Tag: DIY/How To’s

Farmhouse Foyer Update

The foyer is one of my favorite spots in our new house. The staircase and the original flooring and beadboard has so much charm.

The stained glass in the front door is so unique and I love that this is the first room to welcome guests when they visit us.

The wallpaper that was in there when we purchased the house had been installed by the previous owner. She chose it to bring out the colors in the door. I didn’t dislike the wallpaper pattern, but I didn’t feel like it was a little too busy and some of the historic details got lost in all of it.

I wanted to save some of the wallpaper since she chose it with such care and use it as some artwork in the foyer in a nod to Miss Patti and Mr Bob who had saved the house 10 years previous. I am so appreciative that they took on a massive project and brought this beautiful house back to life!

I chose the color Contented by Sherwin Williams. I feel like it brightens the space but also has enough color to bring out the woodwork and trim.

I have an antique schoolhouse light on its way to replace the light hanging there now and I am so excited! I love a good vintage light. šŸ˜‰

I’m very happy with how this space turned out! It makes me smile every time I walk through it. Still can’t believe this is our home!

If you missed my home tour, check it out here.

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Farmhouse Dining Room

If there is a room in our house that brings me unspeakable joy, it is most definitely our dining room. The natural light that floods through the window, the beadboard that adds charm, my new black farmhouse chairs…it all puts a big ole smile on my face. I think I appreciate it so much because of what it used to look like…scroll down if you dare. haha

 I tried to warn you! This room was a blast from the past to put it lightly. And that wallpaper was a NIGHTMARE to remove. I tried all of the go-to remedies: vinegar, fabric softener, Parana spray from Loweā€™s.  

What finally did the trick was this steamer I got for $40 from Loweā€™s. I got the top layer off in about an hour and a half and then Carley and I worked on the layer of glue for two nights. That was the worst part for sure. haha But we finally got it done and thatā€™s all that matters! Buh bye 1970ā€™s! 

Chris and I then spent the entire weekend…and I do mean the ENTIRE weekend hanging the beadboard and trim. Getting the perfect cut on the sheets of beadboard was no easy feat. We definitely got a good workout in! ha 

Once it was all hung, we stepped back and knew this was exactly what we had been dreaming about. This once awful room was now starting to feel brighter and more welcoming.Ā 

I painted above the beadboard my go-to color of course: Repose Grey by Sherwin Williams. So far out of the 5 rooms weā€™ve repainted in this house all 5 of them have been Repose Grey. At least we are consistent right? šŸ˜‰

Iā€™ve been dreaming of farmhouse chairs to go with our table for years now. And one of my friends on instagram posted about Wayfair having a sale on some chairs and I instantly had to go look.

I showed them to Chris and he was on board and Iā€™ve never been so excited for 3 huge boxes to be delivered to my door before! Itā€™s usually diapers so this was a pleasant change. šŸ˜‰

I am in love with them! They are pretty comfy too! Also thanks babe for putting together all 6 of them. *dramatically blows kiss* 

I went to an antique store after work on Tuesday and I found SO many little items that were perfect for what I was going for in this room. 

I love this little knick knack shelf I found to display oils and succulents.

I also found the 1920ā€™s mirror thatā€™s in the pictures above and Iā€™m obsessed with it. 

I hung my all time favorite drop cloth curtains and itā€™s amazing how curtains just finish off a room perfectly. I want to add these to our front den too.

I got these plants and hangers from IKEA.

And this is my favorite accessory to my table, my three little loves. Arenā€™t they pretty?! As long as they are around my table, this room is complete. 

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Kidā€™s Farmhouse Kitchen

Chrisā€™ parents bought the kids an adorable kitchen for Christmas and they are obsessed with it.Ā 

The only problem was it was a little small for three children to play with at once and you know how well toddlers share…

So I knew I wanted to add some kind of extension to it so that they could have more space to play together and cook.

I looked at several stores for a table the right size but couldnā€™t find one, so during naptime yesterday I decided to just build the dang thing! haha

Chris had shown me how to use his nail gun when we worked on our dining room and Iā€™d used a miter saw once before so even though Iā€™m scared of loud noises and tools that could potentially sever my limbs off, I figured ā€œWhat could go wrong?!ā€  

It only took me about an hour to make and while very far from perfect (I told Chris not to look too closely…heā€™s a judger haha) it works and they love it! I stained the top and painted the legs white to add some cuteness to it of course. 

I found the blue cabinet at an antique store and knew it would be perfect for their kitchen. The green shelf used to be at our coffee bar at the Munro Ave house and I figured it would give them a cute place to hang their mugs. 

It makes me so happy to watch them all play together and use their imaginations. There are still battles with sharing and the cute little cabinet has become a torture devise for tiny fingers in the wrong hands (aka Elliot) but I hope this space becomes a favorite spot in their childhood adventures.

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How To Dry Your Own Hydrangeas

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Now this may be a no-brainer to a lot of you crafty people out there. But for me, I have to have my hand held every step of the do-it-yourself-way, so I thought I’d share anyway!

After all, someone had to tell me how to do this for the first time, so I am passing the baton. (ha)

Hydrangeas scream Southern. During the summer months they can be found in practically every front yard below the Mason-Dixon line. There are so many beautiful variations and colors. I just love them.

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Hydrangeas I saved from our first little house.

They hold sentimental value for me as well. My Granny used to always have baby blue Hydrangeas in her front yard and my older sister used them as her wedding bouquet in remembrance of Granny after she passed away. SO precious.

So yes. These flowers are wonderful! And I was so excited when I was taught how to preserve them all year long by drying them. They add a splash of color to any table top or little nook and plus they are free! (Yet another bonus from these flowers. I’m beginning to think they have magical powers!)

So with that said, let’s get down to business!

How to dry your own Hydrangeas:

1. Pick several blossoms. (unblemished of course)

2. Tape several of the stems together at the ends. This seals them and you can easily hang them from the ends with the tape.

3. Find a dark closet or cabinet and hang them upside down inside. Leave them for about two weeks.

4. Display and enjoy!

Hydrangeas are the only flowers I’ve had any success with when it comes to drying. When I dry roses they always crumble and fall apart.

Any tips for drying other flowers? Have you dried Hydrangeas before?

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