Thursday, February 21, 2008

CED 2.18.08 - Faux-finishing home decor...


While the guys repaired/replaced the broken water line, I did some online research into decorating and home decor. When I was laying in our nice, soft, warm bed, prior to waking, I remember dreaming of creating this beautiful home, starting with the outside and working in. The images in my mind's eye were so beautiful and vivid, you could reach out and touch them. Needless to say, it's too cold to actually do anything outside, so my mind quickly began considering what I could do inside, so I browsed discovering things I like and love, and before you knew it, I was up, dressed, and ready to go to Hobby Lobby.
On my last visit there, in search of some Sophisticated Finishes, I had spied these beautiful black and white rosette styled plates. I knew I should have picked them up because on this visit, they were nowhere to be seen, let alone purchased. I know better than to do that, but didn't heed the advice that I so often give --- if you see, want it, buy it! Right there and then... Darn it! I certainly missed out. Perhaps, I can find them again in another store; at least I certainly hope so...
But all was not lost, as we did manage to discover a lot of neat items at 80% off! We purchased a set of crown bookends, that had sustained minor, yet repairable damage; an ornate wire decorative assessory, a few small magnetic frames, a decorative accent lamp and shade, a silk planter with some tropical themed plantings, and a beautifully textured toss pillow. Then, we ventured over to the picture frame area of the store, where I found two gorgeous style frames perfect for assisting me to create a grouping on one of our endtables or scattered about the living room, and on sale for 50% off.
The finishes were not what I was looking for, but after reading Rhoda's blog @ http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/, I knew not to let that stop me. Rhoda has successfully refinished a lot of her own home's decor items and you can find step-by-step how-to information there. Her home is beautiful, filled with lots of second-hand and recycled treasures! Anyways, after returning home, I quickly removed tags, temporarily placed some of the items around our home, set up a re-finishing station, and got to work.
The crown bookends were a bit damaged on top. I wasn't quite certain what was on top of them, but believe I remembered seeing them with a small cross on top of them once. I didn't pick them up then because I didn't like the look that those crosses added, but since they were damaged, I loved them! A quick sanding with my Dremel tool, wiping them down to remove any dust, and I was all set to refinish them. The bookend on the right side of the photograph above is more accurate of how I purchased them, only they were all gold-toned in color. I added the black using acrylic paint and touched up the left one using one coat of the Renaissance Brown metallic glaze, both will received the same treatment, and one additional coat before I'm finished with them.
The frame, right behind the right bookend pictured, was also a bright gold with splatters resembling an aged technique. Way to bright for my taste, although I loved the style of the frame itself. A quick wipe down to ensure it was clean, two coats of black acrylic paint, a layer of the Renaissance Brown metallic glaze, and a layer of Antique Gold Rub-N-Buff, produced the beautiful effect you see here. I believe I may add a light coat of lacquer, just to protect the faux finish, at a later date. I added a photograph of Don's godmother, Evelyn, to the frame. It is only temporary, as I quickly printed it out onto copy paper, instead of making the trek out to the studio for photo-quality paper.
In the background of the photograph, is the $8 accent lamp and lampshade. The lampshade was a separate purchase --- at 80% off, it was a steal! for only $1.60

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