diy gold leafed + strie' planter

as part of my living room refresh, i knew i wanted to eventually do something with my large planter.
i have had it for a while now, and it is definitely showing signs that it has been moved 5 times. i love the shape and the subtle strie pattern on it, but i needed to camouflage the scratches and wanted it to be a bit darker.

because this planter is so deep, i have been using another pot (turned upside down) to elevate my fiddle fig tree, but it is a little too high, and i need to find a smaller one so that the top of the plastic pot can't be seen. hiding the pot and the gap in between the pot and the planter with some spanish moss will help make this whole thing look dressier! ugh! isn't it awful looking right now?
a makeover was definitely needed!

here is what i did:

the get the strie' look on the planter:
i bought an inexpensive squeegee and cut small triangles out of the edge so that it looked like this:

for the base coat of paint on the pot, i used an expresso spray paint, and for the top coat, i used semi gloss black. if you want a more matte look, use flat or satin paint.

i gave the entire pot a coat of the expresso spray paint.

then, after the bottom coat dried, i spray painted the black on top--working in small vertical strips.
as soon as i painted, i dragged the cut squeegee through the paint, working from top to bottom. spray paint dries fast, and so you have to move quickly!

this is the finished look!

 

when the planter was dry, i bought it inside. i found a smaller pot to elevate the tree....this is a look at how everything will look inside the pot: smaller planter turned upside down, a plastic dish to catch any excess water, and then the tree in its original pot.


to gold leaf the top,  i used:
painters tape
a marker
a ruler
gold leaf adhesive
gold leaf
foam brush



first, i marked where i wanted my line to go for the gold leaf....


and then taped it off.

 the gold leaf adhesive was applied above the tape, and allowed to dry for about an hour.
it became clear and sticky as it dried.

then, i pressed the gold leaf onto the sticky area...

any areas that were missed were filled in, and i gently buffed the gold leaf with a dry cloth.

the tape was removed to reveal a crisp line between the gold and the black/brown pot.

here is the finished pot!

the spanish moss really helps to soften the look of the top of the pot...so much better than staring at dirt and plastic!

i even love all of the imperfections, scratches and lines of the strie pattern that show through the gold!

ahh! so much better than before, don't you think?

i like that the darker color and the strip of gold at the top help to update the pot and draw attention to it's simple modern shape. the living room refresh is nearly done! i still have some pillows to buy, but even without curtains it is looking great! 

my secret for hanging straight gallery walls

i LOVE gallery walls, don't you?
(in fact, i have over 300 images of gallery wall idea on my pinterest board here, if you need some inspiration!)

i love gallery walls structured and simple.



i love them loose and eclectic.


i love them balanced.


i love them asymmetrical.


the only thing i DONT like about gallery walls is when the pictures get all wonky.


you know....when the pictures tilt and get out of alignment, and you want to rip them off the wall and throw them out the nearest window?? ugh. i really hate that.
thank goodness i haven't had that issue in a LONG time, thanks to my little secret weapon:

cobra frame tacks.  
(i also blogged about them here.)


available here, the only place i have been able to find them online. i actually called the manufacturer in canada i was so desperate to find them once!
this is what they look like in the package:
(this package comes with different sizes)

they are available in small, medium and large, and one pair per frames is needed.  they simply screw into the back of the frame.


i have found that certain frames (like ikea ribba frames) don't have enough wood for these to attach to, so i just use two nails and hang the frame on the nails.

and the the magic? 
when you want to hang your gallery wall, you just measure and press them into the wall.
they do NOT shift, ever!
(my husband is meticulous when it comes to hanging pictures, so i am lucky! i just show him what i want, and he does all of the work.)  i have had several people ask me if they actually stay on the wall. uh...of course they do! why would i love them if they didn't WORK? ha! ha! i have personally never had any picture i have hung with the cobra frame tacks fall off the wall.



we recently hung a gallery wall in my living room, as part of my living room refresh. i have used the venetian watercolor set together before, and i was really happy with the ordered look, but i wanted to mix in some different pieces this time.

here are a few of the layouts i was considering:




as soon as i put the antlers in the mix, i knew i had found the answer!



the wall in progress:



a quick before:



after:

do you have any secret weapons for hanging gallery walls?

affordable find lighting round up: world market

i was very excited when i looked at world markets website last night, and noticed that they have added some great new lights to their selections...several of which are dead ringers for some more expensive options.

take a look!


rectangular natural capiz hanging pendant lantern
$249

large rectangular hanging capiz chandelier
$349



eldridge pendant (small)
$149

four sided glass hanging pendant
$99



capiz pendant
$199

capiz lotus pendant
$69


happy shopping!

design plan: neutral family room

the design plan for an e-design client who loves neutrals and isn't afraid of a little pattern.

(i could SO live in this room....)

interested in working together? i still have openings for mid- late april, and am now taking clients for may!
email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com to schedule a consultation!
you can see my rates and more about my services here.

my next project--the mini office

ahhh. hello there mini office.


you need some attention, don't you?
not to worry.
i have a few ideas that this make you MUCH prettier and more functional!

this little office sits right off of the kitchen in my house. it is where everyone goes to use the printer, get on the computer, and *try and look for a pen or pencil.
(the above plan shows a door swinging into the space, but we decided to put a pocket door there instead. i am SO happy we made that change.)



believe it or not, this is the space after i spent an hour cleaning it! i really should have taken a real before picture--with the floor all covered with crap, but i do have a little bit of dignity!

right now, it is NOT very functional. the vintage desk is usually piled high with papers and the printer, and the area behind the desk has become a catch-all for everything that everybody has NO idea where to put. i have even found dirty laundry in here. (apparently, it's WAY too much work to walk 8 feet down the hall to the laundry room. gheesh, mom!)  my kids are also convinced that this is where the broom and vacuum go, even though there is a huge closet just down the hall in the mudroom. like i said, the room has become a dumping ground.


what this space needs:
*some color on the walls. this is a small room, so i am going to go for something dark and moody. i want it to feel enveloping and tailored and just a bit quirky.
*more storage. for paper, office supplies, books, some of my design samples, basic craft supplies, and random things like batteries and stationary.
*window treatment. the light comes over the top of the mountain mid-morning and just BLASTS this room for about 2 hours. (i know its hard to see, but i have a TRASH bag taped to the window right now. K-lassy, i know.)
*stuff on the walls. yeah. STUFF. i am thinking "loose, eclectic gallery wall."
*new light fixture. the one there now was a place holder until i could find something i loved.
*a magnet board---someplace to stick all of those papers and reminders that always seem to flood the house
*new chair--i have had this amazing vintage metal chair for about 4 years now, and the time has come to make 'er purdy!

here is the design plan:

i picked up the light fixture, the chair, the kelly wearstler and quadrille fabric on ebay for a fraction of the retail (or even designer discount) cost!

the ikea besta storage unit will go on the back wall, with some shelving above it, and i am thinking of adding some crown molding in here as well.
i have already purchased the ikea piece, i am in the process of having the roman shade made, and the walls will be painted soon! i love tiny spaces like this. they come together SO quickly!

affordable find: striped slipcovered chair

stella chair

$708

sandra slipcovered chair
$325.33

happy shopping!
click here to see hundreds more "affordable finds"!

living room refresh in the works

welcome to my living room.

this is the first room that you see when you walk in the house, and i have some big plans for it. when we built the house, we literally cut out anything that didn't NEED to be done, so this room is truly a blank slate. no trim. no window treatments. no fireplace. heck, we don't even have blinds for the windows yet! since we need to stagger costs, i will be working on this room slowly over the next few months or even years. i have broken down the changes i want to make into phases.

phase 1:

*hang something on the walls, for petes sake! (what is wrong with me?)
*get some new pillows
*bring some additional accessories and books up from my basement. (i have some great things that have been hiding in boxes since we moved, waiting for the bookcases to be built on either side of the fireplace. since that may be several months to a year away, i figured i should try a little harder to make this room look and feel a little more lived-in.)
*get a new side table for the couch. i have FIVE round tables in this room, so i would love to bring in something...well, something that isn't round!


phase 2:

*add blinds. i think we have gotten our moneys worth out of those  $3 paper shades from the hardware store. yikes.
*recover the ottomans
*add some curtains
*refinish the larger table near the window. it desperately needs to be redone.
*add some art to the other walls
*possibly refresh the plant urn


phase 3:

*get new chairs. we have had these chairs for over 10 years, and before we moved to utah, they had always been in a family room or bonus room. it makes me CRAZY that they are in my living room right now! they have been great, but i am SO ready for something new.
*get a new sofa. see everything i wrote about the chairs above? it's ditto for the sofa. ugh.
*add coffee table? i am not 100% sure i want one in here. i am still deciding.


phase 4:

*add coffered ceiling
*add fireplace + custom built-ins
*paint walls...maybe even add grasscloth to ceiling

i already have phase 1 well under way, and will be sharing some pictures soon!