home decor – Page 12 – Love My DIY Home

An Apothecary Cabinet Flip – A Fresh Start

January’s Fab Furniture Flippin Contest – A Fresh Start On a trip with my DH to Door County we found this great little shop with several interesting pieces just screaming to be loved on. The prices were decent but we only had room in our van to take home two pieces. The first was a one piece china cabinet and the other a little dresser that had never been cared for – raw wood with dinky sad little knobs. It reminded me of an apothecary cabinet. I went back and forth trying to decide what color to choose – because I just had to paint it! Since General Finishes sponsored the Fab Furniture Flippin Contest again this month and donated a quart of their new chalk style paint to finish the piece, all I had to do was decide on a color. Some may shudder at the thought of painting … Read more

From Trash to Treasure – Update old brass decor, don’t toss it!

I told you about the cast off treasures I got from a friend in my first From Trash to Treasure post here. Here are brass pieces that NO ONE wants. After painting the brass finishes with my dark walnut satin Rust-Oleum spraypaint, I decided to mix and match the parts to make new pieces. Brass decor isn’t very popular these days, but there is no reason we can’t update. When I painted this one, (pic above) the paint didn’t settle in the grooves, giving it dimension. (It’s OK to go ahead and think I planned this.) I put the painted brass on my kitchen island to dry in the warm kitchen (negative 10 degrees in my garage where I painted it). Each time I passed by them, I thought about how they would look once I put them together. I don’t wait very patiently for my projects to … Read more

DIY Chunky Photo Frame – Re-purpose Old Picture Frames Part 3

I have picture frames up the wazoo! Seriously, I must have more than three or four dozen wood frames packed in boxes… In the garage, In the basement, In my craft closet, In my blanket chest… Nope. There aren’t any blankets in it. Just picture frames. Some day I will paint that blanket chest with chalk paint and actually use it for blankets. When you raise 15 kids like we did and tote a camera around with you 24/7, your house easily turns into a virtual scrapbook. Now we are empty nesters (yay for us!) and have downsized. So I have to justify keeping all my frames and not just “Give them all away to Goodwill to be rid of them.” (That solution was courtesy of my DH.) I’ve been on a mission to justify my frame hoarding and have come up with some re-purposing DIY projects. I’m in process … Read more

DIY Tub Tile Installation – Guest Post by Ben Lamm

How To Install Tile Around A Shower or Tub Does your shower or tub surround look tired or out-of-date? A new marble tile surround adds an instant update and increases the value of your home. Fortunately, this is a project that you can do yourself if you know the method and have the right tools. I decided to ‘try this at home’ and the results were impressive – if I may say so myself! Consider incorporating elegant marble wall tiles for a luxurious touch that enhances both style and functionality. Here’s a step-by-step guide of how I tackled the project: Step 1: We Planned the Project Before we began, we needed to decide what tiles we wanted and how many we needed. Traditional 4-inch square tiles and larger subway tiles in neutral shades of white or gray never go out of style, so that was one option. We also looked … Read more

Keeping Up With the Joneses – Living Room Reveal

The day is finally here. The Joneses living room reveal has been a long time in coming. If you remember, they bought a foreclosure and rehabilitated the poor thing. It was a mess and they brought it from an unlivable beast to a beautiful charming home for a family of 5 – oh wait. Home for a family of 6! We are so long in bringing this reveal to you because a little baby doll, Maddie Moo made her appearance (April found out she was expecting) and everything changed. She sort of took over their world and slowed down their progress on the house. They moved in without having finished, hence no “reveal.” It’s OK. A home is a home because of who we share it with, not because the trim is finished or the drywall is up in the basement, right? Let me take you back through time for … Read more

Craft Room Closet Reveal {Love My DIY Home}

Craft Room Closet Makeover

I showed you my mom’s room makeover way back when. Well, my mom isn’t with us any more – she went home to be with the Lord December 23 last year. One of the first things I did was convert her bedroom over into my craft room. It was to her room first that I would to run each time I finished a project or posted a DIY tutorial. Discover the convenience and versatility of Custom Rub On Transfers for your DIY projects. She was my best cheerleader. It was totally fitting that I would turn her room into a craft room. It is where I feel close to her and remember how she supported everything I did. Thanks, Mom. Now I will show you the first thing I changed. I took her closet, where I found a multitude of treasures after she passed, and made it into my mini … Read more

Before and After Outdoor Pots Revived! {Love My DIY Home}

I Sent Myself Flowers – for My Mom on Mother’s Day

You’ve all heard the overused quote, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I’m here to tell you that if you don’t have a mom to send flowers to this Mother’s Day, send them to yourself! The ads for Mother’s Day gifts are everywhere, and since I’ve recently suffered loss, they make me feel lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut. I decided to overcompensate. Instead of bemoaning the fact my mom isn’t here to receive flowers from me, I’m sending them to myself. I’m going to plant them everywhere and enjoy them all summer long. Enter – old crummy pots… While at a church rummage sale, I found these 5 huge outdoor planters. They were all stacked on one another, dirty and a bit ragged. Ah, but there was potential. At first I thought they were that heavy terra cotta material but found out when I picket … Read more

Neon Clipboard Transformation {Love My DIY Home}

Neon Clipboard Transformation – Just a Bit of Whimsy for the Craft Room

I have a super easy craft – well, I probably shouldn’t even use the word “craft”. It’s While walking through Walmart, I always walk through the office supplies department. Have you seen the black lucite clipboards for $2.44 that were accented with neon clips? Oh boy. Neon. perfect for my new craft room. Perfect for a little bit of decoration. At first I thought I would use Mod Podge and scrapbook paper, but then while walking through a dollar bill store I saw these stickers that I’ve used several times while scrapping. LOVE.LOVE.LOVE these stickers. Honestly, 15 seconds. FIFTEEN. I peeled off a flower, cut it with my paper cutter and stuck it on. They have little pull out hooky things that I can hang on a nail. When my DH got home at first he thought I’d bought them as is, then when I told him I hadn’t, he thought … Read more

Brush Paint Vs. Spray Paint – Before and After Nightstand

I have a before and after antique nightstand redo for you today. And it only cost $1.25. BUT, let it be known…next time I tell you I’m going to brush paint a piece of furniture using traditional paint, please stop me. Seriously. Stop me. I thought I’d give it a whirl but the whirl turned into a relentless week of painting because the tanins bled through. It was on my kitchen island. For a week. I like to use spray paint when I want a smooth finish. You can also contact Stubbins Painting San Diego – and take the help of professional painting contractors to give a professional and classic look to your house or a piece of furniture. I didn’t prime first when using traditional paint, which was a major mistake and consulted the painting companies phoenix. Then I found some great spray primer that I use now when … Read more

Color Choices – Go Bold or Go Home

Do you ever feel it’s time to color outside the lines? Do you go to the store to buy paint or curtains or your next set of couch pillows and end up bringing home pretty much the same thing you bought last time and then wonder why you’re not excited about it? Or, have you taken that step into Willy Wonka’s world and gone crazy with color? Or style. Or texture? I always wondered why people were so in love with animal prints. I SMH over hot pink painted bookshelves and pillows that look like exploded rosettes. But… change is in the wind. The time to plunge into adventure and throw caution to that wind is here. Color Choices It’s time to crawl out of the brown/white/beige cave and look for something different. A new lease on decorating life started with a new bed set. Yep. A bed set. That … Read more