Paint has to be one of the easiest ways to transform a space! As you will see in the photos below, our upstairs hallway was extremely dark. As I have previously mentioned about our home, it was a bank owned property before we purchased it. The bank came in prior to us purchasing it and replaced the flooring with a brown/beige (not my style!) carpet and a fresh coat of beige paint. Even with these changes, the hallway just felt dark. We decided to carry the refinished hardwoods upstairs and used a lighter shade of gray paint, Behr Natural Gray. The trim work and doors were painted in Behr Polar Bear. My plan is to eventually replace all of the doors with the arched, two panel doors we installed on the first floor, but paint was a quick fix. Since this photo was taken, I have added a dark teal, trellis runner in the hall. I have yet to hang anything on the walls, but I am debating a wall full of mirrors! Until next time!

Okay! So if you have been following my previous posts you'll know that I painted a hutch that now resides in my dining room. Here is a photo of my next endeavor, my dining room set!

We were given this table as a hand-me-down when we got married and I could not love the lines of this table any more! It came to us with dingy, cream, striped fabric and I (with the help from my mom, hi mom!) reupholstered it with black fabric. As the years have passed, my style has significantly changed. I went through some growing pains when it came to decor while trying to find a happy medium merging Brent and I's tastes ( he's since waved the white flag). Therefore, it's time for a change. Here are some of my options.

This is my ultimate favorite. I love the idea of refinishing the table top, staining and sealing it. I think it sounds much more durable than a painted surface (especially if there are ever sticky fingered, little people in our future). I would chalk paint the table legs and chairs just as I did the hutch. I would do a similar upholstry job with a gray tweed-like material and perhaps some fancy nailhead trim around the chairs.

This option is the same as above, but painting the table top as well. Still so unsure of the durability. I would have to seal the chalk paint with multiple coats of wax.

This option is the daring option. I would paint my entire table white and paint my chairs the accent color I used on my hutch. I would probably opt for a more subtle pattern for the upholstry than what is shown, but you get the idea.

Sidenote: This set was given to us with only 5 chairs, leaving one end of the table chairless. My brilliant idea is to turn one of the chairs into a two person bench using the existing legs so it looks like it belongs. That's a post for another day, so keep an eye out!

Thanks in advance for the feedback! I can't wait to get this project underway!

I'm currently in the process of redoing my dining room table and here is a sneak peak! Just a few finishing touches and my first chair will be complete! This past week was finals week (thank God it's over!), so I didn't get much time to work on this project . Tutorial coming soon!

Well, it's been a hot minute since I've blogged so today I'll share the rearranging I did in our master bedroom. If you view my previous master bedroom post you'll notice I only had one night stand and a stand up mirror beside our bed. Until I find the perfect pair of night stands this summer yard saling (I'll post their makeover once they're found), I decided to break down two dressers I typically have stacked on top of one another. I am all about semetry, so this only made sense. I am still on the hunt for the perfect silver, metallic, round mirror for above the bed, but these little white ones I found at TJ Maxx for $12.99 will do the trick until then! The lamps are TJ Maxx from a few years back. View my previous master bedroom post for bed and bedding details!

Thanks for stopping by 😊

Let's talk chalk paint! So, anyone who truly knows me knows that I paint everything. EVERYTHING. I am not a huge fan of wood in its natural state. With that being said, I have always used latex paints and spray paints. Let's just say, chalk paint is a game changer. I was sceptical of it being durable especially because there is practically NO prep. All you have to do is clean the piece beforehand and fill holes/ flaws with wood putty (only if you want to). Mind blown!

Here is my first victim. I got this beauty for $30! An old hutch probably from the 60's/70's. It had great potential. I did have to make repairs to a back leg that had broken off and it needed a new glass pane. Most of all, it needed a good cleaning (spiders underneath aren't my thing, ekk).

During the process, my cat Jordy thought she would lend a helping paw!

So here is what one coat of chalk paint looked like. Chalk paint isn't exactly easy to work with because it dries so quickly. After my first coat I did some research and found out the paint can be thinned with water, which made the second paint application so much better (not to mention it makes the paint go so much farther). My first coat I used a "vintage effects" paint brush which I heavily regretted after the fact. I love a more solid colored piece, not so much distressed.

Here is what it looked like after a second coat. I used a regular, high quality 2" angle brush. The type of brush you use makes a huge difference in the outcome of your piece. There were a few spots I went back over a third time. Once I let my piece dry, I went back over the entire piece with a fine grit sanding block to make it smooth to the touch. Once I cleaned the dust off the piece, I sealed it with a cream wax. It was kind of the consistency of hair conditioner. I used a clean rag for application. I read how a lot of people use a brush, but I felt like I had more control with a rag. I made sure to do several coats of wax on the top of the piece since it will frequently be wiped off. I bought new knobs and pulls from Home Depot to make the piece look more up to date. Now to fill this piece with pretty dinnerware!

Here are the products used: