where to get tools:)

    Love you!

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  7. I think you should try hanging your window vertical instead of horizontal and then I think your wreath will look really cute on it. Didn't realize the difference between mine and yours, other than the glass until you noticed it the other day. If you turn it you will have a wood piece down the center of the window which will hole a wreath very nicely. Shouldn't matter then whether or not you have glass in it. Try it! I think you will like it. :)

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