Boho Desk Makeover

September 13, 2019Cottageannie sloan, boho decor, cottage style, diy, home decor, paint technique, painted desk, stenciling, tutorial, vintagearthurized Leave a comment

Years ago, our neighbor gave us this wooden desk. She was dull, dated, worn (the desk, not the neighbor) and didn’t really coordinate with our other decor. So we painted her aqua and pressed her into service.

Ten years later, her paint and primer was peeling from the desk top and chipped on the sides, so it was time for a new look.

We began by stripping the paint off and sanding her down to bare wood. That statement makes this sound like an easy process, but I can assure you it was not. If you’ve ever stripped furniture, you know what I mean. It’s labor intensive, soul-sucking work.

Things are about to get real ugly up in here.

The time in between bouts of stripping, (again, the desk, just to be clear) was spent searching the internet for paint tutorials to achieve the look I imagined. I’m using the paint technique from the following video:

Because she is a plain Jane, we used construction adhesive and a few well-placed nails to add bead board to the inset panels.

Once satisfied that all the paint and stain was removed, we gave her a final sanding and wiped her down with Formby’s paint and poly remover. That particular product seems to be obsolete, but any bare wood cleaner/conditioner should work.

I began dry-brushing the paint on using the vintage turquoise paint effect tutorial. I used a narrow brush and a light hand for this step. Yep, that’s the same paint that we used for the original coat ten years ago.

I didn’t have three stains that worked for this, so I used red chestnut and provincial. The red chestnut didn’t have quite the impact that I expected, but the provincial stain adds a deep richness to bare wood. It’s just gorgeous.

See the paint on the top of the desk below? My original idea was to have the distressed paint technique on the desk top as well as the sides. The more I worked on it, the more I hated how it was turning out, so back to the ~~drawing board~~ sander I went. We sanded the top back down to bare wood and re-stained it. Ugh. Stupid creative process.

Note how the stain darkened the aqua paint to a sage color.

Once the stain dried, I began layering on more aqua paint using a 1.5″ putty knife. Dip the end of the putty knife in paint, lightly dab it onto the wood, spray it with water and then quickly scrape the paint over the section you want to layer. I found the key to this technique is to use a tiny bit of paint and spray it lightly with water. I wanted a time-worn look, not paint dripping everywhere. As with every good DIY project, this step takes 10 times longer than it should.

Using paint that I had on hand in my craft stash and leftover paint from other projects, I added accents of the brighter shades: my Hoosier Grandma’s favorite vintage shade of green, pink, coral and tiny touches of mustard. I used my finger as an applicator for this step. Just smear it on here and there, then layer, layer, layer until you cain’t layer no more!

At that point, Mr. Arthurized Home announced that he wasn’t feeling the bright accent colors, so I dry-brushed most of the piece with the aqua paint. That toned down the color, and we agreed that it looked slightly less bonkers after that step.

There’s a little surprise on the sides of the drawers. I used a floral stencil (Hello, 1980’s. Everything old is new again!) and creamy white paint mixed with pearlizing medium. I left large areas of the drawer sides untouched for a random effect. I’m debating taking the sander to the sides of the drawers to make it look worn from use.

When the entire piece was finished, I gave it the same Annie Sloan soft wax treatment as the bar chair. That soft wax is some of the best money I’ve ever spent. It dries buttery smooth and adds a richness to painted surfaces. The wax doesn’t change the color dramatically, just deepens it slightly, if that makes sense.

EXPIRED: The nice folks at Carolina Pine Country Store would love for you to try out their range of Annie Sloan paint products, or anything you’d like from their gorgeous stock of home goods. I think you’ll like their quick fulfillment and stellar customer service as well.
They have a special offer just for Arthurized Home readers:
Spend $1 – $25 (before shipping cost) and mention this post, and they will include a FREE box of Magnolia Home safety matches. (I’ve ordered these, and love them!)
If you spend $26 – $50+ (again, before shipping) they will give you the free matches PLUS a FREE small Magnolia Home tin candle. (Gift idea: The candle and matches would make a sweet gift when given together.) This offer is good for the next 60 days (through 11.13.2019); and don’t forget to mention Arthurized Home and this post when you order!

TADA! Isn’t she pretty?! I’m so pleased with how this turned out, happy to have my desk back and hope to get another ten years out of this look.

To shop the post: Citristrip / Red Chestnut Stain / Provincial Stain / Floral Stencil / Pearlizing Medium / Annie Sloan Soft Wax

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Inexpensive Boho Decor Refresh

August 16, 2019Cottage, decorboho style, colorful style, cottage style, decor, living room decor, thriftyarthurized Leave a comment

Have you ever noticed that when you update one area of your home, other spaces in your house can look a little, well…tired by comparison? Just me? A few weeks ago when I finished our guest and beach bedding update, I realized that the throw pillows in our living room were looking a little sad.
Okay, a lot sad.
Broken zipper, sad.

In other news, these IKEA feather pillow inserts are hardworking, and awesome.
I’ve had them forever (15 years?!), and they look and function as good as new. Money well spent.

I wanted to update our living room without spending a lot of scratch, so when I lucked into a 70% off clearance sale at Pier 1, the heavens opened, the angels sang and so did their cash register. Actually, I averaged $8 each for these five pillows, so the singing was more of a faint warble.

I first spotted this pillow. Too much color? Pattern too crazy? I think not!

It’s just the right amount of crazy. Next, I spied the floral pillows and I knew that they would be BFFs. All that delicious beadwork. Those sequins and pom-poms.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: You can’t possibly take a nap on those pillows! You’ll have bead indentations pressed into your face for days afterward! Au contraire. These make perfectly fine napping pillows when you flip them over the the smooth back side. 100% tested and Arthurized.

Moving on.

Remember the rules for pattern mixing decor are the same as for your wardrobe. Let’s review:

Pull your color scheme from an inspiration piece. In this case, the floral pillow.

Colors do not need to match exactly, they should simply relate well to one another. Play nicely, kids! The magenta throw was packed away in my winter things, so I pulled it out for a pop of color on the sofa.

Mix prints in different scales.

Use texture for extra interest.

A pillow and throw update is a quick and inexpensive way to breathe new life into your decor. And if you need an even simpler refresh, a bouquet of flowers from the yard (or the grocery store) and a fragrant candle (I love Harmony Farms) will enliven any room of your home!

I’m not in partnership with any brands referenced in this post. I’m simply sharing products that I use and enjoy, and I hope you will like them too!

Milk Glass in the Kitchen

August 9, 2019Cottagecollecting, fiestaware, kitchen decor, mason jars, milk glass, pyrex, thrifty decor, vintagearthurized 2 Comments

I’ve been collecting milk glass and using it throughout the house for years now. (Too many years to count!) Back when I began collecting, I could find pieces at the flea market and thrift stores for twenty five or fifty cents. While the days of that pricing are long since over, I still find pieces in the wild for a dollar and up. The milk glass I collect is most useful if it can serve multiple purposes. To that end, I like to use it in unexpected ways. Here are a few ideas for using milk glass around the kitchen:

Use a large vase to keep favorite cooking utensils handy next to the stove. See that wooden spatula in the back? I bought it at Tamarack in Beckley, West Virginia. It’s handmade, sturdy and obviously, very useful. Also, I had to buy it because it was labeled “cookie shovel”, and when life gives you an opportunity to own such a magical item, you take it.

Turn a wide-bottomed bowl over and place a large plate on top to create a DIY cake stand. If you’re concerned about stability, a few dabs of hot glue or sticky dots will hold the two pieces together. Gather soaps, brushes and dishcloths by the sink. My sister brought me that tiny bud vase from Mexico. I just love it!

Because our kitchen is tiny, and we need all the drawer space we can find, we keep our eating utensils in containers on the counter. We tried this using drinking glasses until we knew that this set-up would work long term.

A cake stand makes a useful and decorative display for citrus. I’ve seen onions and garlic presented this way as well, but I think lemons, limes and oranges are prettier. It’s that whole “I love color; not into neutrals” thing.

No milk glass? No problem! Use what you have. Fiestaware is great for this use. With a mix of Fiesta plates and bowls, you can have a cake stand in every color of the rainbow.

How about Grandma’s china? (Perhaps we shouldn’t use the hot glue gun on that?) Mix and match dishes and bowls for a boho look. I used a small, vintage Pyrex bowl in this aspect.

Mason jars make perfectly charming utensil holders.

Use your imagination to see your things in a whole new light. You’ll be amazed at what you can create! If you try try this quick project, I’d love to see your results. Let me know in comments, or email me at: arthurized dot home at gmail dot com.

Airing the Dirty Laundry – Extreme Stain Removal

August 2, 2019Reviewslaundry, product review, stain remover, sweatxarthurized Leave a comment

Guess what? I’ve finally solved a problem that has bedeviled me for quite some time! This post is a bit of a departure, but I feel obligated to share all. the. good. things. with you.

I’ve used the same brand of deodorant forever with no problems. It’s readily available, inexpensive and does the job. However, it has recently started leaving white, hazy stains on my clothing. We’re using the same washing machine, detergents and settings that we’ve used all along, so my only guess is that the manufacturer changed the formula of this deodorant.

We’ve tried pre-treating with stain stick, concentrated laundry detergent and even Dawn dish detergent. Fels-Naptha lightened the stains, but did not remove them altogether.

Enter, Sweat X Xtreme Stain Remover. Our favorite running store (Hey, Fleet Feet Roanoke!) had this product, so I decided to give it a try. Spray it on, rub it into the stain and let it sit. The package directions say to let it sit at least 15 minutes, but since I’m a more-is-more girl, I let it sit overnight before washing.

Rabbit trail while we wait for the stain remover to work its magic:
I’ve tried several natural deodorants and sadly, I haven’t found one that works for me. Tom’s of Maine was a complete fail (Sorry, Tom. But it had to be said). Primal Pit Paste gave me a pretty severe rash that made it painful to wear clothing for about a week. Not at all awkward. During the colder months and on days when I’m not exercising, Weleda spray works. Mostly.

If you use a natural deodorant that works, please let me know. I’d love to try it. Comment if you’re brave; email if you’d rather not share that riveting data with the internet: arthurized dot home at gmail dot com

One quick trip to laundry purgatory (otherwise known as the basement) and, voilà! Cue the Hallelujah Chorus!

Can you hear it? That, my friends, is the sound of the angels singing! What a relief that for a minimal expense and almost no effort, I can wear these clothes again and won’t have to throw them out because of stupid stains! I also purchased the Sweat X Odor Eliminator, but haven’t tried it yet. I have it on good authority that it’s as awesome as the Stain Remover. If you’d like to give either of these products a try, you can find them on Amazon.

An Island Inspired Bedding Refresh

July 31, 2019Cottagebeach style, coastal style, cottage style, design crush, guest bedding, island style, jane coslick, pattern mixingarthurized 1 Comment

Tybee Island, Georgia is on the short list of beaches I’d like to visit. And it’s all because of Jane Coslick. Are you familiar with her work? If not, please allow me to introduce you. For more than twenty years, Jane has been preserving Tybee Island one run-down property at a time. If you love cozy spaces and bright, beachy style, you’ll love her projects. She makes liberal use of white in every cottage, and then punches up the decor with happy color, coastal art and quirky style. She’s a design hero of mine.

What does Jane Coslick have to do with my bedding? My love for her style extends to the linens she selects for her cottages, and has heavily influenced this bedding refresh.

Here’s some of her work in this gorgeous bedroom:

And this beautiful master: *swoon*

A little of Jane’s fun pattern mixing:

When we visit the beach each summer, we bring our own linens. Partly because that feels more comfortable and we like to bring a little bit of home with us. But mostly because I’m too cheap to pay for rental bedding! As we returned home from the beach this year, I decided that it is time for a refresh of our beach bedding and time for some new guest bedding as well.

This is super simple pattern mixing: One large floral print, one medium size print on the quilt and solid color sheets and euro pillows. The pink sheets play nicely with both patterns, and the white ties everything together. I found the floral pillow and the quilt at HomeGoods. The pink sheets are tee-shirt knit and super soft. They’re from Belk.

Pro tip for the ladies: When you really, really, really want the fun, flamingo quilt; tell your husband that you’re shopping for leopard print instead. Suddenly, the flamingos seem reasonable and he won’t mind them quite as much!

And this is how to squeeze more guests into a 958 square foot cottage: Stack ’em up like cord wood!

The “rules” for pattern mixing home decor are the same as for your wardrobe.

1) Take your color scheme from an inspiration piece. In this case, the seashell pillow.

2) Select a neutral color and repeat it throughout your project. I’ve paired white quilts with white/aqua print sheets and accents of white in the decorative pillows.

3) Create a nice mix of large, medium and small patterns. Avoid pairing small with small, large with large, etc. If you’re mixing stripes, simply vary the width of them; pair wide stripes with narrow. Bonus points for adding texture in pillows and throws!

I hope this gives you some ideas for mixing and refreshing your own linens, or at least has you dreaming of warm, sunny beaches!

Sea shell print sheets: Belk
Sea shell/Pink stripe reversible pillows: Marshalls
Aqua linen pillow: HomeGoods
Multicolor stripe pillow: Ollie’s
Cotton quilts: Stein Mart
Textured Aqua Stripe pillow on couch: Tuesday Morning

I’m not in partnership with any brands mentioned here. I simply enjoy sharing good sources with my readers!

Bar Chair Makeover

July 19, 2019Cottageannie sloan, citristrip, clorox, diy, elbow grease, formby's, wood refinishingarthurized 4 Comments

Ten years ago, my sister found this wooden, Pier 1 bar chair for $5 at a yard sale. Score! It had several coats of paint, the latest of which was ivory with some hand painted flowers. So very floral. We gave her a fresh coat of white paint and put her to work at the end of our kitchen island.

After doing hard time in my kitchen, those layers and layers of paint were a little worse for wear. I decided to strip the chair down to the raw wood and see if I could achieve an English pine look. Little did I know how time-consuming this project was going to be!

We used CitriStrip to remove all that paint. I like this product because it does the job without the overpowering smell of most chemical strippers. We used a small wire brush to remove the paint in the carved detail of the legs.

Rabbit Trail: One time, I saw wire brushes for sale at a home improvement store and they were mislabeled as wire “brishes”. I’ve called them brishes ever since. #imadork

While stripping the wood, we were surprised to discover that the factory stain was ebony which was deeply ingrained in the wood. We used Formby’s Paint & Poly Remover to try to remove the dark stain. We applied it and scrubbed with steel wool, but the grain of this wood is so tight that it just didn’t penetrate very well. I would use this product for final cleaning before staining raw wood, not for removing old stain.

After the Formby’s, we used Clorox gel bleach to continue removing that ebony stain. Working in small sections, we applied bleach to the chair and used a small wire brush to work it into the wood. This worked very well and did not leave harsh bleach stains. Note: I would not recommend this on antique pieces or anything rare. We felt okay with risking bleach stains on this piece because we could sand them out if necessary.

Once we were happy with the paint/stain removal, we began to sand the chair. And sand. And sand. And sand. This is the time to crank up the tunes in the garage and zone out. Such boring work. Thank God that I don’t sand furniture for a living! We started with 100 grit sandpaper and worked our way to 220 grit for the final sanding.

Once the chair was a smooth as a newborn baby’s butt, it was time for the star of the show: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Wax in Clear! I ordered it from Carolina Pine Country Store. This was my first order with them, and I had a fantastic customer experience. They’re very responsive to questions, and even though I didn’t pay for expedited shipping, my order was delivered with lightning speed. 10/10 highly recommend!

Can I just tell you how excited I am about this wax? Using a lint-free cloth, simply smooth it onto the wood, rub it in like lotion and let it cure. It’s amazing. I was concerned that the final finish on the chair would look yellow, but not to worry. This wax delivered on a soft, beautiful finish and I couldn’t be happier with it.

We’ve done two coats of wax and will likely add a third coat. Let’s just take a moment to admire this beauty in her natural habitat, shall we?

See that island? It’s on the short list of furniture needing a makeover. Soon. Very soon. I’m thinking something in the tiffany blue-turquoise range for the cabinet and maybe some more Annie Sloan clear wax for the top?

I’m not in partnership with any brands referenced in this post. I’m simply sharing products that I use and enjoy, and I hope you will like them too!

Retro Camp Decor for Summer – Bedroom and Bathroom Refresh for Under $50

June 26, 2019decorcamp decor, lake decor, retro style, summer style, thrifty decor, vintage decorarthurized Leave a comment

What was your favorite thing about going to summer camp as a child? I loved swimming in the lake, doing crafts, visiting the canteen and crushing on the hot lifeguards. They all seemed so wordly to my ten-year-old self. I hope they’re not all bald and paunchy now. I’d be so disappointed. Anywhoo.

As I decorated the summer Hoosier, I began to realize just how much camp decor we have. I don’t normally do themes, but figured it would be fun to give our bedroom and bathroom a quick and inexpensive refresh for the summer months.

The Hudson’s Bay blanket featured in the fire starters post became the jumping off point for the color scheme. These blankets are traditionally wool, but mine is acrylic and very lightweight. It’s all we need for a bed covering in the summer.

I used the back side of a Christmas pillow for the bolster.

The map pillow is made from a bandana given to my husband at one of his favorite trail races.

Several years ago, one of our sweet nieces embellished this vintage paint-by-numbers scene with a daring saying. I just love it! I’ve had the cottage arrow for ages, and recently found the red arrow at an antique store.

This fan was inherited from my husband’s great aunt, as was the plaid throw under the picnic basket. The fan is not safe to use, so I cut the cord off of it. Don’t want anyone to lose a digit.

I love this birch canoe for displaying bracelets. And yes, I would totally pack all of these for summer camp! #soextra #dontjudge

Did you play jacks as a kid? This decorative jack is a dedicated place to park our rings while doing yard work, sports, working with power tools or other dangerous pursuits. See also: Keep your digits, above.

Now, on to the bathroom:
The vanity holds a variety of products for pampering hands. The jar that looks like grey sand is “Man Grit” (bought locally, I couldn’t find this online) an amazing-smelling hand scrub for hubby. The jar with the wooden spoon is “Moonshine“, my favorite “sugah” scrub from Charleston Soap Chef. Their “Sweet Tea” product is fantastic as well. That hunk of turquoise is a SoapRock, one of my gift-giving favorites. Roanokers can find them locally at Present Thyme.

Beach towels hung on hooks lend a bathhouse feel to the bathroom. The green, pink and aqua stripes are a cheerful nod to 1950’s decor. I made the “Cabins” sign from a child’s canoe paddle.

I bought the upper tennis racquet from a thrift store. I noticed the previous owner’s intials written on the frame and thought “It looks like it’s written in pencil, I’ll just erase it.” Later, I decided to keep the initials because it is part of the history of the piece. Then it hit me. They’re the same initials as my brother Matt, who we lost to cystic fibrosis when he was nineteen. I was meant to bring this one home.

Almost all of the decor was on hand in the Arthur Archives, thrifted, gifted, or from the flea market. Pa Kettle loaned me the dart board and croquet balls, which he refers to as “crochet balls”!

Because I’m nosy, and love to know how much things cost, here is a breakdown of what I spent, and where I found the items I purchased for this makeover.

Total spent on the bathroom: $22
$2 vintage tennis racquet – thrifted
$20 for two, ~~colorful beach towels~~ SOLD OUT – Tarjay

Total spent on the bedroom: $27
$3 picnic basket – thrifted
$9 red arrow – antique store
$6 lake cottage painting – antique store
$9 ’10’ sign – antique store

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour and are inspired to give your own decor a refresh. Now, I just need a cabin in the Adirondacks!

How I Remove Rust From Cast Iron

June 7, 2019Cottagecast iron, diy, home cooking, season cast iron, thriftyarthurized 1 Comment

Now that we’ve made it through our rainy, Virginia springtime; we’re overdue for some outdoor chores. At Arthurized Home, we use cast iron for our everyday cooking. We’re careful to season it regularly so rust is not a problem. However, I just bought a cast iron pot with some pretty severe rust on it. It’s not pitted, so that’s good. Actually, I would have passed on buying pitted cast iron. No amount of TLC can bring that back.

A quick Google search shows countless methods for removing rust from cast iron. The process I’m using is one that I have used successfully over the years. I burn the rust off the cast iron in a fire and then season it in the oven. This method avoids using noxious chemicals and hours (and hours!) of obnoxious scrubbing.

My cast iron is good quality and very serviceable, but solidly average. It’s not rare or valuable. I would not use this method on Granny’s heirloom cast iron. For that, I would get out the steel wool, get to scrubbin’ and develop tendinitis.

I can’t speak to whether vinegar baths, oven cleaner (seems toxic), electrolysis and lye baths work on rusty cast iron, because I haven’t tried those methods.

Cast Iron Care: Take care not to shock your cast iron, which can cause it to crack. Bring the cast iron to temperature along with the heat source. Never place cold cast iron onto a hot stove, into a hot oven or fire. Never place hot cast iron into the fridge/ freezer, cold water or an ice bath. Remember ‘hot with hot’ and ‘cold with cold’ and your cast iron will be just fine.

Pa Kettle decided to get in on the action by providing an actual kettle that he found in his basement when they bought the home. It’s been unloved and in Basement Purgatory for 50+ years. I’m not sure if it is salvageable, because the rust is thick and the pot is severely pitted. But, why not throw it in and see what happens?

This is a good project to start in the morning, as you need several hours for the fire and several hours for cooling. To prepare the fire, I placed a few logs into the fire pit and laid the pots on top. I positioned the pots so that as the logs burned down, they drop toward the center of the fire, not out of it. Then I covered the pots with more logs. The idea is to have the fire reach the entire pot, including the undersides.

Bring out a few of those great fire starters and put them to work. Once you have a roaring fire, it’s time to relax.

Contemplate the meaning of life, sing a few campfire songs and break out the hot dogs or s’mores fixin’s.

Without leaving the fire unattended, burn the cast iron for a few hours (I like a minimum of three hours) and then let the fire die out.

Don’t pour water to extinguish the fire, as that could shock the cast iron.

Once, the ashes cooled, I pulled the pots from the fire pit. See that red stuff? It’s red rust. This is oxidation at high temperature when raw metal is exposed to the air. Not to worry, though. A quick scrub with a paste made of baking soda and a splash of water, will take most of that off. I’ve read that a thin coat of red rust helps the first layer of season to bond. I have no idea if that’s true, but I’ll soon find out!

Pa Kettle’s pot will need another turn in the fire.
I would like to get all of the brown rust off of it before moving on to the next step.

Thoroughly rinse the baking soda off of the cast iron. If all the old season has been removed and the raw cast iron is exposed, the pot should be matte grey.

I placed a large baking sheet onto the lowest oven rack and put the pot on the top rack. I turned the oven to 300° and left the pan in for about five minutes. This ensures that the pan is completely dry before seasoning.

After drying the pot, let it cool a little, then season with oil or grease of your choice. I spread an extremely light layer of bacon grease over the pot, coating it entirely. Wipe excess grease off with a paper towel and place the pot back into the oven upside down. This allows any excess grease to drip out of the pot onto the baking sheet below. I usually season my cast iron between 375° and 425°, so I crank the oven up at this time.

After about an hour in the oven, I turn it off and let the cast iron cool down. Then I repeat this step. Again. And again. And again; building thin layers of season each time. Once the season is built up on the pot, it is ready for daily use in the kitchen.

A few more tips on cast iron care: Moisture is the enemy of cast iron. Never let cast iron soak in water. After use, and while your pans are still warm, quickly rinse, dry and re-oil your cast iron. If there are food particles cooked on, use a plastic scrub brush to remove them.

Cast iron is for cooking and baking, not food storage. You’ll need some vintage Pyrex refrigerator boxes for that. *winks*

Because our kitchen is small, we stack our cast iron for storage. Scratches can damage the season, so we place a microfiber cloth between each pan.

Take good care of your cast iron and it will serve you for a lifetime. Who knows; maybe the grandkids will fight over your collection one day?

For more reading on caring for cast iron, here’s an interesting article:
https://richsoil.com/cast-iron.jsp#seasoning

Decorating the Hoosier for Summer

May 17, 2019decorantiques, dala horse, fiestaware, hoosier cabinet, kitchen, kitsch, lisa larson, patriotic, pyrex, retro, summer decor, thermos, vintage, vintage linensarthurized 2 Comments

Even though it’s still spring, it will feel like summer this weekend with highs in the upper 80’s. I’m so excited because I love all things summer: long days, wearing flip-flops, garden produce, campfires and going to the beach!

I’m getting a jump on summer decor, starting with the Hoosier cabinet. Having red, white and blue as my color scheme, I’ll leave this up from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Of course, the star represents the Star City; and the thermoses are vintage, picnic fun!

Some of these pieces are a nod to my Minnesota childhood. The birch bark canoe is a reminder of summers spent paddling on the lake. The dala horses and the Lisa Larson figurine were gifts to our family from a Swedish exchange student.

I’ve had these metal sand pails for years now. My mother-in-law loved Mary Engelbreit and beach vacations, so these bring back memories of her.

This little guy was part of a Children of the World project that Larson produced for UNICEF. I love his sweet face and little “innie” belly button! He has the cutest bubble butt too, but I’ll try not to embarrass him here.

I’ve collected vintage linens for quite some time. Many of these are gifts from my sister-in-law who started my collection almost 25 years ago.

A little life advice from the Father of His Country. I found this little goodie at a thrift store; and I love the script calligraphy.

The Lone Star State tablecloth was a gift from my Grandpa to his mother when he was working in Texas.

Do you see the navy saucer peeking out from the red bowl? It belonged to my Hoosier Grandma. The California cloth is in memory of my Grandparents; and with love to all my family in the Golden State. The tablecloth is a new piece made to look like vintage, state map hankies.

I’m enjoying the irony of featuring beautiful, English dishes in my celebration of independence from British rule. Which reminds me of the time when my husband wore his Union Jack hoodie to watch the fireworks on July 4th!

The Fiestaware here is a mixture of old and new pieces. The large, navy bowl was my Grandma’s as well; she used her Fiesta everyday.

I usually keep the Hoosier doors open, but here you can see the design on them. I think the hinges and latch are so cool. She’s pretty even when closed!

This cabinet is chock full of sentimental pieces that to an outsider might look a bit like a yard sale! Nearly everything else is gifted, thrifted or from the flea market.

I hope this inspires you to use your well-loved pieces in new and unusual combinations! If you need a few tips for displaying your collectibles, see my Spring Hoosier post.

Bring on summer! I’m ready!

How I Repaired Wood Rot and Saved Over $1,000

May 3, 2019home improvementabatron, arthurized home, colorful cottage living, epoxy, home improvement, home repair, money saving, product reviews, thrifty, wood repair, wood rotarthurized 1 Comment

Arthurized Home has french doors that developed some wood rot along the threshold. The folks at a big box home improvement center told us it couldn’t be repaired and that we should replace the entire door unit; to the tune of well over $1,000.

My sister had just successfully repaired a wooden column on her front porch using Abatron’s LiquidWood and WoodEpox, so we decided to give it a try. We ordered a kit from Amazon that was about $40.

The first step is to scrape away all of the rotten wood. Really dig in there and make sure you get it all. Remove anything that comes off easily. We were horrified to see the true extent of the damage, especially on that center support.

Tape off the area where you will be working in case there are epoxy drips. Use plastic sheeting if necessary. This product is meant to last, and drips or spills will not clean off easily.

The next step is to stabilize the adjoining area using LiquidWood. It’s an epoxy mixture that soaks into the wood and hardens it, preventing it from future rot. I probably went a little overboard drilling holes here, but I wanted to be extra thorough. I drilled slightly downward so the epoxy would flow down into the holes, not right back out of them. Mix the LiquidWood according to the package directions and paint onto your project, completely covering any exposed wood.

Let the epoxy dry completely.

Now comes the fun part! Mix the two-part WoodEpox together according to the package directions. It’s like playing with putty! Make sure the colors blend completely to solid white. That’s how you’ll know it is thoroughly mixed. Work quickly and in small batches; this starts to set up shortly after mixing.

Smoosh (yes, that’s the technical term! Smoosh!) it into and onto the areas you’re repairing. This product sands easily, so don’t be shy about piling on the WoodEpox. Apply enough product so that when you sand, you don’t end up with dimples or valleys.

Let that dry completely and start sanding. I used a triangular detail sander to get into those corners.

Yep, I realize there is a spider on the trim. This is country living; and I don’t mind them as long as they stay outside of the house.

So much better!

Once the repair is complete you can paint the WoodEpox. This repair is almost four years old now, and still looks (and functions) as good as new.

For more information on the products that I used to repair my door frame:
https://www.abatron.com/product/wood-restoration-kit/

This post is not sponsored; I’m simply sharing my honest experience with this product.

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