Mirror Transformation

If your anything like me, you have a callous on your index finger from some trigger happy spray painting.  Here is a quick mirror transformation that I did this week with my old friend spray paint. 

Here is the before. 

Not bad, but I'm over the brown.

I am slowly getting rid of the any traces of the Tuscan look in my house and these mirrors are part of the change going on.   I love re purposing stuff I already have. Why buy new when you can just give an existing piece new life with a little spray paint.

I purchased these metal mirrors hanging behind my living room couch several years ago at Marshall's on clearance.  They were a distressed brown and gold finish.  I'm going to slip cover the couch, but haven't gotten to it yet. 
To see more of how I changed our living room into our home office go here.

After carefully removing the mirror I spray painted the metal frame white.  Then I taped off the outer border of the frame and painted the inside grill work bright gold.  Be careful removing the mirrors.  Newer mirrors are often hot glued in place and difficult to take apart.  This was the case with these mirrors, but I was able to gently remove the glue and ease the mirror out of the frame.  Wear gloves and eye protection in case it breaks.  Been there, done that, it's a bummer when they break.

Then I used a gray glaze over the whole piece.  Here is the glaze I mixed up.  A little white paint, black paint, water, and glazing medium.

Piper is very curious about everything and she tried to help.  She curled up in my lap while I was sanding.  I think Roscoe sent her a message that I need puppy help with my DIY projects.

 After the glaze dried I distressed the whole piece with some sandpaper.

Here is the mirror detail before sanding.

Here it is after sanding.

I washed the mirrors with warm soapy water before putting them back in the frames.
Soap and water is the best mirror cleaner I've found, no streaking.
Here they are back in the living room.

I'm liking the gold detail on the mirror with my HFH re purposed hanging light fixture.
You can see more of that project here.

I like them...for now. 

Bye bye Tuscan, hello Swedish Gustavian?

How has your design taste changed? 
Are you transitioning too?
I would love to here all about it.
Thanks for checking it out.

Sophisticated Decor For A Horse Loving Girl

Cami's room makeover is in full swing.  The walls are painted and the concrete floors are done. I haven't moved her back in yet because I need the give the floor some time to cure. 

She has been sleeping in the living room for the past 3 weeks. Not ideal, but we don't have a guest room for her to sleep in so there wasn't another option. The makeover has oozed all over the rest of the house, but it's almost done.

While waiting for the floor to cure, I've been working on some other projects for the room.  Cami has requested a horse theme.  I thought about painting a mural, but she's a pre-teen and I'm not sure she would out grow it by next year?    Here is my solution.  I found this add in one of my magazines.  I liked the bold color and the crisp white together.  No plaid, no over the top horse decor, just classic with a modern update.  Check out the painted herringbone floor, love!

I painted the room Benjamin Moore Poolside Blue.  I found a bamboo chair on Craigs List and re-did it for her room.  I also found a dresser and painted it. 

Here is my latest project.

My incredibly stylish friend Wendy over at Simply Brookes posted about white lacquer antlers .  Here is a picture she took at Z Gallery from her blog . 

See the white horse head?
This is the direction I'm going.

I have had these Breyer Horses since I was a kid.  My mom saved them and gave them to my my girls years ago when they were little.  They have been well "loved" and played with a ton.  My girls have grown out of them and don't play with them much these days.  They're in a box stored under the bed. 

Being a saver (hoarder) has it's advantages.

 

I started with horses I already had (free is good) and purchased 1" Flush Mount Hangers and a can of Heirloom White spray paint.



I mounted the brackets (prongs facing down) on the back of the five horses (just screwed them into the plastic horse, sorry horsey) and spray painted them white.



I mounted the matching bracket on the wall (prongs facing up).
These will be over Cami's bed.
Make sure if you hang things above a bed that they are very secure.
We live in San Diego, earthquake country.



  My first idea was to cut the horse down the mid-line and then mount it to the wall, but this way is an easier solution.  Here is the first horse mounted on the wall. I like the three dimensional look and the shadow the horse creates on the wall.



The flush mounts make it very easy to attach. 
The horse side of the bracket just slides onto the wall side of the bracket.



Me Like!



More importantly,
Cami likes it!
(It's her room, not mine)

Here is a mirror I found on clearance at Home Goods. 
(Me trying to be the artsy photographer)

I still have more to do, but it's coming along.
Giddy Up!

Thanks for checking it out.

The CSI Project- I made the top ten!

I wanted to share with you that I just won an award for one of the Top Ten best Reduce, Reuse, Recycle project challenge from the CSI Project. 
Thank You to Beckie, Jen, and Amanda for creating a forum like this!

Janell Beals from Isabella and Max Rooms and the soon-to-be-released House of Fifty E-Zine was the guest judge and she picked my Metal Hanging Planter Light as one of the top ten projects.  Definitely check out Janelle's blog.  She is currently in the middle of redoing her dining room and it already looks amazing.

I am so honored and surprised by making the top ten.  There were so many amazing and creative projects!

Here are three of my favorites.  There were 200 entries so it was hard to pick just three.

Beautiful refurbished old suitcases form House of Chic and Pinoche  Unfortunately I couldn't add a picture of them to my blog?  But if you click on the link you can see how cool they are.

This amazing necklace from Easy Peasy Grandma

A toad stool from Dragonfly Designs. 



Thanks for letting me share my excitement with you and congratulations to all the winners!