upcycling Archives

Colour Pop Shutter: An Easy DIY Paint Project

June 3, 2015February 11, 2019Margaux TaitDIY1 Comment

As a spill-over from our upcycling projects last month, I thought it would be a good idea to share this super easy DIY paint project creating a colourful storage shutter with you.

I am forever looking for my favorite paint brush and twine in the workshop so have painted a small shutter that used to be a cupboard door in bright red Emperor’s Silk Chalk Paint ™ decorative paint by Annie Sloan.

Now I have all my bits and bobs together in one place. Here’s how I did it.

You will need

Shop your chalk paint online here!

Step 1

Clean up the dusty shutter and take off all the unwanted hardware like door handles. I’ve kept the hinges as they become hooks for keys. Now paint your shutter with Emperor’s Silk and get into all the nooks and crannies with your round bristle brush. Use a smaller artist brush to work around the hinges. I have not diluted the paint so only had to apply one coat (simply because I’m a bit impatient). Let the paint dry.

Step 2

Use your cloth to wax the shutter. Some good advise I got from the paint technique guru Lisa Spaarwater (Lemon and Lilac) is to use it like you would an expensive moisturizer: a little bit goes a long way. Use a little elbow grease and buff it up to a have a subtle sheen which intensifies the colour.

Step 3

After the wax has cured you are ready to add the finishing touches. I’ve used portrait hooks and simply slipped them in between the louvers to hang my twine and brush from. For inspirational pictures or the Annie Sloan colour pallet I have used dolly pegs. If you love dolly pegs as much as we do, have a look at Germarie’s post a while back called 7 Ways with Darling Dolly Pegs for some other great ideas on how to use them.

Done and dusted

I simply love the pop of color in my dusty workshop and especially the way it contrasts against the grey bricks. I now have my goodies all in one place and feel super organised.

I had lots of fun doing this easy DIY and hope it inspires you to do the same.

Happy styling,

5 upcycling ideas with doors

May 22, 2015September 19, 2016Margaux TaitINTERIOR DESIGNLeave a comment

From table tops to headboards – doors are extremely versatile and a great way to get your upcycling DIY on! Try on of these five fresh ideas.

1. Mirror, mirror on the door

Turn a reclaimed door into a tall standing mirror that truly makes a statement. Be sure to use a door with a bit of distressed detail on the frame for extra old-world charm.

stylejuicer.com so-much-more-than-nl.blogspot

2. Heads or tails

Create a rustic French look by standing up two doors side by side to create a headboard. Combine it with a chandelier, vintage-looking French linen scatters and crisp white bedding and voila! Vous aurez un ajustement de chambre pour une reine (which means it’s it it or a Queen – that’s you!).

Alternatively you can use a door turned sideways to create a shorter headboard stretching the width of a pallet daybed for a lovely lived in feel.

p-l-a-i-dblog.com buzzfeed.com

3. Out-doors

This bus-stop-like shed was constructed entirely from old reclaimed doors! How clever?

Use a single door and attach floating shelves to create an organised potting station. It’s painted in a high gloss red enamel to give it some extra kick.

1001gardens.com lushome.com

4. Table top door

This is not a new concept but what is refreshing is that the table is painted in a high gloss turquoise. Paired with different shaped chairs in white and shades of blue it makes a very quirky occasional table. It’s so simple yet deadly effective.

vtwonen.nl

5. Statement piece

Create a wonderful piece of art by using decoupage and vintage wallpaper to create this look on a reclaimed door. It’s whimsical and the perfect accent in a paired down country style setting. It reminds me of the gorgeous designs of Cath Kidston that’s so hugely popular.

hometalk.com

Now you simply have to go get that old door from the garage or shed and get going!

Happy styling,

DIY: Quick patio wall makeover with upcycled shutters

May 21, 2015February 11, 2019Margaux TaitDIY1 Comment

We recently painted the house a lovely tone of grey and I’d always wanted to add a focal point on the empty patio wall leading to the front door.

As luck would have it I found a few old shutter doors in the shed and with a lick of paint and a bit of imagination turned them into a lovely focal trilogy.

I’ll show you just how easy it was in the following steps.

You will need

x3 Reclaimed shutters
Decorative Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan (Paris Grey, Provence, Greek Blue) *
Annie Sloan soft wax (clear) *
Lint-free cloth
Sandpaper (200 grit)
x6 Moulding hooks
x6 Nail-in-anchor nails
Drill

* Shop your chalk paint online here!

Step 1

Clean your reclaimed shutters so that they are free of dirt and grime. Apply one coat of paint and leave to dry before adding a top coat in the same or a different colour.

I have used my colours on the three shutters as follows. Shutter 1: Only Paris Grey. Shutter 2: Undercoat in Paris Grey with a top coat in Provence. Shutter 3: Undercoat in Louis Blue with a top coat in Paris Grey.

This way the three shutters’ colours echo each other and work together as a unit.

Step 2

Sand down the top coat to reveal as much of the bottom coat colour as you prefer. Press harder on the edges to reveal the wood and beautiful imperfections you want to highlight.

Step 3

Seal your paint with a layer of clear wax. Simply ‘moisturize’ the wood with your lint-free cloth.

Step 4

After the paint and wax have cured, drill a hole big enough for your nail-in-anchor screws to fit through at the top and bottom centre of the shutter. Now simply measure up the wall and secure them in place.

Step 5

Picture rail hooks add to the old world charm of these shutters and are pretty handy as they give your air plants something to hang from.

Step 6

My recently acquired collection of air plants are now proudly on display at the front door. I secured the bigger ones with a little piece of natural twine to the picture rail hooks just to be sure they don’t blow away.

Step 7

I wanted to add a focal point to the centre shutter and have had this little ceramic bird (bought at Flowers in the foyer) for ages without having a proper use for it. Looks like she’s finally found her nest … or so I thought!

I was almost 100% sure that she was secured to the air plant but clearly not. A gush of wind blew her from her nest and I found her in pieces on the patio! Luckily it as a ‘good break’ so I will be able to glue her back together.

Learn from my mistake! Double secure your plants and ornaments with twine to the shutters.

All done!

It really couldn’t have been easier and it feels great having found a new purpose for these little-forgotten shutters in the shed.

Now it’s your turn to shop around the house, garage or shed to find the perfect upcycling project.

Happy styling,

Upcycled shutter ideas

May 20, 2015March 13, 2017Margaux TaitINTERIOR DESIGNLeave a comment

Shutters or louvers present great alternative uses. I have found a few clever ideas to inspire those creative juices and start your own project.

Shutter rail

Secure a louver door to the wall horizontally to make a clothing rail. Use similar hangers (your prettiest ones!) and display some vintage cocktail dresses or a selected few out of your own closet. Alternatively this would work great in a spare bedroom as an occasional rail for guests.

Suspend a shutter in a kitchen to create more shelf space.

organizingmadefun

Head strong

Use a grouping of shutters as a headboard by either painting them in the same colour, like the lovely turquoise left, or in different shades like the picture right. Combined with lettering they make a lovely statement.

decoratingyoursmallspace.com brightnest.com

Pretty handy displays

Louvers make the perfect slots to slip in photographs, invitations or heaven forbid … bills! Either just slide them in or peg them up to create a lovely display. Attach some hooks at the bottom to keep keys tidy.

thechicsite.com brightnest.com

Fine art

I simply love this yellow and white distressed shutter used as art display.

thebudgetdecorator.com homejelly.com

Long distance runner

Use a shutter as a runner on a coffee or dining room table to group your center piece.

salvagedior.com

Wall cladding and doors

If you are so lucky to have or find shutters like these French distressed ones, use them as wall cladding! It’s the perfect way to add old-world charm to a room.

Add shutter doors to an old bookcase to turn it into a lovely linen closet.

wehearthomedesign vitamin-ha.com

Divide and conquer

Use shutters outdoors as screens, softened with a climber plant or to break a bland wall.

Remember to varnish the wood so it doesn’t get completely destroyed by the elements.

lonny.com midwestliving.com

As luck would have it I found a few forgotten shutters in our farm shed! After writing this post I felt so inspired that I did a lovely patio wall makeover using three of them. Watch the blog for the big reveal!

Happy styling,

8 styling tips with candles

May 15, 2015September 19, 2016Margaux TaitINTERIOR DESIGNLeave a comment

In the spirit of load shedding I have found myself buying a lot of new candles and using them in interesting ways that needed to be shared.

Here are my top 8 tips and stylist tricks to make your candles truly come to life.

Modern monotone

With black & white and shades of grey being all the rage you want the style of your candle holders to reflect the mood. Try these cubic black and white candle holders with their geometric shape to add a sculptural element to a modern space.

bloglovin.com trendenser.se

Stylist cheat

Round off tea lights with a strip of washi tape or a piece of left over ribbon. Remember to display them in a small glass so that you don’t get wax dripping everywhere and it also helps with reflecting more of the candle light. Perfect party decor!

trendenser.se

Glass is good

When load shedding started I ran for a few empty glass containers and scrambled around the house for candles to place in them. Now after some time they have a rustic look with the wax drippings all along the sides. I love it as I am a firm believer that beauty is in the imperfections.

Use what you have around the house. Unused glass vases, cut glass tumblers and even old wine bottles with the labels removed to add a reflective element that candle light loves. You can then group them together as a center piece on a table or even add plants and single stem branches to make the grouping more interesting.

TIP: Remember to not stack different shaped glass containers in a soldier-like row but rather to scatter them, with some slightly overlapping others to make the arrangement work together in a friendlier way.

tumblr.com tonjeboganes.com bloglovin.com

Knock on wood

Combine candles with wooden disks to keep them together as a unit and catch runaway wax. I simply love the arrangement on the left using the same tone of wood in different ways. The legs of the wood, wooden disk and dipped candle holders echo each other beautifully.

The little tea lights on the right take on a more dramatic look against a dark textured wall and marble surface. It truly makes the copper pop!

fong.nl lejardindeclaire

Cool copper

So it’s no secret that I am a copper groupie. I hope I can convert you too with this gorgeous pipe candle holder that is just the right amount of industrial. For a quick fix you can spray paint any container – like these unused spray can caps – to create copper tea lights.

The pipe candle holder is so pretty, it needs to live on its own to come to its full right. Give it center stage on a coffee or side table and keep the rest of the styling super minimal (if at all).

homedit.com buzzfeed.com

The guild

To create a more rustic and romantic feel try using candle holders with a gilded metallic finish. Combined with soft pastel colors and succulents the mood is surely set for romance.

What works really nice here is the different textures of the gilded glasses with different heights.

glamourandgraceblog.com

Set in stone

Concrete molding is a huge trend that’s still going strong. Just look at these quirky candle holders cast from tins and plastic bottles. It’s a great ode to upcycling.

Use concrete elements like these in a sleek modern setting combined with strong black and white pattern and light wood furniture.

The plastic bottle shaped candles at the bottom right of the picture illustrate the styling principle of working in threes beautifully. The rule is to work in an uneven number of elements grouped together, with threes being the most effective. Display them on different heights using vintage books with the central candle being at the lowest level. Again two of the candle holders are slightly overlapping each other with the third moved to the side for ‘breathing space’ in the composition.

godegrunner pintakivaa diycandy.com

Prickly pairs

I think the barbed wire chandelier is simply stunning. It’s a great way of incorporating upcycling and design. Just be sure to wear gloves when hanging up this rustic monster.

As much as soft light plays on the senses so does smell. Why not combine the two by scattering mason jars filled with water, rosemary and lemon and a floating candle. Simple but very effective as it also keeps the bugs at bay.

trendhunter.com

I hope these styling tips will put a more positive spin on our current load shedding situation and inspire you to embrace your inner stylist. There’s one in all of us!

Happy styling,