Mantle Makeover

It’s beginning to feel like fall around our parts; just in time to head into Thanksgiving and right back out again.

I’ve been working indoors a little more, due to the cooler weather. This past week I redecorated my mantle.

I’m hoping to paint the fireplace and mantle white one of these days, but for now I’m just trying to carry the black/white/grey theme through where I can.

This wonderful pencil sign came home with me on a shopping trip for shop goodies. My husband actually liked it so much that we kept it and hung it under the mantle. The fireplace is in our schoolroom/office, so it’s a fitting item.

I found this sweet tin match holder for a song, and for now it’s sitting on top of the wood stove holding a small word card. I’m waiting on my husband to hang it up on the bricks for me.

This beauty was the same pot I shared in this post, and it stores our fireplace bellows. The bellows was a gift from the prior owner of our house. She actually mailed it to us a year or so after we moved in, and we later learned from our neighbor who kept in touch with her that she felt that it should be with the house. What a sweet gesture.

 

I propped up an old screen window that is a greyish, green color on the mantle. It has perfect, peely paint. This metal ribbon was another great find, and the majority of it went to the shop, but I had to keep some for myself. I finished out the garland with a rusty, old, doo-dad that I found somewhere.

My lighting is a little off. This is not a well-lit area and I am definitely not a photographer! The black box is an old ammunition box that I fell in love with at first sight. It’s residing upon a doily that my daughter just made for me. She is so talented!

Mr. Uncle Sam has moved from my kitchen cabinet to the mantle beside my sun dial. That’s another one of those items I had been wanting in my décor and was lucky enough to stumble upon one at a great price.

The 534 paper is someone’s long lost marathon number. I just like what it adds to the vignette.

This side houses a silver framed mirror I bought at Smitten, my Ikea pitcher, an Ironstone creamer, a stack of old Bibles and my awesome fan that still works!

The top Bible was my Dad’s.

This fan was found at an estate sale for practically nothing.

Don’t you just love great finds?

Joining with:

No Minimalist Here Open House Party Thursday

Creative Things Thursday at the Vintage Farmhouse

At the Picket Fence Inspiration Friday

Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Redoux Interiors What Have You Redone Friday

Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays

Laundry Room Makeover

I am going to show you a scary thing. A very scary thing. At least, in my opinion, it is.

My laundry room before it’s much needed makeover.

Now, this is not what it looked like on an every day basis. I pulled everything out of the closet and from under the sink so I could start from scratch. And, boy, was I surprised at how much junk I had stashed in there!

Isn’t this just the best way to store those extra plastic bags? Not!

Handy, dandy laundry cart is somewhat of an eyesore.

This is the sink station. Note the lovely blue handles and the funky gold mirror. That was here when we moved in and I just never got around to taking it down.

And this is the ultimate in blech~the walls are covered in vinyl floor tiles. With country blue diamonds. I neglected to take a picture of the wall paper border that was patterned in the same said blue color and clothes drying on a line.

One day, I just got tired of it. Who wants to do laundry in a depressing room? Especially when doing laundry in itself is depressing enough?

So, I started purging.

And then I removed the horrid wall paper border. And then….then I went a little crazy.

And I painted every little blue diamond black.

And added a few more details.

Such as the fun, little, floaty curtains strung on a rusty wire.

This photo is a little blurry, but you can see the gold mirror is no longer so. I painted it black and distressed it. The knobs were changed to brushed nickel. I added some enamelware and the little wash sign was a gift from a friend.

You’ll see that not everything got an update. The cabinet is the same, as is, the lovely yellow countertop and the faucet. The faucet will be replaced soon as it has leaking issues.

I decided to incorporate a little of the yellow in this room since we had to keep the countertop. All part of remodeling cheaply on a budget.

The laundry sorter is gone and in its place is an enamel topped table that is perfect for folding clothes. I placed three laundry baskets under it and concealed it with a burlap sack strung with clip rings.

The black shelf was found in our garden shed when we bought the house. It was gold and I spray painted it black. It holds lots of little treasures. The “m” picture is a framed vintage flashcard I picked up at Round Top.

The enamelware bowl holds cleaning towels. On the right side of the table is a jar of homemade laundry detergent and a bin that holds dryer sheets. It’s so nice to have them in the open and handy.

I bought the drying rack on the wall from one of the vendors at Smitten.

And I left the litter box in the picture because that’s where it normally resides.

The picture was an old ad for Fels Naptha soap that I mounted on some scrapbooking paper and framed. You can see the black diamonds that I painted much better in this picture.

Behind the door I hung a hook I made from a chunk of wood and a rusty drawer pull. It’s a great place to stash my apron.

The closet is much more organized. I was able to find some baskets at Home Goods to corral everything from cleaning supplies to pet supplies. The baskets on the very top hold paper towels and garbage bags.

Plastic bags are now neatly shoved in a bag holder from Target that I mounted to the wall. My mop and broom hang on the inside of the closet.

Because we have a dog and cat, we have little plastic baggies. The cat box liners and doggie bags for outside cleanup. I made a bag holder for each out of wipe containers and just labeled them with scrapbook stickers. No more runaway baggies.

The pet food is now stored in canisters under the sink appropriately labeled, cat food and dog food.

I almost forgot my very favorite part of the room!

The chicken feeder light that my husband made for me! I know these are all over the internet, but I wanted one and adore how it finishes out my little farmhouse style laundry room.

I now love, love, love my laundry room!

Thanks for taking the tour!

Joining with:

At the Picket Fence Inspiration Friday

Stuff and Nonsense Fridays Unfolded

Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

What Have You Redone Fridays at Redoux

Rooted in Thyme Sweet and Simple Fridays

Industrial Boys Room Inspirations

With Laina’s room completed, and Connor’s room basically finished, it’s time to move onto Blake’s. I shared Laina’s redo in this post, and plan on showing you Connor’s soon; however, I’ve been busy scouring the internet for some rustic-industrial inspiration for Blake’s room.

I love just about everything in this room! The ceiling, the lights, the headboard and the dresser are the elements I’d like to incorporate into Blake’s room. We had already decided that Dad would make him a wood headboard.

Photo from Houzz.com

I really like the idea of using the “woodsy” with the industrial. Especially since Blake enjoys hunting. The deer head is great.

Photo from bobvila.com

These are crates from Michaels and are what I am leaning toward for shelving around his windows instead of actual bookcases.

Photo from indulgy.com

Dad is talking about making barn-like doors in place of his closet door.

Photo from countryliving.com

I just think these are fun for his hats. I’m debating whether to make some or order them.

Photo from craftsburykids.com

And of course, the numbered nightstand to go with the numbered dresser. I adore this look.

Photo from houzz.com

Can you feel it coming together?

I can’t wait to take him shopping to pick out the pieces! But first, some plaster and painting has to be done!

A Rustic California Kitchen

We just returned from our second trip back to California in the course of a month! This time we attended my younger brother’s wedding.

Part of our time was spent at my husband’s cousin’s house. I asked permission to photograph her kitchen area to share on my blog, because, simply put, it is gorgeous! Her husband did all the cabinetry and woodwork. He is one talented individual.

But he’s not the only talented one in the family. Sharene has recorded four Christian/Gospel albums and was nominated for a Dove award!

Here’s one of her videos that also features her daughter and her brother. So, sit back and enjoy the music and then take a tour of her fabulous kitchen.

Check out the detail in the tiles over the stove.

Even the fridge is classy!

Intricate carving adds a nice touch.

Sharene has a great eye for details and has her fall décor out.

Loving this towel rack.

The dining area is just off the kitchen in her open floor plan. Once again, her husband created some amazing cabinetry.

Very earthy, woodland feel to her fall table.

Even the sideboard is done up.

These two fellas supervise all the activity from their vantage point.

Hope you’ve enjoyed your “tour”!