Browsing Category: Projects

Faux Bois, Anyone?

Hello my friends!

I am here!  Alive and well!  I have just been keeping busy with the boys, work and selling a gang o’ stuff. It’s been fun and I can’t even believe it’s freaking March and that the world is falling apart.

How about we just pretend all that other stuff doesn’t exist and talk about boring, non-important things like what I’ve been cooking up?

A few weeks ago I bought the beauty below.  I found it on an auction site and paid… wait for it… you will die… it’s coming… a whopping $22.  Overall, the cabinet is in really great shape except there is a chunk missing on the top corner.  Who would buy a cabinet with a chunk missing?!  THIS GAL!  No-one will ever see that chunk, yeah baby!  It’s most likely from the 1980’s (like duh), made in Italy and it’s made of birds-eye maple that has been heavily shellacked, as was the way in those days.  I forgot to photo the sides, but they are lovely!  They’re the best part actually.  They have a wavy detail and the whole piece is in an oval shape.  You may be thinking, “Yak! This thing is ugly” but I see so much potential as a bathroom cabinet.  Can you just imagine her stripped down, re-stained perhaps, with legs and a marble top?  Probable some new handles too =)

Right now she is sitting in my master bedroom.  Oh vey.

But before taking the cabinet apart, I’ve decided to tackle a different project!  Wow, remember when I used to do those?!  Ha!

I have this cut-in area with 4 doors that leads to the master bathroom, from my bedroom.  To the left is a sauna (which my fancy ass uses for treasure storage) and to the right is my closet.  This wwwwhhhhooollleee thing is really boring and no fun at. all.  The doors are just flat, hollow doors and I would LOVE to change them out, but that’s a pain and probably not necessary in the grand scheme of life.  For now I’m thinking (and I’ve been thinking for a few months now) that I’d like to try to do a treatment on them.

I’m pondering a cerused oak look… ala something like this…

Can I do it?!  Who knows!  Will I try!  Yes, I will!

I found this article from Bob Vila and it doesn’t look too difficult.  Of course, starting any new project is ALWAYS way more than you expect.  As of today, I’ve only sanded the doors and already I’m pretty annoyed…. I didn’t think about removing my mirror on the inside of the door and basically sanded into my closet.  I’m the bestest.

It’s hilarious because I waited until the day before our cleaning lady came so that I could make a mess and only half clean it up.  Pat on the back for laziness!  She hasn’t quit on us yet, but stay tuned because we are a house full of lazy dirt balls!

Right now, the doors are sanded and the base coat is mixed (I had some left over crap in the garage).  I need to patch up some holes and get that paint on there!  It’s a 2 week cure time before I can apply the glaze, and now that I’ve actually done something, I’m itching to faux bois!  But something is telling me that I may have some time on my hands next week…. call it a hunch.

What do you think??

Any advice?  I’m not optimistic about getting a realistic wood grain while the doors are hanging, but I really, REALLY don’t want to remove them.

Boys Bath Photos and Calling it Done!

Hi!!

We’ve come a long way my friends and I think it’s time I call it on this one.  I’ve filled the bathroom with lots of fun finds and things I had stored around the house for just this moment.  There are two things  I wanted to do that I just haven’t gotten to, (sealing the stone and caulking the sink) but my patience in this space has waned and my attention is slowly turning to other projects I’ve got marinating in the ye ol’ cranium.

Now I can look in here and feel good about it, so I AM HAPPY!

Since the last post, I’ve really only purchased 3 things and they were all from Ikea.  I bought this rug, this flip top trash can (since I was sick of seeing what was in the trash – usually tissue from bloody noses) and this over the door hat rack.  I originally really wanted an antique rug in here, but then I remembered, Oh ya, I have 4 goys and that would be the stupidest thing ever.  This rug gives me the look I was after for $30.

The wall mounted porcelain hand is one of my favorite things.  I just love it so much.  I think it’s weird and cool and creepy.  I found it at the Pasadena flea market for $8 and have been hoarding it for 2 years.  The bamboo plant stand is something I picked up at the Goodwill for around $10 and I’ve been debating whether I should keep it or sell it.  I think it looks pretty good in here, so it’ll stay for now, but it’s also maybe a little too big… I just really like the deeper brown color and the texture.

My other die for item??  Guess!

Of course, the monkey that sits on his fancy, lucite shelf … he’s the spy watching my kids accidentally miss the toilet on purpose.  I originally bought him to sell, but I JUST. CAN’T.  I can’t do it, people.  The painting looks really pretty in here and I’m pretty sure I picked it up from a garage somewhere for a few bucks.  I usually buy any seascapes that I come across… because again, I love them and I’m a crazy person.  (Enter theme of all my blog posts.)  The ladder was free from an estate sale, not because I’m great or anything, but because I bought these fantastic Grouse-Hinds light fixtures and he took lots of money from me.  The rosary is made of coconut shells that I’ve had forever and it’s massive!  I think I paid $45 for it at the Rose Bowl.  What else?  The pottery is handmade and sold at a veteran shop ($10, I think), the rhino is hand carved jade from China (I can’t remember, $60 perhaps), the cricket is brass and was $1, the painting was a buck too (I think), from the Salvation Army and the vintage silver calendar was $3 at a flea market. I’ll share more on the hanging plant, but I did make the wall hook, and the pot is Japanese from the 1960’s.  I’m hoping that the plant will grow into long tendrils and freak my kids out at night look really jungalicious in here.

Honestly though, $1 or $1,000, who cares?!?!  I have things that were so cheap but that I would never, EVER sell, I love them so much.

The art is kinda fun… they are original pencil drawings of total boy stuff.  One is of a freaking canon!  I found them at a thrift store for $3.95 each.  They are awesome and pretty perfect in here.  I may add one more art piece below them, but I’m still thinking.

What do you think?  Do I have too much stuff in here?  It’s a thought that runs through my mind looking at the photos, but when I’m in there… I’m like More, MORE!  Hahaha!!

So, that’s it!  For my friends that are diy fiends, you know how much work actually goes into a quick refresh.  It seems easy, but then you’re like, “Maybe I should spray paint the toilet valves?” (which I did) and “F-me!”, the moulding needs sanding and patching.  It took longer than I planned, it always does, but YAY, another room I can feel proud of!  At least for a year or two =)

More Boys Bath Progress

You know how you read other blogs and their room redo’s are introduced and finished in the same post??

This ain’t one of those blogs.  Hahahahaaa!  Not. in. the. least.

But I have paint now!!  And my gosh, it’s so rich and deep, that I’m kinda in love with it.

Look at that sharp, perfect paint line!!  Seriously, is there anything more empowering than knowing you can conquer a straight line?!  Me thinks not.

I opted for the high gloss on the mouldings and door and eggshell for the walls…. you can kinda tell.

That’s a weird photo… I thought I was pretty clever getting into the shower for a better angle.  Whelp.

So what else is new?  Hmmmm, a vintage mirror, light, the lucite shelves and chrome magazine rack.  All thrifted, found and now loved by me =)

The mirror I picked up at a lot sale for about $5.  It’s in great shape and just needed reinforcement on the back and a quick shine up.  I do think it’s a tad small, but anything taller wouldn’t fit and it’ll be a minute before I find a wider one.  We’ll see what turns up…

Funny thing about the light, is that I actually found 2.  Doesn’t it look SOOOOO much like the Visual Comfort Light?

I only needed 1… but they were such a deal at $10 each, that some days I just kick myself for not getting both.  I’m not really sure why, as there is nowhere in the house where I could use two.  The only explanation is that I’m totally a crazy person.

Alllrighhhtttyyy then, onto the lucite shelves.  In this case, really did buy two of these at the Rose Bowl almost 2 years ago.  I sold one on Chairish and kept the other for myself.  Here’s the thing… I love the shelves, but I don’t think they work perfectly in here.  This piece is probably why I took so long to photograph the space… I just could not decide what to do.  Hang, not hang, get something else, make something else????  It’s a wonder I can put two shoes on in the morning!

Obviously I ended up hanging it, because I LOVE it.  I figure that beats any other argument.  Then there’s the chrome magazine/TP rack.  I found this also for $5 from the coolest 80’s retro house I’ve EVER been in.  You guys, I see a lot of homes and this one did 80’s in the dopest way!  I wanted everything!!  I ended up with this, which was STILL IN THE BOX, a waterfall ottoman and an armoire, soon to be for sale in my shop.  Yasss for the 80’s!!

If I tally up what I’ve spent so far, we’re looking about about $40 for paint, $5 mirror, $20 lucite piece, $5 chrome TP, $10 light… a whopping $80.

So there it is, for now, of course.  I’m going to be putting up some art and doo-dads and spiffing it up.  I really need a rug… that is the missing piece of the puzzle right now, but I’m hopeful that in the next century something will turn up.

Smirk.

By then maybe these rug rats will learn how to put a seat down.  (I’m not holding my breath.)

Till then, my dears!!