easy shelf makeover

For under six dollars and just about one hour of my time, I transformed two IKEA Lack shelves from boring black to warm and woodsy. In black, they weren't exactly jiving with the dark brown walls of my TV room. I thought about my options to remake them: wallpaper seemed to messy and possibly pricey, and I knew that spray paint might not stick and would eventually scratch off and look bad.

The black shelf before. The accessories weren't working right either.

The shelf after. The new look suits the room and the accessories make more of an impact.


I went to Home Depot looking for a solution, and found it right away: Contact paper. Normally applied as a shelf liner in cupboards or used on the inside of drawers, the paper is sticky enough to adhere to a surface, but is not a permanent commitment. The only downside is the lack of options. There are lots of ugly ones, and just a couple of decent basic colors. I chose a faux bois look, in light pine.

The process was simple. I just measured the shelves, then cut the paper using the handy grid on the back side. Leaving the shelves attached to the wall, I applied the contact paper, wrapping a single long piece around the entire shelf. It took a little fidgeting to get it to lay straight and smooth, but it was extremely easy. I cut separate strips for the front edge of each shelf.

A close up of the application of the contact paper.

The result looks pretty darn good. The warm and natural tones certainly play up the brown wall paint, and show off accessories better than the black did. A super inexpensive do-it-yourself decorating project, with instant gratification!

Shelf #2 before its makeover.


Now it fits with the room so much better!


Different accessories add a little more variety and warmth.

end tables: done!

Before: The end tables were fine, but not quite my style.

Okay, okay, I know it has been a really long time since you all voted on the end table paint color/pull combo. Sorry! Each table soaked in two coats of primer, three coats of paint, and required some crafty carpentry skills to install the new pulls. Hopefully you think the wait was worth it!

In case you don't remember, the winning combination was the rich brownish black Nori from Martha Stewart's paint collection paired with the bone pull by Anthropologie.


Being the budget decorator that I am, I made my own version of the color by mixing left over chocolate brown paint and jet black paint that I had used for other projects in the house.


Initially, I spray painted the old brass pulls white, which freshened them up quite a bit. However, a little decorating angel named Candace surprised me with the Anthropologie pulls for my birthday! Wasn't that so sweet? They make all the difference. Thanks Candace!


Now the tables look just as I envisioned them: classy but earthy.

Tell me what you think! And thanks for voting!

lovely lampshades

Lamp before the seemingly simple and innocent shade makeover.

Lamp after the frustrating and not-so-easy shade makeover.

How could such a seemingly simple decorating project cause so much frustration? This is what I asked myself for the second time since starting the lampshade makeover. As I sat there yesterday, finally gluing the fabric to the shade, I quickly realized that this could end up looking like something from my 8th grade home economics class if I wasn't careful.

And yet, Cottage Living made it sound so simple; only four steps to a gorgeous custom looking lampshade. The perfect way to use leftover fabric and add whimsy to any room. The ribbon bordering each end of the shade would hide rough edges and give the lamp a finished feel. Well, this was all much, much easier said than done. In fact, I would not recommend covering your lampshades in this manner unless you are an extremely patient and laid back person (I thought I was).

Isn't it lovely?


I'll lay down the basic steps for you, and give you pointers along the way.

Supplies:

A paper lampshade
1-2 yards of fabric depending on the size of your paper shade
Approx. 2 yards of 3/4" wide grosgrain ribbon in a coordinating (but dark) color
Aleene's No Sew Fabric Glue (at JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts, but not online)
Dritz's Sewing and Craft Tape (found at JoAnn's stores also)
4 Large pieces of newsprint drawing paper, taped together
Fabric scissors
Craft scissors
Pencil

1. With your large piece of newsprint drawing paper on the floor, trace with a pencil while rolling the lampshade across it: Start with the seam of the shade facing up, and trace along the bottom edge of the shade until the seam appears again. Reposition the shade at the starting point and repeat that step for the top edge of the shade.

2. Cut out your pattern and tape it around the shade. Trim off any excess paper around top and bottom edges. In fact, trim paper so that 1/4" of shade appears along top and bottom edge. This is so when you glue your fabric on, no raw edges will be showing. (Plus, the ribbon will hide them.)

3. Use your paper pattern to cut out the fabric. Be sure to allow extra fabric on the end to create a neat, folded seam at the back of the lampshade. Iron the fabric so it is nice and flat to work with.

4. Using Aleene's No Sew Fabric Glue, run a bead along the shade, about 1/2" from the top and bottom edges, as well as a line along the seam at the back.

5. Centering the fabric on the shade while it is sitting on a work surface, affix the fabric to the glue, smoothing as you go. This glue dries quickly, so work as fast as you can.

6. Fold about a 1/2" of fabric under at the back seam, and glue.

7. Affix the Dritz Sewing and Craft Tape to the top edge of the lamp. Unwind grosgrain ribbon directly from the spool. Start at the back seam, and stretch ribbon inch by inch along the top edge, keeping it taught as you go. This will help prevent wrinkles and bubbles. At the back of the shade, cut the ribbon so that you will have a 1/2" to fold under and use a small piece of the tape to secure it.

8. Repeat step seven for the bottom of shade as well.

9. Put shade on lamp!
I have to admit, it turned out pretty good, but still!


One thing that caused a problem for me, was the color of ribbon I initially chose. I picked an ivory ribbon that was the same color as the background in the fabric. Bad idea. I could see right through the ribbon to my jagged little fabric edges. (I did not allow the 1/4" on the bottom and top edges, and therefore had to trim the fabric while it was pinned on the lamp.) I had to go back to the store, and picked a chocolate brown ribbon instead, which probably ended up for the best.

If you decide to try this at home, I would recommend doing it with a friend. For detail oriented projects like this one, two crafty heads are always better than one. Because I already had the fabric and the shades, this project cost me only $11 for the ribbon, glue and tape.

I am ultimately happy with the results, but I can't say that I would ever attempt this again! If any of you have an easier technique for covering lamp shades, let me know!

old chairs made new

Grandma's pretty and precious dining set.

Aimee was the lucky recipient of a lovely dining set from her Grandma when she bought her Chicago, Illinois condo two years ago. The only problem with the set was that it fit right into her Grandma's traditional style of decor, not hers. Aimee's decorating sense blends modern, contemporary, and found vintage pieces.

To modernize the dining chairs she scoured IKEA for the perfect graphic, yet classic fabric. She even considered curtains and bedspreads, of which she had several in her basket when she called me to consult over the phone. I looked online while she braved the store, which seemed to be hosting a "bratty kids Tuesday" event, judging from the background noise.

An original chair next to Aimee's updated one, much improved.

We settled on two different black and white prints from the Gunvor collection that complement the curves of the traditional dining chairs perfectly. The project was inexpensive ($5.99 yard for the fabric!), and hardly labor intensive, but the design impact is incredible! In a matter of minutes, Aimee took these chairs from predictable to punkish. I know she does not want to paint then, but I think they might look amazing painted a bright turquoise, don't you? Have you got any simple, but dramatic d-i-y projects to send in? Please do!

Not grammy's fussy floral anymore!


Gorgeous, simple, and fun!

candace decorates again

Remember Candace's dining room redo? Well, have a peek at all she has done since then!

It might seem that Candace is my only friend, since I write about her so darn much. Well, she is a great friend indeed, and just happens to be doing tons of decorating projects that I want to blog about! After we did the design weekend together a while ago, she has been on a roll. And, we all know that once you catch the decorating bug, there is no turning back. Here is what she has been up to since repainting her little TV dresser/console a few weeks ago.

She took a great painted piece from Dana Lee's in Port Orchard, and coated it in black to conform to the theme in her guest bedroom. That lamp on top is her creation as well. She found the base on sale, then covered the self-stick lamp shade with a fabulous black and white floral fabric.

Candace found two perfect pieces at the Bainbridge Rotary sale this weekend. The $20 chair's light green fabric is in good condition and matches her living room decor. A small accent pillow lends a pop of modern orange.


The tuffet (scored for $1) got a much needed face lift with new fabric and painted legs.


She painted a dated pine bookshelf in a classic brown to add beauty and utility to her entry area.


A deal of a lamp base from goodwill gets a new life with a green silk shade that was kicking around in my basement. They are perfect on Candace's side table in the living room. Sadly, the shade wobbles on top, as the harp she purchased was missing its finial! She's now on the look out for the perfect one.


Lastly, Candace framed a piece of wrapping paper she admired with a gilded bargain frame from JoAnn Fabrics, to hang above her bed. Lovely idea!


I hope that you all are inspired by Candace's resourceful and beautifully done d-i-y projects. Send me pictures of yours! Thanks Candace!