This Guest Bloggers Knows Paint!

Hello Reclaimers! I am Karen Adams and a new blogger for My [Re]claimed Home! I thought I would share a little about myself and then go onto giving you some tips and tricks that you can use on your own projects.

First things first, who am I. Well I started my reclaiming, dumpster diving, garage sale picking, Restore shopping fetish about 10 years ago. I have always been blessed with a great artistic ability -being able to paint, draw, sculpt and much more, however after high school and a semester of college I wanted to do even more than the average artist. I wanted to use my talent in a unique way but I wasn’t sure how. Unbeknownst to me the answer was about to present itself in a very innocent way.

My mother-in-law was having a garage sale and had a tired old baker’s rack that she thought would sell if it just had a little coat of paint. So I took on the challenge! I painted the rack and added some design flair to it and before I knew it a light bulb went off. I wanted to do this! I wanted to redo furniture, make it one of a kind and wow people. And of course it didn’t stop there. I not only redo furniture but I also create new furniture and items out of … for a lack of a better word… “Junk”

I LOVE what I do with a passion! I take great pride in my work and love to share my talents with the world. I teach people how to get past their project dilemmas and how to look at items in a new light (I also started Pink Punk Design on Facebook with my Mother in-law, Laurie Hamilton, for anyone who is interested in getting tips and tricks on a whole wide range of topics)

OK so enough about me! Let’s talk PAINT!

Not just any paint but the up and rising popular chalk paint!

This diverse eco-friendly paint is so easy to use! Add a little water to it to make it smooth, thicken it up by leaving the lid off, and make it into a wash by adding even more water. Use flat brushes for a smooth look or bristle brushes for a more textured aged look. It is so simple and diverse! It covers most surfaces with little to no priming at all. I encourage everyone who paints to have this in their arsenal! 

Now you may be asking yourself, this is great but where do I get it? Well the more popular brands such as Annie Sloan, CeCe Caldwell, American Paint co, FAT paint, Maison Blanche, Van Gough, and Shabby Paint (just to name a few) are great but they can cost anywhere from $29.99 - $38.95 per Quart!

This is just out ragout in my opinion especially since you can make your own for about $5.00!

 

This is what you will need:

(I normally go to Lowes or Home Depot)

      Color sample pots in your color choice – Must be Latex based (Valspar is my go to brand $2.98 each)

      White Plaster of Paris (this will last you a LONG time so it’s a great investment) $6.48 @ Lowes

      Furniture wax $9.97 @ Lowes ** (optional, but recommended)

Now Mix:

1/2 cup of Plaster of Paris with a 1/2 cup of warm water until it dissolves. Once its dissolved, add 1 1/2 cups of latex paint (the whole container if your sample color is Valspar)

How to use:

Paint like you normally would! If you want it thicker, let it sit out a while. If you want it as a wash, add more water, or just use it as it is after you mix it. Also you may or may not need two coats. See how the first coat goes and use your best judgment depending on what look you are going for. 

Tips:

·         You will want to wax your project to protect the surface from chips and wear and tear. This step is not required but is highly recommended.

·         For a more textured look switch out the plaster of Paris with white non-sanded grout.

·         Don’t forget to sand for a smooth finish look

 

 

 

Puzzling Sideboard

My mother called me the other day after attending a meeting with the art guild she is a member of with a cute puzzle to see if you have an "artistic mind." The equation is:

2+2= fish

3+3= eight

7+7= triangle

I got it. If the answer isn't as clear for you, I will share at the end of this next Restyle story.

The answer to the test above reminded me about the sideboard buffet table I had made for the 2013 Restore Restyle Event. This one did require the obsessive compulsive disorder or perfectionism that only my husband can add to any project. So where I may have been the brain power behind the concept and design behind the materials to be used, and after 3 days of thoroughly explaining to him exactly how a bed canopy, a wood door, 2 cabinet doors, 8 hardwood floor strips, and some granite tiles were going to come together, his craftsmanship is what made it come to life.

I wasn't exactly sure what they were until I got home later that day, all I knew was that I loved the detail of it and there was plenty of it to use in a project. It turned out to be the rails to turn a poster bed into a canopy bed.

My next challenge was to find a wood door that would match the rails and looked exactly like what I had pictured in my mind. (turns out it wasn't that big of a challenge, it was on the first aisle among the vast selection of varieties of doors and was $40)

I picked up the cabinet doors for $4 each. And the granite tile was $2 a piece.

First we figured out exactly where we would have to cut the door so that the hole of the door knob could be concealed. Then we laid out the rails and started work on rearranging them like a puzzle so that we could utilize their hardware and cut to keep the beautiful lines and pattern in tact.

After that, it pretty much came together in a snap. We built the frame and attached the cut door with screws to the back. We placed the cabinet doors on the top and the bottom. We used a bit of scrap plywood to build up the top to make it level with the frame. Then cut the granite tiles for the top. The bottom was finished with hardwood floor planks.

Once the grout dried for the granite. We glued a bit of trim from the hardware store ($3) that we stained, to add detail around the tile and make it flow into the wood around it. (By the way, Restore did have that trim in stock as well, but unfortunately it was Sunday, they were closed and I was on a deadline)

TAHDAH! A beautiful handcrafted sideboard buffet table that my husband REALLY hated to send away to be sold, he loved it so much.

I did tell him that he finished it too well and I don't think people could tell that we made it until they looked very closely. And in case you are wondering, That is an iron gate hung on the wall behind it I picked up at Restore for the challenge as well. It now has a wonderful home in my herb garden.

Now the answer to the puzzle:

2+2= fish 

Think about the Christian fish symbol you see on car bumpers, now think about flipping the 2's on their side and flipping one to mirror the other and bring them together... it makes a fish!

3+3=eight

Now that you get where this is going I don't think 8 needs much more explaining.

7+7= triangle

Flip your 7's upside down and flip one to mirror the other, bring them together and you get a triangle shape.