Entryway Makeover with Hanging Wall Planters

 The wall behind our front door has been long overdue for a makeover. Like, it was really bothering me every time I looked at it. The color scheme in our house has gradually been transitioning to a lot of aqua accent colors, so this green/orange/purple combo just wasn't working anymore. And in general I just get bored of things and am always looking for an excuse to make a change.

Step One was to refinish the console table with chalk paint and dark wax, which you can read more about here. As you can see I also did some "shopping" around the house and found some beach-themed decor for the table.

Step Two was finding something to replace the three medallion mirrors. I knew I wanted to incorporate plants somehow (either real or faux), so I began searching Amazon for hanging wall planters. After too much time spent deliberating between all the options and styles, I finally decided to get these unique white ceramic flower planters.

Well, that meant I had to find something to hang them on, as a regular nail wouldn't do the trick. But I also didn't want a big bulky hook. Hello again, Amazon. Another search led me to these gold decorative wall hangers. (They also came with anchors and screws.) I was pleasantly surprised with the quality once they arrived. It was a set of four, even though only three were needed for my purposes.

 

After enlisting hubby's help with installing the hooks, the planters were ready to hang! 

As I'd hoped, the three planters fill out this wall space perfectly. They're not too big, and not too small. The back side is also flat so they don't stick too far out from the wall which was an important consideration. I dig the leather strap and brass screws, don't you?

Surprisingly my existing craft stash didn't include any flowers that worked well for these planters, so a quick trip to Hobby Lobby was in order. (I actually haven't been there in a very long time.) Luckily it happened to be the last day to get 50% off the floral category. Originally I thought I might get some succulents, but in the end I decided on three dahlia (?) stems for a very budget-friendly total of $12. Each large stem had three flowers on it, which I cut and arranged in the planters. Easy peasy.

You could get really creative with floral/succulent arrangements in these planters, but obviously I took the quickest and simplest route for immediate gratification. Also, in case you're wondering, there's no drainage hole in them. But according to the product description, adding a handful of small rocks and or charcoal to the bottom is an easy way to give excess water somewhere to go to prevent live plants from drowning.

Finally, the makeover is complete! All the pieces and parts came together quite nicely. Not only does it look more cohesive, it feels more sophisticated too. (As an added bonus, our front door wreath also ties in well) The overall cost for this entryway makeover was only about $50 for the planters, gold "hooks" and faux flowers. I purposely got flowers that will look appropriate year-round, but it would also be easy to switch them out for Christmas stems or other seasonal decor. Versatility is always a good thing in my book!

Styled Floating Shelves in the Kitchen

In my last blog post, I revealed the new floating shelves in our kitchen. Since then I've played around with decorating them and am actually pretty happy with the results (although I'm sure it won't be long before I'm ready to change things up again). 

First I shopped around our own house, pulling out some items we currently had on hand (including Moscow mule mugs, wine corks, and a couple mini succulent plants). But I also needed wanted more white accents for a nice contrast against the metallic backsplash and natural wood shelves. Nothing that a trip to Target and Home Goods couldn't solve! I came back with some small square plates, a couple white coffee mugs and a white coffee canister (all of which serve both functional and decorative purposes). A couple styling sessions later, this was where I ended up:

Our Staircase Photo Gallery Wall - Finally Complete!

Way back in 2011 (holy cow, was it really that long ago?), I shared the reveal of the gallery wall in our staircase. It only spanned one wall at that time, and I figured eventually I'd fill up the other wall but it's never really been a priority. To say we've had some other projects on our plate since then would be a severe understatement. 

Below is a quick reminder of what the existing gallery wall looks like. (If you want to see a blast from the past, you should check out the first reveal post to what the wall color used to be!) The frames are filled with photos from vacations, but they were starting to feel pretty outdated.

Seeing as how we've taken quite a few other vacations over the years, I recently decided it was time to extend the gallery to the opposite wall, down the stairs that lead to our basement.

I wanted to take the same approach, which was a variety of different frame designs and sizes that would all be painted white or ivory. A couple weeks ago as I drove by an At Home store, I decided to pop in to check out their frame selection. There was conveniently a clearance event taking place, so I ended up filling my arms with as many frames as I could hold — some of which weren't on sale, but still cheap. I bought 9 frames for a total of $58, which felt pretty reasonable.

Guest Bedroom Revealed (and always vacant!)

Just to be clear, this isn't a reveal that I've been teasing or leading up to recently. And it's not all that impressive, to be honest. It just happens to be one of the few (or should I say only) rooms in our house that is basically done. It's not mid-renovation, and it's not used for storage like a couple of our other extra bedrooms. 

Ironically enough, this guest room also rarely gets seen. The door is generally closed, and we don't often have overnight guests. Go figure! So this is my way of proving that we do actually have a decent looking room in our house.

If you're interested in the gradual transformation of this guest room, or some of the DIY projects seen in the photos below, check out these posts:

• Painting the walls
• Painting the old furniture
• DIY ombre canvas artwork
• Shower curtain turned window curtain
• Fabric lamp revamp
• DIY mercury glass vase

There's somewhat of an intended theme as far as the calming blue/gray colors and some coastal accents, but I've also collected some miscellaneous decor pieces here that just don't have a home anywhere else.

Wall color is Valspar Metropolis

Coastal Bathroom Makeover - Full Reveal

Is there really any such thing as a true "before and after"? I'm beginning to think not. Rather, I think it's like "before and various-stages-of-in-between." At least in our case that's more accurate, since it seems we're never quite 100% finished with something before we either change direction mid-course or just move on to a new project entirely. (Can anyone else relate?)

Anyway. That rambling leads me to my current blog post, which is sharing the most recent version of our hall bathroom. We still have to re-attach some baseboards and caulk along the vanity sidesplash, but hey, it's almost finished...

First, take a good look at this blast from the past (when we first moved in):

Now, let me walk you through each stage of the gradual transformation since then (including links to the blog posts if you want more detail):

Coastal Bathroom Shelves and Styling

There was a major development in our house over the weekend, folks. The wall behind the toilet in our hall bathroom, which had been bare for months, finally got some new shelves. It may not seem that newsworthy, but trust me, it's a big deal. 

Let me rewind just a bit...

We used to have a metal etagere over the toilet, but when we installed our new flooring I ended up moving it into our master bathroom just to get some much-needed storage there. Plus, I wanted an excuse to get some new shelving in the hall bathroom which gets more visibility.

Dining Table Chalk Paint Transformation: Part II

Did you catch my last blog post about painting our dining table? If not, go check that out now. I'll just wait right here. 
...........................................

K. Now that we're all caught up, it's time to share the full reveal of the table transformation, including our new chairs!

While I had been fairly confident about the look of the table (two-tone; distressed legs), the chair selection was a different story. We weren't trying to find something to match the table, but rather just "go" with it. I'm all about the mix-and-match approach these days. But it was bit overwhelming to sift through all the options and make a decision on style, material and color.

At first we were thinking of some metal chairs like these, or these, but Luke wanted something with a higher back and a more formal look. The next path we explored was looking at fabric chairs along these lines. I was almost sold on this style, but then decided I wanted something with more of an open back rather than a solid one. It just seemed like it would make our small dining space feel bigger somehow, but maybe I'm weird about things like that. 

The Perfect Neutral Area Rug... So Far!

[A little PSA for my blog readers: This year, Amazon Prime Day is on July 11, but they have great deals starting on July 10. Not an Amazon Prime member? You can sign up for a free trial here!]

While we have yet to find the perfect new living room furniture (hence the lack of seating shown in the photos below), I just had to share an update about the area rug we recently got to help define our living area. I wanted a neutral rug that wasn't too light (we have two dogs) but yet not so dark that it blends in with the recently-installed luxury vinyl plank floor.

After much searching online and in a few stores, we finally decided to go with this 7x7 Safavieh Hudson Shag Collection Grey and Ivory Moroccan Ogee Plush Area Rug. I really appreciated their variety of size options in both square and round. It was tempting to go with the ivory color for contrasting with our dark floor, but practicality won out and we opted for grey. 

The rug also had some pretty stellar reviews on Amazon, and now I can see why. It's super soft and plush, and the grey color has just a hint of brown which adds some warmth. The ivory pattern and the ever-so-slight sheen also make it contrast beautifully with our floor.

Upgrading Light Fixtures: An Enlightening Experience

The gradual transformation of our house over the past year has included several upgrades to existing light fixtures. Last fall, we were having our entire main floor ceiling refinished anyway (because of some walls we'd removed ― another blog post in itself), so this created the perfect opportunity/excuse to re-work our lighting situation too. Why not cut out a few extra holes and just get it all fixed at the same time?

In fact, at one point it looked like someone had just taken a giant hole punch to our ceiling:

Here, let me try to clarify this picture a bit...

Clear as mud? 

Creative Decorating Alternatives to a Fireplace Mantel

I've probably mentioned before (most likely in a Christmas-related post) that we don't have a fireplace in our house. Which makes me feel like I'm really missing out on mantel-decorating opportunities. That's right, I have mantel envy.  I would even go for an electric fireplace just to get that mantel. 

But until that happens, there is still hope for me and others who lack a fireplace. I've done some browsing and gathered these alternative decorating ideas for your inspiration. Some of them involve creating a faux fireplace, and others are unique ways to emulate that coveted mantel-esque focal point! Mantel wannabes, if you will. 

Want to go with the more "loose" aesthetic interpretation of a fireplace mantel?  Some common decor pieces you'll want to keep an eye out for include:

• Old doors
• Chunky shelves
• Architectural salvage pieces
• Old window frames
• Decorative wood corbels
• Shallow buffets/dressers/sideboards/console tables

{ image via indulgy.com }

Bar Cart Styling Ideas for the Holidays

In case you hadn't noticed, bar carts are kind of having a moment right now.  It's easy to see why -- they add a touch of sophistication along with a fun way to display adult beverages and pretty accessories. 

I don't have a bar car (yet!), so unfortunately I have no pictures of my own to share. Instead, I scoured the interwebs to find some of my favorite bar cart styling ideas.  And with the holidays right around the corner, bar carts also provide another opportunity to show off your festive spirit! 

{image via Inspired by This}

I'm kind of obsessed with copper, so it's no wonder this bar cart caught my eye. Love the neutral, understated elegance for fall gatherings!

Our Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Inspiration

I've already posted some of the progress of our massive kitchen makeover (see Cabinet Painting Part I, Part II, and Part III), but I've never really shared the overall vision for the kitchen.

Even though I have a Pinterest board with plenty of ideas for kitchen inspiration, I thought I'd put together a little vision board here because A) it's helpful to see all the specific products together and B) it's just fun to create one! I'm calling it this "modern farmhouse" but with all of the blending of styles out there these days, who really knows? All I know is I'm a fan of mixing and matching different materials, finishes, and textures to create something unique and individualized. 

If you haven't been following along up until this point, we will also have white distressed upper cabinets, and dark gray distressed lower cabinets.

The only things we've actually ordered so far are the pendant lights and the cabinet hardware, but I think we're fairly set on the rest of it. I'm sure I'll share an update with final selections once our kitchen is done, but let's face it -- that's weeks (if not months) down the road.  In the meantime, sources below!

Capitol Lighting 10-inch Mini Pendant - Graphite with Aged Brass

[ via 1800lighting.com ]

Grand Terrace Metallic Medley Hexagon Mosaic

[ via menards.com ]

Williamsburg Butcher Block Co. Builder Oak Countertop

[ via lumberliquidators.com ]

Cosmas® 701ORB Oil Rubbed Bronze Contemporary Cabinet Hardware Knob - 

1-7/16" Length - 10 Pack

[ via amazon.com ]

Pfister GT529BF Briarsfield Pullout Spray Kitchen Faucet with AccuDock Technolog, Tuscan Bronze

[ via amazon.com ]

Olde London Double-Bowl Fireclay Farmhouse Sink

[ via wayfair.com ]

It's worth noting that once the oak countertops are sealed/oiled, they'll probably be a little darker than what the stock picture shows.

And, we're still debating on the mosaic tile -- Menards also has a Copper Medley style.  But the all-silver tile may add more of that "modern" contrast we're going for. So of course I had to swap it out for another vision board!

What do you think?? We'll probably just have to bring home a sample of each tile once we have the butcher block countertops installed.

NOTE:

Little House on the Corner is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Crazy for Copper: Top 12 Copper Home Accents

Whether it's smooth or hammered, shiny or antiqued, rosy-hued or bronze-hued... I'm crazy for copper!  This beautiful metal is so versatile as an accent in home decor, and mixing it with other metals is a big "yasss!" in my book. 

Copper adds such warmth and richness to a space. So with fall right around the corner I thought it would be a great time to compile a list of my top 10 favorite copper looks. Well, except I had a problem narrowing it down to just 10. So with that said...  get ready to indulge in some swoon-worthy copper goodness!

Chalk Paint Coffee Table Makeover

** UPDATE: I just wanted to say hello and thanks to all of you who are visiting from Pinterest! It appears this particular pin has gotten a lot of love. Since I finished this table makeover around 2 years ago, it's still holding up great. The table doesn't get a ton of heavy use, although I've since applied two extra coats of wax for good measure. And now back to your regularly scheduled blog reading! **

Seven months. That's how long it's been since my last blog post. Whoops! There's been much progress in this past year around these parts--mainly related to finishing our basement. But I wouldn't even know where to begin with those updates, so for now I'm just going to share this latest project that's totally blog-worthy (if I do say so myself).

Gray Matters: A Gray Paint Transformation (Part II)

So it occurred to me that I teased about my new gray paint job way back in November, and then never blogged about it again. Whoops. Bad blogger, bad! I'm sure you were all losing sleep over it, right? Not to worry, my friends. Seven months later, here is the full reveal!

You can visit Part I to see the 'before' pictures, but here's a little collage as a quick reminder. Our walls used to be a very warm beige (almost gold?), with a dark reddish hallway and stairwell. Those were the colors the interior was painted when we bought the house as the first owners. 

Ten gallons of paint later, the transformation was complete. I loved it then, and I'm still really happy with it. It feels fresh, modern, and airy. Because I've already drug this out long enough, here are the after pictures!

Vintage Sea-Inspired DIY Wall Art

I know. The title of this post is kind of a mouthful. But that's the best way I can describe this project. And since the last project I blogged about was admittedly kinda lame (albeit functional), I promise this one will make up for it! Consider that your warning for a long post with lots of pictures ahead.  :)

This is one of those things I've had on my to-do list for several weeks now, but I finally had the time, motivation, and materials to get it done over Memorial Day weekend. One of the other reasons it took so long to get started was that I didn't exactly know how to bring my vision to life. I hadn't seen any specific examples of what I wanted to do. But I'm happy to say that it turned out beautifully in the end! And, I have to say right off the bat that the total cost was less than $5!!!

Let me rewind just a bit. It all started when I was thinking about how to decorate our hall bathroom. We have 10-foot ceilings and there was a large expanse of wall above our towel rack just crying out for attention. 

I'm really digging beach/sea-themed decor right now, and after some searching I found these vintage-looking sea printables via Pinterest. I knew they would be perfect, and the colors would look great with our bathroom walls (which are painted Behr Mojito). I printed them out on regular paper on a laserjet printer (*cough cough* at my office). I'm not even sure if the images were high-resolution, but they looked pretty decent to me once printed.

DIY Coffee Filter Floral Wreath

You guys. I am so stoked about this project. (Does anyone used the word stoked anymore?) In fact, I’m just going to glaze over the fact that it’s been five months since my last blog post, and dive right into this masterpiece.

I’ve been wanting to make a fun, spring/summer indoor wreath and had seen several coffee filter wreaths on Pinterest. So this was the perfect excuse for a good ol’ DIY evening. It really is an easy project and doesn’t take a whole lot of skill – just a lot of coffee filters, time, and patience (and maybe a couple glasses of wine if you’re so inclined). But it’s worth the end result if you ask me.

Aside from the coffee filters (which only cost $1 for a package of 100), I got all my supplies at Hobby Lobby:

Coffee filters (2 packs)
12” wreath form
Sewing pins (box of 325)
Faux flowers (on clearance!)

Total cost: About $10

Christmas Decor Tour

In case you didn't know, Christmas is next week. (How is that possible??) In the spirit of the season, I thought I'd share a few photos of some of my favorite decorations. Typically I lean toward a traditional combo of red, green, and gold or silver (although I've noticed that bright colors like pink and turquoise have been making an appearance in Christmas decorations this year). 

I scored these silver sparkly faux branches on sale after Christmas last year. They're displayed in a nice glass vase filled with gold pine cones. Easy peasy and elegant.

Drinking & Crafting: DIY Wine Cork Ball

We've been accumulating quite the wine cork collection throughout the past seven years of our marriage, and lately the situation has been getting a little out of control. There's a large glass vase that's overflowing with corks in our kitchen, plus a plastic bag full of them in our closet. Eventually I figured I'd do some cool crafty project with them and have been pinning lots of fun ideas on Pinterest:

[Wine Cork Decorative Tray Filler]

Crazy About Quatrefoil

Has anyone else noticed that quatrefoil is making more and more appearances in home decor lately? Apparently this decorative element--which means "four leaves" in Latin--had its peak popularity during the Gothic and Renaissance eras (thanks, Wikipedia). Well, I think it's safe to say that quatrefoil is enjoying a pretty big comeback. Even if you don't know it by the name, you'll probably recognize the pattern. 

Here are a few favorites I found while perusing the Interwebs. I love how they all put a fresh, contemporary spin on the traditional shape of the quatrefoil.

Throw Pillow @ Zazzle