GORGEOUS SHINY THINGS

the chair

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:35:18 PDT

Is DONE!

I finished it last night in upholstery class, and I am so glad I stuck with my crappy little mold chair.

It is really comfortable and has amazing lower back support

(just sprained my back last week so I notice that stuff at the moment).

So here is was before...

and the horror show during...
haven't picked anything up off the curb since.

and after it was stripped and bleached to the moon...

it underwent major gluing and traction...

and slowly became a chair again.

I really thought this class would make for a great tutorial, but here is the deal...

This upholstery class was geared toward your specific chair.

The instructor went around to each person and told you what you needed to do at each step.

There were ottomans, benches, club chairs- and everyone was doing something different.

This also took me 8 classes that were 3 hours each.

I am going to try to sort through all my photos

to make up a basic tips/ techniques post though.
I learned some great tricks I can share.

If this is something you wanted to REALLY master I suggest taking a class.

I took mine in Boston/ Jamaica Plain at the Eliot School and had Paul Devito Jr. and his son Paul as instructors. They know their shit.
The hardest part for me was actually the drive. I just wish it was closer.
It took me 1 1/2 hours to get there due to the fact that I was going through Boston at rush hour. Then when I left there always was a Red Sox's or Bruin's game letting out as I drove home- so I endured road rage and created new swear words.
But despite that, I am glad I did this.

At the moment my little chair is in my sunroom with freshly painted minty legs.

My children are not allowed near the chair.

I'm ScotchGuarding it today.

If you have any questions shoot them over.

I will be working on the How To post next, so I can focus it on any area you need.

I also still have 2 classes left,

so up next and I am bringing a cushion to class so I can learn how to make a proper cushion cover WITH welt and a zipper.

(2 things I always leave off because I am a lazy step-skipper)

Can it be I am actually learning a lesson in patience?

Ahhh, yes grasshopper.

I'm off to plop my bum in a chair.

Product Review: DIY Driftwood and a Coupon Code

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:30:41 PDT

I wanted to share a very cool product with you guys.

Have you heard of DIY Driftwood?

Its a simple, non-toxic solution that gives bare wood

the look of aged driftwood in one easy step.

And it is very affordable at only $12.99 a package!

Check out the range of tones it creates on different woods:

I was contacted by Kim, the brains behind the product, and she asked me if I would like to give it a try.

I have done a "painted" driftwood finish in the past,

but this looked much easier and didn't require all the layers of paint, so of course I was game.

She is also being very kind by offering up my readers a 20% off Coupon Code.
Just use code: OVERLAYS at checkout.
Good until 7/5/13!

I had the perfect test subjects in mind- plain old pine IKEA and this old oak table:

I had "limed" it a few years ago, but it still wasn't working for me.

I had big plans for it and wanted to put it in our new sunroom, it was just still too "brown".

before

The new sunroom, as you saw yesterday, is bright and beachy, so I was all for soft faded grays.

after

So here is what I did.
(Warning- nothing ever goes "just as I planned" with me, so get ready for a one of a kind review)
First off, you will want to start with relatively clean, bare wood.

I did a light sand to mine and I was ready.

I opened up my pretty packets of Driftwood Finish and followed the instructions,

mixing the packet with one cup of water.

The actual product kind of looks like bath salts and is non-toxic.

You can brush or roll it on...

And thats it.
The directions recommend letting it dry in the sun, which accelerates the process.

You can already see the graying out of the wood happening after a few minutes, but it will continue to deepen over the next 24 hours...

Here is a side by side about 20 minutes later.

(It was partly cloudy the day I did it.)

Next I brushed out the table top and base:

and I was amazed by how fast it changed it to a pretty charcoal gray finish in just minutes!

*FYI, different woods react differently. The more porous the grain the bigger the change- so that means oak and mahogany will go darker. Check the chart in the first image.*

The packet recommends sealing your finish with a wax.

There is a reason for this as I quickly learned.

I finished the table, placed it in our new sunroom and got sidetracked before sealing it.

Meanwhile my husband sat down at our new table with a glass of water. Uh-oh!

He left a bunch of ring marks!
That will teach me to follow directions and not my ADD.
I contacted Kim and she suggested wetting the area and putting it outside in the sun to have it even out.
Problem was I already assembled the table and it wasn't going to fit out the door, so I decided to try reapplying more solution to the area and sliding the table over to a sunny spot in the room.

First I wet the area, then reapplied to the rings. This probably would have been just fine, but

I decided to second coat the entire table to make sure it will all be even.

Guess what?
A second coat deepened the color MUCH more than I expected...

It was a nice shade, but now too dark for my beachy scheme.
I thought about putting a white "lime" wax over it to lighten and protect it.
I knew that would work just fine,
but since I was playing guinea pig I figured I test out some other avenues for this product.
(Hope you don't mind Kim!)
I remembered I had a can of Zar "Coastal Boards" stain leftover from my dining room table.
It was an oil based stain, and I wanted to see how it would react, so
I did a little test patch. I liked what was happening, so I rubbed it all over the table...

and wiped it off with a clean rag:

a perfect gray/ happy accident!

I rubbed it over the legs and I was done.

I considered adding a clear flat varnish to completely seal it,

but it stood up to the water glass test this time.

Next up I was a pine IKEA Rast.
I did a test spot on the inside of a drawer and was instantly excited by the result:

So I brushed it on and let it sit in the sun:

But I was let down by dear old IKEA.

Here is the problem, their furniture is made of several pieces of pine stops glued together, so it didn't take evenly. Some strips were darker while others barely changed...

This would have worked great for a solid pine dresser though.

Pine and poplar change to a much lighter tone than oak, but Kim has since told me this is due to the amount of tannins in the wood. To get a deeper tone on these lighter woods she suggests brushing on a coat of regular tea beforehand to add tannins and get a bigger reaction.

I also wondered if several coats might darken it up more, but I had run out of solution

at this point.

Other great ideas to use this product for you ask?

I started to think about all the dated "yellow oak" out there, especially on cabinets and vanities.

How much nicer would they look grayed down?

Then there are the outdoor uses...

Having to patch an old weathered fence. I bet this would accelerate the weathering in no time!

via bring-joy.com

outdoor furniture

Here are some more images from DIY Driftwood:

I even thought about inexpensive wood frames from hobby shops...

speaking of hobby shops they have rows of unfinished wood!

Overall I think this is such an easy product to use, and next time I will definitely seal it once it dries!

I think it is great for raw wood, or wood that needs minimal sanding.

For wood that has been polyurethaned, the finish will need to be stripped or sanded off so that it can penetrate the wood, so as long as you are up for it I say go for it!

Please check out Kim's site and shop and be sure to use code OVERLAYS for 20% off!

Its such a simple genius product

and I love a good entrepreneur story. She is also working on a line of waxes, so stay tuned!

Thanks so much Kim for letting me test this out!

big pile of awesome

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:22:55 PDT

You know what is awesome?

Summer.

It has me all stupid-high on life right now.

Thanks to the recent weekend heatwave, my brain melted and I totally checked out and pretended I was on vacation.

That meant sleeping in, beach everyday, cocktails everyday, and thanks to the arrival of a fire pit we were burning/ roasting things everyday.

Thank you heatwave for making things A freaking OK around here.

We had some firsts too...

Maybe it was the heat, but my kids actually sat around reading books!

(see above and below)

What?

I got my first sunburn of the season, not so awesome.

(I did use SPF 50, but it was hotstuffs out)

The older, non-water loving child became a fan of the beach...

we angered some crabs...

took beach naps...

and met the new family that moved in next door...
4 little babies and a Mama that I want to squeeze like Elf, but will refrain from.
Instead I spent the evenings talking raccoon to them...
thinking I had skills like St. Francis,
while my neighbors and husband were probably thinking
'Wow, she's had too much wine and sun'.

I must have annoyed the raccoon family because they moved out almost as quick as they moved in.
Probably something I said.

And to top this all off it's peony season!
I got eager and picked a bunch way too soon.
Many of those are never gonna open.

oh, almost forgot this started off as a design blog-
Guess what? I also finally finished a room!
Sunroom complete!

I realized I do get crazy in a heatwave.

Last year I painted my kitchen cabinets and striped the ceiling, so I guess its normal for me.

this here wall/windows will be going soon when we start the kitchen remodel...

the curbside chairs are painted and upholstered

with a Lulu DK remnant I had scored online a while back...

the sign is from my husband's first office,

and felt it fit the space since this is where we hang when we entertain

almost every other piece in this room is from a flea market or thrift store,

super "budget room"

the side board was a $5 find and was dark brown when I found it.

it will now serve as the bar

Eventually the floor will be tiled, and the jury is out on a rug.

The wheels on the chairs catch, so its not looking promising.

So who's coming over for drinks and to learn raccoon?

Workstation Rehab

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Tue, 28 May 2013 03:52:07 PDT

Well hey there! I hope you all had a fab Memorial Day Weekend. It was cold and rainy here for the first half, so I got busy on some indoor messes I had. I have many, but my (lack of) office has been bugging me- so I got creative and built this here desk/workstation out of spare things I had laying around the house:

Here was the problem. Since renovations began, my office has become the dumping ground for EVERYTHING that temporarily needed a home. That is my desk under under all that crap...

And the guest bed made its way back in here too. Once again, under a load of junk...

It hasn't been a place I wanted to be.

(and don't even ask about the zebras- I will get to those in another post)

So I put my computer on the kitchen table and the kids have hijacked it. Please note the sticky cupcake fingers that Joe is about to lick and then touch my computer with. I couldn't take it, so I decided to move back into my office.

Having the bed back in the room was cramping my style, but it had to stay.

My big desk table had to go. Time for a new desk area.

I had 4 of these upper IKEA Effekiv cabinets (they are now discontinued)...

and I had these closet doors from our old kitchen pre-reno...

please note the Effektiv cabinets in their past lives-

above as banquette seating and below as a side board

So I stacked the Effektivs 2 high and cut a top out of the old doors...

I was able to configure an "L" shape and use the Effektiv with doors on the left to hide my junk, and keep them open on the right to act as shelves for things I use a lot...

Everything needed paint.

I was liking the black top so I went with it. I used the chalk board paint to cover the sides and painted the lower cabinets white....

I then coated the top with two coats of a flat polyurethane. The thickness of the door and the lack of sheen makes it feel a bit like soapstone.

I was going to cut a circle in the top for my computer wires, but I lucked out with an uneven wall that bows a bit right where my computer is. I have a 1/2 inch spacing for teh wires to come right through, and since the top is black I don't notice it.

I joined the seam with a metal mending plate underneath to hold it all together...

filled with caulk, then painted.

I attached file holders from IKEA to the ends to keep papers at bay and I repainted the starburst O'verlays white and reattached them to dress it all up...

My husband thinks its perfect just like that- with no clutter- and I am sure many would agree.

But I am from the polar opposite camp and I need to be surrounded by it for inspiration,

so I prefer "my brain neatly exploded on the wall" chic.

I still need a light fixture and some tweaking,

and the other half of the room is undergoing a bit of change too.

Needs bedding, window treatments and the search for a perfect headboard that won't obstruct the window. Here are some ideas I'm kicking about:

Be back with the second half soon!

the outside

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:06:09 PDT

I hope all you Mamas had a great day yesterday!

I know I did. I spent it laying pea-stone...

Our backyard has been a dirt pile since we ripped the old sunroom off and I was fed up with how much sand and filth was being tracked in. I told my husband we have to finish the patio and put some stone down ASAP. Well it turns out if wanted it done I would have to do it myself. So I grabbed a pick axe and hummed "Hi-Ho" and leveled the area last week

It took 3 days, totally sucked, but I tried to think of all the calories I burned.

My husband finished it up by making sure it was graded level and I planted some shrubs...

Then for Mother's Day I got just what I wanted.

10 tons of pea-stone!

And the party started...

Landscaping fabric was laid down to keep the weeds out, and stone was dumped.

It was hard, I am pooped, but it is shaping up...

Kid's even helped...

Still have the area around the beds to finish and some edging to do, as well as trying to decide how I am gonna layout out the furniture and plants...

but I already christened it last night with a bottle of wine.

Be back with some real "done" pictures at the end of the week!

(I also have some garden magic I am working on along the fence)

Right now I need to let my arms recover.

Yo Mama...

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:15:12 PDT

Its almost Mother's Day, so I just wanted you to know O'verlays is giving 15% off the entire site with code MOM15.

Why? Because Moms are awesome!

And check out this nod to mid-century Malm makeover by Sarah Hearts.

If you thought you had to O'verlay every drawer, think again.

Just two will do.

sale runs until May16th

What's happening...

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:45:52 PDT

I have had a the deadly blog trifecta strike.

1) Nice weather. 2) Heavy workload.

3) Messy desk syndrome that makes me do all my biz from an iPhone instead of my computer- therefore no blogs 'cause I am not smart enough to iBlog. Insta-Facebook gets my love.

So here is what has been occupying my creative minutes.

A whole bunch of unfinished, non-glamorous stuff with a cloud of ozone depletion.

Lets begin with the last post. The upholstery class.

Moldy chair update- I have spared its life...

I am a masochist.

And can I say hand tied springs suck.

I am learning that there are things I don't ever want to do again. Like grain alcohol punch, acrylic nails and hand tied springs.

I will appreciate every penny I pay my upholsterer in the future, because I really don't like or understand this mess...

Sunroom chairs are done, but I wish I painted them white.

Still might ... I want calm out there and I think it might happen if they are white.

(You can see the base of the one in the back is still white primer... I like it better)

P.S.A. time...

Make sure your children wear helmets when crafting...

(and get a tetanus shot too)

Also, Rustoleum Automobile Primer works great for ceramic lamps,

just add a high gloss color over

Rustoleum Orange in Gloss

(- P.S. call me Rustoleum, I like you. Lets do drinks.)...

before

after

and I tried spray painting a stained dhurrie rug with white paint....

it turned it a soft gray, which actually wasn't bad. But I just couldn't leave well enough alone.

Stay tuned, still trying to fix this one.

I discovered cheap black Home Depot plastic planters actually look OK with some Hammered Bronze spray-spray

(Hey, I live in the North, so I totally overindulge in spray paint once it thaws out up here)

and the old porch railings got trimmed into trellis panels for the garden...

and finally, this nonsense came to my town on Saturday...

We had an American Idol "Homecoming" parade and concert over the weekend.

Turns out that one of the top 3 American Idol finalists is from my little town of Beverly, MA.

Watch all about it tonight (if you do that stuff), you might even see my youngest Joe. He got some camera time during the parade with the guy in gray below.

My kids were so excited. Not gonna lie, I totally got into it.

Like 8th grade minus the mushroom cloud perm.

Good times. Don't judge.

Upholstery 101- A scary tale

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:54:14 PDT

Warning: this post has graphic and gross images that might give you the heebeegeebees

Yikes! I did something out of "self-taught" character, I signed up for an actual class!
After years of attendance to the University of Google, I decided to get some hands on experience in the field of upholstery. Why? In the past I have managed to figure out how to upholster many things, including a couch that looked like it came straight from the set of Boogie Nights. With all these projects my impatience got the best of me and I would cut corners, like skipping the welting and zippers and other time consuming boring (IMO) tasks. I just wanted to finish, and I didn't feel confident in those areas, so I just left them out.
Maybe I am growing up or something, but I finally want to do something the right way. I enlisted in the Upholstery at the Eliot School in Boston (and I dragged my Mom along with me). It is a 10 week program that teaches you how to reupholster, and you bring in a piece to work on. I also figured it would give me some good stuff to blog about.

I was all excited.
I've had this chair that I wanted to redo for a while now:

I found it on my neighbors curb and thought it had great lines, I even posted it way back when in a trash picking confessional. This chair was finally going to have its day!

I brought it to class this week, and in the first class we got right to business. We were given some pliers and flat screwdrivers and told to strip off the old upholstery, starting at the bottom and working up. Once it was cleaned off we would be gluing any wobbly legs and such.

I did as I was told, and my first thought was "This is going to be a piece of cake! I should be gluing in an hour..." I even had some extremely cocky thoughts like "How is this class going to take 10 weeks? I finished a sofa in a day and a half?"

Curses.

Sometimes things are on the curb for a reason.

I got the bottom fabric off and started pulling off the back.

I was greeted with a very nasty discovery. Mold, lots of mold.

I had the instructor come over and look, thinking he'd be just as horrified as me.

I was wrong.

"Totally salvageable, see it all the time".

It looked perfectly fine on the outside, but the vinyl had kept in plenty of moisture.

I kept going, and it only got worse.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to put my chair back on the curb. The freaking chair was alive!

It looked like it had its own network of veins and nerves.. see?

I wanted a respirator and some gloves!!!!

(we were told to only bring 2 drop cloths and the piece of furniture to the first class)

I had to touch the thing!

See the horror in my eyes? I was so glad I wore turtleneck and my glasses:

"It can totally be saved!" is what I was being told. I just wanted to quit.

I was not making any friends in this class with my cootie chair.

Even my mother next to me was inching away from me.

She was lucky, just horsehair and cotton in her chair:

Lets just say I didn't do any gluing. Instead I had to take my chair back home wrapped in a trash bag to "de-mold" it with bleach and Murphy's Oil.

( I think I scrubbed part of my skin off after that class.)

The chair still sits in the bag outside. I haven't worked up the nerve to open it up.

I have actually been trying to find a different chair to strip down and bring back to the next class.

I just can't believe that that nasty thing can actually be saved.

I will keep you posted and let you know what I do.

Part of me wants to just throw in the towel, while the stubborn part wants to prove that it really can be saved. What should I do?

Do you guys want to see me save it or do I just move on? I promise to document either way.

Regardless, I am bring a mask and some gloves to the next class

AND I went and got a tetanus shot the following day.

Back to the basics!

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:27:01 PDT

Feeling grateful and so much lighter today,
my brain is working again after a good nights sleep.

Today I am full of mojo and I just want to dive into the weekend.

For me that means a big to do list:

working on those above chairs, whipping the new screened porch into shape,

some gardening and painting, a birthday party and maybe even a yard sale or two.

Follow me over on Instagram (danikaherrick) for some creative chaos and project bouncing.

Stuff is gonna get done!

Update from Boston

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:10:49 PDT

I will be back with regular design stuff soon.

Funny thing is yesterday I started painting/upholstering stuff in my house and it felt great. Lulu DK and orange painted chairs were happening, I took pictures for DIY's, felt like life was normal and all that... but today has been intense and I have no interest in yesterday.

I actually only had about 3 hours of real sleep last night, so that might be magnifying things. That and the glass of wine I just had. I had nightmares- horrible "kid-like" kind of nightmares, where you wake up every hour and it is the same dream- and at 3 AM I just decided to stay awake. I chalked it up to the week. I chalked it up to the fact that I was worried about my 7 year old and the fact he had wet his pants twice yesterday... something he hadn't done since he was 4.

Life has been strange around these parts lately, and having kids home for school vacation week only makes it stranger.

Having to explain bombs and terrorists were not in my plans for happy family fun-day vacation week, but that is what my 7, soon to be 8 year old got into today. Duty calls, and I birthed an old soul.

"Why did someone set off bombs in Boston?"

(he had heard two women talking about it at the park)

I knew he had friends that were at the Marathon, and on Monday shit was going to get real once he was back in school- I had to fill him in. I needed to prepare him- he was a deep inquisitive kid, and despite my best efforts to keep it light, he was onto me.

Q&A didn't go quite as I planned... he wanted answers, real answers (hey, me too)...

"Who are they? How old? Can I see a picture of them? Why? Why? How? Why?"

(Meanwhile, I left out the part that a boy his age and 2 girls close in age to his cousin,

and a cop were killed-because his imagine is a rival to mine.)
His questions were intense, and exhausting... but I realized that he was much smarter and in tune than I wanted to give him credit for.

I have no idea what this situation is like in the rest of the country or the air play you are seeing. Here it is 24/7-we don't even see weather reports on the local news channels.

I also still have no idea what motivated these guys to do this, and having to explain it to a child is even harder. I know answers will come to light over the next few days- hopefully.

As I typed that last sentence my husband just walked in the door from work an told me they have the second suspect in a boat. I am relieved. SO very relieved. My son is relieved, more importantly.

I just want peace. For families of those lost and hurt and the families of the suspects. I am sure they hurt right now too.

No more hurting people.

We need to listen to this little angel's message right now.

Praying for Boston and no more hurt.

today

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:08:57 PDT

Pretty can wait. Paint can wait. Everything can just fucking wait.

Its just all too close, too real. Thats my city. I had friends running, friends watching, a niece across the street in lockdown... the waiting to hear from them, and then hearing their accounts, the news- constant news- its everywhere. I am angry and sad and my heart hurts, I'm lost today.

I have written and deleted this post too many times already, and words don't make sense. I feel like a rambling mess. Not much makes sense actually.

My heart and prayers go out to all the families affected by this tragedy and to all the responders that selflessly risked their own lives to help others. And for peace.
This violence can happen in any city, and I pray that it will just stop.

My niece slept over last night and we talked about the day.

She had gone down to the finish line on her lunch break and left shortly before the blast.

She just kept telling me how awesome it felt to be down there watching finishers... it was a beautiful day, the crowd was so excited, she said it was one of those days where you just felt so proud to be a Bostonian. "It was awesome..." is what she kept saying. That statement is what I am trying to hold on to and focus on despite the horrific events that followed for her shortly after, despite the gruesome images that keep filling my brain. I was hit by an M-80 firework on Halloween when I was 17 by a bunch of asshole kids throwing eggs (and an M-80) from a car, and I remember the pain and terror I felt when it exploded right next to me and how that is nothing, nothing at all in comparison to what all these bystanders experienced. I cannot imagine, and I am doing my best to squelch my vivid imagination.

Knowing that we will grow stronger and prouder and that despite a cowardly asshole's attempt, people will continue to run and cheer and say "it was awesome". We need to hold on to that feeling. The goodness and happiness we felt before, the innocence, and not let it get taken away by fear and evil because then they win.

That is what I am trying to focus on today, and it isn't easy... because not much else makes sense.

Porch Talk

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:11:52 PDT

(Exterior) stuff has been getting done around here!

We converted our open air porch to a three season porch this weekend.

It is SO much better, and I can't wait for it to warm up and switch out the screens, because I feel like I have finally one up'd the local mosquito population a bit. The whole triple E and West Nile drama they bring is such a downer, and those pesky little bitches always figured out how to get around my mosquito netting.

Here is a Before and After Montage for your Monday

(just because I love B/A Montages since they let me see the slow change that has been happening over the past 3 1/2 years and make me feel productive)

2009 when we viewed this beauty to buy, WTF were we thinking?...

2 1/2 years ago after paint and a landscape/ramp rip up...

yesterday-

please ignore all the crap strewn around the yard- we have no landscape plan yet, so stuff is everywhere ...

And again...

Mosquito Net, pretty but not the most effective...

take that mo-fo-squitos!

The entire process was done using Brosco Combination Storm Doors

We measured the opening of our porch, and figured out how many panels we would need. They come in a few heights and widths, and you can trim them down easily.

We ordered the unprimed pine to save money and painted ourselves.

The openings were framed out...

And the panels went in and get trimmed out and attached...

And then the windows or screens go in.

The panels we chose came with both since we are in the North East and we want to use this room as year round as humanely possible (space heater required).

Insta-Room! Now I get to decorate.

On other porch fronts, the front porch is done!

(well almost- trim is not painted and we still need to add the screen door...)

My Dad installed the decking with a very cool product called Tiger Claw Deck Fasteners.

They hold the decking in place and no nails are needed.

You need 2 people for this, and there is a learning curve,

but the end result are smooth planks and no nail holes.

You take a metal clip and insert it into the rubber holder...

Line up the clip with the floor joist, and hammer the rubber holder so the clip gets tacked into the outer decking board...

Screw clip into place, and continue adding clips down the rest of the board length...

Lay your next board in front of the last board and using a piece of wood as a buffer, hammer the new board into the clips while making sure to stand on it to keep it flat.

Then repeat the steps by adding clips to the front of the new board.

And boom! No nails!

OK, I am off to get some stuff painted!

Be back soon with an easy DIY for you all.

The trail of inspiration...

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:59:32 PDT

As I go about life in my "squirrel brain project land" I hop from one idea to the next, continually changing the game because I see something new that inspires. So much of creativity comes from sparks of inspiration that are then compounded upon and altered. The trail of inspiration is quite a messy, tangled fabulous web if you ask me. So it makes this blog all the more worthwhile when I am able to inspire someone else's creativity.

I recently got an email from decorative artist Jessica Jones.

She sent me some pictures of her amazing scalloped bathroom walls:

She painted them by hand, and what

I found particularly cool was her trail of inspiration.

It started on Pinterest with this image:

and then she saw a tutorial I did for this journal cover using different sized coins as a template. She had a lightbulb moment as to how to achieve the look for her walls:

(Speaking of trails, this was my inspirational spark for the journal:)

This is how she achieved the look:

"I made different sized stencils using foamcore board, grabbed some metallic paint, and went to work transforming my sad, windowless bathroom into a room full of fun, metallic pattern. I love the art deco feel and glints of metallic!"

She just super sized the coin idea with foam core and created a much grander idea!

Besides being clever, she is quite the talented painter.

Check out these malachite walls she painted on her website...

amazing!

Thank you Jessica for sharing your work, keep it coming!

Front Door Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:38:14 PDT

This is one of the many projects around the house I have been working on,

transforming my 1960's front door into something a little more coastal-cottage:

Here is my original door:

I don't have one good before picture of it since there was a storm door blocking

it and it was dark navy blue so it vanished into a black hole:

Please note the old stone steps because those changed too during the door makeover. (ADD time-yay!)

They were small, crumbly and the front porch was nonexistent. And what was SO annoying was that if you came to my front door you had to step off the steps to allow for the door to open.

A wood front porch is currently almost completed.

I designed it to be larger to accommodate planters, porch squatting and

to give the entrance some oomph:

Lets have a little flashback to 2009 when we first bought this rancho...

Hello Big Fudge Brownie

The entry was a big dark abyss that sucked you into all things groovy and 60-licious...

OK, back to the door...

So I was inspired by this over-pinned lovely:

But I had this, and as much as I love me a good sunburst I was over it.

I was going to panel them with a herringbone:

I sanded it down and primed the outer areas.

My Dad has an insane math brain, so he helped me with this figuring of angles stuff.

We used leftover exterior bead board and drew a center line down the middle of each square. We cut a 45 degree angle on one side and lined it up at the top and against the center line. He then marked the left sides where it met and used that as is guide to cut the other 45 angle.

We then figured the rest of the cuts for that side using the first piece as a guide and marking each piece the same way. Once you have one side done, you just need to cut a reflection for the other side.

(Be sure to mark left or right on the backsides- it gets confusing!)

We cut enough for all three panels and made sure they fit. Some squares were not perfectly square, so we had to trim them a bit.

Once we had everything fitted it was time to glue the panels in place

using a basic household adhesive...

Now they needed to be framed in...

I took a trip to the lumberyard and picked up to moldings that allowed for the 1/4" projection of the bead board. I cut the ends on 45 degree angles to fit the squares.

Then I stapled the frames together on the backside...

and made three frames...

I used a bit of adhesive and nails to attach and wood putty to fill the gaps and holes...

And then took the door off to prime & paint (no drip marks this way).

I used Fine Paints of Europe Eco

(a water-clean up oil in a high gloss finish called Brilliant).

Amazing stuff, it self levels and is super shiny!

I had it tinted to Ben Moore's Palladian Blue.

Two coats later and new door hardware...

(I actually just spray painted the old brass mail slot with Rustoleum's Hammered Bronze-

goes right over metal!)

And new door!
Total cost was under $100, the paint was actually the most expensive part costing about $50 for a quart.

Once the porch it done, and all is painted I will take a better after shot.

Oh, we also added the bead board to the right of the door...

There used to be 60's wavy glass.

Yeah, I'm totally flushing the 60's away... funny because I do love me some vintage, but I think the amount this house had just overwhelmed me.

Small doses, small doses.

Stay tuned, another 60's cleansing is happening now:

bye bye partition wall..

Four Years ago...

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 04:36:17 PDT

I started this here blog!

I can't believe its been that long- thats like high school long. I was hoping to have an awesome anniversary post for you with lots of witty stuff to say with montages and rainbows, but I just experienced my first day back in society yesterday (both kids finally went back to school after their March Madness strep-virus-mononucleousis-Herrick Family leper colony party) and I had some massive errands that needed to be attended to.

I just wanted to say a GIGANTIC thank you to all my readers.

It is because of you I come here and blab and DIY, and without you that would mean I was just a crazy lady talking to myself. I have some big plans in store for this blog in the upcoming year, and I would love your feedback too. What would you like to see more/less of? I am seriously up for anything.

And thank you all for following me on the social media train wreck. I have been a bit heavier on my FB and Instagram (@danikaherrick) postings this month because its just easier, and I still suck at tweeting, but thanks for continuing to follow me there too;)

To show my love I have a little thank you code for 15% off O'verlays too...

use GST15 at check out

good until 3/31/13

So thanks again for being there, you guys are the best!

Danika

PS- My new color combo obsession:

loving citrus/grapefruit

Real Life: White Slipcovers-keeping it clean.

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 10:24:49 PDT

I have gotten a lot of questions about my white slipcovers from readers and friends.

When I made these slipcovers many asked to give an update on how well the wore.

Here they are today, white as ever and fresh out of the wash:

and here they are a year ago (April 12th, 2012- so almost one year ago) right after I made them:

I have to say I am really thrilled with how easy they are to maintain. Prior to this was a life with microfiber. Don't get me wrong- it definitely is stain resistant- but its just so much easier to toss the entire mess into the washing machine as opposed to spot cleaning and getting water ring marks.

And microfiber really didn't go with the whole bright and casual beach feel I was after.

Here is how I keep it clean and bright folks. I just did all my slipcovers in an effort to rid the house of germs and a spring clean. I wash them about every 2-3 months (or more if we are extra messy).

My usual routine was to spot clean with Resolve and toss in the washing machine with a cup of bleach.

This works OK, but I would still get faint reminders.

Here is a chair:

before, coffee stain and lord knows what:

After, there is still a faint tinge of the "lord knows what" and coffee is gone:

My couches were totally trashed.

I have had sick kids laying on them, eating and spilling, and the worst offender was the multicolored Pedialyte freezer pops. Straight up dye. Sorry I don't have before shots, so use your imagination.

I decided to take a new approach and it blew my mind just how white everything came out.

Here is my new go to method:

1) Mix up this magical potion: 1 part Dawn/ 2 parts hydrogen peroxide

Yes, you've seen it all over Pinterest and even my Mom has even been singing its praises, but it works!

2) Spot treat all the stains. Let it sit for 10 minutes, rub into tough stains.

3) Fill your washing machine with warm water and add 1 cup bleach. If you are afraid of bleach use a cup of OxiClean powder. Add the slipcover and agitate it a bit so it is all submerged and in contact with the water. Its important not to overfill the machine. You want the slipcover to be able to move around in the water.

4) Now this is the important part.

LET IT SIT

I paused my machine for about 30 minutes. In the past I would just let the machine cycle, but there was always residual stains and rings left. This time I was blown away with the difference, not one ring!

Look how white they are!

OK, as I was writing this post I went into my kitchen to find my kids eating ice pops, red ones, and dripping on my latest slipcover.

Just to show you the magic of Dawn and peroxide I whipped up a little insta-spot clean for you.

I poured a bit of Dawn/Peroxide on and rubbed in:

and here it is 10 minutes later,

only a very faint red dot is left, all without going into the washing machine:

If I was totally neurotic I might toss this in for a cycle, but I'm not and a tiny red spot doesn't bother me. It will have to wait a few weeks until the kids really trash it.

Anywho... Just wanted to share this with you and attempt to be a poster child for white slipcovers.

They really are easy, pretty and go with everything.

And you can change your color schemes with the flick of a pillow.

I am off to continue the spring clean/ santization. Happy weekend!

Just having a moment...

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 06:21:25 PDT

Please excuse me for a second while I get all giddy and wax nostalgic.

My kitchen redo is being featured on glo.msn right now...

Remember my pre-demo kitchen that was "renovated with paint",

right down to the painted marble counters?

Its being featured here.

There are some really amazing makeovers featured in this article, and I am in serious good company here... like one of my design idols, Amanda Nisbet, so I am a little "wtf, no freaking way!" right now...

After the past few weeks of chaos, sick kids and reno-drama, this look back is helping me refocus & gain new perspective. Nothing happens overnight- the last little "paint reno" took about 2 years to get just the way I liked, so I just need to take my time with the current situation.

Not gonna lie though, this also has me going a little "wtf, I killed my cute old kitchen."

I still have that above view at the moment, but amidst ripped up floors, walls and dust:

I just need to take my time and let it evolve.

One thing I have learned from this house is that when I force something to happen, or try too hard to make it work, it usually falls flat. I am a "change fanatic" as you all know. It is through these constant changes that I learn a ton about what I like, what I don't, and what makes me happy.

My house is my little experimental guinea pig.

This last kitchen makeover was one of my favorite rooms, and its because it took time, a whole lot of experimenting (5 colors in all I think) and negotiating (getting my husband to finally agree to painting laminate). All these hurdles made the end result much more satisfying.

And I know I really liked it because I find myself using elements of it in other areas of this current renovation (painted ceilings, navy and white as the foundation colors for most rooms/ woodwork).

I still don't have a finalized plan for the kitchen area, but I have decided to keep it a little open ended to allow for changes and "evolution"- and I am just praying for some more patience!

Indoor/Outdoor Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:49:12 PDT

Its Spring!

Even though there is snow on the ground I am am so happy for this milestone.

In a few short months outdoor living will be the norm,

and to get myself excited for this

I have rounded up my favorite and most affordable* "indoor/outdoor" pieces.

These items are made to handle the elements, but if you ask me

they can double duty inside your house during the colder months.

They are very neutral so you can easily dress them up with the color of the day.

1/2/3/4/5//6/7

Happy Spring!

*(all the items above tally up to less than $950 combined!)

Things

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:31:44 PDT

Hi everyone. I just wanted to pop up a quick post.

I will spare you the snotty details, but I am now going on the 3rd consecutive week

of a kid/kids home sick from school.

Feeling a bit :

bonkers/eye twitchy/trapped in the house/cuckoo

because I am unable to get these babies healthy & on the mend.

I am so behind on work, so anyone who is waiting to hear back from me please bear with. I will be back just as soon as I have everyone healthy. These little guys are my priority right now.

On the bright side, I haven't been able to spend much time on the computer (which has actually been quite refreshing) and I have just been scrolling Instagram from my phone for my design crack.

That rabbit hole led me to discover some great new to me fabrics from Tulu. You likey?

And, I'm sure you've all seen this all over the blogosphere:

Lonny

It drove me to do this:

...splatter up my slipcover that I just made for my bench:

I used watered down black paint

(instead of Rit Dye like I did here)

Since the kids eat at this bench it is sure to get gross. I will be tossing this in the wash often with bleach. I was afraid bleach would lift the dye, and I know from experience & many wrecked clothing items that nothing gets dried paint out.

Hey look, no more studs! We have plastered walls.

I am just waiting out the week for them to cure so we can

get moldings and woodwork up and paint on. Floors still look crappy.

I also got to experience (via Instagram)

how my sister handles being house bound with 2 sick kids & an abscessed tooth...

like a carpenter on crystal meth.

This is what she did last night when she couldn't sleep...

she added wainscoting to her family room:

Here is the "before" from yesterday afternoon:

seriously.

And a few days before that she transformed her brick fireplace ...

into a real legit wood mantle with shelves:

I'm dumbfounded. She needs to come for a visit.

I am going to get her to give a tutorial, she said it was "easy".

How To: Make a Pattern Repeat, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:09:17 PDT

This post started off as a "How to Cut Your Own Stencil" and evolved into a multi- part how to with melt downs and hating on Martha Stewart, so bear with.

Many of you have asked me how I figure out repeats when I am painting a design or making a stencil. A lot of it has been due to luck and a bizarre math gene I inherited from my father, but until recently I never truly "knew" how to make a pattern. I just had my weird ways of figuring it out.

Let me introduce you to the right, easy way to make a repeating pattern.

Lets start with spots. Who doesn't like a good spotted pattern?

I bought this book about a year ago and I highly recommend:

It explains it all, and I just had to share.

So here is what you'll need to do a basic straight match repeat:

If you want a BIG pattern, get BIGGER paper.

Start drawing your design. I am using graph paper because it is easier to line up when making a stencil, but if you are scanning this into a computer, go for a white background.

Continue and leave some space around the edges:

Now fold to find the center and make little crease marks, and add "1, 2, 3 & 4" in pencil to the four quadrants of the paper (I forgot to do this in this step so: 1 in top left, 2 in top right, 3 in bottom left, and 4 in bottom right):

Now cut it in half horizontally. (Use a ruler to make a line if you aren't using graph paper).

Take the bottom half and put it on top. Tape to hold together:

Now continue filling in your pattern in this space. Stay away from the side edges though:

Now cut in half vertically, switch-a-roo & tape together:

(you should have clockwise from top left in this order 4,3,1,2)

Fill her in, leaving space at the top and bottom:

Now untape.

Arrange in the following order clockwise from top left: 2,1,3,4

(you can faintly see the pencil number in the photo below)

You will have a blank space in the center. Finish the design:

That is it!

You can now rearrange it back to the layout ad scan it into a computer, trace it or do what you'd like with it.

In my case I was making a stencil, and I didn't wan't to cut all those half circles on the edges, so here is how I dealt with it.

I cut around the edges of the circles along the bottom keeping them whole. I then taped them directly to the top where they matched up.

I then did the same thing to the right side:

and taped them to the left side:

The result was a complete pattern with no broken "dots":

I didn't have any clear mylar on hand so I had to use what I found at the big chain "Arts & Crafts" store. I will refrain from cursing Martha & her crappy blue stencil blanks, but screw it... I suffered through misery with her shit... it was terrible, do NOT recommend. It was so tight curled that it was impossible to lay flat and even with tape it kept popping up.
Note: Always buy FLAT CLEAR stencil mylar.

This part will be brief since I have to get better mylar to finish this.

Trace your pattern:

Hey did I mention the stencil blank was BLUE? How the heck am I suppose to trace through this?????

It was like driving in the fog after a few cocktails.

Yeah it is a pretty color, but function over aesthetics please. Come on Martha, fix this please!

At this point I am just annoyed, pissy and hating.

I broke out my heated stencil cutter and a piece of glass to cut on, and had at it until the curling plastic decided to pop up and curl...

After cutting about 1/5th of it I decided to do a test run:

The plastic buckled right when I went to apply paint and it smudged.

At this point I am DONE, my nerves are shot and Martha's crap is going back to Michael's.

I am going to be painting this big white slipcover, so there is NO WAY

I can use that stuff and not commit crimes:

So, I will be back with better stuff and "How to for Drop Repeats" next.

Peace out and a big glass of wine x3.

I'm propagating boxwood y'all!

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 07:22:51 PDT

This is by far the easiest, most awesome gardening trick I have ever come upon

(thanks to my Mom and her storehouse of trivial facts and big time Pinterest addiction).

The other day I was complaining about the snow and how it destroyed my boxwoods.

These have been growing for about 2 years,

and the blizzard crushed them and snapped off half their branches:

She tells me about this blog, A Garden for the House, and how the guy used boxwood cuttings to grow this amazing garden:

He just took cuttings and stuck them right in the ground.

My mind was blown.

I immediately posted it over on the GST facebook page

(what I do when I am feeling too lazy to blog), and then we got hit with another foot of snow.

I checked the boxwood carnage and decided to take all the broken branches and try this idea out.

They had been buried under snow and were still "alive", but you can just trim any boxwood shrub.

You will need damp fertile soil for this, and if it is warm enough where you live you can just stick these right into the ground. I have a few more weeks of winter here, so I am starting these inside.

Trim the cuttings to 5-6" and clean the leaves off the bottoms:

Take a group of about 6 cuttings and just stick them right into the dirt, packing them firmly.

Keep them watered and they should take root. Crazy easy, right?

I just made a dozen boxwoods!

I feel like a gardening god or something.

If I can keep them alive I just saved about $100, and I am closer to my dream of this:

I will keep you posted on them.

Anyone try this before?

Details

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:59:39 PST

The sky might be spitting slush and my entire house is infected with strep throat,

but I couldn't be happier.

This shit happened today, from a crappy little sketch I drew...(just ignore the unpainted shingles).

team Ryan-Brent-Carmon you rock

The name of the my game was called:

"Detract from the Pizza Hut roofline and draw attention to the round window and break up the long ass run of house with a shape that kind of looks like an outdoor fireplace"

I am thinking its working. No? Is it just the penicillin fog I 'm in? Does it look weird? You can tell me.

Exterior bead-board going next to the front door to tie it all together.

and to sustain my giddiness we passed inspections today and plaster happens this weekend.

walls. fresh new walls.

back with a real post about how not to screw up a stencil once I can form big sentences again.

peace and antibiotics!

HOW TO: Faux "Burled" Wood

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:06:01 PST

So here is the dresser I spoke of yesterday that was

my guinea pig for turning into a burled wood dresser.

Note to anyone about to try this:

Start small first. Jewelry box, side table... not a dresser...

and practice first too.

before:

after:

You will need to paint the piece a warm golden-orange in a satin finish.

Benjamin Moore "Amber Waves 2159-40" is a good start, but basically if you were looking at a sample of real burled wood its the lightest tone in the wood you are trying to match.

The materials you will need to do this are:

-an assortment of brushes (a few small fine artist brushes, round stiff stencil brush for the knots, a good softening brush, 2-3" flat brush for applying glaze, inexpensive chip brushes, stippling brush)

-a good latex glaze (I used Liquitex, but I do not recommend.

It dried way to fast and needed an extender.)

-Arcrylic artist paint in Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna and Black

-Oil Based wood stain in Mahogany and English Chestnut or Cherry

-sea sponges torn in small pieces

-a wide toothed comb

-clean rags

-dishes or palate to mix paint

In reality, pieces of burled wood rarely measure larger than 12" x 24", so keep that in mind if you have a large area to cover. You might want to tape out sections to mimic a veneer or inlay.

I only burled the drawer fronts of this dresser and used a very simple faux wood finish for the rest.

Step 1:

Mix a glaze of 3 parts glaze with 1 part Burnt Umber and 1 part Burnt Sienna. You may need to adjust this depending on how strong the pigments are in your paint, and add an extender if the glaze is drying too fast. Paint the surface with a coat of glaze.

Step 2:

Working quickly, take a stencil brush and dab Burnt Umber for the burls across the surface.

Step 3:

Stipple the surface by dabbing with a stiff brush...

Step 4:

Using a damp sea sponge dab randomly over the surface and then using a softening brush feather out the surface. (sorry my glaze was drying too fast and I don't have a picture of this step)

Its going to look pretty crappy, but it will get better soon:

Step 5:

Now take the stencil brush and dip it into some more Burnt Umber.

Using the faint shadows of your last dots reapply more "knots or burls", this time giving your brush a little swirl as you apply, use a smaller brush to vary the burl sizes...

It should be starting to look more like this...

Step 6:

Take a thin small artist brush and dip it in a mixture of black and burnt umber paint.

Add small dots to the existing larger dots.

Outline the edges of some:

let dry

Step 7:

Now to add "grain".

Take a flat brush and dip it into the initial glaze you used in Step 1.

Using a wide toothed comb brush through it so that the brush becomes separated:

Very lightly drag the brush over the surface.

Wiggle it to create a grain texture.

Keep repeating until the surface is covered... let dry

You can stop here, but I wanted to darken my piece up more and add more depth.

I mixed 1 part Mahogany stain and 1 part English Chestnut stain:

Using an inexpensive chip brush I brushed the stain over the entire piece:

I then took a rag and blotted it off. I feathered out the entire surface with my softening brush.

You are basically done. I stippled some more stain to areas I felt were too light and around the burls, then feathered out....

done.

As for the sides and top, I brushed on the latex glaze, sponged off, feathered and let dry.

I then brushed on the stain, used a crumpled rag to blot off and then feathered. Its a pretty generic faux grain and it doesn't distract from the focal point which are the drawers.

Here is the finished piece. It is still wet here, but once it dries I will be coating it with clear satin polyurethane.

There are MANY types of burled woods, and last night when I was painting this piece I started with a more oval shaped burl look. If you follow me on Instagram (@danikaherrick) you might have seen this:

It looked a bit more like tortoise shell actually. I had to stop before I finished my last drawer because one of my boys became ill. In the morning light I realized I was too heavy handed in many areas due to poor lighting and it felt really "painted":

When I went to finish it I had lost my rhythm and the bottom drawer came out with circles instead of ovals and the color was off too.

I wound up messing up the upper drawers in an attempt to blend it all so I had to redo them.

Boo. Sucked.

Lesson: Try to have good light when doing this, and try to do it all in the same time period

so they feel "together".

I am happier with the new upper drawers though, they feel more like wood...

I have added hardware, and it is waiting to go into the boy's room.

I think the boys are getting the brass lantern I found too:

I will try to get a how to video of this for you to make it easier.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

good wood

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 06:12:30 PST

I am the first to admit I over-paint things.

Sometimes you just need to leave well enough alone.

Lately I have been loving a space that has a beautiful wood piece in it,

and especially drawn to burled pieces.

They ground the space, add a classic feel and add warmth.

You can also have a ton of whimsy or color going on

and it tones it all down like a cop at a house party.

little blue deer

Lonny

Ruthie Somers

Little Green Notebook

Miles Redd

Today I am undertaking a paint "reversal" of sorts.

I have this dresser that actually mine when I was a kid. I painted it gray a while ago, and underneath its oak-not that exciting. I like the lines and plan on using it in my boys room...

I have no plans of stripping it, instead I am going to faux grain it to look more like this:

I hope to have the tutorial for you by tomorrow or Wednesday,

and in reality I probably should have started with something like a Parson's table... but here goes.

If there are any other finishes you would like me to do tutorials on, just shout it out.

I have a bunch up my sleeve from my decorative painting years.

A Definite Overshare

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 06:48:39 PST

I contemplated posting this, but it is just too damn funny

and I thought you all might need a laugh this weekend.

I opened my Kindergartener's backpack this week and inside his folder was plastic bag.

I opened it and was shocked to find a pair of my black lace underpants.

I was like ??????? / totally embarrassed.

So I asked Joe why my underpants were in his folder.

He tells me he found them in the leg of his pants.

OK, they must have gotten stuck in the wash...

but I'm still thinking "oh shit, really? how many people saw them.."

Then I read the enclosed note:

and I realize the whole class saw them, but it gets even better because the sub... a MAN...

had to deal with the whole thing.

Thank god I have a twisted sense of humor,

because I have not stopped laughing when I think about the entire scenario.

It made me remember a friend of mine's story about a similar thing happening to her teenage son- except in her case they were stuck to his butt of his pants and were a hot pink G-string.

At least these were one of my nicer pairs, and thankfully they were black.

Could have been a ratty pair of granny panties.

I'm sure the teacher's room had a good laugh that day!

Has anyone else had this happen?