PROGRESS IN THE GUESTROOM: A FEW UPDATES

After too much time has passed to say out loud, the guest room is finally coming together. I've been making decisions, ordering online, and picking up things here and there for the room for almost two years. Working full-time and decorating a home don't always go hand-in-hand. However, our latest addition, our first grandchild, spurred me along and lit a fire under my decorating feet because one little corner of the room is devoted to her. We are affectionately calling it Kate's Corner (until the next one comes along, anyway). 

Here are eight updates in no particular order. 

1. PAINT! The room went from Shaker Beige to Swiss Coffee. Both colors are Benjamin Moore. Paint, in case you didn't know, is a miracle worker! 

2. STORAGE. Sometime after Christmas, we found this small table at Home Goods. It's the perfect size for a few basics for Kate, and I had gift cards-always a plus!

3.  NIGHT STANDS. Last summer I ordered two small chest from Wayfair to use as night stands. They are actually children's dressers, so the size is perfect if you like a bigger night stand. 

4. PILLOW COVERS. I'm not sure when I decided to use red, white, and blue, but I'm loving it. I found these on Amazon. I was able to use inserts from other pillows I had. 

5. CURTAINS. I absolutely love these navy velvet panels from Amazon. Can't wait to get them up! Two panels for less than 50$. 

6. BASKET. Picked this basket up for blankets or toys for the grandbaby side of the room. 

7. ROCKING CHAIR. It took me FOREVER to bite the bullet on this smallish rocking chair. But luckily, it is the perfect size for this space. 

8. BENCH. Well over a year ago, I came across the perfect bench for the end of the bed while thrifting. It's headed to be reupholstered this week! I'll be using some fabric I've been holding on to forever that fits nicely into the color scheme. 

Links to a few of the products:

(affiliate links)

LEOPARD PILLOW COVER  //  RED FLORAL PILLOW COVER 

CURTAINS  //  ROCKING CHAIR  //  SIMILIAR TULIPS

CHESTS USED AS NIGHTSTANDS

(Looks like the white is sold out, but they have many other options.)

Still so much to do, but we're getting there!

PEEL AND STICK WALL PAPER PROJECT

Every now and then I start a DIY project that makes me wonder what in the world I was thinking. This project most definitely fell into that category. And even though I absolutely adore the outcome, it was rough going there for a while.

I love that I have built-in book shelves in our living room. It's always fun to arrange and rearrange them through the seasons and the years. They give my creative decorating juices a place to flow. But in our home, they are in a room that doesn't get much natural light, and the room often feels dark if the blinds in the adjacent room are not opened. I don't really want to paint the wood--not now anyway--so, after seeing a many people on the Internet using peel and stick wallpaper, I thought it would be a great way to lighten up part of the room.

A few before shots:

A little about the process...

This is the paper I ordered from Amazon. It's a grass cloth look alike. It even has a slight texture.

CHAPTER ONE

This is my emptied shelf, my starting point. That support molding at the top was, let's just say, a pain in the rear! I looked at a lot shelves online during this project, and realized they almost all have something like this. 

I started on the left side of the built ins, at the tip top--over the molding. Remember, I have never done this before and have no idea what I'm doing or what I'm about to get into. (Insert crying smiley face here.) 

This first piece went up fairly easy. It was a bit cumbersome and awkward, and I did have to readjust the paper a couple of times, but I got it up. Miraculously, it was even straight. 

Now, if you are familiar with real grass cloth wall coverings, you know that the seams of the cloth do not match up like wall paper. The seams are obvious like in this beautiful example from Serena and Lily.

However, when I was measuring the paper for the next section, I found a repeat and was able to match up the seams to some degree. I trimmed the edges with a razor blade, and the left side was finished!

CHAPTER TWO

Somewhere in the midst of papering the left side, I realized there was a possibility I was going to need another roll of paper. I went back to Amazon and put a roll in my cart, and then finished up the left side. That one side was so overwhelming that I took a little break before starting the right side. 

After roll #2 was delivered, I didn't immediately start on the right side. Because (obviously) I now knew what I was getting into once I opened the roll. 

After finally deciding there was no time like the present, I went back to work. For some reason, however, I had a horrible time getting started. Nothing was lining up right, it looked crooked, and that darn molding at the top was making me crazy!! Then I got the bright idea to just do the molding by itself first. There wouldn't be an issue of matching it up under the piece; it wouldn't matter with vertical lines. Small victory! 

Now I was onto the first big piece for the shelves on the right. I measured and lined up the paper, found the match, cut the two strips for the right side, and went to work. 

I thought for sure this side would go faster. But, it was worse than the left side. I had trouble lining up the starting point. Then, once I was able to get it started, I could not get it to smooth out correctly. I pulled it up and re-positioned it so many times, that I had to discard the entire piece. Then the tears came as I realized I would now have to order another roll, or I wouldn't have enough paper to match the pattern as I had done meticulously on the other side. Back to the Amazon drawing board. 

CHAPTER 3

Roll three. 

At this point I was more determined than ever to finish this project. I took a deep breath and got to work! I watched a few tutorials to see why I was having so much trouble, changed a few things I was doing, and got it done!

It has made a huge difference in the room. It feels so much lighter! 

I began this project during the stay at home order and didn't really start writing the post until August of 2020. It has gotten longer and longer. Ha! If you are still reading, bless you for sticking it out (no pun intended).

I guess the moral of this story would be, 1) "Don't let the term 'peel and stick' fool you. It's not quite as easy as it sounds." And, 2) "Just do it. You'll love it!!" :-)

Feeling brave yourself? Here is the paper I used. I truly was pleased with the look and the quality of the wallpaper. It comes in four pretty colors from Amazon. 

cream  //  navy (steel blue)  //  wheat  //  ivory

(affiliate links)

What a difference! 

Have you used peel and stick paper anywhere in your home? Comment below and tell us about it. 

SEEKING FLOWER BED ADVICE

I need a little help today with my front flower beds. 

Our front beds had been neglected for a loooong time, like I'm embarrassed to say how long, so I won't, but when we suddenly had the never-ending Spring Break, we got after it! We pulled out a gazillion weeds, cut back bushes, washed the front windows, even trenched part of the bed. When it was finally cleaned out and spruced up, we spread 25 bags of mulch. (I can still smell it.) :)

What we didn't do, was plant anything. It was such a task to clean it up, we decided not to plant anything until the fall. And as you know, fall is fast approaching. So I'm hoping those of you who are gardeners can help me figure out what to plant in one part of the bed.

This is the front right corner of our house, in front of our garage. In this shot, the brick isn't washed yet and all the new mulch isn't in. But it's cleaned up, and waiting for something pretty to be planted, preferably something that blooms that I could cut from each year. 

Because of the path of the sun, this area gets no morning sun. It stays shaded, depending on the time of the year, until lunch time or after. Then it gets full sun for a few hours. Our trees are really tall, so most of this spot and our drive is in full shade by late afternoon, say around 4 or 5 o'clock, give or take an hour or so, again depending on the time of year. The sun moves from the back left corner to the front right corner, diagonally over the house. Years ago there were azalea bushes here, and they did really well. I'm open to any suggestions, but I would love it to be low maintenance. The depth is around 3 - 4 feet from the house to the monkey grass. 

Okay, it's your turn! 

I'm hoping those of you with more expertise than me can help a girl out. 

You could email your suggestions to woodbanklane@gmail.com, or you can leave a comment below. If you've never commented before, here's a quick explanation.

Look for this at the bottom of the post:

 

Click on "No comments" or there may be a number if someone has already commented. It would look like this, "4 comments."

Then you can choose how you want to leave your comment. You can use a Google account or you can comment anonymously, which is the easiest, and sign your name or not! That's it. 

I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Kathryn

HOMEMADE ABSTRACT ART

Abstract art is a current trend in home decor. I've decided I'm here for it--in small doses. It's definitely different, bold and funky, and everywhere. It's a interesting way to show off your playful side.

This picture is the work of Kayce Hughes.

This example of the art is from the Instagram account of Angela Fahl Interiors. I've just recently started following her. She has a pretty feed if you're looking for new inspiration. I'd never be brave enough for a black room, but I do like hers.

So, with those two examples in mind, I'll show you how you can add an original abstract to your décor for next to nothing.

I found this old framed print at the antique mall for $7. The frame was in great condition, and the mat is a light grayish blue, which works great in my living room.

First, I took everything apart.

My plan was to just flip the picture over and paint on the back of it. But the tape stuck to it in the dismantling process, so I had to move on to plan B.

We had two of these sketch pads that Santa brought one year, so I used a page from this and cut it to the size I needed. Card stock would have worked better. This didn't flatten out perfectly against the glass when I put it all back together. Luckily, you can't really tell.

I ordered this set of paint brushes, this bottle of paint, and this set of watercolors, and then went to work making swirlies, which spell check has just let me know is not a word. But you know what I mean.

I probably should have only used one color (like the examples), but I used two. Then, for some reason, I gave it a dash of black too. I only used a tiny amount of the black, so it really turned out more like a gray. I felt pretty good about my color combination.

For now it's leaning on a chest that once belonged to my parents, in a corner of the living room. One day I hope for it to be part of a gallery wall that I'm working on for over our couch.

I've done one other abstract project. It was for my dining room. If you missed that post, catch up on it here. What are your thoughts on the abstract trend? Leave a comment!

Kathryn