Tuesday, August 19, 2014

French Farmhouse Kitchen Chandelier Paint Project

OK, that's a mouthful. 

With only nine days until we get the keys to the house, I'm trying to get a couple of projects out of the way ahead of time. We've been making a list and it just keeps getting longer and longer. No matter how much you try to be frugal, moving just always ends up costing you more than you want to fork over. I'm trying to reuse our big Country French Chandelier from the previous Dining Room, but I wanted something new for the kitchen.

I'm showing the "afters", first...



All the rooms flow together, and while the lighting won't be "matchy matchy", I've sort of felt like the kitchen lighting needs to "blend in" and not stand out too much. I thought about a lantern, but I've opted to use a lantern in the entry, so I wanted to do something French Farmhouse-y and light for the kitchen.



I've been scouring the Internet since we put the contract on the house, and I found a great little chandy at a great price from World Market. It was just the right size, distressed wood and metal, and a pretty gray/white finish. We even checked it out while we were at one of the St. Louis stores a few weeks ago. perfect. but they didn't have it in stock.







So I ordered it as soon as we got home. It came in a few days, but the only problem was that it was painted a much darker sort of greenish gray than what I'd seen online or at the store. hmmmm?.... I had read the reviews before I ordered, so I wasn't totally surprised.



Hard to see, it's still a pretty chandy, just not what I needed, which was a grayish white. And it had a black cord which needed some camouflaging.


So, first thing was a coat of ASCP in Coco.


Then a coat of French Linen...
with a coat of Pure White on top.
then I mixed a combination of Pure White with a little Coco
 to tone it down a little.




So now it's more what I had in mind. Just took a little experimenting to get there. I will put on a light clear spray finish once I've had the chance to see it at the new house. Glad I didn't give up when I saw the out-of-the-box color finish.



love these acanthus leaves.




I probably should be packing some stuff, but I packed so much stuff for months and months, I'm totally burnt out. I've just decided I'm throwing the majority of things in laundry baskets and carting them over in the back of our suv. the lazy man's way of moving... But it's only a couple of miles away, so I think I'll take my chances. te he. 

Joining in at these great parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Treasure Hunt at From My Front Porch to Yours
Share Your Cup at Mrs. Olson's
Creative Friday at Jennifer Rizzo
Shabbilicious Friday at Shabby Art Boutique
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Sunday's at Home with Thoughts from Alice
Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality

xoxo,

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Late Summer Reflections

I usually do a lot of complaining this time of year...I'm tired of the heat...I'm ready for Fall...my flowers are all dried up...I can go on and on. But this year I'm really missing the gradual change of season in my decorating, and I'm needing a little late Summer/early Fall inspiration. It's been a little hard for me to look back at all the photos from last year. It's not so much that I miss the house itself, but that I just miss being able to putter and play and decorate. As a friend said to me today, "It's hard being in a temporary nest". You can click on the individual photos for the "biggy" size.


Here are some highlights from Augusts past...











































Yes, that's a pumpkin you see, don't tell anyone...










































OK, I feel better...
just itching to get all my Fall Decor out.
gee, hope I can find it...

We just have two more weeks until we close on the house,
and I have some fun and exciting things to share once we do.

Joining in at 
Sundays at Home with Thoughts from Alice
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Junkin' Joe at The Cottage Market
The Scoop at Stone Gable
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Show and Share at Coastal Charm


Hope you have a great weekend.
xoxo,