I’ve had my heart set on painting stripes in my dining room for a while now. I love the clean, refreshing look of vertical stripes…they make ceiling look taller too =) I finally got the chance to make my striped wall dream a reality when I was stuck at home for three straight days during the Nemo blizzard! I can say with certainty that my striped wall was the best thing to come out of that storm for me…it definitely trumped losing power for 72 hours, getting stuck in a snow bank mid-blizzard (and I’m referring to myself, not my car), eating cold hot dogs, the list goes on…Anyway, I am super excited with how my striped wall turned out, here’s a little tutorial for painting striped walls of your own!
Here’s what my dining room looked like before the stripes….
To get started, I mixed up a new custom wall color. My walls were already painted a dark blue/gray but I wanted them to be a few shades lighter so they’d blend better with the cream colored stripes I had planned.
Here’s the wall, freshly painted and drying…
Once the walls had dried (which should be at least 6 hours, but I have no patience so I waited 2), I began taping them off for the stripes. It’s extremely important that you use painters tape for this part. Painters tape is designed for this purpose so it will not pull off your first coat of paint.
I wanted my stripes to be 12″ wide, and I was using 1.5″ painters tape so I taped off the wall in 12″, then 9″ sections (by sections, I mean the area inside the tape lines). The 12″ sections would be filled with paint, and the 9″ sections would be the wall color. The reason the wall colored stripes are only measured at 9″ is to account for the 1.5″ of tape on either side of the stripe (3″ in total). This will make for perfectly even 12″ stripes. You will have to vary this equation depending on the width of your tape (ie. if you’re using 1″ tape, your stripes will be spaced at 10″ and 12″)…
*Since there was no tape on the right side of my first stripe (it was the start of the wall), my first stripe was 10.5″ wide.
Once my wall was taped off, I rolled the stripe color onto the 12″ sections. I mixed up an off-white creamy color, then added some pearl white paint to give the stripes a little shine.
*Make sure the tape is pressed down tightly to the wall to ensure clean lines!
Here’s a close up of the paint color…
Once my stripes were painted, I peeled off the tape carefully. I think it’s best to peel off the tape while the paint is still slightly tacky…I’ve always done it this way, but that could be out purely out of impatience..
Here’s my new striped wall!
I just love the contrasting color!
Now you know how to paint wall stripes, it’s your turn to give it a shot!
Like it or not, the most romantic day of the year is approaching! With just a few short days left before Valentine’s Day arrives, why not add a little romantic touch to spark up some romance at home? In my opinion, there’s nothing more romantic than a little candle light…just add some Norah Jones and a bottle of wine and now we’re really talking ;) Hint, Hint to all the men out there that say they’re not the “mushy” type…it doesn’t take that much!
Today’s DIY will help you create that subtle Valentine’s ambiance in your home on a dime…you’ll even have a chance to win a special something for yourself too
DIY Faux Antique Glass [Valentines DIY]
Grab some basic glass pieces, I picked up two round votives and two glass candle sticks from my local dollar store for under five dollars.
Next, apply a messy coat (yes, I said messy, this paint job should not look perfect since we are aiming for the antique look) of gold metallic paint. I used Americana Gloss Enamels Paint in Glorious Gold. Americana Paints are should be available at your local craft store.
Once the gold paint has dried, apply a very light, messy coat of silver metallic paint over it. Don’t cover all of the gold, try to leave some gold spots showing. For this step, I used Americana’s Silver Sage Metallic paint.
Once the silver coat has dried, use steel wool to rough up the painted surface on the glass. Allow some of the clear glass to peak through, make for a beautiful effect once you have candles lit inside the votives.
Once you get the glass looking nice and old & scratchy, it’s time to add the candles! Light em’ up, dim the lights and crack open a bottle of wine…bring on the romance!
Now it’s my turn to share a little love with all of you! In honor of the most romantic day of the year, our good friends at Deco Art offered up this fabulous Valentine’s Day paint package! Just in time to create some romantic V-day crafts!
Enter to win this wonderful package!
1. Leave a comment below telling us your favorite part about Valentine’s Day.
2. Like Picklee on a social platform you don’t already like us on, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, then tell us you did so in your comment below!
A winner will randomly be selected announced tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Good luck!
***UPDATE***
The winner has been selected! Congratulations to Samantha Ellis of Petersburg, VA! You will receive this fabulous Valentine’s Day paint package from Americana Paints!
When I was a little girl, I always dreamt of having a grand spa-like bathroom with water fountains spilling into a steaming bath, flowers in every corner, birds chirping, and sunlight pouring into the room, like a something straight out of a fairy tale…Though that dream has morphed into a more realistic vision over the years, it still remains for the most part! Taking baths and being pampered are my absolute favorite things to do when I need a little R & R, so beautiful bathrooms and bath tubs are a big deal to me.
Having said that, I spend a lot of time dreaming about my ideal bath tub =) Here’s a little inspiration with some bath tubs that are definitely worth dreaming about! Just picture yourself soaking in one of these with a glass of wine and a little Norah Jones…that should be enough to get your Monday off to a good start!
As many of you know, it was just two short weeks ago that we opened the doors to the Picklee shop in Newport, RI! Getting the shop ready was a super exciting (and stressful!) process. We were faced with a stinky, old, run down storefront that had been neglected for YEARS, but we had big plans to make the shop a beautiful place. Sort of like reviving a stinky old chair…but on a much larger scale
We fell in love with the space because it was in historic home built in the early 1700′s, so it was packed with original details and character…oh yea, and it was in the heart of the Newport waterfront shopping district =)
When it came time to renovate the shop, one of the first projects we took on was the floor. The shop came with a Berber carpet that was probably three thousand years old…OK, maybe not that old-but it sure looked and smelt like it. We knew we wanted to bring in beautiful & unique flooring that kept the shop true to it’s era, and save on costs at the same time. We tossed around ideas for a while, and then eureka! We decided we would create a wide plank, farmhouse style flooring using good ol’ fashion PLYWOOD! Sounds a little crazy right? That’s what the guys at Home Depot thought too…just wait until I march back in and show them this!
I am absolutely thrilled with how beautiful the Picklee shop’s plywood floor turned out! Its classic and true to the age of the space with it’s wide plank style, yet has a coastal farmhouse feel with it’s rustic look and white-washed finish. I’ll to show you exactly how to get the look by making your very own wide plank plywood floor!
DIY Farmhouse Wide Plank Plywood Floor
First, I head over to my local Home Depot to scope out the different types of plywood. I chose to use standard 1/2″ thick 4′ x 8′ sheets at a cost of just under $20 each! I opted for these because they wern’t perfect. They had knots, markings and lots of color variations…this was exactly the look I was going for!
With (lots of) help from the guys at HD, I loaded up my cart with the plywood sheets. I needed 14 sheets since I would be covering an area of just under 450 square feet. My original plan was to bring the sheets home and convince my lovely fiance to cut them into into planks for me, but then a miracle happened…the wonderful man at HD offered to cut them all for me!
In order to have zero waste, I chose to have the boards cut into 8 inch by 8 foot lengths, giving me six planks per sheet of plywood. Thankfully I picked a slow time of day to go to HD because it took a little over an hour (and two trips to the shop and back) to cut all 14 sheets. I am so grateful to the guys at Home Depot, even though they looked at me like I had 10 heads when I told them my plan for the planks
Once the planks were cut, I brought them into the shop and laid them out. First, I took out an electric sander and sanded all rough edges and splinters. Next, I made up a mixture of 1/4 CeCe Caldwells Simply White Chalk Paint and 3/4 water. You can alter this mixture depending on how “white” you want your flooring. I used a roller attached to a broom handle to apply a coat of the white washed paint to all of the planks.
This next step is where my lovely fiance came in…some days I just don’t know what I would do without him =) First, Brett applied Bostik flooring adhesive to the backs of the plywood planks. Next, he laid them into place then used a finish nailer to secure them to the floor. We were lucky enough to have a strong wood sub-floor to shoot the finish nails into. Brett used 1 1/2″ nails and shot them in on an angle. We chose this method because we wanted the floor to have that rustic look. The nails were spaced out about every 12″, placing two all along either side of each plank.
It’s important to have spaces in between the planks because wood will shift and expand over time. We found that a metal straight edge gave the perfect distance between planks, so Brett used that as a spacing guide.
As Brett went on nailing down the boards, he used a table saw to cut some of them into different lengths so that we would give the boards a staggered look. You can see some of the shorter lengths above…
See I helped a little here, passing him the pieces
Once the entire floor was down, about 6 hours later…we applied three coats of Minwax Polyurethane (in satin) to give the floor a protective finish. We waited 24 hours in between the first two coats, then only 2 hours between the second and third coat. Less than $300 and a day later, the floor was complete! I couldn’t be more happy with the results =)
Sheer bliss….
**UPDATE!**
Here’s a photo of the floors inside the Picklee on Spring shop, 4 months after the install! They are holding up wonderfully and we receive compliments daily!
I’ve had lots of questions about how to calculate square footage needed, here’s how…
Each sheet of plywood it 4′x 8′ (32 square feet). Simply divide the total sqaure footage of your space by 32 to figure out home many sheets you’ll need. Then just add an extra sheet or two for scraps!
After finally completing our finished basement, Brett and I (let’s face it, mostly “I” ;)) were left with the task of furnishing it… To me, this was the fun part, the moment I had been waiting for! We had already decided that the basement would be Brett’s space, a “man cave” if you will, minus the flashing Budweiser signs and football branded memorabilia…I’m sorry, I just can’t! So we found a style we both agreed on- coastal/ rustic (hence the comfy nautical striped built in seating area we created).
As we began filling up the space, one piece we were in need of was a sofa table. There was no way I was going out to buy one…we’d spent enough money on this basement already! So since we were going with the whole coastal-rustic vibe, I decided to hit up a nearby marina/ beach for some inspiration. I came across a huge pile of salvage dock pieces, coincidentally the same length as the sofa table we needed ;)…I convinced Brett to help me load it into the car (despite how ridiculous we looked to onlookers!) I had a clear vision for my DIY rustic sofa table…I wanted it made from this simple salvage beach wood, and black iron legs, sort of like this rustic farm table from Restoration Hardware:
Using lots of inspiration, I created my own rustic wood & metal table for a fraction of what it would cost to buy one! Here’s how the finished product turned out…
Rustic Wood & Iron Table [DIY]
The first step I took in creating the rustic sofa table was to measure the exact height that I wanted it to be. I took my measurements to Home Depot, where I found this fabulous threaded black iron pipe (1″ diameter). The wonderful thing about good ol’ HD is that they’ll cut just about anything for you! So I grabbed 4 pieces of black iron pipe, then brought them over to be cut and re-threaded (such a cool process if you’ve never seen it before!). Once the pipes were cut, I grabbed 4 flanges to mount to the wood (which I would screw the pipes into), along with 4 black iron end caps (these would be the feet on my table).
Here’s a better image of the piece of salvage dock I picked up
Once I got my table parts home, I flipped the table top over then measured and marked where I wanted the legs to go. This was the spot I would attach the flanges to.
l’m getting much better with the power tools!
Next, I simple screwed my pre-cut pieces of black iron pipe into the flanges underneath the table…this is too simple!
For the last step, I simply threaded the iron end caps onto the bottoms of the pipe so they would be the feet for my table….
…and that’ it! I was really surprised at home simple this table turned out to be, and it looks truly amazing! I think I’ll leave the table top raw for now, then maybe I’ll apply a coat of poly later…
Screen door kitchen pantry’s are a wonderful growing trend. We are seeing a lot of old screen doors being re-purposed and added to kitchens in place of the standard old pantry and closet doors. The screen pantry doors add a fabulous element of design, and better visibility too! This look is perfect for rustic, country, cottage and coastal style homes. Here’s a little screen door pantry inspiration for ya :):
In today’s “your pick”, sent in from Paula (of Plum Harvest) we get to see exactly how she gave her kitchen a new look by swapping out a simple pantry door with a great custom screen door.
Here’s how she did it…
Paula took an old screen door, sanded it down, then painted it, giving it a rustic white wash finish.
She purchased decorative trim, and a new screen from the hardward store, then applied it to the pantry door.
Next, Paula added new wood panels to the bottom of the door and painted them with black chalk paint.
You could stop here and hang the new pantry door as is, but Paula decided to take it a step further and add a built-in-shelf to the back of her door. She built a simple shelf (same size as the screen area of the door) and added a bead board panel to the back for design appeal, then she gave it a fresh coat of paint.
Paula used standard hinge mounts (can be found at any hardware store) to attach the shelf to the back of the screen portion on the pantry door. This is great for storing spices, small jars, etc!
Finally, she hung the screen door in place of the standard door in her kitchen. Looks great, and really opens up the space!
Share your thoughts and rate Paula’s transformation below!
I picked up a sad, helpless looking Louis XVI chair at a flea market a couple weeks ago for $20 (gotta love flea market finds ;)) As I’ve said before, the worse-off a piece starts, the better I feel about giving it a transformation…and it’s safe to say that this chair started out pretty bad. I’d been eyeing Louis XVI chairs at places like Restoration Hardware and Home Decorators Collection for a while, so I knew exactly what I wanted. I just love the rustic charm and simplicity of this style chair. I was looking for a chair to sit along side of my newly revived dining room buffet, so I chose a color palette of gray and white to use on the chair. Here’s how the chair started out:
Yes, this chair left much to be desired. So I got work stripping off the fabric and cleaning off years of dirt and debris. Of course, I always try to keep the original pieces of fabric in good condition so that I can re-use them as templates for cutting my new fabric. Then I gave the chair a fresh coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint in “Old White”.
Ahhhh, don’t you just love the difference a simple, fresh coat of paint can make! There’s one of the original fabric “templates” sitting under the chair! After the new paint was set and dry, I begin cutting out the new fabric for the chair. I chose a fabulous gray chenille fabric that I purchased from a local textile mill =)
Here’s a close up of the front of the chair after I applied the new fabric. I used nail head trim stripping to secure the fabric to the chair, and then upholstery tacks on any spots that wouldn’t be seen.
I love using chenille fabric because it has somewhat of a warn, vintage feel, which is great for using on revived antique chairs. Chenille’s like a fine wine in my opinion, it only gets better with age!
Here’s a peak at the back of the chair, stunning, isn’t it?!
And now, without further ado, here’s the final before & after transformation of the Louis XVI Chair!
Here’s the chair in it’s new home next to my chalk painted buffet…
I am in love with the final product! This chair came out so much better than I could have imagined, and I saved hundreds by creating this myself!
What do you think of the Louis XVI chair transformation?
It’s time for Fresh Picked Friday again! Man, was I ready for the weekend…it’s just a big tease breaking up your week with a holiday in the middle! I hope you all had a great 4th of July, and continue to enjoy whatever festivities this weekend brings; I know I will
**YES, this lotion is marketed for men, but I use it religiously! This stuff is amazing, and I have super sensitive skin, so this is BIG. This lotion contains SPF 15 and it’s light and refreshing to apply–perfect for the summer! No, I was not paid to say this ;)**
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…you DO NOT have to spend a lot of money to have a beautiful home! Living in a beautiful space isn’t always about having the best designer furnishings or that pricey dining room table you just HAD to have (in fact, I think these DIY dining tables are much better anyway ;)) …sometimes there’s a much simpler solution when it comes to creating a beautiful space. One of the least expensive, yet most effective ways to transform a space is with paint. There are so many unbelievable things you can do with paint to spruce up a space. Different paint colors and patterns can really change the entire vibe of a room, new colors in a room can even make existing furnishings look like new additions. Here a 15 great paint transformations you can do in a weekend or less!
Get the look- Select two complimentary paint colors then paint your wall completely with the lighter color, allow to dry for at least 12 hours. Use painters tape to mark off stripes on the wall, fill in the stripes with the second paint color, allow paint to set, remove painters tape.
Get the look- After painting the base coat, let dry for at least 12 hours. Use 2-inch painter’s tape to create a grid of 18-inch squares on the wall. Using the painter’s tape, divide the squares by horizontal and vertical stripes spaced 3 inches apart. With painter’s tape still in place, apply a light coat of acrylic matte medium before painting the top coat. Remove the tape as soon as the paint is set, usually about two hours.
Get the look- Select a wall stencil design (like these from Amazon.com). Apply a base coat of paint, allow to dry for at least 12 hours. Starting from the center of the wall (use a level to keep the stencil straight), apply the second paint color over the stencil in small sections, continue across the desired area.
Get the look- This painted tree with wall hooks is a great option for kids rooms. If you have an artistic side, you can certainly hand paint a wall tree and mount a few wall hooks on the branches. However, if your like me (with zero artistic ability!) there are tree stencils you can purchase to help you out painting the tree on the wall.
Get the look- Painted floors are making a big come back. If you’re on a tight budget and looking to make a BIG change, painted floors can make a huge difference. You can paint over pretty much any floor surface from linoleum vinyl to wood, just be sure to ruff up the floor first to remove any lacquer or shine. Once the floor is prepared and free of any shine, use a roller to apply a coat of oil base paint. You may need to apply up to 3 coats for extra coverage and durability. There are also now many options of porch and floor paints available at most hardware and paint stores.
Get the look- This quick transformation doesn’t exactly change an entire room, but it can certainly make a big impact! Use acrylic paint to stencil (or hand paint) a design on any old, boring lamp shade for a fresh, updated look!
Get the look- What could be a better place to make a color change than the entryway of a home? The front door/entryway in a home is always our very first impression, so it’s important to make it a good one! Changing your front door color on the outside is great, but changing the color in the inside can make an amazing impact too! If you’re looking for a fresh pop of color in your entryway, (works especially well in historical homes) select a bright shade of outdoor paint and apply it to the inside of your front door. Make sure to prepare the door first by ruffing up the surface and sanding off any uneven spots.
Get the look- Painting a wood floor is a similar process to painting other floor surfaces. Before applying the paint, it’s important to sand down any shine or lacquered surfaces, you want to have a clean, smooth surface to apply the paint to. Select an oil based paint or any floor paint in two contrasting colors to achieve a checker board effect as seen below. Starting from the center of the room, mark off 2-ft x 2-ft squares with painters tape, then use a roller to apply the paint. This may take up to 3 coats of paint for desired coverage.
Get the look- Wipe down your fireplace brick with warm water to remove any soot or debris. Scrap off any of that white chalky stuff sometimes found on bricks (it’s called efflorescence in case you were wondering :)), painting over that stuff will create an uneven finish. Make sure the bricks are clean and dry, then apply a coat (or two if needed) of primer, let dry. Next, apply your finish coat of paint using a nappy roller. You can use latex paint or brick paint (brick paint can be found at most hardware/paint stores). Since fireplace bricks are very porous, this project may require 3 or more coats of finish paint.
Get the look- Select a basic set of curtain panels and a stencil pattern to use on them. You will need basic acrylic paint and fabric medium to mix with it (the fabric medium helps soften the paint and adhere to the fabric better). Lay the stencil on top of the curtain and tape it to keep it in place. Mix a ratio of 3 parts acrylic paint with one part fabric medium and use a sponge to apply over the stencil. Let dry, then remove stencil from the curtain-done!
Get the look- These painted curtains follow the same concept as the curtains above except they require painter’s tape instead of a stencil. Mix a ratio of three parts acrylic paint with one part fabric medium (just like above), then use painter’s tape to mark off stripes on the curtains. Apply the paint mixture to the curtains and let dry.
Get this look- Looking to make a big change in a space? Look up! Painting a ceiling can make an unbelievable impact in the right space. It can be a daunting task, but the end result can be seriously rewarding. For this project, you will need primer, latex paint, and a paint roller with a long handle extension. Using the primer, cut in the ceiling edges with a brush, then use the roller to prime the rest of the ceiling-let dry. Using the extended roller again, apply 1-2 coats of the finish paint. Tape off the ceiling with painter’s tape to achieve a striped look.
Get the look- Changing the paint color in a room? Think outside the box! “Dip” painted furniture is all the rage right now, so why not dip paint your room? Simply tape off half of your room (including doors and trim) with painter’s tape, then apply one to two coats of finish paint.
14- Chalk board painted wall (shady grove creations blogspot)
Get the look- A chalk board painted wall is great for an office, or any type of working space. Select a chalk paint like Annie Sloan chalk paint, and use a roller to apply it to your chalk board wall.
15- Board and batten (centsational girl)
Get the look- Board and batten detail can quickly take any space from average to upscale, and the best part? It’s simple and inexpensive to do. Applying board and batten to a freshly painted space provides a great backdrop for mounting hooks, art, or just simply displaying beautiful detail. For this project, you will need 4″ x 8″ 1/8″ mdf board, ½ x 3 ½” pre primed mdf boards for base and top, ¼ x 2 ¼ pre primed MDF boards for battens, ¼ x 2 ¼ strip for ledge and 11/16” cove molding. Cut boards to size using a miter saw, then use a nail gun to attach them to the wall. Caulk any seams, then apply a high gloss coat of white finish paint.
Who wouldn’t love a customized shower? Stone and tile showers are amazingly beautiful, but having one custom made can come with a pretty hefty price tag. Did you know that it can actually be pretty simple to create a custom shower look on your own? Today’s “your pick” sent in from Mark, shows us just how inexpensive and simple it can be to create your own custom pebble stone shower. Mark and his wife used pebble stones (purchased at the Dollar Store for a total of $53!) to transform a basic white shower stall into a custom stone oasis! Here’s how they did it…
The Pebble Stone Shower DIY
Gather Up:
Pebble Stones (Mark purchased 53 2 lb. bags from the Dollar Store)
Tile adhesive
Grout
Sealer
Lots and lots of patience…
Mark and his wife started out with these pebble stones from the Dollar Store
Use tile adhesive to carefully glue down each stone to the shower wall. This process requires a lots of patience. Mark explained that his wife would come home from work and do a 2″ x 36″ section each night! Once the stones are glued down and dry, apply a layer of grout on top. Skim off excess grout and apply additional layers as needed. Finally, apply a stone sealer to help keep out moisture.
Mark and his wife cut tiles to size and used them for the shower inserts. You would apply these the same way you applied the pebble stones.
Mark’s pebble stone shower DIY came out amazing! At a cost of only $53 and A LOT of patience, I’d say this transformation was well worth it!
Share your thoughts and rate Mark’s transformation below!
