Metal wall art: how to make the BAD look GOOD.

Recently I gave my master bedroom a mini makeover, you can read more on that HERE.

from blah TV wall to lounging retreat!

The moment I introduced the two new white dressers on either side of the daybed I knew that the dark console table (leading to the master bath) and it’s vignette had to go!

am I right?

With my two existing night tables and now the new dressers, it just seemed like table-surface overload!  Plus, the decor suddenly clashed and seemed SO outdated.  I actually hesitated even mentioning this, because lately it has been pinning like crazy …still, totally not the direction I was going in anymore.  The abstract art (made by me) and table bought at Target are up for sale right now.

SO OUT IT WENT.  All of it.  I decided I would rather fill that wall up with a piece of art, but wasn’t feeling the vibe for framed photos or a canvas if it was going to be all alone.  There is also a (white) plug and a light switch on that wall (you can’t see it in the photos) which means anything square or rectangular would just play that up (am I the only one who sees this as visually irritating?).

ORGANIC ART. It would have to be!  Something shapely, like a metal wall sculpture.  You see them pretty much everywhere now, from your neighbors house to the doctor’s office.

BAD. photo via TouchofClass.com $69.99

BAD. via Sears $89.99

TO BE HONEST. I kind of hate them.  Typically, I don’t really like mass produced art, it doesn’t mean I don’t have any!!  But, I try my best not to buy it.   There is so much great art out there that just doesn’t compare to the ‘made in china’ stuff at all.

GOOD. photo via decoist.com

GOOD. photo via decoist.com

GOOD. via Atlanta House and Home

HOWEVER.  Because I live in the real world where I do have limited funds (and so do my clients!), sometimes you just gotta get creative and work within your budget.  But I never give in to the ‘BAD’ or the ugly!  Just because you don’t have the cash doesn’t mean you can’t have a unique piece of art!

THE THING IS.  You’ll notice that the ”GOOD’ metal wall art is large with a real presence in its space.  Hard to get that with the flimsy little pieces you see at your local home store!

BAD.  But could be very GOOD if you had several hung all together.  Via Wayfair.com $35

HERE’S A THOUGHT.  Although tacky alone, imagine several of these ‘BAD’ pieces in a cluster hung closely together, to appear as one larger piece?!  (do you see it?).  Or imagine an entire wall covered -like 3d wallpaper.  So cool.  You could even spray paint them a different color!!  It may not be entirely custom art …but it would qualify as one of a kind, right?

BAD, but could be GOOD with three hung tightly together.  via Wayfair.com $21.49

NOT CONVINCED?  Check out (below) my new wall installation in place of where that outdated console and vignette once was. I was lucky to find two medium sized pieces that were similar (not identical) and on clearance at HomeSense/HomeGoods!  Not sure if I will spray paint them or not.  Right now I am simply enjoying the feeling of that small (yet significant) change.  What are you’re thoughts?

BEFORE.  Cluttered and outdated.

Do you like the BEFORE or AFTER better?

AFTER.  Modern and airy.

Check back soon for more updates.  Actually, why don’t you just follow me on Facebook ?! I don’t just post blog updates but design inspirations too!

SHOW OFF.  Have you got a special metal art piece on your wall that you are loving and convinced it falls into the ‘GOOD’ category? I WANNA SEE IT!! Take a pic and post it on on my FB wall!

Thanks!

-Julie

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Master Bedroom Retreat – Lounge

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I’ve blogged about my master bedroom before (you can find that post HERE).  But I never mentioned anything about the large recessed wall across from the bed.  There’s was a television, complete with visible ugly wires and a small audio stand housing our digital video recorder (DVR).  Blah.

Several months ago we ditched the satellite dish for a tiny Apple TV unit (it sits just on top of the television), which meant “ba-bye” to the DVR and the awkward audio stand.  The hubs got to work opening a section of the wall and did a little electrical work to hide all the wires  Then he repaired the wall, mudded and sanded and I finished up with a coat of primer and two coats of leftover bedroom paint.  I must say we did a pretty good job -you can’t even tell!

Now we were left with a clean, empty slate.  At first I had visions of something custom built like bookcases or shelving.  But you always have to think about resale and if/when we sell this house, built-ins would mean one huge wall lost for bedroom furniture pieces like dressers or a vanity (we prefer storing all our clothes in our his and her walk-in closets).

With our kids getting older and taking over more of our home’s entertaining spaces for themselves and their friends, I wanted to create a quite, lounging, retreat feeling in our bedroom.  I decided to incorporate the existing day bed we already had and buy cabinets to place on either end so I could have a surface where I could put a small coffee pot and sparkling water (boutique hotel inspired much?!).  The cabinets were tricky to find because I needed a specific size for a snug, custom-like fit between the (recessed) wall and the daybed. After several months I did find two identical cabinets in the perfect size that needed a little DIY! (you can read all about that HERE).

The accessories however were fun to shop for, and I was definitely looking to inject some touches of silver and gold for a little glamour like the gorgeous antique crystal and silver pitcher – it weighs a ton and I am in serious love with it!  Or the cute lamp with gold sequins shade I picked up at HomenSense/HomeGoods.  As well as a couple of hits of coral pink, like the stunning vintage vase I scored and the cashmere blanket I already had (from my mom) tucked away in the back of my linen closet.

The three round abstract art pieces were a made by me, to find out more on the art DIY click HERE.  The art resting near the coffee maker is an original by a talented friend Susan B. Landis, you can browse her work and get more info on her blog HERE.

I did a lot of shopping in my own house, which I always try and do first before going out and spending.  Not only does it save money but by moving things around to different rooms in your home, you get to enjoy your stuff in a new way.

The mask on the floor is from a vacation to Mexico and I plan on hanging it eventually but it is SUPER HEAVY and definitely a two person, with power tools, kind of job.  Although I am starting to like it resting there on the floor!  The stainless tray and coffee pot is by Everyday Essential from Loblaws.  The container that the plant is in is actually a storage basket I picked up at HomeSense/HomeGood

All of the throw pillows I already had (some made by me, others purchased) except for the two large back pillows which are in fact, dog beds! You can read all about that HERE as well as the sparkly sequins teal pillow or as I like to call it The Tube Dress Throw Pillow Skirt (you can read about that HERE).

More to come soon …thanks for stopping by!

-Julie

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Why not spruce up your sofa with Dog Beds?!

“watch out pooch, dog beds are not just for the dogs!”

Even if you don’t have a four legged best friend, you have to admit that there are some cute dog beds popping up these days at places like Target and even Costco.  They come in a variety of fabrics and patterns and are very reasonably priced considering the massive size of the “throw pillow”.  That’s right, when you really stop to think about it, a dog bed is nothing but a huge throw pillow.  Which got me thinking… for those with a daybed or who have an old sofa that needs a little oomph, why not add/replace the large back pillows with large dog beds?!  An easy, super budget friendly solution!

Not convinced?  I recently did a mini-make-over in my own master bedroom.  I had a daybed from West Elm, which I had bought for the sitting room at our last house.  In this house, I placed it in the bedroom but wanted to put it up against the wall under the TV and have it be more of a reading, lounging sofa, but still be used as a “mommmm I’m sick/had a bad dream” emergency bed.  Throw pillows are fine… but for real comfort you need an actual proper padded back.  I looked into sewing and DIY-ing something -until I was browsing a HomeSense store (also known as HomeGoods depending on where you live) and it hit me: DOG BEDS!!!  The right size and cheaper than anything I could make.  Not to mention, available in all sorts of cute prints and colors.

Are you sold?  Would you use a dog bed as a throw pillow? Let me know what you think!

UPDATE: Full reveal of my master bedroom mini-makeover HERE!

-Julie

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when your photo is too small for your picture frame

Sure.  You could simply have your photo enlarged.  But it’s when you lack the time or patience that you sometimes come up with a creative, original and more personal idea!

I got the vintage off-white (trimmed in gold) porcelain picture frame for $2 at NOVA a couple of months back.  I had it hiding in the “when I finally do a mini-makeover to my bedroom” pile in my closet!

I chose the photo I wanted to use (photo of the hubs on our honeymoon), but when I put it in the frame I realized the photo needed to be 5×7, not 4×6.  I remembered I had kept the unused pieces of an art project and figured it would be perfect to experiment with (for more on that click HERE).

I cut out a rectangle slightly larger than 5×7 and using white photo corners which I already had (purchased for a different project!) I  centered the photo on the art scrap.  I wasn’t sure about it until I slipped it back into the picture frame.  But I love the little bit of the pale aqua art peaking out from behind!  I think it helps to further enforce the room’s new color accent and I prefer my night table’s softer vignette.

BEFORE

AFTER

Don’t have any art scraps hanging around?  Try newspaper, wrapping or craft paper!

-Julie

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campaign inspired dresser makeover (in 1 day)

Unfamiliar with what a “campaign” piece of furniture might look like?  Check out Bob Vila, Google or Pinterest.  I’m definitely not the first do this type of DIY!

A little background: I have been looking for 2 identical pieces of furniture for a while now (for over a year!).  Ideally, I wanted a two door style cabinet or even small dressers, to be used on either side of a sofa/day bed in my master bedroom.

The shopping: I have been popping into vintage, antique and thrift shops and have spent hours browsing online at craigslist and Kijiji.  I even happily discovered a used office reseller and a hotel furniture reseller (huge warehouses…soooo fun, I will be back for sure).  BUT, aside from small night tables it was rare to find two matching pieces I liked.  I checked out big box stores like HomeSense, Ikea and even Walmart but the sizes were always wrong.  Once in a while I would check out furniture stores, only to find pieces which would have been gorgeous, but because I needed to purchase two of them, it was way over my budget!

The score: 9a.m last Friday I was browsing through a thrift store I like to frequent and came upon two small almond color 80′s dressers.  Although they were not exactly what I had in mind -sure, the gold strip above the first drawer was a real put off, but they were in excellent shape, very well constructed (by a company in Quebec, Canada -not China!) and the real brass handles had a great vintage look and nicely worn patina.  When I whipped out the measuring tape, I found them to be the PERFECT dimensions for the snug, built-in look I was after.  And at $20 each, I decided I had to take the risk.

The process: On the way home I started thinking that I could quite easily add some L and T brass hardware to trim out the dressers and give them that campaign look.  At my local HOME HARDWARE improvement store, I picked up 3 cans of Krylon white gloss spray paint, then headed over to the hardware isle. That’s when I spotted something different:  These really pretty, curvy, brass drawer corners that I guess I would describe as Moorish in design.

After some deep contemplation and hesitation I decided to go for it.  After-all, the existing drawer pulls are not true campaign style and at $12 to $20 per drawer pull for the real deal x 6 drawers, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about replacing them, especially since I actually loved the original pulls.

The Moorish brass corners come in two sizes: I bought 4 packs of the large ones and 2 packs of the small (4 corners in each pack).  I figured I would put the smaller ones on the first drawer …for extra interest.  OK, fine, that reason and the fact that they only had 4 packs left of the large ones in stock. LOL.  But honestly it was a happy accident … I never do anything just because it’s easy and fast … I am actually pretty picky! (Hello? I waited one whole year to find the perfect furniture pieces to fit in that space in my room didn’t I?!).

The DIY: Back home, I removed the pulls, taped off the gold strip and started spray painting.  It took 4 light coats, allowing a couple of hours of drying time in between.  Luckily the weather outside was perfect: no humidity, a little breezy, dry and sunny.  By dinnertime I was putting the drawer pulls back on and installing the “morrocan-ish” drawer corners.

The end: Before the hubs got back from his business trip later that evening I had lugged them into our bedroom and began the fun part of styling them!

And then a funny thing happened; I now actually LOVE the once tacky gold strip above the first drawer!

Don’t you love it when a project just all comes together?!

What do you think?

Julie

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