Monday, May 28, 2012

Decorating with Mac and Cheese....

Yes, I did decorate with Mac and Cheese! How you ask. First, I boiled the Mac... Just kidding!  It's a great paint color from Lowe's!

I have this horrid and I mean horrid TV console... see photo below



When I bought the "TV console" aka bookshelf its purpose was not for the TV...  Side note, I have an obsession with furniture. It's terrible, and my husband cringes every time I roll up to the house with another piece...

I found this piece (a freebie!)


I figure 1940's-50's era. Solid wood

It sat in my craft room for 2 weeks before I decided what to do with it. And other 2 weeks before I settled on a color... enter Mac and Cheese!

It's the perfect width for the TV upstairs, and has drawers do I don't have to see the video games and controllers.


I'm missing photos... I worked on this project for about 2 months, not because it was difficult, work has kept me very busy, and baseball season started for my boy. Less crafting/creating for me...

After searching online thru Pinterest about painted furniture I went to Lowes and bought the supplies.



 A MUST HAVE FOR PAINTING FURNITURE PROJECTS! 

·         FOAM ROLLERS
·         FOAM BRUSHES FOR THE HARD TO REACH AREAS
·         PRIMER: ZINSSER STAIN BLOCKER AND SEALER (HAD GREAT REVIEWS VIA PINTEREST)
·         PAINT: NOW THIS IS WHERE I DIFFER WITH WHAT I FOUND ONLINE...
·         WOOD FOR SHELVING
·         DECORATIVE MOLDING
·         LEVEL
·         HANDY DANDY ELECTIC DRILL
·         CLAMPS
·         PENCIL
·         TAPE MEASURE
·         SAW
·         CAULK
Everyone said use a low gloss or flat paint to get the Pottery Barn look. I tried that and it didn't hold up on another project. So, I went to Lowe's and asked the paint lady (I should know her name by now.) Although the piece isn't going to be used like a table with lots of wear I do have a 7 year old who can look at something and it breaks... (It's a little freaky! LOL)

Her advice, semi-gloss exterior enamel, and so I followed her advice. With paint and supplies in hand I got started.

First, I took out the drawers and washed the desk with a degreaser.  Lots of nasty spider webs {YIKES}



 Then I primed x 3. It didn't need to be primed 3 times I just tend to over kill!
  



With the handy dandy smooth foam roller I pulled out the paint, Mac and Cheese and began painting.

 

Ok, so this looks sunshine yellow… the camera couldn’t pick up the Mac and Cheese orangie/yellow in the craft room.


I added a couple of shelves to the middle section to hold the cable receiver and the game console. Here’s a great shot of the color!


(Make sure you measure the front and the back of the deck for the shelves, I didn’t and the back was a little smaller than the front)

 

Caulk the seams


Added the decorative trim


The finished product!!!! So, much better J

                          

There are a couple of things I would change… a backing I don’t like seeing the wires and paint the interior of the drawers… I will do this after my mother in law goes back to Kansas, no time right now.

Have a terrific Memorial Day!  Would love to know what you think!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Good-By Terra Cotta,Hello Color!

This is a quick and very easy way to update your terra cotta pots.  I found the small pots at Dollar General a couple of years ago at 90% off!!! I paid .50 cents each of these pots. End of summer clearance!!! I had 4 cans of spray paint on hand purple, sage, yellow and white.




take off the stickers and wipe down the pots with a damp rag. Let them dry and the spay paint.