This week was the perfect example, I purchased this great coffee table to paint and put in the store…

oh, but look at how nicely it fits into the shape of my sofa… all it needs is a bit of paint, a cool thick and chunky tufted cushion on top making it an ottoman/table (and raising the height, it’s a little low)… see, I can’t part with it.  I will post when I have finished it… which brings me to my next problem, once I decide to keep it, it never gets finished!

My next quest was to find a really good fake.  They are around in stores… a nice one can be pricey… and I would have most likely purchased one or two if I hadn’t read a great tutorial on how to make your own, by 320 Sycamore.  She’s very creative, you will definately love her blog!  Filled with design projects turning junk into treasures.  So above is my version.  I purchased foam balls, green moss and glue sticks at the dollar store.  The green leaf bunch was purchased from Michales for maybe a couple dollars.  All together the project took an afternoon and the cost was under $5 using a pot I already had.  Cut the “trunk” from a tree branch in the yard, you can even add a little grape vine to wrap around it adding texture! Isn’t it cute?

So easy to do.  Start with a round green foam ball (I started with a square and rounded the edges with a knife).  First you need to remove the leaves from the stem that forms the bunch.  Then, tear your leaf sections in half so that each measures roughly an inch or so long?  I used the stem to poke holes in my ball and then dipped each leaf section into hot glue and inserted.  As you are close to covering the entire ball, poke a hole in the open space of the ball with your branch (trunk).  Put hot glue on the tip of the branch and insert it into the hole.  I then hot glued the square foam into my vase. Repeated the process with the branch inserting it into the vase foam with hot glue.  To finish, add green moss to the top (no glue necessary, it should just stay in place).

The preparations have begun. I am gathering up my collection of finds, painted furniture and primative treasures to sell in the Mercantile Mall.  I will be “setting up shop” all week in preparation for my June 22nd move in date.  I am excited to be involved in storefront sales again.

I’m feeling a Birds Egg Blue theme here… I think I should rotate my stock based on color.  I am also really excited to have a window space in the store… 104 Main Street, Milford, Ohio.  If you’re strolling by, take a peek in the window and see the treasures.

With everyone talking “Green” and the current state of our economy, we need to rethink the way we decorate. When redecorating or updating a room, we don’t need to use our entire budget buying all new items.

Here are a few great re-new make overs:

Next on the list… removing an old (too new looking) cabinet and replacing it with a new (old looking) cabinet.  Here’s the “before”

I’ll be removing the small cabinet in the center (Knowing I was removing it, I had tested out the black paint on it to see how I’d like it in the room.  The upper cabinets will be painted black when the carpentry is finished).  I’ll post the “after”  soon.

]]> http://bonflourish.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/it-can-be-painted/feed/ 0 bonflourish cherub-mantle cherub-mantle-fixed cherub-mantle-fixed-1 cherub-mantle-fixed-2 lilla-armoire6 lillaarmoire13 P1010111 picture-070 http://bonflourish.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/beautifully-economic-in-the-kitchen/ http://bonflourish.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/beautifully-economic-in-the-kitchen/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:26:46 +0000 bonflourish http://bonflourish.wordpress.com/?p=295 ]]> A New Home for the Microwave

Welcome to the Flourish Decorative Painting Beautifully Economic Design Solutions series.  I will be exploring, experimenting and executing design solutions for your home and garden in an affordable and hopefully “green” way by reusing, recycling and repurposing.

Look for future posts on cabinetry, furniture and beautiful home decor.

As the first installment in the series, I wanted to be sure to include this quick and easy space saving Kitchen design project.

Problem: This microwave on the counter top takes up too much space and would look much better as a built-in.  I needed to find an extra space in the kitchen that could easily hold the dimensions of this microwave and have an electric access.  Possibilities, inside the pantry, inside an upper cabinet, build an additional cabinet or, inside a lower cabinet:

Solution: Install into a lower cabinet in the island.

First step, remove the Cabinet doors (That was easy, removing a couple screws… not so committed, I can always change my mind).

Remove the  cross bars by cutting with a jig saw closely to the outer trim leaving a flush surface saving that nice strip of horizontal oak for later (Ok, now I’m totally committed).  Sand any rough edges. Fill any gaps or holes with wood patch.  Sand smooth again

Add more surface on to the existing  shelf to give enough width to hold the microwave. Drill a hole to access the electric.

It’s a fit!

Attach that saved piece of horizontal oak with trim nails and glue to the edge of the shelf to give it a nice finished look.

Add baskets and cookbooks, you’re done!  Fast and easy!

I will post when I am ready to paint.  The plan is to paint and distress this cabinetry, add larger crown moldings to upper cabinets, add shelf’s onto the back side of the island, raise the island counter top to 1/2 worktop height, 1/2 bar height, and move the refrigerator.

If I put this in writing …. I will have to get it done! Right?

Stay tunned…

After what seems like an endless summer of traveling (back and forth across the country) and shuttling (kids around town) I have finally gotten back to business.  I have gotten back to painting and dwindling down my stock of vintage furniture that is patiently awaiting my brush.  And, I am excited to announce the opening of my etsy shop!  If you know of anyone who would enjoy painted vintage or antique furniture or decorative items, please send them my way.  I take custom orders, paint on client’s furniture or find what they need.  I have great children’s room pieces soon to be added to my site.  You can check it out at: http://bonflourish.etsy.com

Or click on the etsy mention at the right of your screen (I still haven’t figured out how to get a little image on there, but the connection works!).  I have only listed 10 items so far, but there are more to come… stay tuned!

Well actually, I didn’t buy these shells. I collected them at the beach last week while on vacation with my husband and children.  They all pitched in and hunted with me for these sea treasures.  They knew mom had a plan …  

Isn’t this coral chandelier magnificent?

Sorry for the awful photos here, they’re from various issues of Veranda, House Beautiful and Country Living magazines.  My scanner is out of commission for the moment and I had to shoot these with the camera.  Bad pictures, but you get the idea… 

I am infatuated lately with shells.  Did you ever notice that once you have an interest in something you tend to see it everywhere (or is it because I have seen it everywhere, now I am infatuated)?  In either case, now that I have this obsession, I have to create something out of shells.

In magazines, for summer decor, they seem to be in every spread.  So, since my collection of shells was hardly enough to create anything on a large scale,  I headed to Ebay.  Voila, shells-a-plenty.

I bought these

and these.

And with them I plan to make these:

Where am I going to put these shell creations?  I have no idea… ahhh, maybe a shell chandelier over the master bath tub, mmmm just maybe.  Next stop, garage sale or thrift store for a discarded brass chandelier!  I’ll post when I’m finished.