So, here's my attempt at being very HGTVish with the before and after shot. We have been struggling with this one wall in our house/apt./duplex (I never know what to call it), our home! We just have not been able to figure out what to hang on it. We also struggle with the "brown factor" and have in fact deemed our home the Brown Wonder. We love it, love it here. But the fact remains that all is brown. The walls, the carpet, doors, trim, cupboards, you name it. It is also a fact, in case you haven't heard, that it rains quite a bit here in Portland. So, living in the Brown Wonder in the rain can start to feel a little dull. I needed a little color. Now I didn't want to exert to much time or money on a rental so we decided that maybe just the wall could use a splash. Well, I thought, why not bright orange. I love orange. So by then I couldn't be stopped.
But then, what to hang on the orange wall. My sister-in-law gave me these fabulous old windows, thanks Meg. I knocked out the glass and spruced them up with a little spray paint and crackle glaze to make them look old again. Justin had the fabulous idea of filling the panes with happy fabric. I don't think he actually said "happy fabric" but that was my interpretation.
Here is the result and I have to say that it has made me extremely happy the past 4 days to have an orange wall in my house. Now if we could just do something about the ceiling fan . . .
One of my other projects since we moved in was painting this table black and recovering the seats. We are hoping soon to move to a bigger table that actually allows for plates and food on the table at the same time. But this one has served us faithfully for 6 years of marriage and with the new look has let me hold on to it for a little longer.
This next project is New Year's mania taking hold of me. We went from a chart-free home to a chart-run home overnight. But it is wonderful and is helping us all stay in line. We have the Prayer chart, Family Home Evening chart, Chore charts, and schedules for each of the girls. The schedules have been so great for the girls. I used to make these with my special ed students all the time and they have been a dream with my girls too. It keeps them going with what they need to be doing and helps me to follow through too. Plus, they get to reward themselves by putting the activity in the happy or frowny face bag when they've completed it.
22 comments:
Good Job Lanie and home improvement crew!
Huge improvement. I used this exact color on a wall in our last apartment in Gergia and loved it. I am a fan of orange and it really does brighten up the place! FYI, painting it back to white was not the ordeal I thought it would be.
that is a really cool idea you had with putting "happy fabric" in the windows. did you just cut it to fit and staple it on the back or glue it? and i love love orange too!!! our next home should be one that we'll be in for at least 3 years, so i'm hoping to be able to paint and decorate more than just hanging pictures on the walls...
First, wow! The orange wall looks really good! I don't have that vision to see the "end product." I really like the "happy fabrics" too! It looks like you spent $100. on that! Way to go! You need to post all of your creative brain projects so that you can help myself, whom isn't as fortunate.
I was just telling Kyle that we need to get the chart system going again in our house! Thanks for the motivation!
I am so excited you did it! I am very jealous and glad you decided to make the plunge! I love it!
BTW - I love the zit comment from Emma. Leave it to the little ones to put things how they are.
p.s. OK, I've been thinking about your kitchen table :)
Blake's mom found us an old green picnic table at the DI for $5 when we got married. I painted it and aged it, Blake made some basic wood benches to go with it - whole thing cost probably $30. Super cheap and no straightening chairs all day long. Just an idea...
that is a good idea laura, that sounds really cute. and we know how i do straighten all day long! terina, i just cut cardboard to actually fit in the window frames, stretched the fabric over the cardboard and taped it to the back, then i popped them in the frames. it was a bit of a pain, but i thought it looked better than having it on the back.
That turned out great! You are so creative. Orange is the perfect color to go with your table (which still looks good even after 6 years) I'm impressed.
Love the orange! But then, do you remember the Oscar the Grouch green in our Logan house? And my red couches? I love color!
We gave up on our chore charts over the summer, but we are desperate to try again. I would like to see yours in more detail and find out how they work. Can you hook me up YO?
wow Lanie, so creative! props to Justin as well. So I was looking at your blog and left the computer to do something and Ryder hopped on. after scrolling through, these were his exact words: "these are cute pictures. I wish i could play with them." - meaning your girls.
Jenn told me she met you. she loved playing soccer. that sounds like so much fun!
Wow, I'm so impressed! I'll have to take some lessons from you! There's a few rooms we would like to paint/change too. By the way, I love your blog! Feels like you're just right here.
Lanie it looks awesome!! I am super suprised you went with orange, I would have thought yellow for sure! It looks really good! Wish we could come and see it in person! But I guess I will just have to get to hear how good it looks from you mom when she gets back!
I am WAY impressed with your domesticity! Way to go! The wall looks great and I love the towels you made! I have also been thinking a lot about making a little chart for Ty. What things do your girls have on their smiley chart?? Thanks!
Hi Lanie! I love the orange and the happy fabric--you did a great job (you totally should have an HGTV show). And I love your cute capes! Did you learn all of that from our days in Young Women's (if so, I totally must have not been paying attention...). Can't wait to be cyberstocked!
Hi Lanie! I love the orange and the happy fabric--you did a great job (and you should totally have your own show on HGTV). I love the cute capes, too!!! Did you learn all that in our Young Women's days? If so, I must have not been paying attention...
p.s. I'm glad we're officially cool now too! :)
hey lanie----sorry if i left like 10 posts without knowing it. hope everything is going well for you guys. i love your blog by the way! :)
OOh! Who's comment got deleted? This looks like it could be scandalous! I love a good scandal!
Hey Lanie! I love all your charts . . . I've been thinking I need to do something like that for Annie. She doesn't really do anything but she might if we had a chart! haha... love the orange wall too!
so I totally tried to leave a comment the other night, but I don't think it worked. Anyway, everything is so beautiful and creative and fantastic!
Hey Lanie! I love those job charts you made! I might have to try that with Annie . . . she doesn't really do much for jobs, but maybe she would if we made cute charts:) oh, and I also love the orange!
Sorry that some of your comments didn't show up for like 3 days, I had some weird comment moderation setting on. No scandal Sunny, just a comment from someone I didn't know leaving a link for a work-at-home job. Sorry to not have more juice for you :) I will e-mail those of you that want the chart stuff and send you my clip art. It took me forever to put it all together so I would be happy to share. Thanks for everyone's support on the orange wall!
You'll have to let me know how that chart works. I'm always curious as to whether that solution works. Love the "happy fabric."
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