Curtains, Curtains and more Curtains!

Today I am thrilled to be guest posting at I am Momma Hear Me Roar as part of Cheri’s week long Behind the Curtain series. 

I hope you will stop by my post HERE to see curtains from my home, curtains I have created for magazine photo shoots and some all-time curtain favorites.  There is a lot to see!

October Blog of the Month – Design Chic!

Happy Monday!  Hope you all had a great weekend.  Today I am thrilled to introduce you to another fabulous Red Door Home blog of the month – Design Chic!

Design Chic is a beautiful design blog written by the mother daughter duo of Beth Woodson and Kristy Woodson.  Kristy does the writing and Beth is the curator of all the lovely pictures – sounds like a perfect match.

Their blog is one of my favorite places for inspiration on everything from farmhouse sinks to boxwoods, white clapboard houses to butler’s pantries, bobbin chairs to garages and so much more.  The list is truly endless.  In fact, if you follow me on Pinterest you will see that many of the pictures I have pinned have come from Design Chic.  They have impeccable taste and always find the most wonderful pictures. Below are some of the pictures I just love!

A garage by Patrick Ahearn  - architect

Clapboard House from Country Living

Boxwood Design by Arabella Lennox Boyd landscape designer

This designing duo also has a new project in the works.  They are in the midst of renovating a house in beautiful Beaufort, North Carolina.  Beaufort is a quintessential coastal town and the third oldest town in North Carolina – lots of history here and a great place to visit especially in the summer.  In fact, I am very familiar with Beaufort as my husband and I made a stop there on our honeymoon.  The house is definitely a diamond in the rough just brimming with potential.

The front part of the house was built in 1813 and the remainder in 1907.

Future guest room

The master bedroom with another great fireplace.

One of the most spectacular features of the house is the view from the widows walk.

Demolition on the house is in full swing and they are currently working on remodeling and reworking spaces.  I am so excited to see this entire project as it progresses to the finishing stages.

As with all the blog of the month features on Red Door Home, there is so much more to see at Design Chic including their “In Good Taste” features as well as  “Fashionable Friday.”  I hope you will visit Beth and Kristy and leave a comment letting them know you stopped by.  I know they will be thrilled to hear from you! 

Refinished Coffee Table – the details!

A little while back I shared a sneak peak of a coffee table project I was about to begin using a new-to-me refinishing technique.  I am happy to report it is complete and turned out even better than I had hoped!

Above is what the table looks like today and below is a picture of what the table looked like when I started.  I loved the shape and scale of the table for our office sitting area but it was very orange and too shiny. 

My original refinishing plan was to use a furniture stripper followed by sanding with a palm sander.  My plans changed, however, when I visited my local Lowes store.  The salesperson I worked with just happened to be a woodworker and suggested I try using acetone for removing the finish, followed by a good hand sanding.  The acetone, he said, would remove all the inorganic elements (stain and varnish) from the wood and by using a 00 grade of steel wool the table would require only hand sanding to achieve a perfectly smooth finish.   It sounded pretty simple so I decided to give it a try.

After he explained the safety considerations when working with acetone – it will burn your skin and eyes and is highly flammable and should only be used in well ventilated (outside) areas away from any open flames – we went around the store gathering up the supplies.  I needed acetone, chemical safe gloves, a full chemical face mask, 00 grade steel wool, fine grit sand paper and a small metal bucket.

I began the project by removing the brass casters and decorations from the table. The table was then placed outside on rocks (acetone will kill grass) in the corner of our garden area on top of a layer of plastic and newspapers.  I tied my hair back, wore long pants, a long sleeved shirt tucked into the chemical safe gloves and the face mask to make sure I was fully protected.

Once I was ready to go, the project was fairly straight forward.  Simply pour about an inch or two of acetone in the metal bucket, dip the steel wool into the acetone and then start scrubbing with the grain of the wood.  (Acetone will evaporate quickly so you only want to pour a small amount in the bucket at a time.)  Keep dipping the steel wool into the acetone and scrubbing.  When the steel wool “wears out” grab a new piece and repeat the procedure until you are satisfied with the results. 

After all the finish was removed, I sprayed the table with water using a garden hose and let it dry outside.  When the table was completely dry it was time for a hand sanding to even out the grain of the wood and remove any residue. 

It took about 3 hours for me to remove everything from the wood using the acetone and steel wool plus more time for sanding. It was a lot of work but the results were worth the effort.  The table was returned to the natural wood color and was extremely smooth.

Since I wanted the table to have a light, slightly white finish, I decided to try another first for me - Briwax liming wax.  I could not find it locally so I ended up ordering the wax online.  I simply followed the directions on the can and applied small amounts using a cotton cloth.  I kept applying the wax until I had the look I wanted.  Once the wax was dry it was time for a top coat of furniture wax.  I used a clear finish furniture paste wax by Minwax. 

The table turned out wonderful!  I also have to say liming wax has now been added to my list of favorite products.  I have already used it on another project which I will be sharing shortly and have found myself looking around my house to see what other wood pieces I can use it on!

I am curious to know, have you ever tried using acetone and/or liming wax?  Were you happy with the results?  Looking forward to hearing about your experiences!

Note:  Please be sure to read all the instructions and warnings on the acetone container and wax as well as consulting with a salesperson to make sure you have all the proper equipment to order complete this project safely.

Family Room Photo Shoot Published!

I discovered a nice surprise a few days ago at the grocery store.  The photo shoot in which my family room was used as a back drop for a Better Homes and Gardens Storage magazine story had been published!  I was originally told it would appear next summer so I was thrilled when I saw the story out so early.

Better Homes and Gardens Storage Magazine  - Photographer:  John Bessler

Stylist Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith publications, put together a beautiful and functional space utilizing lots of clever and unique storage ideas.  John Bessler was the photographer and once again did an amazing job of capturing all the great details of this pretty room.

Better Homes and Gardens Storage Magazine  - Photographer:  John Bessler

Stylist Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

I loved the jars, bins, boxes, and baskets Donna used for holding all sorts of crafts, books, games, movies, music and more. She added an extra organizing touch by labeling everything for easy access.  I have to say it was really a treat having things so neatly organized and displayed.

Better Homes and Gardens Storage Magazine  - Photographer:  John Bessler

Stylist Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

I ended up keeping many of her organizing strategies in place including the way she arranged the movies and music.  All this new organization also inspired me to go through some other areas of my home to get them up to speed as well.

Better Homes and Gardens Storage Magazine  - Photographer:  John Bessler

Stylist Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

Better Homes and Gardens Storage Magazine  - Photographer:  John Bessler

Stylist Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

Some of my favorite items in the room included the graphic black curtains from Country Curtains, the striped bins and wire baskets from The Container Store and of course the wonderful vintage French basket from Bonny Nieman Antiques.

Better Homes and Gardens Storage Magazine  - Photographer:  John Bessler

Stylist Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

Better Homes and Gardens Storage Magazine  - Photographer:  John Bessler

Stylist Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

I created the letter in a box embroidered G pillow on the chair to the left of the fireplace.  I loved it so much I decided to use and sell this design in my Etsy shop.  Available in your choice of fabric and embroidery color, it already has become one of my best sellers.

Better Homes and Gardens Storage Magazine  - Photographer:  John Bessler

Stylist Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

If you are looking for some simple and clever tips and ideas on how to get the family spaces in your home organized this is a terrific story to study.  One of the most important aspects I took from watching Donna was her use of a consistent color palette.  Notice that all the containers, baskets and bins are all black, crème or coral.  There is a lot of “stuff” in this space, yet by keeping colors the same it all comes together beautifully.

To find a copy of this story and other great storage solutions look for the cover above on newsstands now.