Duck Egg Blue Love

It's my favorite kind of day here at Pretty Distressed- a reveal day. I recently got to refinish this roll top desk and was totally grateful that my client let me come shoot it in her home.

I have been wanting to refinish a desk for a long time, and I literally jumped for joy when she selected Duck Egg Blue (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®) as her color. I have done accent pieces in this color all over my house, but have never been brave enough to paint an entire piece with it. I used Old White on the back of the desk to provide a little contrast and didn't wax it so it has a nice chalky look. The hardware was also painted with Old White and finished with Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

A Look Back at My First Piece

It is hard to believe at this time last year I was living in a completely different house in another state. This past year has brought a lot of change including, a new home, a new school for my son, a new church, new friends, renewed relationships, and everything else that goes along with uprooting your family. Even though it has been tough at times, I thank God for this opportunity and the ways He has blessed our family that I couldn't have even dreamed up including this little blog, Pretty Distressed.

Last November, I decided to buy my first can of Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan, and my life has never been the same. I started creating all over my home and sharing it with others as I found my passion for writing again. Then, I ventured out to selling pieces and even taking on clients. I can't thank you all enough for bringing this dream to life. I am so encouraged and inspired by your comments and messages I receive daily. 

Last week, I was contacted by Annie Sloan Unfolded, the sole distributor for Chalk Paint® in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They like my work so much, they are offering me an opportunity to do a product review post right here on Pretty Distressed. It was honestly one of the most exciting emails I have ever gotten. I have been brainstorming like crazy and hope to be giving you more details as my project and post take shape.

Today, I wanted to share with you the first piece I ever refinished. It isn't anything special, but I dressed her all up to show you that dreams can start small. 

Dining Room - Before & After

It is reflection time again. I have shied away from sharing a before and after of my dining room because it is incomplete in my eyes. I still need some window treatments, wall hangings, a rug perhaps. But I am sick of waiting, and I want to share it with you because it is my happy place. Seriously, I sometimes just sit in my front room and stare at the dining room because it is so pretty and peaceful. 

Cottage Inspired Dining Hutch - Before & After

I know I owe you one more video tutorial on dark wax to complete our dresser makeover we have been working on for a couple of weeks now, but I have lots of other things I have been painting that I have been dying to share with you. So today, I am excited to reveal my cottage inspired dining hutch.

Over the River and Through the Woods to Carter's Cottage

Last week, my husband gave me the day off. Yes, you heard me, an entire day without having to dress, bathe, feed or transport anyone but myself. Glorious. So what did I decide to do...hop in the car and drive out to the heart of downtown DeKalb, Ill. to visit my local Annie Sloan stockist, Carter's Cottage.

Previously, I had bought my paint from a local store that shipped to my home and at a store in Tennessee when I went to visit my parents, but from now on I am making the drive out to DeKalb to see Christie. 

Pin-spired: DIY Country Chic Window Treatments

Are you a Pinterest addict like me? I love that there is a simple place to go for inspiration and store it all in neat little categories. This weekend, I finally turned one of those pins into reality, and I am beyond excited to be sharing it with you today.

This project was "pin"-spired by Jennifer over at Town and Country Living. I am a little bit obsessed with burlap. I love its natural, earthy color and the relaxed, country vibe it gives off. I really loved the idea of pairing it with a tree branch for an extra punch of rustic charm.

Foyer - Before & After

I look around my house sometimes, and all I can see are the mountains of projects I need to tackle. It is often hard for me to pause and reflect on just how far we have come on our journey of making this house a home. Today, I want to take the time to slow down and enjoy my foyer. 

At Last, the Dining Hutch Reveal Has Come Along

Happy Monday! The dining hutch reveal is finally here. For those who have been following the blog for a while, you know that I have been working on this piece for quite some time now. I inherited a dining set in early February, and as they say, the best things come to those who wait.

Goodwill Dresser Upcycle Reveal

This post contain affiliate links. I will receive a small commission from products purchased through these links.

Update (1-20-16): You guys love this makeover so much I have created a series of video tutorials to show you exactly how I achieved this look. Check out part 1 and part 2 on my YouTube channel. Part 3, the last video in the series, coming soon!

I am beyond excited to share this reveal with you. This is my first refinishing project with a piece I bought from a secondhand store. The hunting part was challenging, but also exciting.

I found this gem at Goodwill for $24.99. I hesitated to buy it at first because it had a couple of chipped drawers. Keep checking back for a post on how I fixed that problem. This thing was really banged up, too, with tons of dents and weird spills and stains. I almost walked away but my gut told me that at this price, I had to give it a chance. And I am so glad I did. It is the perfect piece for our front foyer.

I started off by sanding down all the spills and giving it a good scrubbing with some Murphy Clean and Shine Spray. This thing was dir-ty.

This is one of the corners I repaired. You can't even tell. Post coming on this technique soon. 

I removed all the hardware and sprayed it with Rust-Oleum Universal spray paint and primer in Hammered Black. This was my first time using this product, and let me tell you, it is amazing! This stuff looks like real metal. It costs around $7 at Home Depot, and it probably saved me about $50-80 in new hardware costs.

This look was created using two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White. I tried a new technique and distressed it before I used my Annie Sloan Clear Wax. I used 100 grit sand paper to distress followed by a coat of clear wax and finished it off with a mix of clear and dark wax. I wanted this really shabby because of all the nicks and dents it has, so I used dark wax on the entire piece versus just in the spots I distressed.

With the great price I got for this piece, I am tempted to try and sell. But I think at this point, I am too in love with it. What do you think? Sell or keep?

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint- I Die

I have been dreaming of using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint since I first started researching it in August. This stuff is pretty pricey (one pint runs around $38 and the clear and dark waxes go for $28), and you will also need to invest in some good brushes and other essentials. 

I finally bit the bullet and bought some in early December. In the words of my girl Rachel Zoe- I die. This stuff is truly amazing. I am having a blast reimagining things all over my house.  

There are tons of great bloggers and small business owners that have great tips and tutorials on using Chalk Paint. Some of my favorites are Blue Egg Brown Nest, Simply Reinvented, and The Purple Painted Lady. There is a bit of a learning curve on how to use the paints and waxes, but I really think there are tons of ways to achieve the look you want. I have pulled inspiration and tips from all these websites to Chalk Paint my way.

Here are some pieces I upcycled from around my house using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Project #1: End table

Before

After

I painted my first coat with Paris Grey and a lighter second coat with Old White. 

I applied clear wax and heavily distressed it with a 100 grit sandpaper. 

Project #2: Nightstand

Before

After

Here I used two coats of Paris Grey followed by a coat of clear wax and heavy distressing. 

Then I finished it off with a mixture of clear and dark wax to give it that aged look.

Project #3: Floor Lamp

Before and After

I used one coat of Old White on the base of the lamp and lightly distressed it. I then did a coat of clear and dark wax. The lamp shade look was created with painter's tape and spray paint. Read more about this lamp upcycle.

What about you? Are you dying to try ASCP?

Disclaimer: At the time of this original post, this blog and this post are not sponsored by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I received no product or compensation for this review.

Extra: Behind the Scenes

Photo shoots don't always go as planned. My little J.S. and S.J. wanted to join in on the fun.

Putting down the phone and breaking out the big boy.

Frenchy Country Wall Collage

While I tend to lean more toward country than french country in my decorating taste these days, this project definitely has some French influence so I am dubbing it Frenchy Country. 

I recently made a jute letter and wanted to incorporate it into a collage for our family room. We have two huge blank walls on either side of our massive television (thank you dear husband) and, I wanted something unique to hang there besides another picture. I was inspired by different arrangements I have seen on Pinterest and in a recent friend's home. After hours of wandering the aisles of Hobby Lobby, I came up with this.

Frenchy Country Wall Collage

This door handle I found in the cabinet hardware/pulls section. Honestly, I love this more than my jute "M." The best part- 50% off. Cost: $5.99

This fleur-de-lis I had in my last home. Like my jute letter, it needed to be lightened up. I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White, mildly distressed it and used both clear and dark wax to finish it off. I have two of these and originally purchased them from Hobby Lobby.

I found this key on a table they had set up with "Spring Collection" items. All priced at 30% off. This table was a jackpot. I also got two glass jars and a metal basket. I can't wait to show you how I use those. Cost:  $4.49

I found the frames back in the frame section if you can believe it. These unfortunately were not on sale and were the most expensive items in the collage. However, I always have my trusty Hobby Lobby app which normally always offers a 40% coupon for one full price item. Cost: $17.99 (oval frame after coupon) $14.99 (square)

The cross I found in the cross section (yes, they have a whole section of crosses). I don't think this piece is particular Frenchy, but I liked it. It is rustic and is a symbol of my family's deep love for Jesus. It will be a daily reminder of his redeeming love, so I went for it. I can be very eclectic at times, and that is okay. I don't claim to be an expert. I just do what I like. Another bargain at 50% off. Cost: $4.99

Here is a before and after just for fun so you can see how far we have come in this room. Still more work to do, but not too shabby.

Before

After

Disclaimer: This blog and post was not sponsored by Hobby Lobby. I hope maybe one day it will be. Wink, wink.

Jute- There It Is

Happy New Year! While I believe New Year's resolutions are a waste of time, I do believe in goals, and my new goal for 2014 is to start blogging all the creating, crafting and decorating I have been doing around our home. So here is my first tutorial- the jute letter.

I am a huge believer in "upcycling" these days. Reimagining things you already have is a great way to save money and keep clutter out of your home and landfills. We moved into a new home in September, and I have completely changed gears from our last home's style. I recently repainted our entire first floor in shades of gray and really wanted a lot of white and and natural wood toned pieces to really pop against the cool shades. The problem- all my accent pieces and furniture are dark from my contemporary/Arts and Crafts phase. The answer- paint and burlap.

Jute Letter

Items needed:
Letter (wood, plastic, cardboard, etc.)
Hot glue gun
Glue sticks
Jute
Scissors

I had this black "M" (for our last name), and I knew I wanted it to be the star of a collage in our family room. My initial thought was to paint it white, but I thought that was a little boring. I wanted it to have some texture and depth, so I decided to wrap it in jute.

If you don't have a letter, you can find them for pretty cheap at a craft store such as Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or JoAnne's. Since you will be covering it up you don't have to worry about buying one that is already finished. Mine just happened to be. Raw wood or a paper mache would actually work really well for this project.   

I bought a spool of 135ft and 4 ply natural jute at Hobby Lobby for around $3 after using a coupon. (Tip: Download the apps for all the major craft stores. Most of them have a 40% off coupon for a full price item. They also give you current sale price info.) Jute comes in different lengths and plies so pick the one that works best for your project. You can find jute in the string or yarn section of any craft store. I have heard they even sell jute at some hardware stores.

To start off, keep the wrapper on your spool and just find the loose end in the middle and pull. The string will pull out from the center and keep your spool of jute in tact which makes it a lot neater. Next, I covered up all the ends that I wouldn't be able to cover as I wrapped the jute around my letter. I cut pieces to length and glued them directly to the letter. 

Here is a picture of my letter after I covered all the non-wrappable (yes, I just made this word up) sides. Each letter will be different so make sure you plan before you start wrapping.

Now, it is time to wrap. Go across your letter with a single straight line of hot glue just thick enough for one string. Hot glue dries fast so only do one row at a time. Simply place your jute right on top of the letter and make sure to push it down well until it touches the row below. Flip it over, do the back side and keep repeating.

Keep wrapping...

 and wrapping...

You will use a LOT of glue so have plenty of sticks handy. I have heard there is a process where you can make a paste mixture and dip the jute in there. I opted for the glue gun because is seemed less messy and easier to control. I also wanted the jute to look raw. I thought the paste dip might make it look shellacked.

At some point you might need to make a cut and start a new row. Just make sure you hide your cuts on the back of the letter. Keep wrapping, and you will end up with this.  

I was really happy with how this turned out. It took a little longer than expected (around 4 hours) but I can be really meticulous about things like this. A normal person might be able to blow through it in a couple hours. I am going to hang mine on the wall as a part of a collage, but it would also work on the top of a dresser or shelf. Mine has holes to hang it. If your letter doesn't, you can drill your own or even glue a cute ribbon to the top to hang it. Be creative. Making a project your own is the best part of being crafty.

Before

After

Stay tuned to see my finished wall collage starring my jute "M."