Patriotic Playroom Tree

Happy July! Isn't summer flying by?

I previously shared our turquoise, pink, and white "Playroom in Progress," but today I want to feature one particular element of our playroom: the Children's Holiday Tree.

An inexpensive pre-lit white Christmas tree from Hobby Lobby remains in the playroom year-round, for the kids to decorate each season. We keep the tree decor simple, cheap, and kid-friendly, as I still have a destructive toddler in the mix. But my daughters love changing out the tree decor every few months, and I like the whimsy it adds to our playroom space.

Right now, we have a red, white, and blue patriotic tree, for the Fourth of July:

As you can see, the red, blue, and silver stars are kid-made from glittery construction paper and inexpensive ribbon. Last December, I cut a rudimentary tree skirt from glittery white fleece that we now use for all seasons.  It's not fancy, but my daughters adore it.

How do your kids incorporate the holidays into their playspaces?

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Pretty Paper Drawer Liners

After finishing my chalk paint transformation of a nursery dresser into an office console table, I wanted to ensure the interior would be lovely and functional as well.  The drawers are constructed with dovetail joinery and are solid maple; they are beautiful and need to be protected.  Plus, I absolutely love using pretty paper any way I can -- see, for example, how I used wrapping paper to cover ugly laminate desk tops in my girls' playroom and a bedroom.

So, I visited my local Paper Source and purchased four sheets of gorgeous handmade paper.  Each sheet measured about 20x30 and cost about $4; those four sheets were sufficient to line a total of six drawers and three shelves in both my console table and office desk. I chose colors and patterns that would play well with the Annie Sloan Aubusson Blue I used on the console, as well as the Benjamin Moore Stone Harbor Gray on my office walls, and the yellow, gray, and blue fabric in my window treatment.

I then gathered my supplies --- clear contact paper, a paper cutter, a measuring tape, and poster tape --- and got to work.  

After measuring each drawer and shelf, I cut the contact paper to size, sealed it to the decorative paper, and then cut the decorative paper to fit.  I then affixed each liner to the drawer with a few pieces of removable poster tape, so that I can safely change the liners without damaging the wood.  And that's it!

Drawers are now ready to be filled with stationery and office supplies, and my new home office is one step closer to being organized!

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Chalk Paint Tray Transformation

Now that I've got the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint bug, I've been surveying my house for other things that need makeovers.  The first to catch my eye --- this uninspired wood serving tray that adds function to my living room ottoman:

Purchased from Pottery Barn on clearance eight years ago, this tray had seen better days, and in my new lighter, brighter living room, the dark wood tone didn't work anymore.

So, one 25-minute episode of Sofia The First later, the tray was transformed with a single coat of Aubusson Blue and clear wax.  With no need to sand or prime, this ASCP project was so quick that the kids didn't even have time to ask for a sippy cup refill.  ;)  And it was a perfect use of some of the leftover paint from my office console project.

Most importantly, it adds some subtle color to my living room and mimics the blues in the ottoman fabric and art accents throughout the room.

How have you used chalk paint?  

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Chalk Paint Makeover: From Changing Table to Office Console

This post should be titled, "If I can do it, anyone can."

I'm talking about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  And how, after finally jumping on the bandwagon everyone else joined two years ago, it changed my attitude about painting.  Which was previously bad. Really bad.  Like covered-head-to-toe-in-paint-and-crying-in-Home-Depot-bad.

I had resigned myself to a life of having to pay other people to paint for me.  Or a life of goodwilling or craigslisting furniture in finishes I could no longer use. A life of spending too much money on too little character.

Things have changed.  Why?  Because my new home office needed more storage.  And my babies have grown up and out of their nursery furniture.  And consequently, an unused, beautifully constructed, solid maple dresser and changing table sat in my garage for eleven months.  I had paid a pretty penny for it initially and couldn't bear to part with it.  It was "good furniture."  But it was also finished in a "rubbed ebony" stain that complemented nothing else in my new house.  So, it sat and gathered dust.

Finally, inspiration struck, measurements were taken, and I realized that the dresser/changing table would fit perfectly in my new office and provide much needed storage for stationery and office supplies.  It just needed new paint.

A trip to my local Annie Sloan stockist, Jamie Figari, and I was sold.  Jamie gave me practical tips and sold me my chosen Duck Egg Blue paint, clear wax, and wax brush.  With an additional trip to the hardware store for some Purdy paint brushes, sanding blocks, and a drop cloth, I was ready to begin.

Since my achilles heel is impatience, working with Annie Sloan paint was appealing from the start.  After a light sanding and cleaning to remove debris, I got to paint!  No priming or prep necessary.  And because the paint is low-VOC, I could paint indoors, which is a huge bonus when you are living in Texas in the summer.

After setting my children up with ipads educational puzzles and games, I got to work.  By the time I finished the first coat, initial sections had dried and were ready for a second coat.  I let the paint dry overnight, and after another light sanding, I applied a thin layer of the clear wax and buffed with a lint-free towel.  The result:

But alas, although Duck Egg Blue is a lovely color, I wasn't quite sure it worked in my office space, especially with the area rug.  It read greener than I wanted and still looked like nursery furniture.  So, I stared at the piece for about three weeks before making another trip to the stockist and choosing Aubusson Blue, a deep blue grey, instead.

One short afternoon's work later, this is the final result, with Restoration Hardware's Traditional Clear Glass Knobs:

I used only one coat of Aubusson Blue and sanded a bit so the distressing shows bits of the Duck Egg Blue underneath.  Although it is difficult to tell in the pictures because of the room's current poor lighting, the overall effect is of a peacock blue.  And the new hardware is really sparkly!  I lined the drawers and shelves with beautiful handmade paper, and now I'm thrilled with the look.  I can't wait to accessorize and start using this essential component of my home office.  I look forward to sharing my office reveal soon!

How have you used ASCP to transform furniture?



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Happiness Is...the Scent of Confederate Jasmine

Springtime in Texas is beautiful, y'all.  And one of the pleasures of living in a new house this spring is discovering all of the treasures blooming in our garden.  Like this Confederate Jasmine, which perfumes my entire yard:

It's climbing the brick next to my living room windows, and I don't mind at all. The scent is intoxicating and happiness-inducing.

What's growing in your garden this spring?

Before and After: Kid's Bathroom

As another testament to the miracle of paint, here's a before and after of my middle daughter's jack-and-jill bathroom, which connects her new bedroom with the playroom.

Before: Lots of wallpaper and dingy cabinets.

After: Light, bright, and airy, thanks to Benjamin Moore's Barely Teal (which is one shade lighter than the playroom's Jamaican Aqua) on the walls and Atrium White on the cabinets and trim:

Eventually, the countertops and fixtures will need to be updated, but for now, wallpaper removal and fresh paint has brightened the room tremendously.  We finished the space with crisp white bath linens, clean white shades on the three windows, and charming prints from thewheatfield.



From tired to fresh, quite a nice change!  


(Are you new to the cul-de-sac?  I blog about nesting, nurturing, reading, traveling, and most of all, celebrating life with my family! If you like what you see, please consider joining the conversation via GFC or email.  I'm trying to get this blog off the ground and would love to get to know you! :)



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Girl's Bedroom Transformation, Part I

New house, new furnishings.  My three-year-old daughter had outgrown the colorful nursery we designed in our old house and wanted a purple "big girl room."  Achieving her dream was no easy task, because this is the "before" we started with --- a dark, cabin-like bedroom previously occupied, decorated, and loved by an outdoorsy teenage boy:

That's a lot of knotty pine, right???  

We're still working on accessorizing the space, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek of part of the room to show what a heckuva lot of Benjamin Moore Atrium White paint can do.  It's the same color used on the millwork through our new home, and the color I chose for the paneling in the adjacent playroom remodel.

With a new Pottery Barn Kids Catalina double bed, PBK lilac bedding, a new nightstand we bought raw and painted Atrium White, and a simple PBK bedside lamp, the room now looks fresh, youthful, light, and cheerful, just like my three-year-old:

The Little Castle black-and-ivory Central Park toile glider in the corner was repurposed from my eldest's old nursery and accessorized with purple and cream silk throw pillows.

The frame over the bed reminds me of the Organic Bloom frames I used in my youngest daughter's nursery, but I actually bought it unfinished from Cut It Out and painted it lilac.  The photograph was taken at my daughters' joint Woodland Fairy birthday party last summer:

The old laminate desktop benefitted from a DIY treatment like I used in the playroom: I used thick amethyst wrapping I paper I had leftover from my youngest's christening party, under a $35 glass top.  Lavender crystal drawer knobs and the lavender-trimmed Napa ruffle chair from PBK complete the look.

That's it for now. Check back again soon for more pictures and details!  Have a great week!

(Are you new to the cul-de-sac?  I blog about nesting, nurturing, reading, traveling, and most of all, celebrating life with my family! If you like what you see, please consider joining the conversation via GFC or email.  I'm trying to get this blog off the ground and would love to get to know you! :)

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