Tag Archives: glam

Favorite Retro Flush Mount Lighting – Week Seven Spring 2023 One Room Challenge

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It’s hard to top last week’s Mini Mudroom reveal. The conversion of our standard entry closet in to an eye-catching and functional focal point was a real thrill (True, I don’t get out much!). This week’s project for our foyer makeover was changing out the bland ceiling fixture for something that makes a statement!

Our space is small, and the ceilings are only 8.5′ high, so I was looking for a modest flush mount fixture that would add some character to our entry. Here are the beauties that made the short list:

  1. Ballard Designs Luna Star Ceiling Mount I love this! It’s the inspiration for my final choice – keep reading!
  2. West Elm Sculptural Faceted Flushmount I came so close to picking this! In fact, it’s the light I had on my moodboard from week 1
  3. Pottery Barn Teen Bailey Recycled Glass Flushmount I also came very close to buying this fixture! I particularly like that it echoes the shape of the Serena and Lily Capiz Scalloped Chandelier in the adjacent room, but I digress…
  4. Possini Euro Orilla Ceiling Light This caught my eye for the shape and the elegant timeless look
  5. Gold Star Light Fixture This was my final choice!

I ended up choosing the simple Gold Star Light Fixture, and I paired it with an oversized bulb (affiliate links). It’s not quite as elegant as the inspiration from Ballard Designs, but it’s definitely added style to our little entry way!

I’m going to add some finishing touches and take some more pictures to share for next week’s grand finale! In the meantime, head on back to the One Room Challenge site to see some more room transformations!

Julie AKA “Jewels”

A Timeless Sideboard Styled Five Ways

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We recently moved into our new house, and I’ve been busy arranging and re-arranging things to get us settled. In this process, I was fortunate to receive a beautiful new sideboard cabinet from Hernest.com. This item was generously gifted, but … Continue reading →

From Thomasville Dresser to Dining Room Bar Cabinet

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Remember when I told you that painting a vintage mid-century dresser was on my DIY bucket list? I love how that first project turned out. And then! When I was moving and definitely should not have been accumulating more stuff, I found something I couldn’t resist: a Thomasville faux bamboo bedroom set for free on Craigslist! This included a twin bed frame and a little desk and dresser. The desk had a bookcase hutch, which I put on top of the dresser to make a hutch/ bar for our dining room.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Rags
  • gloves
  • TSP or other deglossing solution
  • Sandpaper – fine grit
  • Bonding primer designed for slick surfaces
  • Amy Howard Spray Lacquer. I previously used this to lacquer a small entry cabinet, and I’m really impressed with how it looks and holds up
  • As needed, new hardware or metallic spray paint for your old hardware
  • If you need new holes for your hardware, some filler material for the old holes
  • Wallpaper for the back of your hutch. This Cherry Blossom Peel and Stick wallpaper had everything I wanted – a pretty design that was subtle enough to not be too busy when the shelves were filled, and a little bit of sheen.
  • Hardware to attach the hutch and anti-tip hardware, especially if you live in earthquake country, like we do

Here’s how to do it:

  • Clean off dirt and dust
  • Remove hardware
  • If you are changing hardware, fill in the old holes and drill the new ones
  • Sand the surface lightly with fine grit sandpaper
  • Wipe with surface with deglosser such as Gloss-off or TSP
  • Apply the primer and let it dry thoroughly overnight
  • Sand lightly with 400 grit sandpaper and wipe off dust with a lint-free rag
  • Apply the spray lacquer – Amy Howard has some videos on YouTube with details on how to use this product. Overall, I really like it, but it is a bit finicky. Luckily, the little imperfections aren’t noticeable now that it is inside and decorated.
  • I let the lacquer cure for a week in the garage, and then I applied the wallpaper to the back of the bookcase
  • The last steps were to put the hardware back on, secure the hutch to the dresser and add anti-tip hardware to the top of the whole thing
Here are the cool details from the back of my dresser – it is 55 years young!
Before and after!

This new dining room bar is the perfect place to display our collection of vintage bar glasses. I collected them back when we threw a Mad Men party, and I still love them all!

The days off for New Year’s allowed me to finish this project, so of course, I decorated for our at-home countdown to the New Year!

There is still the bed frame, a little corner desk, and some mirrors that came with the bedroom set. It was a silly indulgence to bring them all home, but I still hope to find a home for them some day somewhere!

Julie aka “Jewels”

My Sunroom Home Office – with a Fabulous Vintage Find!

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This post is brought to you by this weekend’s fabulous vintage find! If you know me, you know I love finding vintage furniture – it’s even better if it’s mid-century bamboo or rattan – and it’s best if it’s free! … Continue reading →

Metallic Geometric Garlands

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For our Mod Metallic Christmas, I wanted to make garlands for the tree and beyond. I love how these turned out, and I love that they are neutral enough to use for any occasion!


To make the garlands, I used beautiful metallic contact papers and simple twine to create a variety of garlands. You can find twine and white contact paper at a lot of local hardware stores, and here are the links buy the metallic contact paper:

I made three different garlands – squares, triangles, and circles – by cutting out shapes from the contact paper and sticking two sides together with twine sandwiched in between.

For the circle garland, you could also buy pre-cut circle stickers which would make the project even faster!

Here are the finished garlands, ready for when we put up our Christmas tree and for many celebrations to come!

Cheers,

“Jewels”

 

 

In the Clear… Acrylic Furniture Picks

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Beautiful clear furniture in acrylic, lucite, or glass, has always caught my eye. It is distinctly modern but neutral enough to fit in – and add a touch of glamorous sparkle – to any room. When one of my favorite home decor sites, One Kings Lane, announced a sale on beautiful acrylic furniture, I thought it would be a good time to scout out some favorite items.

Here are my picks from this sale:

Jones Bar Cart. Ohhh I want a bar cart so badly. I love the touch of gold on this one. Sadly, I’m afraid my boys would use this as a go-cart, but perhaps you’d have more luck?


Havenhurst Coffee Table. Again, I think the touch of gold makes this modern table feel more transitional. The corners remind me of the campaign style. This clear table would feel so light and airy in a living room or family room.

Whitley Tufted Bench. This bench feels less like going out on a limb than some of the other pieces. I think it is because the top surface, which catches more of your eye, is a traditional upholstered surface. The clear legs add just the right amount of sparkle and glamour. Statement pieces are great, and so are subtle touches like this one.

Havenhurst Etagere. More clean lines and metallic touches. I guess I know what I like this mix of campaign touches on a modern acrylic etagere really set my heart aflutter!

Brigitte Floor Lamp. Here’s another piece, like the bench, where the top looks more traditional, and the acrylic legs turn the lamp into something distinctive and glamorous.

Wow, I would put any of these in my house. How about you?

“Jewels”