Tuesday Ten: Colorful Dining

My cousin recently got married and is in the process of decorating her first home she and her husband share. She's been given a lot of furniture to make their own, and I think it's such a fun challenge. Currently she is working on her dining room, and I've been doing a lot of research on dining chairs lately, so I decided to dedicate today's Tuesday Ten to bold dining sets. This is such a fun place to add color and below are my favorite ways to do so without going overboard.

Reveal: Chalk it Up

A few months back, a friend of mine passed a couple of side tables to me, and I took them not yet having a plan for what purpose they'd serve. But I knew I'd give them some form of paint treatment and I'm happy to report they are now functioning in my home.

I've used chalkboard paint in the past and love the idea of having it on surfaces other than just the wall. The color (which can be tinted to any color you'd like, but I chose to stay with black) feels rich and sophisticated, so even when you're not using it as a chalkboard, it looks nice outside of a child's bedroom.

While I was at it, I also painted an old canvas I've had for years that just wasn't my taste anymore and the backing of a frame -- also gifted from a friend.

What you'll need:
An old table, canvas or picture frame.
Chalkboard paint. (I used spray-on and brush-on)
Painters tape
Sandpaper
Paintbrushes

I started by wiping down the tops of the tables to remove any dirt or dust. I decided to leave a boarder of the natural wood on the outside of the chalkboard to give the tables a little more of a grown-up appeal. After taping off the edges, sand the area to be painted. It's important you do this step after painting so you don't remove the finish on the exposed wood, only the surface to be covered in chalkboard paint. Then just brush the paint on. Each of my tables took two coats, but I gave them three just to make sure there was ample coverage.

For the canvas and backing of the picture frame, I used the spray paint version of chalkboard paint. I could have easily just used the brush-on, but I prefer spray paint to brush-on any day. I couldn't use the spray paint for the tables since I was only painting a small portion. Also, there is no sanding necessary on the canvas and the frame backing.

If you're thinking of painting an entire piece, I would suggest painting the legs and body with black paint, and only the surface with chalkboard paint as it is quite a bit more expensive than regular paint. Unless, of course, you want the entire piece to function as a chalkboard.

There you have it. A fun little unexpected chalkboard, I love my new pieces!

Simple Sprucing: DIY Gold Dipped Vase

I love a quick and easy way to make things more glamorous, and this little project is exactly that. It took about 15 minutes and made such a difference.

You'll Need:

An old vase 

Gold metallic paint (I prefer Martha Stewart brand)

The paint cap or a small dish

I have this old vase I picked up a while back at the thrift store for a quarter because I love its lines, but the clear glass was leaving much to be desired. Sure, flowers are the pretty accent a clear vase needs, but why not spruce it up a little more by adding a pretty gold rim to the top?

First, clean your vase very well, especially around the area to be painted. Second, pour a bit of your gold paint into either the top of the paint container or a small dish just a little larger than the mouth of your vase. Then just turn the vase upside down, dip the mouth into the paint and hold it upside down for a few minutes to allow the paint to set. If you turn it right-side-up too quickly, the paint will drip, but a few minutes should do the trick. Then just sit the vase right-side-up to finish drying for an hour or so.

I have a beautiful azalea bush in my front yard, so I just snipped a few of the vibrant pink buds to place in my vase. I love the look of glamour the gold gives this simple vase, and it's now become my go-to vase for the fresh flowers I love to keep in our living room.

I hope this post inspires you to gold dip something of your own. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!