The 3 Lives of 2 Lamps

We all know how spray paint can be the quickest, easiest, and most cost effective solution to updating our decor.  If you have a callous on your index finger from spray painting like I do, you know what I'm talking about.  Here is yet another example of how spray paint can do just that. 

I bought these two lamps at Marshals or TJ max (I can't remember?) when we moved into this house ten years ago.  They were brown like the one on the left.  I bought them when I was doing the "Tuscan Tango," as Amanda Carol refers to it over at Amanda Carol at Home.  She is really funny and her house and blog are amazing, so if you haven't checked it out you should go visit.

Life #1
Tuscan Tango

Don't look at the unfinished fireplace in the back ground, but if you do, you need to see how it looks finished so you don't think I left it like that.

Life #2

When in doubt spray it white.

I broke out the spray paint and sprayed them white.  Here's one with the original lampshade that came with it when I bought them.  You can see the style of the shade is a little dated, but you can't tell by the picture that the shade was also a little dingy.

Here they are together.  New white paint with the original shades and old fleur de lis finials. 

The fireplace is coming along, it just needs the tile surround, but I still have trouble taking straight pictures! 

I bought the new shades at Lowe's.  I think they were around $14 each?. 

Much better! 
So I thought?

Only one problem,  I kept finding the lamps shoved over to the far right of the buffet so the kids could watch TV while eating a snack at the kitchen table.  I finally got tired of fighting it and moved these lamps into my master bedroom. 

I replaced them with these taller see through glass lamps.

TV watching problem solved.

To see how I made these glass lamps go here.

I didn't need more lamps in my master bedroom. 

A good purger would have donated them or sold them on Craig's List. 

I'm not a good purger. I'm more of a pack rat/hoarder/repurposer.   

I saved them in a corner of our bedroom until I figured out what to do with them next?

Then Cami's room makeover started and she needed lamps.  Hoarding has it's advantages. 

What it takes up in space it saves in $$$.

Life #3

Tangerine Twist

I found a bamboo chair on Craig's List and covered the seat cushion and ottoman in a remnant of orange fabric.  I needed more orange accents in the room and I found the same exact orange in a spray paint can.

I spray painted the base of the lamps in glossy orange.  I kept the Lowe's shades and added an orange ribbon around the bottom of the shade.  I added a new circle shaped finial (Lowe's) to repeat the circle motif in the new chandelier that hangs from the center of the room.

Here's Cami's new chandelier.
To see how I made this out of metal hanging planters go here.

The lamps sit on either side of her bed on these Ikea bedside tables.  I already had them.  They were painted blue and on clearance.  I spray painted them white.  

Here is the after of the lamp and Ikea table.  I'm looking for cute knobs. 

The orange plastic bin is from Walmart. 

Before you get ready to throw something out do you ask yourself

can I spray paint it? 

I think it's wearing off on my kids,  Cami asked if I would spray paint her swim fins because she didn't like the color.

Why not?

Thanks for checking it out.

Guest Posting on Remodelaholic

Hi friends, I can't believe this opportunity has been bestowed on my little blog. 



I have been asked to guest post on one of my favorite blogs
Remodelaholic

Welcome

Cassity liked my post about my Louis Chandelier and asked if I would consider guest posting about my outdoor room?

No one has ever asked me to guest post before.

I am very appreciative for the opportunity!

Please visit Remodelaholic and check out how my husband and I created our favorite room.

.

Thanks for the support!

Fireplace Makeover #2 It's Finally Finished

I FINALLY finished the fireplace.  This is the second part of the fireplace makeover.  To see the tile removal and drywall repair click here.  This was part of a larger project, my family room makeover.

Here is the Before.

No mantle and the builder put the floor tile around the fireplace.  See how the larger tile at the top makes the fireplace look like it's falling forward?  I've never liked my fireplace.  I painted the picture above it when we first moved in ten years ago to draw the eye away from the black hole below.

Here is the After.

 I removed the old tile, repaired the drywall, painted the walls and the concrete floor, made a new mantle, and added a new tile surround.



My dad was the Foreman on the mantle making part of the project.  I'm lucky to have my parents live about ten minutes from my house.  My dad has all the cool tools, saws, and expertise for woodworking like this. 

We started with the table saw.  We used this to make the MDF boxes for the mantle and legs.

We used this 12" compound miter saw to cut the molding.  I made the cuts, but there is no way I could have figured this out without my dad showing me what to do.  I just haven't done it enough yet, but I'm learning.

I glued all the joints with wood glue.

I used a staple gun to make the boxes and attach the molding.  More cool dad tools.

My mom brought us lunch.  Cutting wood makes me hungry. Yum! 

Thanks Mom.

We made these guide boxes to cut the big molding.  It makes cutting the angles much easier.  Make them the width of your largest piece of molding.

Here is the box with the the first piece of molding attached.

We attached the horizontal mantle to a 2x4 attached to the wall.  I diagrammed where the studs were when I was repairing the drywall.  This made it easier to secure the 2x4 soundly to the wall.

The 2x4 was a hair too long and I had to hammer the left side of the mantle down on to get it level.  The fit was a little too snug, but I fixed it.  Here it is before leveling.

Next we added the legs.  I used liquid nails to secure the legs to the wall.



Here is a detailed picture of the molding I used to create the mantle.  It's hard to see where the molding begins and ends once it's painted out.  It looks like all one piece.  This was a work in progress.  I didn't add the last the bottom piece of chair rail until after the mantle and legs were attached to the wall. 

All these moldings were under $2 a foot so everything was very economical.  They were all purchased at Home Depot. 

Once the mantle was attached I filled all the staple gun holes with wood filler and sanded it smooth.  I had to repeat this step several times to get the flawless finish I wanted. 

I wish this technique worked on my wrinkles.

I added some skinny picture rail molding to the legs.  I just glued it on with Liquid Nails.  Then I primed it with Zinnser water base primer.

I painted it with two coats of Frazee, White Shadow.  All the trim, doors, molding, and base boards in my house are painted this color.

Close up of the molding detail.

On to tile.  I borrowed a wet tile saw from my cousin Margaret's husband Andy.  He's an amazing contractor.  To see some of his work click here. 

 

I was a little intimidated to use one of these.  BUT IT IS SO EASY!  Really,  it's easier than operating a sewing machine.  My daughter Casey took to it right away and wanted to help.  Wear ear protection, it's very loud. 

I set it up in the SCARY, MESSY garage.  We don't have basements in San Diego.  Basements don't hold up to well in earthquakes.  We have earthquakes. 

 

Here's the first cut.

It took me a Sunday afternoon to complete the tiling.  Just apply Thin Set to the wall with a notched trowel and set the cut tile.  

I haven't been in a tile store in a while.  It's pretty incredible the choices and options out there.  I chose a natural stone mosaic rhomboid tile because it's timeless, classic, neutral, in-stock, and under $10 a square foot.  The lady that helped me at Encinita's Tile gave me the contractors discount for being nice.  Well I am the contractor at this job site.  I guess some of the people that she works with are not nice?  I don't know, but it made my day!

Here's where I started.

Here it is ready to grout. 

I used sanded grout and the color I used was Haystack.  Mix it with water and follow the box directions.

Use a rubber trowel to grout and mush it between the tiles.

Wear gloves, it's messy, but fun.

Sponge off all the excess grout.  Rinse and squeeze out your sponge often.  Change your bucket water often.  Make sure your sponge isn't to wet.  You don't want to clean your new grout out from between the tiles.

After two hours wipe your tile down again to remove any grout residue

I added a small quarter round piece of molding to the inside edge of the mantle.  The tile grout wasn't as clean as I wanted it to look on the edges.  I painted the molding to coordinate with the tile with the same paint I used to create the concrete floor stripes.

I still need to seal the grout.  I also need to figure out how to decorate a mantel?  I haven't had a mantle in my house since I lived with my parents back in 1989. 

I'll wait to build a fire until after I seal the tile or the smoke might stain the grout.

I'll put candles in it for the summer.

Thanks for checking it out.

Family Art

   I have many objects in my house that our pieces of history from my family.  I recently framed some watercolors and displayed them in my family room.  I've had them for some time. One was painted by my Father-In-Law and the other three where painted by my Grandmother.

This is a landscape my Father-In-Law painted.  I asked if I could have it last time we were visiting.  My daughter has had it pinned on her bulletin board.  I framed it and placed it on my desk in the family room. 
I love the colors.

The next three were painted by my Grandmother.  This one is of a fountain.  She lived in Columbia, New York, California, Japan, Illinois, and Hawaii so I don't know when or where this picture was painted?

     This one says "Amalfi Coast" on the back of it. 

I don't know if she traveled to Italy or she painted it from a picture?

This one is dated 1933.  She was born in 1916 she would have been 17 years old when she painted it. 

I always tell my kids to sign and date their art work.
You never know who might cherish your creations later?

 

       I placed my Grandmother's painting over this little chair that belonged to her.  It used to be in the waiting room of my Great, Great Grandfather's office.  He was a doctor.  It later occupied one of the bedrooms in my Great Grandmother's house.  The room had a sloped roof so the legs were cut off to compensate for the lack of head room.

Here they are together.

I have been playing with the fireplace mantle display.  I've never had a mantle before so decorating one is new to me.

These pictures hang next to one of my paintings I did over the fireplace.

Do you have family art displayed in your home?

Thanks for checking in.