Color Class – Country Design Home

Aug 25, 2014

Wall Decals Pop!

In the midst of all of the DIY’ing for the shop, I decided to “freshen up” my daughter’s old bedroom, which now serves as a guest room/ironing board room. (doesn’t everyone have one of those?) Since her high school days, when we added white wainscoting and painted the walls sage green, her favorite color,

I have always thought that someday, after she “flew the coop” I would paint it something a little ” softer and prettier”. Although I am a lover of mother nature, I am not necessarily a “green” person and prefer lighter, brighter colors for my walls. PINK, I can live with that, and since there is already a fun pink floral area carpet in place,

I mixed up a can of bright, light pink for the walls. I had a can of flat white on hand, to which I mixed some bright pink and soft gray to avoid that “bubble gum” tone.

The room is a square shape, with a small alcove at one end where there is a day bed tucked under the eaves. Which leaves an oddly-shaped, off-center wall for hanging pictures or mirrors. So when I was contacted by the folks at www.vinylwallartdecal.com

to sample their product, I knew this would be the perfect solution! The graphic I chose was “Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful”, which is such a powerful statement, especially in a little girl’s room.

The graphic is stunning, was very easy to apply and looks amazing. I like that it was actually in smaller pieces once I cut it apart, making it much easier to handle than one large graphic.

Here is the “how-to apply the graphics” instruction sheet, included in the package,

which I have enhanced with some additional instruction and illustrations, as it was just a bit unclear. Also, the package did not include a pic of the original graphic, so I had to go online to make sure I had it right, since I had to cut it apart and re-align it prior to hanging on the wall. Here we go:

Step 1: “Take the transfer film out”, which initially I took to mean you remove it from the mailing package. There are two separate sheets in the package, both on white paper backing. One is the transfer film and one is the graphic. The instructions don’t say to actually remove the transfer film from the backing and place the tacky side on to the graphic, but that is what you do. Here is the graphic sheet with the shiny transfer film on top of it.

Step 2: Then step 2 makes more sense, that you rub the clear transfer film with a towel to adhere it to the graphic, removing any wrinkles or bubbles.

Wall Decal Rubbing Transfer Film with Soft Cloth

Note: the included clear transfer film wasn’t quite as large as the actual graphic, so I had to do a bit of cutting and pasting for that. But that didn’t matter because it is removed once the graphic is transferred anyway.

Wall Decal Cutting And Pasting Film Transfer

Step 3: Cut out the images and clear transfer film together, leaving room around the edges of the graphic for handling.

Since I now had a pile of cut-apart sections,

at that point I actually taped the entire graphic to the wall to make sure I had it positioned correctly.

Step 4: Peel off clear transfer film from the white paper graphic backing with the graphic attached and press that onto wall or dry surface in the position you’d like it to be.

Wall Decal Peeling off White Backing Paper

Step 5: Rub clear transfer all over with your fingertop, making sure you rub the edges of the graphic for full adhesion onto the wall.

I did one section at a time and left the others taped to the wall until it was completed.

Step 6: Peel off the clear transfer film from graphic on wall. If it starts to pull graphic with it, just rub again to adhere graphic to wall.

Step 7: Step back and admire : ) I know it sounds like quite a few steps, but the final product is just lovely and in this room, creates a statement next to a B&W photo of the iconic Jackie Kennedy Onassis, who was the epitome of being her own kind of beautiful.

So thank you to Vinyl Wall Art, who provided the graphic sample for me to review. You can check out their website here: where you will find so many thoughtful quotes and adorable graphics for your home! Loving this Cute Owls and Cute Tree– so whimsical!

They even offer large black board stickers-brilliant!!

If you have any questions, you can check out their blog Notepad Corner, which provides you with lots of information about their products. So, if you do get a chance to shop their beautiful website please tell them that Sue from Country Design Home sent you! Hope you have you’re own kind of beautiful Monday, eveyone!! Susan

PS: Although I was provided with the sample from the company Vinyl Wall Art, the written opinions are strictly my own.

Filed Under: Color Class, Inspiration, My Little Red House, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: blackboard wall sticker, dandelion wall sticker, notepad corner, various facts to choose wall decals, vinyl wall art decals, vinyl wall decals, wall decals pop, wall sticker, wall stickers

Jul 18, 2014

Thrifty Kitchen Transformation-Granite Day!

By countrydesignhome · 2 Comments

Yesterday was such an exciting day in the thrifty kitchen transformation process-granite installation day! Thanks to Alpha-Granite in Wakefield, Ma, we secured this gorgeous hunk of granite called Steel Gray at a great price, with great service.

Ten days from choosing the granite to the install, they arrived on time, worked quickly and efficiently and cleaned up before they left. As promised, the truck rolled up at 8am and the process of removing the old formica countertops commenced.

Now, as an avid DIY’er, I like to think that I can pretty much do most everything myself. That is, after all, what DIY means: Do It Yourself. However, I do know my limits, and fabricating and hauling around giant slabs of very heavy granite just was not in my job description for this particular project.

So, here is the before: yucky yellow 1970’s Formica with the over-counter-installed stainless sink which they quickly removed and junked.

And here is the after: shiny black with flecks of grays and browns, which really complements the painted white cabinets and the awesome hardware!

As we’ve continued the work on the kitchen, the one thing mom and I keep noticing is how much lighter and brighter it appears now.

Of course, painting out the dark oak cabinets really helped, but the new, shiny dark gray granite reflects the light as well. LOVE. More importantly, mom is so happy to have gorgeous granite countertops in her kitchen! Next up, the backsplash. You’re not gonna want to miss this one! But that won’t be for another week or so, because I am taking a quick blogging hiatus to upgrade my computer server (this ought to go well) and prepare for our newest junking adventure! So, until August 1, I’ll be seeing you on Facebook and Pinterest and Instagram-so come on over and say hi! Hope you are all having a great summer! Susan

Filed Under: Color Class, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Alpha Granite Wakefield, Granite companies Boston, Granite companies Wakefield, granite countertops kitchen, Gray Steel granite Countertops, MA, MA granite installation

Jul 15, 2014

Coastal Kitchen Cupboard DIY Makeover

By countrydesignhome · 14 Comments

Blogger’s note: NO REAL WOOD WAS HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS CUPBOARD**

This past weekend, I completed a few more projects while awaiting the granite guy’s countertop installation at mom’s house. I have been working on this piece in my kitchen for quite awhile, and am happy to finally have it done! This is the before:

a red cupboard (made of MDF) we purchased a few years back at Jordan’s Furniture Colossal Clearance Center in Avon, Mass (if you haven’t been there, it is so definitely worth the trip! Lots of great furniture at significantly discounted prices!) This piece fits nicely in the narrow passageway between our kitchen and dining room and holds a ton of stuff like paper towels, napkins and several pieces of kitchen equipment that just won’t fit anywhere else. The problem is, since it’s in the highest traffic point of our home, it had been scratched and worn-the finish was like a plastic veneer and scratched off quite easily (and I was tired of the dark red anyway…). Time for a fix, so this is the after: a pretty, light coastal cabinet with a top created from reclaimed window shutters!

Here is the how-I-did-it: Sanded everything down to rough up the shiny veneer plasticy surface, and sanded the edges to round them off a bit.

Nothing says “mass-produced” more than sharp, clean edges on furniture. Primed with my go-to primer: Glidden Gripper (you can find this at Home Depot in the paint dept)

The Americana Chalky paint I planned on using says it doesn’t need a primer, but the before color was so dark, and the new color was so light, I figured I had better just to be safe.

Before I painted the entire piece, I accented the frames around the door panel inserts with the Americana Chalky Paint Called Vintage. It is a soft blue/green color that ties in beautifully with the shutter slats on the top.

Then I applied some wallpaper wainscoting (LOVE this stuff too!) to the inside of the panels to give a more country feel to the piece. (For the DIY how-to on using the wallpaper, click here.

I then painted the entire cupboard, including the inside panels, with two coats of Americana Chalky paint in the color Everlasting-so soft and pretty white.

The more I used this paint, the more I love it. No brush strokes, so easy to apply and clean up. I then sanded the edges to give it a bit of character and contrast.

The final coat was the Americana Ultra Matte Varnish from DecoArt. No shine, protects the white paint from fingerprints.

For the star of this show, the top, I used some old shutter slats that Coach and I had picked up off the side of the road on a drive to Cape Cod. That was one of my very first blog posts, and also one of the first times we trash picked on the side of the road. What a score! The colors are all the original ones-so coastal pretty!!

I have been using parts of them for several projects, including some little hanging chalkboards which I decided to reclaim for this project. As I was arranging the slats on the top, my original plan was to flip the chalkboard ones over and use the reverse side. But then I thought, why not just leave them so I could write cute little sayings on the surface? Fun!

Once I had placed all of the slats, there were a few that hung over the edges, which I quickly remedied with a few jigsaw cuts.

Then sanded the edge smooth with my Black & Decker Mouse sander, which I also picked up at my local Home Depot. Honestly, I spend more time at Home Depot and Home Goods than I do at home!!

While I was sanding, I made sure that I sanded the top edge just a bit so that the cut pieces had the same worn edge as the rest. (this is the area that fits into the frame of the shutters when they are whole).

Once they were cut and sanded, I glued them into place with this strong sticky stuff-didn’t even require any nailing!!

The original knobs were a nice heavy iron, but I wanted something lighter so there wasn’t as much of a contrast. These mercury glass knobs I found at (where else) HomeGoods, but I couldn’t find handles for the doors that I really liked.

So, I grabbed a pair of stainless ones I kept from my old kitchen and painted them with the chalk paint. What, you say?! Painted knobs? But, of course! This week’s Tuesday DIY Tip: you can paint any hardware quickly and easily, especially with this chalk paint! You just paint it on, making sure you get in all the tiny holes and crevices, then wipe it off,

allow to dry and done. Wipe away as much or as little depending on the look you are going for.

The finished cupboard now stands in the space under my incredible driftwood mirror I purchased at (where else) HomeGoods a few months back, along with some other coastal-inspired decor.

Which will all go so nicely in my coastal dream home (if I ever get a coast dream home…) In the meantime, have a dreamy Tuesday, everyone!! Susan

**PS: That disclaimer at the top of this article is for all the wood enthusiasts who think that no wood furniture should ever be painted…

Filed Under: Color Class, My Little Red House, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, Americana Chalky Paint, Americana Chalky Paint Vintage, Americana Ultra-Matte Varnish, coastal inspired kitchen cupboard, DecoArt Americana Chalky Paint, DIY coastal insprired cupboard, Glidden Gripper, Home Depot, HomeGoods, shutter slats for kitchen cupboard top, transforming a cabinet with chalky paint

Jul 4, 2014

From Sea to Rustic Sea

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

I recently spotted this amazing rustic wood and license plate USA map in my local HomeGoods store (lucky me, I actually have three local Home Goods stores!!)

I took a pic and posted it to my Facebook page, where it has had 3800+ views!!

Clearly, this is a popular piece. What is it about this particular USA map that folks love so much?? There are all kinds of rustic USA map renditions out there, like this one available at Pottery Barn,

or this one from World Market (when are they coming to Boston, BTW?!?)

or in the Pinterest world-including this one I created myself.

But, the HomeGoods map is so colorful and unique and has so much detail-if you look closely you can see that every state is created from its own license plate!! Can you imagine the work and time that went into this project? Now, you ask, if you love it so much, why didn’t you just buy the damn thing? Truth be told, I don’t have a wall big enough to hang it on : ( But, I keep thinking about it and wondering if there is a way that I can reproduce it on a smaller scale. Which means I would need a miniature license plate from every state in the union. I guess I’d better start searching…ideas, anyone??

In the meantime, have an inspired (and hopefully not too soggy, Independence Day!! Susan

Filed Under: Color Class, Inspiration, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love · Tagged: #HomeGoodsHappy, map of USA from Home Goods, Map of USA made from License plates, Pottery Barn US map, rustic USA map, shopping at HomeGoods, USA license plate map, World Market US map

Jul 1, 2014

Thrifty Kitchen Transformation-DIY Series-Wax On!

By countrydesignhome · 10 Comments

The final step of the kitchen cabinet transformation was the finish coat on the doors, drawers and boxes. To this point, we have painted 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of paint + I coat of tinted glaze to give the cabinets a slightly aged look.

But they still required one last coat of protection-this is a kitchen, and kitchens get messy right? Don’t want some splashing spaghetti sauce messing up my hard work! First, I tried a satin polyurethane, but it was too shiny. I also have a can of absolute matte finish, but I knew that would be too flat. So I decided on a wax finish that would provide protection while adding just a touch of shine. In the past I have used paste waxes that you wipe or stipple brush on, then buff off. They do give a nice finish, but I don’t like the odor and the elbow grease necessary to get the job done. Having recently discovered a new Crème Wax from Americana, I knew this was the perfect solution!

You literally brush this odorless opaque, white creamy liquid on with a foam brush,

allow to dry (about 1/2 hour), then buff it. The more you buff, the brighter the shine. I purchased this product at Michaels Crafts (with a coupon, of course : ), but it is available online at HomeDepot.com as well. Now, this is Tuesday’s DIY Tip: I use my little mouse sander to buff my finishes (if auto detailers can do it, why can’t I??)

Simply remove the velcroed sandpaper, stick on a soft cloth or rag in its place and buff away!

Use a soft flannel or fleece, not terrycloth, as the loops in the cloth will make it a rougher finish. Unless, of course, that is the look you are trying to achieve. The buffed finish is perfect-smooth and with a low satiny shine-the look we had imagined when we first decided to make over mom’s kitchen. The wax finish is essentially colorless, so it doesn’t tint the finish, but it did enhance the glazing color I had already applied. So, this part of the transformation is complete and we’ve gone from this:

to this:

If you are just joining us now, you can check out my Pinterest page with all of the links starting at the beginning here. But we still have a long way to go! Up next, the hardware. Have and buffed and shiny Tuesday everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Color Class, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, Americana Chalky Paints, Americana Creme Wax, DecoArt Wax Creme, finishing kitchen cabients with wax, Home Depot, Michaels, waxing and glazing kitchen cabinets, waxing kitchen cabinets

Jun 26, 2014

Thrifty Kitchen Transformation-DIY Series-Painting & Glazing

By countrydesignhome · Leave a Comment

As you recall, part one of this series was the cleaning and priming of the cabinets: doors, drawers and boxes. Since the wood was so dark. each required 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint. The paint we chose was a Benjamin Moore Eggshell in a custom color called Design Studio White-very soft and creamy white, but not ecru.

Since the appliances are bright white, the cabinet color needed to be just the right shade of white. Since we wanted the cabinets to appear somewhat aged and glazed, a pure white would have been too stark. However, choosing a beige or a white that was too creamy would have highlighted the difference between the cabinets and the appliances. Here are the painted doors all lined up and ready for glazing! I chose the eggshell finish because I knew I would be finishing the doors with some sore of glazing or waxing, and the matte finish is more porous which may have resulted in too much glaze being absorbed into the paint

The same decision went into the glazing process. Initially my mom wanted to just keep the cabinets white, but I convinced her that glazing them would highlight the door detail that was completely hidden when they were dark oak with the white panel.

Glazing them with a faintly tinted glaze highlights the edges and moldings and creates a nice antique look without darkening the cabinets too much.In this case, I used Martha Stewart Antique Effect Glaze.

I found these in a mark-down bin at Michaels awhile ago and they were so cheap I grabbed a bunch of them! I figured this was the perfect glaze for the cabinets, because it allows you to tint the color and then use as little or as much as you like to create the perfect glaze. I poured all of the little bottles, plus my colors into one large mason jar, ensuring I had enough for the entire kitchen.

For the tint color, we decided on a very light combination of the wall paint, which is a Benjamin Moore Whitestone and some Rustoelum Java Brown Cabinet Glaze I had left over from another project. 1 teaspoon of each went into the quart jar of glaze. You know that old adage, “measure twice, cut once’? Well, that applies to mixing colors as well! I had to know the exact formula, in the event that something catastrophic happened to my jar of mixed glaze so that I could replicate it if need be. (Sooo, remember the time when I was testing out my new paint in the hall and I got distracted and dropped the whole can? No? You can read about that here: The Hall of Shame-Color-Splash!)

So the formula for this jar of glaze is: 1 quart of glaze + 1 teaspoon of Rustoleum Java Brown

+ 1 teaspoon Benjamin Moore Whitestone

Since all three are water-based, they mixed together easily with just a paint stirrer. Yum-looks like mocha swirl!!

Applying the glaze is simple. You simply paint the glaze onto the entire piece, using a foam brush. If you are planning on doing both sides of the cabinet doors, you have to allow each side to dry and cure (approx. 24 hours, depending on the humidity) so they don’t stick to the work surface once you flip them over.

let it sit for a moment, then begin wiping it away with a damp rag. Gloves, people!

The more you leave, the darker the piece. Conversely, the more you remove, the lighter the piece. Once I went over it with the rag, I allowed it to sit for a couple of minutes, allowing the glaze to settle into the corners. Then I wiped away any excess I didn’t want. The final look: a soft white with just a hint of darker glaze in the corners and moldings.

Next up: the finishing wax! We are getting there! Have a great (hopefully not too wet) Thursday, everyone!! Susan

Filed Under: Color Class, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, Benjamin Moore Paint, can I mix glaze and paint, how to mix glaze and paint, how to mix glaze for kitchen cabinets, Martha Stewart Antique Glaze Effects, Rustoleum Kitchen Cabinet Glaze

Jun 19, 2014

Creative Glass Works At The Vintage Bazaar

By countrydesignhome · 11 Comments

For all of you vintage lovers out there (and by that I don’t mean old folks, I mean folks who love vintage stuff. But then, again, old folks-like me-can love vintage stuff too…) it’s the weekend we’ve been waiting for- The Vintage Bazaar at Pettengill Farm!

This weekend, June 21st & 22rd, make the journey to Salisbury Mass to discover some of the finest country hand crafts, vintage furnishings and accessories, jewelry, clothing and a few DIY television personalities (Yup, that’s me and Cari Cucksey from HGTV’s Cash & Cari at the Country Living Fair a few weekends ago. Gosh, I hope she doesn’t think I am following her like a vintage fair groupie when she sees me again…)

all in a bucolic setting on a real working farm complete with live country music, vintage trucks

and this chick. Love this chick.

Each time I have visited the Vintage Bazaar, I’ve discovered new and innovative merchandise, all from re-purposed, re-cycled and re-loved everyday household items. One of my favorites has always been this spectacular planter filled with gorgeous glass flowers created with vintage glassware and plates from Creative Glass Works Boston.

Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with the owners Ann Marie and Robert and visiting their home-based workshop.

This husband and wife team began creating these gorgeous pieces for a local Artisans Workshop Market over four years ago. Anne Marie, whose background was in IT before becoming a master glass flower-crafter, reports that she was searching for a way to use the extensive collection of glassware she had accumulated over the years. Her husband, Robert owns and operates a renovation and restoration construction company-so beauty met brawn and the rest is history!

The workshop is bursting with shelves and tables laden with sparkling glass in every color, style and shape.

There are vases and dishes and tall blown glass sculptures.

and jars filled with colorful glass beads and baubles.

From light-catching dangling pendants

to larger than life blossoms.

Each is individually hand-crafted, with carefully choosen pieces that complement one another and that together, resemble the anatomy of a life-like flower. Along with the clear and colored glass, Anne Marie and Robert work with ceramics and pottery,

creating whimsical, one-of-a-kind teapot lamps

with fashionably vintage shades.

So, make sure you visit The Creative Glass Works Boston booth while you are at the Vintage Bazaar this weekend. And if you see Anne Marie or Robert, say hello and tell them that Sue from Country Design Home sent you : ) Have a (hopefully not too bizarre) Thursday, everyone-see you at the fair! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Color Class, Inspiration, Outdoor Adventures, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Creative Glass Works Boston, glass flower garden, Glass flowers from Creative Glass Works, glass flowers made from plates, how to make glass flowers from plates, The Vintage Bazaar, The Vintage Bazaar at Pettengill Farm

Jun 3, 2014

Creative Kitchen Makeover-DIY Series-The Prep

By countrydesignhome · 6 Comments

Recently, I was asked to sample and review a new paint primer called Kilz HIDE-ALL,

which happens to be perfect timing for the kitchen makeover I have just begun! My mom, who lives in a townhome (that was once owned by my sister…long story) has been asking for a kitchen makeover for quite some time now. Although the budget does not allow for a full gut-job and remodel, we are using paints, glazes and some elbow grease to create that “French Country” look that she adores. The kitchen is circa 1980’s construction-grade with very dark oak cabinet doors and drawers and veneered plywood boxes. In the center of each door is a white vinyl panel that was glued into place, and the backsplash is alternating 4″ square ceramic tiles in black and white stripes that mirrors the white door panels.

The appliances are fairly new and white, so they are staying, and the floor is a sheet linoleum in a vintage black and white tile pattern, so that is most likely staying put as well. So, everyone knows that the key to a successful painting job is the prep work, which I personally despise, but it must be done! In this case, those white vinyl panels and the adhesive used to attach them had to be removed. I tried many, many de-glossing, de-gooing and de-sticking type products before I could get the edges ready for priming and painting.

A messy job, but absolutely essential to ensure a good outcome!

Once that was accomplished, it was time to try the new Kilz HIDE-ALL product.

This is from their website: “KILZ® HIDE-ALL™, a new primer sealer exclusively available at Lowe’s stores across the country. For home interior painting projects of all types—including covering dark colored walls, masking minor surface stains, smoothing out porous surfaces and more—the undercoat offers consumers excellent hide at an affordable price. KILZ HIDE-ALL helps prepare surfaces for painting by evening out porosity and creating a consistent canvas for adding the desired topcoat. With a multi-surface formula, KILZ HIDE-ALL can be used on drywall, cured plaster, woodwork, masonry, concrete block, brick and previously painted areas. The high-hiding, fast drying, latex primer sealer helps minimize issues caused by dark colors and minor surface stains to effectively transform bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and more.”

Did the primer live up to the hype? You betcha!! For only $26 and some change for a 2-gallon bucket, what I got was little to no prep work and no sanding-yay! Just a quick cleaning to remove any accumulated surface grease, dirt and dust-and that pesky glue.

The odorless primer is a creamy white color with a slightly grayish hue. It has the consistency of a watered-down school glue. Very smooth, very little dripping, brushes on easily and cleanly without leaving brush stroke marks and creates a light, bright prepped surface. And a little goes a very long way! Since these cabinet doors have had a lot of wear, the surface finish in some areas was worn away, while other areas were still shiny. The primer covered all of that evenly so that you cannot see the difference. The directions indicate that the primed surface can be re-painted after one hour with oil or latex paint, but I didn’t attempt that, as I am doing this makeover in stages, which I will be sharing as I complete each one. Brushes easily cleaned up with soap and water. Here is a before cabinet door

(note the taped #? Prior to removing the doors and drawers to paint them, remember to number them and make a map so you know where they go once you are finished):

Here is the primed cabinet door:

A perfectly smooth, matte surface awaiting the paint and glaze. But that will be in the next installment! I hope you are having a prime Tuesday, everyone! Susan

Disclaimer: Although the product in this blog post was provided by the makers of Kilz HIDE-ALL, the opinions expressed are strictly my own and have not been edited or altered in any way. Susan

Filed Under: Color Class, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, all in one primer, Kilz HIDE-ALL, Kilz HIDE-ALL at Lowes, Kilz HIDE-ALL Primer, Kilz Primer, primer for cabinets, primer used for kitchen cabinets, primer with no sanding needed

May 3, 2014

Michaels Crafts A Brand New Look

By countrydesignhome · 5 Comments

I’ve gotta say, I was more than a bit excited when I recently received an invite to attend a “Sneak Peek Blogger Event” at the newly remodeled Michaels Craft Store in Saugus, Mass.

After all, I do spend quite a bit of time (and $$$!) there gathering materials for my very many, many DIY projects! And, I love to blog about them. So, I was delighted to have an opportunity to meet other area bloggers, take part in a craft session and have a tour of the fresh new look of my local Michaels store! Along with 27 other Boston area stores, the Saugus Michaels is unveiling a brighter, fresher style that is less cluttered, much more organized and shopper friendly.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted and escorted into the Michaels Craft Room (which is, FYI, available to the public for group craft projects-good to know : ) After having a yummy bite and an Italian Soda (many of us had never heard of it, but so delish!), we were instructed in our craft projects, then left to our own devices and Exacto knives to create the perfect Boston Skyline from scrapbook paper and canvas.

Once our projects were completed, we were off on the store tour, led by Brett, the district manager along with several store employees, all of whom are now sporting bright red shirts so they are easy to spot when you need a crafty, helping hand.

Having shopped here numerous times in the past, the first change I noticed was the wall banner circling the entire store, high enough to spot from any vantage point and identifying key shopping areas. Other new features include signage that not only identifies the area, but informs the shopper what is available in each aisle.

A newly expanded section, by customer request, is Home Decor, where you will find aisles stocked with latest trends in home fashions and accessories.

Loving these ruffled pillows and ottomans!

One of the most noticeable changes throughout the store were the information boards associated with the products. I dabble in cake decorating from time to time, and I know my way around a pastry bag. BUT, what would be a simple cake decorating project for me could be an overwhelming task to an aspiring Cake Boss wanna be. So, Michaels solved this dilemma by not only stocking the shelves with the necessary tools, but also by adding these information and instruction boards (kind of like Pinterest in real life : )

The chalk and chalkboard section, which is still so trending on Pinterest right now, has it’s own “Pin” board, where customers can get inspiration, then grab the necessary supplies to create the project of their choice.

While on the tour, this new Tint It Spray caught my eye, (of course, with all the bright, pretty colors : ) with craft ideas and a color sample, plus supplies-brilliant!

As we turned each corner, I continued to be impressed by the overall look of the store with its colorful displays and variety of items for any imaginable craft project. AND, so excited to see that they are finally carrying my latest DIY obsession-Americana Chalky Paint by DecoArt!! I have just started using this product, and I can’t wait to share my first project with all of you. But for now, you will have to take my word for it that these paints and finishes are like nothing you may have worked with in the past.

So, now that I’ve given you the condensed tour, its your turn to head to your nearest Michaels to see what the blogging fuss is about! On Sunday, May 4th, there will be a grand re-opening of the Boston-area Michaels Stores featuring a 9:45 am ribbon-cutting ceremony, and over $1000 in gift card giveaways!! So, get crafty Boston, and…

I hope you have a creative and inspired Sunday, everyone. And if you do happen to visit your local Michaels, tell them Sue from Country Design Home sent you! Susan

Filed Under: Color Class, I've Been Featured On..., Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, #getcraftyboston, #Michaelsstores, Americana Chalky Paint, Decoart Chalky Paint, Michaels $1000 gift card giveaway, Michaels Arts and Crafts stores, Michaels Crafts, Michaels store grand re-opening

Apr 18, 2014

Cottage Fresh Country Cupboard

By countrydesignhome · 7 Comments

A few days ago I shared a project that I had been working on: transforming a country cupboard from this ugly, broken, junky piece to a cottage fresh country cupboard. This was the before:

this was the during

this is now.

A simple fresh white country cupboard that is filled with some of my cherished blue and white pieces, including this vintage set of Block China that I have kept stored away for over 30 years!

I have treasured this dinner set with the luscious blue strawberries for so long, but have never had an open cupboard to display them…and now I do! In this close-up pic you can also see the wainscoting wallpaper that I had installed and painted. It just gives a little extra depth to the otherwise plain back of the piece.

You can read about the initial transformation process, including the prepping and installation of the wainscoting wallpaper here:

https://countrydesignhome.com/2014/04/10/wow-wainscoting-wallpaper/

Once I had finished painting the cupboard, I wanted to add just a bit of glazing to the detailed trim to enhance it. BUT, I did not want to change the overall look of the piece. It needed to remain bright white to contrast with the red walls of my dining room. This concoction of DecoArt Metallic Pearl White Paint + Behr Custom Color Sample (kind of a soft tan-but I’m not sure of the color because it was in the OOPs bin at HomeDepot for 50 cents!) + Martha Stewart Tintable Glaze Effects.

I mixed it all together- lets say 6 parts glaze to two parts metallic paint to one part tan paint. Very scientific.

Then I painted it only on the areas where I wanted the trim to be defined- then wiped it off with a damp rag.

Just a hint of color was left behind to enhance the deep trim work.

Once it dried, I then mixed the Metallic Pearl White paint and the Tintable Glaze (about 50/50) and painted over all of the raised detail and trim areas. So what I have now is an elegant piece with a pearlescent glaze finish that captures the light and makes the detail pop.

Perfect. It just goes to show you what a little TLC and elbow grease can do to transform any ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. And just in time-now I can clean up the dining room and get ready for Easter, whew!! Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone! Susan