Distressing Zinc Hardware

The tabletop on the new console table for the foyer (reveal coming soon!) has decorative metal braces at each corner.  The original shiny zinc plated steel wasn't quite the look we were after, so we distressed them.


You can find these zinc plated braces in bags of 4 for about $4 - very budget friendly and they come complete with screws.

The zinc plated finish is super bright and shiny but we wanted a more distressed, darker metal - not quite as dark as oil rubbed bronze.

Of the many metal distressing methods shared online, soaking in vinegar was appealing as an environmentally friendly option.

To start the distressing process, I lightly sanded the braces with sandpaper and placed them and the screws in a clear plastic container and covered with distilled vinegar to soak overnight.

The next morning, the screws had turned dark brown, almost black.  But, unfortunately the braces were only slightly less shiny with very little change in color. 

After discovering that salt can also be added to vinegar during the soaking process, I added salt and left them for one more night.  They did turn darker in areas, but still not what I had in mind for this project. 


There would have been no harm in soaking them longer, but I was slightly impatient and moved on to Plan B!

I lightly sanded the braces again and then rubbed on a layer of Metallic Lustre in Iced Espresso.  This is such a neat product - it's a water-based, nontoxic metallic wax.  Just apply with a sponge or cloth (or your fingers!), let dry and buff.  So far, I've used it on wood and metal and it leaves the surface with a really nice metallic sheen.  You can also seal it with a coat of varnish if you like.


The result was a beautiful dark gold-brown metallic effect. 

Guess you're wondering what I did with those too dark brownish black screws?  All it took was a quick light sanding and they were good to go.


The corner hardware was the last step in our console table build and now that they're installed, it's truly totally complete!  It turned out great and we're super pleased with it.  Working on the post and pics to share with you soon.  :)


Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting! 





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Painting Wall Stripes

With plans to build a new and bigger console table in the works (read all about our plans HERE), I cleared the foyer and removed the framed photos from the gallery wall.  What I was left with was a fresh slate ... the long blank foyer wall provided the ideal canvas for painting wide wall stripes!




This wall is 18 feet long and 9 feet high and needed a touch of whimsy and a little visual interest.  Why not stripes?

I began by determining that I wanted to keep the current wall color (Sherwin Williams Softer Tan) as my base coat, and add three wide white stripes, for a total of 7 stripes.

By leaving the very top and bottom stripes (the one along the ceiling and the one along the baseboard) the color of my current wall color, it made this project so much quicker - no cutting in with a second color (white) near the ceiling or along the baseboard.  

I measured from the top of the baseboard to the ceiling (if we had crown molding, I would have measured to just below the crown molding).  This measurement was 105".

I divided 105" by 7 (number of stripes) and got 15".  That gave me the width of each stripe - 15".

I then measured 15" from the ceiling and used a pencil to place marks on the wall about every 3 feet across.  I repeated this process for the rest of the stripes, measuring down from the ceiling in 15" increments.  

When all the stripes were marked with pencil, I outlined every other stripe (the ones I wanted to paint white) with green FrogTape.  To avoid confusion, it helps to place small pieces of tape (I used blue painter's tape) every few feet across on the stripes that will not be painted (the ones that will be left the base color).  



To ensure the FrogTape adhered well to our wall texture, I used a dry sponge to press the tape against the wall.  

Next was the quick and fun part of the project - painting!

I mixed two leftover partial quarts of white paint that I had on hand - one was a satin and the other eggshell.  Fortunately, it dried to an eggshell finish - which matched the base coat.  Happy surprise!

I rolled on two coats of white and immediately removed the FrogTape after painting each stripe.

Was fully prepared to do lots of touch up painting where the paint seeped under the tape, but there was only one small spot that needed touch up.  I honestly was totally amazed that the FrogTape worked so well with textured walls.  


If you want instant impact on a budget, this is a great option.  Hubby and I agreed that if we didn't like the stripes, we would install ship lap.  Fortunately, we're really pleased - will be a great backdrop for the new console table.  



I'm happy to report that the console table for the foyer is now completed and I'll share a post and pics really soon!

Have you tried painting stripes on your wall?

Thank you to Kathryn at The Dedicated House for featuring this post!!!




Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting! 

***I was not compensated in any way for this post - simply sharing my personal experience.  :)  ***

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Tweaking a Bamboo Typography Mat

Not long ago, I bought a 3' x 2' bamboo typography mat on Decor Steals and was so excited when it arrived.  The warmth of the bamboo and the vintage look of the black typography were amazing and just what I'd hoped for.  The back side of the mat even has a floor-gripping texture.  Perfect!  Well ... almost!




Every item I've ordered from Decor Steals has been of wonderful quality and each item has honestly exceeded my expectations.  Love them!

The only issue I had with my new mat was the color of the binding (the fabric border around the outer edges of the mat).  It just didn't work quite well with my decor.   

Decor Steals

Fortunately, a tube of matte black fabric paint was all it took to make me happy - one coat of black paint, applied with a soft artist's brush to the binding.  



Have you ever purchased an item that you really liked but tweaked to make it exactly what you wanted?  I'm always amazed by the "power" of one quick coat of paint!  



Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting! 



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Planning a Console Table Build

We currently have a console table in our foyer.  It's a perfectly nice little console table.  When it became a member of our home, it was painted black, lightly distressed with gold. After a bit of time, I was ready for a pop of color and painted it Behr Pumpkin Patch (mixed with unsanded tile grout to make DIY chalk paint) and toned it down with a coat of dark mocha glaze.  Just the look I was after at the time!





 While I still enjoy the color and style of the table, the scale is extremely undersized for the space and the photo gallery above it.  The current table is only 42" wide. 


Time for a new, bigger console table!

Several I've found online would be wonderful.

Like this Connor Console Table from Pottery Barn.  Isn't the marble top beautiful?

 
Pottery Barn

Or, Crate and Barrel's Bluestone Console Table.  Loving the warmth of the stained wood.  This one is really close in dimension to the size we're looking for.
Crate and Barrel
Even though it's not quite wide enough for our space, the simplicity and clean lines of West Elm's Rustic Acacia Console Table are also appealing:
West Elm
All three options above are amazing, but when my frugal nature finally kicked in, my search led to DIY plans.  That's when I found it - the Rustic X Console Table - a style I like and the size is perfect.  Best of all, hubby and I can make it ourselves.  

Thanks to Ana White's website, a complete set of free plans are available along with many reader project photos.  

Hillary at The Friendly Home used Ana White's plans to build the beautiful table below.
Rustic X Console

 Can't wait to start the build!  We'll search our lumber stash to determine what can be used and hopefully, we'll have most of the materials on hand.  

The original plan dimensions are 74-1/2" wide, 16-1/2" deep and 30" high.  We plan to add 2" to the height to make it 32" - the height of our current table that works very well for lamp height.

Looking forward to having two usable shelves below, for display and perhaps storage baskets.  

Will keep you posted on our adventure!  Have you built furniture for your home?  Did you enjoy the experience and were you pleased with the results?




Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting!  
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Glass Food Storage Containers

For the longest time I've been searching for small glass food storage containers with glass lids.  Seems easy enough ... lots of sizes, colors and styles to choose from online.  

But ... I didn't want to pay a fortune and I wasn't necessarily looking for vintage or antique.  Just everyday containers that we could easily use in our fridge to store small quantities of leftovers from meals - and, if they were cute, that would be an added bonus! 



Then one day I changed my approach and instead of looking specifically for food storage containers in the food storage container aisles, I searched for containers shaped like food storage containers.  Do I have you totally confused by now?  I really do have a point - promise!

Sometimes when we need a particular item, we don't think outside the box (or is it just me?).  Many times an item has a specific purpose, but can also be used in other ways, if we just look at them a bit differently.

I kept in mind that I wanted clear glass, preferably rectangular shaped, with a glass lid, stackable, and food and refrigerator safe.  

 When I tried this new approach, it happened!   I stumbled across just what I was looking for at a price I could live with.

 Clear glass covered butter dishes!  They're the perfect size and shape and really cute, too.   Found them at Home Goods for $5.99 each.




To convert a glass butter dish into a food storage container, just flip it over - the deep butter dish cover becomes the container and the shallow butter dish base becomes the container lid!  





And, they're stackable!




NOTE:  There were no markings on the packaging to indicate if they are microwave, oven or freezer safe.  We will be using them only to store food in the fridge - will not place in the oven, microwave or freezer.

My only concern was that the glass lids are not airtight - would food odors be a problem?  To find out, I tested them with the strongest smelling food item I had on hand - tuna salad.  After the end of a full day and a half in the fridge, there were no lingering smells.  Yay!


They remind me so much of the vintage, retro containers that were so popular in decades past - before plasticware was invented. 

For some really interesting facts and photos on the history of the evolution of cold food storage, check out the Smithsonian Institute's blog article, "Keeping your (food) cool: From ice harvesting to electric refrigeration."



Have you found refrigerator food storage containers that work really well for you?  Do you prefer plastic or glass?  Lots of options out there!




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