accessorizing walls and built-ins

Hello, friends. Crazy week. I mean crazy! Painting day on Monday was a success, although more work than I anticipated, so we only got the primer up. Tomorrow is actual paint day. Very exciting! Will definitely show pics once it's done. I decided at the last minue to repaint all the moldings, too, so that added a lot of work. It's an old house so we are blessed with lots of thick moldings around the windows and doors (everywhere, I guess) so it really added a lot more time than I thought it would. But, it will be worth it in the end!

For now, I thought I'd show you some little bits of small redesigns I did recently. These are not all the same client, just a few fun snapshots from smaller jobs I've done in the last couple of weeks. At the bottom, I get a little wordy about things quite unrelated to redesign, so feel free to stop reading when you get there. ;-)


BEFORE...


There's nothing inherently bad about this arrangement. It's just always troublesome to try to hang pictures in a straight line. They are usually not going to end up level (or if they are, you've driven yourself insane trying to get them that way). It's also a fairly random assortment of wallhangings, which means the gorgeous artwork gets a little lost. I recommended that the framed degrees went to their office area, the photo of the tree went to it's own wall in the living room, and the rest of this wall (in their dining room) became a family gallery.





AFTER...Now, the "family gallery" look is really complete, with this sign that we moved from the living room. Now it anchors this photo wall and brings unity. Can you find the frame that doesn't belong? This client was headed out as soon as I left to buy one to replace it! (Plus, you'll notice that some of these pics aren't hanging straight/level, due to their own hangers on the back being crooked. The best way to fix it? Find that sticky-tac stuff in the section where they sell hooks and wall anchors...it's especially made for putting on the corner of a frame and sticking it to the wall - so you never have to straighten the picture when you walk past again! This would be ideal for pics in a hallway or staircase too - anywhere you're constantly having to straighten them.)





BEFORE...


A crowded bookshelf with a very odd assortment of books, stuffed animals, valuable silver plates, and random memorabilia.





AFTER...
Books and random-ness are stored in the basket, and only "pretty" things are on display on the shelf. This client has a fair amount of storage space in her house, and most things that were out and on display, didn't really need to be. Less is definitely more in this case.

BEFORE...

That same bookshelf from a wider angle. The brick wall is an interesting feature but really breaks up the room.





AFTER...
Hanging artwork next to the brick wall helps it not stick out like such a sore thumb. (Also, you'll notice that the stuffed animals that the client really wanted in the room are now more discreetly displayed in a basked on the floor...no longer the first thing you see when you walk in.)

I'll share more pics of this room later as it progresses. The client has a small list of items to purchase - some new bedding and curtains (which we'll use as a headboard...I'll explain later).

***The Glitter Incident***

By the way, I know I still haven't answered your guesses as to what I was using the craft supplies for! Well, there are a few reasons for that. One, none of it's totally done and I just don't want to post pics of something that's half done. Two, there was a Glitter Incident. It went something like this: I was waiting for my in-laws to show up so I could race off to music practice. Just as they pulled up (and I was already late), I noticed my daughters were being very quiet over behind the dining room table. I looked over, and my older daughter said, "Don't come over here, Mommy!" Um, I've only been a mom for 3 1/2 years, but I'm pretty sure that means I'd better get over there right away. So I raced over to find that my youngest had discovered my huge, brand-new bottle of Martha Stewart glitter, had managed to get it open, and had dumped all of it - ALL of it - all over her, her sister, their toy shopping cart, and of course, the floor. So when I should have been racing out the door, instead, I was racing to get the dustbuster (sweating profusely) and trying to get it cleaned up. I'll admit, I was a little stressed out. (Okay, a lot.) My in-laws kindly offered to finish cleaning up the mess for me, though, so I could get out the door. That was only Day 2 (of 8) of my husband being out of town, and there may have been a few dark thoughts running through my head at that moment.

I could go on. That was not a good day. But, needless to say, there is still glitter on nearly every surface in the house. Turns out you don't need glue to make glitter stick! It sticks to your shoes and your clothes, until you sit down, at which point it sticks to your couch. Let's just say my house now subtly resembles a Vegas showhouse.

Okay, so I might as well tell you I was planning to use the glitter on white pumpkins. Nothing ground-breaking, but still...now, alas, there will be no glittery pumpkins. Only one of them got the treatment before my glitter stash was annihilated.

The silver paint...well, you'll just have to wait a little longer on that one. :-)

Thanks for putting up with my wordiness today. :-)