This Little Light of Mine...

This Little Light of Mine...

 For those of you that don't know, I'm a huge football fan. My team of choice is UGA. The Bulldawgs have had a bit of a rough season with injuries and what-not, but this past weekend, we were so close to beating one of our rivals, Auburn. And then... that play happened. The most freakish, only happens once in a million years play that gave Auburn a touchdown to win. You could hear a pin drop in my house. What does this have to do with design you might ask? Nothing. What does this have to do with me... Everything!

 

You see, after this heartbreaking game to which I devoted the majority of my Saturday afternoon, I was feeling a bit blue, so what did I do to ease my sorrows... a craft, of course! I took out my frustrations on... drum roll please... my Dining Room light fixture.

 

Check out that beauty. Or not. It's one of the only lights I didn't replace when I renovated my house. It was OK for the time being, but after that UGA-Auburn game... I could take no more! The color, the glass globes... I needed a remedy, and fast. I sauntered my way into Michaels, walked over to the paint aisle, and looked for one of my new favorites -- Antique Brass.

 

You heard me... Brass. This finish is not the old shiny stuff from the 90's. It's subdued and sophisticated, and it's going to start taking over the market. Now, I'm no electrician, so this bad boy was going to have to remain installed as I painted. I took the globes off and it was already looking a lot better!

Now that the globes were gone, I got to painting. I've never painted a light fixture but it was surprisingly easy.

 

We're getting there, people... we're getting there! This picture reminds me of the whole "Make new friends, but keep the old... one is silver and the other's gold". This is actually quite fitting for my house. I feel that you don't have to choose the golds or the silvers. You can merge both into one room and they can work together seamlessly!

 

As I finished painting, I decided that I really REALLY didn't want to put those old globes back up. I hopped on over to Home Depot and purchased three new ones! Between that and the paint... it hardly looks like the same light! Check it out...

I'm debating if I want to add a black glaze to it to give a more antiqued look, but I'm loving it right now, so I decided to leave it. I recently had an awesome find at Z Gallerie that I knew would look perfect with this revitalized light!

 

Voila! A depressing end to a football game led to giving this old light a new life! In the past, I hardly ever turned this light on in an effort of forgetting it even existed, and now... it's on all the time! I love it, and the way the seeded glass reflects off the ceiling is priceless! Eeeeks... yay for craft-time!

 

 

Required Products:

- Paint -- $5/one small bottle

- Paint Brushes -- $4

- Glass Globes -- $6/globe

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Total Project Cost: $27

 

 

So, the moral of the story is this. Next time your team loses, or you're having a bad day, or your favorite contestant gets voted off Dancing with the Stars... channel that sadness into something good (and crafty)!



These are a Few of my Favorite Things!!

These are a Few of my Favorite Things!!

With the holidays right around the corner, I've started daydreaming about all of my favorite things. There are shoes and clothes (and Candy Crush, of course), but I'm lucky enough to see a lot of my favorite things every day when I go to work. As you start to ponder your wish list, don't be afraid to consider some of these beauties... because, let's be honest, who doesn't want a new light or countertops for Christmas?
Without further adieu.... I present... some of my favorite things!

Favorite Thing #1:  Cambria Countertops

           

 Now, I don't want to shock you, but would you believe me if I told you that none of the pictures above are granite? Well, BELIEVE IT! All of these pictures are quartz countertops from Cambria. Granite is comprised of 30%-40% quartz and that is the hardest part of the stone... these products are made of over 90% quartz making them extremely durable! Quartz countertops require no maintenance and with colors like these, you get the overall look of a natural stone! What's not to love?

 

Favorite Thing #2:  3D Tiles

 

Tile can completely change the look of a room. Some of these 3-dimensional tiles would be amazing on a focal wall... or around a fireplace. The possibilities are endless. The texture shown in these Island Stone pieces creates visual interest in the room without being overbearing.

This tile from Porcelanosa just sets off everything else in this space. It creates something that literally draws you in and holds your attention, and that's what design is all about! Speaking of holding your attention... how awesome is that bathtub? I could relax in there for hours... but I digress. Back to business :)

Favorite Thing #3: Fiandre Precious Stones Collection

 Earlier this year I attended the Coverings Show in Atlanta. It is a showcase for all things tile. There were beautiful, innovative tiles all over the place, but the Fiandre display was packed and these slabs were the reason why...

Fiandre has taken images of actual semi-precious stones. These images are then ink-jet printed on to a slab of engineered clay. They are fired and ultimately result in a huge, porcelain tile that looks practically identical to the real thing. The slabs can be as large as 60" x 120" and are giving designers a way to create custom features at a fraction of the cost of the real stones. Don't get me wrong... you won't see these types of items at the big box stores as they are still considered high-end, but because they are only 1/4" thick, the weight allows for so many cool applications (I'm thinking a backsplash or shower with NO grout lines or perhaps a custom table top, just to name a few)!

Favorite Thing #4: Industrial Chic Lighting

Lighting is one of those things that sadly can become an afterthought when doing a renovation. There are so many things that need to be decided, and sometimes the lights play second fiddle to many of the other items. The lights can literally make or break a room, so be sure to give them the attention they deserve! Here are a couple I'm obsessed with lately. They have this wonderful old-meets-new, industrial chic vibe to them!

I recently saw this Troy Lighting fixture installed in a showroom in Minneapolis and instantly fell in love. The Menlo Park Collection features hand-worked iron that creates an anchor for the piece. This gives it a sense of uniqueness while the glass softens it and makes it incredibly versatile.

The Steam Punk Hanging Lantern is one that I'm actually about to install in one of my Kitchen renovations (more to come on that project in the coming weeks)! This house was the perfect home for this fixture. A 1920's historic home in the heart of Atlanta, this fixture is able to tie together the existing brass that's visible in the formal rooms of the house with the newly renovated and more modern Kitchen.

Favorite Thing #5: Vintage Industrial Furniture

I stumbled across this Phoenix-based company a few weeks ago while doing some research for a client and have been waiting to highlight them on the blog ever since. I was astounded by the items they create. I'm talking a total jaw-dropping moment! Their furniture is custom and a work of art in my opinion. The craftsmanship and unique characteristics set their products apart from any that I've seen.

Jaw on the floor?? See, I told you!! The tables can be built and customized to meet the needs of your home and with the intricate details on each piece, you're bound to find something new to love about it for years to come!

Well, I'm pretty sure I've bombarded you with enough of my favorite swoon-worthy products. If you know of a company with some unique pieces, I'd love to hear about them!