Home Sanctuary

Love the Home You Have

Earlier this week, after I'd posted photos of the upholstered chairs that I'd painted, I wished I'd added a paragraph. Painting the chairs was a fun little DIY project, but it deserved some commentary on gratitude and hospitality.

 

Hide and Seek with Toddlers

 

 

You see, I hated those chairs for years. Back when I bought them, their mauve shade went perfectly with the floral couch (think: BIG CABBAGE ROSES) and the matching custom drapery that was all the rage in the early 1990's. But they fell out of fashion as the decade came to a close...and that's when I wanted to replace them.

Unfortunately, replacing them was not in the budget, so there they sat in my living room. They were such an eyesore to me that I did not even want people to come over. I hate to admit this, but they began to affect my hospitality.

 

Isn't that sad? I'm not proud of that.

 

It's hard to admit that something so material would keep me from inviting someone to my house. Even though I've always known that people are more important than things, when it came down to it, I let those chairs get to me.

When I finally faced this truth, and decided to be thankful for them anyway, I learned I could open my arms and welcome others into my home, no matter what.

 

True sanctuary is not about stuff...it's about love. A home is more than the things in it. It is in the gratitude and the warmth and acceptance of the people inside.

Sanctuary opens the doors and says, "welcome."

 

My mauve-turned-beige-turned blue chairs remind me to be grateful.

They remind me that creating a home sanctuary is about love....and maybe a little paint.

 

They remind me to say yes to hospitality.

 

How about you? Have you ever let material things ( or lack of them) keep you from being hospitable? Do you struggle with gratitude? I encourage you to say a prayer of thanksgiving for what you have today...and see what a difference it makes.

 

 

This is a post script, but I'm currently reading "Love the Home You Have," by Melissa Michaels of The Inspired Room.

Inspiration to organize, find your style, take delight in your home.

 

I'm loving the inspiration to see my home through the eyes of gratitude and creativity. Each of us need a periodic boost to delight in the home that you already have, instead of wishing for something more. I'm enjoying every page that's filled with Melissa's ideas and outlook, and thought I'd take a minute to share it with you. It's well worth your time to put your feet up and savor reading. I challenge you not to get up and feel like rearranging or decluttering immediately! It's just what I've needed.

 

 

 

 

How to Paint Upholstered Furniture

 

Painting upholstered furniture really IS possible!

 

HomeSanctuary.com

 

Several years ago, I had a pair of mauve wingback chairs that no longer "worked" in my living room. Basically, the year 1991 called and said it wanted the chairs back.

I considered having them reupholstered, but when I discovered how costly it would be, I thought I'd just donate them to a local charity instead. The mauve just HAD to go.

As a last-ditch effort to do something with them, I decided to try painting them! I mean, what did I have to lose, right?

That was over ten years ago...and the painted finish has held up so well that I recently RE-painted them! What I once imagined as a temporary fix, turns out, is perfect for outdoor living in my breezeway. 

 

 

  

Materials:

• Latex Paint - Flat or EggShell finish (I used Behr Lap Pool Blue) 1 qt is plenty.
• Textile Medium - there are several brands out there, but used this one.

• Spray bottle with water
• Brushes - This is my favorite brush for everything: Wooster Shortcut
• 
• Mixing container
• Fine grit sandpaper, possibly

 

Directions:

1. Clean dust and stuck-on Cheerios from the fabric. Say goodbye to the stains, because you'll never see them again.

2. I know you're anxious to start, but go ahead and tape off wood and/or trim that you don't want to get paint on. An ounce of prevention and stuff.

3. Mix paint and Textile Medium 2:1 - two parts paint to one part medium. 

4. Some DIYers add some water to the mixture to thin it out, but I didn't do this.

5. Spritz the upholstery with a bit of water before you begin....it will help the fabric not soak up the paint and make it difficult to spread. Don't make it drippy, just damp.

6. Brush an even, light coat of the paint mix over the fabric.

7. Let dry completely.

8. If the fabric has balled up or piled, take your sandpaper and knock off those little bumps.

9. Add a second coat of paint, let dry.

10. Peel tape and congratulate yourself on your resourcefulness; yea, even your creativity, which runneth over.

 

The first time I did the chairs, I painted them a cream color. I actually added a subtle faux finish over the top of the paint because I was into that then. I used a slightly darker paint mixed with glaze and sort of ragged it on. These chairs looked purdy darn good for almost A DECADE!

OUTSIDE!

IN THE BREEZEWAY!

OUTSIDE!

 

Small note:

For this second go around, I was ten years older and twice as lazy. I did not mix the paint with fabric medium...I just opened the can and slopped it on. Okay, I was careful not to drip and all that, but I definitely did not use extreme caution. Also, guests were coming the next day and I just wanted to get it done. Behr Lap Pool Blue (oops, it was Satin, oh well!) happened to be on hand...so I ran with it.

 

The chairs look great.

 

Yeah, they might feel a little bit plastic-y, but I really don't mind. They withstand the occasional bird poop from visiting wrens who sometimes perch on them, and they never get mildewed,

Most importantly, the chairs say, "you don't have to be pretentious to sit here."

 

I like that.

 

Now, let's have some iced tea, shall we?

 

What is your favorite DIY makeover with paint? Tell me about it! (Have I mentioned I love paint?)

Do you have questions about doing this project??

 

 

 

My Favorite Before and After Project: Painted Kitchen Countertop

Several people have contacted me recently, to ask about my tutorial for painting a kitchen countertop. I've updated an older post here to include the steps we used to create a faux granite look that has held up well for over THREE YEARS. We did this project just before our daughter's wedding...something about knowing 250 guests would be at my house motivated us to spruce the place up. And because we were spending money on the wedding, we were limited in what we could spend on the counters.

This project only cost about $40.00!

You can find the steps here: painted countertops

 

Before: 1970's Faux Wood Laminate

 

 

After:

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Rachel

 

(Re)ignite Your Creativity! An Amazing Offer

My accidental career as an artist started with a tole painting class at a local craft store, almost twenty years ago.

I was desperate to find something (besides taking care of children and doing laundry) to fill a creative void, and I thought that getting out of the house to take a two-hour class might be just the ticket. I could not have imagined that the "ticket" would take me so far...to painting in multi-million dollar mansions, corporate offices, restaurants and television studios! I still have that first tile trivet I painted in class – I keep it in my kitchen so I'm reminded of the amazing journey I've been on since then.

That one class opened up a whole new world of creativity and DIY'ing for me...and most importantly, I discovered the joy of MAKING THINGS. Along the way I've become convinced that people – all people – are simply wired to create. Even those who think they don't have a creative bone in their body. 

Something almost magical happens when you paint, or sew, or build, or knit, or wield a hot glue gun. Or when you rearrange decor, or take photographs, or plant flowers. I believe our subconscious mind goes to another level that allows us to relax, de-stress, and even solve problems. After more than fifteen years as a professional artist, I've had a lot of time to prove this theory. :)

So let me ask you:

Do you love to create?

Do you wish you could find something that could spark your imagination?

Do you wish you knew what kind of project to start next?

Or maybe you have a project in mind, but don't know how to go about doing it?

 

I'm so excited to share an amazing offer with you! 

I rarely "do" sales or promotions on my blog. It's just not my style. But I'm making an exception for this, because of how pivotal creativity has been in my life. And I think, maybe you're ready for some kind of "spark" to come into your life, too!

Some of my online friends have assembled something called, The Ultimate DIY Bundle! It’s your instant go-to library for a whole range of carefully curated DIY and crafting eBooks and eCourses. There are projects that the whole family can get involved in – from pet photography and home decor to chalk pastels and sewing.

 

So, let me tell you all about it:

 

For the crazy low price of just $34.95, you get access to a carefully curated library 76 eBooks and eCourses from the world’s leading DIY and crafting bloggers – enabling you to pick a project and jump straight into it with confidence. It’s the perfect tool to skip the information overload and throw yourself straight into a new activity.

 

 

Hurry though! The Ultimate DIY Bundle will only be on sale for 6 days – from 8am EST on Wednesday, January 21 until 11.59pm EST on Monday, January 26.

 

What I love about this is that you can buy it with complete confidence, because you’re covered by the Ultimate Bundles 30-day money-back guarantee. That means you have a full 30 days to enjoy all the eBooks and eCourses in the bundle, and if you don’t think they provided enough value, you’ll get a full refund.

 

Not only that, but The Ultimate DIY Bundle comes with 4 awesome bonuses, worth over $118. That’s 3x the price of the bundle alone! These include…

• A free $15 Store Credit PLUS 8×10 Art Print from Hope Ink ($43 Value)
• A free online class from Craftsy (up to $60 Value)
• A free $15 store credit to Fawnsberg.com
• A free sewing pattern PLUS a Premium Video Class from UpCraft Club ($19.99 Value)
• And free, full digital copies of Where Women Create Magazine and Greencraft Magazine ($20 value) from Stampington and Co.

 

So, don’t miss your chance to grab The Ultimate DIY Bundle, and get 76 incredible eBooks and eCourses for just $34.95. All you need to do is take action by midnight on Monday, January 26!

 

This amazing deal ends in just…

 

 

Pick up your copy right now, before it’s too late. Or, learn more here.

 

 

 Where might your creativity take you?

 

 

 

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post. Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.