It's fun to be a copycat!

When I saw this table at Pottery Barn, I fell in. love.

Quick photo taken with my phone that was hidden under my shirt!!

Well I certainly wasn't expecting to ever have my own Pottery Barn table like this, way out of my budget for sure. But, little did I know that one day...my hubby would come home with a BIG surprise. He found a cool old desk on the curb as he was dropping our kids off. The funniest part? He drove all the way home to describe it to me and ask if I wanted it. Really? Was that even necessary?


Bless his heart, he drove back to get it and it was still there, looking a bit worse for the wear but oh, the character!

Look at this beauty!

It actually sat in the middle of my kitchen for a couple of weeks and I was seriously tempted to keep it there. Never thought I really had room for a kitchen island but loved the extra counter space. But, it was a bit too short. So, I looked at it, and thought, looked at it, and thought and decided it would make a great coffee table. Time to get busy!

Chop go part of the legs, took the top off and started painting.

Chopped!

Table with no top

My hubby cut off about 2 inches down the side of the table top where there was a big gash, I sanded them and mixed a little leftover brown paint with clear glaze and water. Then, I simply painted the top with my mixture, let it set a minute, and wiped it back. Really let's the woodgrain show through! Painted the base of the table top with Heirloom White spray paint. Beautiful color! 

Love the rustic charm, even has a little warp in the tabletop.

Up close and personal

My DIY Rescue a.k.a. Curbside Beauty

Hookin it up this week at:

Breathing new life into an old cupboard

Several years ago I found this sweet, unique cupboard for $25. What a steal! Could not believe it. I asked the owners exactly what it was and they said it was a "knock down wardrobe." What is that I asked? A Knock Down Wardrobe is:  "Knocks down into 8 piece for transport and getting up narrow stairwells in the old days when they lacked closet space. Easy assembly, locks into a sturdy sound large wardrobe armoire when assembled."

This is taken from a website that shows how these
cupboards break down for easy transport.

Pretty sweet I thought but what was I going to do with it? I decided to take it to my friend's husband a.k.a. "The Furniture Fixer." Yup, this is his business name. It had a broken drawer and another fix that was needed plus I asked him to build more shelves on the inside other than the one at the top. I wanted to use it as a china/linen cupboard in my dining room.

The original cupboard before painting and 

against a bright yellow  wall. Good contrast so the 

upboard did not feel too dark.

So, after his fixes I have used it in my dining room for a couple of years. Up until the day I decided to add board and batten wainscoatting. Of course, this led to repainting the walls. Oh, and this led to a new dining room area rug...and...you get the picture.




The result, after I painted, was a dark blue wall with the black cupboard against it that led to a dark black visual hole where my cupboard was. Well, you guessed it, this led to...an impromptu paint treatment to brighten up the cupboard doors. I messed up a couple spots, and had to redo some things but, in the end, I'm pleased with the result. Hope you are too!

After paint treatment, whole cupboard 

looks brighter.

Watered down some white paint to white wash, then sponged on some
2-toned beige paint. Lastly, stenciled in silver metallic,

Linking up this week to:

DIY Showoff at http://diyshowoff.com
Mod Mix Monday
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

What's in the Gunny Sack Linky Party
So Very Creative

Keeping It Fresh a.k.a. A Dining Room Renewal, Pt. 1

I don't know about you but I usually process changes over in my head LONG before they ever come to fruition. This project roamed around in my head for a year or so before actually starting it but..It was time. Yup, long overdue in fact. Many would not agree but really to keep your rooms fresh, they need to undergo a facelift from time to time. My dining room was calling out to me. Oh, but really I was just intending to add a Board and Batten treatment to the walls to cover the unsightly texture and the smooth skimcoat the some idiot thoughtful person added to house a wallpaper border. (Oh, I soo wish I had pictures from the beginning. Well I do somewhere but not sure where.)

Here is a snapshot of what it looked like. Check behind the stencilled
border, you'll see the smooth skimcoat. Didn't leave me much options
but to put up a border, stencil, etc. Yes, my pictures are crooked!

Well, we did it! We took the plunge and dove into another home improvement project. While all home improvement projects have their stress, this has been awesome. Haha, that might have something to do with the fact that my husband did the board and batten. Yup, the measuring, sizing, fitting, cutting, and installing. All of that. My 'job' was to countersink the nails, patch, sand, and paint. Really not too hard all in all. 

Here is the first board up and the top part painted.

I know the trend is neutral, light walls but that is just not my style. However, I actually contemplated going a light neutral but couldn't do it. I like my color people!

Adding board and painting.

Trim going up.

Vertical boards being installed, caulked
and ready for priming and painting.

Linking up today with: NOBODY!!