...my starlit linen chair

...hello loves!

i have returned again
to share my chair makeover

here it is in all it's lovely splendor

i call it the starlit chair...

now ~

perhaps, 

a few of you may recall  

from a  

 l

o

n

g 

while back ~

this chair below:

i picked this baby up from a secondhand shop one day

with every intention to give it a makeover

and have been "sitting" on that project ever since

LOL!!!

ok

tell me you didn't see that coming?!?!

well

as i have been doing quite a few makeover projects

 one day

i ripped into this one

mind you

i had never recovered a chair in my life

but thought,

i can do it, easy peasy

hahahahahahahhahahaha

ho...

...um

ripping off the fabric was a no brainer.

and removing 1001 staples

yah, ok,

 it's all part of the experience

and even retying the springs wasn't so bad.

i already knew that i would be "Annie Sloan-ing" 

the frame in the french linen color with a white wash

but once i got to the place of re-stapling the fabric

well now

that's a whole other story!

i chose a beautiful white linen

clean, 

elegant,

 timeless!

and i wanted some glamour too

(you know i have to have me some sparkle!!)

so i added rhinestone buttons

 in the few tufts i put on the front-back of the chair

 and i whispered my name all over this beautiful throw blanket 

as soon as i saw the tiniest threads of silver woven throughout it!

the gray/blue shade was divine and

oh-so-perfect for my starlit chair

as it matched the paint i put on the walls!

now some of you know how i feel about the backs of my chairs

if you remember my "rose-mary rocking chair"

and this chair was no different

i envisioned something feminine

so naturally i thought of a corset style

just look at the shape of this chair

doesn't it just scream "corset"?!

once i had the design worked up in my mind, 

i simply sewed a panel incorporating the corset

i used silk dupioni  to make the corset ties out of

as i adore the luminous quality it has...

~sigh~

i love, Love, LOVE how it turned out!

after the back was finished,

i decided that i also wanted the wood parts of my starlit chair 

to also display that luminous quality...

ah, hello

star-light!!

so, i went back over the waxed wood with a silver pearl polish 

to which some of you may be thinking to yourself ~

i've never seen silver pearl polish.

to which i would then say

leather shoe polish!!

hey!

you should know that i am always experimenting with my supplies!!

close up of corset detail...

i desired something below my feet that would be an extension of my chair

so when i'd looked down while sitting in it,

i'd see something lovely underfoot.

i searched

EVERYWHERE

and saw 

NOTHING

with "the halo" around it!

so i challenged myself 

as i had been admiring those crochet doily rugs for a while,

i decided to give it a try

and crochet one myself!

after all,

how hard could it be??

so,

armed with my crochet book

 and having gathering the materials that i envisioned,

beautiful wool tape yarn in the perfect shade of *milk*

i set out to crochet...

mind you,

i had also never crocheted before this project.

i just knew it was destiny!

again, 

i desired a little glamour within this too

so i also incorporated sequin yarn as i was crocheted.

when you see it in person, 

it has just enough glimpses of,

well ~

starlight!

i have been enjoying creating little nooks and crannies

 within my current home

~ infusing bits and pieces of who i am.

and

i would encourage all of you who are timid about decorating,

 to wave your magic wands 

and give it a try too!

my starlit chair sits in the family room.
it is long and narrow
a most challenging and not very well lite space indeed.
so i pearled the focal wall in this room
and LOVE the results!
this is the tv component cabinet area...

i have been looking for just the right art piece to hang there...

i'm not worried,

as i know it will find me:)

these mercury candle sticks were just the right shape for me...

all curvy with a tough of glam...

they have an ombre effect to them adding interest

the tops start off a soft blue, fading down into the silver

and when a candle is lit within them, the distressed finish casts a glow

like stars in the sky!!

the open weave linen i chose

 for the component cabinet and the french doors to the deck

have a shimmer to them too...

and of course,

the cabinet hardware needed to be glamorous as well!

details! details!!

the kitchen and family room 

are the only rooms in the house that i painted a whisper blue/gray color

everywhere else has been given a coat of white...

i find that it reflects my white washed pieces of furniture in such a lovely light...

here is a whimsical seahorse image

from Kerrie of Seawashed

it hangs in my entry way

~ i simply adore it~

as my home is kissed with treasures from the sea

~ 

a reminder of a place i long to be

 and have found that as i surround myself with these treasures

it's almost like i am there...

almost

thank you for visiting today!
i enjoy your company:)

sharing this post with:
french country cottage's: feathered nest friday
common ground's: be inspired friday


next time
i will be sharing about this:

*cashmere cupcake rose scarfs*
i have a few that will be available for purchase...


until then,
...here's to starlit rooms!!

...looking glass chalkboard tutorial

...hello again dear ones!

i hope all is well with all of you ~

 

goodness gracious!!

 much has changed on blogger in my short absence... 

it will take me a few post to get back into the swing of of things

hopefully maybe!! 

 

but today,

 i will be showing you how i made my

"looking glass chalkboard"!

 

 

 

 

the property we are living in right now,

does not

i repeat!

DOES NOT

have the beautiful light, streaming through as i am used too

so,

i have to introduce reflective ways to capture the light

wherever i can

 

and one of those ways can be done with paint! 

i am always experimenting with my paints:)
 

i am sure like some of you,
when looking at those beautiful framed chalkboards that you see everywhere

you may have been thinking to yourself ~
wow!
i really like that concept
BUT
in my small space,

 that blackboard color is a little too strong for my "whitewashed" home
 

and yes, i do know that there are different shades of "chalkboard paint"

but alas ~

those shades simply didn't rock my world

as they were just a little to ewwww for me!!

no, dear ones 

i envisioned something....

 

....well,

more wonderland like!!!!

 

soooooo,

i came up with this sparkly goodness chalkboard
with a touch of vintage glam

that DOES delight my world:)

 

here is what you will need

1 can of the following Krylon spray paints:

*sterling silver

*glitter blast

*looking glass

and you will also need 1 can of chalkboard paint

(mine was by Rust-oleum)
and of course,
the frame you have chosen to transform into your chalkboard!

 

 

 

 

*step 1: remove the glass insert and backing on your frame selection
like i have done so here with this iron frame.
 

 spray your frame with the sterling silver spray paint

OR

if it is a larger frame like my ornate wooden one above,
 paint it Annie Sloan paint like i did,

  with the color of your choice.
(i used french linen as my base coat)
 

*step 2: very lightly,
white wash over the sterling spray paint

 or

 the A.S. painted frame, to soften the silver down a bit
and to romance up the A.S. frame
rubbing off some of the whitewash
 to reveal a glimpse of silver sparkle here and there

 

 

 

 

 

now we will move on to the "chalkboard" part

*step 1: spray the side of glass you will be using as your chalkboard, with a nice coat of

 Rust-oleum's "chalkboard paint"

 

 

 

 

 

 

let dry

 

now here's where the sparkly goodness comes in!

*step 2: spray a nice coating of Krylon's "glitterblast" spray paint

 

 

 

 

i know it is hard to see it

but

OH! the sparkles!

 

 

 

 

let that dry

now

you can see here that there is an area of

shall we say ~ glitter blast?!?

yep!

no matter how steady your hand

or how smooth you spray,

it.  will.  blast out!!

 

but not to worry my dears,

i can tell you that after the first time you erase your first message

 on your new wonderland board

the "blasted" area will disappear!! 

so spray with confidence!

 

*step 3: spray a light coating of Krylon's "looking glass" spray paint

it fills in the sparkle texture a tad
and gives it a more "reflective" quality
exactlylike what i was after!
 

 

 

 

 

after your glass "sparkly chalkboard" is finished drying

insert it back into your painted frame ~

 

 

 

 

and voila!!

you now have a glammed up, whimsical "looking glass" chalkboard

 

i have been using mine for 3 months and it is just as fabulous as day one

so if you are worried about the gritty texture

worry no more!!

go ahead

try making one yourself!

you are going to LOVE IT!!!

 

tune in next time,

as i will be sharing my starlit room chair makeover

 

 

 

 

 

it is sooooooo beautiful!!!

you really DON'T want to miss this transformation!!

 

 

until then ~

 

 

...here's to everyday sparkle!

 

 

 

ps.

if anyone out there could PLEASE help me!

i can't get blogger to upload my photo's without using the "html" mode

i have turned off my pop up and cleaned my cache

but i still can't see the loading button!

thanks for any pointers:)