TayRose Design interior design consultation Archives

Fireplace brick surround makeover-Brighten Up Space

This particular makeover didn’t start out as expected. You see, my client wanted to change the feel of her formal living room to more of a casual feel so they didn’t have to go downstairs to their family room all the time. My client was looking for new curtains, some updated wall art and accessories in colors that would bring some “pop” to the room.

Upon entering the room, what caught my eye first was the oversized sofa and loveseat which were newly purchased, so they had to stay. Secondly, the fireplace of multi-colored dark bricks didn’t give off the light and bright feeling she was looking for in the room. In the back of my mind, I remembered a fireplace makeover I had done just a few months prior and how well it turned out. So tentatively, not knowing whether she absolutely loved her fireplace or not, and, not wanting to offend her, but just to suggest, I asked her if she had ever thought of changing the brick color. Well, she almost jumped off the sofa with glee saying she always wanted to paint it but wasn’t sure- if I had any photos of the one I did prior, how much it would lighten the room, how soon it could be painted, and, oh, did I mention how excited she was!

Fireplace before paint treatment

I took lots of before pictures so I could show my friend Amy who helped me with the last fireplace makeover to see the size and colors. This fireplace is a smaller surface, only up to the mantle. My concern was how deep the colors were and how many coats of watered down paint we would need to brush on in order to cover the especially deep red colored bricks.

close up of bricks before paint treatment

Amy gathered up her glazes, rags and drop cloths, and I picked up a sample quart of the new color paint that the client was going to paint her walls…Accessible Beige from Sherwin Williams. One of my “go to” colors, it looks great anywhere with most any color. A perfect neutral.

We arrived and started our prep, taping with painters tape all around the edges and covering the fireplace doors and carpet with plastic, plus laying down drop cloths. It seems like the taping and prep takes longer than the painting, but very necessary! Not taking any chances of splattering paint on walls or carpet. We had a small bucket that we added some water and started to add the wall color paint, mixing it until it was lightly tinted. Better to start with a lighter mix than too opaque with the paint. With a brush in one hand and a rag in the other, we started to paint the first coat over the dark bricks. The bricks were soaking up the paint fast and barely changing the color. I thought, wow, this is going to take a lot of coats. After painting the whole area with the lightest coat, we waited a few minutes then added a little more paint to the water mixture and started the whole process over again, painting on and dabbing off with the rag. We found that we painted more over the red bricks then dabbed off some on the more darker color bricks giving a more varied look with the colors, plus, dabbing also gives texture- a stippled look.

Fireplace started painting after taping off

The client was working upstairs, but often came down to peek at the progress and loved seeing the transformation. I was surprised that we only had to go over the surface twice reaching the color saturation that the client approved with a little dabbing of extra paint here and there over the deeper red bricks. The surface dried very quickly, we waited about 20-30 minutes or so before removing the tape and plastic. The pictures show the fireplace before the walls were painted, they were a soft yellow color. The new wall color was painted about 3 days later in the same color as fireplace but a bit deeper, for the paint would be at full strength and not watered down. Thank you Amy, for the “after” photo, you can see how we let the different shades of colored brick come through for added dimension and color, but the reddish tints are now warmer neutrals.

Fireplace painted makeover after

As for the rest of the room, the client decided to wait a bit and decide what she really wants. I made some suggestions and she may call to have more work done.

Fireplace before and after

All in all, another fireplace makeover success. A side note…I love brick fireplaces and I rarely suggest painting them, but there are a few, that just need a little help, and we’re glad to oblige!

(If you have a fireplace that needs a little lift and you would like a quote and live locally, take a picture and measurements and email them to me and we can give you an approximate quote for the job.)

To receive posts via email click HE RE Subscribe in a reader or signup in Subscription box in sidebar.

Sea Shells far from the Sea Shore…..A mirrored view

One can’t say enough about shells….their shapes; colors; and sizes from a tiny spiral to a large conch- shells have been a part of decorating through out history. Shells add beauty whether displayed in a dish, or on a shelf or, in my case, adhered to an old mirror.

I have 2 examples of mirrors and a memento box that I have made that changed their entire look just by adding shells. On one mirror, I painted the shells, and the other, I left the shells in their original colors. Both I feel have done shells proud…

The first mirror I had a large oval gold-painted mirror that had some rose bas relief along the rim but only in a few places so I wanted to fill in the whole rim to make the mirror more sculptural looking.

Whenever I see shells at garage sales, or thrift stores, I try to scoop them up for I know they will be used one day, in one way or another. Or I just admire them in a bowl or jar- reminded of the waves from whence they came.

I used a putty type product called Laticrete to apply the shells to the rim, working in small sections so the adhesive wouldn’t dry out too fast.

It’s waterproof and used to set tiles. It has a creamy consistency and I used a putty knife to apply then set the shells into the soft putty.

After the putty was dry, I decided to paint the mirror plus the shells in white, with several coats, using up some white paint I had leftover in my basement.

I thought white was an appropriate color, where I could envision the mirror in a beach house at the Cape, or in a contemporary loft in the City, or cozied up Shabby Chic style in a vintage cottage. I love the mirror in white, it’s so sculptural with the shells, and you really have to walk up and look closely to verify they are shells, which makes it all the more interesting.

For the 2nd mirror, I decided to keep the shells in their original forms, and I again used putty to attach the shells, but I added some black acrylic paint to the putty to darken it to a gray color so the shells would stand out more. I also painted the inside rim in black so the shell color would pop, and give a nice contrast rim around the mirror.

I worked with the putty in small sections at a time, fitting shells and adding tiny shells into small openings, filling as many gaps as I could find with more shells. This mirror was in pretty bad shape, so by covering it with the shells, the life was saved with a little hint of it’s history at the top. The mirror too is timeless, and really fits into any style of decor be it eclectic to contemporary. It has found a spot in my bathroom, and if I tire of it there, it will find another wall in the house to be appreciated.

(And yes, the mirror is hanging on some bead board that I painted the wall color and then hand painted the seams of the bead board slats in gray….call me crazy, but for this accent wall in the bath, it works really well and didn’t take all that long to do.)

The last piece I did with shells, but certainly not the last piece I will use shells on, was a memento box I had covered in shells as a card box for my wedding. This box now holds trinkets and memories and the shells encircled a favorite photo of ours on the lid.

Shells will always be a part of my home decor, and though I may not live by the seashore, the sea is remembered by the tiny treasures found on beaches and in thrift stores that share their natural beauty… off shore.

To receive posts via email click HERE Subscribe in a reader or signup in Subscription box in sidebar.

“Rev” Up your Home Decor with Car Parts!

Taylor

21 Feb 2015

Art, Custom Design, DIY, Interior Design Room, Repurposed

I have been known to find “art” in the most unexpected places. I was designing a showcase home, to show how furniture and wall art can be made by using everyday items; thrown out items; stuff that was found at the curb; or in thrift stores. I didn’t have far to go for this design plan….

Have you ever been to a Pick & Pull? Oh boy, first be sure you wear your grungy clothes and shoes, bring gloves and I didn’t know this, but be aware that prices are not cheap for many items. That was my biggest surprise.

I wandered up and down aisles of discarded cars, smashed up cars, and parts laying on the ground. It was eery walking around all of those car shells…. what stories they would tell-not good ones in most cases.

As I turned a corner, I saw this awesome sculptural piece of metal just sitting in the middle of the aisle like it was saying, “hey, here I am, just what you were looking for!” I had no idea what part of the car it was, it was heavy, but I could still carry it, (oh, btw, you have to carry everything out yourself!) The piece had beautiful rusty patina, and I thought it would serve perfectly as a side table base. Now, if I could just carry it to the check out counter!

I also found I think it was called an air cleaner that was metal, and I thought I could turn that piece into a wall art design. So, I dragged my pieces to the checkout counter, had a bit of a sticker shock (I was very naive to costs, I thought being a junkyard it would be pennies to the pound or something similar…..oh no, more like $’s to the pound) Anyway, I was happy with my purchases and now to get to work on creating my vision.

I started with the air cleaner. I don’t have pictures of the process, but I can briefly tell you about it. The air cleaner was black already, but I cleaned it up and spray painted it black again just to keep any rust at bay. I found a round piece of mirror at the Dollar Store and glued it under the opening that was in the middle, then positioned it on the wall with the “arm” facing up so I could put some dried floral, then hung a tassel to complete the look. This piece was for my client’s entry where we hung metal siding on one indented wall, then had a bench with custom pillows. He was thrilled- he loved the whole industrial look especially since being a race car driver, having car related “art” was what he had hoped for.

I also used some large coiled springs from his garage to place on both sides of the fireplace. I inserted large glass vases to hold floral sprigs.

For the side table, I found out that I had picked up a crankshaft from a car, and by turning it on end vertically, I was able to put a round glass top and bolt it on to a wooden round disk, found at Home Depot that I stained a dark brown. I had cleaned up the crankshaft removing the grease, then sprayed it with a satin clear coat spray. Super simple, and so interesting looking. Being a small table, this table fits just about anywhere. I love how something so industrial works inside a home. This table would be perfect for a Man Cave, or set as I have it, in a corner next to a chair.

Pick and pull parts from lots of sources to create unique items, and “Rev” up your decor!
To receive posts via email click HERE Subscribe in a reader or signup in Subscription box in sidebar.

Vintage Radio “Lights up” to a new tune

Taylor

08 Feb 2015

DIY, Interior Design Room, Office, Repurposed

When I was designing this home office, I was thinking about what I could put on the credenza that was going to be on the wall behind the desk.

At an auction I spied an old radio shell. I loved the arched lines and vintage speaker fabric amazingly, in fairly good condition. The knobs were missing, unfortunately, but I still thought I wanted to try and buy it and find a new purpose for this bygone piece. I was able to get the radio, and it sat in my work room for a long time. I even tried to sell it on Craigs List as is, but no one seemed to be interested.

The design of the office was eclectic in feel, with framed old portraits, some beautiful turtle shells hung on the wall and wood with iron standing bookshelves. There were old atlas books, and old cameras on the shelves, so when I remembered the old radio, I thought this would be a great addition to this office. I didn’t want just the shell of a radio sitting there, I wanted it to have more of a purpose. I looked at the back and removed the back panel of the radio….there was quite a bit of room in there, enough for a small lamp of some kind. A lamp where the light could glow out through the speaker fabric on the front of the radio…and if the light flickered, like a candle….ooo so much the nicer!!

I cleaned out the inside of the radio really well and re-stained the radio shell after a light sanding. Some of the wood veneer was chipped and missing, but most of the radio was in good shape, and that coat of stain made a wonderful difference. All I had to do was set my small little lamp inside, add the flickering light bulb I found at the Dollar Store, and plug it in….the bulb was an orangey color, so it really looked like a flame, which was really just the animated touch that warmed up that already cozy office.

I was really happy with the outcome, so glad something that was just a shell of it’s former self, now stood renewed not with a tune but with a warm glow.

“It’s a Jungle in here!”

If you haven’t already guessed, I love to design theme rooms. I get lost in looking at everything asking myself how I can blend it into the theme I’ve decided on. Such a challenge, but oh, so fun…so, for this past Parade of Homes, I decided that a jungle theme was in order..and a tall order it was!

It’s a Jungle in here! Parade of Homes Pigliavento Builder, TayRose Designs

I had been collecting large jungle animals from Thrift stores for several years just waiting for the right design to include them, and along with a couple of “borrowed” jungle friends, I really had the “wild” feel I was going for.

I also knew that I would have to construct the jungle arbor over the bed. I had an old wooden ladder that must have reached up to the roof for it was very tall and could be taken apart into 2 pieces. I cut them so they were the same heights to be the sides of the arbor…perfect for hanging monkeys and jungle vines. I purchased some inexpensive fence planks from Home Depot, brought them home and used a mixture of watered down acrylic paints in black, grey, white and biege to give them a “weathered” look-as if they had been out in the elements for years. I had a college intern working with me for the summer, and she painted in the words, “It’s a jungle in here” on the top cross board of the arbor.

I had to be sure that the arbor was not too high, for I wanted that lion to be on top …lounging, well, he is the King of the Jungle you know!

I also found at a garage sale of all places, some bamboo fencing that stretched across the whole back wall plus some, so that brought more of the jungle feel in to the room.

My hubby and I were able to design the arbor so it could be transported in pieces and assembled on site easily which was perfect. It went up very easily, and I screwed the back to a stud in the wall to secure, then dangled monkeys and vines along with baskets from pulleys. A twin bed was dressed up with a bed roll at the end and a custom made lathe frame enclosing a vintage feel zoo animal poster to hang above the bed. Zebra patterned sheets with a tribal patterned blanket along with custom pillows made up the bed, where a leopard dozed.

I stuffed raffia trim along the mattress box spring to hang down to the floor. For the show, I just pinned it, but it could be sewn onto a sheet as a proper bedskirt.

A large banana tree with real bananas I tucked among the leaves sat in the corner which also hid the cd player playing ” A lion sleeps tonight” in the background. I purchased from IKEA, 2 large green leaves, and attached them to the arbor, and with the ceiling fan, they moved up and down, as if swaying to the music….lots of animation..love it!

The curtains were inspired…I had found a zebra print curtain panel set at Hobby Lobby, then attached more of the raffia trim along the top, but I wanted to have more of a “jungle” way to hang the panels to the rod. So I purchased online some jungle plush with velcro paws, and used them to hook the panels to the rod…I kept saying, “hang in there!” hoping they would hold up and they did, no prob!

In the corner of the room I wanted a little reading nook, so I had one of those netted canopies and hung it up where it draped down over large coffee bean bag covered floor cushions; a painted rattan glass top short table; a brass electrified lantern to read by; and a large tiger to lean on and read stories with….wouldn’t you want to read to a tiger?

Reading nook in Jungle Room 2014 Parade of Homes TayRose Designer

From the inception of choosing the wall color to the rattan leaf ceiling fan; constructing the arbor hut;collaborating on the crate dresser; stacked crate night stand; adding an empty coke bottle (remember “The gods must think I’m crazy?” movie?; custom painted giraffe wall art; jungle directional signs; to the canteen hanging at the end of the bed and the music in the background…this was a dream theme room, one that was amazing to be living in for a short time while pulling it all together…it really was a jungle in there! Shhhh….the lion sleeps tonight….oh, and no more monkeys jumping on the bed!

To receive posts via email click HERE Subscribe in a reader or signup in Subscription box in sidebar.