transform a dark wood bed into a beachy chic treasure

i was in search of a queen bed for a beach property. i scoured craigslist over a few weeks and scrounged all the furniture that i planned on painting. GREAT deals to be had! this waterfront house is all whites and blues, to match the airy, beachy vibe of the lovely town, Coronado. i chose all solid wood […]
How to paint wood to look like weathered Restoration Hardware wood

hi friends! i’m back with another furniture painting tutorial on how to use chalk paint to get a weathered wood Restoration Hardware finish. here’s my inspiration. a wonderful wood pier that we visited on our summer road trip. the irony is that the piece i was painting, was in fact, a real Restoration Hardware dresser….from the early […]
Coronado beach house tour

i recently helped a friend decorate her new beach house. it’s the perfect Coronado vacation rental, don’t you think? it’s a cute 3 bedroom waterfront condo in the heart of coronado that breathes so well. open the windows and the breeze just whips through the entire home. this was a fun project despite the blood, sweat […]
beach house vintage windows + vinyl lettering

i’m surprised i haven’t seen more of these on the internets. don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of old windows and vinyl lettering with cute quotes… but none that are inspired from the subway posters that pay tribute to a city or town’s points of interest. so i’ll claim this as an original as i […]
Norm! how to paint Cheers-y bar stools

if you don’t get this post’s title, you’re too young. i’ve just started and already i’ve digressed. anyway, you’ve seen these bar stools, right? these maple-ish wood bar stools were hip 10 years ago, but you’ve still got them laying around. they’re sturdy and make for a perfect soccer goal backstop. with a little elbow […]
vintage painted dresser for a friend

a neighbor was tossing this vintage dresser that had been in her daughter’s room for 20 years. it had taken a beating. i wish i had a before picture, but alas, i don’t. suffice it to say there was a lot of scotch tape, stickers, and fingerprints on this lovely. a friend is moving back […]
Regency coffee table gets a chalk paint makeover

we’re in the midst of remodeling a bit of our new house. nothing major…carpet, paint, new tile in the bathrooms. along with the new comes a lot of furniture painting. most of my pals know that i bought a Ford F-150 b/c i pick up so much random furniture to paint. so when i noticed […]
paint technique to make Ikea Hemnes mirror look like Restoration Hardware finish

i picked up this Ikea Hemnes mirror for a property in Mammoth Lakes. i wanted a rustic look to match the gorgeous and majestic Sherwin Mountain Range that is viewable from the house. i started with a light dry-brushing of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint’s Paris Grey. after brushing in the direction of the grain, […]
shabby metal urns

i had these laying around the garage for a while. and as you know by now, nothing is safe from my paint brush! i’m racing out to Palm Springs for a photo shoot at this hip mid century modern Villa with the ever talented Jimmy Cheng. what are your weekend plans? have a great […]
antique dresser gets a Swedish facelift

i picked up this antique dresser on Craigslist. it had been with the family for a few generations, but it was time for it to get a new home. it was a perfect shape with great bones for a new sink pedestal in the kids’ bathroom. the top had a ton of wear and tear, […]
Get a Swedish Gustavian look w/ Annie Sloan chalk paint

oh. my. word. i’m absolutely in love with this look right now. i found this perfectly-shaped headboard with a matching dresser on Craigslist. it was a lovely Bombay piece in pitch black with gold details. just not my style, but the shape and detailed wood work were perfect for my next Gustavian-inspired pieces. i usually […]
Duncan Phyfe drum table gets a Gustavian makeover

my latest obsession is Gustavian furniture. whites and pale grays all inspired by the bright cheery homes found in Sweden. makes sense given they have very limited light during the winter months. this Duncan Phyfe drum table was one of the very first furniture pieces i refinished…all prior to discovering Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. you […]
Annie Sloan painted home

given that i’m pretty much done painting every piece of furniture in our house, i figured it was time for a house tour! these pix aren’t mine, but were taken by someone who specializes in HDR photography. figured i’d see what results it would produce. basically, the camera is set up on a tripod, and […]
dyeing fabric with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

our shabby chic room is such a happy room. the colors are pretty, cheerful, and frankly, this is the only feminine room in the entire house. with 3 boys in the house, i specifically designed most things to be durable enough to withstand Hot Wheels, baseballs, and general dude stuff. but this room is all […]
painting oak to look like Restoration Hardware :: mud room diy

let me start by saying that i’ve absolutely saved no money by doing this project myself! if i account for the time spent, mistakes made, injuries sustained, and my hourly billing rate, i’d be better off having purchased the Restoration Hardware version. BUT, this has been a great project and i feel that my painting […]