Repurposing Shutters

I just took a pair of shutters to Mr. P's Emporium's booth, and they got me thinking about all the ways you can use them.

I have a thing for old shutters.  You'll find them throughout my house. I have an old chippy blue one in my dining room. The matching shutter is currently in the booth displaying artwork.

And a pair flank the doorway to our living room.

For inspiration on other ways to use them I turned to -- where else -- Pinterest, and found these great ideas.

Here's one used as a plate rack with hooks.

Here are a couple transformed into tables.

Use them outdoors as a garden fence...

Use them as a headboard ...

Love this idea to display flowers and bottles:

As a shelf and  hat rack by the entry.

 

To display photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a table runner ...

 

Use one to display your creativity...

Another holiday idea.

To add some interest to wall hangings.

Or you can always just prop some against the wall to look pretty!

Hope this gave you some ideas.  So next time you come across some old shutters, grab those babies!


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Fall Color Trends

When I think about fall color around here, its usually this:

We're surrounded by lots of trees, which are beautiful, but they have lots of leaves.  That fall ... and fall ...  and fall ...  And then have to be raked up.  Just thinking about it makes me tired. Maybe this year a magic wind will just swish them all away!  Hey!  It could happen.

Sigh.

But I digress.  What I'm going to talk about today are the Pantone Institute's fall color forecasts. These are their picks:

We'll all have our favorites, but for decorating, mine are Mykonos Blue, Turbulence and Acai. 

Here is some eye candy of my favorites in use.  First, Mykonos Blue as an accent wall paired with a navy.

 

 

 

And here's an eye popping duo of the Mykonos Blue and the Pantone color of the year, Emerald, with some Acai thrown in.

 

 

 

Now for some Turbulence.  I love this color for decorating. First a wall in the house of the Graphics Fairy, which is absolutely to die for if you ask me.

 

The Graphics Fairy



 

I love the contrast of the gray wall and the white sofa.

 

Here it is paired with taupe and cream.

 

House Beautiful

 

 

 

Here's another shot of the gray and white.  Just love it.

 

 

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

 

 

For the Acai I like it mostly as an accent color:

 

 

 

 

How about it for kitchen cabinets?

 

 

 

 

And here it is paired with Turbulence.

 

BHG

 



 

 

How about you?  What are your favorites?  Will you be using any of them in your decorating this season?  

 

 

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No Minimalist Here: Open House

 

 

Fall Getaway

I took the weekend off and went away for a fall getaway with a bunch of girlfriends -- 17 of us in all, ranging from our 40's to 70's.

The plan was to hike, kayak, and take in the fall color in the Shenandoah's. 

That was the plan.  Unfortunately it rained the entire weekend!  That was okay though.

We ate.  Played games.  Ate.  Read.   Ate some more. Drank a lot of wine.

Did I mention we ate?  I think I gained about 5lbs. There was a bit of dancing to get in some exercise, and a few hikes were managed in between showers.  I just told myself that the rainy mist was good for my complexion!

 

Of course, the day we came home the weather turned beautiful -- but the camaraderie of the weekend was just as lovely.

I have a couple of projects I'm going to try to get down this week, so hopefully I'll be showing them to you soon! 

P.S. Thanks to the group for the photos!

Plan B Table

How was your weekend? 

 

Of course as soon as I put away my summer clothes and brought out the fall gear, the weather changed here.  We had a weekend of 85-90 degree weather with humidity.  What's wrong with this picture??!!  It's October!  In October we're supposed to have crisp days and chilly nights, wear sweaters, sip hot apple cider and wipe the frost off the pumpkins!

 

And like the weird weather, my weird furniture mojo continues.  I bought this little table already painted.  It had a black top and white stencils in the corners, and was on first appraisal very cute.  Unfortunately, when I looked at it closer in better light, I saw that they hadn't prepped the surface well before painting, and coffee cup rings and other imperfections were showing through the paint.  I just didn't want to try to sell it like that as it didn't look good, and to be honest, I thought it would be a reflection on my painting skills. 

 

So I sanded off the paint on the top and my original plan was to redo the black top and stencils since their idea was a good one.  The black top went perfect.  I used General Finishes milk paint in lamp black and nary a blemish was to be found.

 

 

 

Then I tried stenciling.  Now, I've stenciled furniture before with no issues.  But for some reason, every time I tried it on this piece the stencil came out smeared.  I tried two different types of paint (ASCP and GF milk paint), and both a sponge and a stencil brush.   I really don't know what was happening, other than I must have been putting too much paint on the stencil.  But after trying, messing up, sanding, and repainting the top four times I just plain old gave up. Call me a quitter if you will.

 

 

 

On to Plan B.  I painted over the black with Ce Ce Caldwell vintage white.  Then I wet distressed the edges so that the black came through.  I didn't touch the legs, they already had black accents.  Now it reminds me a bit of a tin top table with the edges worn off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here it is at Mr. P's.  A little table that ended up being a big lesson in frustration.  Before I try to stencil again I'll have to practice my technique on cardboard so I don't go through this next time.

 

 

 

I also stopped by my local Goodwill this weekend and found this dresser with a nightstand.  I'm painting it now - and no stenciling is in the plan!

 

 

 

Have a great week!