It is Week 7 of the One Room Challenge and guess what?  I have changed my mind on the walls.  If you follow me, I know you are not surprised.  I just returned from a lovely week in North Myrtle Beach, SC (insert shout out to the world’s greatest niece and her husband for hosting us yet again)!  In this update, I will share how I came to choose  wall mural and paint color!  I find my inspiration in the strangest places.  This time it was Myrtle Beach!

What’s Your Inspiration

Our current wall color in this soon to be office is a mid toned grey, which I do like!  But I have trended throughout the house to very light tones.  So I am continuing this trend into this office update.  Since the walls are on the dark side, I will paint the room in our main living area color of Simply White by Benjamin Moore.  Of course, I am color matching with Behr because I simply love Behr.  But as I sat on the beach this past week, I thought about colors and decided to definitely use my base of blue in this room.  I will use several blue tones.

More inspiration came from this:

Just look at the colors of the sun setting in that sky!  Lavender, orange, just lovely!

I, for some reason, am enamored with the striations in this shell.  Can you even imagine what the whole shell looked like?  And how long ago was it first broken into pieces? 

The things your mind wanders to are simply fascinating.  What really amazes me is that I don’t really like coastal decor.  But here I am, about to use this theme for my office.  I can’t wait to see where this leads me!  The unexpected is so exciting!

Here are a few more shells that I fell in love with.

The last one reminds me of my original  idea for grey concrete walls for this room.  So one wall will share a combined feature inspired by this oyster shell and grey concrete.  

Today, I started to paint the walls a basic Simply White, a Benjamin Moore color that brightens the walls of our main living area.  It really is the perfect white.  It is not too yellow and now too grey.  This will be a fun week of creating and most definitely frustration as I try to transfer what is in my head onto my walls.  Wish me luck!  

Note:  With all of the traveling this past month, I’m not sure I want to rush to meet the deadline for next week’s reveal.  I will most likely finish one week late.  But, who knows?  Maybe I will get it all done!

Be sure to check out all of the progress from the Featured Designers and the hundreds of Guest Participants as they buckle down to finish this 8 week challenge!  Week 7 ORC posts.

See you next week!  I’ve gotta run!  So much to do!

The post How to Choose Wall Murals and Paint Color appeared first on Shop at Blu.

But first…

HOW TO REMOVE WIRE CLOSET SHELVING

I’m sure that these closet systems were like the invention of sliced bread back in the day.  I remember when we moved into this home, 20 years ago, and I was excited that every closet came equipped with wire shelving.  Don’t get me wrong, it definitely helped keep the full closets somewhat organized. But I’m ready for pretty AND functional.  I’m entitled!  Right???  And so are you.

My dream office closet is filled with ceiling to floor shelves.  Everything is organized and has its place.  Silhouette items here.  Project materials on one shelf shelf sorted of course by project:  recently completed, upcoming, in progress, maybe.  Photography supplies in their home.  Florals all together!  Seasonal decor in one specific area!  YES!  All of it!  Am I dreaming?  Nope!  I’m just working my DIY projects in my home, one room at a time!  On a budget!

Wire closet shelving is super easy to install and just as easy to remove.  I started with removing all of the support brackets from the shelves.  Simply remove the screw, tap the support upward to disengage it from the shelf and remove.  

Removing the plastic anchors for these closet shelves was also quite simple.  The hardest part was prying the thick little nails up slightly so the heads rise above the plastic anchors. 

Once you pry the head up slightly, you can simply grab it with some pliers and firmly pull the nail out of the wall.  Then you have a choice of how to remove the plastic anchor:

1. Use your pliers and grasp the head of the anchor and give it a firm pull.  However, this method can cause holes and breakage in the surrounding drywall.  To reduce drywall repair, I recommend that you use the next method.
2. Use a pair of wire cutters to grab the head of the plastic anchor.  Wiggle the cutters so that the round top of the anchor is within the cutting area.  Clip that top off completely.  Use a screwdriver to push the reset of the anchor into the wall.  
3. You will be tempted, as a beginner, to use the first method above.  But I would encourage you to be patient and use the second method to preserve the integrity of your drywall.

Repair Holes and Damage

Next, fill the holes with drywall putty.  Allow to dry and sand smooth.  I opted not to fill some of the holes as my 1 X 2’s will cover these holes once installed.

I would like the far wall of the closet to appear like floating shelves.  So I’ve ordered some steel brackets.  I’ll show you how to install those later in this series.  For now, I am installing some supports under the shelves.  This is accomplished by simply screwing 1 x 2’s into the wall.  Make certain you screw into a stud.  Use a level to make sure your shelves are straight!  

Selecting Shelf Material

I really wanted to use wood for my shelves but the price of wood is just still way to high.  So, I opted for melamine covered MDP which is so much more reasonably priced.  I bought one sheet of Melamine MDP for $43.  From this I will fashion four 1 x 12 x 5′ side shelves and two 16″ side shelves. 

The pine wood, in comparison was $37 for a single 1 x 12 x 10 from which I could fashion only 2 side shelves. 

So…no brainer.  Maybe when the prices of wood come down I will replace these and recycle them as shelving in the garage.  All good.  They will still look fantastic and BONUS…I don’t have to prime and paint them!  

Here is another tip if you are new to buying wood.  I found some 1 x 2’s for $4.20 each. 

I will probably need 10 so the cost would be $42.00.  Check the lumber section and look for alternatives.  I found these for $2.20.  So much better for my budget especially since they will not be visible once the shelves are installed.

Install Shelf Supports

I am installing all of the 1 x 2  supports and waiting for the shelf brackets to arrive.  Until then, I am continually changing the number of shelves.  I started with a plan of 5 shelves that wrap around the entire closet.  Today, I changed that number to 6.  But I think I might do 7.  Who knows???  That’s the beauty of design and the grand reveal!

Note the lovely pink walls!  This millennial pink was considered the “neutral” of the 90’s!  I could not cover it fast enough.  But apparently, the closest weren’t a priority back then.  And the pink rugs!!!  That is next week’s focus.

An Unexpected Surprise

Do you see the little surprise I found behind the shelves in this closet?  Little handprints!

TWO and THREE were 9 and 6 when we moved to Alabama.  They helped paint their room this navy blue.  They are now 29 and 26.  I don’t think I can paint over these memories.  

Have a great week!  

Remember to check out all of the progress from the Featured Designers and from all of my Guest Participant friends.  There is a ton of decorating going on right now!  Check it out!

The post How to Build Closet Shelves for the Office appeared first on Shop at Blu.

This is my 4th ORC!  I’ve previously transformed My Tuscan Inspired Kitchen, My Dining Room Reclaimed, and most recently My Master Bedroom Refresh.  If you have followed along with any of my projects, you know that my plans are always fluid.  As I proceed through the weeks, inevitably I stumble across more previous unconsidered possibilities and usually change course.  So hang on for the ride, there will undoubtedly be curves, changes, and surprises in this journey of creating an office space.

With my 5 children all grown and my antique store closed, I’ve been going through the process of purging and creating a home specifically suited for Mr. Blu and me.  It certainly has been interesting, after devoting most of your time to your children and family, to really begin to fashion your home into a special place that you absolutely love.  So far, I’ve transformed 7 areas of our home.  So this project puts me halfway through the entire house with area #8.  And I must say that I am amazed at how much I am enjoying this process of taking my home from functional to fabulous!

The Current Room

This room has been the bedroom to 4 of our 5 children over the past 20 years.  Most recently, it has been used, well, basically for storage and there’s a desk sitting right in the middle of all of the stuff. 

I mean, doesn’t everyone use their antique china cabinet to house their Ryobi collection?  

It is long past time to purge, organize and really design a functional office space.  When I say it’s been used for storage, it has literally been my dumping ground for projects, things waiting to go to the garage, and any decor without a home.  You can see from the photos below that there is exercise equipment, old computers, baskets filled with excess from projects, fabric, picture frames, artwork, antiques, storage bins, flooring, ladders to name a few.

The Organization Plan

1. All displaced items will be returned to their proper place in the house.  All tools go to the garage.  No more using my antique china cabinet for my Ryobi  collection.  All hardware, glue, staples, etc.  will be placed in their proper area in the garage.
2. Paperwork needs to be sorted and purged.  I no longer need the consignment box from The Blue Building Antiques that closed in 2019.  Personal documents will be placed in storage, specifically old tax documents, etc.
3. Shelving will be created for photography props and decor items that I use frequently.  Seasonal items will be placed in a special area.
4. All photography equipment will have its own place as will Silhouette supplies, office supplies, blogging supplies, photography props, seasonal decor, etc.

Room Design

I like the current color of the walls so I will keep the grey tones.  I’m loving the concrete Old World look of this wallpaper by Ever Wallpaper.  One of the walls will be a feature wall with some color and possible some florals.  I just can’t decide!  Look for a mood board in the next post as I iron out the details of my design.

Lighting

I installed this ceiling fan two years ago. 

The wiring need to be addressed as it is connected to a dimmer switch that stopped working some time ago.  That switch needs attention and the fan blades will be painted.  The popcorn ceiling should be removed but I’m not sure I am up to that task!

There is one window in the room that looks out onto our brand new deck.  I am excited to be able to see the summer plants thriving through that window with a view unobstructed by unnecessary clutter!

Closet Revamp

The closet is relatively large for this room.  And of course it is chock full of stuff.  Sewing machines, photography equipment, graduation gowns, clothing, blankets, fabric, books, a doll collection that I’m having trouble parting with, Silhouette supplies.  You name it and it is in this closet.  But not for long.

The wire shelving will be replaced with sturdy wooden shelving.  You can see where we had to access the Primary Bathroom plumbing.  I will build an access panel here.  I built a cubby unit several years back as part of a one board challenge.  Here is that post.  I might put this in the closet for office supplies.

Flooring

We had LVP installed in 2020 throughout the main level of our house.  We had ordered an entire pallet of flooring so there is enough left to do the floor in the new office!  I will install this myself.  Say a prayer for me!  Here is the floor as installed in the dining room.

I am looking at some rugs for the office as well.  We will see what I can find that is within my budget.  Is it weird, though, that when we have new floors installed I love to leave them bare for a while just to enjoy the change?  

The next two weeks will be very busy with finishing the stain on our new deck, trimming trees and shrubs, and participating in several spring blog hops.  We will also sneak in a trip to New Orleans for our anniversary celebration.  

The next 2 weeks will be spent sorting and purging and organizing.  My first big project will be the closet.  I’m so excited to have everything in its place.  I got a taste of this in January with the Declutter Challenge.  I feel like it is all a practice run for when I am able to tackle the mother load…the garage!  It’s coming!  

See you next week!

The post Creating a Home Office Space appeared first on Shop at Blu.

If you missed the weekly progress, here are the weekly updates:

WEEK 1         WEEK 2          WEEK 3          WEEK 4           WEEK 5       WEEK 6        Week 7

Upcycles and Transformations

I refreshed and renewed this early 2oth century highboy with some good old hemp oil.

Before and After

I stripped this 1880’s paint covered mantle to reveal beautiful tiger oak.

I opted to keep some of the chippy paint as I am and uber distressor and can never get enough chippy.

Mia is also very upset that the new bedding has yet now arrived.  I think she will be ok.

Wall Accents

I added a picture ledge with some of my favorite family photos.

Another Big Makeover

This dresser was given a makeover.   I replaced the mirror with some interesting artwork and architectural pieces.

I found a dramatic blue milk paint and stripped the dresser top to reveal beautiful multi-toned wood.

Fresh paint, new curtains and a swap of furniture give this space a fresh, clean, decluttered vibe.

Revive and Restore

I used steel wool and some cherry stain to refresh two small chests to use as nightstands.  I was going to paint them.  I even bought the paint.  But this mahogany was just so beautiful, I could not cover it up.  A little bit of TLC and they are revived and gorgeous again.

I am elated with the transformation of this space!  If the bedding never arrives, I will still be thrilled! 

UPDATE:  Final photos of the completed room at the end of this post…with bedding!

Check back in a week to see how the new bedding adds to the ambiance of this room.  I will update the photos as soon as I can.  Thank you for following along!

The post Master Bedroom Refresh Reveal appeared first on Shop at Blu.

   WEEK 1         WEEK 2          WEEK 3          WEEK 4           WEEK 5       WEEK 6

Completed Projects

Walls and woodwork are painted.  I can’t believe the change. The light fresh color really brightens and makes the room seem much larger.

The antique paint covered mantle has been stripped and is being installed as the headboard.

The gorgeous antique highboy has been revived and is looking quite stately.

Curtains are hung and the blues have arrived in the room.

Bedding has been ordered and I am crossing my fingers that it arrives this week.  Otherwise I will really be scrambling into the home stretch.

Prep the Dresser

The first step in prep of the dresser is to remove all of the drawers and all of the hardware.  This enables you to do a great job on the next step which is cleaning the dresser. 

You can vary this prep stage depending on what type of paint you have selected for your dresser.  Years ago, when I first started painting furniture, chalk and mineral paints did not exist.  If they did, I was not aware of them and they were not readily available.  If you are using chalk paint or mineral paint, you can skip the sanding stage of the dresser prep as these paints often claim “no prep necessary”.

Sand the dresser lightly.  You can use a sanding block or an electric sander.  If you use an electric sander, be cautious because some of them are very powerful and used incorrectly can damage your wood.  Practice first, as always.

Sanding helps the paint to adhere to the wood because it makes the surface rougher.  This dresser needed a more severe sanding as has many wear marks, scuffs, and dings.  After sanding, wipe the dresser with a damp cloth to remove the dust produced by the sanding process.

Wipe the dresser completely with TSP.  TSP comes in a variety of forms.  I use a soft cotton rag liberally doused with tsp.

Once the dresser is dry, you are ready to paint.  

Brushes

My favorite brush is Cling On.  But I often use Purdy which are sold locally at Home Depot.  Another favorite is the shorter handled brush from Country Chic Paints.

Since I am painting a vibrant blue over top of a dark stained original finish, it is necessary to paint the entire dresser first with a good quality primer.  The primer helps in 2 ways: 

1. The primer is white so it will provide a light base under the new paint.  Below is a photo of the selected paint on the dark finish.  You can hardly see the blue color.  The white base allows the paint to assume its vibrant color as intended.
2. The primer will help to fill the dings, mars and scratches that exist all over this older and well loved dresser.  So, after the final paint has been applied, the dresser will appear less worn.

The Paint Process

I used my Homeright Super Finish Max paint sprayer.  This is my go to sprayer and I could not love this product more…unless it came with an unending supply of paint that automatically filled the sprayer when needed.

My sander simply did not cut through the thick sealer on the dresser top.  So I used stripper and then sanded the top of the dresser to see what color the wood was beneath the heavy factory shiny finish.  It was beautiful multi colored wood so I decided to stain the top instead of painting it.  This would allow me to highlight the different shades of wood and help pull together the room since several colors of antique wooden furniture will be used.  I used two different color stains to unify the furniture.  Here is the result.  I will share details on how to refinish a dresser top in a later post.

I am quite pleased.  Here’s a reminder of what I started with:

Getting that Vibrant Blue

I hand painted the blue onto the dresser.  My paint selection was General Finishes Klein Blue milk paint.  I love General Finishes and have used several of their milk paint colors in addition to their gel stain, which is my absolute favorite for table and dresser tops.

This Klein blue was very streaky at first application.  I actually stopped and gave the paint a more thorough stirring.  I suppose it is just the color that requires several applications.  This paint seemed to be more translucent than others that I have used in the past.  That tends to be the case when paints have more color pigment, like reds. 

But, after the 3rd coat, the coverage was better.  And the vibrancy of the blue is undeniable. 

Hardware

I am planning to replace the hardware on these drawers but in the meantime, I gave them a light coat of Rustoleum Navy.  They now appear to have a bluing texture which is quite unexpected but different.  I love when the unexpected works!

Be sure to check out all of the projects from the Featured Designers and the other Guest Participants.

The post Painting a Dresser appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Welcome to Week 6 of The One Room Challenge. If you are just joining me for this Fall Edition of the ORC, here are the previous weeks’ posts:                             WEEK 1         WEEK 2          WEEK 3          WEEK 4           WEEK 5      

I am refreshing my Master Bedroom with new decor and new colors.  Thus, I need some new accent pieces and accessories.

I found this side table in my garage that was left over from closing my store, The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment.

I needed a small yet functional side table.  This antique style will mesh well with the new highboy and the antique mantle.  But this green marble top just will not compliment my new room.  So let’s change it’s look with some resin!

My room will be toned with woods and whites and highlighted with an added splash of vibrant blue.  I’m a marble lover so my plan for this table is a faux marble look with some blue accents.  

Resin Prep

When using any resin you must ensure proper ventilation of your work area.  I only use resin outdoors. This project coincided with a planned trip to the Tennessee mountains so I packed up my supplies and brought my project along.  Fortunately, our little hideaway for the next few days has a beautiful deck which was the perfect work space for this project.

I covered the work area with towels and newspaper to protect the work surface.  Gloves are a must with resin projects as resin contains harsh chemicals and a mask is recommended as you can’t be too safe!

An Oops Right Out of the Gate

Let me start by saying that the workshop was back in July.  I was so excited to start this project that I forgot one step…prepping the surface.  For this project, I should have painted the marble top white.  Although the resin will be pigmented with white, a starting surface of white means less of a chance that the green will show through.  Not to worry though.  For this project, I simply will add a second coat of resin after the first has dried.  But, had I remembered to properly prep the surface the first time, I could have eliminated a second coat of resin.  So, the final result was fine!  And isn’t that what DIY is all about?  Learning, improving, and honing your skills.  This is exactly why I am practicing before I tackle that big bathroom project.

Mixing the Resin

This resin is created by combining a 1:1 ratio of resin A and resin B(hardener). 

You have about 20 minutes of recommended working time before the resin starts to set.  In this case, I was working outside where the temperature was on the cooler side so the resin took longer to set.  Recommended temperature is aboe 70 degrees.  It was definitelyly too cold for this first pour.  The next day was much warmer and the resin was easier to pour and manipulate.  See how cloudy the resin mixture is in the photo above?  That is a telltale sign that the environmental temperature is too cold.  Fortunately, I was able to pour the resin so it did not go to waste.  And in my mind, I could hear Jess Crowe saying “if you make a mistake, you can just let it dry and pour over it again.” Even veteran DIY’er make mistakes.

Supplies

Total Boat had sent me a complete kit with both resins, measuring cups, wooden stirrers and pigments.  They included everything needed for this project.  I only needed to add gloves and a heat gun.  Of course I bought a Ryobi…they are my favorite go to for tools.

Time to Pour

I lightly sanded the marble surface.  I mixed the resins in equal parts into a plastic cup and stirred for 3 minutes.  I set the table top up on one of the plastic mixing cups so that the excess would run off of the sides and not pool around the edges.  Then I poured the resin onto the table top.  I used the wooden stirrer to move the resin across the table top.  Total Boat Epoxy Resin is self leveling.  So once I got it spread across the table top, I did not stress about it being of uniform depth as this product will take care of that automatically.

The next step would be to add the pigment to form the marble look and add some color.  Since I did not do the base coat of white, I will save the pigment for the second pour which will be revealed next week.  I will walk you through that process then.  This is just an intro to resin.

I used my Ryobi heat gun across the entire surface starting at the center and working outward.  This has two purposes:  1-It releases and bubbles from beneath the surface and, 2-It pushes the resin toward the edges so that it runs over the edges leaving a smooth edge to the top.  Once I had covered the entire surface and the excess resin was running over the sides, I simply walked away for an hour allowing the resin to begin to dry.  After 1 hour, I took the wooden stirrer and ran it along the bottom edge of the table top to remove the drip spots.  I repeated this process again an hour later.

Here is the table top.  She is ready for the final coat of resin which will include the marbling and added color steps. 

I have a busy few days when I return home as we are in the final stretch for this challenge.  But, for now, I will enjoy these Tennessee mountains.

See you next week with the final result.

The post Using Epoxy Resin appeared first on Shop at Blu.

MANTLE PROGRESS

The mantle design has worked itself out.  I am still, unbelieveably, working on stripping the 130+ year old original finish from this beautiful mantle.  I knew this would be the most time consuming part of this project.  And I am almost finished!

The top layers came off rather easily compared to the original stain.  I have to really layer on the chemicals and let it sit for more than 30 minutes to ensure that the solution penetrates the stain.  I’m talking 6 applications from start to finish with increasing application time from 15 to 30 minutes. 

Patience and ensuring that the surface remains moist is the key.  Remember Pop’s tip from Week 2, patience!!!  Allow the chemicals to do their job.  I have been devoting about 90 minutes a day to this mantle.  She should be finished this week.

IT IS PAINT TIME!

I am now into the fun stage of actually transforming the room.  The white paint looks fabulous and really is the key to transforming this room.  The previous gold wall color really tended to darken the room.  This white makes the room so clean and fresh and new!  We are thrilled already.

The painting of the walls will be completed tomorrow.  Then I will start on the transformation and final selection of furniture.  I have selected an antique highboy to replace this dark chest that matches the dresser I will be painting in a vibrant blue. 

The highboy is from the early 20th century.  I bought it from a man who said it was handed down in his family.  I have the original full sized four poster bed and dresser that complete the set.  I painted the dresser several years ago to use as a vanity for IV(child #4).    It is now a distressed black but I will eventually strip her back to match the highboy and bed.  This beautiful set needs to stay together.  There are so many restoration projects lined up in my garage.  I should be busy for some time.  So you can expect to see the highboy renewed and the dresser transformation started with next week’s post.

I did select curtains and they arrived just yesterday.  Here is a teaser photo of the curtains and the walls:

The first morning with the new curtains was like awaking in a hotel or foreign room.  The morning light was brilliant as it reflected off of the new walls.  And the curtains were just glowing.  

Recreating a space is so invigorating!  So I am onto the next project for this master bedroom refresh!

The post Master Bedroom Refresh: Paint, Curtains and Color appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Week 3

This week I am moving forward with the newly stripped mantle.  Actually, it is not completely stripped.  In the process of stripping, the first few layers of paint, I discovered this chippy glorious patina.  So my plan to refurbish this mantle has changed in that much of the tiger oak is now exposed but I will leave some of the chippy paint intact.

I simply assumed that Mr. Blu would hate it so I continued my task of completely stripping the paint back to the original tiger oak that as sleeping beneath 5 layers of paint and the original stain.  Mr. Blu is more traditional and does not normally appreciate chippy in any way, form or fashion.  So imagine my glee when he popped into the driveway, saw the partially stripped mantle and said, “Hey, I like that look!”  I do believe that I have worn this man down over the last 35 years.  Or perhaps he has come to embrace the beauty in things past.  Either way, the plan for this mantle has changed. 

I will be stripping part of mantle to expose the beautiful antique tiger oak but some of the chippy beauty will remain.  This process will most likely take another 6 hours.  I will share some glimpses but will save the full photo for the reveal in Week 8.

Alterations to the Mantle

With the mantle almost stripped and redesigned, it is time to widen her to fit the king size bed.  Here were my options:

1. Shop the local architectural salvage and antique shops for 48″ to 84″ tiger oak remnants that are 6″-12″ in width.  
2. Create side panels from new lumber and custom treat with paint/stain combination to match the mantle.

I had decided for time and budget sake to go with option 2 when Mr. Blu chimed in with a thrid option, “What about that old mantle from the deck that fell apart when we moved it?  Can you use that?”.  And I heard it…the angels sang!   Yesterday when I was finishing the mantle strip, I went to turn on the hose and caught a glimpse of the sad old mantle which we will call Diva. 

Hello Diva!

Here are some photos of Diva in her glory days when I first brought her home from The Blue Building Antiques. 

Since then, she has weathered the Alabama scorching sun, hurricane rain, and tornadic winds.  Her color has faded but her bones are good.

We recently had a new deck installed so Diva had to come down to the yard until she can be rehomed somewhere under the new deck where she will be better protected from the southern weather elements.  I honestly don’t see a good spot for her under the new deck yet so she is waiting patiently in her temporary location.  When we moved her back under the deck last month, some of the wood had broken loose so we removed it with the plan to reattach once we find a spot for her. 

For a moment I thought…what about those pieces for side panels?  But in my mind, she was destined to stay on the deck so I quickly shook off that possibility.

Now, revisiting the idea, I realized:

1. I will save a lot of time by not having to travel to local and distant salvage locations or antique stores in search of the perfect fit.
2. There is no cost involved with using these mantle parts.  Antique remnants can be expensive!
3. The wood already has beautiful texture from the sun and rain.  This texture would be perfect as a frame for the refreshed mantle.  I will just have to match the finish to the mantle.  
4. I can disassemble Diva and use the mantle shelf for another project.  She would make a wonderful wall bar!

I measured the sides of Diva and determined that there is enough material.  So here we go!

The bottom of the mantle will not be visible as it will sit behind the mattress.  So, I will need a piece of wood attached from the Diva piece to the floor but the finish will not have to match exactly.  So I can simply attached the Diva pieces higher on the mantle and not worry about an exact finish match below the 24″ mark.  I will have to work with stain and paint to match the finishes on the Diva side piece and the main mantle.  Right now Diva’s parts are tired and worn.  I should be able to make her look new again.

And so, I am off to finish the mantle project!  But in the meantime, let’s talk colors for the MBR.

Color Palette

With the mantle design finalized, I decided that we will be painting the walls.  Although I do love the old world look of the antique faux finished gold walls, I am interested in a nice change in the vibe of this room.  I stripped all of the gold and yellow paint from the mantle so there is not need to stay with the golds.  The walls will be painted a shade of white and the accents…well, of course they will be blue.  Staying neutral on the wall allows the full rainbow for possibilities of accent colors in the future.

The whites that I am considering are all Behr:  Bakery Box,  Vibrant White and Polar Bear.  I did consider a grey tone but I really want the room to focus on the woods and whites. 

All of our woodwork is painted in Behr Ultra Pure White.  I want a white wall color but I have to be careful with the finished mantle as it still has some residual white paint scattered throughout.  The white on the mantle is probably 100 years old.  Because of age, I’m afraid that a wall color that is too white will make the mantle look yellow.  So I decided on Vibrant White.  I would share a paint chip but, well, it’s white so…pointless?  Here are the colors I considered:

Here is a great example of woods and whites at their finest.  Deb and Danelle are masters!  My mantle will be a bit darker but I have a highboy that is a lighter maple/oak and will be coming into the room soon.  There will be a nice mix of many wood tones.

My room will concentrate on woods and white with a heavy emphasis on, of course, blue!  Commence the wall painting!

Accent Colors

I’m a blue girl.  Always.  Over the past year I’ve been drawn to some striking furniture pieces that were painted in the cobalt blue family.  Is it possible to transfer that glorious cobalt blue glass color onto furniture?  I’m gonna give it my best shot!

I think these Behr colors are pretty close, though it does seem more vibrant in person:

I want to paint the larges piece of furniture, my dresser, in this a vibrant and glowing blue.  I’m considering a transfer but I will make that call once I see how the vibrant blue affects the scale of the piece.  I’ve never used a transfer so I might try that on another piece in the room.  Again, we will see as the room progresses.

I do like these transfers that I browsed online…

This one is from Natalie at This Old Vintage…

And the blues on this one by maikadaughters.com are incredible…!  

I will keep shopping around for transfers and alternate finish ideas.

I’m picturing the white-ish walls, the vibrant blue dresser, the woods and whites of the mantle (tiger oak and residual chippy paint).  It’s all coming together.  

Next up, curtains, bedding and reviving a tall boy!

The post Using a Mantle as a Headboard appeared first on Shop at Blu.

It is Week 2 of the One Room Challenge and I am ready to tackle how to restore this antique mantle.  In this post, I will teach you how to strip an antique mantle of old stain and paint.  

If you missed Week 1, here is the link that explains the ORC and my plans for my master bedroom.

How to Strip Wood…But First, A Little History

This antique beauty was savaged from a very old home in Bessemer Alabama.  Bessemer was established in 1887 and was a steel making center from 1890 through the 20th century.  I suspect that this mantle was installed around 1890 in one of those historical Bessemer homes.  Here are a few of the other mantles that were salvaged from Bessemer.  These are photos from after I used my special magic to make them chippy gorgeous.  Their pre-Suzy splendor looked much like that black mess above which is covered in not one, not two, not three, but at least four coats of paint as best that I can tell.

Tiger Oak was the primary choice of craftsmen as the wood is commonly found in historic homes and in antique furniture.  Over the years, people would slap some paint onto their tiger oak mantles, doors, woodwork or furniture in an attempt to contemporize.  We still do this today.  When a stained wooden dresser gets old and needs refreshing, the logical and quick choice is paint.  This is evidenced by the multiple layers of creative paint colors on old wooden pieces.  Check out these doors…

These layers make for incredible chippy creations.  Check out my post on how to get the most incredible chippy doors!  It is so much easier than you would think.  Are you ready to learn how to strip wood?

Restore and Widen Mantle

My first project for Week 2 of the ORC is to restore the mantle and create the design for its use as a king sized headboard.  Here is the plan:

1. Completely strip the mantle of all paint and stain. 
2. Select a finish, most likely a stain but I am considering leaving the wood natural and simply sealing it.
3. Extend and embellish the sides of the mantle with wooden panels of some sort to widen the headboard width to meet the king sized mattress, most likely an addition of 12 inches on each side of the mantle.
4. Select sconces or other embellishments for the 12″ extensions on each side.

Sometimes You Do the Hard Work

I very rarely strip furniture.  It is very time consuming and requires the use of strong chemical solutions.  But every now and then, I find a piece that simply begs to be restored.  This mantle is one of those pieces.  

The most physical part of this project was simply getting the mantle upright to photograph and then into a location where I could work on it without having to move it.  I pride myself in being able to move giant and heavy furniture pieces alone.  Over the years I’ve learned how to maneuver giant dressers, sofas, massive china cabinets and other furniture by working smarter and utilizing tools like furniture dollies, hand trucks and methods like sliding, wiggling, rolling and other mom tricks.

But, 2 years of Covid couch sitting and inactivity have forced me to ask for help with this heavy and awkward mantle.  So both V (child #5) and Mr. Blu kindly lent their assistance when needed.

Prepping the Mantle

Since my ultimate goal is to strip the mantle with a chemical solution, I did not clean it thoroughly before starting since the chemical process will remove everything from the wood’s surface.  But I did give it a good dusting and wipe down with a damp rag.  This baby had over 100 years of dust.  If she could only share her

stories!

As with most dated mantles, you will find stray nails, staples, and oddities embedded in the wood. 

I took a minute to remove any visible nails.  You always find a few more when you start to strip and drag a scraper across the wood.  It’s also interesting to see the different quality of nails…some skinny finish nails and some that are obviously very old.

Stripping Supplies

I am fortunate to have had a father who was quite handy with tools and blessed with handy skills.  Pop’s grandfather was a carpenter.  I love the stories of how Pop and his brothers acquired their handyman skills by helping their grandfather renovate their childhood home in North Philadelphia.  In fact, I have several wood planes that belonged to my great grandfather.   

Pop used to refinish pianos for a living.  I can’t ever remember a time when he wasn’t stripping something in the basement.  His rule for stripping…be patient.  You will see why.

To refinish any wooden item, you need some basic tools.  Here is a list:

1. Paint brush to apply the stripper.
2. Plenty of rags.  I use cut up old towels.
3. Steel wool.  I start with 2 bags and replenish if needed.
4. Stripping solution.  I use Stripeze. 
5. Metal or plastic scraper.
6. Sandpaper 
7. Tin can.  I use an old soup or coffee can.
8. Gloves

The Most Important Rule:  Safety

The first rule is wear gloves.  While there are many new stripping solutions than don’t use harsh chemicals, the old stuff is tried and true and most effective in getting the job done quickly.  Just my preference.  The chemicals are hard and can burn your skin.  Stripper is like paint.  You think you will be careful.  You think you won’t splatter.  You are wrong.  It gets everywhere.  Drips.  Splats.  Globs.  But with stripper you add “burns”.  Just don’t risk it.  Wear the gloves.

Preparing Your Work Area

Protect your work area by laying paper or a drop cloth beneath your furniture piece.  Stripper can drip, splatter, and run.  It will take paint off of a floor and skin off of your body.  Protection is key.  Wear your gloves and cover your surrounding surfaces.  

Ensure your work area is well ventilated.  I always complete the stripping process outside in my driveway or in the garage with the doors open and a fan blowing.  Chemicals can emit dangerous fumes.  Always wear your gloves. 

Stripping solvent usually comes in a metal container with a small pouring spout.  I use an old soup or coffee can, depending on the size of the brush I am using.  Pour some solvent into the can.  Start with a small amount, maybe 1/4 of the soup can.  The solvent evaporates quickly.  Remember Pop’s rule…be patient.  Stripping furniture involves a lot of waiting.

Application

Use your brush to apply a liberal amount of stripper to your wood.  Work on one section at a time.  In this video I was overly cautious not to drip solution because I had not placed drop cloths around the mantle.  So I am applying thinner coats to avoid dripping.  You will see a much more aggressive application in later videos.  Proper work environment saves time and ensures safety.

Application

You want the solution to be thick enough that it will not dry out or evaporate as it is reacting with the old paint and stain.  If your solution dries, you must start all over again.  So, start with a small section.  Apply the solution.  And wait.  It takes anywhere from 5-30 minutes for the stripper to start dissolving old paint or stain.  My mantle is well over 100 years old.  It has, from what I can see, 5 coats of paint plus the original stain.  Sometimes you can see an immediate reaction as the paint appears to bubble. 

The older the paint or stain, the longer the solution must sit.  Several applications will be necessary.

After 20 minutes, I used a flat scraper to remove the top layers of paint that were loosened by the stripper.  In this video, on this section of the mantle there were only 2 coats of stain and paint so the first application was very effective and revealed the original stain on the wood.  Most of this mantle, however, had 4-5 layers of paint and stain.  

Then I applied a second liberal coat of stripper to remove the stain.  And I waited.  After 20 minutes, I repeated the removal with the scraper. 

This step removed removed the stain.  This part of the mantle seemed to just have 1-2 thin layers of paint and the original stain.  The first coat of stripper removed the paint and the second coat removed the stain.  

https://youtu.be/7pmWt9uaB9s

Once you think you have removed the paint and stain, apply one last coat.  Allow the solution to sit for 10-15 minutes.  Then use steel wool to remove any residual stain.  At this point you should be able to see the beauty of the wood.

For flat surfaces this is very easy.  However, the mantle has some curves, grooves, and moldings.  For these areas I used a wire brush and a sanding sponge.  Both of these tools are pliable and can get into the grooves and around the curves as needed.  

A final wipe down with a rag dipped in the stripper solution completes the process.  This ensures that the wood is completely stain and paint free. 

Final Step

Next you should lightly sand the entire piece with a fine grit sand paper.  Clean the wood of all dust and debris.  You are now ready to stain your mantle.  You have learned how to strip wood!

Now you must decide on a stain color or final finish.

This entire stripping process can be very simple when your wood has just one coat of stain.  But the process is very time consuming when you have a 120 year old mantle with 5-6 layers of stain and paint.  And the process is that much more complicated when you change plans mid project.  Here is what I discovered when I started to strip the heavily painted areas of this antique mantle…

I did warn you back in week 1 about my tendency to change plans mid project!  Let’s just say…there’s been a change in plans.  Can you guest what it is???   

See you next week!

Check out the Week 2 projects of the Featured Designers  all of my fellow Guest Participants.  There is truly so much talent and inspiration here!

The post How to Restore an Antique Mantle appeared first on Shop at Blu.

The One Room Challenge, started by Linda Weinstien of Calling it Home , is in its 20th season!  The ORC is a biannual event where twenty design influencers are selected as Featured Designers and challenged to transform a room of their choice.  Hundreds of additional decorators participate as Guest Participants.  This post kicks off my official participation as a Guest Participant in The One Room Challenge!  Anyone can be a Guest Participant.  All you need is a room to transform and a blog or Instagram account through which to document and share your project. 

Past ORC Projects

My first ORC was in Spring of 2020 and my project was My Tuscan Inspired Kitchen. 

I also participated in the Fall 2020 challenge with Reclaiming My Dining Room. 

So this Master Bedroom Makeover is my 3rd challenge.  Over the course of 8 weeks, each participant works through the process of transforming their room.  Some rooms see extensive constructive overhauls and some see more budget conscious and more minimal changes.  While my kitchen project had a large budget, this project does not.  I specialize in affordable and low cost DIY transformations.  Consequently, my budget for this room is to keep the costs under $500. 

My Master Bedroom

 When we moved into our home almost 20 years ago, all of the walls were pale pink.  Funny how millennial pink has resurfaced recently.  I had painted the walls to our MBR a King’s Gold.  It was a nice stately color.  My plan was to faux finish with an antiqued look.  

While I did succeed in painting the entire room a pale gold, I completed only about 20% of the antiquing on the walls of the room. 

At the writing of this post, I am still undecided as to whether I will change the color completely or simply finish the walls with the antiquing process.  I suppose it will depend on how complicated I make the design for the rest of the room.  

And, there is it.  My projects usually start out with a preliminary vision and may or may not take a hard curve right in the middle of the process.  I tend to let the “vibe” of the projects direct me when I am creating in my own space.  So, perhaps we should call this the Chameleon MBR Project.  Because I really don’t yet have a complete end goal.  Let’s call my plan fluid.  And here it is…

Create a headboard from an antique mantle

Remove king sleigh bed and replace with this antique mantle headboard. 

The mantle must be restored as it currently sports several coats of black , yellow and white paint.  Our current headboard consists of the headboard only from a massive king sleigh bed.  The piece showed up at my store, The Blue Building Antiques, about 2 years before we closed (which was March 2019).  I love the curves and the detail on the headboard.  The footboard was missing and that was ok because the scale of this bed would have been magnified by a footboard.  We decided to just use the headboard with the intention of painting it at some point to refresh the look.  That never happened.  And it’s time for a change. 

The mantle will be completely stripped, widened to accommodate a king sized mattress, and sealed.  The fun part will be selecting embellishments.  

Select and Paint Side Tables/Nightstands

Once the headboard is restored, redesigned and in place, side tables or night stands will be added.  I expect to use one of these two sets and will need to decide if they should be painted. 

I am hoping to have several antiques with complimentary wood tones as the anchors for this room.  As I am an experienced furniture painter, this is an option for all of the furniture pieces for the room.  Note, we have mismatched furniture and my goal is to unify the look of the room with stain, paint, and other magic tricks.

Wall Color

I’m having a hard time deciding if I want to repaint the walls.  Over the last 18 months, we have whitened and lightened up most of the rooms in our house.  The MBR has not had the whitened effect so I am considering painting the walls with a very light color, perhaps a very pale blue or greige.  I do, however, love the Old World feel of the antiqued gold walls.  And with the restored mantle, I believe the gold would be a nice compliment.  Mr. Blu is quite tired, like most of the design world, by the farmhouse white trends and would love some bolder color.  HOWEVER, my style severely leans toward the woods and whites of a classic traditional french country home with a mixture of rich wood furniture against the crisp whites of neutral walls.  As I’ve obviously not made a decision, the final color should be a nice surprise for us all.  So you will be as surprised as I am by the final selection.

Furniture Switch-A-Roo

Having owned an antique store for 10 years, I have accumulated many incredible furniture pieces but nothing matches and consequently the furniture does not always appear complimentary.  Life is too short to not use your favorite things.  So I am going to move out some older furniture pieces and bring in some favorites.  Here are some of the players who will be undergoing transformation.  Some will stay and some will go.

What do you think?  Can you imagine any of these in the same room with this…

These are the main elements of this makeover.  As my budget is quite low, there are other bucket list items such as:

• Buy a new rug and runner
• Create a comfy sitting area 
• Replace curtains
• Make a cushion for the lane hope chest 

Who knows??!  Maybe I will be able to complete a few more of these items on my wish list.

Check back next week for updates.  I hope to be well into the mantle project.

Here is the ORC Blog .   You can check here to see all of the project from the Featured Designers and from the Guest Participants.  

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