From blah to ooh la la!

After completing our entryway makeover, I was determined to lighten other areas of our home as well.  I was loving the lighter, brighter colors and the crispness they added to our home.  So, I decided to move into the living room (just off the entryway).

We have a small dresser that once belonged to my Granny and Pop that sits between our two front windows.  It is nothing special, just a small pine dresser, but I love it because it belonged to them.  It houses our smaller board games, decks of cards and such.  So, it is a great storage piece!  I wasn't however loving the dark color I'd painted it years ago (it didn't turn out the color I had anticipated, but I was willing to live with it). 

Here's a couple not so great pics of the before.  (couldn't find a full length shot)



a really bad side view!

So, with the sunny weather we've been experiencing I decided to take it outdoors and give it the paint job it deserved.  I ended up spraying the drawers with Rustoleum's white Laquer spray paint, but rolled the cabinet with our trim paint as the wind was giving me fits when I got to the cabinet part.  I lucked out because the two colors are identical and you can't tell the difference.  I then distressed the edges of the cabinet and the drawers with fine sandpaper to reveal a bit of the old paint.

Here's a shot of the drawers up close...

And, the dresser finished and with its' new accessories (white porcelain lamp with burlap shade-Target, iron tray-Southern Living at Home, framed picture-Brighton, candle, vase and reed diffuser-all Pottery Barn).

I love how it turned out!!  I will be making some other changes to the room, and hope to reveal those soon.  The sea shell mirror is something I made a few years ago.  It is a store bought mirror that I hot glued shells that we have collected on our many vacations over the years.  It was a great way to display them!  However, I'd recommend wearing gloves...I had many a burnt fingers during that project!!!

Mirror, Mirror...Oh how I love you!

I finally managed to complete our front entryway makeover.  If you recall, this is what our entryway used to look like.

The mirror and chair belonged to my Granny.  It has been passed down several generations.  While I love both, I was craving something lighter and brighter.  Don't worry, both will find a new home in another room in our house.

I saw this table (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00105064) on an episode of Nate and knew I had to have it!   I loved the glass top!  I knew I wanted to add light to this area as well, and found a great lamp while shopping for the table.  I love that it has a dimmer switch, so I can control the amount of light depending on time of day and my mood.  I picked up a couple accessories, and created some Word Art using Wordle (thanks Cassie).   The only thing missing was a new mirror.  One that would suit the space.  I found this one at Lowes...

But, I wasn't loving the color...not light, bright and airy!  So, what is the Queen of Spray Paint to do?  Why make a trip to Home Depot to purchase Rustoleum's Plastic Primer and White Laquer spray paint.  A couple coats of each later and ...this is how the entryway turned out~

I am loving the new look!  Light, bright, cheerful, and airy.  And, less fussy!  I am so thrilled with how this turned out that I am looking for ways to lighten other areas of our home as well.

I hope to have a couple of projects complete this week, and can't wait to share them with you!

Still here...

I am still  alive.  And, still have many unfinished projects!  However, I believe one will be finished by tomorrow and I will be able  to reveal our new entry way.  Let's just say it involves this in a "transformed" state...

Love this mirror, just not the color!  Hope you all have a wonderful weekened.  We are expecting temps in the 70s!  On a side note, little bit picked out her prom dress in under an hour tonight...record time!  It is a beauty...leopard print at its' finest!!!  Pics to come!!!