Country Design Home

Sep 1, 2014

Rusty Bedsprings Marquee Lights

Hi, all ! Happy Labor Day!

So, ever since Coach acquired that first set of rusty bedsprings, I had an idea for creating a marquee light for the barn shop. Inspired by the rusty bedspring coil lights in Salvage Secrets Design & Decor by Joanne Palmisano, I figured I could just take the bedsprings and attach some lights in the shape of an arrow to the back of the bedframe using pieces of wire.

It worked, somewhat, and the arrow became a beacon in our shop in the barn. (This is another one of my creations that, like the vintage sink, that is NOT FOR SALE…says me.) But it bothered me because the cords showed,

the lights were all crookedey and I wouldn’t be able to change the light shape without removing them and starting all over. Plus, because the background was the antique brown wood of the barn walls, you really couldn’t see the form unless you squinted. Or took a photo.

Or looked at it in reverse in the mirror across the barn. So, I decided to take it down and remake it into a true marquee sign. Here is the how-I-did-it:

1. Removed all the little pieces of wire and the lights from the bedsprings. THAT was fun. 2. Went to Home Depot and purchased a 4 x 8 sheet of lightweight plywood.

They have a nifty wall-mounted cutter thing and a very nice guy who will do the cutting for you, which is pretty awesome. LOVE Home Depot!

The plywood was cut down to the size of the rusty bedsprings with a 2 inch edge all around to allow for framing.

3. I built a frame out of 2 x 4’s and secured it to the back of the plywood to give me something to screw the brackets into that would hold the springs in place.

4. Measured and marked the holes I would have to make for the light sockets to be installed.

Of course, rusty old bedsprings are not necessarily even, so once I measured and marked the holes, then put the springs back onto the board, I noticed that several did not actually line up with the markings. So I tweaked them just a bit, and then a bit more, and then I drilled the holes.

After drilling, I used this handy sheet metal grinder bit to make the holes smooth and just big enough to fit the sockets so that they were snug.

5. Painted the board with Rustoleum High Heat spray paint.

Now, these little patio globe lights (from Target, LOVE these!) do not get up to a temperature of 1200 degrees Farenheit, but it’s good to know I’ll be safe just in case.

6. Painted a base coat of dark gray. Why gray, you ask? White would be too bright so the lights wouldn’t show up when lit. Black would be too dark so the bedsprings wouldn’t show up. Gray seemed like the perfect neutral alternative. This can of dark gray was a yard sale find, but a very nice quality paint from Mythic Paint. Went on smoothly, minimal drippage, good coverage and is completely non-toxic. Unfortunately, there aren’t any local stores near me that sell it : (

7. I wanted the plywood to not look like plywood, but more like some antique barn board or metal. So I dry brushed some darker gray streaks over it.

8. Once the paint was dry, I placed the bedsprings back on the board to make sure everything lined up nicely, which it did.

To attach the springs to the board, I used some steel plumbing clamps that I spray painted.

First with some metallic oil-rubbed bronze, but then with a rusty metal primer, both by Rustoleum.

I know the primer was supposed to go on first, but I really wanted the bracket and screws to look rusted to match the springs. Done.

9. Attached the springs to the board, then flipped the board over and placed the light sockets into each hole. Note that the wires are now nicely hidden behind the board where they are not all tangly and messy.

10. Tested out the board by screwing in the lights into the shape I wanted just to ensure they were in proper working order before transporting it back to the barn. In this case, just Hi!. Sent a text to my friends and family : )

There is one problem with using rusty bedsprings as your form: there are exactly 66 coils, so there are 66 lights in total: 6 down and 11 across in straight horizontal and vertical rows. Which means that I can’t really make any curved letters. Block letters it is.

11. Re-installed the “light bright” board onto the rear wall of the barn using some big-ass brackets to make sure it didn’t come tumbling off the wall and onto someone’s head! This thing is HEAVY!! Here is the new, improved Rusty Bedspring Marquee Sign that is now the beacon of light on our shop.

Which is really fun and draws a lot of attention. And, I heard more than a few browsers say “that must be a new sign, it was an arrow before.” Which is great, because that means they are returning to the Barn at Todd Farm to shop some more! Yay!

12. We do a lot of standing around at the shop (oftentimes the booth is so full of shoppers, we can’t fit in it-which is a very good thing!) Sometimes we’re just taking a break from all of the furniture moving, like this old girl.

Other times we’re just goofing off-good thing we’re the bosses…).

So we had some time to try to come up with other words for the light board, now that we can easily change it out. Subliminal messages like BUY could work, but I am thinking HUH? or MEH might draw a smile. Do you have any suggestions?? (no profanities, please : 0 Remember, we only have 11 letters across, 6 letters down and no curves!! Have a great holiday Monday, everyone! Hope you are enjoying the fruits of your labor : ) Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Color Class, Inspiration, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, Home Depot wood cutting, Joanne Palmisano, making a light board from Rusty bedsprings, reclaimed rusty bedspring coils, Rustoleum High Heat Spray Paint, Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint, Rustoleum Rusty Metal Spray paint, rusty bedspring coils, Rusty Bedsprings Light, Rusty Bedsprings Marquee Lights, Salvage Secrets Design Decor, Target Clear Globe Patio Lights

Aug 28, 2014

Wedding Bell Blues

By countrydesignhome · 8 Comments

Well, it’s back to school time for Coach! So, what did we do on our summer vacation, you ask? Opened up a vintage shop in The Barn at Todd Farm.

Spent two glorious weeks touring the UK and Ireland. Didn’t get a chance to visit with the queen, but her house is quite lovely : )

Plus, we celebrated my milestone birthday and announced our daughter’s wedding engagement! Woo Hoo! Let the wedding planning begin! Admittedly, I have been thinking about this for quite some time. After all, what mother doesn’t dream of the perfect wedding for their daughter? But I have to say that I was not quite prepared for the amount of traveling, viewing and decision-making this past weekend just to secure a venue for the summer of 2015. When Coach and I asked where my daughter and her fiancé would like to have their wedding, their response was “anywhere along the ocean from Maine to Rhode Island.” Yikes.

When you grow up along the coast, the stunning blue hues of the shimmering ocean as a perfect wedding backdrop seems the obvious choice. BUT, that’s quite a span of coastline to cover in just a few days, so we did our best and came up with a couple of obvious front runners. Friday we drove north, “down Maine” as the natives call it, along the coastal route through Wells, York, Ogunquit, Kennebunkport and Portland. Yes, we did. There were the quintessential New England venues like Union Bluff in York

and The Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport.

In Portland, we discovered The State Theatre,

a very cool turn-of-the-century movie theatre with no outdoor views. Next we ventured to the Portland Regency, a downtown hotel with a spectacular roof top deck at 25 Pearl Street

with amazing views of the Portland harbor.

All fantastic, each with its own quirky and charming selling points. Day two, we ventured to the South Shore and Cape Cod. Since we had vacationed on Martha’s Vineyard for many summers over the years, we had often discussed that as the wedding destination of choice. But since many, many of our guests will be flying in from around the world, we decided that asking them to land in Boston, then drive to the Cape, then board a ferry to the island seemed a bit much to ask. So, we are sticking to mainland America. What did we discover on Saturday’s southbound trip? There was the absolute Cape Cod charm of The Popponesset,

the tented venue on the dunes in Mashpee-I mean, have you ever seen a bluer blue sky??

Then, The Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth,

featuring bright Orange-Crush-colored umbrellas scattered down the beach as a contrast to the deep blues of the ocean and sky, a “bubble room” on a golf course in Onset (not on the ocean, but still quite beautiful)

and the White Cliffs Country Club in Plymouth,

literally perched on a cliff with the most spectacular ocean vistas

I have seen in a very long time. Not surprisingly, many of these venues had very few dates still available for the summer of 2015! But since we have teachers and students who will be traveling and attending the nuptials, July & August are it. So we need to move quickly in order to secure our spot or we will be blue! Do you have a favorite in this bunch?? And do you have any other suggestions, north or south of the city of Boston? Speak now or forever hold your peace : ) Have a terrific Thursday, everyone! We’ll keep you posted! Susan

Filed Under: Inspiration · Tagged: Maine, Nonantum Resort, ocean views for wedding venues, The Popponesset Inn, The Regency Portland, The Sea Crest Beach House, The Union Bluff, wedding venues Cape Cod, Wedding Venues Kennebunkport, Wedding Venues Maine, Weddings in New England, Weding venues, White Cliffs Country Club, York

Aug 25, 2014

Wall Decals Pop!

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

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

Aug 20, 2014

Everything AND The Kitchen Sink!

By countrydesignhome · 4 Comments

As you all know by now, we have now opened our vintage shop in the Barn at Todd Farm,

and so far things are going very, very well! Lots of our rescued, re-cycled and re-furbished pieces have been sold, and shoppers appear to be very excited about the variety of vintage goods we are offering.

Following our first Sunday (which seems like a lifetime ago, but was actually just a mere three weeks ago!) I realized we needed to make a change in our displays. When we set everything up and stepped back to admire our work that first day, we all said “this is great, as long as nobody buys these big pieces that have all of our dishes and pottery on them”.

BUT, that is exactly what happened, leaving us scrambling to find new spots for pie plates and Pyrex and pots and pans. So, I decided that we needed a permanent, dedicated spot to safely and attractively display our kitchen wares. The perfect solution, in my mind, was an old kitchen sink and countertop with shelves above it, so off to Craigslist land I ventured and found this awesome old General Electric porcelain sink for $40!!! A steal!!!

Once I had acquired the sink, it really was just a matter of building a solid base that would be sturdy enough to hold the weight of the sink and anything else we put on it. I started with a plywood top, cut with an extra 1/2 inch around the perimeter, and a hole cutout for the sink. Which turned into several cuts, which in turn created a nice new Mustachio for Coach.

Who, by the way, was really not on board with this whole sink thing. He did help me, but reluctantly, not seeing my vision and thinking that I was wasting valuable time that could have been spent working on other “saleable” projects.

The legs were built from 4×4 scraps Coach had hanging around somewhere behind the barn, cut to standard countertop height of 35 inches.

I simply attached those with large L brackets and some screws, then created some cross-pieces for stability, attaching those with smaller L brackets as well.

I would show you the rough-cut details, but they are really not very pretty and you can’t see them anyway : ) Once that was completed, I added an old, chippy shutter for the front panel,

and then I added some of these little metal strips (I have a big bin of these I grabbed at a yard sale. Have no idea what they are for, but they make a nice 1 inch decorative edge. Got plenty more if you need any…)

for the decorative edge trim. Conveniently, there are holes already drilled in the strips, so I just used some brass tacks to attach them to the plywood edge.

For the sides, I affixed some burlap panels with a dowel and some tacks. Nothing fancy. We don’t really have any kind of a storage area in the barn shop, so the burlap panels allow us to use the under-sink for keeping bags and tools, etc. The sides are simple blue burlap panels, but the front panels are actually made from old burlap potato sacks (which we have plenty of for sale in the shop : ).

Not crazy about how those look, so I’ll be changing those this upcoming weekend. Once we brought the sink to the shop, it was simply a matter of finding the perfect spot to build it in, then adding the shutter shelving and filling it up with our kitchenware and painted mason jars.

We even added an old window because everyone loves to look out the window when they are at the kitchen sink, right??

So, what happened when we opened up the shop 6 am Sunday morning?? Every person walking by and into the shop went right to my sink display and admired it, inspected it, asked how much it was. Initially shocked that folks were interested in buying my old sink, Coach quickly recovered and started asking $650. Wait, what?!?!?! THE SINK IS NOT FOR SALE. REPEAT. THE SINK IS NOT FOR SALE!

But both Coach and Lisa (his partner in crime this week) were hell-bent on selling that sink out from under me. Soooo, I compromised and used the old “if I really don’t want to sell it, then ask a ridiculously high price and if someone really wants it, they can have it trick”. $1000. FIRM. In the meantime, I am off to paint the pieces that I didn’t get a chance to paint because I was building the kitchen sink. Have an unsinkable Wednesday, everyone!! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Cookin' Up Country, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Antique Kitchen Sink, Barn at Todd Farm, Building with vintage kitchen sink, Farmhouse Sink Refurbished, Vintage Farmhouse Sink Display, Vintage Kitchen sink

Aug 9, 2014

Rustic USA Chalkboard Map-DIY!

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

Remember the time when I built the cupcake tower for the wedding and then it broke apart and toppled over and the cupcakes went tumbling onto the wet grass? No? So that’s just my bad luck…

Well, the one good thing that came of all of it was that I spotted this USA plank map that is proudly hanging in our friend’s log cabin home where we stayed for the wedding weekend.

It is an amazing focal point for their great room! Naturally, when I first admired it, my initial response was “that’s amazing”, quickly followed by “gee, I wonder if I can make that?!” Soooo, here is my version of the Pottery Barn Rustic USA map.

I created it using an old, very large framed print that Coach had picked up at a yard sale, some balsa wood slats, glue, stain and chalkboard paint. Here is the how-it-did-it:

1. I kept the print in place, since it was just a piece of fiberboard that had been printed on and adhered to the frame. Sorry about those creepy flowers, but they just had to go…

…but the frame, however, is gorgeous, so that remained as is!

2. The balsa wood slats came from a bin we purchased at a yard sale last summer. Tons of pieces of wood in various widths and lengths. Love this stuff-super easy to work with! Just mark with a pencil,

cut with scissors,

then glue down. I chose random pieces so it would look more rustic and deconstructed,

rather than just using all the same widths and lengths.

3. Once I had placed the wood into position, I lifted each piece and spread wood glue onto the base, using a foam brush to create a nice even surface.

4. I lifted one slat at a time, then placed the slats back down onto the glued surface, then weighted them down with various cans and bottles I had handy. If you do this, make sure you don’t use anything porous or it will stick to your project!

5. Once dried, I had to decide which stain to use.

Once the color was chosen, I simply followed the stain instructions (for the record, I went with the Minwax). You brush it on,

wait a minute, then wipe off any excess with a soft, clean cloth. Then allow to dry. You see all those little white dots? Apparently, I wasn’t as neat with the glue as I thought! No worries, I am going to dry brush some paint on there anyway, so they won’t be visible : )

6. For the dry-brushing, I taped off the frame edges,

then dry-brushed the surface with two tones of Americana Chalky Paint.

I knew if I just left it stained, the black map itself wouldn’t show up against the dark background.

Dry brushing allows you to see the stained wood underneath.

7. Once that was dry, I needed to add the map. Initially I tried to print out a USA map outline, but of course, the first one was too small and then my printer ran out of ink.

So, I grabbed one of Coach’s USA maps and cut around that. (No worries, this wasn’t one of the antique ones, just one of a few hundred he has hanging around)

8. Traced the map outline onto the prepped surface with a pencil. Then I painted it with three coats of chalkboard paint. This one is from FolkArt by Plaid,

but there are many other manufacturer’s and they all seem to do the trick.

9. Once the chalkboard paint was dry, I “primed” the surface by covering the entire map with chalk. )It needs to be primed so that when you do write on it with chalk, the images will easily wipe off. Otherwise they will leave “ghost images”)

(rub with the side of the chalk)

then wiped it off with a damp cloth.

10. With my mouse sander, I simply roughed up the surface and softened the edges with fine sandpaper to give the entire piece the rustic look.

11. This is the finished piece, proudly displayed on my mantel.

And remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Thanks Pottery Barn for the inspiration! Have an inspired weekend, everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Americana Chalky Paint, DIY Chalkboard Map, DIY Rustic Chalkboard Map, Plank Map, pottery barn, Pottery Barn Plank Map, Rustic Framed Chalkboard Map, USA Chalkboard Map

Aug 2, 2014

The Barn at Todd Farm

By countrydesignhome · 5 Comments

Greetings!! Back from my blogging break and ready to start sharing some very exciting news! Beginning Sunday, August 3, Coach and I, along with Lisa from RitaJosVintage will be setting up shop in the Barn at Todd Farm!! Woo Hoo!

Many of you already know about the historic Todd Farm in Rowley, Mass-the amazing Sunday flea markets with hundreds of vendors selling everything under the sun-and even a kitchen sink or two. (to read about our outdoor selling experience, click here)

But what many of you may not know is that the beautiful huge yellow barn

in the center of the property has undergone a restoration and has been transformed from an antique functioning dairy barn

to an antiques co-operative. Inside the barn there are many vendors (with more to come) that have filled each of the old cow stalls with antiques, collectibles, junque and recycled, refurbished and reloved furniture and accessories. So, what will we be selling?? Some of the items you have seen me transform on the blog will be there,

along with an ever-changing stock of old and really old and newly old stuff from our barn (and porch, and yard, and deck, and dining room and living room…) along with Lisa’s vintage kitsch collections. I will be posting pics of new items and stock each week on this blog, but also on my Facebook pages, as well as Craigslist (look under north shore garage and yard sales and just search Todd Farm). For now, we will be open at the crack of dawn on Sundays…or by chance…or by appointment. But, for now I have to sign off-the truck is arriving shortly and the packing and moving begins now! See you at the Farm

just look for the stall with the rusty bedspring arrow marquee : ) xoxox Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Inspiration, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Antiques at Todd Farm, Antiques Rowley Mass, country design home, Flea Market North Shore of Boston, Flea Markets Rowley Mass, Rita Jos Vintage, The Barn at Todd Farm, Todd Farm Flea Market

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 17, 2014

Hey, I Made That! Artistic License with Aaron Foster

By countrydesignhome · 2 Comments

Right around the 4th of July, I posted a pic of this amazing USA license plate map that I spotted at HomeGoods.

It received thousands of hits and shares on Facebook and Pinterest, and so many folks commented on its colorful beauty and unique construction-every state is represented with its own license plate! Then, I spotted this note on my Facebook page:

Naturally, I had to follow up and find out who the mystery artist was who created this patriotic masterpiece because I always strive to give proper credit to artists and makers. His name is Aaron Foster, he is an artist, an entrepenuer, former standup comic and an aspiring actor as well!

Check out this quite hilarious Who is Aaron Foster? video. Turns out, he was on HGTV in its early days, as the host of a show named Freestyle-where rooms were re-decorated using only furniture and decorative accessories already on hand. He created his first USA license plate map back in 2001 to impress a female artist friend. Not sure how that worked out, but the license plate art biz took off. So now, he sells his artwork online via his website, Aaron Foster Designs, at shows and by commission-he has created his artwork for CNN

Host of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert with Aaron Foster USA Map Art

& network television. This super large Liberty Flag was for ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition for the NYC Firefighter’s edition.

He also sells on Etsy, where he is presently offering some of his artwork at discounted prices, so you should definitely check that out here:

Here is my recent Q & A with Aaron

Me: Hi, Aaron! I was surprised to see your comment on my Facebook page and am wondering if you could share how that all came about? I have a few questions:

1. Is the photo of the one I shared on my page a picture of the actual one that you created? I took that photo at HomeGoods in Danvers, MA

Aaron: Yes, that is a photo of one of many USA License Plate Maps I have created since 2001 when I made my first one to impress a woman who was an artist and inadvertently

began a career as an artist.

2. Did you create it specifically for HomeGoods?

The piece pictured was created specifically for Home Goods in the sense that they decided the style for the background, rough cedar planks aged and distressed, but I have been

making the USA Map out of license plates since 2001.

3. Have you made any others?

While there are well over 100 designs in my collection, everything from American Flags, Classic Cars, Cowboy scenes and iconic American Highway signs such as Route 66 and the

Hollywood sign, the USA map has always been my most popular piece. I have created 1200+ of them. (blogger’s note: 1200+!!!!)

4. How did you obtain all of the license plates?

I have been doing this a long time and have many suppliers of the vintage plates throughout the country. At any given time I probably have somewhere in the neighborhood of

20,000 license plates in my workshop. (blogger’s note: 20,000!!!)

5. Do you have a website/Etsy page where you sell handmade items such as this online?

The Etsy Page: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AaronFoster

The Aaron Foster website where you can purchase and/or commission works of license plate art is http://www.aaronfoster.com/

6. Are you interested in sharing the actual construction details?

While it’s certainly not rocket science, this is how I make my living, pay my mortgage, feed my family, etc., so for those reasons, I’d rather keep my methods to myself. Sorry!

No apologies necessary. Everyone needs to make a living, and Aaron certainly does that with this amazing and unique license plate artwork. A few of my personal favorites:

USA Heart Map (every state represented)

USA Heart Map Aaron Foster License Plate Art

USA Flag in Red, White & Blue

Vintage Pickup Truck (from any state)

CU-Boulder Logo (my daughter’s alma mater-GO BUFFS!!) Hmmm, I wonder if he makes a Sparky the Sun Devil too??

CU Boulder License Plate Art Aaron Foster

To contact Aaron (whether to purchase a piece or offer him an acting gig) you can reach him at Email: info@aaronfoster.com or Phone: 323-302-3908. And if you do happen to contact him, please tell him that Sue from Country Design Home sent you : ) Now I’m giving you license to have a terrific Thursday, everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Aaron Foster, Aaron Foster Designs, Aaron Foster Etsy License Plate Art, Aaron Foster License Plate Art, CNN License Plate Art, Liberty License Plate Art, USA Map License Plate

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 11, 2014

Vintage Reclaimed Rules!

By countrydesignhome · 15 Comments

While all of the kitchen reno and vintage shopping has been going on, I’ve been working on quite a few projects at home in the few stolen moments I have available. This week’s project: Vintage Reclaimed Ruler Side Table-my new favorite piece!! Gotta give Coach credit where credit is due. Once I mention that I have something in mind to try to create, he goes all out to find me the proper materials at his yard and estate sales. Little old side table? $3.

Vintage rulers? Not free, but he’s been collecting them for awhile and stands at about 50 & counting!

What I love about these rulers are that they originated from old and defunct local businesses, many of them with original phone numbers-no area codes! Brings a little nostalgia to the piece. How sweet is “Make It Your Rule To Graduate From School??”

So, with Lisa from RitaJosVintage’s assistance, we created this cute little reclaimed side table using nothing more than some paint and varnish, wood glue, a brad nailer, painter’s tape and of course, rulers-some for actually measuring and the remainder for decoration (some Coach wouldn’t even allow us to cut because they were too vintage!) Here is the how-we-did-it: Cleaned the table and of course, noted the large crack in the top.

That was repaired with some wood glue and a couple of nails. It wasn’t going to be visible so no need for fanciness, just security. I painted the table with two coats of this awesome new chalky paint from DecoArt called Americana Chalky Finish that I bought at Michaels (with a coupon, of course : )

This deep graphite gray color is called Relic, which fits in nicely with the piece, don’t you agree? After the paint dried, I sanded it with a damp sponge sander.

I have discovered with this paint that since it is quite chalky, dry sanding results in a very fine dusting of the adjacent surfaces, but the wet sander smoothes the surface and removes the edges cleanly.

I attempted to remove the drawer pull to clean and polish it, but it was fastened in a way that it just kept twirling around but would not budge. So, I did the next best thing: painted it, then sanded it. Gives it an antique, finished look.

For the top, we decided on a design based on an old “Log Cabin Quilt” pattern, one of my favorites. We measured the first length, then cut it and taped it into place. Then repeatedly cut and taped until the entire top was covered.

You know, I gotta say, its a lot easier when someone else is doing the cutting and I am photographing them-thanks Lisa! (So, what’s wrong with this picture?? Lisa is not wearing goggles or glasses-my bad! That is a big no-no when using power tools. After all, if you damage your eyes while using power tools, then you won’t be able to see to use power tools any more. Don’t do this at home!!)

Once the top was completed, we lifted each piece as we went along, added the wood glue and then resecured the piece,

then waited until the glue was dry (which was pretty quick because it was about 95 degrees that day!). After that, the tape was removed

and the edges were sanded to smooth out any imperfections or uneven edges.

Then we secured all of the pieces using a brad nailer. This is the mini version of a nail gun, shoots both staples and tiny little finish nails that you can barely see.

At this point we stopped for the day, as the sun was setting, as evidenced by the blue hue of daylight. Not safe to work in the darkness!

The next day, I added two coats of this Americana Decor Ultra-Matte Varnish from DecoArt

to finish the entire piece, including the top (which I had initially glazed to enhance the colors of the different woods of the yardsticks, but then decided I wanted it to have a matte finish as well). This stuff is simple to use, brush it on, allow to dry, no buffing needed. It leaves a slightly textured, very matte finish that works perfectly on pieces where you want to accent the color but not add any shine. After all, this is a relic, right?

It stands now in my dining room with some simple staging.

A sweet salvaged side table that works as both a decorative piece and a handy tool (how many times do you go looking for a ruler to measure something and can’t find one?! Now it will be at your fingertips-as long as you only need to measure 12 inches or less : ) I hope your Friday rules, everyone-TGIF!! Susan