Simple Tricks to Home Makeover in The Color Of The Year

Color Of The Year 

Makeover Any Home

First Things First: Stick to the basics

When selecting your furniture, whether it's brand new or new to you, stick with a neutral color. You can always add color to your home with pillows and soft blanket throws.

Next Step: Add Your Color

I tend to go for colors I truly adore, however in this case we are selecting the color of the year for 2015 which is Marsala. Pick your decor based on the style you prefer. If you don't have a particular style such a Modern, go with something that peaks your interest.

Design is not only a tale of your imagination, it is who you are as a person. It tells the tale of where you have been and how far you have come.

Last Step: Go For Broke

I thought since I love to paint furniture, I would add just a touch of my style. Grab a piece of your favorite furniture and paint it! Be bold and use your imagination. Just remember, paint is never permanent. While you're at it, take one prominent wall in your house and paint it that perfect color. It adds character and compliments your new look.

There you have it folks.. This is my design style!

Thank you for reading my blog and Happy Designing :-)

Out With The Old And In With The Newly Refinished Furniture

Fantastic Table Makeover

Is there anything better than a makeover session with your favorite paint colors?  I know, I know.. This is not the color of the year, but that burnt orange is so fabulous I just couldn't resist! 

These table were given to me by a friend that was moving out of town. I've had them for almost a week and couldn't figure out what I was going to do with them. I went through my stencils today and I found the perfect one. 

Here is the before picture

These tables are modern/country with the rounded edges and cutout pattern on the front. I didn't really want to cover the pattern up simply because it's gives the tables a bit of character. 

A flat black spray paint did the trick.. I took the perfect stencil and two different colors of spray paint and gave it a once over with each color. You can do so many different color combinations, but the burnt orange and white seems to be just that color combination I can't get away from.

Add a piece of glass to each of these tables and they become the "Perfect" end tables for any home.. Modern or country? You can choose :-) The great thing about these tables is that you can choose to show the country detail or turn them around and keep them modern... 

This project is for any range of painter and you don't have to be perfect. Just keep in mind that you must tape newspaper around the edges to keep the overspray from getting on the edges of the table. 

As Always... Thank you for reading my blog and Happy Painting! :-)

Update your home with a Double Coat of Fabulous-Dresser Makeover

Two Coats of Fabulous

It's been awhile since I have refinished a piece of furniture. 

However, yesterday my very good friend gave me a few pieces... Sad to say, she is moving to Florida. So I decided that in honor of her kind and generous nature, this one is for you Kelly!

Originally I was going to go with my normal everyday brown and turquoise but I decided that bright colors were in order. I started this by removing some of the paint, but then I realized after struggling through the removal process that there were two coats of paint on this sucker.

My mind went straight to "Oh Lordy" and "Not a chance" that I am going to spend twenty hours on paint removal. I went straight for my tinted wax that never fails. I sanded the entire piece and then coated it with the wax. What a transformation! The wax made the wood look like wood again and distressed the piece to make it shabby.

Once I removed some of the paint I was able to remove the super cool decals that had been added before the piece was painted white. I removed the paint from the decals and coated them with clear fingernail polish to add some shine.

The colors I used on the dresser drawers were a bit brighter until I put the tinted wax over the paint. I love the way this piece turned out. I put some new hardware on it and lined the drawers with decorative craft paper and Voila... A beautiful piece of furniture for any beautiful home. 

Thank you for reading my Blog.. and as always... Happy Painting! :-)

Recycled Shrink Wrap Rolls-Get A Marble Makeover

Teaching Classes in the local area.

As you all know I love to paint as much as I love breathing. I am in the works with a local business owner to rent a large space. It's time to move to the next step. 

Ok so on to the shrink wrap rolls... I have been collecting them for a class I wanted to teach and needed some samples. So I got with a local warehouse and they graciously donated a box of them to me. 

I started by painting a base coat and then onto the marbling.

The colors I used were neutral but if you like, you could use any bright colors that suit your fancy. Everyone knows how much I LOVE pink and I am surprised I didn't use any tonight.

The main thing some people have the hardest time with is the veining. I found that using sponges and thin brushes make it easier to get the veining just right.

Last but not least... make sure to spray your finished project with a clear coat to not only protect the finish but to give it the shine of natural marble

I know I know, I didn't give you much detail but remember if you are in the local area you can come and sit in on a class or maybe even take one of my classes..

Thank you so much for all of your support! It means so much..

Thanks again and Happy Painting!

Update your Design On A Budget....Spring Spruce Up

Recently I went shopping for my Spring Spruce up... 

This time of year we all like to spend that extra cash we get from Uncle Sam. I find that shopping on a budget is not only fruitful but can be the most rewarding. The place I chose to shop is ...Wal-Mart.

Normally I would choose is Kirklands, however shopping on a budget calls for the big guns. I went walking around the home section and came upon some of the most awesome finds. 

I found this beautiful bright caribbean blue decorative mirror for under $25 dollars. 

What a great pop of color for any room!

I found this super cute magnetic lamp embellishment. You take this cute little flower and put it on the front of the lamp and add the magnet to the back. Instant Redo!

This was an awesome find. This chair was a a definite surprise especially for Wal-Mart. You would normally find a chair like this in a high end furniture store. I found this chair for under $70 dollars.

This is the "Perfect" desk chair or end chairs for the kitchen table.

I found this super fun uplamp that I just had to share. You could certainly spruce up any room with this baby. This is great on the budget as well at just under $30 dollars. 

The Grand Finally!

The picture of Marilyn Monroe... You all know how much I love her and to find such a great buy for under $20 dollars is definitely the most amazing buy on today's budget.

All in all I would say that I did a great job and all under $200 dollars. 

What an amazing day and "On a Budget"

Thanks for reading my blog and Happy Sprucing! 

Another Piece of Furniture Saved-New and Improved shoe cabinet

Here is my New and Improved shoe cabinet. 

I found this cabinet at one of my favorite shops in Indianapolis for $10.99. It was in great shape and at an even better price. However, it needed an upgrade of some color, a drawer liner and new drawer pulls. 

I started with the drawer liner. I found this awesome contact paper that always looks good and sticks well to wood. 

I removed the drawer pulls and added a new set. I added the same contact paper to the inserts of the drawer pulls to make them pop. 

Now on to the colors. I mixed several shades to come up with the marble look on both the drawers and the cabinet door. It took just over 3 hours to complete. I decided against painting the inside of the cabinet but instead gave it a tung oil finish. I wanted to leave the inside unfinished for a bit of simplicity.

For today, my work is done. The tung oil finish is drying and all thats left is to sand with steel wool and apply one last coat. I think this turned out to be such a beautiful piece that will look fabulous in any home.

That's all for today... Remember, if you have any questions about colors and the finish on this piece please contact me at theleakycauldron@gmail.com

Thank you for checking out my blog and Happy Crafting!!

You can see this item in person at 

The Room Swap

Plainfield, Indiana

Creative Superstar at Your Service- Making that Table Something Special

About 6 months ago I painted this table and it turned out pretty awesome... At least that's what I thought. I was in my shop and I took a look at it and it just wasn't up to my standards. So I brought it back home and sanded it down to do it again.

I wanted to make something super cool this time. So I took this...

And I made this....

I saw this super awesome nautical themed dresser with this awesome star. I knew it was the perfect thing for this table. I just needed to come up with the right colors. The 2015 color chart has the latest trending colors but I don't necessarily go by the trends. I kinds like to to walk my own path.

I have never been one for trends. I like what I like and it works.

I used a muted pallet versus the brighter colors I usually use. The black base just made this entire piece pop. The muted colors of the star make this a very mixable piece. What I mean by that is it can be used in several different ways and will flow with lots of different colors.

There is definitely a method to my madness. 

My Goal... Make It Work!

Thanks for checking out my blog and Happy Painting!

Turn A Roadside Table Into A Game Table- Checkerboard/Chess

It's become an easy job to find furniture these days. People are cleaning out their homes to buy new. I was driving down Main street and there it was...Out for the trash! How can this be? This beautiful, well built and very useful piece just left out for the landfill.

So here I go again making something useful and taking it to the market... But I really like this piece! So much so that I let the kids play a game of checkers just to try it out.

So I found it like this

I picked this table up and once I brought it home... all I could see is a checker board. 

SO I sanded the middle and carved lines for the board.

Next I picked out a color that would pop.. RED

I also put corner pieces on the ends to spruce it up and add a bit of pizazz. They are fitting, don't you think? Then I covered the board with "SC Johnson Paste Wax" to bring out the shine and serves as a protectant.

The next step was to test it out! The kids played a game of checkers on the board and it was super fun to watch. I love this game board table. It's one of the funnest projects I have ever done.

Thanks for checking out my Blog... Happy Crafting!

Make Any Table Look Like Reclaimed Wood Style Piece of Furniture

Reclaimed Wood Table.. Lookalike 

Tables are a dime a dozen and you can find them everywhere. It's what you do with them after you find them that makes them a masterpiece. 

The trick to making your table a one of a kind is research. Google is the best place to find pictures and images of one of kind furniture. Find one you like and imitate the style with paint or stain. 

In this particular case, I wanted to make the table look like it was reclaimed.

I find that with a little imagination, you can create one of kind pieces without much effort and little time. This table took about 2 hours from start to finish.

I started by sanding down the piece and then wiping it clean. I then painted the table with a Valspar paint that is a primer. I always like to make sure the paint has a primer included. 

Then I chose three colors that blend well and work well with the current color trends.

I picked out carribean blue, dark brown and cream. These three colors worked out very well and blend with the lighter brown I used to cover the entire piece. I think this piece came out so beautiful and the colors worked out so well. This piece looks very authentic and will work well inside the house or on the patio.

Thank you for checking out my blog... AND Happy Designing... 

Make That House a Home- Part Three....New Design for Bedroom Love

 New Design for Bedroom Love

There is something to be said for a well designed bedroom. There is nothing like coming home from a long day of work to lay your head down in a comfortable setting. 

There are some people who like a lot of pillows (Me) and some people prefer a more simple setting. I have found that most people watch t.v. in bed and pillows can be a way to help the relaxation mode.

I also love a well designed bedroom. You have to have certain things like great lighting and lots of great pictures for great atmosphere. Color is very important as well.... Color affects your mood and it brings out your personality.

The climate needs to be warm and inviting. The fabrics need to be soft and built for comfort as well. When you live in a small dwelling where rooms have been combined the flow is just as important as the color and fabrics used to create that flow. 

Life can be so stressful and that's why I decided it was time to recreate an atmosphere of calm and relaxation! Green is considered to be the most calming and restful. Therefore I used it on the headboard and surrounding area. I also used pops of specific colors to create luxury (purple), excitement (orange) and happiness (yellow).

 In this final look I feel that I have created a wonderful design that cost just under $100 dollars. The look includes a new duvet cover, pillows, side table and wall decor.

That's all for today.. Thank you for checking out my blog and  Happy Designing!!!

New Use for an OLD sewing box- Create a Modern Version with ordinary everyday items

New and Improved Vintage Sewing Box

What can YOU do with these items

Take a dated sewing box and make it your masterpiece

Here are just a few things you need 

1 OLD sewing box

(The trick to finding these old boxes is looking in places like the Goodwill and The Salvation Army)

1 dated Large Belt

1 new drawer pull

1 can of paint (glossy)

fabric for new lining

(If the lining is solid, keep it)

twine for the lid

I painted the wood box a glossy black and highlighted the edges of the lid with paint as well. Then I looped the belt around the box and glued it in place. I removed the old hardware and replaced it with a new stainless drawer pull. I then wrapped the twins around the top of the lid and painted it red for a little flair.

You could go with a silver paint or any color you might like. 

The bottom line here is you have a super chic looking box to store your makeup or anything that suits your fancy. My choice will be my paint supplies since I have so many.

Just have FUN with it

That's all for today.. Thanks for checking out my blog and Happy Crafting!