Home Show the Story!

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Sorry there was no post last week.

I was simply overloaded with painting, sewing, and every other DIY thing you can do. I was trying to get everything ready for the Home Show!

But now that it is over I thought I would give you a run down of my little journey of 

Blogger vs. Blogger!

Our local Home Show had the Property Brothers coming as the celebrity guests. They decided it would be fun to have a spin on their show Brother vs. Brother and do Blogger vs. Blogger. They reached out to our local Restore to see if they would donate items. They agreed and suggested me as a contestant. I was thrilled and totally said yes!!

Skip ahead a few weeks and they told me it would be a living room and the space would be 20 feet by 8 feet.

 (OK that is really long and not very wide.)

I started looking for pieces for a design plan.

I found a set of these awesome pillows at a thrift store and and this great penny tile at the Restore and started coming up with a design plan. But I was not finding any couches that fit the bill.

I found one with matching slip covers, but I decided against it. Nothing wrong with slip covers, but everyone thinks second hand rooms use slip covers.
  I wanted to totally show what could be done with second hand.

Short on time I decided on plan B, which started with the two black chairs I already had redone.

This plan became Plan Glamorous.

Black, grey, glittery silvers, and pops of sea foam green!

I was ready to start collecting pieces.

I was super excited when I found a mantel at the Restore.

Then I added an ottoman I found at the DI thrift store.

I wasn't sure about the bookshelf, so I put it on hold at the Restore.

A friend had a gorgeous table from the restore she said I could use.

I worked out a floor plan, and then used chalk to draw the room boundaries, in my garage.

Then I did a mock set up, and realized there was not really room for the table.

 (These are not the chairs I planned on, but stand ins, since the black ones were still in storage.)

I decided to use the bookshelf flanked by two chairs instead of the table.

Now I started reworking everything!!

This was the real work!!

Let's start with the mantel.

The mantel was pulled apart a little when it was taken out of some one's house. The top shelf was with it but not attached, and the decorative pediment was badly gouged.

I started putting it back together, including attaching the top. I added back in the crown molding under the top shelf because part of it was missing. Since this was really a free standing fireplace I added wood squares as feet. I filled all holes and dents and lightly sanded everything. 

I primed it and everything else in this post with Rust-Oleum Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Spray Primer Gray. Then painted it. I used Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint Satin White. 

It looked great.

Then I tried to move the mantel by myself, and it twisted and fell, messing up the front corner!!

I was sooooo mad!!

But I fixed, and it was good as new.

To complete my faux fireplace I mounted a piece of plywood to the back, painted the center black, and glued on some grey linen tiles. 

Next I turned my attention to that amazing ottoman I found.

I pulled it apart and put sleek new fabric on it. Believe it or not I used a roll of fabric I found at a thrift store for around $10. I burned myself in the process. 

(Where my burn is won't work on my phone screen, I guess because my skin is dead.)

Yes, that was a plea for some sympathy!!

The bookshelf, actually had a light blue wash. It was almost like plain wood, and needed very little prep work.

I used the same paint that I used on the mantel. Once it was painted I added textured and paintable wallpaper to the back. I should mention I found this wallpaper at a thrift store once and only paid $1.50 for the roll.

 I then painted the wall paper with Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint Gloss Slate Gray. 

While at the Restore I picked up this hardboard template of a tree. 

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but decided I would figure it out. 

And I did!!

I sanded it and then measured and cut it to fit an old frame I had.

After priming the hardboard I filled and sanded a few more times to get a smoother surface.

Then I painted it Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint Gloss Slate Gray.

My frame was a brilliant gold, which wasn't going to work for this room.

So I did what I do and spray painted it.

I used Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint Metallic Titanium Silver  

Once it was dry I added black glaze to the decorative edge.

There are no pictures, but I then took some glittery silver wrapping paper, mounted it to a thin board and placed that behind the template in the frame.

What do you think of my glitter artwork!

It was a big hit at the home show, drawing lots of positive comments.

Let me quickly show you a few of the accessory makeovers that I used in the room.

One of my favorites was this elephant. 

Confession: I talked the thrift store clerk into giving him to me for 50 cents, due to his broken neck.

Once home I glued his head on so it wouldn't move and filled in the cracks around his neck with wood filler. A coat of primer and gold paint on his tusks and he became a Z-Gallery statute.

My trophy vase has actually sat in my house for almost a year waiting for a makeover. I spray painted it silver, added a brown glaze and then dry brushed on some gold highlights.

Loving it!!

I found this little artichoke on clearance, he was pretty cute already, but not quite right for my glamorous room. I primed him, gave him a coat of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover Gloss Aerosol Paint Ocean Mist  and then a few top coats of  Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint Pearl Metallic Sea Green Mist.  

Gorgeous!!!

OK, three more items.

Meditating frog!!

I fell in love with little guy when I first saw him. He had a few scratches and dents, but nothing a little wood filler and a new two tone coat of primer couldn't fix. 

Yes I said primer. I liked the flat look on him, so I just used two different gray spray primers to keep his stone look.

My son once brought home this old jewelry box from the thrift store, and announced, "I thought you would love to do something cool with this so I bought it for you."

It sat on the shelf for a couple of years. I really wanted a few wood tones in the room, so I rubbed the box down with some oil. then taped off the top inset section and primed it white, and glued the penny tiles in. Super easy project! 

Last project was one I have wanted to try for awhile, Mercury glass.

I had these awesome plain glass jars that I bought at the thrift store for a couple of bucks.

I spritzed them with vinegar, and then a couple of light coats of Rust-Oleum Specialty Mirror Spray on them. After a minute or so I used a paper towel and dabbed off the vinegar.  

I will post a tutorial later.

But they turned out great!!

Stay tuned for Part Two!

Thanks for stopping by!