Showing posts with label home decorating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home decorating. Show all posts

Thursday, September 20, 2012

A Brighter Kitchen!


Before ...............and...............After!

We've talked about painting our dark kitchen cupboards for a while now, but the thought of having to sand, prime, and paint them discouraged us.  Not to mention the mess sanding would make and the smell from all the primer and paint.  But then we discovered Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint that can be used on almost any surface without sanding and does not need a primer!  It was developed by a lady from England and sounded really neat.  We found out that our aunt sells it so we ordered some and set to work!  
(Here is a link to her store: Denim Rose) 
Before ...................and ...................After

It was nice to work with and stuck to the cupboards really well. We washed them down, did two coats of paint, and then distressed it. After painting then it needs to be waxed, and I must admit I did not especially enjoy that part!  But Dad helped us and he actually did most of the waxing. :)  Oh and we ordered the actual wax brush, which helped. :)  

Mom added this 'carving' to the plain boards under the stove top and the sink. So pretty!

We did the kitchen in sections and that made it easier to still operate in there with food prep etc. since the whole room wasn't in pieces and in the process of being painted at the same time. We also painted the walls while we were at it!  We had some paint left over from various projects and I mixed some together to get a gallon of soft blue/green color.  We really like it!  


Saturday, October 8, 2011

Home Decorating - English Style

This past year I've been reading about English country decorating and have come to love this cozy welcoming style. 


The above book by Cheryl MacLachlan is one of my favorites and was a gift from my sister Ana last Christmas!  Another fun source of inspiration is a magazine called The English Home which is from England.




English country home decorating, with origins tying back to rural cottages and farming communities from hundreds of years ago, is a style characterized by its attention to comfort and serene hominess.  Furniture and accessories display a variety of simple and brightly colored patterns depicting stripes and chintzes.  


This style gives the homeowner free reign to display a wide-ranging blend of antiques, photographs, artwork, and other pieces collected over time.  As with Victorian, English country decor encourages a somewhat cluttered but tidy appearance, generously displaying pieces and memorabilia collected over the years.


Nowadays, English country decor can be either casual and rustic, or conversely, lean more towards the elegantly informal.  Depending on which end of scale your tastes lay, the look is always inviting and easygoing. 



(Participating in Mrs. Line's Encouraging One Another Link-up)