Computer Room Redo

I am linking up with Deborah today at Common Ground for her 

Vintage Friday Inspiration Blog Hop

New projects are always inspiring and when finished so satisfying.

 Several weeks ago now I started a project of redecorating my computer room. It is a small room off the front entry way. 

The before pictures are here, and the steps of what I did also... 
it wasn't pretty! 

It has been more work than I had anticipated, such is the way projects go, but as promised I have pictures today of the final look. 

My son James hung the cupboard that I got in AZ, we did a little investigating on the internet. I had mentioned I thought it was pharmaceutical but we found a patent # and looked it up. It was a kitchen cupboard with a coffee grinder in it.

I am still not done completely. I will be recovering the computer chair, as you know good computer chairs are expensive, ugly but a must have.

I am disappointed in my pictures but the lighting was just bad today.

I love my heart I got from Dorthe, it has a place of honor

I have a thing for old hardware... I have put it on the bookcase and where ever I could in here. I had fun.

I am not liking all the mishmash of color the books give in my monochromatic world here, so eventually I will cover them with recycled craft paper.

Do you remember the huge ugly doors, that I took off and now have replaced with this skirt I made from old European linen. I really am pleased with the look.

 Most of the pictures you see are family...

My printer problems were solved with a wireless, so I could put it here. Ha I didn't even know it was wireless until I looked closer!

I got this fabulous wreath from Theresa aka TOT at Time Worn Interiors, she makes them out of old bed springs... I jazzed it up a bit.

I added some of my favorite things, the music-picture card was from my talented buddy Lisa at Tarnished and Tattered

This is an old Carol Bolton trick (she was so ahead of her time) and I was reminded of it on Lisa's post this past week. It was perfect timing as I was trying to determine what to do with this space and the books are perfect for this room. Thanks Lisa!

  

So, are you tired of pictures yet?

Please be sure and visit all the other participants at 
Vintage Inspiration Friday!

Thanks for staying with me, I hope all of you have a lovely weekend.

 I am excited because I am meeting a fellow blogger friend at the fleamarket. I will tell you all about it later!

Blessings

Rebecca

Kitchen White and Added Tutorial

Welcome to White Wednesday 

I am showing my kitchen today for lack of any white projects. 

With these gray days and winter holding on as long as it possibly can, I thought these pictures with the sun streaming through my kitchen windows would be nice.

These pictures were taken in the spring just to prove the sun does shine in Chicago sometime...

The  painted arch is old and it came from a theater in Texas from a set prop

This is a farm kitchen, not a gourmet by any means. 

This actually was never a kitchen, when this house was moved in the 20's they sheered it off and left the kitchen and formal dining room in the side of the hill it originally was on. It had over looked a three tier garden down to the river. The house was moved through town with a team of horses and huge logs.

It was built in the 1860s.

The mud porch

The porch is nice also for reading on a summer afternoon

Thanks for joining me, please visit Kathleen at Faded Charm and see all the whites listed there.

Hoping spring comes soon for all of us


I am adding a post script to this...
I have had a question on the wall treatment in the kitchen, so I thought I might as well post it.

I used to be hired to do faux painting in the early 90's before you could buy kits at Home Depot, I quit because it was too hard on my back.  I actually developed this technique, now maybe someone else has done it somewhere better, but this is how I make walls look old. I wanted them to reflect an old French villa...

 I also have this wall treatment in my bathroom upstairs. I might post on that later.
I start out by painting the walls with a textured paint, I like Ralph Lauren's sand paint. The color I used varies but I like it to resemble sandstone but the darker brown tones are nice too. Once the paint is dry you will be applying drywall compound mixed with paint over the walls with a trowel. I used a creamy white color, I pour the paint right in a 5 gal. bucket with the dry wall compound and mix to the consistency of frosting. Now take your trowel, load it up and spread it thinly on the wall. It helps to hold the trowel handle perpendicular to the wall, you want the sand paint to show through in places but you do not want to see through the drywall compound. 
This will give you muscles but a lovely old French wall... before the compound dries I draw cracks in the corners (why should my kitchen be any different from the rest of the house). 

This step is optional but I put paint mixed with water in a spray bottle and went a little darker on the base and in the corners to give it an aged look. This is also quite washable.
 In the bath I added another step but that is another post. I hope this answered your questions Line-Cathrin! 
If anyone has any others please feel free to email me!


Please join me on Sundays for Sunday Studio 
Linky party

Blessings

Rebecca