Pinterest Projects That I Actually Completed

So everyone has them. The boring, pine knife block that holds all of your very special knives. They sit on your countertop and keep your knives, point down, at your fingertips. They are not very attractive, unless you like a solid chunk of blond wood.
As I was perusing Pinterest some time ago I found this awesome photo where someone had painted their knife block.

Source: johnnyinadress.com via Sandy on Pinterest

I immediately thought, I will be painting mine..turquoise and red. So I was on a mission this week to get several pieces of furniture painted for my Etsy store and Blacklion and a few for clients as well. I decided to throw the knife block into the mix as well. I had some turquoise chalk paint and decided that would do. Also had a stencil that fit the sides nicely.


So this is my finished product, except it didn't quite suit me. So I broke out the sandpaper and distressed it a bit.

MUCH better! What small household projects are you working on these days?








Another amazing idea I found was cleaning paint brushes. Right?! I have so many with paint dried in them. It's so hard to get it all out. You may  never use ivory soap to wash you face again when you see what it does to dried paint! Moms, don't EVER leave your baby in a bath tub with a bar of ivory soap again!! Baby might not be there when you return! Seriously!

Source: totalartsoul.com via Sandy on Pinterest

You should check out this link, but basically you put a bar of ivory soap into a container of water. It will mostly dissolve. I soaked the brushes overnight. After soaking, I used a scrub brush to comb the bristles. The results are amazing!!

After cleaning

Before soaking

I've kept the solution sitting in my work sink. I just keep adding brushes to it and letting them soak. What a great discovery! I hope this was helpful to you!

Dramatic Ceilings

I recently began uploading my portfolio to Houzz.com. Another awesome, viral website that is growing like crazy! Anyone looking for new ideas, products or professionals for anything home design related should be looking here. To increase my ranking on Houzz, I need reviews from those familiar with my work. If you are a past client, please take a moment to check it out and let me know if you would be interested in leaving a review. I would really appreciate it! Find me here  http://www.houzz.com/pro/paintingthetownus/painting-the-town-inc.
During the process, I realized I've had some wonderful opportunities to work with terrific clients on amazing projects. Ceilings in particular can be very dramatic. I'm including a few from the past that I thought you might enjoy seeing. Perhaps a little inspiration?

Mediterranean Dining Room design by Charlotte Artist And Artisan Painting the Town, Inc.

Mediterranean Kitchen design by Charlotte Artist And Artisan Painting the Town, Inc.

Mediterranean Hall design by Charlotte Artist And Artisan Painting the Town, Inc.

Mediterranean Entry design by Charlotte Artist And Artisan Painting the Town, Inc.

I am so inspired to create some new and wonderful ceilings this fall!! Will yours be next?

Clock Tower Mural

So it seems I don't get to do too many murals these days. I usually let Robin, my trusty side kick, handle them because that is her passion. She is busy this month working on an awesome huge canvas mural project. She' s doing it for the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. You can see her progress on her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CreativeBrushworks.
So completing this project was all on me (aside from the boy brawn needed from my teens to help erect scaffolding).
My client wanted something interesting to frame and camouflage the 90+" television. It's hard to make a tv that large be inconspicuous. But hopefully your eye is drawn to the mural. :)

Right! Bet you didn't even notice the television. Here are some shots of the mural in progress. Hope you enjoy! I could have spent many more days adding to and tweeking, but when it comes to murals you just have to stop when you've done everything proposed and the client is happy!

Anybody have any crazy mural ideas? Would love to complete them for you this fall!

Pins of the Week - Turquoise and Gray Color Schemes

What color schemes inspire you these days? As you know, I'm a big fan of turquoise. Not particularly fond of gray, although I hear it's the new beige. I find turquoise and gray paired together are really very soothing.

Source: bassettfurniture.com via Sandy on Pinterest

Source: simplysadiejane.com via Sandy on Pinterest

I particularly love these colors when a pop of coral or rust is added.

Source: design-seeds.com via Sandy on Pinterest

Coral, tangerine and orange painted furniture seems to be a new trend. I have a vintage piece that I need to paint. I think I may just try that. What is your opinion? Would love to hear from you!

Hand Painted Console, Chest of Drawers and Upcycled Drawer Faces

This summer has been great for finding awesome furniture pieces to transform into beautiful, unique treasures. I've had some fun wall and ceiling projects (wait til you see my blog next week!), but am really enjoying rejuvinating old furniture. I've had some custom orders as well. It's so exciting when someone wants you to find a special piece for them and put your painted spin on it!
I won't rehash, sanding, priming, painting, glazing and polyurethaning furniture but here are some fun pieces I've recently completed. This chest of drawers is SOLID! Very heavy and sturdy, although to see it now it looks elegant. This finish has the look of raw silk. A hint of shimmer and texture.

This was the chest before I did anything to it. It was a dark cherry finish and on the inside too. I used the slightly red copper tone for the stencil to give a flow when you open the drawers. Here's the piece before.

I also found a more modern, mid century looking piece. It looked like the perfect piece for a huge, flat screen tv. And someone had already cut out two of the interior drawer faces for audio video equipment! Score! Here's this piece before.

I decided since it had a modern flavor, that I would keep a clean finish to it. I almost did it laquer white. Then I decided a nice neutral beige (who am I? I NEVER do nice and neutral). I did add a little pop of soft aqua on the inside (I just had to add some color)! I think it has a coastal feel to it, but also work very nicely in any decor. The hardware I painted gloss black. Would love to hear what you think!

I also had an awesome client give me all of her doors and drawer faces since she was refacing her kitchen cabinets. All solid wood and in good shape. Here's what I did to upcycle a few of the drawer faces.

Found these cool iron hooks and painted the drawers and hooks the same. Added a few hangers to the backs, and now they're beautiful coat or towel hooks! You can find these in my online shop. Thanks for looking!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/savardstudios?section_id=11262369

Pins of the Week: Horizontal Stripes - Dare to be Different!

I have always loved bold, horizontal stripes. I think they make a room look larger and current in their design. This week, I found several examples on Pinterest and had to share. This small bath uses white and grey. Very striking and clean.

Source: blog.baerhomedesign.com via Sandy on Pinterest

This powder room uses wood to create a horizontal stripe effect. It's rustic, yet modern. This photo comes from another website called Houzz.com. It's a great resource to find and store all of your design ideas in one place. I am in the process of uploading my entire portfolio to this site. If I have done a fabulous job for you on a job in the past, please go there and leave feedback, testimonials, etc. Here's the link http://www.houzz.com/pro/paintingthetownus/painting-the-town-inc. Thanks in advance!

Source: houzz.com via Sandy on Pinterest

This foyer makes a bold statement with smaller black, white and grey stripes. Love the pop of yellow in the flowers and candle!

Source: decorpad.com via Sandy on Pinterest

This foyer uses grassclothe to create a subtle horizontal flow.

Source: bellemaison23.com via Sandy on Pinterest

I hope I have given you new inspiration for your next project! And you didn't have to spend all day on Pinterest :) !

Pins of the Week on Pinterest - Coastal Turquoise

So I've been following Pintrest for awhile. If you haven't discovered it yet, it is the BEST THING EVER!! It's basically a virtual pin board for amazing ideas and everything cool. Decor, travel, fashion, recipes, gardening, weddings, fitness, anything you would have interest in referring back to at a later date. You create boards and file (pin) what you like.

I decided I would start showing some of my favorite pins. I'll try to stick to interior design and painting ideas, but I'm sure I'll have to share other fabulous finds as well.

It's the time of the year that we all think about the coast. I've found several coastal themes that I just love. This photo is from a website that sells home furnishing and accessories, with lots of coastal ideas. Such a soothing color palette, don't you think? The soft shimmer of the putty colored velvet, paired with the turquoise blue is breathtaking!

Source: zgallerie.com via Z on Pinterest

Another inspiring find was this beautiful tile work! How awesome would this be in a pool bath or a bath in your coastal home! Turquoise is my current color obsession. It looks great with so many color schemes! This turquoise glass tile has beautiful irridescent qualities. I would love to see photos of your current coastal theme projects! Any takers?

Source: imgfave.com via Sandy on Pinterest