Love My DIY Home

Barn Door Hardware Transforms an UGLY Hallway

#sponsored OUTDATED Doesn’t Begin to Describe It Yes. I admit it. My hallway was boring, ugly, dark, uninviting – you get the picture. Before we bought the house, the one wall across from the closet had a type of salt wash that made it very rough. I sanded it down and painted before we moved in, but never liked the hallway partly because it was dark and partly due to the bifold doors. Or should I say “bifold door.” The one was off and the other had a doggie door in it. I have no idea why other than I know they had lots of animals, so the animal “stuff” must have been in the closet. For the past 5 years I’ve waited to update that hallway and get new doors, but I’ve been holding out, wanting the barn door look. Every day I just ignored that area … Read more

Accent Table Turns a New Paige – Pure and Original Fresco Lime Paint

#Sponsored Post They all were just passing her by… We named her “Paige”. Here she is in her original home before she became mine. She was one of many at an estate sale: Paige was pretty scratched up and worn out, but she had good bones. We snatched her up and packed her in with all the other pieces we found that day and took her home. She was an after thought. Why not? She had potential. After flipping her over, we could tell she had been handcrafted by the pencil marks that were still visible. Materials List (Affiliate Links) Soy Gel Metal Putty Knife Wallprim Fresco Lime Paint Rigid Hand Sander HomeRight Finish Max Sprayer Dead Flat Eco Sealer Java Gel Wipe On Poly FolkArt Mandalla Stencil Since we had just started using (afflink) Soy Gel to strip some pieces, my DH threw her in the mix. Strip off … Read more

A Sentimental Journey – Preserving the Past Through DIY Decor

Walking Downtown Wausau at Dusk If you are wondering how to choose window tint, it’s the perfect time to look inside people’s windows in the old houses – the hundred year old houses with the old town flavor. No, I’m not creepy. I just like to see how other people decorate their homes. Some of the homes still had the original windows…you know, the ones that when you look through them, they are wavy and distorted? Cool stuff. You can have those replaced with curtain walling liverpool. NOSTALGIA INSPIRES Not that I want an old house with wavy windows which I wanted to fix from Maverick Windows in Houston, uh…no. But the flavor of those old houses when they are expertly decorated with quality furnishings creates such a warm fuzzy feeling inside of me. Connecting with those in our past has always been intriguing. I wish I had some … Read more

End Tables Ava & Elsa Restyled by P&O Inspiration Collection 2017

#sponsored post The Story of Ava & Elsa Ava & Elsa were not wanted. Ava & Elsa sat out in a driveway thinking there was no hope. Ava & Elsa were wobbly and scratched up pieces with a $10 tag for BOTH of them. Ava & Elsa though they were worth more but needed someone to find them and make them beautiful again. I was that someone… AVA “BEFORE” Finding Your Inner Artist It does take practice, but the more you hunt and take home projects, the more you practice different techniques and experiment with different paints, the more you will gain a new perspective on our craft and gain your own style and develop a vision for redesign. Don’t tell yourself you don’t have the talent or tell me that you could never do what I do. I learned how to transform old unwanted out-dated pieces of furniture and … Read more

Serving Cart Goes Fresco – A Lime Paint Transformation

#sponsored An Uncommon Surprise I know I say this a lot – so forgive my repetitiveness, but this transformation snuck up and surprised me more than I could have ever expected. (afflinks) Pure and Original offered to let me try out their Fresco lime paint on a piece of furniture. Typically one would use the Fresco Lime Paint on walls, but I wanted to try it on my furniture. BEFORE This serving cart sat in my house, slowly becoming outdated over the years – as have many pieces in my home and probably yours too. Before and After At one time this was modern and trendy. But no more. When I look at it now, I just see “old & boring”. Normally I’d not show the “after” so soon but I just couldn’t resist. This one threw me for a loop. The (afflink) lime paint finish is extraordinary. AFTER Here … Read more

Refinished End Tables Pair Up to Become Cora & Nora

#sponsored Estate sales are a great way to find matched sets. Twin end tables are rare and are highly sought after in the furniture rehab world. We found Cora & Nora, along with their matching coffee table, last summer at an estate sale in Stevens Point. The finish was “OK” but I like my furniture to be more than “OK”. “OK” is good enough for boring people. True that? So how do we “un-boring” it? Stuck on the Old-World Look. You could call it shabby chic, distressed, farmstyle, etc. but basically the “imperfect” has become the new “perfect.” Smooth, consistent, and coordinating have been replaced with chipped, shaded and contrasting. It is what it is, and most like it. There’s something about the worn, aged look that is appealing and millions around the world are in agreement. The Process and The Fail I first planned to use a new product, … Read more

2 Candle Holders Upcycled = A DIY Bird Feeder

Do you have an eye? Do you have an eye for upcycling? The craziest Goodwill finds can be combined to make useful and trendy home decor. Ya just gotta see it – imagine possibilities and be willing to experiment. That’s the case with these two candle holders – 1+1=1 For this tutorial, I’m going to be very specific and detailed – not because it’s a difficult or very detailed project, but because I want you to see the process for how a project comes together. Simple or complex, each project requires planning and contemplation for it to come together. Do you see how they can combine to make a one-of-a-kind bird feeder? 1. Turn the candle holder into a cup by creating a larger area to hold the bird seed. This is what it looked like “before.” DH called in the big guns for this job – it’s called a … Read more

Bakers Rack Repurposed as Paint Studio Storage

Sometimes You Don’t Want to Paint Did I just say that out loud? Most of the time we look for projects to paint but occasionally we decide to keep it as is, just spiff it up a bit by adding detail or simply cleaning it up. We found this bakers rack on a weekend getaway to Door County at a sweet little consignment shop for just $35. It may have been an impulse buy, but it was one of the best so far. I Dragged it Out of Our Barn to Paint it for My New Studio I decided I liked it as is and cleaned it with water, a scrubbie and (afflinks) Krud Kutter. Sometimes Krud Kutter works better than you want and it took off a bit of the grunge that I thought was part of its charm, mainly, the water ring. BUT, sometimes a snafu can lead … Read more

Garage Sale Sconce Update {Love My DIY Home}

Wall Sconce Update – Trash to Treasure

Do you like Primitive, Old World, Rustic, or Farmhouse? Is antiqued, glazed, layered, dry brushed and/or distressed your preference? Do you go for Shabby Chic, Retro, Modern or Traditional? Honestly, I do shake my head at some of the furniture pieces I see showcased on some of my Facebook furniture groups. Some are gawdy, but bring in comments like, “I love it!” Others that are posted as “after” can be mistaken for “before” in my minds eye. But different strokes for different folks, I suppose. While some say, “NEVER paint wood,” others say, “Plain wood is boring and I need to paint to be happy!” Regardless of your preferences, you can pick up a piece of furniture or decor and make it your own. You can drastically change it or lightly modify it. Example: I picked up this sconce last summer and thought it was a bit too rustic for … Read more

DIY Duck Cloth Canvases {Love My DIY Home}

DIY Kid’s Room Canvases – Using Duck Cloth

Duck Cloth and Artist Canvases I have a nice and easy project for you – using (aff link) duck cloth canvas material, wood letters and artists canvases from (aff link) Hobby Lobby. Here is a coupon for you if you plan to shop there for your supplies (just click the coupon banner below and then look for “get coupon” in the right hand corner of the (aff link) Hobby Lobby web page): Supply List You will need (aff links): duck cloth 12 x 12 artist canvases (Search for: 12″ x 12″ Canvas Panel 5-Pack) heavy duty staple gun & staples scissors large letters (Search for: 9 1/2″ Wood Letter or the size appropriate for your canvas) paint for the letters (Search for: your fave acrylic paint color) bling STEP #1 Measure or just lay your canvas on your (aff link) duck cloth and cut it a few inches larger, just … Read more