Inviting Outdoor Spaces

It's been a little crazy around here lately, and unfortunately that meant no blogging about, or even looking at, beautiful inspirational spaces. Thankfully, the chaos is now over, and with the sunny weather we have been having, I am getting back into everything full swing.

First up, Outdoor Spaces. My husband and I have been planning our own outdoor area, and although we have a much smaller scale to work with, the following photos have us pretty inspired. I love when an outdoor space transitions perfectly from the indoor style, and the small details are still accounted for.

Domino Magazine

Domino Magazine

Domino Magazine

Domino Magazine

Elle Decor

Dream Shopping Spree ~ ABC Home

ABC home is one of my favorite places to browse on-line, although a lot of their stock is out of my price range, I love to dream about what I would buy if money were no object. Today we are finally having seasonal weather in Calgary, which got me thinking about relaxing on the patio drinking lemon aid under the sun and wine under the stars. I love the idea of a patio filled with lush flowers, vintage furniture, swings, and lots of hanging candles and white lights to creates a eclectic, inviting setting for the summer ahead.

 1.Vintage Metal Garden Chair 2. Turkish tea light holder 3. The Coran Shop barrel swing 4. Vintage Suzani pillow 5. Vintage blue hardware cabinet 6. Stoneware planter


*Not a sponsored post*

DIY Silver Leaf Stump Table

About a year ago, a friend of mine brought me back a large tree stump from a ranch she volunteers at, knowing how much I love the look of natural stump tables. That tree stump sat for nearly 7 months in our basement when I tried to decide how I wanted to finish it. I wondered if it should be stained dark? maybe light? bark on? bark off?  I went back and fourth until one day it struck me that our living room needed a little lightness and some bling, and I  decided it would be silver. My next step was to decide if I wanted to keep the bark on or peel it off. Since it was going to be metallic, I decided that leaving the bark on would  help keep the rustic look that drew me to the project in the first place. I chose to cover it in silver leaf instead of spray painting it silver because I wanted to be sure that you would still get glimpses of the wood in the cracks, and with spray paint it would be too uniform.

This is how the stump looked when I got it

After some elbow grease and some silver leaf...

Tools needed
Tree Stump
Spare rags
Sander
Wood hardener
Scraper
Spray Adhesive
Spray on Gloss Acrylic
Sizing
Silver or Aluminum leaf
Soft bristled brush
Wipe on Poly

The step by step

1. Use a scraper to remove any bark that can easily fall off, and any debris or sap left on.
2. Using an electric sander  even off the top and bottom of the stump. I sanded just until the top and bottom were smooth, since i didn't mind if it wasn't perfectly level.
3. If any areas of your stump are still soft, scrape off anything that comes off easily, and apply a wood hardener ( I used Elmer's wood hardener) and let dry for 24 hours.
4. Because I was keeping the bark intact, I gave the entire stump a coating of spray adhesive and let it dry 24 hours.
5. To give a smoother surface to apply the silver leaf, coat the entire stump with Krylon clear gloss and let dry for a few hours.
6. Starting with small sections, apply your sizing and wait 15 minutes for it to cure.
7. Using a soft bristle brush pick up a leaf of silver, lie it on over the sizing and gently brush it until it there are not little flakes of silver coming off.
8. When applying the next leaf, be sure to slightly overlap the previous leaf, and brush until there are no more small flakes of silver coming off. I find it can help to move in a circular motion over the seams to help blend them.
9. Repeat steps 6 to 8 until the entire stump is finished.
10. Apply two coats of wipe on poly, and let cure for 24 hours.
11. Enjoy!

If you prefer the au natural look, there is a great tutorial on Design*Sponge by Karen of The Art of Doing Stuff. A great tutorial on silver leafing can be found on Little Green Notebook.

Gallery Wall Inspiration

This weekend my husband and I were finalizing the prints that we are going to be featuring on our gallery wall in our living room. When planning our gallery wall, we spent a good amount of time trying to decide if we wanted a neat orderly pairing of similar frames and prints, or a messy, more eclectic mix. While we are still deciding the final details, I thought I would share some of the photos that have been inspiring us.

Desire to Inspire



Domino Mag



Samantha Pynn

Domino Mag

Rue Magazine

Rue Magazine *

* I love the idea of blank frames over a chalkboard paint wall, such a fun idea to have your kids, or guests, leave their mark.

Baby, Baby, Baby~Nursery Inspiration

I have more than a handful of lovely pregnant friends at the moment, and have been getting a few requests for nursery inspiration. I tend to be drawn to nursery's that still fit in with the rest of the house, but have a bit of whimsy as well.

TradHome

Tracy House Road

Domino Mag

Rue Mag

Lonny Mag

Elle Decor

Beautiful Boudoirs

Reading Adore Magazines latest Sweet Dreams issue, inspired me to share some of my favorite bedroom inspirations with you. I love a glamorous, well designed bedroom!

House Beautiful

Lonny Mag

Elle Decor

Lonny Mag

Elle Decor

Metropolitan Home

Peak Inside ~ Mandy's Living Room

My best friend Mandy has always been an inspiration for me fashion wise, so it was no surprise that when she and her husband Bryan purchased their first home, I was very inspired by her design sense. An Interior Architect by trade, Mandy has always had a keen eye for detail, and pairing unexpected elements. I love how she incorporates mid century pieces that play off the architectural details in the home, while still keeping everything fresh and modern.

Designer I Heart ~ Kelly Wearstler

Kelly Wearstler has been heralded as the Queen of Hollywood Regency, styling the iconic Viceroy Hotels, and The Avalon, in her signature, multi dimensional style. Known for commissioning bespoke furniture when she could not find the right piece on the market, her originality has led to the creation of  many lifestyle products, including her lines for Schumacher and The Rug Company. Unusual statues and decorative accents will always have a place in her rooms, and her signature fabrics have become a staple in modern regency styling. Never one to shy away from the bold and graphic, Kelly's rooms will always make me smile.



Kelly in her hand painted foyer via New York Times



Kelly Wearstler

Kelly Wearstler



Kelly Wearstler



Kelly Wearstler

Kelly Wearstler

Kelly Wearstler

Kelly Wearstler

DIY Trays Part Two ~ Monogrammed Tray

Yesterday we covered DIY marbled clay trays, and today we move on to a customized monogrammed tray. Monograms are something I've been crushing on for a while now, and I wanted to incorporate one into our decor in an inexpensive way.

All that you need for this project is Gloss Enamel paint,a paint brush, a white plate ( I got mine at a dollar store for $2) some cotton swabs, and an oven. (Hint, dollar store cotton swabs work best because they seem to be more compact than the name brand options)

First, clean the plate with rubbing alcohol to remove any grime that may be left on it and prevent the paint from sticking. I found it quite difficult to apply the paint in an even layer ( I used Americana Gloss Enamels in Razzle Berry), so I decided to go with it and used short strokes to create a textured surface. When the paint is still wet, take the cotton swab and trace out the monogram. After the top dried, I flipped it over and painted the bottom gold, using short strokes to create texture.

After letting the paint dry for 48 hours, it was time to put it in the oven for 30 minutes.

The finished product

DIY Trays Part One ~ Marbled Clay Tray

So this weekend I ended up going a little tray crazy on the DIY front. The first technique I'm going to feature is using oven bake clay.

I came up with this idea after wandering the isles at Michael's and seeing these three beautiful shades of purple clay, and gold enamel.

As soon as i saw these colors, I was instantly reminded of Kelly Wearstlers pink office that I featured in my monochromatic room post. I immediately got to work ,mixing up the colors to create a marbled effect. I found the best way to get a marbled look without mushing everything together into one color, was to start with long rolls of each color, and then rubbing them together in my hand, folding it over, and continuing until the colors had dispersed to my liking.

After flattening out and shaping the trays, I used gold gloss enamel paint to rim the edges. After letting the paint cure for 48 hours, they were ready for the oven.

After 15 minutes (Check your clay for specific cooking times) they were ready for a coat of clear gloss coating. I used Krylon Low Odor Clear Gloss spray, which you can get here.

The finished products

Come back tomorrow to see our DIY monogramed tray!