China hutch makeover...part 1..and paint tips!

Since I have “semi-retired” from DIY for resale, I have a little more time to take on projects for my family.

As I mentioned here, Matt and Hannah got married last month. This past summer he bought a larger home and went from a 1600 s.f. home to a 2200 s.f. home. When he bought his first home we stocked it with a few nice DIY pieces…this dresser and chest set…this oak trestle table…this breakfast table….this dresser-turned-entertainment center…this little vintage chair…and of course all the other pieces we have refurbished and built over the years.

A bigger house means more space and in his case he has a large dining area that has nothing but the trestle table…so it feels pretty empty.

This past week I found this “could be awesome” french provincial style china hutch on Facebook marketplace.

I can’t wait to shine up these solid brass pulls…even though I know they probably won’t make the cut!

They really need a “tall” piece in their dining room so I think with a few modifications this one would be perfect.

Of course the froo-froo doors HAD to go…when I sent a picture of the piece minus the doors and hardware, Matt messaged and wanted to know if “the pole things” could come off!

Yes they can…

…which of course means finding a way to “fix” the gap…oh well! Minor issue.

So the question then becomes….solid paint or chalk paint with distressing.

The reason this decision is important is because if you intend to paint the piece with latex or oil-based paint, you HAVE to prime it. If you are going to chalk paint and distress the piece you don’t have to prime.

It is a personal preference and one I left up to Matt and Hannah.

For chalk paint, I usually mix up a batch of homemade using flat latex paint and Plaster of Paris. The recipe I find works best for me is 5 tablespoons of Plaster of Paris, 3 tablespoons of water, mixed well then add 2 cups of flat paint…any color, any brand. I have also used a few different brands of chalk paint and found all of them to be acceptable. I use 220 grit sand paper to HAND SAND after the paint dries well and then I seal the paint with a flat clear coat. I never wax…personal preference.

Here are some paint tips I posted a few years ago for painting with latex or oil based paint. The first two tips apply to chalk paint as well!

1) Always clean the piece of any dirt or debris. Just wipe it down with a damp cloth and make sure you get all the "ick" off! If the piece is super grungy, you might want to clean it with ammonia or wipe it down with mineral spirits! If it has a lot of flaking paint or old finish, you can sand it down a bit or better yet, strip it using this process...just make sure the existing paint or finish is stable!

2) Make repairs. DO NOT waste your time making it pretty if it needs repairs. And remember, glue and clamps are your friend!!!! If you don't know how to repair something, google it or email me. MOST furniture repairs aren't that difficult...but if you do it wrong (or not at all) you will be wasting your time making it pretty!

3) Primer....always a must if you are going to paint with spray paint or latex or oil paint. If you want your paint to stick and not chip or peel, prime. For smaller projects I use spray primer. For larger projects I roll on primer with a 4" foam roller. Even if your paint says "all in one paint and primer"...use primer.

4) Sand smooth after the primer has thoroughly dried. A 220 grit paper should do the trick...FEEL the surface...if you can feel it, the paint won't hide it.

5) Use tack cloth. Most tutorials will tell you to wipe the piece with a damp cloth. That won't cut it! Tack cloth will pick up the finest grains of dust and debris you can't see until you paint the piece! Use it before you paint and between each coat!

6) If you are going to brush on latex or oil, use a quality brush AND TAKE CARE OF IT! I have brushes I have owned for years because I am religious about cleaning them thoroughly after use. And don't even think about using those cheap disposable brushes (chip brushes). They are great for many things, but not for getting a smooth paint finish on furniture!!!!

7) ALWAYS use an additive....Floetrol for latex, Penetrol for oil based paints.

8) Use quality paint. Especially spray paint. I know it is cheaper at discount stores but pay the extra few dollars and buy a quality spray paint at your home improvement store. Cheaper will NOT be better if it doesn't hold up to wear and tear!

9) I do 2-3 light coats (spray or brush) rather than trying to get solid coverage with one coat...trust me when I say, there is NO paint on earth that will get good coverage with just one coat!

10) Cure time is important. Seriously, I know they style their pieces on those HGTV shows within hours of painting a piece of furniture. Just don't! Just because the paint feels dry to the touch DOES NOT mean it has cured. Latex...a few days...oil...a week. Give your paint time to cure or it is going to peel or chip if you try to use it right away! Put the piece in place and chill!

11) Spray vs. Brush/roller. For me, it all depends. I have learned that large flat areas are tough to get an even coat of paint on with spray paint...and of course there is the expense factor for large pieces. A dresser can take 2-3 cans of spray paint. So it really depends of the piece. Sometimes I will spray the drawer fronts of a dresser and roll the top and sides.

12) Keep a little spare paint for chips and dings...if you use latex or oil, just put a few tablespoons in a little container and stick it in the back of the drawer...just in case! If you are using spray paint, keep a can with a little paint. Manufacturer's change paint colors and you might not be able to find that awesome color in the future. Keep spare paint in the house...not the garage or storage shed!

If you follow these simple guidelines, you can update a dated piece with just a little time and effort.

Now, back to the china hutch…at this point it is on hold…we are in a deep freeze here and there is really nothing more I can do. I did strip the top and shelves because Matt wants those stained. But it is too cold to prime or paint so I will patiently wait…not something I do well…lol! But I have learned that temperature matters so I will not rush this project!

Hopefully the weather will cooperate this week and I can share the finished project next week!

Until then….

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Christmas pillows....

For me, it is way too early to start decorating for Christmas but never too early to start thinking about it.

I love fall…so I want fall to stick around as long as possible. Christmas decorating doesn’t start until the Friday after Thanksgiving.

As much Christmas crud as I have, I hesitate to even THINK about adding anything new…but every year I find something I want to add. This year it is pillows.

I made Christmas pillows a few years ago and they turned out pretty cute! And of course every year I find a few during the season I like. (I searched “pillows” on my site…wow, I have feature pillows A LOT!)

A few years ago I started buying cashmere scarfs on Ebay to decorate with…they are cute, durable and inexpensive. (I have even bought a few to actually wear!) They make super cute table runners, buntings and pillows.

I bought a black and grey buffalo check this year to use as a table runner for my fall decor.

I am concerned that buffalo check will be a lot like chevron was 3-4 years ago….a super cute fad that lasted only a season or two. If that is the case I certainly don’t want to spend a lot of money on it. HERE I talk about decorating with traditional vs fad elements .

I found a red and black buffalo check and a red plaid I think will make cute Christmas pillows.

I ordered 12x20 pillow inserts from Amazon. THESE are the forms I ordered.

As much as I love real down pillows, I have found that some tend to “smell”…these are down alternative and I’m pretty happy with them straight out of the package. Keep in mind, they ship SUPER flat but once you open them and allow them to “breathe” they fluff up nicely.

Fortunately the scarves are 12” wide so I only had to cut the 20” length.

As I have mentioned in other pillow tutorials, I always cut my covers the same size as my pillow forms…in this case 12 x 20”. Then when I sew the 1/4”-1/2” seams, the covers are a tad smaller than the actual forms…but that makes my pillows fluffier. Personal preference I guess.

The scarves have fringe on each end so I cut my cover lengths from the ends…allowing me to have the fringe on the end of the pillow.

I always add zippers to my pillow covers…mainly so I can reuse the forms when I tire of the covers. Or if the covers get dirty, I can easily take them off the forms and wash them. I don’t wash the forms but I do “fluff” and “sanitize” them by tossing them in a hot dryer for 30-45 minutes. If they get so dirty they need to be washed I toss them. I have found that real down forms kinda smell after they have been washed and alternative down tends to ball up…so they are pretty toast if they have to be washed.

There are a bazillion video tutorials on how to sew hidden zippers…find one that makes sense to you if you decide to add a zipper to your cover! No sense in me “reinventing the wheel.” If you don’t want a zipper, just leave an opening and do a blind stitch…again, find a tutorial for making pillows that makes sense to YOU!

The pillows turned out super cute. I got 2 12”x20”s and 1 12”x24” out of two scarves. So six total. Probably less than $7 a pillow.

When it is time to decorate for Christmas I will scatter them around on chairs and couches…

…until then they get bagged up and stuffed into the laundry cubby!

I may end up ordering another scarf as a runner for my Christmas table. Too cute…too cheap!

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Today I muse...about "stuff"

So much to talk about…still taking a break from DIY projects, but I did pick up a little chest of drawers yesterday I hope to dig into this next week.

Right now my clean garage is full of garage sale “stuff”…it wasn’t full of “stuff” Sunday night when storms roared through the area…but we had a house full of guest all weekend with lots of cars here and there so we left the car out of the garage. Big mistake….

…I suspect the car is totaled. Brian’s company truck may fair better.

So now I have another huge gap in my tree line…no biggy since the neighbors cut down all their trees.

Even though the car SHOULD have been in the garage, there are some upsides. My truck is usually parked there and I need my truck for work…so it’s a good thing it was parked in the street. Had the car been in the garage, Brian would not have been able to get to work Monday morning because it took a tree crew most of the day just to cut the tree off the cars so we could have them towed. Fortunately Brian has access to another company car, so he can survive without his car for a time.

No one was hurt…the tree missed the house…everything is insured.

So why did we have guests all weekend you ask?!

Matt and Hannah’s wedding!!!!!

I honestly couldn’t imagine a wedding more beautiful than a sunset wedding on a beach in Maui. But I can honestly say that a sunrise wedding on a cliff overlooking the Ozark mountains is just as beautiful.

As I mentioned here, I had the honor of making the reception cakes. Not to toot my own horn or anything but they turned out pretty awesome!

So my takeaways from this week….

Storms may come and wreck havoc, but there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for…find it….focus on it. What’s done is done and there is no sense in making it worse by focusing on the negative.

It doesn’t matter if you are standing on a beach in Maui, on a bluff in the mountains, or in the middle of your living room…love expressed and shared is what makes the moment!

If you are struggling with confidence…to do ANYTHING…just remember you can’t find confidence in a book or on the internet or get it from another person…you only get confidence from trying and failing and trying and persevering.

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Today I muse...about DIY and confidence...

Today I muse…mainly because not much is going on in the DIY front. As I mentioned here, I have “semi-retired” from the whole DIY-for-resale gig and right now I am enjoying some much need time off from “projecting.”

Finally bought a new “black stainless” dishwasher to match the rest of the appliances.

I hate buying something new when the old still works just fine…but I wanted all matching appliances and at my age…what the heck!

A few years ago I realized that most of my stainless eating utensils didn’t match…I still had pieces from 30 years ago and a whole bunch of other mismatched pieces. And I thought…WHAT THE HECK…at 50 you should have matching utensils. So I ordered myself several sets of new dinnerware and donated all the old mismatched stuff.

So the dishwasher is new.

Oh, AND MY YOUNGEST SON IS GETTING MARRIED NEXT WEEK!

Precious bride-to-be…they met in college and have known each other for nine years. They want a small wedding…family only…then they will have a “reception” at their house the next day.

Being the mother of the groom is pretty smooth sailing…UNTIL they ask you to make THE cake. I experimented with fondant TEN YEARS AGO and now they think I am a professional baker!

They want three layer cakes… a chocolate cake they can decorate with flowers, my strawberry cake with a fruit topping, and a funfetti cake with sprinkles…all covered in buttercream icing.

I have spent the last two weeks baking and icing “test cakes”…yes, I pretty much walk around in a “sugar coma” most of the time!

Since all the cakes need to have a “smooth” finish (and fondant is evidently so yesterday), I decided I couldn’t use the strawberry buttercream icing on the outside of the strawberry cake so I tried just using it between the layers. I watched a ton of youtube videos on how to ice a cake smooth with butter cream icing and the strawberry cake turned out AMAZING! UNTIL… it sat out and warmed up and the strawberry buttercream between the layers couldn’t handle the weight of the layers and “bulged” my perfectly smooth exterior! CURSES! But this is why you “test!”

Back to youtube to find out how to keep a buttercream iced cake from “bulging” when it warms to room temperature.

Problem solved…I hope…I tested the new process today…so far so good.

If all else fails, I know a few REAL professional bakers I can call on at the last minute! Fingers crossed!

This whole process got me to thinking about DIY anything…whether it be stripping and refinishing furniture, tiling, painting, baking…whatever!

My dad learned from his father how to build a house back when the builder poured the footings and installed the door knobs…and everything in between.

He grew up in construction and he learned how to “do it all.”

I was the only girl…but I was the oldest and probably the most like my dad…and both my brothers were typical “middle” and “youngest” children. So while Dad would start a project with one of my brothers, because, well, they were boys, his “Type-A” personality just couldn’t handle their “inattention.” Usually he would get frustrated with them and call on me to help.

Which is how I learned to do the “construction” and woodworking thing. I jokingly say I cut my teeth on a block of wood and learned to walk in a cabinet shop…but honestly, I’m not exaggerating.

Sadly, he didn’t have time to teach me everything.

But he did teach me several important life leasons.

First, if you want something done and don’t have a lot of money to hire someone to do it for you, you do it yourself. In today’s world it is super easy to turn to the internet and find a tutorial for just about anything…if we really want to learn how to do something, we have a huge resource at our finger tips…something my dad didn’t have!

Second, confidence. My dad didn’t actually teach me to lay tile or strip furniture or build a swing pergola…but working with him I gained the confidence to roll up my sleeves and do the work.

I often joke with my kids…just think of all the cool things we wouldn’t know how to do if we had tons of money to hire everything done.

It is tough to have “nice things” when you are on a tight budget.

But if you want beautiful throw pillows, learn to sew! Where? Most hobby shops, county extensions, a friend.

If you want a beautiful tile backsplash, learn to install tile! Where? On the internet, apprentice for a tile setter, take a class at your local home improvement store!

If you want a swing pergola, learn to build one! If you want a painted wall, learn to paint! If you want to change the look of a ho-hum piece of furniture, learn to strip or paint furniture!

If you want a beautiful wedding cake, well….do what I am doing…youtube and trial and error!!! (Just don’t do it the week of the wedding!)

DIY is a lot like “personal change.” If you want or don’t like, you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and do the work…want to lose weight, do the work…want to refinish a dresser, do the work.

Where do you get the confidence….sorry, no one will give it to you and there is no specific place you can go to get it. There are a ton of self-help sites and books that tell you “how to get confidence.” But in a nut shell…. confidence comes from making a CHOICE to do something and putting in the time and effort to accomplish it.

Do you “get confidence” if you try something and fail?

Well, in my opinion, kinda-sorta…it really depends on how you CHOOSE to look at that “failure.” If you look at it and say “well, I guess I can’t do that,” then no, you didn’t gain any confidence.

If you look at the “failure” and say “well, I guess I shouldn’t do it THAT way, but I’ll try it another,” then yes, you have gained a little knowledge and a little confidence.

Failure doesn’t destroy “self-confidence.” The way you THINK about it, the way you PROCESS that failure in your brain, does.

I’ve probably over simplified it. But I have learned in my 55 years that MOST things are pretty simple.

This morning get up and look in the mirror and say “Today I am CONFIDENT that I will________.” (keep it super simple and positive) Tonight, if you did not fulfill that statement, look in the mirror and say “Today I did not _________, but I am confident I will TRY again tomorrow!” Congratulate yourself for something you DID accomplish…even if it seems silly and simple! Then smile at yourself!!!!

Looky there…you just gained a tiny smidge of confidence.

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Our annual trip out west and a little reset....

Our annual trek west! This year we had to make the trip a week early because of Brian’s work schedule so we decided to go a little bit north and try to catch the Aspens AND see a part of the country we have wanted to see for years…Jackson, Wyoming, The Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone.

The Aspens were just starting to turn so we missed them in all their glory…. but the trip did NOT disappoint! We spent a few days exploring Jackson, Wyoming, toured Yellowstone, biked in the Grand Teton National Park, toured “Mormon Row,” and took the tram to the top of Teton Village Ski Resort.

We saw critters (lots of bison, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, moose…but no bear) …

We saw Old Faithful….

We fished the Snake River IN the Grand Teton National Park…

I wish I was a “travel blogger.” I know I can not do this area justice with words or pictures. I took HUNDREDS of pictures and could post them all…but let me just say…GO!!!! See Jackson Hole, the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone for yourself! It is a trip that won’t disappoint!

As always, I love seeing new places but I am always happy to be home! And of course this trip always marks the start of my absolute favorite time of the year…fall.

Unfortunately we came home to temperatures pushing 90….YUK! Oh well, I cranked up the AC and started decorating the house for fall….

I may share a bit of my fall decor but as I have said before, little changes from year to year. I did do a little makeover in my dining room this year so I did pick up a few little things for the table and buffet.

Simple…a few faux pumpkins, faux flowers and antlers…a buffalo check cashmere scarf makes a perfect table runner.

While I was working on my fall decor I decided to rearrange one of my living room bookcases. Originally this bookcase housed one of my favorite author’s collection.

Brian has inherited his grandfather’s old cameras so I decided to try to display those…

I know I have said time and again I am NOT a knick-knack person…but I swear every single thing in this bookcase is an “heirloom.”

I like it…sometimes just moving things around gives an area of your home new life!

Happy Fall!

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Today I muse...about jury duty!

I love looking at all the fall decor popping up on the blogs and Pinterest this time of year. It really gets me in the mood to start my fall decorating…and then I step outside…and it is still 90+ degrees with high humidity. I. JUST. CAN’T. DO. IT!

This year we are taking our annual fall trip a few weeks early because of Brian’s work schedule. Since I don’t see the sense in going to Colorado before the Aspens turn, we decided to head north and see a part of the country I have never visited…Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Yellowstone. I AM SO EXCITED!!!

We have a day trip booked in Yellowstone, a fishing trip on the Snake River out of the Grand Tetons and two days open for “whatever trips our fancy” days!

It looks like it will be jeans and boot weather there so MAYBE when we get back it will be a tad cooler and I will feel like digging out the fall decor!

In the meantime, I have to “muse” about something that has been on my mind for a few weeks…

A few months ago I received notification that I had been selected for jury duty.

What is interesting is I have been a register voter for 37 years and a licensed driver for 39 and this is the first time I have been called for jury duty. Weird.

Anyway…I got the call that I was to report for jury duty. It was for a three day trial, so if selected I should be prepared to serve three days.

I personally believe jury duty is a RESPONSIBILITY we all have as citizens of the United States. We OWE it to our community to serve when called. I didn’t try to “get out of it” and I didn’t grumble.

I showed up and I took it seriously.

I wasn’t chosen for this particular trial…but I walked away with a very disturbed assessment.

About 60 people show up for voir dire (the preliminary examination of a juror by counsel.)…all white…mostly middle aged and up.

The two defendants were young (maybe early 20s) black men. One was all tatted up…his arms AND neck! One’s britches were sagging and he had gold teeth. Both defense attorney’s spoke of “judging” based appearance…one even pointed out that it was important not to label them “thugs.”

The attorneys spent the morning asking questions of the prospective jurors…anyone ever been a victim of a crime…anyone have a felony record…that kind of thing. A few prospective jurors had prior travel plans or “moral issues” with serving and were dismissed. We broke for lunch and when we can back they read off the names of 12 jurors and 2 alternates.

I looked at these young black men’s jurors. All white…two were MAYBE under the age of 30 but pretty much all were at least 40 years old….old enough that tattoos, gold teeth and sagging britches might over ride the admonishment to “not judge.”

The objective of voir dire is to select an impartial jury from a randomly selected juror pool who will be fair, listen to the facts of the case, and render a just verdict based on the evidence.

We are not guaranteed a jury comprised entirely of our race or gender…and truthfully we are not even guaranteed a “jury of one’s peers” by our Constitution. However, the courts have ruled the jury pool must include a cross section of the population of the community in terms of gender, race, and national origin.

I have debated on whether to comment further on this matter…I will leave this here for you to “muse” with this simple question…does a jury full of white middle aged people REALLY represent a cross section of our population?

Hum…..

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A dresser makeover and a few changes to an "heirloom"

As I mentioned here I am no longer doing the whole “resale/flea market” thing. I am still working on a few projects here and there because it is what I love to do!

This piece is one I bought eons ago and has sat in my garage waiting on inspiration and time.

I bought it and the matching chest of drawers at a barn auction. Yes, it had been sitting in a barn…yes, I could tell it had been infested with mice at one time. No, I was not expecting to find two mouse carcasses while cleaning it. GAG!!!!

The ONLY way I have found to rid old furniture of old furniture smells (mice, cigarettes, moth balls, etc) is to first scrub with ammonia and then vinegar (do not do them at the same time!). Sometimes I will spray the inside of the piece with diluted vinegar and just let it dry. If that doesn’t do it, then I suggest you prime and paint the inside of the drawers. Fortunately, the heavy duty cleaning on this piece worked and I did not have to paint the drawers!

The top and drawer fronts are cherry veneer. The veneer was in pretty good shape and really just needed to be stripped and oiled…I used THIS process to strip the old finish. Tried and true! I know I link to this tutorial a lot, but it works!

After stripping the veneers, I applied three coats of tung oil finish and chalk painted and distressed the cabinet!

The hardware was in pretty good condition…just icky. So I primed them with metal primer and painted them with flat black paint.

AGAIN, another example of how a very few dollars and some elbow grease can turn the ickiest piece into something pretty awesome!

While I had the “farmhouse white” chalk paint mixed up I decided to give some old frames a little makeover.

When I visited my uncle this summer he gave me two old framed portraits of my great-great grandmother and my great-great-great grandmother.

They do tend to be on the “goulish” side…but I NEVER turn down family heirlooms. When he offered me THIS china cabinet….

…I knew it wasn’t “my style” but as I said, heirlooms trump everything. So I made a few changes to make it a little more appealing…I removed the red paper on the back, added glass shelves and cabinet lighting. Then I filled it with the great’s and grand’s china…it is what it is…and heirloom piece filled with heirlooms.

I decided I might be able to make the portraits a little less “goulish” by painting the frames…they were just so “heavy and dark.”

I hung them in the GUEST ROOM….

Meh…not swooning over them but again, they are family heirlooms. (I think they need to be closer together!)

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Another VW van dresser makeover.

I love this little project. I featured my first HERE. When I found another “waterfall” chest of drawers I decided to do another…they are just too much fun.

This little makeover takes a bit of patience…mainly because you have to “layer” the different paints. Each “layer” needs time to cure before you tape it for the next “layer.”

The first thing I had to do was remove all the hardware, putty the holes I would not be using, prime, sand and tack. Then it was just a matter of drawing and taping my design…

The “base layer” is white lacquer…from there I painted the teal, then the light grey “glass”…then all the outlining and detailing.

In the end you have a precious little chest!

I used some black and white I had on hand and bought a sample pot of the teal. Between the primer and paint, I probably spent less than $10.

The only “major” purchases were the VW decal (purchased HERE) and the two handles that make the windshield wipers…less than $20. (I had the round knobs in my hardware stash but you can buy them for next to nothing) All in this little project cost me the price of the dresser and less than $30 in materials.

I made a few “design changes” and truth be told I like the first one I did better….but nothing you will notice on a passing train…so I let it slide! It did affect the placement of the VW decal so I ended up having to “cut” it between two drawers…boo!

Again, one of my favorite projects and since I am no longer having to work at keeping “inventory” for a booth, I have more time to be creative and have fun!

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dining room makeover...

For years my “dining room” has been little more than a pass-thru from the kitchen and living room into the den.

A few months ago I refinished a little table that is my current love…

You can see the evolution of my dining tables here. The criteria for a table is that it is compact but can expand to seat 8-10 people the one time a year we need a big table…basically Thanksgiving.

This new table fits the bill but try as I might, I could not find chairs I was really happy with. I knew what I wanted but I couldn’t find them in my normal “thrifty” way…I tried these “mid century” style chairs…

No way Jose’….super ick.

So I bit the bullet and ordered chairs from an actual retail store.

Whoa! Who knew dining chairs could be so stinking expensive!

Other than a revolving door of tables and chairs and a few changes to the art work and a new light fixture…and maybe the addition of ANOTHER buffet, the space never got a full-fledged “makeover.”

It has never really been styled as a “dining room.” Truth is, I have a bar we use regularly so other than our holiday gatherings, this space gets very little use.

I don’t really have an actual dining ROOM…it is more like a dining “space.” And again, it has always just been a thoroughfare from the kitchen to the den. So why bother styling it…

Because it is a very prominent space in my house that has been horribly neglected so it was time it got a little time and attention.

First, the table…I love the little mahogany trestle table. Maybe not specifically the style…or specifically the color…but just the whole of the sum. Don’t know how to explain it any better than that…it’s just pretty and small but easily expands.

The buffet. I love this piece…it only took me a year to figure out what to do with it, but now I love it….the style, the color, the size.

These two pieces alone are as different as night and day…one VERY traditional and antiquey looking and one very mid-century. That pretty much sums up my entire home decor…”eclectic.”

I changed up the buffet vignette a bit…just simplified it a tad…you can see HERE how I turned a candle stick into a lamp.

So, on to the rug.

What a nightmare. I THOUGHT I wanted to use this little space to infuse some serious color into my home.

Hum….not really loving it to be honest.

The first….

Wow…now that was some color.

ALL the pictures on Pinterest show rectangular rugs with rectangular table and round rugs with round tables….but because this space is a bit smallish and because we walk through this space A LOT, I tried a round rug…

Meh….

I LIKE the look of a round rug…but again, not sure I am digging all the color…even though I THOUGHT I wanted to infuse color into this space.

So I took the first one back and picked up another rectangular one with color, but a lighter background…

Hum again…

I LOVE this little scatter rug but alas it doesn’t come any bigger…curses.

I just love the colors and the amazing textures! But it did make me rethink my “color plan.”

This plain ole’ blue one….

I like the simplicity…I like the style…I like the quality. Nothing earth shattering and obviously I gave up on the idea of infusing color by putting down a “wild and crazy” rug. Oh well…I never professed to be a designer.

The wall decor. For a few decades I really liked the look of the two frames I had on this wall. They have “transitioned” over the years…first they went from the “dark and dank” to a chalk painted frame and new matting…then I changed up the matting and added botanical prints. So often I get so use to a certain look that it is difficult for me to see anything different…such was the case with these prints. I loved the pop of red of the matting and I adored the botanical prints. Unfortunately it was obvious two was not going to work…and one just looked so dinky.

Brian and I found these totally awesome mirrors.

IMO they look pretty awesome…not terribly expensive so when I tire of them I won’t feel too bad. But it took me 19 years to get rid of the two large frames so I doubt these go anywhere any time soon!

Fortunately, I LOVE the table, the buffet and the light fixture. Rugs and artwork are an easy change out if I find something I like better.

For now I will keep the little bench off to the side. It is perfect for when I expand the table and need a little extra seating.

I am excited to decorate this space for the holidays!

The only other thing I MIGHT add are curtains on the two flanking windows…or maybe shutters. Who knows…they have had blinds for 19 years…what’s the rush!

This is where I will admit I am like 90% of you out there… I just want Emily Henderson or Candice Olson or Joanna Gaines to swoop in and just do it all! I am always amazed that they can do in one hour what it has taken me 19 years to do!

I have avoided the whole “farmhouse decor” look only because I think it is a fad that will pass in short order…but this dining room gives me a little taste of the “farmhouse look” without going all out. Just a pinch and a dab that can easily and inexpensively be changed out when the time comes.

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Making a lamp out of a candle stick...

Next week I hope to share my entire dining room makeover…just waiting on a rug and the chairs I ordered.

This week I want to share one tiny element.

In my quest to make a few improvements to my dining room I decided to change up the buffet vignette…specifically get rid of the floral arrangement and style it a bit differently.

(You can check out the buffet makeover HERE! )

So off to Home Goods and At Home I went. One element I wanted to add to the buffet was a tall lamp but I couldn’t find the one I had in my mind. I found some candle sticks I liked…only problem was I didn’t really like the tallest one as a candle stick…but when I stuck this little lamp shape on it I decided I kinda liked the look of it as a lamp…

Hum?

I THOUGHT the candle stick was ceramic or resin…I also thought it was hollow. So I THOUGHT I could drill a hole in the top and a hole in the base with a masonry bit, thread in some lamp cord, add a little socket and presto-bingo…a lamp.

What is the old saying about “best laid plans.”

Yeah…well…some things just don’t work out the way we THINK they should…this, my friends, is more the norm in DIY. Things often don’t go as planned….

So the first thing I discovered was that it is wood…not a biggy.

I can just drill a hole from the top to my bottom hole with one of my really long drill bits…right? Wrong. Because the drill hit metal…turns out the candle stick is actually made up of three different sections…with screws AND glue between each. Impossible to take apart so I ended up cutting the sections with my chop saw.

Fortunately it was a tad easier to drill through the individual sections than to drill through the entire tall candle stick.

Whew…that was a booger…but after that was all said and done, it was time to “repurpose” the whole thing into a lamp.

To make anything into a lamp, you will need a socket and a lamp cord…fortunately you can buy both of these things at Lowe’s.

To use the little top socket, I just removed the little screw on the side of the base…

… and drilled a hole in the top of the candle stick big enough for the base of the socket to sit in (1/2”).

To thread the new electrical cord through the stick, I threaded a thin wire (floral wiring works well) through the stick sections. Then I wrapped the thin wire around the end of the new electrical cord and pulled the wire back through.

Once the new electrical wiring was threaded through each section, I easily attached it to the new socket, set the socket into the 1/2” hole I drilled on the top section and hot glued it in.

Then to reconnect the three sections, I applied wood glue and a dab of hot glue just to hold it all together while the wood glue set up.

Presto-bingo…a lamp made out of a candle stick.

I like it.

Unfortunately I don’t think the existing art work will work with the candlestick/lamp…curses. For now I think I will just leave it be.

I took a few sprigs of the greenery from the old floral arrangement and stuck them in a little ironstone creamer…one of my little birdies…a stack of old books I had stashed away.

Trying to keep it simple for now but really looking forward to having a buffet to decorate for the holidays!

I THINK I will like the new rug and chairs I ordered…we will see. I already have one rug in the garage ready to go back to “At Home”…didn’t like it. My plan was to go with a tad more color but this rug has me second guessing that decision.

I am also contemplating curtains…I’ve had blinds for 20 years…we’ll see…one thing at a time.

It is coming along…